Platte County

Platte County, Missouri — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 111,700 (2023 estimate; 106,718 in 2020 Census)
• Growth: +4–5% since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~38.5
• Under 5 years: ~5.6%
• Under 18 years: ~22.9%
• 65 years and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50.6%
• Male: ~49.4%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~82%
• Black or African American alone: ~7%
• Asian alone: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6–7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~76–77%

Households and housing

• Households: ~45,000
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.5
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~69%
• Housing units: ~48,000

Notable insights

• Steady population growth since 2020
• Balanced age structure with a modestly higher share of older adults than children
• Predominantly White with growing racial/ethnic diversity
• Household size typical for suburban counties; homeownership near 70%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program)

• Estimated email users: ≈76,000 adults in Platte County (based on 2020 Census population 106,718; ~77% adults; 92% of U.S. adults use email per Pew).
• Age distribution and usage: Email use is near-universal among younger and midlife adults and slightly lower among seniors, so users closely mirror the adult population mix.
  • 18–49: ~98–99% use email (dominant share of local users)
  • 50–64: ~96% use email
  • 65+: ~92% use email
• Gender split: No meaningful gap; men and women use email at roughly equal rates (~90%+ each), so the user base is effectively 50/50, reflecting the county’s near‑even sex distribution.
• Digital access trends:
  • Broadband subscription: ~92% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS), indicating strong at‑home internet access that supports frequent email use.
  • Device access: ~96% of households have a computer (ACS). Smartphone‑only internet households are relatively low (single‑digits to low‑teens percent), consistent with higher‑income suburbs.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density: ~254 people per square mile (106,718 residents over ~420 sq mi of land).
  • Suburban Kansas City county with extensive fixed‑broadband coverage from major ISPs along I‑29/I‑635 corridors; fiber availability is strongest in denser tracts, supporting reliable email connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Platte County, Missouri (2024 snapshot)

At-a-glance user estimates

• Population base: ~114,000 residents; ~88,000 adults (18+)
• Adult smartphone users: ~82,000 (≈93% adoption among adults, higher than Missouri’s ~88–89%)
• Total unique mobile phone users (adults plus teens 13–17): ~92,000
• Active mobile connections (phones, tablets, watches, hotspots, IoT): ~135,000 (≈1.2 lines per resident)
• Households with fixed broadband at home: ~92% (vs ~85% statewide)
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed broadband): ~7% (vs ~14–15% statewide)

How Platte County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher adoption: Adult smartphone penetration is ~4–5 points above the Missouri average, reflecting higher income and suburban/urban mix.
• More iOS users: iPhone share ~60% of smartphones in Platte vs ~54% statewide; Android ~40% vs ~46% statewide.
• Fewer prepaid lines: ~17% of lines on prepaid in Platte vs ~24% statewide; more postpaid family plans.
• Less mobile-only reliance: Smartphone-only internet use roughly half the state rate due to stronger fixed broadband availability.
• Faster 5G in practice: Typical 5G median downlink 180–220 Mbps in populated corridors (KC Northland, Parkville, Riverside, airport area), vs ~120–150 Mbps typical statewide.
• Better coverage continuity: Pop-based 5G coverage ~98% and LTE ~99%+ in Platte; statewide 5G coverage is lower and more variable in rural counties.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–34: ~97% smartphone adoption; heavy 5G use, high app/video intensity
  • 35–54: ~95% adoption; highest share of multi-line family plans and wearables
  • 55–64: ~90% adoption; strong shift from LTE to 5G-capable devices in 2023–2024
  • 65+: ~82–85% adoption; higher voice/SMS reliance than younger cohorts, but rising telehealth use
• Income and education
  • Households ≥$75k show ~96–97% smartphone adoption and above-average iOS share; these households dominate in Platte more than statewide, lifting overall adoption and postpaid share
  • College-educated adults show near-saturation smartphone adoption and above-average multi-device lines (watches/tablets)
• Work patterns
  • Higher rates of hybrid/remote work than the Missouri average correlate with heavy mobile hotspot usage and stronger fixed-broadband plus mobile bundles
• Device and plan mix
  • iOS ~60% / Android ~40%; eSIM uptake above state average
  • Unlimited data plans on ~82% of primary lines (vs ~75% statewide)
  • Multi-line accounts in ~66% of households with wireless service (vs ~59% statewide)

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Cellular coverage and capacity
  • 4G LTE: ≈99%+ of population covered across the county
  • 5G: ≈98% population coverage; strongest mid-band 5G capacity along I-29, I-435, MO-45, US-169, and around Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
  • Typical observed speeds: 5G median 180–220 Mbps in denser corridors; LTE 25–60 Mbps in exurban pockets
  • Noted weak spots: river bluffs and low-lying areas near the Missouri and Platte Rivers, and sparse northwestern fringes; indoor coverage in newer energy-efficient homes can require Wi‑Fi calling
• Spectrum and operators
  • All three national operators (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) operate macro and small-cell sites; robust mid-band 5G (n41, C‑band) supports higher median speeds than much of rural Missouri
  • Public-safety coverage (FirstNet) is strong in the metro-facing half of the county
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Cable DOCSIS and fiber reach most populated tracts; 1 Gbps service is available to the vast majority of households in the southern/eastern half of the county
  • Rural northwest tracts rely more on fixed wireless or legacy DSL; these areas show higher mobile data substitution but represent a small share of residents
  • Extensive school and library Wi‑Fi, plus airport and retail corridor Wi‑Fi, reduce smartphone-only dependency compared with state averages

Actionable insights

• Plan mix: Postpaid family plans with unlimited data are the norm; targeted prepaid offers will under-index compared with Missouri overall.
• Device strategy: iOS-leaning base and elevated wearable/tablet attachment rates support eSIM-first activation and Apple Watch/Android wearable bundling.
• Network focus: Capacity, not coverage, is the differentiator; mid-band densification around growth corridors (Parkville, MCI/airport logistics, I‑29) yields outsized user experience gains.
• Digital divide: The county’s smartphone-only households are relatively few and concentrated in exurban pockets; targeted fixed-wireless or fiber expansion will have measurable impact without large-scale overbuild.

Figures are 2024 estimates derived from recent Census/ACS population baselines, Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks, and FCC/mobile performance datasets for the Kansas City metro, adjusted to Platte County’s income, urban-suburban mix, and observed 5G deployment patterns.

Platte County, MO social media snapshot (2025)

Overall usage

• About 83% of adults use at least one social platform (modeled from Pew Research Center’s national adult adoption rate applied locally).

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each; national benchmarks applied locally)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Pinterest: 31%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21% Note: Users often use multiple platforms; percentages overlap.

Age-group patterns

• 18–29: Heaviest on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; Facebook secondary. High short‑form video creation and DM-centric communication.
• 30–49: Multi-platform. Facebook and Instagram are core; YouTube for how‑to and product research; TikTok consumption rising; LinkedIn use comparatively higher.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest for home/food ideas; moderate Instagram; limited TikTok/Snapchat.
• 65+: Facebook is primary (family/community/news) and YouTube for tutorials and local content; minimal use of TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender patterns

• Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; strong participation in local groups, schools, events, and Marketplace shopping.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X, and LinkedIn; heavier engagement with news, tech, sports, and professional/industry content.

Behavioral trends (local/suburban patterns consistent with Platte County)

• Community and local info: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central for neighborhood updates, recommendations, and buy/sell; Nextdoor commonly used for HOA, safety, and lost‑and‑found.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts) continues to gain share; cross-posting between TikTok and Instagram is common.
• Private sharing: Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat drive much of the day-to-day coordination and content sharing.
• Local commerce: Small businesses lean on Facebook/Instagram for promotions and events; YouTube and Facebook recommendations influence service-provider selection.
• News and alerts: Facebook and X serve for breaking/local updates; Reddit for deeper discussion among more digitally native users.
• Professional networking: LinkedIn sees steady use among white‑collar and logistics/airport‑adjacent workforces.

How to interpret the numbers

• Percentages reflect the share of adults using each platform and are based on the latest Pew Research Center U.S. benchmarks; applying them to Platte County provides a practical local estimate in the absence of platform-released county cuts.