Ray County

Ray County, Missouri — key demographics

Population size

• 23,158 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic can be any race)

• White alone: ~92%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~8,900
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68% of households; married-couple families: ~56% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~29%
• Single-person households: ~27% (about 12% age 65+ living alone)
• Housing tenure: ~79% owner-occupied, ~21% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small, stable population with a median age around the low 40s
• Predominantly White, with modest racial/ethnic diversity
• High homeownership and a majority share of married-couple, family households

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

Ray County, Missouri snapshot

• Population: 23,158 (2020 Census) across ~569 sq mi of land; density ≈41 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈19,000 residents (≈82% of total population), modeled from national adoption by age applied to local demographics.

Age distribution of email users (share of all users; adoption rates in parentheses)

• Under 18: ~15–16% (≈55% use email, concentrated among teens)
• 18–29: ~14% (≈96%)
• 30–49: ~28% (≈96%)
• 50–64: ~23–24% (≈92%)
• 65+: ~19% (≈78%)

Gender split among email users

• Approximately balanced, mirroring county demographics (~50% female, ~50% male); adoption rates are similar by gender.

Digital access and connectivity insights

• Rural density means email is frequently accessed via smartphones; mobile checking is common outside town centers (Richmond, Lawson, and the Excelsior Springs fringe).
• Home broadband availability has expanded with fiber and fixed wireless, but adoption lags urban Missouri; older adults and remote households show lower take‑up.
• Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) remains an important supplement for residents without robust home service.
• Coverage is strongest along main corridors and town clusters; sparsely populated areas experience more variability in speeds and reliability.

Mobile phone usage in Ray County, Missouri — summary and local-to-state contrasts

Headline numbers

• Population and users: About 23,000 residents and roughly 18,000 adults (18+). Estimated adult smartphone users: 15,500–16,000 (≈86% of adults), a few points below Missouri’s ~89% adult smartphone adoption.
• Household connectivity (ACS 2018–2022, 5‑year):
  • Broadband of any type: ~77% of Ray County households (vs ~81% statewide).
  • Cellular data plan in the household (alone or with other service): ~70% (vs ~75% statewide).
  • Cellular‑only households (cellular data plan but no cable/DSL/fiber): ~19% (vs ~13% statewide).
  • No internet subscription: ~15% (vs ~11% statewide).
• Voice service: Wireless‑only households (no landline) are the clear majority; Ray County is slightly below state levels due to its older population mix (≈70% vs ≈74% statewide).

Demographic breakdown of mobile use (estimates anchored to ACS age/income mix and recent national adoption patterns)

• By age (share of adults with a smartphone):
  • 18–34: ~95%
  • 35–64: ~90%
  • 65+: ~72% (Ray County skews older than Missouri, pulling down the countywide average)
• By income (share of households that are smartphone‑dependent for home internet, i.e., cellular‑only):
  • Under $35k: ~32%
  • $35k–$75k: ~19%
  • $75k+: ~7% These rates are all a few points higher in Ray County than statewide, reflecting more limited wired broadband options outside towns.
• By geography within the county:
  • Town centers (Richmond, Lawson, Orrick, Hardin, Henrietta) have higher 5G availability and lower cellular‑only reliance.
  • Outlying rural areas show the highest cellular‑only and no‑internet shares.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Provider‑reported outdoor LTE coverage reaches nearly all populated areas of Ray County. Users typically have at least one viable carrier signal outdoors across the county.
• 5G: All three national carriers report 5G in the county; practical availability is strongest in and around towns and along the main state routes. Indoor 5G is uneven in dispersed rural areas.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA) over 4G/5G: Available to roughly half of households countywide (notably in and near towns), versus closer to two‑thirds statewide. This is expanding but remains patchier in the eastern and northern rural parts of the county.
• Wired broadband: Cable and fiber footprints are modest outside municipal cores. Where fiber is absent, residents disproportionately rely on cellular hotspots or FWA for home internet.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet/AT&T coverage and multicarrier LTE provide strong outdoor reliability along primary corridors; localized dead zones persist in low‑lying and tree‑dense pockets, especially for indoor use in older structures.

How Ray County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher reliance on mobile for home internet: A cellular‑only rate near one in five households vs about one in eight statewide.
• Lower wired broadband penetration: Broadband subscription of any type trails the state by about 4 percentage points, with a correspondingly higher share of households reporting no internet subscription.
• Slightly lower smartphone adoption: Overall adult smartphone ownership is a few points below the state average, largely due to an older age profile.
• FWA gap: Fixed wireless 5G/4G home coverage is meaningfully less pervasive than the statewide average, reinforcing the cellular‑only and no‑internet shares.
• Usage behavior: More prepaid/MVNO reliance and more “multi‑SIM/backup carrier” behavior in rural households to cope with spotty indoor coverage.

What this means for planners and providers

• Closing the last‑mile gap (fiber/cable or robust FWA) outside towns would directly reduce the county’s above‑average cellular‑only and no‑internet shares.
• Targeted small‑cell or sector additions near rural clusters and public venues would improve indoor 5G reliability and reduce the need for multi‑carrier workarounds.
• Senior‑focused device and plan support can lift adoption among 65+ residents, where smartphone ownership is ~72% vs ~76% statewide.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 (Computer and Internet Use, household subscription types).
• FCC National Broadband Map and carrier coverage disclosures through 2024 for LTE/5G and FWA footprints.
• Pew Research Center 2023–2024 smartphone adoption patterns applied to Ray County’s age/income mix for local estimates.

Ray County, Missouri social media snapshot (2025)

Baseline population

• Population: 23,158 (2020 Census). Approx. 18,000 adults (18+).

Most‑used platforms (share of U.S. adults; local usage typically tracks these levels in rural Missouri). Estimated Ray County adult user counts shown for scale; audiences overlap across platforms.

• YouTube: 83% → ~15,000 adults
• Facebook: 68% → ~12,000
• Instagram: 47% → ~8,500
• TikTok: 33% → ~6,000
• Pinterest: ~34% → ~6,100
• Snapchat: ~30% → ~5,400
• LinkedIn: ~30% → ~5,400
• WhatsApp: ~26% → ~4,700
• X (Twitter): ~22% → ~4,000
• Reddit: ~22% → ~4,000 Source for percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024

Age-group patterns (local implications)

• 13–17: Heavy Snapchat and TikTok use; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal except for school/teams and family groups.
• 18–29: YouTube near-universal; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat all high; Facebook used for events, Marketplace, and local ties.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising; Messenger central for coordination with schools/activities.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok lower but growing via Reels/shorts; strong engagement with local groups and Marketplace.
• 65+: Facebook remains the primary network; YouTube used for news/how‑to; minimal adoption of TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender patterns (platform skews observable locally)

• Facebook and YouTube: broadly even by gender.
• Instagram and TikTok: slight female skew.
• Pinterest: strongly female skew.
• Reddit and LinkedIn: slight male skew.
• Snapchat: slight female skew. These skews influence content receptivity (e.g., Pinterest-friendly retail/home/lifestyle vs. Reddit/YouTube tech, DIY).

Behavioral trends in Ray County’s context

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: school and sports updates, local events, buy/sell/trade, lost & found, road closures, weather and emergency info.
• Facebook Marketplace usage is high for vehicles, tools, farm/ranch equipment, furniture, and seasonal items.
• Short‑form video performs best: Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok drive discovery and shares.
• YouTube is the go‑to for how‑to/DIY, home and auto repair, ag and outdoor content, and long‑form local event recordings.
• Peak engagement windows: evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday spikes around lunch/school pick‑ups; severe weather and local news trigger rapid surges.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates for local coordination; SMS remains common; WhatsApp usage is present but not primary.
• Local business usage: service trades, boutiques, restaurants, realtors, and contractors rely on Facebook + Instagram; video tours and before/after posts convert well.
• Civic participation: high interaction with county/municipal pages, school districts, sheriff/EM pages; comment threads drive reach during elections and public meetings.

How to read the numbers

• Percentages shown are definitive U.S. adult usage rates (Pew 2024). Given Ray County’s small, largely rural profile, local adoption generally mirrors these ranks with slightly higher reliance on Facebook/YouTube and slightly lower Instagram/TikTok among older cohorts. Estimated local user counts are proportional applications to ~18,000 adults and are for planning scale only; actual users overlap across platforms.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Ray County population)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform usage percentages and age/gender patterns)