Cheyenne County

Below are concise, high-level demographics for Cheyenne County, Kansas. Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census for the population count; most other characteristics typically come from the latest ACS 5‑year estimates and are approximate for such a small county).

• Population

  • 2,616 (2020 Census)

• Age (ACS 5-year, approx.)

  • Under 18: ~20–22%
  • 18–64: ~55–58%
  • 65 and over: ~23–25%
  • Median age: ~48–50 years

• Sex (ACS 5-year, approx.)

  • Male: ~50–51%
  • Female: ~49–50%

• Race and Hispanic/Latino (ACS 5-year, approx.)

  • White alone: ~94–96%
  • Black or African American alone: <1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
  • Asian alone: <1%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–8%

• Households (ACS 5-year, approx.)

  • Total households: ~1,150–1,250
  • Average household size: ~2.0–2.2
  • Family households: ~58–62% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~48–52% of households
  • Nonfamily households: ~38–42% (large share living alone, common in rural counties)

Notes:

• For small, rural counties, ACS figures carry larger margins of error.

Cheyenne County, KS snapshot (estimates):

• Population: 2,600; very low density (2.6 people/sq mi), with most residents in St. Francis and Bird City.
• Estimated email users: ~1,950–2,200 (about 85–90% of adults; 70–80% of all residents).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–24: ~15–20%
  • 25–44: ~25–30%
  • 45–64: ~30–35%
  • 65+: ~15–20% (usage rising but still below younger groups)
• Gender split among users: roughly 50% female / 50% male (usage rates are similar by gender).

Digital access trends:

• About 75–80% of households have a home broadband subscription; fixed wireless and legacy DSL are common outside town centers, with growing pockets of fiber in St. Francis/Bird City.
• An estimated 10–15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• LTE is the dominant mobile layer; 5G is limited. Public Wi‑Fi via the library and schools helps bridge gaps.
• Agriculture and small businesses increasingly rely on connected tools, nudging adoption upward.

Notes: Figures synthesize ACS-style rural broadband adoption patterns and national email usage by age applied to local demographics; small-county margins of error are larger.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Cheyenne County, Kansas (emphasis on what differs from statewide patterns)

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 2,500–2,700 residents and about 1,100–1,250 households.
• Mobile phone users: 2,350–2,550 people (about 94–97% of residents 12+).
• Smartphone users: 1,950–2,150 people (about 75–85% of residents 12+; 80–88% of mobile users).
• Households relying on mobile data for home internet (phone hotspot or LTE/5G fixed wireless): 18–30% in the county vs low–mid teens statewide.

Demographic breakdown (estimates)

• Age
  • 18–34: 98–99% own a phone; 94–96% use smartphones. Smaller share of county population than the state due to out‑migration, so they account for a smaller portion of total smartphone users than in Kansas overall.
  • 35–64: ~97% own a phone; 88–92% use smartphones. This cohort is the county’s adoption backbone and over-indexes vs state in using phones for work (agriculture, trucking, field services).
  • 65+: 90–93% own a phone; 60–70% use smartphones. This is a larger share of the county than statewide, pulling down overall smartphone penetration relative to Kansas.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • In-town (St. Francis): higher 5G availability, better indoor coverage, more smartphone-reliant behaviors (banking, telehealth).
  • Outlying farms/ranches: more basic phones or rugged Androids, frequent use of external antennas/boosters and Wi‑Fi calling; higher reliance on voice/SMS during field work.
• Income/occupation
  • Agriculture/transport/energy workers show above-average use of rugged devices, PTT-style apps, and multi-carrier or booster setups to manage dead zones.
  • Lower-income and fixed‑income households lean more on prepaid/MVNO lines or share plans; a noticeable subset substitutes mobile data for fixed broadband.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology mix
  • Verizon typically provides the most consistent countywide LTE; AT&T is strong along major corridors; T‑Mobile coverage is improving but remains spotty outside town—unlike Kansas’s urban counties where T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G is common.
  • 5G in Cheyenne County is mostly low‑band (DSS) with modest speed gains; true mid‑band capacity is limited to town centers and highway nodes. Statewide, mid‑band 5G coverage and capacity are far broader in metro areas.
• Tower density and terrain effects
  • Sparse macro-site grid with long inter‑site distances (often 6–12 miles). Service concentrates along US‑36 and K‑27; draws and river valleys can produce dead spots. Kansas metros have far denser site grids and fewer shadow areas.
• Backhaul and redundancy
  • Backhaul is a mix of microwave and corridor fiber; fewer redundant paths than in urban Kansas. Outages and maintenance windows can have wider area impact than at the state level.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet/AT&T coverage is generally aligned to corridor sites; volunteer EMS/fire still rely heavily on land‑mobile radio with cellular as a supplement. Power events and storms can degrade service more noticeably than in cities due to limited overlapping coverage.
• Home internet via cellular
  • Higher take‑up of LTE/5G home internet and phone‑hotspotting than statewide, driven by limited wired options in the countryside. This pushes some lines to high data plans even where 5G capacity is modest.

How Cheyenne County differs from Kansas overall

• Lower overall smartphone share due to an older population; higher proportion of basic/flip phones among seniors.
• Slower 5G experience: mostly low‑band 5G and LTE, with mid‑band capacity scarce outside town centers; the state’s urban counties enjoy far wider mid‑band 5G.
• Carrier mix skews toward Verizon (and AT&T on corridors); T‑Mobile adoption lags rural-wide compared with its strong metro footprint statewide.
• Greater reliance on mobile networks for primary home internet and on hardware workarounds (signal boosters, external antennas, Wi‑Fi calling).
• More coverage variability by micro‑location (valleys, tree lines, metal buildings) and larger performance swings with weather and seasonal foliage than typically seen in Kansas metros.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• User counts and adoption rates are derived by applying rural-adjusted Pew-style ownership rates to recent population/household totals for Cheyenne County, combined with typical rural Kansas coverage patterns and carrier footprints. Figures are presented as ranges to reflect uncertainty and year-to-year changes.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot for Cheyenne County, KS. Figures are modeled estimates using the county’s small, older-leaning population profile (ACS) and rural U.S. social-media usage patterns (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024). Treat as directional, not a substitute for a local survey.

At-a-glance

• Population: ~2.6K; adults ~2.2K
• Estimated adult social-media users: ~1,700–1,900 (≈75–85% of adults)
• Home broadband/smartphone access is somewhat below U.S. urban averages, which slightly depresses use of video-heavy apps

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled)

1. Facebook: 65–70%
2. YouTube: 70–80%
3. Instagram: 28–35%
4. TikTok: 20–28%
5. Snapchat: 18–25%
6. Pinterest: 25–32% (skews female)
7. WhatsApp: 15–20%
8. X/Twitter: 10–15% (spikes during weather/sports)
9. LinkedIn: 12–18%
10. Reddit: 8–12%
11. Nextdoor: 8–12% (lower where Facebook Groups are strong)

Age-patterns (share within each age band using platform; modeled)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube 95%+, TikTok 70–80, Snapchat 70–80, Instagram 60–70, Facebook 20–30
• 18–29: YouTube ~90, Instagram ~75, TikTok ~70, Snapchat ~65, Facebook ~55
• 30–49: YouTube ~85, Facebook 75–80, Instagram 45–50, TikTok 35–40, Snapchat 30–35, Pinterest ~35
• 50–64: Facebook ~70, YouTube ~70, Instagram ~25, TikTok 15–20, Pinterest ~35
• 65+: Facebook 60–65, YouTube 55–60, Instagram ~15, TikTok ~10–12, Nextdoor/WhatsApp 8–12

Gender notes (adult users; modeled)

• Overall users roughly 49–51% men/women
• Skews: Women higher on Facebook Groups, Pinterest, Instagram; Men higher on YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter
• TikTok and Snapchat lean slightly female; LinkedIn slightly male

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local Groups/Pages for school sports, churches, fairs, fundraisers, classifieds/Marketplace, and county/city updates.
• Weather and emergencies drive spikes: Facebook (local pages), X/Twitter (NWS Goodland/spotters), and YouTube livestreams see surges during severe storms and road-closure events.
• Practical content wins: How‑to and ag‑related videos on YouTube; local buy/sell on Facebook; event reminders and sports scores dominate engagement.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat is the teen/college crowd’s primary chat; WhatsApp use is niche (family networks).
• Lurkers > posters: Most residents consume/reshare rather than create original content; trust is highest for posts from known locals and institutions.
• Ad effectiveness: Boosted Facebook posts outperform other platforms for local businesses and events; Instagram helps for younger reach but has smaller local scale.
• Connectivity constraints: Patchy broadband/cell coverage can limit live video and reduce off-peak engagement; evening usage (7–10 pm) is strongest.

Method note

• Estimates combine rural/age/gender platform usage rates (Pew 2023–2024) with Cheyenne County’s demographic structure (ACS). Given the county’s small size and older median age, youth‑oriented platforms trend below national averages; Facebook/YouTube trend higher.