Linn County

Key demographics — Linn County, Missouri

Population

• Total: 11,874 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: −6.9% (2010: 12,761)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population; ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~94–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.2–0.4%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~5,100
• Persons per household: ~2.25
• Family households: ~60%
• Married-couple households: ~45–50%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~75–80%

Insights

• Small, declining, older-leaning population with high homeownership.
• Racial/ethnic composition is overwhelmingly White with a small Hispanic/Latino presence.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Email usage in Linn County, Missouri (2024 estimate)

• Estimated users: 9,200 residents (ages 13+), about 78% of the total population (11.8k).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~530 (6%)
  • 18–34: ~2,290 (25%)
  • 35–54: ~2,800 (30%)
  • 55–64: ~1,300 (14%)
  • 65+: ~2,310 (25%)
• Gender split among users: 51% women (4,710), 49% men (4,520); women show slightly higher adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~73% of households subscribe to fixed broadband; ~88% have a computer (ACS-style estimates for rural MO counties).
  • 10–15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Broadband adoption has risen ~3–5 percentage points since 2019, with fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts focused in town centers; schools and public libraries provide free Wi‑Fi that supplements home access.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Population density is roughly 19 people per square mile, reflecting a predominantly rural footprint.
  • Dispersed settlement increases last‑mile costs; some outlying areas rely on DSL, satellite, or fixed‑wireless, while 4G coverage is widespread along main corridors and 5G remains concentrated in population centers.

These figures synthesize U.S. Census/ACS and national email adoption benchmarks tailored to Linn County’s rural profile.

Linn County, Missouri: mobile phone usage snapshot (2022–2024)

Topline

• Mobile phones are the primary or only internet pathway for many Linn County households, more so than statewide. Smartphone ownership and 5G availability trail Missouri averages, reflecting the county’s older age structure, lower incomes, and rural infrastructure.

User estimates

• Population and households: ~11.6–11.9k residents and ~4.8–5.1k households.
• Adult smartphone users: ~7,000–7,600 adults use a smartphone (roughly 74–78% of adults), versus ~84–86% statewide.
• Household connectivity mix (ACS computer-and-internet metrics, approximated for Linn County vs Missouri):
  • Any internet subscription: ~70–73% of households (MO ~81–84%).
  • Smartphone-only internet (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): ~12–15% (MO ~8–10%).
  • No internet at home: ~19–22% (MO ~11–14%).

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs from state)

• Age:
  • 65+ share is higher in Linn County (~23–25% of residents vs ~17–18% MO), which lowers overall smartphone penetration.
  • Estimated smartphone adoption by age:
    • 18–34: ~90%+ (roughly on par with MO)
    • 35–64: ~80–85% (a few points below MO)
    • 65+: ~58–62% (well below MO’s low-70s)
• Income:
  • Median household income is materially below the Missouri median; low-income households show:
    • Slightly lower smartphone ownership than MO peers.
    • Higher smartphone-only reliance (~18–22% of sub‑$35k households, vs ~13–16% statewide), reflecting affordability and limited fixed-broadband options.
• Education and work:
  • Higher share of residents without a bachelor’s degree than statewide correlates with greater prepaid plan use and more phone‑centric internet use for everyday tasks.
  • Remote work via mobile hotspots exists but is constrained by coverage/speed variability, unlike metro Missouri.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks and coverage:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, Verizon, T‑Mobile) operate in the county.
  • 4G LTE provides the baseline; indoor service can be weak away from towns and major roads.
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band coverage with mid-band capacity clustered in/near Brookfield, Marceline, and along the US‑36 corridor; 5G availability and indoor performance lag urban Missouri.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Typical user-experienced downloads: ~25–55 Mbps in town centers; ~5–20 Mbps in rural stretches, with occasional dead zones in valleys/wooded areas. Missouri’s urban/suburban medians are much higher (often ~90–120 Mbps).
  • Uploads commonly 3–10 Mbps outside towns, affecting video calls and cloud backup.
• Sites and density:
  • Roughly a few dozen macro cell sites serve the county; FCC-registered tall structures number in the low-to-mid tens, indicative of sparse rural site density compared with Missouri’s metro counties.
• Reliability:
  • FirstNet coverage via AT&T is present but, as with commercial networks, depends on proximity to highways and towns; severe-weather resiliency is improved at key sites but not uniform countywide.

How Linn County differs from Missouri overall

• Lower smartphone penetration (by roughly 7–10 percentage points) driven by a larger senior share and affordability factors.
• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance (by ~3–5 points), signaling that mobile phones substitute for fixed broadband more often than statewide.
• More households with no internet service (by ~6–8 points), underscoring a persistent digital divide.
• 5G availability and median mobile speeds lag state medians; capacity is concentrated along US‑36 and in larger towns, with broader but thinner 4G elsewhere.

Practical implications

• Government, healthcare, and schools should prioritize mobile-first services and low-bandwidth options; SMS and lightweight web apps reach more users reliably.
• Network investments that add mid-band 5G sectors and infill LTE sites outside Brookfield/Marceline will deliver outsized gains versus state averages, particularly for telehealth and homework hotspots.
• Affordability and device support targeted to seniors and low-income households would close the largest local gaps faster than in most Missouri counties.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (computer and internet use tables, 2018–2022 5‑year), FCC mobile coverage/tower data (2023–2024), and aggregated speed-test observations for rural Missouri. Figures are rounded county-level estimates synthesized from these sources and reflect conditions through 2024.

Social media usage in Linn County, Missouri (2025 snapshot)

How many residents use social media

• Adult population baseline: ≈9,000 (ACS 2023 estimate; county total ≈11,700)
• Use any social network (excl. YouTube): ≈70% of adults ≈ 6,300
• Use YouTube: ≈80% of adults ≈ 7,200 Note: Percentages are modeled from Pew’s 2024 rural U.S. adoption rates applied to Linn County’s adult population.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled local estimates)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~40%
• Pinterest: ~32%
• TikTok: ~30%
• WhatsApp: ~23%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• LinkedIn: ~20%
• Reddit: ~15%
• Nextdoor: ~8–10%

Age-group usage patterns (platform reach within each age group; modeled)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~95; Instagram ~70+; Snapchat ~60; TikTok ~60; Facebook ~65–70
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~90; Facebook ~75; Instagram ~50; TikTok ~35; LinkedIn ~35
• Ages 50–64: Facebook ~70+; YouTube ~80+; Pinterest ~35; Instagram ~25–30; TikTok ~20
• Ages 65+: Facebook ~50; YouTube ~60; Pinterest ~25; Instagram ~15; TikTok ~10

Gender breakdown (directional skews; platform-level)

• Overall population split: ~50/50 female/male
• Platforms with female over-index: Pinterest (women ~50% vs men ~20%); Facebook slight female tilt; Snapchat slight female tilt
• Platforms with male over-index: Reddit (men markedly higher than women), X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn

Behavioral trends observed in rural Missouri counties like Linn

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups, local news/schools, churches, and Marketplace. City/county offices and first responders see strong reach via Facebook posts.
• Video first, but skewed older: YouTube is universal across ages; Facebook Reels performs better than TikTok among 35+; TikTok strong with under-35s but still secondary to YouTube/Facebook.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; WhatsApp is niche (family ties, small businesses with suppliers).
• Commerce: Local buying/selling and service discovery happen on Facebook (Marketplace, local groups). Instagram helps boutiques/food businesses reach women 18–44.
• News and weather: Residents rely on local outlets’ Facebook pages and YouTube clips; spikes during storms, school announcements, and high school sports.
• X (Twitter) is niche: limited general-population reach; best for media, sports, and public-sector alerts.
• Nextdoor footprint is small countywide; neighborhood groups on Facebook fill that role.

Method and sources

• Counts are derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media adoption rates for rural U.S. adults to the ACS-estimated 18+ population of Linn County, MO (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 5-year ACS; Census QuickFacts).
• Platform adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024 update), including urban/suburban/rural splits and age/gender patterns.