Saint Clair County

Saint Clair County, Missouri — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

• Population size: 8,990
• Age:
  • Median age: 47.9 years
  • Under 18: 20.6%
  • 18–64: 54.7%
  • 65 and over: 24.7%
• Sex:
  • Female: 50.3%
  • Male: 49.7%
• Race and ethnicity:
  • White alone: 94.6%
  • Black or African American alone: 0.4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.9%
  • Asian alone: 0.2%
  • Some other race alone: 0.3%
  • Two or more races: 3.6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 2.3%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 92.7%
• Households and housing:
  • Total households: 3,930
  • Average household size: 2.26
  • Family households: 2,520 (64%)
  • Married-couple families: 1,870 (47% of households)
  • Households with children under 18: 22%
  • Nonfamily households: 36%
  • Households with individuals living alone: 31% (14% with a householder 65+ living alone)
  • Housing units: 6,900
  • Occupied housing units (households): 3,930; owner-occupied: 80%; renter-occupied: 20%

Saint Clair County, Missouri — Email usage snapshot (2024)

• Estimated email users: ~7,000 residents (≈75% of the 9.3k population; ≈88–90% of connected adults use email regularly).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: 16%
  • 30–49: 34%
  • 50–64: 27%
  • 65+: 23%
• Gender split of email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (tracks county demographics).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~72% of households have a home internet subscription; ~17% are smartphone‑only connections.
  • Fixed broadband (≥100/20 Mbps) available to roughly two‑thirds of locations; fiber concentrated in and around Osceola and Appleton City, with DSL, cable pockets, and fixed wireless elsewhere.
  • Average residential speeds and subscriptions have risen notably since 2022 as fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts expand; older and lower‑income tracts lag in adoption.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density is low (~14 people per sq. mile), driving higher last‑mile costs and patchy wired coverage, especially around Truman Lake and dispersed rural roads.
  • Mobile 4G is common and often bridges gaps in wired service; reliance on fixed wireless for home access remains above the state average.

Overall, email is near‑universal among connected adults; coverage upgrades are steadily expanding the reachable user base.

Mobile phone usage in Saint Clair County, Missouri (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: ~9,100
• Households: ~4,000 (avg. household size ~2.3)
• Adults (18+): ~7,300

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~6,800 (≈94% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ~5,800 (≈80% of adults)
• Teen smartphone users (12–17): ~530
• Total smartphone users (all ages): ~6,350 (≈70% of total population)
• OS mix among smartphones: ~60% Android, ~40% iPhone
• Plan mix: ~28% prepaid/MVNO, ~72% postpaid

Demographic breakdown and adoption

• Age structure (approx. share of total population): 18–34: 17%; 35–64: 38%; 65+: 25%; under 18: 20%
• Smartphone adoption by age (share within each age group):
  • 18–34: ~96%
  • 35–64: ~86%
  • 65+: ~60%
• Income and education context:
  • Median household income: low-to-mid $40,000s (well below Missouri overall), driving higher prepaid use and longer device replacement cycles (~3.5 years vs ~3.0 statewide)
  • BA+ attainment among adults: low-teens percent (well below Missouri), correlating with higher Android share and budget devices
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed broadband): ~27% of households (above Missouri’s ~19%), reflecting reliance on mobile data where wired service is limited

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile; widespread MVNOs (e.g., Cricket, Straight Talk, Boost)
• 4G LTE: Countywide along primary corridors and towns (Osceola, Appleton City, Lowry City); dead zones persist in wooded hollows and around parts of Truman Lake’s shoreline
• 5G:
  • Low-band 5G from AT&T and T-Mobile in/near towns and along US-13; Verizon low-band/DSS present on main corridors
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) is sparse or absent within most of the county; strongest mid-band capacity sits in neighboring population centers and along larger highway segments outside the county
• Typical outdoor performance (median ranges, not peak):
  • 4G LTE: 10–35 Mbps down/2–10 Mbps up; 40–80 ms latency
  • Low-band 5G: 25–100 Mbps down/5–15 Mbps up; 30–60 ms latency
  • Indoor service is materially weaker away from town centers due to distance from macro sites and terrain
• Site grid: Sparse rural macro-site spacing (~6–12 miles) concentrated along US-13 and town perimeters; fill-in coverage limited; backhaul a mix of fiber-fed sites on major routes and microwave relays off-corridor
• Public safety: AT&T FirstNet-capable sites present on the core grid; E-911 cellular reach is reliable in population centers, less so in lake-adjacent lowlands

Usage patterns and traffic

• Monthly mobile data per smartphone: ~12–16 GB (below metro Missouri levels due to coverage/plan constraints)
• Voice/SMS remains comparatively high among 65+ users; app mix skews to messaging, Facebook, YouTube, and utility apps
• Small businesses and contractors rely on LTE/5G for point-of-sale and back-office connectivity more than the Missouri average, particularly where DSL/cable is weak
• Seasonal surges: Weekends and peak recreation season around Truman Lake strain sector capacity along lakeside corridors and in Osceola

How Saint Clair County differs from Missouri overall

• Lower adoption in older cohorts: 65+ smartphone ownership is ~60% locally vs ~70%+ statewide
• Higher Android and prepaid share: ~60/40 Android–iPhone and ~28% prepaid locally vs roughly even Android–iPhone and ~20% prepaid statewide
• Greater reliance on mobile as primary internet: ~27% smartphone-only households locally vs ~19% statewide
• 5G capacity gap: Low-band 5G is present, but mid-band 5G capacity that drives 200+ Mbps metro speeds is largely missing inside the county, keeping typical speeds well below state metro medians
• More pronounced indoor coverage challenges due to tower spacing and topography, increasing dependence on Wi‑Fi calling and external antennas in fringe areas

Key takeaways

• Roughly 6,350 residents use smartphones, but age, income, and terrain produce a distinctly different profile from Missouri’s metros: more Android and prepaid usage, heavier mobile–home-internet substitution, and lower 5G capacity.
• Investments that add mid-band 5G sectors on existing sites, infill small cells in town cores, and lake-corridor coverage would yield outsized gains in reliability and indoor performance compared with statewide averages.

Social media usage in Saint Clair County, MO (2024)

Baseline

• Population: 9,284 (2020 Census). Using Missouri’s statewide age structure (~78% adults), the county has an estimated 7,250 adults.
• Adult social-media penetration: ≈72% of adults use at least one platform, implying about 5,200 adult users (Pew Research Center, 2024).

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; local reach shown by applying Pew’s U.S. adoption rates to the county’s adult base)

• YouTube: 83% → ≈6,020 adults
• Facebook: 68% → ≈4,930 adults
• Instagram: 47% → ≈3,410 adults
• TikTok: 33% → ≈2,390 adults
• Snapchat: 30% → ≈2,175 adults
• Pinterest: 35% → ≈2,540 adults
• LinkedIn: 30% → ≈2,175 adults
• WhatsApp: 29% → ≈2,100 adults
• X (Twitter): 22% → ≈1,595 adults
• Reddit: 22% → ≈1,595 adults
• Nextdoor: 20% → ≈1,450 adults

Age‑group patterns (what’s most used)

• Teens/young adults (13–29): Heavy on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; Facebook is secondary but still present.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook are core; Instagram adoption is solid; TikTok usage is moderate and rising.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram is niche; TikTok has a smaller but growing footprint.
• 65+: Facebook remains the primary social network; YouTube sees meaningful use; other platforms are limited.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Women over‑index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; Instagram also skews female.
• Men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter).
• Facebook’s gender split is fairly even; Pinterest’s audience is predominantly female; Reddit and X skew male.

Local behavioral trends

• Facebook is the county’s community backbone: high engagement in Groups (schools, churches, events, buy/sell) and Marketplace activity for local goods, vehicles, and farm/outdoor gear.
• Video is the consumption workhorse: YouTube for how‑to, local sports clips, and hobbies; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) performs best with under‑40s.
• Messaging first: Many interactions move to Messenger; WhatsApp use exists but is smaller and more niche.
• News and information: Facebook pages/groups of local media, schools, and government are key discovery points; shares and comments drive reach.
• Timing: Engagement clusters in early mornings and evenings; weekends are strong for marketplace and events. School‑sports seasons and hunting/outdoor seasons create noticeable spikes.
• Creative that works: Practical, community‑relevant posts (event reminders, closures, deals), clear visuals, and short videos. Giveaways and cause‑linked posts see outsized sharing.

Notes on method

• Percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media adoption. Local platform “reach” counts are modeled by applying those rates to the county’s estimated adult population; people often use multiple platforms, so totals overlap.