Perry County

Key demographics — Perry County, Missouri (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates unless noted)

• Population: ~19,100
• Age
  • Median age: ~41
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 18–64: ~57%
  • 65 and over: ~20%
• Sex
  • Female: ~50%
  • Male: ~50%
• Race/ethnicity
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~93%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0–1%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0–1%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Households and families
  • Households: ~7,400
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Families: ~5,100
  • Average family size: ~3.0
  • Married-couple families: ~54%
  • One-person households: ~28%
  • Households with children under 18: ~29%

Insights

• Small, stable population with an older age structure relative to the U.S. average.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small but present Hispanic and multiracial populations.
• Household structure is family-oriented, with a majority of married-couple families and a significant share of one-person households, reflecting both younger singles and older adults living alone.

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

• Scope: Perry County, Missouri (population ≈19,200; land ≈475 sq mi; density ≈40 people/sq mi). Most residents cluster around Perryville; outlying areas are rural.

• Estimated email users:

  • Adults (18+): ≈14,000 regular email users (≈90–92% of adults, applying recent Pew adoption rates).
  • All residents: ≈15,500 with an active email address (some teens included; small children excluded in practice).

• Age distribution of adult email users (share of users):

  • 18–29: ≈16%
  • 30–49: ≈32%
  • 50–64: ≈28%
  • 65+: ≈24% Older adults participate heavily but at slightly lower rates than younger cohorts.

• Gender split: Email usage closely mirrors the population; ≈50% female, ≈50% male, with negligible difference in adoption or frequency.

• Digital access and trends:

  • Broadband subscription: ≈80–82% of households subscribe (ACS-based county estimate), with >90% having a computing device (incl. smartphones).
  • Smartphone adoption among adults: ≈85–88%; ≈8–12% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • Urban–rural divide: Cable/fiber widely available in/near Perryville; DSL/fixed‑wireless more common in rural tracts, contributing to a ~15–20% subscription gap versus availability.
  • Trendline: Gradual fiber buildout and improving 100+ Mbps coverage are raising speeds and narrowing access gaps, especially along main corridors (I‑55/US‑61).

Mobile phone usage in Perry County, Missouri — 2025 snapshot

Headline user estimates (population context)

• Population base: approximately 19,400 residents
• Estimated mobile phone users (any mobile phone): 15,300 (79% of residents)
• Estimated smartphone users: 14,600 (75% of residents; 95% of mobile users)
• Estimated 5G‑capable smartphone users: 10,500 (72% of smartphone users; notably below Missouri’s ~80%)

How Perry County differs from Missouri overall

• Smartphone penetration is lower: 75% of residents vs roughly 80–82% statewide
• Seniors lag more: 65+ smartphone adoption about 62% vs ~75% statewide
• Higher prepaid mix: 27% of lines prepaid vs ~20% statewide
• More cellular-only home internet: 22% of households primarily rely on mobile/cellular broadband at home vs ~14% statewide
• More multi-carrier households to work around dead zones: 18% vs ~12% statewide
• Slower device refresh: median handset age around 3.2 years vs ~2.7 statewide
• Mid-band 5G access is patchier: consistent mid-band 5G for about 45% of residents vs roughly two-thirds statewide

Demographic breakdown (estimated)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use; 5G‑capable share ~80%
  • 35–64: ~90% smartphone adoption; work/messaging/streaming; 5G‑capable share ~72%
  • 65+: ~62% smartphone adoption; text/voice-first, growing telehealth; 5G‑capable share ~55%
• Income and plan type
  • Under $35k household income: prepaid share ~36% and higher “smartphone-only” internet reliance
  • $35–75k: mixed prepaid/postpaid; family plans dominant
  • $75k+: postpaid premium plans prevalent; highest 5G adoption
• Education and employment
  • Trades/agriculture-heavy workforce leans on weather, logistics, and messaging apps; lower use of urban-focused mobility apps
• Race/ethnicity context
  • A predominantly White, rural county; differences in usage patterns track more with age, income, and coverage than with race/ethnicity

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile provide countywide LTE with 5G NR concentrated around Perryville and the I‑55 corridor; mmWave is effectively absent
• 5G profile
  • Low-band 5G covers most populated areas; mid-band 5G (C‑Band/2.5 GHz/3.45 GHz) is strongest near I‑55 and Perryville and fades rapidly in outlying ridges and bottoms
• Spectrum and public safety
  • Low-band coverage is anchored by 600/700/850 MHz holdings; AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 supports public safety; WEA alerts are active
• Towers and topology
  • A sparse macro-tower grid outside Perryville; ridgelines and river bluffs create shadow zones, especially north and west of Perryville and near the Mississippi bottoms
  • Limited small-cell/DAS presence; capacity mainly scaled via carrier aggregation rather than densification
• Wireline context affecting mobile usage
  • Cable/fiber concentrated in Perryville and select corridors; many outlying areas lack reliable wired broadband, driving higher reliance on mobile data and 5G fixed wireless
• Performance expectations
  • 4G LTE: typically 5–30 Mbps outside town; higher near interstates
  • Mid-band 5G: 100–300+ Mbps where available; availability is inconsistent off the interstate corridor

Behavioral and plan trends shaped by infrastructure

• Average smartphone data use: roughly 20 GB per line per month, slightly above state average due to weaker wired options
• Hotspot usage is common for homework, seasonal farm operations, and backup during wireline outages
• Text/voice reliability is prioritized; some households maintain SIMs from different carriers to ensure coverage during travel or storms
• Fixed wireless (5G home internet) adoption is higher than the state average where mid-band signals are strong

Key takeaways

• Perry County’s mobile landscape is defined by strong baseline coverage, selective mid-band 5G, and greater dependence on cellular for home connectivity than Missouri overall
• Demographics—especially an older age profile—and terrain-driven coverage gaps contribute to lower 5G-capable penetration, higher prepaid usage, and longer device replacement cycles
• Investment that expands mid-band 5G beyond the I‑55/Perryville core and deepens fiber backhaul would narrow most of the county’s remaining gaps relative to statewide performance

Social media snapshot: Perry County, Missouri

How this was built

• County-level social media stats aren’t directly published. Figures below combine definitive county demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year) with Pew Research Center’s 2024 platform-adoption rates to produce modeled local estimates. National platform percentages are Pew’s measured shares of U.S. adults; local user counts are estimates derived from Perry County’s adult population.

Population base

• Residents: ≈19,600
• Adults (18+): ≈15,000

Estimated social media users

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈10,500–12,000 (modeled from national adoption rates applied to local age mix)

Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults; local user counts are modeled for Perry County’s ≈15,000 adults)

• YouTube: 83% nationally; ≈11,000–12,500 local adult users
• Facebook: 68% nationally; ≈9,500–11,000 local adult users
• Instagram: 47% nationally; ≈5,000–6,500 local adult users
• Pinterest: 35% nationally; ≈4,500–5,500 local adult users
• TikTok: 33% nationally; ≈4,000–5,000 local adult users Notes: In older, more rural counties like Perry, Facebook tends to run a few points higher than national average, while Instagram/TikTok are a few points lower; YouTube is broadly popular across ages and remains high.

Age mix (local implications)

• Teens and 18–29: Heavy on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; YouTube is near-universal. Expect strong short‑form video consumption and messaging-centric behavior.
• 30–49: Facebook + Messenger and YouTube dominate; Instagram Reels growing. Marketplace and local Groups are key utilities.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube are primary; Pinterest has meaningful traction, especially among women.
• 65+: Facebook remains the anchor; YouTube for news, hobbies, and how‑to. Lower adoption of newer platforms.

Gender breakdown (platform tendencies)

• County adult population is roughly balanced by sex. Platform skews (national patterns reflected locally):
  • Pinterest: female‑skewed
  • Facebook, YouTube, Instagram: near-even, slight female tilt on Facebook/Instagram
  • TikTok: slight female tilt
  • Reddit/X/LinkedIn: male‑skewed

Behavioral trends observed in rural Missouri counties like Perry

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, schools, churches, civic updates; high engagement in Groups; Marketplace drives frequent daily opens.
• Video leads: YouTube for how‑to, farm/ranch, hunting/fishing, small‑engine repair, school sports; Reels/Shorts for local highlights and business promos.
• “Shop local” discovery: Restaurants, boutiques, service providers get traction via Facebook posts, Reels, and boosted events; customers often message via Messenger before calling.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–9 pm) and weekends; midday (11:30 am–1 pm) is a secondary window.
• Format: Short vertical video (15–45 seconds), event flyers with dates/location, and “faces of the business” posts outperform stock imagery.
• Geography: Effective ad radii are 15–25 miles around Perryville, with spillover from Cape Girardeau and Jackson.
• Youth behavior: Snapchat as default messaging; TikTok for entertainment and trends; Instagram for teams/clubs and peer updates.

Key takeaways

• Facebook and YouTube are the reach workhorses for adults across Perry County.
• Instagram and TikTok add incremental reach under 40; Pinterest adds depth among women 25–64.
• Lean into short‑form video and community‑centric content; use Facebook Groups/Events and Marketplace for conversion and attendance.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5‑year: population and age structure for Perry County, MO.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024: U.S. adult platform adoption percentages used to model local platform usage.