Bates County

Key demographics — Bates County, Missouri

• Population size:

  • 16,042 (2020 Census)
  • ~16,400 (2023 Census estimate)

• Age:

  • Median age: ~42 years
  • Under 18: ~22–23%
  • 65 and over: ~20–21%

• Gender:

  • Female: ~50.7%
  • Male: ~49.3%

• Race/ethnicity (shares; Hispanic can be any race):

  • White alone: ~93%
  • Black or African American: ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.7%
  • Asian: ~0.3%
  • Two or more races: ~4–5%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%

• Households:

  • ~6,500 households
  • Persons per household: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~two-thirds of households

Notes: Figures reflect 2020 Census and 2018–2022 American Community Survey/2023 Census estimates.

Bates County, MO (pop. ~16K) is a low‑density, rural county along the I‑49 corridor (county seat: Butler). Email use largely tracks rural U.S. internet adoption.

Estimated email users: roughly 10,000–12,000 residents (about 65–75% of total), based on adult share of the population and rural internet/email adoption rates.

Age pattern (approx. adoption among each group):

• 18–29: 95–98% use email
• 30–49: 95–98%
• 50–64: 90–95%
• 65+: 70–85% (lower in the most remote areas)

Gender split: roughly even (about 50/50).

Digital access and trends:

• Home broadband subscription is likely in the low–mid 70% of households; mobile‑only internet users ~10–15%.
• Reliance on smartphones is rising; daily email checks skew younger and working‑age.
• Public/library Wi‑Fi and school hotspots fill gaps for households without fixed service.
• Connectivity is strongest in and near Butler and along I‑49; coverage and speeds drop in outlying agricultural areas, where some homes still lack reliable wired broadband. Ongoing state/federal rural broadband grants are expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless options.

Notes: Figures are estimates derived from Census/ACS population baselines and national/rural adoption data (Pew, FCC/ACS).

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Bates County, Missouri

Topline

• Bates County is a small, largely rural county (about 16,000 residents) with solid 4G coverage along I‑49 and in towns (Butler, Adrian, Rich Hill) and more variable coverage in outlying areas. Mobile adoption is high but trails Missouri’s urbanized state average, and residents rely more on mobile-only internet due to patchier fixed broadband.

User estimates (transparent, order‑of‑magnitude ranges)

• Adult smartphone users: roughly 11,000–12,000.
  • Basis: ~16,000 population; ~78% adults ≈ 12,500. Rural smartphone ownership typically 80–86% of adults, adjusted down slightly for an older age profile in Bates → ≈ 10,000–10,700 adult smartphone users. Add ≈1,000–1,200 teen users (12–17) with very high smartphone adoption → ≈ 11,000–12,000 total.
• Feature‑phone (non‑smartphone) users: ~1,000–1,500, concentrated among older adults.
• Wireless‑only internet households (rely on smartphones or mobile hotspot/fixed wireless instead of wired broadband): likely 18–25% of households in Bates vs a lower share statewide.
  • Basis: rural counties with lower income/older age mix and uneven wired options show higher mobile‑only reliance.
• Carrier mix: all three nationals (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) are present; share likely skews slightly toward AT&T/Verizon outside the I‑49 corridor, with T‑Mobile strongest along the corridor and near the KC fringe.

Demographic drivers and how they differ from Missouri overall

• Older age structure:
  • Bates has a larger 65+ share than the state average, pulling down overall smartphone and app adoption and increasing the share of basic phones. Missouri’s metro counties skew younger with near‑universal smartphone ownership.
• Income and education:
  • Median household income is below the Missouri median, and BA+ attainment is lower. This tends to increase prepaid plan usage, slower device upgrade cycles, and higher Android share. Statewide, higher incomes in metros correlate with more postpaid family plans and newer 5G devices.
• Household internet patterns:
  • Higher reliance on mobile‑only or mobile‑first internet due to limited or costly wired options outside towns. Statewide, especially in metros, fixed broadband is more common and faster, so mobile is more of a complement than a substitute.
• Travel/commuting:
  • A portion of residents and through‑traffic are oriented to the I‑49/KC corridor, so peak mobile demand clusters along the highway and around Butler/Adrian. State patterns are more diffuse across multiple metros.

Digital infrastructure and performance (county specifics and contrasts)

• Coverage pattern:
  • I‑49 corridor and town centers: strong LTE and broadly available low‑band 5G from all three carriers; mid‑band 5G capacity is present in pockets closer to the KC fringe and along the corridor but limited elsewhere.
  • Outlying areas (western border, southeast farm/river bottoms): more variable signal, with LTE fallback common and indoor coverage challenges in metal‑roof homes and low‑lying areas.
  • Compared to Missouri overall: fewer mid‑band 5G sites per square mile and more dependence on low‑band 5G/LTE, so capacity and speeds are lower than statewide medians.
• Speeds and capacity:
  • Typical downloads in town/corridor: often 30–100+ Mbps depending on carrier and proximity to a sector; outside towns: 10–40 Mbps is common, with occasional single‑digit speeds at edges.
  • Missouri statewide medians (driven by metros with dense mid‑band 5G) are higher; Bates lags on both median and consistency.
• Towers and backhaul:
  • Macro sites cluster along I‑49 and near Butler/Adrian/Rich Hill, with sparser spacing elsewhere. Backhaul is strongest along the highway and near fiber routes; in rural stretches, sites may rely on longer microwave hops, limiting peak capacity compared to urban fiber‑fed sites.
• 5G status:
  • Low‑band 5G is broadly advertised countywide, improving coverage but not always speed. Mid‑band (e.g., 2.5 GHz, C‑band) is primarily near the northern county and the interstate corridor; most of the county still rides LTE or low‑band 5G.
  • Statewide, mid‑band 5G availability is much denser in metro areas, raising average performance.
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • FirstNet/priority coverage is strong along I‑49 and in towns; redundancy off‑corridor is thinner than in metro Missouri (fewer overlapping sectors/power options), so outages can have larger local effects.
• Alternatives that shape mobile use:
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) from mobile carriers is widely marketed and increasingly adopted where cable/fiber are absent, further loading mobile sectors during peak hours. In metro Missouri, FWA is an option but competes with abundant cable/fiber.

Notable trends that diverge from state‑level

• Higher share of mobile‑only households and heavier dependence on mobile data for core internet tasks (school, telehealth, streaming) versus metro Missouri where fixed broadband dominates.
• Slower transition to high‑capacity mid‑band 5G and smaller per‑site capacity, keeping median speeds below state averages and making performance more variable by location and carrier.
• Greater persistence of basic phones and older devices due to age and income mix; prepaid and MVNO plans have a larger footprint relative to postpaid family bundles common in urban counties.
• Coverage quality is highly corridor‑centric (I‑49 and towns), with more pronounced edge‑of‑cell and indoor coverage gaps than state averages.
• Post‑ACP environment (as federal subsidies recede) likely increases smartphone‑only and hotspot use in Bates more than in metro counties with affordable cable/fiber options.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Estimates combine decennial/ACS population, typical rural smartphone adoption from national surveys, and known rural infrastructure patterns in western Missouri. Exact tower counts, carrier sectorization, and speed medians vary by micro‑location; local drive tests or carrier maps are recommended for address‑level planning.

Below is a concise, locally tuned snapshot. Direct, platform-by-platform counts for Bates County aren’t published; figures are reasonable estimates based on Pew Research national/rural patterns, Missouri rural demographics, and ad-platform reach benchmarks for similar counties (2023–2024).

Quick user stats (estimate)

• Population: ≈16,000 residents
• Social media users: ≈9,500–11,000 residents use at least one platform monthly (about 60–70% of residents; 70–80% of adults)
• Gender split among users: Women 52–55%; Men 45–48%
• Device mix: Mobile-first (Android-heavy), with Facebook Messenger and SMS as default contact channels

Age mix of social media users (share of total users)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 12–14%
• 25–34: 18–20%
• 35–44: 18–20%
• 45–54: 16–18%
• 55–64: 12–14%
• 65+: 10–12%

Most-used platforms in Bates County (share of social media users; monthly, estimated)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75% (strongest among 30+; near-universal for local info)
• Facebook Messenger: 65–70%
• Instagram: 30–35% (skews under 40, moms/young families)
• TikTok: 28–33% (fast growth across teens–40s)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (teens/20s; heavy messaging)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (women 25–54; home, recipes, crafts)
• X/Twitter: 12–18% (sports/news; small but vocal)
• Reddit: 10–12% (men 18–34)
• LinkedIn: 10–12% (professionals, job seeking)
• Nextdoor: 5–8% (more in/near Butler and other towns)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups (schools, sports, churches, buy/sell), Events, and Marketplace drive the most local attention and transactions.
• Messaging-first behavior: Many conversations move quickly to Facebook Messenger or Snapchat; “Click to Message” ads and page inboxes outperform web forms.
• Video, but keep it simple: YouTube for how‑to, repairs, ag, hunting/fishing; short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) for local businesses, sports highlights, and school activities.
• Local trust > polished branding: Content featuring recognizable people, places, and names outperforms generic creative. Word-of-mouth amplification is strong.
• News and alerts flow through Facebook: Weather, school closings, road conditions, county notices, and local media posts get high engagement.
• Commerce patterns: Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are primary for used goods; boutiques/crafts do well with Facebook + Instagram Reels and Stories.
• Timing: Engagement tends to peak evenings and weekends; lunch-hour checks are common on weekdays.
• Older users: Facebook and YouTube dominate; TikTok/Instagram are growing among 35–49 but still secondary.
• Teens/young adults: Snapchat for messaging; TikTok/YouTube for entertainment; Instagram for social identity and sports/team updates.

Notes on methodology

• Because platform-by-platform counts aren’t released at the county level, percentages are estimated from national/rural usage rates, Missouri rural age mix, and ad-platform reach benchmarks, then adjusted for an older-leaning, rural community profile.