Putnam County

Putnam County, Missouri — key demographics

Population size

• 4,696 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~47 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~49%
• Male: ~51%

Racial/ethnic composition (share of total population)

• White alone: ~96–97%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%

Household data

• Households: ~2,040
• Persons per household: ~2.28
• Housing units: ~2,840
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~80%

Insights

• Small, rural county with an older age profile (notably higher 65+ share than state/national averages)
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with limited racial/ethnic diversity
• Small household size and high owner-occupancy consistent with rural housing patterns

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (including QuickFacts).

Putnam County, MO email snapshot (2025 est.)

• Population ~4,700 across ~517 sq mi; density ~9 people/sq mi (very rural).
• Households ~2,000; home broadband subscribers ~1,400 (≈70%); an additional ~18% of households are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Estimated email users: 3,380 residents (≈72% of the population).

Email users by gender

• Female: 51% (≈1,724)
• Male: 49% (≈1,656)

Email users by age

• 13–17: 7% (≈237)
• 18–34: 19% (≈642)
• 35–54: 27% (≈913)
• 55–64: 14% (≈473)
• 65+: 33% (≈1,115)

Digital access and connectivity insights

• Email adoption tracks broadband growth but remains below Missouri’s household broadband subscription average (~81%) due to sparse settlement and lower population density.
• Mobile connectivity (4G/5G) covers population centers and main corridors, supporting email use where wireline is limited; fixed wireless is a notable stopgap.
• Fiber is steadily extending from towns; speeds and reliability are improving, lifting daily email use for work, school, healthcare, and agriculture.
• Older adults represent a large share of local email users, reflecting the county’s older age structure and increasing reliance on telehealth, government services, and banking online.

Mobile phone usage in Putnam County, Missouri — summary and estimates

Context and scale

• Population and density: 4,696 residents (2020 Census) across about 518 square miles, or roughly 9 people per square mile. The county’s population is older than the state average, with roughly one-quarter aged 65+, versus roughly one-fifth statewide. Low density and an older age structure shape both network deployment and adoption patterns.

User estimates (people and households)

• People who use a mobile phone (any type): approximately 3,800–4,000 residents (80–85% of the total population).
• Smartphone users: on the order of 3,200–3,400 residents (about 68–73% of the total population). This is driven down slightly by the county’s older age profile relative to the Missouri average.
• Households with a smartphone: on the order of 80–85% of households (typical for rural northern Missouri counties and below the statewide share, which is closer to the upper 80s to around 90%).
• Cellular-only home internet (households that rely on a mobile data plan as their primary or sole home internet): about 1 in 4 households (roughly 22–28%), noticeably above the Missouri average (generally mid-teens). This reflects more limited fixed broadband choices in parts of the county and higher cost sensitivity.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of the gap with state-level patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (roughly mid-90% of this group), similar to statewide.
  • 35–64: high adoption (around 85–90%), modestly below statewide due to income/mix of occupations.
  • 65+: substantially lower adoption (around 60–65%), pulling down the county’s overall rate relative to Missouri.
• Income and plan type:
  • A higher share of cost-sensitive households than the state average leads to greater use of prepaid and value plans, and a higher incidence of “smartphone-dependent” households (mobile data as the main internet connection).
• Education and work:
  • A larger rural/agricultural share than statewide correlates with more basic handset mixes in some segments (feature and entry-tier smartphones for voice/SMS, basic app use) and heavier use of LTE for hotspotting in areas where wired broadband is weak.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network footprint:
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all provide 4G LTE coverage across populated corridors (notably around Unionville and along US‑136 and MO‑5/129). Coverage thins between towns and in low-lying or timbered areas, which is typical for the region.
  • 5G availability is present but patchier than statewide. Low-band 5G (700–850/600 MHz) reaches population centers and highway corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is limited relative to Missouri’s metros and larger towns. As a result, day-to-day service outside Unionville and main routes often defaults to LTE.
• Speeds and reliability:
  • Typical mobile download speeds in town centers fall in a broad 20–100 Mbps range depending on carrier, spectrum, and time of day; speeds drop substantially in fringe areas. This distribution is slower and more variable than Missouri’s statewide median.
  • Indoor coverage challenges are common in metal-roof or older structures; Wi‑Fi calling materially improves reliability for many users.
• Backhaul and local fiber:
  • Local and regional fiber (e.g., from rural telcos active in north‑central Missouri) serves parts of Unionville and selected rural routes and provides backhaul to some macro sites. However, tower density per square mile remains low compared to state averages, which constrains mid-band 5G buildout and peak capacity.
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • FirstNet coverage (AT&T) has expanded along primary corridors; off‑corridor resiliency still depends on a small number of macro sites and microwave/fiber backhaul paths. Extended power outages and severe weather can degrade service more readily than in urban Missouri.

How Putnam County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher smartphone dependence for home internet: About a quarter of households rely on cellular as their primary connection versus a mid‑teens share statewide.
• Lower effective 5G capacity: 5G presence is more likely to be low‑band only, with fewer mid‑band sectors and lower aggregate speeds than the statewide experience.
• More variable service quality: A wider gap between in‑town and between‑town performance than typical Missouri markets, driven by tower spacing and terrain.
• Older user base, lower smartphone penetration: The 65+ share reduces overall smartphone penetration several points below the state average.
• Plan mix skews toward value/prepaid: A higher proportion of budget plans and hotspot use relative to the state as a whole.

Implications

• Mobile networks in Putnam County are functional and broadly available where people live and travel most, but capacity, indoor coverage, and off‑corridor reliability lag state norms.
• A sizable minority of households are smartphone‑ or cellular‑dependent for home connectivity, so investments that expand mid‑band 5G and improve backhaul to rural sites will disproportionately benefit the county compared with typical Missouri markets.
• Digital inclusion efforts that target older residents and low‑income households would have an outsized impact on overall mobile and internet adoption relative to statewide programs.

Social media in Putnam County, MO (2025 snapshot)

Scope and method

• Figures are modeled local estimates for adults (18+) using Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media usage (with rural, age, and gender splits) applied to Putnam County’s population (~4,700; U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates). Multiple platforms per person are common, so platform percentages don’t sum to 100.

Overall reach and user stats

• Adult social media penetration: 75–80% of adults
• Estimated adult users: ~2,800–3,000
• Typical multi-platform use: 3–4 platforms per user

Most‑used platforms (share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~67%
• Instagram: ~38–40%
• Pinterest: ~30–33%
• TikTok: ~28–30%
• Snapchat: ~20–22%
• WhatsApp: ~20–22%
• X (Twitter): ~18–20%
• LinkedIn: ~17–20%
• Reddit: ~16–18%

Age‑group usage patterns (share of each age group)

• 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~70–75%; Snapchat ~65–70%; TikTok ~55–60%; Facebook ~45–50%
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%; Facebook ~70–75%; Instagram ~50–55%; TikTok ~30–35%; Snapchat ~25–30%
• 50–64: Facebook ~70–72%; YouTube ~75–80%; Pinterest ~35–40%; Instagram ~25–30%; TikTok ~18–22%
• 65+: Facebook ~60–65%; YouTube ~50–55%; Pinterest ~20–25%; Instagram ~12–18%; TikTok ~8–12%

Gender breakdown (share of users on each platform)

• Facebook: ~55–56% women, ~44–45% men
• YouTube: ~45% women, ~55% men
• Instagram: ~52–54% women, ~46–48% men
• TikTok: ~58–60% women, ~40–42% men
• Snapchat: ~60% women, ~40% men
• Pinterest: ~75–80% women, ~20–25% men
• X (Twitter): ~40–45% women, ~55–60% men
• Reddit: ~25–30% women, ~70–75% men
• LinkedIn: ~45–48% women, ~52–55% men
• WhatsApp: roughly balanced

Local behavioral trends and use cases

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups and Pages tied to schools, youth sports, churches, county fair, road closures, and buy/sell/auction (Marketplace). Event discovery and word‑of‑mouth happen here.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for music, local sports clips, home/auto/farm equipment repair, DIY, and product research; TikTok for short “how‑to,” recipes, and entertainment, with more viewing than posting.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger and SMS dominate private communication; Snapchat functions as a messaging layer for 18–29. WhatsApp usage is present but niche.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace outperforms dedicated classifieds; local services rely on Facebook reviews and recommendations. Instagram serves boutique retail and crafts; Pinterest influences home, garden, and recipe decisions.
• Content cadence: Evenings and weekends see the strongest engagement; weekday mid‑morning and late afternoon spikes correspond to breaks and school schedules.
• Creator landscape: Micro‑creators and community admins (school boosters, coaches, civic orgs) drive engagement more than high‑follower “influencers.”
• News and information: Local updates spread fastest via Facebook Groups; X is niche and skewed to sports, weather, and state/national news watchers; Reddit remains small but useful for hobby communities.

Key takeaways

• Plan around Facebook + YouTube as reach pillars, with Instagram and TikTok to reach under‑50s.
• Lean into Groups, short video, and Marketplace for distribution and conversion.
• Target women for Pinterest and Facebook community engagement; use YouTube and X to reach more male‑skewed audiences.
• Use evenings/weekends for posting and live updates; coordinate with local event calendars for predictable spikes.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform, age, gender, rural splits)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 county population estimates (Putnam County, MO)