Saline County

Saline County, Missouri — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 23,333 (2020 Census)
• Latest estimate: about 23,000 (2019–2023 ACS 5-year)

Age

• Median age: ~39–40 years
• Under 18: ~23–24%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS; race shown is non-Hispanic; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~70–72%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~16–17%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~6%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~4–5%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): ~0.1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8,700–8,900
• Persons per household: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~60–65% of households; married-couple families ~45–50%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~65–70% (renters ~30–35%)

Notable insights

• Population is stable to slightly declining since 2010.
• The county has one of the higher Hispanic shares in Missouri, contributing to a comparatively younger age profile for a rural county.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

• Scope: Saline County, Missouri (2023 pop. ≈22,900; land area 756 sq mi; density ~30 residents/sq mi)

• Estimated email users: 16,800 residents (74% of total population; ≈88% of ages 15+)

• Age distribution of email users:

  • 15–24: 18% (≈3,050)
  • 25–44: 31% (≈5,220)
  • 45–64: 29% (≈4,950)
  • 65+: 21% (≈3,600)

• Gender split among email users: 51% female (≈8,580), 49% male (≈8,220)

• Digital access and trends:

  • 79% of households have a broadband subscription
  • 10% are smartphone‑only internet households
  • 11% have no home internet subscription
  • Mobile is a primary channel for email in smartphone‑only homes; desktop/laptop access concentrates in Marshall and other town centers

• Local density/connectivity facts:

  • Better wired coverage in Marshall, Slater, and Sweet Springs and along the I‑70/US‑65 corridors
  • Outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite, creating uneven speeds and reliability

• Insight: Saline County supports a sizable, reliable email audience dominated by working‑age adults, with a meaningful 65+ segment and a notable mobile‑first cohort driven by rural broadband gaps, indicating strong reach but with format and timing sensitives tied to connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Saline County, Missouri — 2023–2024 snapshot

At-a-glance size

• Population: about 22,000 residents; roughly 8,800–9,000 households
• Estimated smartphone users: approximately 15,500 residents age 13+ with a smartphone (about 83% of those 13+), below Missouri’s overall rate by several points due to an older age mix and lower incomes

Household internet and mobile reliance (modeled from ACS S2801-style measures, FCC availability, and recent national mobile adoption rates)

• Households with any internet subscription: 84–86% (Missouri: ~88–90%)
• Households with any cellular data plan (smartphone or hotspot): 74–77% (Missouri: ~79–82%)
• Cellular-only home internet (no cable/DSL/fiber): 19–21% of households, or roughly 1,700–1,900 households (Missouri: ~12–14%)
• Households with no home internet: 14–16% (Missouri: ~10–12%)

Demographic patterns that shape mobile use

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~95%; mobile-only home internet ~28%
  • 35–64: smartphone adoption ~88%; mobile-only ~18%
  • 65+: smartphone adoption ~60–64%, 5–7 percentage points below the state’s senior adoption; higher basic-phone retention and shared-family plans
• Income and plan type
  • Prepaid share is higher than the state average by roughly 6–10 percentage points, reflecting price sensitivity and credit constraints; hotspot-based access is common among prepaid users
• Ethnicity/language
  • Hispanic/Latino population share is notably higher than the Missouri average (about 15–16% in Saline vs 6% statewide). This group shows very high smartphone adoption (95%) and “mobile-first” behavior (30–35% rely on mobile for most household internet), increasing dependence on messaging apps and bilingual support

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and 5G
  • All three national carriers provide LTE countywide, with the strongest, most consistent performance along the I-70 corridor and in/around Marshall and Sweet Springs
  • Low-band 5G covers most populated areas; mid-band 5G capacity is present in and around Marshall and along I-70, but is spottier in northern and river-bottom areas; mmWave is not a factor
• Fixed alternatives that influence mobile substitution
  • Cable/fiber availability is concentrated in town centers; outside them, many households face older DSL, fixed wireless, or long drop distances. This gap is the main driver of the county’s higher cellular-only home internet share
  • 5G-based fixed wireless (e.g., T-Mobile Home Internet; limited Verizon 5G Home zones) is available around Marshall and the I-70 corridor, contributing to mobile-first adoption
• Speeds and reliability (typical)
  • Mid-band 5G in covered zones: roughly 100–200 Mbps down; outside those zones: 10–40 Mbps on LTE/low-band 5G
  • Uploads are often 2–20 Mbps; variability and evening congestion are higher than statewide urban averages
  • Coverage gaps and signal fades remain in low-lying river bottoms and sparsely populated northern areas

How Saline County differs from Missouri overall

• Higher mobile substitution: cellular-only home internet is roughly 6–8 percentage points higher than the state average
• Slightly lower overall smartphone saturation due to a larger share of seniors and lower median incomes, with a 5–7 point adoption gap among older adults
• Greater prepaid penetration and hotspot use than the state average, raising per-line mobile data consumption among mobile-only households
• More pronounced rural performance variability: speeds and reliability are closer to rural-Missouri norms and below metro-Missouri medians
• A larger Hispanic/Latino segment, with above-average mobile-first behavior, drives demand for bilingual support and OTT messaging

Practical implications

• Network investments that extend mid-band 5G north of Marshall and densify along US-65 and river bottoms would materially reduce the county’s performance gap
• Programs that pair discounted prepaid plans with entry-level 5G devices can move seniors and price-sensitive users from basic phones to smartphones, lifting adoption toward the state average
• Scaling 5G fixed wireless in town fringes can lower the county’s no-internet rate and reduce pressure on mobile hotspots used as primary home internet

Social media usage in Saline County, Missouri (snapshot)

Baseline and user pool

• Population: ~22,800 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 estimate for Saline County)
• Household broadband subscription: ~78% (ACS 2023)
• Age mix (ACS 2023, rounded): under 18 ~22%; 18–24 ~8.5%; 25–44 ~24%; 45–64 ~26%; 65+ ~19.5%
• Gender: ~50.3% female, ~49.7% male

Modeled local social-media reach (adults 18+) Applying Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform usage rates to the county’s adult population (~17,800 adults):

• YouTube: ~83% of adults use it ≈ 14,700
• Facebook: ~68% ≈ 12,100
• Instagram: ~50% ≈ 8,900
• TikTok: ~33% ≈ 5,900
• Snapchat: ~27% ≈ 4,800
• Pinterest: ~35% ≈ 6,200
• LinkedIn: ~30% ≈ 5,300
• WhatsApp: ~29% ≈ 5,200
• Reddit: ~22% ≈ 3,900
• X (Twitter): ~20% ≈ 3,600

Teens (13–17) in the county are roughly ~1,400 people; platform use mirrors Pew’s national teen stats:

• YouTube ~95% ≈ 1,330
• TikTok ~67% ≈ 940
• Instagram ~62% ≈ 870
• Snapchat ~60% ≈ 840
• Facebook ~33% ≈ 460

Age and gender shape of usage

• Heaviest adult user cohorts: 25–44 and 45–64 (Facebook, YouTube; growing Instagram and TikTok for 25–44)
• Seniors (65+): Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/TikTok adoption continues to rise but trails younger groups
• Teens/young adults (13–24): Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram are primary; YouTube is near-universal
• Gender skew by platform (national usage patterns that typically carry locally): Pinterest and TikTok skew female; Reddit, X, and LinkedIn skew male; Facebook and Instagram are near-balanced with a slight female tilt

Most-used platforms locally (share of adults)

• YouTube (~83%)
• Facebook (~68%)
• Instagram (~50%)
• Pinterest (~35%)
• TikTok (~33%) These five account for the bulk of social activity among adults; among teens, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram lead.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwest counties like Saline (applicable locally)

• Community and commerce on Facebook: Local news, school athletics, county fair, church and civic updates, and buy/sell/trade groups drive high engagement. Facebook Messenger is a primary contact channel for local businesses.
• Visual short-form growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels are rising for 18–34; cross-posting short videos between TikTok and Reels is common for local creators and businesses.
• Utility content on YouTube: Strong consumption of how‑to, DIY, farm/ag equipment, home repair, and local sports highlights; growing connected‑TV viewing increases pre‑roll effectiveness.
• Snapchat for youth coordination: High school and college-age residents rely on Snap for messaging and event coordination; public Stories see spikes around games and events.
• Hispanic/Latino community engagement: Above-average use of Facebook pages/groups and WhatsApp for bilingual communication and event promotion.
• Timing patterns: Engagement typically peaks before work/school (7–9 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); Sunday evenings and major local event days are standout windows.
• Content that performs: Local faces and places, short videos, photo albums of events, practical tips, and timely announcements; call-to-action posts do best when paired with Messenger/DM or click-to-call.

Notes on methodology

• County population, age, gender, and broadband figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 2023).
• Platform percentages are Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. usage rates applied to Saline County’s demographic structure to produce locale-specific estimates. Local adoption typically tracks these national patterns closely in rural Missouri.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023, Saline County, MO
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (Adults, 2023–2024) and Teens, Social Media and Technology (2023)