About 16% of Macon County households have no internet access at home, about double the statewide share, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Of an estimated 6,067 households in the county, about 944 reported no internet access, according to the survey's five-year estimates for 2020 through 2024. Statewide, about 7.7% of households had none. The Macon County count carries a margin of error of about 159 households.
About 81% of county households paid for some type of internet service, compared with about 89% statewide. Another 210 households, about 3.5%, had internet access without paying for a subscription.
About 66% of Macon County households had cable, fiber optic, or DSL service, compared with about 71% statewide. About 10% relied on a cellular data plan alone, and about 6% had satellite service.
The survey measures what households subscribe to, not whether service is offered at a given address. The survey table does not say why a household lacks internet service.
Every county that borders Macon County also had a higher share of households without internet access than the state as a whole. Knox County had the highest share of the eight counties, 27%, or more than one in four households. Linn County was second at 16.8%, and Macon County third at 15.6%. Monroe County was at 14.2%, Adair County at 13.5%, Randolph County at 13%, and Shelby County at 11.8%. Chariton County had the lowest share, 11.3%.
Macon County's share of households with cable, fiber optic, or DSL service was the second highest of the eight, behind Shelby County at about 68%. Knox County had the lowest share, about 48%.