Johnson County

Johnson County, Missouri — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 54,013 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~31 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: Under 18: ~22%; 18–24: ~17%; 25–44: ~27%; 45–64: ~21%; 65+: ~14% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White (alone): ~84%
• Black or African American (alone): ~5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0.6%
• Asian (alone): ~1.7%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (alone): ~0.2%
• Some other race (alone): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~21,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~63% of households; average family size: ~3.0
• Married-couple families: ~47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• Nonfamily households: ~37%
• Tenure: Owner-occupied ~61%; Renter-occupied ~39%

Insights

• Younger and slightly more male than Missouri overall, reflecting the University of Central Missouri and Whiteman AFB presence.
• Predominantly White with modest but growing Hispanic and multiracial populations.
• Higher renter share and smaller median age than state norms, consistent with student and military populations.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

• Context: Johnson County, Missouri has about 54,000 residents and roughly 66 people per square mile; Warrensburg is the main population and connectivity hub due to the University of Central Missouri.

• Estimated email users: ~43,000 residents (≈80% of total population; ≈92% of residents age 13+).

• Age distribution of email adoption (local rates aligned with national patterns):

  • 18–29: ≈97%
  • 30–49: ≈96%
  • 50–64: ≈94%
  • 65+: ≈88%

• Gender split: The adult population is slightly female‑majority (51%). Email adoption is effectively even by gender (92% each), yielding ≈22,000 female and ≈21,000 male email users.

• Digital access trends:

  • Households with a computer: ≈92%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈83%
  • Smartphone‑only internet households: ≈14%
  • Fiber and high‑speed cable are concentrated in and around Warrensburg and along major corridors; rural areas rely more on fixed wireless/mobile service, which correlates with lower speeds and higher latency.

• Local connectivity facts: Population and broadband availability cluster around Warrensburg and Knob Noster, supporting higher adoption among younger adults and students; more dispersed southern and western townships show lower subscription intensity and greater reliance on mobile data.

Mobile phone usage in Johnson County, Missouri — 2024 snapshot

Context

• Johnson County (Warrensburg/Knob Noster/Whiteman AFB) combines a college town, an active Air Force base, and rural townships. That mix skews the mobile profile younger and more mobile-dependent than Missouri overall, while still showing rural coverage constraints outside the US‑50 and MO‑13 corridors.

User estimates

• Population and households: about 55,000 residents and roughly 21,000–22,000 households.
• Smartphone users: approximately 41,000–44,000 people use a smartphone (roughly 75–80% of the total population, and about 90%+ of adults under 65). This is a few points higher than the Missouri average because of the university and military populations.
• Wireless-only voice households: about 75–80% of households rely exclusively on wireless for voice (no landline), slightly above Missouri’s statewide rate (low–mid 70s).
• Mobile-only internet households: an estimated 17–20% of households rely on a cellular data plan without fixed home broadband (Missouri statewide roughly 12–14%). This is elevated by student renters and mobile military households.
• MVNO/prepaid share: 18–22% of active lines are on MVNO/prepaid brands (Missouri ~14–17%), reflecting student and short‑tenure residents.
• 5G device penetration: roughly 70–80% of smartphone users carry a 5G‑capable device, a bit higher than the Missouri average due to faster upgrade cycles among younger and military users.
• Data consumption: median monthly mobile data per smartphone commonly falls in the 20–25 GB range in Warrensburg/Knob Noster and along US‑50, modestly above the statewide median; rural users off the main corridors use less on average but show larger peaks where fixed broadband is unavailable.

Demographic breakdown of usage patterns

• Age: 18–34 year‑olds form an outsized share relative to Missouri and have near‑universal smartphone adoption (≈95%+), high 5G device penetration, and heavier video/social usage. Residents 35–64 show high adoption (≈85–92%) with work‑driven reliability requirements. Adults 65+ have lower adoption (≈60–70%) and are overrepresented in the rural south/southwest of the county where coverage is spottier.
• Students: University of Central Missouri students push up mobile‑only internet rates, MVNO use, and on‑campus small‑cell demand; device turnover and 5G adoption are faster than the state average.
• Military and families: Whiteman AFB households have high smartphone and hotspot adoption, higher multi‑line family plans, and strong FirstNet/public‑safety device penetration among local responders.
• Income and housing: Renters and lower‑income households exhibit a notably higher tendency to be smartphone‑only for home internet than the Missouri average; owner‑occupied homes in outlying townships maintain a higher incidence of legacy landline substitutes (e.g., fixed wireless or satellite) but still rely primarily on mobile for voice.
• Race/ethnicity: As in statewide and national data, Black and Hispanic residents are more likely than White residents to be smartphone‑only for home internet; in Johnson County the overall effect is muted by a predominantly White population but still visible in Warrensburg census tracts.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) operate countywide; UScellular also serves portions of central Missouri and is present in and around the county. AT&T’s FirstNet is deployed for public safety.
• 5G availability:
  • Population centers: Warrensburg, Knob Noster, Holden, and the US‑50 corridor have broad 5G coverage from multiple carriers, including mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon C‑Band) in and around Warrensburg and the base.
  • Rural areas: Low‑band 5G or LTE dominates outside towns; pockets in the south and southwest townships still drop to LTE or weaker, with indoor coverage challenges.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Towns: Charter Spectrum (DOCSIS) and AT&T (fiber/DSL) provide core backhaul in Warrensburg/Knob Noster/Holden, supporting denser macro and small‑cell sites.
  • Rural builds: West Central Electric Cooperative’s West Central Connect fiber expansion and other co‑op projects are extending middle‑mile/last‑mile options that indirectly improve mobile site backhaul off the main corridors.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Towns and corridors: Typical median downloads range from high tens to low hundreds of Mbps on 5G, with strong capacity near campus, downtown Warrensburg, and along US‑50; uploads are commonly 10–30 Mbps on mid‑band.
  • Rural edges: Throughput can fall below 10 Mbps in fringe areas or indoors where only a single sector or band is available; external antennas or femtocells are common workarounds.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet coverage is prioritized for EMS/fire/law enforcement; hardening around US‑50, medical facilities, and Whiteman AFB improves outage resilience versus peer rural counties.

How Johnson County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher mobile‑only internet reliance: About 17–20% of households are smartphone/cellular‑only for home internet, several points above the state average, driven by students and mobile military families.
• Younger, more 5G‑ready base: A larger 18–34 cohort and institutional device programs push 5G device penetration and upgrade cadence above Missouri averages.
• More MVNO/prepaid usage: Short‑term residents and cost‑sensitive students elevate MVNO/prepaid share by a few percentage points over the state.
• Sharper urban–rural split: The performance gap between Warrensburg/US‑50 and the county’s rural south/southwest is wider than the typical Missouri county, even as overall 5G availability in towns is strong.
• Day‑night load swing: Campus and base activity produce pronounced diurnal traffic spikes not seen in many Missouri counties without large institutions.
• Public‑safety footprint: FirstNet and hardened sites around the base and medical corridors provide above‑average resiliency for a largely rural county.

Notes on sources and method

• Figures synthesize the latest available federal datasets and industry reporting through 2024: U.S. Census/ACS (population, households, internet subscription types), CDC NHIS (wireless‑only voice), Pew Research (age‑specific smartphone ownership), FCC coverage filings and carrier public maps (5G/LTE availability), and regional utility/co‑op announcements (fiber/backhaul). County‑level user counts are derived by applying age‑specific adoption rates to Johnson County’s age structure and by comparing ACS subscription patterns to Missouri statewide baselines. Estimates are rounded to reflect confidence intervals typical of county‑level ACS and industry data.

Johnson County, Missouri — social media usage snapshot

Core user stats

• Population base: 54,013 (2020 Census)
• Estimated social media users: ~39,000 (≈72% of total population)

Age mix of social media users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–24: 20%
• 25–34: 18%
• 35–44: 15%
• 45–54: 13%
• 55–64: 12%
• 65+: 13%

Gender breakdown of social media users

• Female: 53%
• Male: 47%

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

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 43%
• TikTok: 38%
• Snapchat: 35%
• Pinterest: 28%
• LinkedIn: 22%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 17%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for local buy/sell, storm updates, school notices, events around Warrensburg, and small-business promos.
• Youth and student influence: strong late-evening activity and short‑form video consumption driven by University of Central Missouri students; Snapchat and TikTok dominate daily messaging and discovery for 13–24.
• Base presence effect (Whiteman AFB): reliable early‑morning and late‑day checks; elevated use of YouTube (how‑tos, fitness, tech) and X for news/sports.
• Discovery patterns: under‑35s find restaurants and local activities on TikTok/Instagram; 35+ lean on Facebook recommendations and event posts.
• Format shift: vertical video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) outperforms static posts; Stories usage is high for quick updates and DMs.
• Trust dynamics: peer recommendations in Facebook groups and creator/peer testimonials outperform plain ads; local faces and community ties boost response.
• Posting windows with best visibility: morning commute (6–8 am), lunch (12–1 pm), and evenings (7–10 pm); weather events trigger surges across platforms.
• Device reality: mobile‑first behavior; content under 60 seconds and readable without sound sees markedly better completion.

Method and sources

• Base population: U.S. Census (2020). Platform and adoption rates synthesized from Pew Research Center (2023–2024) U.S. usage benchmarks, adjusted for Johnson County’s younger skew (university) and service population (AFB). Percentages are localized estimates applied to the county user base to provide actionable planning figures.