Monroe County

Key demographics – Monroe County, Wisconsin

Population

• Total population: 46,253 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~47,200 (Census Bureau Vintage 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~38–39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~59–60%
• 65 and over: ~16–17%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; shares may not sum to 100% because Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White alone: ~86–87%
• Black or African American alone: ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~8–9%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~17,800–18,000
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~68–70% of households; average family size ~3.0
• Households with children under 18: ~30–32%
• Tenure: ~70% owner-occupied, ~30% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Vintage 2023 population estimates.

Monroe County, WI (population ≈47,000) has about 34,000 adult email users, derived from county age structure (Census/ACS) and 2023 Pew email adoption rates. Age mix of email users: 18–29 ≈19%, 30–49 ≈35%, 50–64 ≈25%, 65+ ≈20%. Gender split among users is essentially even (≈50% women, 50% men).

Digital access: roughly 82–85% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2022). Cable and fiber are concentrated in Sparta and Tomah; rural townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless. FCC maps (2024) indicate >95% of locations can get at least 25/3 Mbps; access to 100/20 Mbps and fiber drops outside the population centers. Mobile coverage is strongest along the I‑90/94 corridor and around Fort McCoy, providing a practical fallback for email.

Local density/connectivity context: the county averages about 50 residents per square mile across 900+ sq mi, with residents clustered around Sparta, Tomah, and Fort McCoy, which drives network build‑out and higher effective email use in those hubs.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS 2022–2023; Pew Research Center 2023 (near‑universal email adoption among adults across genders); FCC Broadband Map 2024.

Mobile phone usage in Monroe County, Wisconsin — key figures, trends, and infrastructure

Context and scale

• Population baseline: approximately 46,600 residents and about 18,700 households (2023 ACS estimates).
• Adult population: roughly 35,900 adults (ages 18+).

User estimates and adoption

• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile phone): about 33,000 adults (≈92% of adults), slightly below Wisconsin’s ≈94% rate.
• Adult smartphone users: about 29,400 adults (≈82% of adults), lower than Wisconsin’s ≈86–88%.
• Household device and internet profile (ACS S2801 style measures, 2018–2022 five-year):
  • Households with a smartphone: ≈90% in Monroe County vs ≈94% statewide.
  • Households with a cellular data plan: ≈73% vs ≈80% statewide.
  • Households with a fixed broadband subscription (cable/DSL/fiber/satellite): ≈74% vs ≈82% statewide.
  • No internet subscription: ≈12% vs ≈8% statewide.
  • Cellular-only internet households (cellular data plan and no fixed subscription): ≈9% vs ≈6% statewide.
• Usage implication: a higher share of Monroe County households rely primarily on mobile networks for home internet than the Wisconsin average, indicating mobile networks shoulder more of the county’s connectivity load.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–49: high smartphone adoption (≈90%+), similar to state.
  • 50–64: moderate adoption (≈80–85%), a few points below state.
  • 65+: approximately 65–70% smartphone adoption, below Wisconsin’s ≈75% and driving the countywide gap.
• Income and rurality:
  • Lower-income and rural households in the county are more likely to be smartphone-dependent and cellular-only for home internet, with mobile substitution higher than the state average.
• Work and institutions:
  • Fort McCoy, Tomah, and Sparta anchor stronger mobile usage and 5G availability; agricultural and dispersed rural areas show higher voice/SMS reliance and more prepaid or budget plans than the state average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network operators present: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and UScellular, with UScellular maintaining a comparatively strong rural footprint in west-central Wisconsin.
• 4G LTE: near-universal outdoor coverage across towns and primary corridors; in-building coverage can be inconsistent in hill-and-valley terrain and in sparsely populated areas.
• 5G:
  • Mid-band 5G (e.g., Verizon C-band, T-Mobile 2.5 GHz, AT&T mid-band) is concentrated along the I-90/94 corridor and in/around Tomah and Sparta, with patchier availability in outlying rural areas.
  • Low-band 5G provides broader geographic coverage but with performance closer to LTE in remote areas.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backhaul is present along interstate and state highways and into population centers; expansion to rural last-mile remains uneven compared with statewide averages, reinforcing cellular reliance.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA):
  • Uptake of 5G home internet/FWA is notably strong relative to the state where cable or fiber options are limited, contributing to the higher cellular-only household share.
• Coverage constraints:
  • Topography (ridges and valleys) creates localized dead zones and in-building penetration challenges; carriers mitigate with low-band spectrum and targeted small cells in town centers.

How Monroe County trends differ from Wisconsin overall

• Greater mobile substitution: higher share of cellular-only households and smartphone-dependent internet use than the statewide average.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration among adults, driven by older age cohorts and rural income mix.
• 5G availability is more corridor- and town-centric, with slower mid-band reach into remote areas than the statewide pattern.
• UScellular’s relative presence is stronger than in urbanized Wisconsin, influencing device provisioning and plan mix.
• Higher relative interest in mobile-based home internet solutions (FWA) where fixed broadband options are sparse.

Bottom line Monroe County’s mobile ecosystem carries a larger share of total connectivity than it does statewide. The county has slightly fewer adult smartphone users proportionally, but markedly more households depending on cellular networks for their primary home internet. Infrastructure is strongest along I-90/94 and in Tomah/Sparta, with 5G mid-band still filling in beyond those hubs and terrain-driven coverage gaps persisting in rural areas.

Social media usage in Monroe County, Wisconsin — 2024–2025 snapshot

How these figures were derived: Monroe County has roughly 46K residents (2020 Census). That’s about 35K adults (18+). Percentages below apply Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform-adoption rates to the local adult base to produce Monroe County–level estimates. Rural Midwest counties like Monroe typically track these rates within a few points.

Overall usage

• At least 83% of adults use a major social platform (YouTube), implying ≈29K adult users countywide.
• Facebook and YouTube are the daily “utility” platforms; Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are concentrated among under‑35s.

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; estimated adult users)

• YouTube: 83% (≈29,050)
• Facebook: 68% (≈23,800)
• Instagram: 50% (≈17,500)
• Pinterest: 35% (≈12,250)
• TikTok: 33% (≈11,550)
• LinkedIn: 30% (≈10,500)
• WhatsApp: 29% (≈10,150)
• Snapchat: 27% (≈9,450)
• X (Twitter): 22% (≈7,700)
• Reddit: 22% (≈7,700)
• Nextdoor: 19% (≈6,650)

Age-group patterns

• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are majority-used; Facebook is secondary for this cohort.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominate; Instagram is widely used; TikTok and LinkedIn see meaningful but not majority reach.
• 50–64: Facebook remains the primary network; YouTube is strong; Instagram/TikTok adoption is present but much lower.
• 65+: Facebook leads for staying connected; YouTube used for news and how‑tos; other platforms see limited adoption.

Gender breakdown (platform skews you should expect locally, mirroring Pew 2024)

• Pinterest: Heavily female (about 50% of U.S. women vs ~19% of men use it).
• Reddit: Heavily male (about a quarter of U.S. men vs low‑teens of women).
• YouTube: Slight male tilt; very high usage for both.
• Instagram/TikTok: Mild female tilt.
• Facebook: Near parity between men and women.

Behavioral trends that matter in Monroe County

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school and sports updates, events, buy/sell/trade, and Marketplace are consistently high‑traffic.
• Groups > Pages for engagement: niche local groups (farm/outdoors, swap meets, parent/booster clubs) drive comments and referrals.
• Video is the default format: YouTube (and increasingly Reels/shorts) for DIY, home/auto repair, hunting/outdoor tips, and local event recaps.
• Practical content wins: weather/road conditions, service availability, hours/closures, and “what’s happening this weekend” posts outperform branding.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is the primary DM channel for local businesses; Snapchat DMs are common among under‑25s.
• Commerce and jobs: Facebook Marketplace for local retail/resale; Facebook and Indeed lead for hourly and trades recruiting; LinkedIn is useful for professional roles but has a smaller local pool than metro areas.
• Trust signals: Reviews, user-generated content, and recognizable local faces/locations lift CTR and conversions more than polished ad creative.
• Timing: Early mornings (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.) see the highest local engagement, with weekend spikes around community events.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population base)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by U.S. adults; applied to local adult population to estimate Monroe County usage)