Bollinger County

I can provide this with exact figures—do you prefer:

• 2020 Decennial Census (official count, limited detail), or
• Latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (more detail, modeled)?

Also, for “household data,” should I include number of households, average household size, percent family vs. nonfamily households, and homeownership rate?

Bollinger County, MO email usage (estimates)

• Estimated users: 7,500–9,000 residents. Basis: ~10.5k population, majority adult, and high email use among internet users.
• Age distribution of users:
  • 13–17: ~5–8%
  • 18–34: ~22–28%
  • 35–64: ~48–55%
  • 65+: ~15–20% (slightly lower adoption than middle ages)
• Gender split: roughly even, ~49–51% male/female among users.

Digital access trends

• Email is primarily accessed on smartphones; many households are mobile‑only or use fixed‑wireless/satellite where cable/DSL is limited.
• Household broadband subscription rates are typical of rural Missouri (roughly 60–75%), with lower speeds and data caps common outside the county seat (Marble Hill).
• Public Wi‑Fi at libraries/schools and community hubs remains important for account setup and routine access.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Sparse, rural county: roughly 17–20 people per square mile across 600+ square miles.
• Best connectivity clusters in and near Marble Hill and along main highways; service gaps persist in more remote hollows and ridge areas.
• Ongoing broadband buildouts (fiber and fixed‑wireless) are gradually improving availability and raising adoption where new service goes live.

Below is a practical, county-scale picture based on public demographic counts and rural adoption patterns observed by Pew/CPS/FCC for 2023–2025. Exact, county-level mobile statistics aren’t formally published, so figures are estimates with ranges.

Quick take

• Bollinger County’s smartphone adoption is likely 5–10 points below the Missouri average, but reliance on mobile as the primary or only internet connection is meaningfully higher.
• Coverage and capacity are uneven away from the main corridors, so residents lean more on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and prepaid/budget plans than the state overall.
• 5G is present mainly as low‑band coverage; mid‑band performance gains seen in metro Missouri are limited here.

User estimates (2025)

• Population baseline: ~10.5k people; ~8.1k adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: ~6.2k–6.9k (about 76–85% of adults).
• Total mobile phone users (any cell phone, incl. basic phones): ~7.3k–8.0k adults (about 90–98% of adults).
• Including teens, total smartphone users countywide likely ~6.8k–7.3k.
• Smartphone‑only (mobile‑dependent) home internet households: roughly 25–30% of households, notably higher than the Missouri average (typically high‑teens to low‑20s). In a county with ~4.0–4.5k households, that’s on the order of 1.0k–1.3k households.

Demographic patterns (how Bollinger differs from Missouri overall)

• Age
  • 18–34: Very high smartphone ownership (≈90–95%), similar to state.
  • 35–64: High but a bit lower than state (≈80–88% vs state’s mid‑/upper‑80s).
  • 65+: Noticeably lower than state (≈55–65% vs state’s ~65–75%), reflecting the county’s older age mix and patchier coverage.
• Income/plan type
  • Higher share of prepaid and budget Android devices than statewide, driven by lower incomes and spotty 5G performance (less incentive to buy premium devices).
  • Longer device replacement cycles (often 3–4+ years vs closer to 2–3 statewide).
• Education and digital skills
  • A larger segment with high school or less correlates with lower smartphone feature use (e.g., mobile banking, telehealth apps) and greater reliance on voice/SMS and Facebook.
• Geography within the county
  • Marble Hill and areas along primary routes show better, more consistent LTE/low‑band 5G; unincorporated and valley areas experience dead zones and slower speeds, widening the usage gap compared to urban Missouri.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Coverage and performance
  • 4G LTE is the baseline; 5G exists primarily as low‑band (good reach, modest speeds). Mid‑band 5G capacity that’s common around Missouri metros is sparse, so real‑world speeds trail state averages.
  • Terrain (ridges/valleys, forest cover) creates pockets of weak or no signal; boosters and Wi‑Fi calling are common workarounds.
• Towers and backhaul
  • Macro‑tower density is low for the land area; sites cluster near highways and town centers, leaving capacity thin off‑corridor.
  • Backhaul is a mix of fiber and microwave; fewer high‑capacity fiber laterals than in suburban Missouri limits peak performance and rapid 5G upgrades.
• Carriers
  • All three national carriers are nominally present, but AT&T and Verizon tend to have more reliable rural coverage footprints; T‑Mobile low‑band has improved along main routes but remains inconsistent off‑road compared with metro areas.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet coverage (AT&T) improves emergency communications along main corridors, but single‑point tower outages can have outsized local impact due to sparse redundancy.

Usage trends that diverge from Missouri statewide

• Higher mobile‑only internet dependence, especially where fixed broadband is unavailable or unaffordable.
• Lower effective 5G performance and fewer mid‑band deployments; median mobile speeds lag state averages.
• Older user base and lower incomes reduce premium device uptake and slow upgrade cycles.
• Greater reliance on prepaid plans, Android devices, Wi‑Fi calling, and in‑home signal boosters.
• App usage skews toward essential communication (voice/SMS, Facebook Messenger) and practical services; lower penetration of data‑heavy streaming and advanced apps compared with urban/suburban Missouri.

How these estimates were built

• Started from the county’s population and age mix (Census) and applied rural smartphone adoption rates by age from recent national/state research (Pew, CPS), then adjusted for rural coverage/affordability.
• Mobile‑dependent household share inferred from rural Missouri patterns where fixed broadband availability is below state average.

Bollinger County, MO — social media snapshot (short)

Population base

• Total population: ~10.5k residents (U.S. Census estimate).
• Residents age 13+: ~8.6–8.9k.
• Estimated active social media users (13+): ~6.5–7.5k using at least monthly.
  • Method: Applied Pew Research Center’s 2024 national adoption rates for adults/teens with a small downward adjustment for rural broadband adoption.

Most-used platforms (share of 13+ who use each at least monthly — local estimates informed by Pew 2024 and rural usage patterns)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 65–72%
• Instagram: 28–40%
• TikTok: 25–33%
• Snapchat: 22–30% (concentrated under age 30)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 12–18% (skews male)
• WhatsApp: 10–18% (family comms, small business)
• Reddit: 10–15% (skews male/younger)
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (limited by rural neighborhood coverage)

Age-group usage patterns

• 13–17: 90–95% on at least one platform; Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube dominate; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal.
• 18–29: 90%+; heavy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook used mainly for events/Marketplace and local info.
• 30–49: 85–90%; Facebook is primary; YouTube ubiquitous; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing but selective.
• 50–64: 75–85%; Facebook first, YouTube second; Pinterest notable among women; limited TikTok/Instagram.
• 65+: 55–70%; Facebook is the anchor; YouTube for news/how‑tos; lighter use of newer apps.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Women: Higher usage of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong participation in community/yard‑sale groups and Marketplace.
• Men: Higher usage of YouTube, Reddit, X; more watch/consume behavior (news, sports, outdoors, machinery).

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: High engagement in local groups (schools, youth sports, churches, civic updates, lost & found, road/weather alerts).
• Marketplace culture: Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are daily habits; peak listings Thu–Sat.
• Local news flow: Facebook pages and groups often function as the de facto local newswire; severe weather and school updates drive spikes.
• Messaging split: Adults rely on Facebook Messenger; under‑30s favor Snapchat DMs; group texts still common for teams/church groups.
• Content formats: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) performs best; “how‑to,” hunting/fishing, homesteading, farm/DIY, and local events get strong watch time.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–8 a.m. and 7–10 p.m.; weekends see more commerce/event activity.
• Trust signals: Posts from known locals, tagged businesses, or public officials travel farther; word‑of‑mouth and shares beat anonymous pages.
• Advertising behavior: Boosted Facebook posts with tight geo‑targeting (15–30 miles) and tangible offers outperform generic brand posts.

Notes and sources

• Figures are estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use (2024) and typical rural Missouri adoption patterns, applied to Bollinger County’s population profile. Exact county-level platform stats are not published; ranges reflect that uncertainty.