Reynolds County

Reynolds County, Missouri — key demographics

Population size

• 6,096 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~47 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: Under 18: ~21%; 18–64: ~58%; 65 and over: ~21% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is an ethnicity and can be of any race)

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~94–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~2,700–2,800
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Married-couple households: ~49% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~36%; living alone: ~30%+

Insights

• Small, aging, predominantly non-Hispanic White population with modest household sizes and a majority of married-couple family households.

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

Reynolds County, MO (2020 Census population 6,696; ~8 people per sq mile) is a sparsely populated, rural county with strong but uneven digital access. Estimated email users: 4,600–5,000 residents (about 85–90% of adults), based on county age structure and U.S. email adoption.

Estimated email users by age:

• 13–17: 7–8%
• 18–34: 22–24%
• 35–54: 34–36%
• 55–64: 15–16%
• 65+: 17–19%

Gender split among email users is effectively even (≈50/50), mirroring the county’s roughly balanced male–female population.

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a computer: ~80–85%
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~68–72%
• Smartphone-only internet users: ~10–15%
• Fixed broadband coverage is patchy outside Ellington, Centerville, and Bunker; rugged Ozark terrain and extensive National Forest lands raise last‑mile costs and contribute to slower speeds in outlying areas. Satellite and fixed wireless/5G services supplement cable/DSL or fiber where available.

Insights:

• Email is a primary channel for government services, healthcare portals, and online commerce.
• Adoption among older adults is rising due to telehealth and benefits access.
• Expansion funds targeting rural Missouri should improve availability and speeds, but low density will keep buildout incremental.

Reynolds County, Missouri: mobile phone usage snapshot (distinct from statewide patterns)

Population and baseline

• Population: roughly 6.1K residents (2020 Census), about 2.6K households.
• Adult (18+) population: approximately 4.7K.

User estimates and adoption

• Adult smartphone users: about 3.7K–4.0K (≈75–85% of adults), below Missouri’s urban-weighted adoption, which generally tracks near 85–90%.
• Households with a smartphone: about 2.1K–2.3K (≈80–88% of households), a few points lower than the statewide rate.
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband, rely on cellular): about 550–650 households (≈20–25%), notably higher than typical Missouri levels (≈12–18%).
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: about 20–25%, compared with roughly 12–14% statewide.

Demographic breakdown and how it shapes usage

• Age:
  • 65+ share is elevated (about one-quarter of residents), higher than Missouri overall. Smartphone adoption among seniors in the county is materially lower (≈55–65%) than the statewide senior rate (≈70–75%), suppressing countywide adoption.
  • Working-age adults (25–64) adopt smartphones at ≈85–90%, a few points below Missouri’s more urbanized average (≈90–93%).
• Income and affordability:
  • Median household income is materially below the Missouri median; price sensitivity is higher. As a result, mobile-only reliance is higher, and plan downgrades or prepaid plans are more common than the state average.
  • The end of ACP funding in 2024 likely elevated mobile-only reliance in low-income households in the county more than in the state’s metros.
• Education and digital skills:
  • A larger share of adults with a high school diploma or less contributes to heavier smartphone-as-primary-device usage and lower rates of in-home fixed broadband than statewide.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county is predominantly White non-Hispanic. Unlike statewide urban areas, racial/ethnic disparities are less pronounced; geography, income, and age are the primary drivers of digital differences.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (key points where the county differs from Missouri overall)

• Terrain-driven gaps:
  • The Ozark topography (forested hills, hollows, and river valleys) creates more signal shadowing than in much of Missouri, causing pockets of weak or no service away from highways and town centers.
• 4G LTE is the floor; 5G is uneven:
  • 4G LTE outdoor coverage is common near Centerville, Ellington, Lesterville, and along state highways.
  • 5G availability is predominantly low-band and is materially less prevalent than in Missouri metros; mid-band 5G (faster, capacity-oriented) remains limited or absent in much of the county.
  • Practical implication: residents more often experience 4G-level speeds and capacity constraints, especially at peak times or during tourism season along the Black and Current Rivers.
• Backhaul and capacity:
  • Fewer fiber backhaul routes and greater reliance on microwave links reduce peak capacity compared with urban Missouri, amplifying congestion during seasonal influxes.
• Fixed alternatives:
  • Fewer cable/fiber-to-the-home options than statewide. Fixed wireless and satellite (including newer LEO services) play a larger role here than in Missouri’s cities and suburbs.
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • FirstNet/priority services are present but face the same terrain limitations; in‑building coverage in remote structures can be weaker than statewide norms.

Behavioral and market trends distinct from the state

• Higher mobile-only dependence: Residents are more likely to use smartphones as their primary or sole internet connection than the Missouri average.
• Slower device churn and plan upgrades: Longer upgrade cycles and greater use of prepaid/value plans than in metro Missouri.
• Coverage and performance variance: A wider gap between “in-town/highway” and “out‑of‑town” performance than typical statewide, with 5G benefits concentrated in a smaller share of locations.
• Seasonal strain: Tourism and recreational peaks create more noticeable temporary congestion relative to baseline capacity than in urban Missouri.

What these differences mean

• Service planning should prioritize additional low‑band sites for coverage and mid‑band capacity where backhaul allows (near towns, schools, and along MO‑21, MO‑72, MO‑106 corridors).
• Digital equity efforts yield outsized returns: device subsidies, affordable mobile hotspots, and community Wi‑Fi in libraries/schools address a higher-than-average share of mobile-only and unserved households.
• For businesses and agencies, designing for 4G-reliable operation and intermittent backhaul is more prudent here than in much of Missouri.

Notes on data

• Figures are derived from the latest available county‑level American Community Survey (2018–2022 5‑year), 2020 Census counts, and FCC/National Broadband Map filings through 2024. Values are rounded to reflect small‑area margins of error. Statewide comparisons reference Missouri aggregates from the same sources and national smartphone adoption benchmarks.

Reynolds County, MO — social media snapshot (2024)

How these figures were derived

• County-specific platform shares are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption (with rural adjustments) and the county’s age/education profile from U.S. Census ACS 2018–2022. Treat as best-available local estimates; small-population error ±3–6 percentage points.

Most-used platforms (share of adults using each platform)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 40%
• Pinterest: 33%
• TikTok: 29%
• Snapchat: 23%
• X (Twitter): 20–22% (low, skewed to news/politics and sports)
• LinkedIn: ~22% (lower in rural areas)
• Reddit: ~20%

Age-group usage patterns

• 18–29: YouTube (95%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%), Facebook (~53%). Heavy short‑video, creators, and private messaging.
• 30–49: YouTube (90%), Facebook (75%), Instagram (49%), TikTok (39%), Pinterest (~40%). Cross-posted Reels/shorts perform; practical content and local business promos.
• 50–64: Facebook (73%), YouTube (83%), Pinterest (34%), Instagram (29%), TikTok (~22%). News, groups, DIY/how‑to, local events.
• 65+: Facebook (62%), YouTube (59%), Instagram (15%), TikTok (10%). Reliant on groups/pages for local news; larger text/video captions help.

Gender breakdown (platform skews among users)

• Facebook: slightly more women than men
• Instagram: more women
• TikTok: slight female skew
• Snapchat: roughly even
• YouTube: slight male skew
• Pinterest: predominantly women (about three-quarters of users)
• Reddit and X: predominantly men

Behavioral trends in Reynolds County (rural Missouri profile)

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups and Pages drive the bulk of local discovery (school sports, churches, hunting/fishing clubs, yard sales/Marketplace, weather and road conditions).
• Video-first, mobile-first: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms; many users are mobile-only with variable broadband, so concise clips and captions matter.
• YouTube is for problem-solving and hobbies: DIY, equipment repair, homesteading, outdoor and seasonal content see strong completion rates, especially evenings.
• Private messaging dominates coordination: Facebook Messenger and SMS are primary; WhatsApp adoption is limited.
• Small-business usage: Cafés, boutiques, outfitters, and service trades lean on Facebook + Instagram; boosted posts, giveaways, and event promos produce noticeable spikes.
• Pinterest drives planning and seasonal intent among women 25–54 (recipes, crafts, home, weddings/parties).
• X/Twitter is niche: used by a small set of local officials, journalists, and sports followers; low general reach.
• Timing: Engagement clusters at lunch (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) and evenings (7–9 p.m.), with weekend peaks for events and Marketplace.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption by platform, age, and community type)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates (county demographics for rural adjustment)