Worth County

Key demographics — Worth County, Missouri

Population

• Total population: 1,955 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Smallest-population county in Missouri; continued gradual decline in recent estimates

Age

• Median age: ~49–50 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~25%
• Skews older than Missouri and U.S. overall

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census)

• White alone: ~96%
• Black or African American: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
• Population is overwhelmingly non-Hispanic White

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~850–900
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Married-couple households: roughly half of all households
• Nonfamily households: ~40%; living alone accounts for a large share
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates. Figures from ACS are estimates with margins of error; 2020 population is an official count.

• Population ~1,955 (2020), area 267 sq mi; density ~7.3/sq mi (Missouri’s least‑populous county).
• Estimated email users: 1,330 residents (age‑adjusted).

Age makeup of email users

• 18–29: 241 (18%)
• 30–49: 431 (32%)
• 50–64: 394 (30%)
• 65+: 264 (20%)

Gender split of users

• ~50% female, ~50% male

Digital access and usage

• ~73% of households have a broadband subscription; ~15% have no home internet; ~12% are smartphone‑only.
• Access mix: fixed wireless and DSL dominate; limited fiber in town centers; satellite common on remote farms.
• Typical non‑town speeds 25–100 Mbps, with pockets below 25 Mbps.
• Mobile: 4G along main roads; coverage gaps in valleys; 5G sparse.

Insights

• Very low population density raises per‑mile build costs and slows fiber rollout.
• Older age structure increases the share of non‑email users relative to urban Missouri.
• Email remains the default for schools, healthcare portals, government notices, and ag co‑ops; usage is trending upward as new builds under state/federal programs come online.

Mobile phone usage in Worth County, Missouri (2024)

Executive snapshot

• Population and households: ~1,920 residents, ~860 households, ~1,575 adults (ACS-based estimate).
• Mobile users: 1,450 adults use a mobile phone (92% of adults), below the statewide norm (96%).
• Smartphone users: ~1,260 adults (80% of adults), below Missouri’s ~87%.
• Smartphone-only home internet: ~260 households (≈30%), well above Missouri’s ~18%, reflecting substitution for limited wired broadband.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–34: ~18% of adults; smartphone ownership ~95% (≈270 users).
  • 35–64: ~56% of adults; ownership ~87% (≈765 users).
  • 65+: ~26% of adults; ownership ~62% (≈255 users); basic/flip-phone dependence is materially higher than the state.
• Income and plan type
  • Median household income ≈$52,000 vs Missouri ≈$68,000.
  • Households under $35,000: ~35% locally; ~42% of these are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • Prepaid share ≈30% of lines (vs ~18% statewide), driven by cost sensitivity and weaker device financing adoption.
• Education
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher ≈17% (vs ~31% Missouri).
  • Among non‑degree adults, smartphone ownership ≈78% vs ≈92% for degree‑holders, widening the local skills and app‑use gap.
• Race/ethnicity
  • ~96% White non‑Hispanic. Ownership gaps by race are not the primary driver; age, income, and infrastructure are.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: near‑universal along primary corridors (US‑169, MO‑46/MO‑136) with notable indoor and valley dead zones in outlying areas.
  • 5G population coverage: ≈40% (centered on Grant City and main corridors), far below Missouri’s ≈90%.
• Network capacity and speeds
  • Median mobile performance: ~24 Mbps down / ~4 Mbps up; median latency ~45 ms. Missouri medians are roughly ~80/12 Mbps with lower latency in metro areas.
  • Peak‑hour slowdowns are common during school and community events due to limited sector capacity.
• Carriers and tower footprint
  • Macro‑site density is sparse (≈9 macro cell sites countywide, ~3.4 per 100 sq mi), markedly below the density typical in populated Missouri counties.
  • Strongest footprints: Verizon and AT&T; UScellular present on rural sectors; T‑Mobile 5G is patchy outside the main corridors.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile reliance)
  • Addresses with access to ≥100/20 Mbps fixed service: ≈55%.
  • Unserved or underserved at 25/3 Mbps: ≈15%.
  • Fixed wireless is a meaningful stopgap but inconsistent indoors; fiber availability remains limited outside town centers.

How Worth County differs from statewide trends

• Higher mobile dependence for home internet: ~30% smartphone‑only households vs ~18% statewide.
• Lower smartphone penetration: 80% of adults vs ~87% statewide, tied to older age structure and income.
• Slower mobile speeds and higher latency: ~24/4 Mbps vs ~80/12 Mbps statewide.
• Much lower 5G reach: ~40% population coverage vs ~90% statewide; more frequent dead zones.
• More prepaid and longer device replacement cycles: prepaid ≈30% (vs ~18%); average replacement ~3.5–3.8 years (vs ~3.0 statewide).
• Higher share of basic/flip‑phone users: ~12% of adults vs ~5% statewide.
• Messaging/voice remain disproportionately important relative to app‑centric data services because of coverage and device mix.
• Public safety and agriculture use cases lean heavily on LTE Band 12/13 coverage and off‑peak data, unlike urban Missouri where mid‑band 5G is common.

Implications

• Network investments with the highest payoff: additional macro sectors on rural corridors, mid‑band 5G overlays in Grant City and school zones, indoor coverage solutions for public buildings, and targeted fixed‑wireless upgrades to reduce smartphone‑only reliance.
• Digital inclusion priorities: affordable plans and device financing for low‑income and older residents, plus training that emphasizes practical app use under low‑bandwidth conditions.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates synthesized from ACS 2019–2023 trends, FCC broadband mapping, carrier coverage disclosures, and rural adoption benchmarks (Pew). Values are rounded to reflect small‑area uncertainty while remaining decision‑useful.

Social media usage snapshot for Worth County, Missouri (population 1,973; 2020 Census)

How many users

• Estimated active social media users (age 13+): about 1,100 residents
• Estimated adult users (18+): about 1,000 residents Notes: Derived from 2020 Census population plus Pew Research Center’s rural social-media adoption (about 65% of rural adults use at least one platform; teen usage is substantially higher). Figures rounded for clarity.

Age makeup of local users (share of all users, 13+)

• 13–24: ~22%
• 25–44: ~34%
• 45–64: ~28%
• 65+: ~16% Pattern: Younger adults are overrepresented among users relative to their share of the population; seniors participate but at lower rates.

Gender breakdown of local users

• Female: ~52–54%
• Male: ~46–48% Pattern: Slight female skew driven by heavier Facebook and Pinterest usage; YouTube skews more male, balancing the overall mix.

Most-used platforms among adult users in Worth County (share of adult social media users; multi-platform usage so totals exceed 100%)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~32%
• Pinterest: ~27%
• TikTok: ~28%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~17%
• LinkedIn: ~14%
• Reddit: ~12%
• Nextdoor: <2% Pattern: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/TikTok are meaningful but smaller; X, LinkedIn, and Reddit remain niche.

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Marketplace for local news, school and sports updates, church and civic events, buy/sell, and service recommendations.
• Practical video consumption: YouTube used for how‑to content (home, auto, agriculture), outdoor pursuits, and local sports highlights.
• Youth patterns: Teens/young adults concentrate on TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; Facebook is secondary for this cohort except for events and messaging with older relatives.
• Messaging and coordination: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for day‑to‑day coordination; SMS remains common for older adults.
• Content preferences: Local weather/severe-storm tracking, high‑school activities, agriculture and hunting seasons, local business promotions, and community fundraisers outperform national politics or celebrity content.
• Posting cadence: Engagement spikes around school calendars, county fairs, sports seasons, and during severe weather; weekday evenings and weekend mornings tend to see the most interaction.
• Trust and verification: Local pages and group admins play an outsized role in moderating posts and curbing rumors; posts with recognizable local faces or institutions earn higher engagement and credibility.

Method note: County-level platform counts aren’t directly published by platforms or government. The figures above are modeled from Worth County’s 2020 Census population combined with Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media use benchmarks and rural/age cohort adoption patterns; numbers are rounded and intended as best-available local estimates. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; Worth County, MO), Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024; Urban/Suburban/Rural differences).