Butler County

Key demographics — Butler County, Missouri

Population

• 42.0k (2023 estimate)
• 42,130 (2020 Census)

Age

• Under 5: ~5.9%
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51%

Race/ethnicity

• White alone: ~88%
• Black or African American alone: ~5–6%
• American Indian & Alaska Native alone: ~0.7%
• Asian alone: ~0.7%
• Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~86%

Households

• ~16.9k households (ACS 2018–2022)
• Persons per household: ~2.4

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (QuickFacts; ACS 2018–2022; 2020 Decennial).

Butler County, MO snapshot (estimates)

• Email users: ~28,000–32,000 residents (about 65–75% of the ~42,000 population), based on rural broadband/adoption rates and U.S. email usage norms.
• Age distribution among email users:
  • 18–34: ~25–30% (near‑universal use among younger adults)
  • 35–54: ~35–40% (workforce-driven use)
  • 55+: ~30–35% (strong but somewhat lower adoption among seniors)
• Gender split: Approximately 51% female, 49% male—mirroring county demographics; email usage is similar by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Broadband subscription is roughly in the 70–80% of households range; a noticeable share is mobile‑only (around 10–15%) in line with rural Missouri patterns.
  • Usage concentrates in and around Poplar Bluff (county seat), where fixed broadband and public Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries, government buildings) are more available; outlying areas rely more on fixed‑wireless and satellite.
  • Smartphone access continues to drive email use, particularly among lower‑income and younger residents.
• Local density/connectivity context: Rural county with low population density (~60 people per sq. mi.). Connectivity generally follows major corridors and populated areas, with ongoing state/federal rural broadband buildouts expected to expand fiber coverage.

Note: Figures are rounded estimates applying national/regional patterns to local demographics.

Mobile phone usage in Butler County, Missouri — 2025 snapshot

Topline user estimates

• Population base: ~41–43k residents; roughly 32–34k adults.
• Unique mobile users: approximately 34k–37k people carry a mobile phone (cellphone ownership among adults in the U.S. is ~95–97%; slightly lower among rural seniors offsets near‑universal use among younger adults and teens).
• Active mobile lines: 40k–50k lines when including phones, hotspots, tablets, wearables, and IoT (line penetration near or slightly above 100% of population is common, even in rural counties).
• Smartphone share: about 85–90% of adults use a smartphone; 90%+ among teens; lower among 65+.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: near‑universal smartphone adoption; heavy app/social, video, gig‑work, maps; more 5G usage.
  • 35–64: very high adoption; mixed voice/text and data; work apps, telehealth, and school communications.
  • 65+: adoption below state average; more basic plans, voice/SMS focus, growing telehealth and weather‑alert usage.
• Income and plan types
  • County median income trails the Missouri average; cost sensitivity is high.
  • Higher reliance on prepaid/MVNO offerings (e.g., Straight Talk, Cricket, Metro, Boost) than statewide.
  • Sunset of federal ACP subsidies (2024) increased plan downgrades and churn toward lower‑cost, prepaid options.
• Connectivity at home
  • A larger share of households are smartphone‑only for internet (rough estimate 25–30% in Butler vs ~19–21% statewide), driven by rural addresses with limited wired options and budget constraints.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Overall phone ownership is high across groups; Black and Hispanic residents are more likely than the county average to be smartphone‑only for home internet, mirroring national patterns.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • All three national carriers have 4G LTE countywide; 5G low‑band is broadly present.
  • Mid‑band 5G (higher capacity) is concentrated in and around Poplar Bluff and along the US‑60/US‑67 corridors; performance drops off in outlying areas.
  • Pockets of weak or inconsistent signal persist in low‑lying river bottoms and heavily wooded areas away from highways.
• Capacity and speeds
  • In‑town Poplar Bluff: typical 5G mid‑band speeds ~100–300 Mbps when signal is strong; uplink and indoor penetration vary by block and building.
  • Rural areas: many sites still lean on LTE or low‑band 5G; real‑world speeds commonly 5–25 Mbps with peak‑hour congestion.
• Towers and backhaul
  • Dozens of macro towers across the county, with density highest near Poplar Bluff and major highways; smaller cells appearing near high‑traffic retail and medical campuses.
  • Backhaul is a mix of fiber (along highways/utility routes) and microwave; microwave‑fed rural sites are more congestion‑prone during peak times.
• Carriers and priority services
  • AT&T FirstNet covers the main corridors for public safety; storm and tornado‑alert readiness is a local priority.
• Alternatives and offload
  • Cable broadband is available in Poplar Bluff; DSL legacy remains in some rural pockets but is declining.
  • Fixed‑wireless (licensed and unlicensed) and satellite (including Starlink) fill gaps; many residents offload mobile data to home/office Wi‑Fi when available.

How Butler County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher smartphone‑only household share: more residents rely on phones as their primary or only internet connection than the state average.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: budget plans and storefront presence are more prominent than in metro Missouri.
• Patchier mid‑band 5G: strong around Poplar Bluff and highways, but state metros have far denser mid‑band/ultra‑capacity grids.
• More pronounced rural dead zones: coverage gaps in bottoms/forested areas are more common than the statewide picture suggests.
• Longer device refresh cycles: residents keep phones longer on average, reflecting income and retail access; warranty/repair shops see steady battery/screen service demand.
• Weather‑driven usage: severe‑weather alerts and local radio/news apps are unusually important relative to urban Missouri counties.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census/ACS population and device/broadband adoption patterns, Pew Research mobile adoption rates (2023–2024), and FCC coverage/backhaul norms (2024). Local conditions (new tower builds, fiber backhaul upgrades, and carrier spectrum deployments) can shift performance and adoption within 12–24 months. For planning or investment decisions, validate with the latest FCC maps, carrier coverage tools, and local speed‑test datasets specific to Poplar Bluff and surrounding townships.

Below is a concise, data-informed snapshot of social media usage in Butler County, Missouri. Figures are modeled estimates using ACS/Census demographics for Butler County and Pew Research Center’s 2024 platform adoption rates, adjusted for rural Midwest patterns. Treat as directional, not exact.

Headline stats

• Population: ~42,000; residents 13+: ~36,000; adults 18+: ~32,000
• Households with broadband: ~75–80%
• Active social media users (13+): ~24,000–26,000 (≈68–72% of 13+)
• Gender among users: ≈53% women, 47% men

Age breakdown (estimated share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 85–90% (heavy Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube)
• 18–29: 90–95% (YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook for groups/events)
• 30–49: 85–90% (Facebook, YouTube; growing Instagram/TikTok)
• 50–64: 70–75% (Facebook, YouTube; some Pinterest)
• 65+: 50–55% (primarily Facebook; YouTube for how-to/info)

Most-used platforms in Butler County (percent of local social media users)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30% (concentrated <30)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 12–18% (skews male/news-oriented)
• Reddit: 12–18% (male/tech/gaming/hobby skew)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (lower given local industry mix)
• Nextdoor: 5–8% (Facebook groups substitute for neighborhood chat)

Gender patterns (tendencies)

• Women: higher on Facebook and Pinterest; strong engagement with local groups, schools, churches, buy/sell/trade.
• Men: higher on YouTube, Reddit, and X; sports, outdoors, DIY, automotive.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: school closings, church and civic events, youth sports, yard-sale/marketplace, lost-and-found pets, local news. Messenger commonly used for small-business inquiries.
• YouTube is utility + entertainment: how-to repairs, home/auto, hunting/fishing, local sports highlights, sermon replays.
• Short-form video is rising: TikTok and Facebook/Instagram Reels drive discovery; many local businesses cross-post short videos and see better reach than static posts.
• Teens/young adults communicate on Snapchat (streaks, group chats); Instagram for style/life highlights; TikTok for trends and local eats/shops.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; lunchtime bumps on weekdays. Weather events and school announcements spike Facebook traffic.
• Content that performs: hyper-local stories, practical tips, limited-time deals, youth sports spotlights, community service features; authentic, low-polish video often outperforms slick creative.
• Advertising notes: Geo-targeted Facebook/Instagram ads with tight radii around Poplar Bluff and surrounding ZIPs work well; pair with short video and clear CTA. YouTube pre-roll effective for brand lift among 30–64.

Method note

• Estimates blend county demographics with national platform usage (Pew, 2024). Local deviations can occur based on broadband coverage pockets and specific community pages’ strength. For campaign planning, validate with platform ad-reach tools (Facebook/Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok) using ZIP 63901 and adjacent areas.