Cole County

Here are key demographics for Cole County, Missouri (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates; values rounded):

• Population: about 77,000 (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~39 years
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 65 and over: ~17%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~50–51%
  • Male: ~49–50%
• Race/Ethnicity (alone unless noted; Hispanic can be of any race):
  • White: ~80%
  • Black or African American: ~11–12%
  • Asian: ~1–2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–1%
  • Two or more races: ~4–6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–5%
• Households:
  • Total households: about 30,000
  • Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
  • Family households: ~60–62% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~45–50%
  • Households with children under 18: ~25–30%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year) / QuickFacts. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Cole County snapshot (Jefferson City area)

• Population: ~77–78k; density ~190–200 people per sq. mi.; ~30–31k households.

Estimated email users

• Adults (~77% of population): ~59k.
• With ~92% U.S. adult email adoption, ≈54–56k adult users.
• Including teens (13–17) likely brings the total to roughly 57–60k residents using email.

Age pattern (typical U.S. adoption applied locally)

• 18–29: ~99%
• 30–49: ~96%
• 50–64: ~91%
• 65+: ~80–85% Result: near‑universal among working-age adults; modest drop among seniors.

Gender split

• County sex ratio is roughly even; email users ≈50/50 male/female.

Digital access and trends

• Broadband subscription rates are high for an interior Missouri county (roughly 80–90% of households have some form of broadband per ACS-style measures, including cellular).
• Smartphone‑only internet access likely ~10–15% of households.
• Urban core (Jefferson City) has cable and expanding fiber; rural fringes rely more on fixed wireless/satellite, with lower speeds and higher latency.
• Public Wi‑Fi access via libraries, schools, and government buildings supports those without home service.

Notes

• Estimates use 2020 Census population with Pew Research email adoption and ACS/FCC-style broadband patterns for Missouri counties.

Mobile phone usage in Cole County, Missouri — with a focus on how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline differences vs Missouri

• Higher smartphone penetration and 5G availability than the Missouri average, driven by the Jefferson City urban core and a large government/enterprise user base.
• Faster median mobile speeds and fewer coverage gaps than rural parts of the state; remaining weak spots are mostly at the county’s edges and in river/bluff terrain.
• Slightly lower prepaid share and higher employer-provided/BYOD device use than the state average because of state government and large institutions.
• Smaller “smartphone-only internet” gap: reliance on phones as the sole internet connection exists but is less common than statewide, reflecting better fixed broadband options in and around Jefferson City.
• Public-safety and government network usage (e.g., FirstNet) is more visible here than in most Missouri counties.

User estimates (2025, rounded ranges)

• Population base: ~77–78k residents; ~59–61k adults (18+).
• Smartphone users: ~59–61k total (about 54–56k adults plus ~4.5–5k teens), implying roughly 90–92% adult smartphone adoption. Missouri statewide is typically a few points lower due to highly rural counties.
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): ~96–98% of adults.
• Smartphone-only internet users (no home broadband): roughly 17–20% of adults in Cole County vs ~20–24% statewide. The county’s rate is held down by better wired options in the urban core.
• Prepaid vs postpaid: prepaid lines likely 2–4 percentage points lower than the Missouri average, with more postpaid enterprise/government plans in Cole County.

Demographic and geographic breakdown (key differences vs state)

• Age
  • 18–29: near-universal smartphone ownership (~98–100%), similar to state.
  • 30–49: very high (~96–98%), similar to state.
  • 50–64: high (~90–93%), modestly higher than state.
  • 65+: ~78–82% (a bit higher than the Missouri average), reflecting better device support, coverage, and healthcare/government service digitization locally.
• Income and education
  • Higher-income and college-educated residents show near-universal adoption (95%+), with more multi-line and wearable/add-on devices than the state average.
  • Lower-income households still rely heavily on smartphones, but the share that is smartphone-only for home internet is a few points lower than statewide thanks to more affordable cable/fiber options in Jefferson City.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Adoption is high across groups. Black and Hispanic residents in the county are at or slightly above the county average for smartphone adoption and are more likely to be mobile-first for internet access, but the gap vs White residents is smaller than seen in more rural Missouri counties.
• Within-county geography
  • Jefferson City and corridors along US‑54/US‑63: dense 5G coverage and strongest speeds.
  • Southern/western fringes (e.g., near Wardsville, St. Martins, Taos) and bluff/valley areas: more 4G LTE fallback and occasional indoor coverage challenges compared with the city core.

Digital infrastructure points (what stands out vs statewide)

• Coverage and performance
  • Broad 5G across Jefferson City from major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile), including mid‑band deployments; C‑band and n41 usage yields city-core median speeds often higher than Missouri’s statewide median.
  • Fewer dead zones than typical rural Missouri counties; remaining weak spots are localized to terrain features and low-density edges.
• Public safety and government
  • Strong FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) presence and higher penetration of MDM-managed/government devices than elsewhere in the state, with measurable daytime network load spikes when the legislature is in session and during events around the Capitol complex.
• Sites and density
  • Macro towers concentrated along US‑54/US‑63 and near commercial corridors (Missouri Blvd, W. Edgewood). Limited but targeted small-cell infill in the downtown/capitol area—more than most Missouri counties outside the major metros.
• Backhaul and wireline underlay
  • Multiple fiber providers feed tower backhaul and enterprise/government sites in the city, supporting higher 5G capacity than many rural counties. Public Wi‑Fi is common at government buildings, libraries, and campuses, complementing mobile usage.
• Resiliency
  • Better-than-average grid and backhaul redundancy tied to state facilities; however, isolated outage risk remains on the rural fringes where there are fewer alternate routes.

Notes on estimation

• Figures are synthesized from recent national adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew/NCHS), typical Missouri urban-versus-rural deltas, FCC coverage data patterns, and Cole County’s population and institutional profile. They are intended as planning ranges; local carrier performance tests and the latest ACS/FCC datasets can refine them further.

Cole County, MO social media snapshot (estimates)

Population context

• Total population: ≈77–78k; adults (18+): ≈60k
• Adult social media users: ≈50–52k (≈84–86% of adults)
• Teens (13–17): ≈5k; very high social usage (especially YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use the platform; county-level estimates aligned to recent U.S. rates)

• YouTube: 80–85% (≈48–51k adults)
• Facebook: 65–70% (≈39–42k)
• Instagram: 42–50% (≈25–30k)
• TikTok: 28–36% (≈17–22k)
• Snapchat: 25–32% (≈15–19k)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (≈18–21k)
• LinkedIn: 28–35% (≈17–21k) – slightly elevated locally due to large state-government/professional workforce
• X (Twitter): 18–22% (≈11–13k) – concentrated among government, media, advocacy

Age-group patterns (local mix is similar to U.S. averages; Jefferson City’s professional base nudges LinkedIn/X up slightly)

• 13–17: YouTube ≈95%; TikTok ≈65–70%; Snapchat ≈60–65%; Instagram ≈60–65%; Facebook low
• 18–29: Instagram ≈75–80%; Snapchat ≈60–65%; TikTok ≈60–65%; Facebook ≈60–70%; YouTube ≈95%
• 30–49: Facebook ≈70–75%; Instagram ≈50–55%; TikTok ≈35–40%; YouTube ≈90%; Pinterest ≈40% (esp. parents)
• 50–64: Facebook ≈65–70%; YouTube ≈75–80%; Instagram ≈25–35%; Pinterest ≈35–40%
• 65+: Facebook ≈50–55%; YouTube ≈45–55%; others limited

Gender breakdown (overall users ~51% women / 49% men; platform skews mirror U.S. norms)

• More women: Pinterest (heavily), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat
• More men: YouTube (slight), X (Twitter), Reddit
• LinkedIn roughly balanced

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first Facebook: Neighborhood groups, school/district updates, church and civic clubs, buy/sell/Marketplace, weather and road closures drive high engagement. County/municipal pages see strong reach during storms, construction, and elections.
• State-capitol effect: During legislative sessions, X (Twitter) and Facebook see spikes from policymakers, staff, reporters, and advocacy orgs; real-time threads and live video perform well.
• Video wins: Short-form vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts for events, openings, and behind-the-scenes at local businesses and agencies.
• Local proof matters: Posts featuring recognizable places, staff, or local partners outperform stock content. Calls-to-action tied to local events and deadlines convert better.
• Messaging and DMs: High reliance on Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs for customer service and scheduling with small businesses.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and midday (11 am–1 pm). Weekend mornings perform well for events, real estate, and recreation posts.
• Discovery vs. discussion: TikTok/Instagram for discovery; Facebook/Nextdoor for neighborhood discussion and mobilization; LinkedIn for hiring and professional news; X for live updates and policy chatter.

Notes and method

• Figures are estimates based on U.S. Census population structure for Cole County and recent Pew Research Center platform adoption rates, adjusted slightly for the county’s age mix and government/professional workforce. For campaign planning, validate with platform ad tools (reach and audience estimates) and local page/group insights.