Polk County

Polk County, Missouri — key demographics (latest available)

Population

• Total: ~32,200 (2023 Census Bureau estimate)
• 2020 Census: ~31,500

Age

• Median age: ~36–37 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 18–24: ~10–11%
• 25–44: ~24%
• 45–64: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

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

• Non-Hispanic White: ~90%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Other (non-Hispanic): <1%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~12,500–13,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65%
• Married-couple households: ~50% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Single-person households: ~25–28%; living alone age 65+: ~10–12%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70–72%; renter-occupied: ~28–30%

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

• Scope and size: Polk County, MO population ~31,100 across ~637 sq mi (≈49 people/mi²). Adult (18+) residents ≈24,000.
• Estimated email users: ~21,000 adults (≈87% of adults), applying Pew national email adoption among internet users and adult internet use rates.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–29: ~19%
  • 30–49: ~34%
  • 50–64: ~26%
  • 65+: ~21%
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, 49% male (email adoption is nearly even by gender; mirrors local sex ratio).
• Digital access and devices (ACS 2018–2022 style measures):
  • Households with a computer/smartphone: ~92%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~80% (below Missouri’s statewide average)
  • Mobile-only internet households: ~15–18% (common outside Bolivar and along rural roads)
• Trends and implications:
  • Email use is near-universal among working-age adults and rising among seniors as smartphone adoption grows.
  • Fixed broadband is concentrated in and around Bolivar and the MO‑13 corridor; outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless and cellular, which can depress heavy email attachment use and shift usage to mobile devices.
  • Local density and rural dispersion increase last‑mile costs, keeping wired broadband adoption ~1 in 5 households lower than urban Missouri, but 5G buildouts are narrowing gaps.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Polk County, Missouri (focus on local-versus-state differences)

Overall picture

• Polk County is a rural county anchored by Bolivar along the US‑13 corridor. Mobile service is present countywide, but performance and 5G availability are concentrated in and around towns and major roadways, with noticeably more variability than the Missouri statewide norm.

User estimates (adults and households)

• Estimated mobile phone users: 27,000–29,000 residents carry a mobile phone, of whom about 24,000–26,000 use smartphones. These figures are derived from the county’s population and rural adoption rates from ACS/Pew-era data for 2022–2023, scaled to Polk’s age and rural profile.
• Adoption rates (adults):
  • Any mobile phone: roughly 93–95% (Polk slightly below Missouri’s urbanized average)
  • Smartphones: roughly 88–90% (about 2–4 points lower than the statewide rate)
• Mobile-only internet households: approximately 15–18% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet (versus about 12–14% statewide), reflecting lower fixed broadband availability and lower household incomes than the state average.
• Prepaid penetration: estimated 25–30% of mobile lines (versus roughly 18–22% statewide), consistent with rural markets and price-sensitive segments.

Demographic breakdown (what differs most from Missouri overall)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-saturation smartphone adoption (≈97–99%), comparable to statewide; heavy app/social usage and mobile banking are the norm.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈92–95%), slightly below state average; strong reliance on mobile hotspotting for work in areas lacking robust home broadband.
  • 65+: 75–82% smartphone adoption, several points below statewide; texting, voice, and health portals are primary use-cases, with growing but still lagging video and social app usage.
• Income
  • Households under $35k are markedly more likely to be mobile-only for internet (≈20–25% of these households), above the comparable statewide share; data caps and prepaid plans shape usage patterns.
• Geography within the county
  • Bolivar and the US‑13 spine: strongest 5G and LTE capacity; more consistent high-speed performance and in-building coverage.
  • Outlying and sparsely populated areas (east/west of US‑13, low-lying/wooded terrain): more LTE fallback, greater variability in signal quality, and periodic dead zones, leading to higher use of external antennas and Wi‑Fi calling.
• Education/student impact
  • The presence of Southwest Baptist University increases seasonal mobile data demand and campus-adjacent network capacity, a pattern less pronounced in counties without a university.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), T‑Mobile, and Verizon operate across the county; MVNOs ride on these networks.
• 4G LTE: broadly available; near-continuous coverage along US‑13 and in towns (Bolivar, Pleasant Hope, Fair Play, Halfway, Flemington), with coverage thinning on secondary roads and in hollows/valleys.
• 5G
  • T‑Mobile: most visible 5G footprint, with mid‑band coverage clustered around Bolivar and the US‑13 corridor; substantial performance gains where mid‑band is available.
  • AT&T: 5G present in town centers and along major corridors; low‑band coverage is more common in rural stretches, with speeds similar to strong LTE.
  • Verizon: 5G available mainly as DSS/low‑band in and near towns; LTE remains the workhorse outside the main corridors.
• Performance expectations (typical, not peak)
  • Rural LTE: generally 10–60 Mbps down / 2–15 Mbps up depending on distance to sites and load.
  • 5G mid‑band (where available): commonly 150–400+ Mbps down with materially better capacity; low‑band 5G performs similar to LTE.
• Tower siting and capacity
  • Coverage is anchored by co‑located macro sites along US‑13 and near population centers and major crossroads; outside those areas, sector loading and terrain create more variability than the state average.
• Backhaul and fixed alternatives
  • Fixed broadband availability (especially cable or fiber) is more limited than statewide, pushing higher mobile hotspot use. Where fiber/cable is present (Bolivar and select corridors), in-building mobile performance also benefits from denser small-cells and better backhaul, a disparity that is sharper than in urban Missouri counties.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet presence improves AT&T reliability near government and emergency facilities; during storms, rural sectors can saturate, making text/SMS more reliable than voice/data in the most remote pockets compared to urban counties.

Usage patterns and behaviors that differ from Missouri overall

• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet for home connectivity, hotspotting, and prepaid plans, driven by gaps in fixed broadband and income mix.
• More LTE-dependence outside towns and along lateral county roads; 5G capacity gains are accessible but geographically narrow relative to urban corridors in Missouri.
• Seniors’ smartphone adoption is improving but remains several points below state averages; cross‑generational device sharing and family multi‑line plans are more common.
• Data conservation behaviors (lower-resolution video, offline media, Wi‑Fi offloading in town) are more prevalent than in metro counties.

Key takeaways

• Polk County’s smartphone adoption is high but a few points below the Missouri average, with a distinctly higher share of mobile-only households.
• 5G is present and meaningful along the US‑13/Bolivar axis; elsewhere, LTE remains the primary experience.
• The county’s rural geography and fixed-broadband gaps create heavier dependence on mobile data than the state overall, especially among lower‑income and outlying households.

Social media in Polk County, Missouri (2024 snapshot)

How many people use social media

• Adults using any social platform at least monthly: 68–74%
• Daily users: 60–66% of adults
• Multi‑platform users (3+ platforms): 50–56%
• Video-first consumption (YouTube, Reels, TikTok) accounts for roughly 55–65% of total social watch time

Most‑used platforms (share of all adults using at least monthly)

• YouTube: 72–80%
• Facebook: 62–70%
• Instagram: 32–40%
• TikTok: 26–34%
• Snapchat: 22–30%
• Pinterest: 22–30% (female‑skewed)
• Facebook Messenger: 58–65% (primary local messaging app)
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• Reddit: 9–14%
• LinkedIn: 10–15%
• WhatsApp: 8–12%

Age profile (who uses what)

• Teens (13–17): Near‑universal YouTube; heavy Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook limited
• 18–24: YouTube dominant; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok all high; Facebook moderate (campus/community ties)
• 25–34: YouTube and Facebook lead; Instagram steady; TikTok rising for short‑form discovery
• 35–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok light‑to‑moderate
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube primary; Instagram/TikTok limited but growing
• 65+: Facebook for family/church/community; YouTube for how‑to and local streams; minimal on other platforms

Gender breakdown

• Active social users: roughly 52–55% women, 45–48% men
• Platform skew: Pinterest and Facebook lean female; Instagram slightly female; Snapchat slightly female; YouTube slight male tilt; Reddit and X lean male

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school sports, church updates, civic alerts, and Marketplace are core behaviors
• Groups > Pages for engagement: neighborhood, buy/sell/trade, farm and ranch, yard sale, and school/booster groups drive discussion
• Video is rising: YouTube for how‑to, home repair, ag equipment, hunting/fishing, and church/live events; Reels/TikTok for food, DIY, family and outdoor content
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default for local coordination; Snapchat is the teen/college chat channel; WhatsApp is niche (travel/international ties)
• Shopping and recommendations: Facebook Marketplace and local recommendation threads influence purchase decisions more than national e‑commerce ads
• Trust dynamics: posts from known locals, churches, schools, first responders, and county/city departments carry outsized credibility
• Posting rhythm: morning (6–9 a.m.) and late evening (8–10 p.m.) are peak local engagement windows; weekends skew to community events and Marketplace

Notes

• Figures are county‑level estimates derived from national platform usage patterns and rural‑Midwest adjustments for Polk County’s age mix and campus presence (Bolivar/SBU). Use for planning and targeting where direct county survey data are unavailable.