Warren County

Warren County, Missouri — key demographics

Population size

• 35,532 (2020 Census)
• ~37,000 (2023 Census Bureau estimate)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~39–40
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Sex (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~88–89%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~4–5%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–4%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3–0.5%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~13,500–13,800
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~70% (average family size ~3.1)
• Married-couple households: ~50–55%
• Households with children under 18: ~30–32%
• Nonfamily households: ~29–31% (living alone ~24%; 65+ living alone ~8%)
• Homeownership rate: ~75–80%

Insights

• Rapid exurban growth since 2010; population up roughly 9–10% from 2010 to 2020 and continuing to rise.
• Population is predominantly White non-Hispanic with small but growing Hispanic and multiracial populations.
• Age structure skews middle-aged, with roughly one in six residents 65+ and about one in four under 18.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high homeownership and moderate household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).

Warren County, MO snapshot (estimates grounded in ACS 2023 population/household data and Pew email adoption):

• Estimated email users: ~29,000 residents (ages 13+), reflecting ~90% email adoption among internet users and high adult penetration.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~6%
  • 18–34: ~24%
  • 35–54: ~36%
  • 55–64: ~17%
  • 65+: ~17%
• Gender split: roughly even; ~51% female, ~49% male among email users.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~80–85% of households maintain a home broadband subscription.
  • ~5–8% are smartphone‑only for internet access.
  • ~10–12% lack home internet, which suppresses email use in the most rural parts.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Population density roughly 80–85 residents per square mile in a mostly rural county with growth along the I‑70 corridor (Warrenton/Truesdale).
  • Fixed broadband coverage is strongest in towns and along major routes; outlying areas face patchier high‑speed options, though 4G/5G mobile coverage is widespread and improving.

Insight: Email is effectively universal among connected adults, with slightly lower uptake among the oldest residents and those in the least connected rural tracts; expanding fiber and affordable broadband plans are the main levers to close the remaining gap.

Mobile phone usage in Warren County, Missouri — 2024 snapshot

Key numbers (best-available estimates)

• Population and households: ~36,500 residents and ~13,700 households (2023).
• Adult cellphone ownership: ~95% of adults, or ~27,000–28,000 adult users carry a mobile phone.
• Smartphone adoption: 84–87% of adults (roughly 24,000–25,000 people). This runs a few points below Missouri’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (88–90%).
• Households with a smartphone: ~88–90% in Warren County vs ~91–93% statewide.
• Mobile-only internet (no fixed broadband at home, uses cellular data plans): ~15–18% of households in Warren County vs ~11–13% statewide. This is one of the clearest divergences from the Missouri average.

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs inside the county)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone take-up (~95–98%).
  • 35–64: high adoption (~90–93%), heavy use for work commuting along I‑70.
  • 65+: lower adoption (~60–68%), but rising; this cohort is overrepresented among “voice/text only” or basic-phone users compared with the state average.
• Income
  • Under $35k: smartphone ownership remains high (>80%), but reliance on mobile-only internet is elevated (~25–30% of these households), several points higher than the statewide share for the same bracket.
  • $75k+: adoption is effectively saturated (>95%), with higher incidence of multi-line family plans and device financing.
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county’s majority-White population shows patterns similar to other exurban counties.
  • Hispanic households (a small but growing share) display above-average mobile-only reliance, aligning with statewide patterns for newly established households.
• Household type
  • Renters and younger-headed households are significantly more likely to be cellular-only than owner-occupied households, widening the gap with the state average.

Digital infrastructure and market conditions

• Coverage and 5G
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide robust LTE and 5G coverage along the I‑70 corridor (Wright City, Warrenton, Innsbrook) and around Highway 47/Marthasville. T‑Mobile’s mid-band 5G (n41) is the broadest pop-coverage, while AT&T/Verizon C‑band 5G is strongest in and immediately around towns.
  • South of I‑70—especially in and around conservation areas and wooded, hilly terrain—coverage becomes spottier and more LTE‑only, with noticeable indoor coverage gaps and variable uplink performance.
• Capacity and performance patterns
  • Peak-hour congestion is more pronounced than the statewide norm along I‑70 due to commuting and logistics traffic; users experience larger swings between off‑peak and peak download speeds than typical Missouri urban averages.
  • In-town sites see recent 5G capacity additions; rural sites rely more on legacy LTE bands, which constrains throughput and uplink for video calling and telehealth.
• Home internet alternatives
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) over 5G from T‑Mobile is widely offered in town and spreading outward; Verizon 5G Home is available in select pockets. Local WISPs (for example, Wisper Internet) serve rural areas where cable/fiber are limited.
  • Cable internet (Charter Spectrum) covers the main population centers; fiber builds are present but still patchy outside core towns. The resulting wireline gap keeps mobile-only household rates above the state average.
• Public safety and resiliency
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage aligns with the highway corridor and town centers. Rural southern tracts can experience longer restoration times and less redundancy than metro Missouri during severe weather.

How Warren County trends differ from Missouri statewide

• Higher cellular-only reliance: The county has a materially larger share of households that substitute mobile data plans for home broadband (+3 to +6 percentage points vs state), reflecting the cable/fiber gap in outlying areas.
• More uneven 5G experience: Town centers and the I‑70 corridor enjoy dense 5G with good capacity; rural south and west have more LTE dependence. Statewide figures, weighted by larger metros, mask this intra-county disparity.
• Sharper peak congestion along transit corridors: Network load variability on I‑70 is greater than the Missouri average, affecting real‑world speeds for commuters and logistics workers.
• Older‑adult smartphone adoption lags: The 65+ cohort’s smartphone uptake trails the state average by a few points, keeping basic‑phone usage and voice‑centric plans slightly more common than in Missouri overall.
• Prepaid and budget plans slightly more prevalent: In rural townships and among lower-income households, prepaid/MVNO use is a bit higher than the statewide mix, tied to price sensitivity and variable coverage by carrier.

Bottom line

• Warren County’s mobile landscape is defined by strong corridor coverage and town‑center 5G, contrasted with rural LTE pockets and a higher-than-average dependence on mobile-only internet. Adoption among younger and working‑age adults is on par with Missouri, but seniors lag modestly. Infrastructure improvements along I‑70 are narrowing capacity gaps, while the slower pace of wireline buildout in outlying areas continues to push households toward cellular as a primary internet connection. These dynamics collectively differentiate Warren County from Missouri’s statewide averages and metro‑heavy profile.

Warren County, MO social media snapshot (2025 modeled estimates)

Population baseline

• Total residents: 35,532 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Residents age 13+: ≈30,000

User stats

• Active social media users (13+): 24,000–26,000 (≈80–85% of 13+; ≈68–73% of total population)
• Daily users: 19,000–21,000 (≈80% of social users use at least one platform daily)

Age profile of local social users (share of all social users)

• 13–17: 12–14% (near-universal use; heavy on Snapchat/TikTok/YouTube)
• 18–29: 18–20% (multi-platform; Instagram/TikTok/YouTube core, Snapchat frequent)
• 30–49: 32–35% (Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram rising via Reels)
• 50–64: 20–22% (Facebook first, YouTube second)
• 65+: 12–14% (Facebook primary, YouTube for news/how‑to; lower multi-platform)

Gender breakdown (of social users)

• Female: 52–54% (higher activity on Facebook/Instagram; strong use of Groups/Marketplace)
• Male: 46–48% (higher activity on YouTube/Reddit; sports/news)

Most-used platforms among residents 13+ (reach)

• YouTube: 78–82%
• Facebook: 68–73%
• Instagram: 38–45%
• TikTok: 30–36%
• Snapchat: 22–28% (concentrated among under-30)
• Messenger: 55–62% (broadly paired with Facebook use)
• LinkedIn: 12–16% (primarily 25–49, commuters along I‑70 corridor)
• Reddit: 10–13% (male-skewed, 18–34)
• X (Twitter): 6–9% (sports, weather, state/local news)
• Nextdoor: 8–12% in more populated areas (Warrenton, Wright City); limited elsewhere

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy reliance on Groups (schools, churches, youth sports), local buy/sell and Marketplace, lost‑and‑found, weather alerts, event discovery.
• Video first: YouTube and short‑form (Reels/TikTok) drive reach; how‑to/DIY, home improvement, auto/outdoor, and local food content perform best.
• Younger cohorts (13–29) split time across Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram; messaging and ephemeral content dominate daily use.
• Commerce and lead gen: Facebook/Instagram deliver the most efficient local conversions; Marketplace + Offer/Promo posts outperform generic brand ads. Local service categories (contractors, lawn/landscape, auto, real estate) see strong inbound via Groups and recommendations.
• Timing: Peak engagement evenings 7–9 pm; secondary spikes at lunch (12–1 pm) and weekend mornings. Severe-weather days drive outsized Facebook and X activity.
• Content style: Authentic, locally anchored creative (faces, schools, high‑school sports, behind‑the‑scenes) outperforms polished ads; UGC and short vertical video boost completion and shares.
• Cross‑platform flow: Facebook posts seed discovery; Instagram Reels/TikTok extend reach; YouTube hosts longer “how‑to” content; Messenger/DMs close inquiries.
• Niche usage: Nextdoor is useful for hyperlocal recommendations in denser neighborhoods; X is niche but influential for sports fans and news watchers; Reddit pockets exist for hobbies (hunting/fishing, gaming, autos).

Notes and methods

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Warren County derived by applying Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. social media adoption rates by age to the county’s Census age/sex structure, with platform skews adjusted for exurban/rural markets. Baselines: U.S. Census (2020 Decennial) for population; Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024, for platform adoption and daily-use rates. Numbers are rounded.