Sainte Genevieve County

Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 18,4xx (2023 estimate; roughly flat vs. 2020 Census ~18.5k)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~94%
• Black or African American alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.4%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~92–93%

Household data

• Households: ~7.2k (ACS 2019–2023)
• Persons per household: ~2.4
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~82–83%
• Housing units: ~9.0k (2022)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year; 2022 Housing Unit Estimates).

Sainte Genevieve County, MO (2020 population ≈18.4k; ≈500 sq mi; density ≈37 people/sq mi). Most residents cluster around Ste. Genevieve and the I‑55 corridor; outlying areas are sparsely populated and more costly to serve.

Estimated email users: 11–12.5k residents (roughly 75–85% of people age 15+), with 60–70% of the total population using email daily. Gender split among email users is effectively even (≈50% female, 50% male), mirroring county demographics.

Age distribution of email use (share of each group using email):

• 15–24: ~95%
• 25–44: ~97–99%
• 45–64: ~90–95%
• 65+: ~65–75% This skews total usage toward working-age adults, with seniors growing but still lagging.

Digital access trends and constraints:

• Home broadband subscription is roughly 70–75% of households; cable is common in town centers; DSL is declining; fixed wireless/5G home internet is expanding; satellite remains a rural fallback.
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~12–15%.
• Outdoor 4G/5G coverage is strong along I‑55 and in town; speeds and reliability drop in hilly, wooded hollows.
• The 2024 wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program likely increased affordability barriers for low-income households.

Figures are derived from 2020 Census/ACS demographics and recent US/Missouri email and internet adoption benchmarks.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri

Core user estimates

• Population baseline: 18,145 (2020 Census). Adults (18+) are roughly four-fifths of residents.
• Smartphone access: About 89% of households have at least one smartphone (ACS 2018–2022), translating to roughly 12,000–13,000 adult smartphone users in the county.
• Cellular data plan usage: About three-quarters of households maintain a cellular data plan for a smartphone or other mobile device (ACS 2018–2022).
• Internet substitution: Households relying on cellular data as their primary or sole home internet are several percentage points higher than the Missouri average, reflecting a greater mobile-only segment locally.

Demographic breakdown and usage implications

• Older population share: The county has a larger proportion of residents age 65+ than Missouri overall. This skews device mix and service plans toward more voice/text-centric use among seniors and contributes to slightly lower smartphone intensity in the oldest cohorts than the state norm.
• Education and income mix: With a smaller urban footprint and more blue-collar employment than the state overall, the county shows a higher prevalence of budget and prepaid mobile plans and greater multi-line family plans aimed at coverage rather than premium 5G speeds.
• Mobile-only households: A materially higher share of households rely on mobile broadband in lieu of wired broadband compared with the statewide average, a pattern consistent with rural Missouri counties where wired options are limited or costlier.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access networks: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 4G LTE coverage outdoors, with 5G availability concentrated along the I‑55 corridor, the city of Ste. Genevieve, and other population centers such as Bloomsdale. Interior low-density areas and parklands (for example, around Hawn State Park) see more frequent transitions to LTE and occasional dead zones due to terrain and tree cover.
• Spectrum and 5G mix: T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G is most consistently present along I‑55 and town centers, while AT&T and Verizon low‑band 5G extend broader geographic reach with lower capacity in rural stretches. Capacity is notably stronger where fiber backhaul is present along interstate and state highway routes.
• Backhaul and co-location: Macro sites are clustered near highways (I‑55, US‑61/MO‑32) and near municipal clusters, often with multi-carrier co-location. Small-cell deployment is limited and mainly found in the historic downtown and higher-traffic nodes.
• Fixed broadband context: Wired broadband is robust in and around the city of Ste. Genevieve (cable and some fiber), but drops off in peripheral townships. This uneven fixed footprint is a primary driver of the county’s higher-than-state mobile-only internet reliance.

How Sainte Genevieve County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher mobile-only dependence: A larger slice of households depends on cellular data for home internet than the state average, substituting mobile for limited wired options in rural tracts.
• Slightly lower premium 5G utilization: 5G coverage exists but is more corridor-centric than in Missouri’s metros; residents outside the I‑55/I‑61 corridors spend more time on LTE, reducing average 5G usage compared with statewide patterns.
• Older user base impacts plan mix: Because the county skews older than Missouri overall, there is relatively greater persistence of voice-first plans and basic smartphones among seniors, alongside strong uptake of shared family plans for coverage value.
• Coverage variability: Terrain-driven signal shadows and lower tower density away from highways produce more coverage variability than the statewide norm, influencing carrier selection toward those with stronger low-band rural footprints.

Key statistics at a glance

• Population: 18,145 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Households with a smartphone: about 89% (ACS 2018–2022)
• Households with a cellular data plan: around three-quarters (ACS 2018–2022)
• 4G LTE: effectively countywide outdoors from major carriers; 5G concentrated along I‑55 and town centers
• Mobile-only internet households: higher share than the Missouri average due to sparse wired options in rural areas

Insights

• Network planning and retail strategy should prioritize LTE reliability and low-band 5G coverage outside highway corridors, with competitive prepaid/value offerings.
• Public and private investment that extends fiber backhaul beyond the interstate/municipal spine would directly improve 5G capacity and reduce reliance on mobile-only home internet.
• Digital inclusion programs targeting seniors can lift smartphone and app adoption where the county trails state averages, particularly in telehealth and government services.

Sainte Genevieve County, MO — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Population and access

• Residents: roughly 18,000; adult share ~78–80%
• Home broadband: 78–82% of households
• Smartphone ownership: 80–85% of adults

Overall social media penetration

• Adults using at least one platform: 70–75% (≈ 9.5k–11k adults)
• Multi-platform use: most active users maintain 3–4 platforms; video is near-universal among users

Age-group adoption (share of adults in each band who use social media)

• 18–29: 90–95%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 65–75%
• 65+: 45–55% Note: The county’s older-leaning population pulls overall penetration slightly below big-city averages.

Gender breakdown (share among social media users)

• Female: 52–55%
• Male: 45–48%
• Non-binary/other: <1% (small-sample, typically undercounted in county-level estimates)

Most-used platforms (share of all adults who use each platform)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 60–70% (Messenger usage is similarly high)
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female 25–54)
• Snapchat: 20–28% (dominant among teens/young adults)
• X (Twitter): 12–20% (news/sports-heavy)
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (lower in rural labor mix)
• Reddit: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (limited footprint outside denser neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: local groups (schools, churches, volunteer orgs), event coordination, fundraisers, obituaries, and school sports drive engagement. Marketplace is a top commerce channel for used goods, farm/ranch items, and seasonal equipment.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, gardening, and local news recaps; short‑form vertical (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is the fastest-growing format for local businesses and creators.
• Messaging over public posting: High reliance on Messenger, SMS, and Snapchat for coordination within families, teams, and church groups; older adults favor private group threads over public timelines.
• Time-of-day peaks: Early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.) see the highest local activity; mid-day spikes during school announcements, weather alerts, and breaking local news.
• Trust in local voices: Posts from recognized community figures (coaches, pastors, small-business owners) and local groups outperform brand pages; UGC and word‑of‑mouth carry outsized weight.
• Commerce behavior: Facebook/Instagram for discovery; Marketplace and direct messages for conversion; coupon codes and limited-time offers drive action more than brand storytelling.
• Youth split: Teens/young adults center on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram for daily communication; YouTube is universal for entertainment and learning. Facebook usage among under‑25s is mostly for groups, events, and marketplace—rarely for posting.
• Older adults: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest use rises for crafts/recipes; LinkedIn and X trail.
• Crisis and weather: Spikes to Facebook groups and public safety pages during storms, road closures, and school schedule changes; shares and screenshots amplify reach beyond page followers.

Method notes

• Figures synthesize county demographics (ACS), rural Missouri internet adoption, and national platform usage (Pew) to produce county‑level estimates; ranges reflect uncertainty at small geographies.