Mercer County

Mercer County, Missouri — key demographics

Population size

• 3,538 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 46.0 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 21.0%
• 65 and over: 25.9%

Gender

• Female: 50.2%
• Male: 49.8%

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White alone: 95.3%
• Black or African American alone: 0.2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.4%
• Asian alone: 0.1%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.0%
• Some other race alone: 0.3%
• Two or more races: 3.9%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 1.6%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 94.3%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: 1,517
• Average household size: 2.30
• Family households: 64% of households
• Married-couple families: 52% of households
• One-person households: 31%
• Households with children under 18: 26%

Insights

• Very small, predominantly White county with an older age profile, small household sizes, and families primarily composed of married couples; children are a minority share of households.

Email usage in Mercer County, Missouri (estimates based on county demographics and U.S. adoption by age; totals rounded)

• Population and density: 3,500 residents across ~454 sq mi (8 people per sq mi). Connectivity is strongest in and around Princeton; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, with cellular data filling gaps.
• Estimated email users (ages 13+): 2,650 people (76% of all residents; ~89% of residents 13+).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~180 (7%)
  • 18–34: ~440 (17%)
  • 35–49: ~540 (20%)
  • 50–64: ~770 (29%)
  • 65+: ~730 (27%)
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male (reflecting the county’s older, slightly female-leaning population).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~70% of households subscribe to home broadband; ~10–15% are mobile-only; ~15–20% lack home internet.
  • Email is near-universal among working-age adults; seniors use email widely but at lower rates, often via smartphones/tablets.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, civic buildings) and mobile hotspots are important for residents outside wired footprints.
  • Adoption and reliability improve near town centers; speeds and consistency drop in low-density areas, influencing heavier email use on mobile networks.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Mercer County, Missouri (2024 modeled estimates)

Context

• Population: ~3,500 residents; ~2,900 adults (18+); ~1,500 households. Rural, low-density county centered on Princeton.
• Method: County demographics (ACS 5-year), rural vs. age adoption patterns (Pew/industry), and Missouri carrier deployment norms were combined to produce county-specific estimates. Figures below are point estimates calibrated to Mercer’s age profile and rural infrastructure, with comparisons to statewide Missouri trends.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: ~2,395 (≈82.5% of adults), below Missouri’s ~87–89%.
• Adults using any mobile phone (smartphone or feature phone): ~2,570 (≈88.5% of adults).
• Feature-phone–only users: ~175 adults (≈6% of adults), higher than Missouri’s ~3–4%.
• Platform split among smartphones: 60% Android (1,440 users), 40% iOS (955), more Android-leaning than Missouri’s near-parity mix.
• Household smartphone-only internet access (no home fixed broadband): 300 households (20%), above the Missouri average (~12–14%).
• Plan mix (consumer handsets): 44% prepaid / 56% postpaid, more prepaid than the Missouri average (30–35% prepaid).

Demographic breakdown (adults)

• By age
  • 18–34: ~580 adults; smartphone adoption ~96% ⇒ ~555 users.
  • 35–64: ~1,305 adults; smartphone adoption ~88% ⇒ ~1,150 users.
  • 65+: ~1,015 adults; smartphone adoption ~68% ⇒ ~690 users.
  • Implication: An older age structure depresses overall adoption vs. Missouri; the 65+ gap is the largest driver of the county-state difference.
• By income (household)
  • < $35k: smartphone adoption ~72–75%; higher likelihood of prepaid plans and smartphone-only internet.
  • $35–75k: adoption ~84–88%; mix of prepaid and entry postpaid.

  • $75k: adoption ~94–96%; predominantly postpaid and multi-line plans.

• By education (adults 25+)
  • No college: adoption ~76–80%.
  • Some college/associate: ~84–88%.
  • Bachelor’s+: ~93–96%.
  • Education gradients in Mercer mirror statewide patterns but start from a lower baseline given the county’s older, more rural composition.

Digital infrastructure points

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE: Primary coverage layer countywide; strongest in and around Princeton and along main corridors; patchy in low-lying and fringe areas.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G present on select sites (not ubiquitous); mid-band 5G (C-band/N41) is limited and largely corridor/town-centric; mmWave effectively absent. 5G availability share notably lower than the Missouri average.
• Performance (outdoor user experience)
  • Typical LTE downlink: ~10–50 Mbps; uplink: ~3–10 Mbps.
  • Low-band 5G downlink: ~30–120 Mbps; uplink: ~5–20 Mbps.
  • Variability is high with distance from towers and terrain shadowing; indoor speeds fall off faster than in urban Missouri due to weaker signal margins.
• Coverage gaps
  • Expected in sparsely populated northern/eastern townships, valley bottoms, and wooded areas. In-car and outdoor coverage generally reliable on main routes; off-route farm/acreage locations may require boosters.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Local and regional fiber (notably GRM Networks based in Princeton) underpins town-center sites and public anchors; rural spans rely more on microwave backhaul. Where fiber is present, capacity and 5G upgrade readiness are materially better than in purely microwave-fed areas.
• Alternatives and complements
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) via LTE/5G is a meaningful substitute for home broadband at the edges of fiber/DSL footprints.
  • Satellite broadband (e.g., LEO) adoption is higher than Missouri’s urban counties, often paired with mobile hotspot use.

How Mercer County differs from Missouri overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: ~82.5% vs. ~87–89% statewide, driven by older age mix and rural coverage/affordability factors.
• Higher reliance on phones for primary internet: ~20% smartphone-only households vs. ~12–14% statewide.
• More prepaid usage: ~44% vs. ~30–35% statewide, reflecting income sensitivity and credit preferences typical of rural markets.
• Platform skew: More Android (≈60%) than state average, which is closer to 50/50.
• Network availability: 5G (especially mid-band) is notably less pervasive than in Missouri metros; users spend a larger share of time on LTE.
• Experience variability: Greater location-based performance swings and indoor signal challenges compared with state averages, especially outside Princeton and primary corridors.

Implications

• Adoption growth will hinge on improving mid-band 5G reach and affordable device/plan options for seniors and lower-income households.
• Expanding fiber-fed backhaul to additional macro sites would lift capacity and stabilize 5G performance.
• Targeted programs for smartphone literacy and discounted plans/devices in the 65+ and < $35k segments would close most of the gap with state-level adoption.

Mercer County, Missouri — social media snapshot (2025 modeled estimates)

Population baseline

• Population: ~3,600 residents
• Adults (18+): ~2,800
• Adult internet users: ~2,440 (≈87% of adults)
• Adult social media users: ~2,020 (≈72% of adults)
• Teens (13–17) using social media: ~300
• Total social media users 13+: ~2,320

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 31%
• TikTok: 27%
• Snapchat: 22%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• WhatsApp: 15%
• LinkedIn: 14%

Age profile of adult social media users

• 18–29: 21%
• 30–49: 34%
• 50–64: 27%
• 65+: 18%

Gender breakdown (adult social media users)

• Women: 54%
• Men: 46%
• Platform skews:
  • Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • Men over-index on YouTube and X

Behavioral trends and content patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: school and sports updates, church and civic announcements, buy/sell/trade and Marketplace dominate daily engagement. Facebook Groups and Messenger drive most local interactions.
• Video-first habits: YouTube for how‑to, repairs, and local interest; short‑form (Reels/TikTok) growing among 18–34 for entertainment and local events.
• Commerce and recommendations: Heavy reliance on peer recommendations in local groups; small businesses gain traction with boosted posts, Marketplace listings, and event promotions.
• Rural rhythm: Usage is predominantly mobile with evening peaks (7–10 pm) and weekend midday spikes; weather alerts and local news posts generate outsized reach and sharing.
• Younger cohorts: 13–29 favor Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for day‑to‑day posting; they still keep Facebook for groups, events, and Marketplace.
• Older cohorts: 50+ rely on Facebook for community information and on YouTube for tutorials; gradual adoption of Instagram Reels via cross‑posted content from Facebook.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county‑level estimates derived by applying current U.S. and rural‑Missouri social media adoption rates (Pew Research, 2024) to Mercer County’s population and age structure (ACS). Percentages reflect adults unless otherwise noted.