Nodaway County

Key demographics (Nodaway County, Missouri)

Population

• Total population (2024 estimate): ~21,000; 2020 Census: 21,241
• Trend: essentially flat to slight decline since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~28
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–24: ~24%
• 25–44: ~23%
• 45–64: ~18%
• 65+: ~18%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (share of total population)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~92%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~2%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~1–2%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–1%
• Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8,300–8,800
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~49–52% of households
• One-person households: ~35–37%; living alone age 65+: ~10–12%
• With own children under 18: ~20–25% of households
• Tenure: owner-occupied ~60–62%; renter-occupied ~38–40%

Notes and sources

• U.S. Census Bureau: 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year) for age, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics; 2024 Population Estimates Program for population level. Figures rounded; ACS margins of error apply.

Nodaway County, MO — Email usage snapshot

• Population and density: ~21,200 residents across ~877 sq mi (≈24 people/sq mi). Maryville (county seat) concentrates population and campus-driven connectivity (Northwest Missouri State University ~6,500–7,000 students).
• Estimated email users (age 13+): 17,300.
• Age distribution of local email users:
  • 13–17: 4% (≈700)
  • 18–24: 28% (≈4,800) — boosted by the university
  • 25–44: 27% (≈4,700)
  • 45–64: 26% (≈4,500)
  • 65+: 15% (≈2,600)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (≈8,823), 49% male (≈8,477).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~78% of households have a fixed broadband subscription; ~13% rely on smartphone-only internet.
  • Email is predominantly mobile-first among 18–44; 65+ shows lower but rising adoption, with more desktop/webmail use.
  • Multi-account behavior is common among students (school + personal), driving high daily email engagement.
• Connectivity facts:
  • Fixed cable/fiber is prevalent in Maryville; rural townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with patchier speeds.
  • Public Wi‑Fi density is highest around the university, schools, and the Maryville Public Library.
  • Sparse rural density raises last‑mile costs, but ongoing state/federal programs are expanding fiber into underserved areas.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Nodaway County, Missouri (2024)

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈21,000 (2020–2023 range), anchored by Maryville and Northwest Missouri State University.
• Households: ≈9,000.

User estimates

• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ≈18,100 users countywide
  • Basis: ~97% of adults and ~95% of teens own a mobile phone.
• Smartphone users: ≈16,100 users
  • Equivalent to roughly three-quarters of the total population, reflecting slightly lower rural smartphone uptake offset by very high student/young-adult adoption.
• Mobile-only households (wireless-only, no landline): ≈6,600 households
  • Higher in Maryville/student areas; lower in outlying townships.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–24: Well above the Missouri average share due to the university; smartphone ownership ~97–99% with heavy app-centric usage, mobile payments, and video.
  • 25–44: High smartphone ownership (~93–95%); strong use of gig-economy, navigation, and productivity apps.
  • 45–64: Solid but mixed smartphone adoption (~84–88%); more plan price sensitivity than metro counterparts.
  • 65+: Noticeably below state average for smartphones (~62–68%); greater presence of basic/feature phones and larger reliance on voice/text.
• Geography within the county
  • Maryville: Near-universal smartphone adoption, higher mobile-only rates, and heavier data consumption during the academic year.
  • Rural townships: More basic handset retention, weaker indoor coverage in metal/wood structures, and conservative data usage patterns.
• Plan and device mix
  • Above-average reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans (student segment) and mid-range Android devices; upgrade cycles slightly longer in rural/older cohorts than statewide.

Digital infrastructure

• Coverage and technologies
  • 5G is concentrated in and around Maryville and along primary corridors; LTE remains the default in much of the agricultural periphery, with spotty service in low-lying or fringe areas.
  • Indoor coverage challenges persist in metal buildings, barns, and some basements outside the Maryville core.
• Carriers and networks
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile operate countywide, with MVNOs widely used by students and value-seeking households.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) is the primary public-safety network presence; volunteer fire/EMS areas still rely on LTE in fringe zones.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Regional fiber from electric/fiber co-ops and incumbents feeds Maryville and key corridors, supporting campus Wi‑Fi offload and macro cell backhaul; lateral routes thin out away from highways.
• Capacity and seasonality
  • Data demand spikes with the university calendar (move-in, home games, finals) producing short-lived congestion; summer demand dips relative to Missouri’s metro-driven seasonality.

How Nodaway County differs from Missouri overall

• Age-skewed adoption: A sharper split than the state—very high smartphone penetration among 18–24 (above state levels) and lower-than-state adoption among 65+, producing a wider age gap in usage.
• Coverage pattern: Less contiguous 5G and greater dependence on LTE outside the urban core than the statewide picture shaped by Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield metros.
• Plan economics: Higher prepaid/MVNO share driven by students and budget-conscious households; statewide, postpaid penetration is higher in metro counties.
• Mobile-only households: Elevated in Maryville (student rentals) but tempered by rural landline retention; the intra-county contrast is stronger than Missouri’s average rural–urban spread.
• Traffic seasonality: Academic-cycle peaks and troughs are more pronounced than state trends, which are dominated by steady metro usage.

Method notes

• Counts are derived by applying recent Pew Research ownership rates (cellphone and smartphone by age, rural vs. overall) to current population and household totals for Nodaway County, then aggregating to county-level estimates. FCC mobile coverage maps and operator disclosures inform the infrastructure summary.

Nodaway County, MO — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Context

• Population: about 21K, anchored by Maryville and Northwest Missouri State University (a large student presence increases the 18–24 share vs. typical rural counties).
• Takeaway: County-level social media figures aren’t directly published; the estimates below model local adult reach by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform usage rates across a college-tilted age mix typical of Nodaway County.

Overall adoption

• Share of adults using at least one social platform: ~80–85% (Pew 2024 U.S. baseline; Nodaway likely at the high end given the college population).

Most-used platforms (estimated adult reach in Nodaway; modeled from Pew 2024)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~65%
• Instagram: ~43%
• TikTok: ~34%
• Pinterest: ~32%
• Snapchat: ~29–30%
• LinkedIn: ~25%
• X (Twitter): ~23%
• WhatsApp: ~23%
• Reddit: ~20%

Age groups (key patterns and rates that drive the local mix)

• 18–29 (outsized locally due to NWMSU): very high YouTube (93%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%); Facebook (~52%).
• 30–49: high Facebook (73%) and YouTube (92%); mid-tier Instagram (49%) and TikTok (39%); LinkedIn (39%), Pinterest (40%).
• 50+: Facebook dominates (50–64: ~73%; 65+: ~62%); YouTube strong (50–64: ~83%; 65+: ~60%); lower Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (platform propensity among adult users; Pew 2024 pattern applied locally)

• Women higher on: Facebook (75% vs men ~61%), Instagram (51% vs 43%), Pinterest (50% vs 18%), TikTok (38% vs 29%), Snapchat (36% vs ~26%).
• Men higher on: YouTube (86% vs women ~81%), Reddit (32% vs 12%), X/Twitter (31% vs 24%), slightly higher on LinkedIn (31% vs ~28%).
• Net effect locally: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest skew female; Reddit and X skew male; YouTube broadly universal.

Behavioral trends observed in rural college communities (applies strongly in Nodaway)

• Facebook is the default local network for community groups, school and city updates, church and civic announcements, buy/sell/Marketplace, and event coordination.
• Students concentrate attention on Instagram Stories/Reels, Snapchat (messaging and Stories), and TikTok (short-form video); campus clubs and athletics amplify content bursts around events and games.
• YouTube is the most universal “how-to” and entertainment platform across ages; older adults also use it for local government meetings, church services, and high school/college sports streams.
• Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is the growth format; creative that is vertical, under 30–45 seconds, and captioned performs best.
• Messaging is fragmented: students prefer Snapchat and Instagram DMs; families and older adults often use Facebook Messenger; WhatsApp is niche but present for international ties.
• Marketplace and local group posts drive substantial “word-of-mouth” commerce for rentals, used goods, lawn/handyman services, and seasonal work.
• Timing: student-heavy peaks in late afternoon/evening; community/parent activity clusters early morning and after dinner.

How to interpret the numbers

• The platform percentages above reflect a defensible local estimate by weighting Pew’s 2024 U.S. usage rates toward a larger 18–24 cohort than Missouri overall. Rank order is robust: YouTube and Facebook lead; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat over-index among students; Pinterest/LinkedIn/X occupy mid-to-long tail niches.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption and demographic splits).
• U.S. Census Bureau (ACS/Demographic profile for Nodaway County); Northwest Missouri State University enrollment reports (for local age-structure context).