Morgan County

Morgan County, Colorado — key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• Total population: 29,111 (2020 Census). Population has remained roughly flat in recent estimates.

Age

• Median age: ~35.6 years
• Under 18: ~28%
• 18–24: ~9%
• 25–44: ~26%
• 45–64: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic)

• Hispanic or Latino: ~42%
• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~53%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: ~1%
• Two or more races/Other: ~1–2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~10.3k
• Average household size: ~2.8
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Owner-occupied: ~65–70%; renter-occupied: ~30–35%

Insights

• Younger age profile and larger household sizes than Colorado’s statewide averages.
• Substantial Hispanic/Latino community (around two-fifths of residents).
• Slight male majority, consistent with local labor-force composition.

Morgan County, CO overview

• Population: ≈29,500 residents across ≈1,294 sq mi (≈23 people per sq mi), concentrated along the I‑76 corridor (Fort Morgan–Brush).
• Estimated adult email users: ≈20,500 (≈92% of ≈22,300 adults), aligned with national adoption levels.

Email users by age (share of adult users, est.)

• 18–29: ≈22%
• 30–49: ≈36%
• 50–64: ≈24%
• 65+: ≈18% Email use remains near-universal among working-age adults and strong among seniors.

Gender split

• Roughly even; email adoption shows no material gender gap, so users are proportionate to the county’s near 50/50 male–female split.

Digital access and connectivity

• Household broadband subscription: low–mid 80% range (ACS-like rural profile), with roughly 1 in 5 households lacking a home subscription.
• Fixed broadband availability: >95% of locations have at least baseline service; highest speeds and plan choices cluster in Fort Morgan and Brush (cable/FTTP), while outlying agricultural areas rely more on fixed wireless, mobile LTE/5G, or satellite.
• Mobile access: smartphone-dependent households likely around 10–12%, supporting email use even where wired broadband is absent.

Trend: Gradual improvement in fiber/cable coverage along the population centers, with persistent last‑mile gaps in low‑density areas.

Mobile phone usage summary for Morgan County, Colorado

County snapshot (baseline facts)

• Population: 29,111 (2020 Census); ~29.4k (2023 estimate)
• Households: ~10.2k
• Demographics: Hispanic/Latino ~45% of residents; county is largely rural/micropolitan (Fort Morgan–Brush corridor)

User estimates and adoption

• Adult smartphone users: ~18,500. Method: ~21k adults (18+) × ~88–90% smartphone adoption typical for rural/micropolitan counties, a few points below Colorado’s ~92–94%.
• Total active mobile subscriptions (phones, tablets, IoT): ~31,000–33,000 lines. Method: statewide density ≈1.07 lines per resident, tempered slightly for rural consumer IoT but offset locally by agriculture/transport telematics.
• Households relying primarily on cellular for home internet (“mobile-only”): 1,600–1,800 households (about 15–18% of households), notably higher than Colorado’s urban-weighted rate (10–12%). This aligns with local income mix, rental share, and rural address dispersion.

Demographic usage patterns

• Language and plans: The county’s large Hispanic/Latino population supports higher usage of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Spanish-language video, with a measurably higher prepaid and family-plan mix than the state average.
• Age: Youth smartphone penetration is near-universal, but older-adult adoption lags the Colorado average; mobile voice/SMS remains more important for seniors in outlying areas where app-based services are less practical.
• Work profile: Agriculture, food processing, logistics, and energy services drive daytime mobile traffic near fields, plants, and the I‑76 corridor; seasonal harvest creates short-term spikes in data and push-to-talk usage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: All three national operators (AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile, Verizon) plus regional operator Viaero Wireless, which is headquartered in Fort Morgan and runs a dense rural macrocell network across the Eastern Plains. Viaero’s local footprint materially lifts its market share here relative to the state overall.
• 5G/4G footprint: 5G coverage from the national carriers is strongest along I‑76, Fort Morgan, Brush, and US‑34; much of the county outside those corridors remains 4G LTE–dependent with variable uplink capacity. In-field coverage can soften at section-line distances and near river bottoms away from highways.
• Backhaul and routes: Long‑haul fiber and microwave backhaul follow I‑76/rail and the South Platte corridor, with lateral builds serving towns and tower sites. This concentration improves speeds in-town and along highways but leaves some farm/ranch addresses reliant on mid-band LTE or fixed wireless.
• Public safety: Band‑14 (FirstNet) sites and multi-carrier roaming support E‑911 across the highway corridor and towns; volunteer fire/EMS areas farther from I‑76 still experience more frequent in‑building and fringe gaps than the state’s urban Front Range.

How Morgan County differs from Colorado overall

• More mobile‑only households: A higher share of homes rely on cellular data instead of cable/fiber, reflecting rural address spacing and price sensitivity.
• Strong regional carrier presence: Viaero Wireless materially increases competitive options and rural coverage compared with most Colorado counties, influencing plan pricing and device mix.
• Greater prepaid/Android share: Budget‑conscious and multilingual households boost prepaid usage and Android penetration above the Colorado average.
• Corridor‑centric performance: Network performance is notably better along I‑76/US‑34 than in outlying sections; Colorado’s metro counties see more uniformly dense mid‑band 5G.
• Seasonal and shift‑driven demand: Agricultural and logistics cycles shape traffic and capacity needs more than in metro Front Range counties.

Key takeaways

• Expect ~18.5k adult smartphone users and roughly 31–33k active mobile lines countywide, with mobile‑only internet in roughly one in six households.
• Coverage and speeds are strongest along I‑76 and in towns; off‑corridor areas remain LTE‑heavy with patchier uplink.
• Local demographics and Viaero’s presence produce a mobile market that is more prepaid, more Spanish‑language, and more reliant on cellular for home connectivity than Colorado overall.

Social media usage in Morgan County, CO (2025 snapshot)

Core user stats

• Population: 29,111 (2020 Census). Estimated adults (18+): ≈22,700.
• Adults who use any social media: ≈72% of adults ≈16,300 users (modeled from Pew U.S. adoption).

Most-used platforms among adults (U.S. usage rates applied to the county’s adult base; users are multi-platform)

• YouTube: 83% ≈18,800 adults
• Facebook: 68% ≈15,400 adults
• Instagram: 47% ≈10,700 adults
• TikTok: 33% ≈7,500 adults
• Snapchat: 30% ≈6,800 adults
• Pinterest: 35% ≈7,900 adults
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈6,800 adults
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈5,000 adults
• Reddit: 22% ≈5,000 adults
• WhatsApp: 21% ≈4,800 adults
• Nextdoor: 19% ≈4,300 adults

Age-group patterns (behavioral)

• Teens/young adults (13–29): Daily Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram use; short-form video, DMs, and Stories dominate; heavy use around school, sports, and county fair content.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor usage; Facebook Groups/Marketplace for local commerce; Instagram for businesses and events; short-to-mid video for DIY.
• 50–64: Facebook as primary social hub; YouTube for how‑to, news recaps; selective use of Instagram and WhatsApp/Messenger to keep up with family.
• 65+: Facebook for local updates, churches, and media pages; YouTube for tutorials and entertainment; lower adoption of TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (behavioral skews)

• Overall adult split is roughly even in Morgan County; platform skews mirror U.S. norms:
  • More women: Facebook Groups participation, Pinterest (female‑heavy), Instagram Stories; school/parenting, health, local shopping.
  • More men: YouTube (how‑to, equipment, sports), Reddit, X; ag/auto/mechanics, local politics, high school sports chatter.
  • Facebook usage is near‑even by gender and remains the county’s broadest reach.

Local behavioral trends and use cases

• Community-first Facebook: Local news, weather alerts, lost & found, school/athletics, county fair, 4‑H/FFA, and buy‑sell‑trade groups are highly active; Marketplace is a key channel for vehicles, equipment, and rentals.
• Video utility: YouTube and Facebook Reels for farm/ranch how‑to, equipment maintenance, irrigation, DIY, hunting/fishing, and small business promotions.
• Bilingual engagement: Notable Spanish‑language activity on Facebook/WhatsApp for family, church, and community info; bilingual posts outperform for broad reach.
• Event-driven spikes: Peaks around high school sports, festivals, fairs, and civic updates; live streams and photo recaps see strong shares.
• Rural cadence and access: Mobile‑first consumption; engagement tends to peak early mornings, lunch, and evenings; concise posts with clear calls (call/text, store hours, map pins) perform best.
• Trust in local voices: Content from local organizations, schools, first responders, churches, and well-known residents outperforms brand-only messaging.
• Commerce: Facebook and Instagram power local retail and services; geotagged offers and limited-time promos convert; reviews and tagged customer photos influence decisions.

How to read the numbers

• County-level platform shares are modeled by applying Pew Research Center’s latest U.S. adult usage rates to Morgan County’s adult population (U.S. Census). Multiple-platform use means counts overlap. Behavioral notes reflect rural Colorado patterns and observed platform norms.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 population); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption rates).