Wayne County

Wayne County, Missouri – key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population size and trend

• Total population (2020 Census): 10,974
• 2023 estimate: about 10.7k (continued slight decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~47 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~94%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~4,600
• Average household size: ~2.35
• Family households: ~64% (married-couple ~49%)
• Nonfamily households: ~36%; living alone ~31% (65+ living alone ~15%)
• Owner-occupied: ~79%; renter-occupied: ~21%

Insights

• Older age profile with nearly one in four residents 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with limited racial/ethnic diversity
• Small, mostly owner-occupied households; notable share of single-person and senior households

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Wayne County, MO snapshot (pop. ~13,200 across ~770 sq mi; ~17 people/sq mi):

Estimated email users: ~8,800 residents.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–24: 16%
• 25–44: 30%
• 45–64: 34%
• 65+: 20%

Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male.

Digital access and usage trends:

• About 67% of households have a fixed broadband subscription; ~14% are smartphone‑only; ~19% report no home internet.
• Among connected adults, >90% use email regularly; working‑age adults show the highest daily use, with seniors’ adoption rising due to telehealth, government services, and retail accounts.
• Connectivity is shaped by rural terrain and low density: cable/DSL dominate in towns, fiber remains limited, and satellite/cellular fill gaps; reliability and speeds drop outside population centers.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• FCC-style 100/20 Mbps fixed service is available to roughly two‑thirds to three‑quarters of locations; service quality diminishes outside communities such as Piedmont and Greenville.
• Public anchors (schools, libraries, county offices) are key on‑ramps for email access and account setup.

Wayne County, MO — mobile phone usage snapshot (2023–2024)

How Wayne County differs from Missouri overall

• Lower smartphone take‑up and heavier reliance on mobile for home internet. The county trails the state on smartphone adoption and has a higher share of households that depend on cellular data in lieu of wired broadband.
• Older age structure and lower incomes dampen adoption. A larger 65+ population share and fewer high‑income households shift ownership and plan choices downward relative to statewide rates.
• Sparser 5G footprint and more coverage variability. 5G is concentrated along primary corridors; forested, hilly areas create dead zones and capacity constraints not seen in urban Missouri.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: ≈80–85% of adults (county) vs ≈88–90% (Missouri). This translates to a meaningfully smaller proportion of adult smartphone users locally than statewide.
• Households with a cellular data plan (for a smartphone or other mobile device): ≈60–65% (county) vs ≈70–75% (Missouri).
• Mobile‑only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed/wired subscription): ≈15–20% (county) vs ≈10–13% (Missouri).
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: ≈20–25% (county) vs ≈12–15% (Missouri).

Demographic breakdown (county, indicative 2023–2024 patterns)

• By age (smartphone ownership among adults):
  • 18–29: ≈92–96% (county) vs ≈95–98% (state)
  • 30–49: ≈88–93% vs ≈92–95%
  • 50–64: ≈78–84% vs ≈85–90%
  • 65+: ≈60–68% vs ≈70–78% The county’s higher 65+ share pulls the overall rate down more than in Missouri.
• By household income (smartphone ownership among adults):
  • Under $25k: ≈68–75% (county) vs ≈75–82% (state)
  • $25–50k: ≈78–85% vs ≈83–88%
  • $50–100k: ≈88–92% vs ≈90–95%
  • $100k+: ≈93–97% vs ≈95–98% Income skews lower than the state, raising prepaid usage and mobile‑only dependence.
• By household internet profile:
  • Wired broadband present (any): ≈65–70% (county) vs ≈75–83% (state)
  • Cellular data plan present (any): ≈60–65% vs ≈70–75%
  • Mobile‑only (cellular plan, no wired): ≈15–20% vs ≈10–13%

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Coverage pattern: 4G LTE is broadly present along primary routes and population centers; 5G coverage is concentrated along major corridors (e.g., US‑67 and towns), with patchier service in wooded, hilly terrain and around large water/forest tracts (e.g., Lake Wappapello, Mark Twain National Forest areas). This creates more pronounced “dead” and “slow” zones than the state average.
• Capacity: Fewer macro sites per square mile and longer inter‑site distances than urban Missouri reduce mid‑band 5G capacity and indoor coverage, keeping median mobile speeds below statewide medians.
• Backhaul constraints: Limited local fiber backhaul and longer microwave hops restrict peak throughput and upgrade pace relative to metro Missouri.
• Emergency/first‑responder networks: AT&T FirstNet deployments have improved highway‑corridor reliability, but off‑corridor reliability remains more variable than the state norm.
• Fixed‑wireless broadband (FWA): Uptake is higher than the state average because it fills gaps where cable/fiber are scarce; this reinforces mobile‑centric behavior (data offload to fixed‑wireless gateways that also rely on cellular spectrum).

Trend lines to watch (county vs state)

• Senior adoption is rising, but the age mix means Wayne County will continue to lag Missouri’s overall smartphone penetration through the mid‑2020s.
• Mobile‑only households have grown faster locally than statewide, reflecting limited wired options; fiber builds can temper this but will take time to reach dispersed areas.
• 5G mid‑band expansion is progressing more slowly than in metro areas; capacity upgrades will concentrate first on travel corridors and towns before broader infill.

Data notes

• Figures reflect the latest available federal statistics (ACS 2019–2023 Computer and Internet Use tables for household internet and cellular data; county demographic structure from ACS 5‑year; statewide benchmarks from ACS and Missouri aggregates) blended with nationally observed smartphone ownership by age/income (Pew, 2023) to produce county‑level usage estimates. FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) informs the coverage and infrastructure points.

Social media usage in Wayne County, Missouri (2024 snapshot)

How many people and how many users

• Population: 10,974 (2020 Census). Adult (18+) share ≈ 81%.
• Estimated active social media users: ~7,300–7,800 residents (about 67–71% of the total population; ~74–78% of adults). Modeled from local age mix and national rural-usage rates.

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

• YouTube: 76–80%
• Facebook: 70–74%
• Facebook Messenger: 62–66%
• Instagram: 30–35%
• TikTok: 26–31%
• Pinterest: 25–30% (skews female, DIY, recipes)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (teens/young adults)
• X (Twitter): 14–18%
• Reddit: 9–12%
• Nextdoor: 3–5% (very limited penetration)

Age profile (share of people in each band who use social media; share of total user base in parentheses)

• 13–17: 85–90% (≈ 6–7% of all users)
• 18–29: 90–94% (≈ 17–20%)
• 30–49: 82–86% (≈ 31–35%)
• 50–64: 70–75% (≈ 23–26%)
• 65+: 48–55% (≈ 17–20%)

Gender breakdown

• Overall usage: Women 75–79%; Men 71–75% (women ≈ 52–54% of the county’s social media users).
• Platform skews: Women lead on Facebook and Pinterest; men lead on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram is relatively balanced; Snapchat skews female among teens/young adults.

Access and devices

• Home broadband subscription rate is modest for a rural county (roughly mid‑60s percent of households), with a notable smartphone‑only segment (≈ 10–15%). Usage is predominantly mobile, shaping shorter video viewing and heavy reliance on Messenger.

Behavioral trends

• Community-first Facebook use: local groups and pages dominate (schools, churches, youth sports, hunting/fishing, road and weather updates, lost-and-found, buy/sell/Marketplace). Group admins function as de facto local media.
• Event and seasonal spikes: summer lake traffic (Wappapello/Clearwater) and fall hunting seasons boost posting, video views, and event RSVPs; severe-weather periods drive real-time group activity and live video.
• Shopping and services: Facebook Marketplace is the default for classifieds; local services (contractors, auto, lawn, crafts) rely on boosted posts and recommendations within groups.
• Video habits: YouTube is used for DIY, equipment repair, homestead content, and how‑tos; TikTok growth among teens/20s for entertainment and local highlights; Facebook Reels consumption is rising among 30–50.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the primary coordinating tool for community groups and small businesses; SMS remains a fallback where coverage is patchy.
• Trust patterns: High reliance on word‑of‑mouth in groups; accuracy varies; posts from known locals, schools, and churches carry outsized credibility.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings 6–9 p.m.; secondary peaks weekend mornings; weekday daytime dips align with work hours and outdoor activity seasons.

Method note

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates combining Wayne County’s latest available Census/ACS age and household connectivity profile with Pew and comparable rural-U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s older age mix.