Buchanan County

Here are current, high-level demographics for Buchanan County, Missouri. Figures are rounded; sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year; 2023 population estimates).

• Population

  • Total: ~84,000–85,000 (2023 estimate ~84k; 2020 Census 84,793)

• Age

  • Median age: ~39 years
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~17–18%

• Gender

  • Female: ~49–50%
  • Male: ~50–51%

• Race and ethnicity

  • White alone: ~82%
  • Black or African American alone: ~7%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–0.7%
  • Asian alone: ~1–1.5%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1–0.2%
  • Two or more races: ~5–6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~8–9%
  • White alone, not Hispanic: ~74–76%

• Households

  • Number of households: ~32,000–33,000
  • Average household size: ~2.4
  • Family households: ~60% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~45% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~28–30%

Buchanan County, MO snapshot (approximate, based on ACS and Pew benchmarks):

• Estimated email users: 55,000–65,000 residents use email at least monthly (driven by high adoption among working-age adults).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: 20–25%
  • 30–49: 35–40%
  • 50–64: 20–25%
  • 65+: 15–20%
  • Under 18: 5–10% (mostly high-school students)
• Gender split: Roughly even; about 51% female, 49% male among users (mirrors county population).
• Digital access trends:
  • 80–85% of households have a broadband subscription; 10–15% are mobile-only internet users.
  • Email is near-universal among internet users (≈90–95%); usage dips with age but remains strong among 65+.
  • Public Wi‑Fi and digital access supported by St. Joseph Public Library branches; growing fiber and fixed‑wireless availability.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population ~86–88k; density roughly 200 people per square mile, with 85–90% of residents in St. Joseph.
  • Urban St. Joseph has the widest cable/fiber choices and fastest speeds; rural townships more reliant on DSL/fixed wireless, with slower tiers.
  • Cellular coverage is strongest along I‑29 and US‑36 corridors.

Mobile phone usage in Buchanan County, Missouri — 2025 snapshot

How many users (estimates)

• Population baseline: ~84,000–86,000 residents; ~65,000–67,000 adults (ACS 2023 est.).
• Smartphone users: about 62,000–66,000 residents use a smartphone (roughly 88–90% of adults plus most teens).
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): about 67,000–70,000 users.
• Smartphone-only internet (no home broadband): estimated 22–26% of adults in Buchanan vs ~17–20% statewide, reflecting higher mobile reliance.
• Prepaid/MVNO share: estimated 30–35% of smartphone lines in Buchanan vs ~24–28% statewide (price sensitivity and credit constraints increase prepaid uptake).

Demographic patterns

• Age:
  • 18–49: near-universal smartphone ownership (~96–99%); heavy app-based use for work and gig economy.
  • 50–64: high ownership (~88–92%); growing use of 5G fixed wireless as a home broadband substitute.
  • 65+: lower ownership (~75–80%); basic/feature-phone share higher than state average; adoption improving but still a gap.
• Income and education:
  • Median incomes in the county trail the Missouri average; this correlates with higher prepaid usage, greater smartphone-only households, and more data-conserving behaviors.
• Urban vs rural within the county:
  • St. Joseph (urban core) shows state-like adoption and 5G performance.
  • Outlying townships have similar phone ownership but rely more on LTE and have higher smartphone-only rates due to patchier wired broadband.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Mobile coverage:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE; strongest capacity in St. Joseph and along I‑29/US‑36.
  • 5G mid-band coverage is solid in St. Joseph and major corridors; rural areas lean on low-band 5G/LTE with lower speeds. Indoor coverage can soften in river valleys and low-density areas.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Peak-time congestion is more noticeable on commuter corridors and in retail zones of St. Joseph than in most small Missouri counties, but still below big-metro congestion levels.
• Wireline and alternatives:
  • St. Joseph has cable and pockets of fiber; rural areas depend more on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite.
  • 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) is widely marketed in and around St. Joseph; take-up is likely above the Missouri average where cable/fiber options are limited or costly.
• Affordability programs:
  • The wind-down of the federal ACP in 2024 likely shifted more low-income households in Buchanan to prepaid wireless and FWA plans than in higher-income Missouri counties.

What’s notably different from Missouri overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption than the state average, but
• Meaningfully higher smartphone-only internet reliance (fewer wired broadband subscriptions, more mobile-dependent households).
• Higher prepaid/MVNO penetration and price-sensitive plan switching.
• Greater role for 5G FWA as a primary home connection, especially outside the St. Joseph core.
• Coverage quality gap between urban St. Joseph and rural fringes is more pronounced than in Missouri’s large metros, shaping usage toward LTE in rural pockets.

Notes on method

• Figures are estimates derived from applying recent Pew Research smartphone adoption rates and statewide patterns to Buchanan County’s ACS population/age mix, and cross-checking with FCC mobile coverage/broadband availability maps (2024). Exact county-specific smartphone ownership is not directly measured; local survey data can refine these estimates.

Here’s a concise, data-informed snapshot of social media usage in Buchanan County, MO. Figures are estimates derived from national/state usage patterns (Pew Research, DataReportal) adjusted to the county’s size and demographics.

Baseline and user stats

• Population: ~85,000
• Estimated active social media users: ~60,000–65,000 (about 70–75% of residents)
• Adult social media users: ~52,000–55,000

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users; estimates)

• YouTube: 82–85%
• Facebook: 70–75% (highest daily use; Groups/Marketplace are core)
• Instagram: 42–48%
• TikTok: 32–38%
• Snapchat: 28–34% (concentrated under age 30)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (female-skewed)
• X (Twitter): 18–22%
• LinkedIn: 22–27%
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (varies by neighborhood adoption)

Age mix of users (approx. share of local social users) and tendencies

• 13–17: 8–10% — Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram; low Facebook posting
• 18–29: 22–25% — Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; heavy short-form video and DMs
• 30–49: 34–38% — Facebook/YouTube/Instagram; Groups, Marketplace, parenting/school content
• 50–64: 18–22% — Facebook dominant; YouTube and Pinterest; growing TikTok use
• 65+: 10–14% — Facebook primary; YouTube for news/how-tos

Gender breakdown (estimated among local social users)

• Female: ~53–55% (stronger on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Male: ~45–47% (stronger on YouTube, X, Reddit, LinkedIn)
• Non-binary/unspecified: small share

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: high reliance on local Groups for city updates, schools, youth sports, lost-and-found, and recommendations; Marketplace is a major commerce channel.
• Local news and alerts: strong engagement with severe weather, road closures, public safety, school closings, and event info; Facebook often outperforms X for local news reach.
• Video-forward consumption: short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) consistently outperforms static posts for reach and reactions; local event recaps and behind-the-scenes clips travel well.
• Messaging over clicks: many small businesses convert via Facebook Messenger/Instagram DMs and “comment to claim” posts; responsiveness improves outcomes.
• Timing patterns: engagement typically clusters before work (7–9am), lunch (11:30am–1pm), and evenings (7–9pm); Marketplace activity spikes evenings/weekends.
• Cause/community affinity: strong participation in fundraisers, church/community drives, school/team support, and regional sports fandom (e.g., Chiefs-related content).
• Ads that work locally: geo-targeted Facebook/Instagram ads within ~10–25 miles, simple offers, giveaways, and event reminders; creative with people/places recognizably local performs best.

Notes

• Use these as planning benchmarks; exact county-level platform shares aren’t publicly reported. For precision, pair this with a quick local survey, Facebook Group polls, or page insights from leading local pages.