Saint Louis City County

Saint Louis City (county-equivalent), Missouri — key demographics

Population

• 2023 population estimate: ~281,000 (Census Population Estimates)
• 2020 Census count: 301,578

Age

• Median age: ~36–37 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~67%
• 65 and over: ~14%

Sex

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• Black or African American (alone): ~45%
• White (non-Hispanic, alone): ~44–45%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Asian (alone): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Other races: ~1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~130,000–135,000
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~50% of households; married-couple families: ~23%
• Nonfamily households: ~50%; single-person households: ~40%+
• Tenure: Owner-occupied ~44%; renter-occupied ~56%
• Households with children under 18: ~22%

Insights

• No single racial group is a majority; the population is roughly split between Black and White residents with small but growing Hispanic and Asian communities.
• Housing is majority renter-occupied with a large share of single-person households, consistent with an urban core.
• Age structure is relatively young to middle-aged, with a modest but growing 65+ cohort.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2023 ACS 1-year; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year). Figures rounded for clarity.

• Scope: City of St. Louis (independent city; “Saint Louis City County,” MO). Population ≈300,000; adults ≈240,000.
• Estimated email users: ≈215,000 adults (≈90% of adults), based on applying recent Pew adoption rates to local demographics.
• Age distribution (share of adults using email):
  • 18–29: ~95%
  • 30–49: ~96%
  • 50–64: ~92%
  • 65+: ~85% Younger cohorts are near-universal users; seniors show the largest non-user share.
• Gender split: Female ≈52% of adults. Usage is near parity: women ≈91%, men ≈89%—about 110,000 women and 105,000 men using email.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription: ≈80–85% of households; ~15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Non‑subscriber households: ≈15–20%, concentrated among lower‑income and older residents, aligning with lower email use in these groups.
  • Public access: 17 St. Louis Public Library branches provide free Wi‑Fi and computers, important for job search, benefits, and email access.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈4,900 residents per square mile supports extensive fixed broadband and mobile 5G coverage across most neighborhoods.
  • Urban infrastructure and multiple provider options underpin high email penetration, while affordability and device access remain the primary barriers to universal use.

Scope note: The figures below refer to the independent City of St. Louis (often called “St. Louis City”), not St. Louis County.

Executive snapshot

• Adult smartphone users: roughly 210,000–225,000 residents use a smartphone in St. Louis City in 2024, equating to about 90–92% of adults. Household smartphone presence is about 125,000–135,000 households (≈88–92% of the city’s ~140–145k households).
• Mobile-only internet reliance: about 22–27% of St. Louis City households rely primarily on smartphones or cellular hotspots for home internet, notably higher than Missouri’s 15–18%.
• Network experience: 4G LTE covers essentially all populated areas; mid-band 5G covers most neighborhoods with typical urban median downloads commonly 150–300 Mbps in core areas, higher than statewide averages due to denser urban buildouts.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–29: near-universal smartphone adoption (~97–99%); heavy app use for banking, mobility, and social.
  • 30–64: high adoption (~92–96%); elevated mobile-only work-from-anywhere behaviors in central corridor neighborhoods.
  • 65+: adoption materially lower (~70–78%), with higher reliance on voice/text and larger-screen devices; gap drives targeted digital literacy and subsidized device programs.
• Income
  • Under $25k: mobile-only internet reliance is common (~35–45% of low-income households), reflecting substitution of home broadband with unlimited or high-cap cellular plans.
  • $75k+: mobile-only reliance falls into low double digits (≈10–15%); most maintain both home broadband and mobile plans.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic residents show similar overall smartphone adoption to White residents but are roughly twice as likely to be mobile-only for home internet, aligning with cost-sensitivity and housing tenure patterns north of Delmar and in parts of south city.
• Plan types and devices
  • Prepaid share is elevated in the city (≈30–35% of smartphone lines) versus Missouri overall (≈25–28%), driven by budget MVNOs and flexible month-to-month options.
  • Feature-phone use is minimal (<5% of adult users), skewing toward older and very-low-income residents.
  • 5G-capable devices are now the majority: ≈75–85% of active smartphones in the city vs ≈70–75% statewide, supporting higher average speeds.
• Data consumption
  • Average cellular data per smartphone in the city is estimated around 23–28 GB/month, above the statewide average of roughly 18–23 GB/month. Smartphone tethering/hotspot usage is reported by about 9–12% of city households vs 6–8% statewide.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and capacity
  • 4G LTE: near-ubiquitous in populated areas.
  • 5G: mid-band (e.g., n41, C-band) blankets most neighborhoods; mmWave nodes are concentrated downtown, entertainment districts, medical campuses, and high-traffic venues.
  • Urban density yields stronger indoor service in newer construction but older brick buildings can attenuate signals; carriers use small cells to mitigate this.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Dense metro fiber from major providers (AT&T, Spectrum, Zayo, Everstream and others) underpins rapid 5G deployments; fiber-fed small cells are present along downtown corridors, the central corridor (CWE–Forest Park–Clayton edge), and near hospitals/universities.
• Transit and venues
  • Airports, stadiums, university campuses, and hospital complexes have targeted capacity upgrades; MetroLink corridors and downtown event zones show concentrated small-cell deployments to handle peaks.
• Public and community access
  • Libraries, recreation centers, and select municipal sites offer Wi‑Fi that complements mobile service, important for residents who are smartphone-only.

How St. Louis City differs from Missouri overall

• Higher smartphone-only reliance: City households are 4–9 percentage points more likely to depend on mobile service for home internet than the state average.
• Greater prepaid and MVNO penetration: A larger share of users chooses prepaid or discount brands, reflecting local price elasticity.
• Faster, denser 5G: More extensive mid-band 5G and small-cell density in the city raises typical speeds and improves peak-time performance versus statewide, where rural areas dilute averages.
• Lower home broadband take-up: Fixed broadband subscription is a few points lower than Missouri overall, with affordability and rental housing factors driving substitution to mobile.
• Higher per-user cellular data use: Heavier video, hotspot substitution, and app-centric daily life in the urban core lift monthly GB consumption above the state average.
• Sharper digital equity gradient: Older adults and low-income neighborhoods exhibit lower device sophistication and higher mobile-only rates than their suburban/rural counterparts, making targeted affordability and literacy programs more consequential inside city limits.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesize 2022–2023 American Community Survey indicators on device and subscription status, 2023–2024 Pew Research Center smartphone adoption data, FCC 2024 4G/5G coverage inventories, and industry network performance testing for typical 5G ranges in dense urban cores. Figures are rounded to plausible ranges to reflect year-to-year variation and sampling error while preserving directionally accurate city-versus-state differences.

Social media usage in Saint Louis City (county-equivalent), Missouri — 2025 snapshot

Scope and method

• Adult population baseline: ≈233,000 (St. Louis city, MO; U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate).
• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults). Local user counts are estimates applying those rates to the city’s adult population.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; estimated local adult users)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 193,000
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 158,000
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 109,000
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 81,000
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 77,000
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 70,000
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 70,000
• X (Twitter): 27% ≈ 63,000
• WhatsApp: 24% ≈ 56,000
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 51,000

Age-group patterns (local behavior mirrors national usage)

• 18–29: YouTube is near-universal; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok dominate; Facebook comparatively lower.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram strong; LinkedIn relevant for professionals.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest notable; Instagram/TikTok lower but growing.
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube for news and how-to content; limited uptake of newer apps.

Gender breakdown

• Local adult gender split: ≈51% women, 49% men (Census).
• Platform skew: Pinterest significantly female; Reddit and X skew male; Facebook, Instagram, TikTok roughly balanced; LinkedIn slightly male-skewed.

Behavioral trends in St. Louis

• Neighborhood-centric engagement: High activity in Facebook Groups (neighborhood associations, buy/sell, lost & found) and neighborhood apps for public safety and city-service updates.
• Event and venue discovery: Facebook Events and Instagram are primary for concerts, festivals, and local attractions; TikTok/Reels drive dining and nightlife discovery.
• News and civic life: Local media (e.g., STLtoday, KSDK, KMOV, RFT) and city departments generate spikes on Facebook and X during weather, transit changes, and policy debates; Reddit r/StLouis is active for hyperlocal Q&A and recommendations.
• Sports-driven spikes: Cardinals and Blues seasons boost real-time chatter on X and community activity on Facebook/Reddit.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp has meaningful usage within immigrant and international communities.

Key takeaways

• Facebook and YouTube provide the broadest reach; Instagram and TikTok are essential for under-40 audiences and culture.
• Short-form video and visual content outperform; community/group features are critical given the city’s strong neighborhood identity.
• Effective channel mix: TikTok/Instagram/Snapchat for 18–34; Facebook/YouTube for 35+; LinkedIn for professional sectors (healthcare, higher ed, corporate).

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 population estimates (St. Louis city, MO).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption).