Dent County

Dent County, Missouri – key demographics

Population size

• 14,421 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~94–95%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.6%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.6%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0–0.1%
• Two or more races: ~2.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2.1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Number of households: ~5,900
• Average household size: ~2.37
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~49% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• One-person households: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~76%

Notes

• Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (e.g., DP05, S1101, DP02). Figures are rounded; ACS estimates have margins of error.

Dent County, MO (pop. ≈14.4k) email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: 9.5–10.5k residents (≈66–73% of all residents; ≈85–90% of adults).
• Age distribution/usage:
  • Teens (13–17): 80–90% use email; ≈8–10% of all users.
  • 18–34: 95%+; ≈22–25% of users.
  • 35–54: 92–95%; ≈30–34% of users.
  • 55–64: 85–90%; ≈12–15% of users.
  • 65+: 75–85%; ≈18–22% of users.
• Gender split: Near-even; ≈49% male, 51% female among users (mirrors county population).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband adoption ≈65–75% of households; 18–25% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Roughly 60–70% of adult users check email daily; mobile is the primary access point for a majority.
  • Affordability and limited wired options keep some households offline; public Wi‑Fi (library, schools) fills gaps.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Low population density (~19 people/sq. mi.) and rural terrain raise last‑mile costs; pockets remain below 25/3 Mbps.
  • Some fiber availability near Salem with uneven coverage; outside town, service is often DSL, fixed wireless, or LTE; 5G coverage is spotty.

Estimates draw on rural U.S./Missouri adoption patterns and recent ACS/Pew trends.

Dent County, Missouri: mobile phone usage snapshot (with emphasis on how it differs from Missouri overall)

Top-line estimates

• Population baseline: about 14–15 thousand residents; roughly 11–12 thousand adults.
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 8.5–10 thousand (about 78–84% of adults), modestly below statewide uptake.
• Teen smartphone users (ages 13–17): roughly 700–900, near statewide rates.
• Total smartphone users (all ages): on the order of 9.3–10.8 thousand.
• Mobile lines in service: likely 12–16 thousand (many residents keep multiple lines/devices; some inactive SIMs inflate counts).

What’s different from Missouri overall

• Slightly lower adoption: Adult smartphone adoption tracks a few points below Missouri’s statewide average (which is near the national ~85%), reflecting Dent County’s older age profile and lower median incomes.
• Higher “smartphone-only” reliance: A larger share of households rely on mobile phones as their primary or only internet connection (roughly low-20s% vs mid-to-high teens statewide), due to gaps in affordable wired broadband outside Salem and small towns.
• More prepaid/budget plans: Price sensitivity and credit constraints raise the share of prepaid/MVNO plans relative to postpaid carrier plans, more so than in urban/suburban Missouri.
• Carrier mix and tech: Usage skews toward AT&T and Verizon for coverage; T-Mobile’s presence is improving but remains more variable than in metro Missouri. As a result, more users remain on LTE or low-band 5G and see fewer mid-band 5G performance gains than the statewide average.
• Coverage variability: Service is dependable in Salem and along main corridors, but hills/forests create more dead zones and weak indoor coverage than typical Missouri markets. Residents report a wider gap between “map coverage” and real-world service.
• Usage patterns: Video and hotspot use are constrained by capacity and data caps in fringe areas; at the same time, lack of wired options pushes a subset of users to higher on-phone data consumption than state peers with home broadband.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of the local pattern)

• Age: A higher share of adults 65+ reduces overall smartphone uptake and especially reduces adoption of more data-intensive services/apps; younger cohorts’ ownership is on par with state averages.
• Income and education: Lower median household income increases dependence on mobile-only access, prepaid plans, and shared family plans; device upgrade cycles tend to be longer than statewide.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is less diverse than Missouri overall; digital divides here are driven more by income, geography, and age than by race/ethnicity.
• Workforce mix: Outdoor, shift, and trades work means practical reliance on voice/SMS, walkie-talkie-like apps, and offline-first tools; this differs from Missouri’s urban counties where app and cloud use is heavier.

Digital infrastructure notes (what stands out locally)

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE is the workhorse outside Salem; low-band 5G (e.g., 600/700/850 MHz) is present but patchy in rural stretches; mid-band 5G capacity is far less common than in metro Missouri.
  • Tower spacing is wider; valleys cause signal shadowing. In-building penetration can be weak in older structures without repeaters.
• Backhaul
  • Fiber backhaul is concentrated near town and highway routes; some rural sites likely rely on microwave, limiting peak speeds during busy hours compared with fiber-fed urban sites.
• Fixed alternatives
  • In Salem and a few towns: cable or fiber exists, improving Wi‑Fi offload and reducing smartphone-only reliance there.
  • Outside towns: legacy DSL, fixed wireless ISPs, and satellite (including Starlink) fill gaps; this pushes many households to lean on mobile hotspots and phone plans.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is prioritized along main corridors and near public-safety sites, but geography still produces localized dead zones; storm-related outages last longer than in urban Missouri where there’s denser fiber and redundancy.
• Ongoing change
  • State and federal broadband programs (e.g., BEAD) are funding new fiber and some tower/backhaul upgrades through 2028; expect incremental improvements first near existing routes, then selected rural pockets.

Implications for planning and services

• Expect higher demand for plans with good rural coverage, Wi‑Fi calling, and generous hotspot data.
• Public services, schools, and clinics should assume a larger-than-average smartphone-only audience and design for low-bandwidth use.
• Retail and community anchors with strong Wi‑Fi materially improve access; investment in boosters/repeaters can meaningfully improve indoor connectivity in community buildings.
• For carriers, the biggest wins come from adding fiber backhaul to existing rural sites, selective infill towers in shadowed valleys, and expanding mid-band 5G along primary corridors.

Notes on method and confidence

• Estimates draw from 2020 Census population, typical rural adoption levels from national/state research (e.g., Pew), and FCC/state broadband program patterns. Without a recent county-specific survey, figures are expressed as ranges. A short local survey (schools, clinics, libraries, employers) can quickly tighten these estimates and map smartphone-only reliance by area.

Dent County, MO social media snapshot (estimates)

How these figures were derived

• Benchmarked to Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social platform use, adjusted for rural counties, plus Dent County’s population (~14.4K; older-leaning age mix). County-level platform data isn’t directly published, so figures are best-fit estimates and ranges.

User stats

• Estimated active social media users (13+): 8,500–10,500 people (roughly 60–73% of residents).
• Adult (18+) penetration: about 70–78% of adults.
• Mobile-first usage: ~85–90% primarily access via smartphone.

Age groups (share of active users)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 28–32% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: 22–26%
• 65+: 18–22%

Gender breakdown (among active users)

• Female: ~52–55%
• Male: ~45–48%
• Notes: Facebook/Instagram/TikTok skew slightly female; YouTube/Reddit/X skew male. Pinterest user base is predominantly female.

Most-used platforms (adult reach, estimated)

• Facebook: 70–80% (dominant for local news, groups, Marketplace)
• YouTube: 75–85% (how‑to, local sports replays, product reviews)
• Instagram: 35–45% (stronger in 18–34)
• TikTok: 25–35% (18–34 heavy; growing 35–44)
• Snapchat: 20–30% (teens/young adults)
• Pinterest: 20–30% (female‑skewed; home, crafts, recipes)
• X/Twitter: 10–18% (news/politics watchers)
• LinkedIn: 10–18% (lowest in rural areas) Notes: Among teens, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram lead; Facebook is secondary.

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: High engagement with school athletics, churches, local government, weather/road conditions, county fairs, hunting/fishing, and lost/found pets—mostly via Facebook Groups.
• Commerce: Heavy reliance on Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups; small businesses prioritize Facebook Pages over standalone websites. Instagram Shops used by a minority of boutiques.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and SMS are default for coordination; WhatsApp usage is modest.
• Video habits: YouTube for DIY, equipment repair, and product research; short-form video (Facebook Reels/TikTok) growing for entertainment and local event highlights.
• Lurker majority: Many residents consume more than they post; posting spikes around school sports, community events, severe weather, and elections.
• Timing: Peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.), lunch, and evenings (7–10 p.m.).
• Trust and news: Local info is sourced from county pages, school districts, and community admins on Facebook; X/Twitter has niche, news‑oriented users.