Brown County

Here are key demographics for Brown County, Kansas.

Population

• Total: 9,508 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41.5 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and older: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/Ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White alone: ~76%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~14%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%

Households

• Total households: ~3,900
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~63% of households
• Married-couple families: ~49% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~29–30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Brown County, Kansas — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Population: ~9,500 (2020 Census); area ~571 sq mi; density ~17 people/sq mi (rural).
• Estimated email users: 7,700–8,200 (about 80–86% of residents), based on U.S. adoption rates adjusted for rural Kansas.
• Age distribution of users (approx.):
  • Under 18: 1,400–1,600 (many access via school or family accounts)
  • 18–44: 2,700–3,000
  • 45–64: 2,000–2,300
  • 65+: 1,500–1,800
• Gender split: ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male; email adoption is similar by gender (differences <2 percentage points).
• Digital access trends:
  • Most households have internet, but outer rural areas face gaps; email is frequently accessed via smartphones.
  • Home broadband adoption is likely in the 70–80% range; smartphone-only households roughly 10–15%.
  • Cellular coverage is strong along main corridors (e.g., US‑36 through Hiawatha), with 4G widely available and spotty 5G; speeds and reliability drop in low-density areas.
  • Libraries, schools, and community centers serve as key access points.
  • The 2024 wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program likely pressured low‑income household connectivity.

Notes: Figures are approximate, derived from census population and national/rural email adoption benchmarks.

Mobile phone usage in Brown County, Kansas — local snapshot versus statewide

Baseline

• Population: roughly 9.3–9.6k residents; around 7.2–7.6k adults. The county skews older than Kansas overall and includes several tribal communities (Kickapoo, Iowa, Sac & Fox).
• Method note: User counts below are estimates derived from rural U.S. adoption rates, the county’s age mix, and small-county adjustments; use for planning, not as official statistics.

Estimated mobile users

• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): about 6.8k–7.4k residents use a mobile phone regularly.
• Smartphone users: about 5.9k–6.5k people (roughly 80–85% of adults), a few points lower than Kansas overall (≈88–90%).
• Mobile-only internet households (no home broadband): estimated 17–22% of households, higher than the Kansas average (~12–14%), driven by rural gaps and affordability.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of usage)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-saturation smartphone use (~95%+), similar to statewide.
  • 35–64: high adoption (~88–92%), slightly below statewide.
  • 65+: lower adoption (~65–75%), noticeably below statewide; more voice/SMS and basic-phone retention.
• Income and plan type
  • Median household income trails the state; prepaid/MVNO plan share is likely higher than Kansas overall, and device upgrade cycles are longer.
  • The sunset of the federal ACP benefit in 2024 increased cost sensitivity; Lifeline remains but has narrower reach.
• Race/ethnicity and tribal communities
  • Native American share is several times the state average. These communities show higher mobile-only reliance where fixed broadband is limited, and may face coverage/affordability gaps specific to reservations and trust lands.
• Household composition and work patterns
  • More agricultural and trades employment than the state average; daytime traffic concentrates along US‑36 and US‑75 corridors. Farms and worksites use LTE/5G for logistics and precision-ag apps where coverage allows.

Digital infrastructure (coverage and capacity)

• Coverage pattern
  • 4G LTE is generally solid in and around Hiawatha, Horton, Fairview, and along US‑36/US‑75; signal quality drops in sparsely populated sections and low-lying areas.
  • 5G availability is improving but is primarily along major corridors and town centers; outside these areas service often reverts to LTE.
• Carriers
  • Verizon and AT&T typically provide the widest rural footprint; T‑Mobile has expanded 5G coverage along highways and towns but can be spotty off‑corridor. UScellular/MVNO footprints may persist in pockets.
  • Public safety (FirstNet/AT&T) coverage is strongest near population centers and corridors.
• Towers and backhaul
  • The county likely has on the order of 10–20 macro sites, clustered near towns and highways; rural sectors rely on larger cells with fewer sites, which limits capacity.
  • Regional fiber from local co‑ops (for example, Rainbow Communications and neighboring providers) improves backhaul to towers and is extending FTTH in towns; many outlying farms still depend on fixed wireless or satellite, reinforcing mobile-only behavior.
• Community access points
  • Libraries, schools, and tribal/community centers provide important Wi‑Fi offload; these see heavier use since ACP ended.

How Brown County differs from the Kansas state picture

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration (by ~5–8 percentage points) and more basic-phone retention among seniors.
• Higher share of mobile-only households due to rural fixed-broadband gaps and affordability pressures.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage and longer device replacement cycles.
• 5G coverage is more corridor/town-centered; off‑highway areas fall back to LTE more often than the statewide norm.
• Tribal lands increase the share of residents facing both affordability and coverage challenges, elevating the importance of mobile access and community Wi‑Fi.
• Network capacity constraints appear sooner during peaks (events, harvest, school hours) because fewer sites serve larger rural sectors than is typical in metro Kansas.

Data notes and confidence

• Estimates reflect 2020–2023 ACS population patterns and recent national/rural mobile-adoption research; exact carrier footprints and tower counts change frequently.
• For project-level decisions, validate with current carrier maps, Kansas Office of Broadband Development data (BEAD/KOBD awards), and local providers.

Below is a concise, locally tuned snapshot. Because platform companies don’t publish county-level figures, the numbers are modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. usage (with rural adjustments) and 2023 ACS demographics for Brown County. Treat them as directional estimates (±5–10 percentage points).

Population context (Brown County, KS)

• Total population: ~9.5k; adults 18+: ~7.4k
• Adult social media users (any platform): ~5.9k (≈80% of adults)
• Teens 13–17: ~0.6k; heavy social usage (90%+ on at least one platform)

Most-used platforms (adult reach, estimated)

• YouTube: 78–82%
• Facebook: 65–72%
• Instagram: 38–45%
• Pinterest: 32–38% (notably strong among women 25–54)
• TikTok: 24–30%
• Snapchat: 20–25% (higher among under-30s)
• LinkedIn: 18–22% (skews toward commuters/professionals)
• X/Twitter: 16–20%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 4–8% (coverage limited in rural areas)

Age-pattern snapshot (adult reach within each age band, estimated)

• 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~80%, Snapchat ~70%, TikTok ~60%, Facebook ~55–60%
• 30–49: Facebook ~70–78%, YouTube ~85%, Instagram ~50–55%, TikTok ~30–40%, Pinterest ~40–45%
• 50–64: Facebook ~70–75%, YouTube ~65–72%, Pinterest ~35–40%, Instagram ~25–35%, TikTok ~15–25%
• 65+: Facebook ~55–65%, YouTube ~50–60%, Instagram ~15–25%, TikTok ~8–15%

Gender patterns (directional skews)

• Women: Higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (Pinterest’s audience is majority female).
• Men: Higher on YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger widely used across genders; Snapchat messaging strong under 30.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwest counties like Brown

• Local information hubs: Facebook Groups and Pages drive community news (schools, churches, high school sports, county fair, weather, road closures). Marketplace is a top traffic source for buy/sell/swap.
• Video and live updates: Short Facebook/YouTube clips (school sports highlights, storm updates, farm equipment demos) perform well; live streams around games and civic meetings get strong engagement.
• Event-driven spikes: Noticeable lifts around harvest, severe-weather days, festivals, and school calendars.
• Timing: Engagement often peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); teens skew later at night on Snapchat/TikTok.
• Trust and word-of-mouth: Shares and comments in local groups heavily influence reach; simple, authentic photos or short videos outperform polished creative.
• Connectivity realities: Mobile-first usage; patchy broadband can depress long-form streaming and favor shorter clips or image posts.
• Business use: Local retailers, service trades, and ag businesses rely on boosted Facebook posts targeted within ~15–30 miles; coupons, inventory photos, and event posts convert well.

Notes on data

• Sources: Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Use (with rural adjustments) and U.S. Census ACS 2023 for Brown County age/sex structure.
• Figures are modeled estimates, not platform-reported county totals. For planning, use ranges above and validate with page insights or local ad tests.