Grant County

Grant County, Kansas — key demographics (most recent U.S. Census Bureau data)

Population size

• 7,352 (2020 Census)
• 7,4xx (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate; ACS figures are estimates and may differ slightly from the 2020 count)

Age

• Median age: ~32 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~33%
• 18–64: ~58–59%
• 65 and over: ~8–9%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is an ethnicity that can be of any race)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~55%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~39–40%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~1–1.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~2,500
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.9–3.0
• Family households: ~75–76% of households
• With own children under 18: ~40–45% of households
• Married-couple families: ~60–62% of families
• Housing units: ~2,700–2,800
• Owner-occupied rate: ~70–72%; renter-occupied: ~28–30%

Insights

• Younger population than the U.S. overall (median age ~32 vs. U.S. ~39), with a high share of children.
• Majority Hispanic county, with White non-Hispanic comprising roughly two-fifths of residents.
• Larger households and a higher family-share than national averages; homeownership is relatively high for a rural county.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04).

Summary for Grant County, Kansas (population ≈7,300; density ≈13 people/sq mi across ~575 sq mi)

• Estimated email users: ~5,300 residents (≈80–85% of total; ≈90%+ of adults), derived from Census population and national email adoption benchmarks.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~9%
  • 18–29: ~20%
  • 30–49: ~32%
  • 50–64: ~23%
  • 65+: ~16%
• Gender split among users: ~50% male / 50% female; usage rates are essentially equal by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~80–85% (in line with Kansas ACS and rural-county patterns).
  • Fixed broadband availability: >90% of locations have access to at least 25/3 Mbps; fiber and cable concentrated in/around Ulysses, with DSL and fixed wireless in outlying areas.
  • Smartphone-only internet users: ~15–20% of adults, reflecting rural affordability and coverage tradeoffs.
  • Mobile LTE/5G coverage is strongest along U.S. 160/25 corridors; public/library Wi‑Fi helps bridge access for students and lower-income households.

Insights: Email is near-universal among working-age adults and remains high even for 65+, but access gaps outside Ulysses and smartphone-only reliance can dampen heavy email use for large attachments and telework.

Grant County, Kansas mobile phone landscape (2024)

Topline user estimates

• Population baseline: 7.3–7.4K residents (2020 Census benchmark; modest rural decline since 2020).
• Individual mobile phone users: ~6.1K (≈83–85% of residents use a mobile phone; adult adoption higher).
• Smartphone users: ~5.7K (≈78–80% of residents; near-universal among teens and working-age adults).
• 5G-capable devices: ~68% of smartphones in use locally (vs ≈72–75% statewide).
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: ≈32–35% (vs ≈25–28% statewide), reflecting cost sensitivity and seasonal work patterns.
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): ≈18–22% (vs ≈12–15% statewide).
• Mobile hotspot reliance for home/work connectivity: ≈7–10% of households use cellular as the primary internet (vs ≈4–6% statewide).

Demographic usage patterns

• Age:
  • 13–24: smartphone adoption ≈95–98%; heavy video/social use, school-issued device hotspots increase off-campus mobile data consumption.
  • 25–54: adoption ≈92–95%; highest share of multi-line family plans and bundled device financing.
  • 55–64: adoption ≈80–85%; mix of postpaid and value/prepaid.
  • 65+: adoption ≈60–70%; above-average basic handset use and smaller data plans relative to state.
• Ethnicity and language:
  • Hispanic/Latino residents form a large share of the county population; WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and bilingual keyboard use are notably higher than the state average.
  • Higher propensity for family prepaid plans and international calling/messaging add-ons compared with statewide patterns.
• Income and plan mix:
  • Median household incomes below the state median translate to:
    • Greater prepaid and MVNO penetration.
    • Higher incidence of smartphone-only households.
    • Slower upgrade cycles; 5G device penetration trails the state by several points.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile provide countywide 4G LTE outdoors; 5G low-band from all three with T-Mobile mid-band 2.5 GHz concentrated in and around Ulysses and along key corridors (K-25 and US-160).
• Performance profile:
  • Consistent LTE across towns and highways; speed/range dips on section roads and in low-density farm/ranch areas.
  • 5G mid-band delivers strong capacity where available but remains spotty outside Ulysses and main corridors; low-band 5G is broadly available but offers LTE-like speeds.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Pioneer Communications (headquartered in Ulysses) provides the primary local fiber and fixed network backhaul, enabling carrier macro sites and school/municipal connectivity.
  • Fixed wireless options (e.g., regional WISPs, carrier 5G fixed wireless) supplement fiber/DSL beyond town centers.
• Public safety and redundancy:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage active; macro sites sited along highways and near towns provide emergency-service priority. Redundancy outside the main corridors is thinner than the state average.
• Device and spectrum context:
  • Strong low-band holdings (700/850 MHz) underpin rural reach for AT&T/Verizon; T-Mobile leverages 600 MHz for coverage and 2.5 GHz for capacity in and near population clusters.

How Grant County differs from Kansas statewide

• More mobile-dependent households:
  • Smartphone-only and cellular-hotspot primary internet use are several points higher than the Kansas average, driven by rural dispersion and cost considerations.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO usage:
  • Prepaid share is noticeably higher than the state, reflecting price sensitivity and multilingual family plan preferences.
• Slightly older device fleet:
  • Lower 5G device penetration and slower upgrade cadence than statewide, contributing to more LTE-heavy traffic mix.
• Coverage-quality gap off-corridor:
  • Towns and highways perform on par with the state, but off-corridor farm/ranch areas see larger dead zones and lower median speeds than typical Kansas suburban/rural.
• Bilingual communications footprint:
  • Above-average usage of WhatsApp and cross-border messaging features versus statewide norms.

Actionable insights

• Capacity is most constrained at shift changes, school commute windows, and during harvest; optimization and small-cell/in-building solutions in Ulysses and around plants/schools deliver outsized impact.
• Expanding T-Mobile mid-band and targeted AT&T/Verizon sector adds on highway-adjacent sites would close the largest performance gaps relative to the state average.
• Bundled prepaid family plans and bilingual customer support resonate more strongly here than statewide, as does marketing of 5G fixed wireless as an alternative where fiber is not yet built.

Social media usage snapshot — Grant County, Kansas (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~7,300
• Age 13+: ~5,700

Overall usage

• Social media users (13+): ~4,900 (≈86% of residents 13+; ≈67% of total population)
• Daily users: ~3,300–3,600 (about 65–75% of social users)

Most-used platforms among residents 13+ (modeled share who use each at least occasionally; counts rounded)

• YouTube: 82% (~4,670)
• Facebook: 64% (~3,650)
• Instagram: 42% (~2,390)
• Pinterest: 34% (~1,940)
• TikTok: 33% (~1,880)
• Snapchat: 30% (~1,710)
• WhatsApp: 25% (~1,430)
• X (Twitter): 20% (~1,140)
• LinkedIn: 18% (~1,030)
• Reddit: 16% (~910)
• Nextdoor: 5% (~290)

Age groups (share using any social; platform highlights)

• 13–17: ~95% use social
  • Heavy: YouTube (90%+), Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok (60–70% each)
  • Light: Facebook (~30–35%)
• 18–29: ~90–95%
  • Heavy: YouTube (95%), Instagram (75–80%), Snapchat (60–65%), TikTok (60%+)
  • Moderate: Facebook (~60–70%)
• 30–49: ~88–90%
  • Heavy: Facebook (70–75%), YouTube (90%)
  • Moderate: Instagram (45–50%), Pinterest (40–45%), TikTok (~35–40%)
• 50–64: ~75–80%
  • Heavy: Facebook (65–70%), YouTube (80%+)
  • Moderate: Pinterest (30–35%), Instagram (25–30%), TikTok (~20%)
• 65+: ~55–60%
  • Heavy: Facebook (45–50%), YouTube (55–60%)
  • Light: Instagram/TikTok (≤15%)

Gender breakdown (usage patterns)

• Overall social adoption is similar by gender.
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Pinterest (70–75% of users), Snapchat (55–60%), TikTok (slight female tilt)
  • More male: Reddit (65–70%), X/Twitter (60%), LinkedIn (slight male tilt)
  • Balanced: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Behavioral trends in Grant County

• Facebook is the community hub: school updates, weather alerts, church and civic groups, and heavy use of Marketplace for farm/ranch gear, vehicles, and household items.
• YouTube dominates for how‑to and local interests: equipment repair, DIY, high‑school sports streams, and church services.
• Younger residents center daily communication on Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram is key for local sports, clubs, and small-business discovery.
• WhatsApp group chats are common in bilingual households and work crews; Spanish-language Facebook Groups and Messenger threads are active.
• News and weather: Facebook Pages from local institutions and regional meteorologists; X/Twitter used by a smaller, news‑oriented segment during severe weather.
• Pinterest drives planning and purchase intent among women (home, crafts, recipes, events); useful for retail and seasonal campaigns.
• Reddit presence is small and mostly non‑local; limited value for community reach.
• Nextdoor footprint is minimal; Facebook Groups effectively fill the neighborhood role.
• Peak engagement times: early morning, lunch, and 7–10 pm; harvest and school‑sports seasons produce noticeable spikes.
• Advertising implications: Facebook/Instagram deliver the broadest paid reach; creative in Spanish improves response; video (Reels/Shorts) outperforms static; Marketplace listings convert well for classified‑style offers.

Notes

• Figures are modeled from recent Pew Research Center social platform adoption rates (2024) applied to Grant County’s size and age structure; numbers are rounded and reflect typical rural usage patterns.