Atchison County

Key demographics – Atchison County, Kansas

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year; 2023 Population Estimates)

• Population size:

  • 2023 estimate: ~16,1xx (roughly 16.1k)
  • 2020 Census: ~16.3k

• Age:

  • Median age: ~36–37 years
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~17%

• Gender:

  • Female: ~49%
  • Male: ~51%

• Race/ethnicity (ACS, shares of total population):

  • White alone: ~87–88%
  • Black or African American alone: ~5–6%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.8–1%
  • Asian alone: ~0.5–0.7%
  • Two or more races: ~4–5%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%

• Households (ACS):

  • Total households: ~6.2k
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~64%
  • Married-couple families: ~47%
  • Households with children under 18: ~30%

Note: ACS figures are estimates with margins of error; small year-to-year changes are normal.

Summary for Atchison County, Kansas (estimates)

• Estimated email users: ~11,800–12,600 residents. Basis: ~16k population; applying national email adoption rates (higher among adults; lower among teens).
• Age distribution of email use:
  • 13–17: ~60–70%
  • 18–29: ~95–99%
  • 30–49: ~93–97%
  • 50–64: ~88–92%
  • 65+: ~75–85%
• Gender split: Roughly even (male ≈ female), consistent with national patterns.
• Digital access trends:
  • About 80–85% of households likely have a broadband subscription (ACS-style rural Kansas rates); 15–20% may be smartphone‑only.
  • Access is strongest in the city of Atchison (cable/fiber options); surrounding rural townships rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, with ongoing fiber buildouts via recent Kansas broadband initiatives.
  • Younger adults and college-affiliated residents (Benedictine College) boost email usage and daily reliance.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Small, largely rural county (~16k residents) with most density in Atchison city; lower-density areas experience more limited speeds and fewer wired choices.
  • Connectivity has improved since 2022 with new fiber projects, but a city–rural gap persists.

Notes: Figures synthesized from ACS population estimates, Pew national email adoption by age, and rural broadband trends/FCC mapping patterns.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot of mobile phone use in Atchison County, Kansas, with emphasis on how local patterns differ from statewide norms. Figures are estimates based on recent U.S. Census/ACS population baselines, national mobile adoption research (e.g., Pew), FCC rural coverage trends, and typical rural carrier footprints. Ranges reflect uncertainty and rural variability.

Baseline

• Population: roughly 16,000 residents; about 12,000–13,000 adults (18+).
• Contextual factors shaping usage: a mix of a small city (Atchison), surrounding rural townships, river bluffs/valleys that affect radio propagation, and a residential college (Benedictine), which increases the 18–24 share.

User estimates

• Adults with any mobile phone: about 11,500–12,300 (roughly 92–96% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: about 10,500–11,000 (roughly 83–86% of adults). Add ~900–1,000 teens (13–17) with smartphones, yielding ~11,400–12,000 total smartphone users countywide.
• Total active mobile lines (including tablets, hotspots, IoT/AG equipment): roughly 17,000–21,000.
• Mobile-only internet households (rely on a smartphone/hotspot as primary home internet): approximately 20–27% of households, higher than Kansas overall.
• Prepaid/MVNO share of personal lines: estimated 25–35%, above state average, reflecting more price-sensitive users and patchier credit profiles in a rural economy.
• Multi-carrier/backup strategies: a noticeable minority of households keep two carriers/SIMs or an external LTE/5G hotspot for redundancy due to coverage gaps—more common than statewide.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• 18–24 (college-driven): very high smartphone and video/app use; heavy campus Wi‑Fi offload; iPhone skew; above-state share of this age group.
• 25–44: strong smartphone ubiquity; more hotspot use for remote work where wireline service is poor; adoption of carrier fixed‑wireless (e.g., 4G/5G home internet) higher than state average in rural census blocks.
• 45–64: high ownership, mixed prepaid/postpaid; some keep legacy LTE devices longer; greater use of signal boosters for homes/farm shops.
• 65+: smartphone ownership rising but still lagging; flip‑phone/voice‑centric use persists at a slightly higher rate than statewide; telehealth uptake constrained by signal and plan limits.
• Income and device access: lower‑income users lean prepaid/MVNO and were more dependent on the now‑winding‑down ACP subsidy; smartphone‑only access (no computer) is more prevalent than statewide.
• Work/agriculture: above‑average use of mobile data for precision ag (telemetry, equipment modems) and for small businesses; seasonal data spikes during planting/harvest.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage mix:
  • Strongest macro coverage along US‑59/US‑73/K‑7 corridors and in the city of Atchison.
  • 5G: mid‑band/sub‑6 5G concentrated in/near Atchison; “extended range” 5G and LTE across much of the county; pockets of weak service in river bluffs and outer townships.
  • Few small cells; coverage is macro‑tower dependent, so foliage and terrain matter.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon and AT&T historically reliable for wide‑area coverage/FirstNet (public safety) needs; T‑Mobile competitive speeds in town and along primary roads due to recent rural buildouts.
  • Residents sometimes pick carriers by home address precision (street‑level performance varies more than in metro Kansas).
• Backhaul/fiber and offload:
  • Fiber routes and cable plant in and near Atchison support decent tower backhaul; far‑rural sites often constrained, leading to variable capacity at peak times.
  • Campus and library Wi‑Fi provide significant offload points relative to county size.
• Fixed wireless/home internet via mobile networks:
  • Higher adoption of LTE/5G home internet than statewide average in rural blocks lacking cable/fiber, which in turn increases tower load during evening hours.

How Atchison County differs from Kansas overall

• Age mix and usage:
  • Higher 18–24 presence (college) drives heavier video/social/app usage and higher iPhone penetration than typical for a rural county; this age effect differentiates it from statewide averages.
• Access patterns:
  • Larger share of smartphone‑only and mobile‑only internet households than statewide, due to patchy wireline availability and income constraints.
  • Prepaid/MVNO usage meaningfully higher than the state average.
• Coverage reality:
  • More pronounced signal variability and dead zones (river bluffs/valleys), prompting multi‑carrier strategies and use of boosters—less common in urban/suburban Kansas.
  • 5G availability is more “islanded” (good in town/corridors, inconsistent elsewhere) versus more continuous footprints in Kansas metros.
• Network load:
  • Spikier, event‑driven congestion (college events, harvest) relative to population size; evenings show noticeable capacity dips on towers serving fixed‑wireless users.
• Digital equity/affordability:
  • Greater sensitivity to ACP’s wind‑down; risk of service downgrades or churn to lower‑cost prepaid plans higher than statewide.

Implications

• For planners: prioritize mid‑band 5G infill and backhaul upgrades on towers serving fixed‑wireless users; target river‑valley shadows for new or sector‑add sites.
• For providers: prepaid/MVNO and student‑focused plans, robust Wi‑Fi offload near campus/downtown, and clear coverage maps at the street level will win share.
• For digital inclusion: device loans, signal‑booster programs, and assistance replacing ACP subsidies will have outsized impact versus state averages.

Atchison County, KS – social media snapshot (2025, estimates)

How many people

• Population: ≈16.2k residents; adults (18+): ≈12.6k
• Estimated adult social media users: roughly 9k–10k
• Teens (13–17): ≈1.0k–1.2k, with near‑universal platform use

Most‑used platforms (adults; share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: ~80–85% (≈10–11k adults)
• Facebook: ~65–70% (≈8–9k)
• Instagram: ~45–50% (≈5.5–6.3k)
• TikTok: ~30–35% (≈3.8–4.4k)
• Snapchat: ~28–32% (≈3.5–4.0k)
• Pinterest: ~30–40% (≈3.8–5.0k; skew female)
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% (≈3.1–3.8k)
• X (Twitter): ~20–25% (≈2.5–3.2k; skew male)
• Reddit: ~20–25% (≈2.5–3.2k; skew male)
• WhatsApp: ~20–25% (≈2.5–3.2k)

Age patterns

• 13–17: YouTube ~90%+, TikTok/Snapchat ~60–70%, Instagram ~60%+, Facebook ~25–35%
• 18–24: Near‑universal YouTube; Instagram ~75–80%, Snapchat ~70–75%, TikTok ~65–70%, Facebook ~60–70% (Benedictine College presence lifts Snap/TikTok)
• 25–44: YouTube ~90%, Facebook ~75–80%, Instagram ~55–60%, TikTok ~40–45%, Snapchat ~35–40%, LinkedIn ~35–40%
• 45–64: Facebook ~70–75%, YouTube ~80–85%, Pinterest ~35–40%, Instagram ~30–35%, TikTok ~20–25%
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube each ~50–55%, Instagram ~15–20%, Pinterest ~20–25%

Gender notes (directional)

• Women higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok (Pinterest especially)
• Men higher on YouTube, Reddit, X, and slightly higher on LinkedIn

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, weather alerts, school/sports updates, church/community events, buy‑sell‑trade, and Marketplace drive the most interactions.
• Short‑form video is rising: TikTok and Instagram/Facebook Reels get strong local reach; many posts are cross‑posted to Facebook from TikTok.
• Messaging > public posting for younger users: Snapchat (and FB Messenger) are primary coordination channels for teens/college‑age residents.
• Event‑centric spikes: county fair, school sports, parades, and storm events produce sharp engagement lifts in Facebook Groups and Pages.
• Small business playbook: boosted Facebook/Instagram posts with simple offers, local faces, and short video outperform static posts; geotarget 10–25 miles.
• Timing: engagement clusters around early morning (7–9am), lunch (11:30am–1pm), and evenings (7–10pm); weekends see more event/story content.
• Trust and tone: authentic, family‑ and community‑oriented content travels farther than highly polished creative.

Notes on method

• County‑level platform stats are not directly published. Figures above apply recent U.S. adult platform adoption (Pew and similar 2023–2024 studies) to Atchison County’s population and age mix; counts rounded to avoid false precision. Use local page insights/ad accounts to calibrate.