Harper County

Harper County, Kansas — key demographics

Population size

• 5,485 (2020 Census)
• ~5,3xx (2023 Census estimate; modest decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~87–89%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~7–9%
• Two or more races: ~2–4%
• Black or African American: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: <1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~2,300–2,400
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~64–66% of households
• One-person households: ~29–31% (about half of these 65+ living alone)
• Owner-occupied housing: ~74–77%
• Average family size: ~2.8

Insights

• Small, predominantly non-Hispanic White rural county with a modest Hispanic population.
• Aging profile with roughly one in five residents 65+.
• Household sizes are small; high homeownership typical of rural Kansas.

Harper County, KS summary:

• Population and density: 5,485 residents (2020 Census) across ~803 sq mi; ~6.8 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~4,300 residents use email at least monthly.

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–24: 17%
• 25–44: 28%
• 45–64: 31%
• 65+: 24%

Gender split among email users:

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Digital access trends:

• ~80% of households maintain a home internet subscription; adult smartphone adoption is ~85%, making email primarily mobile-first for many.
• Wired broadband (cable/fiber/DSL) is concentrated in Anthony and Harper; rural townships rely more on fixed wireless and satellite.
• 2020–2024 saw expanded fiber and fixed-wireless builds that raised available speeds and reliability, but coverage gaps persist in sparsely populated sections, affecting older and lower-income residents most.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Connectivity is densest along the US‑160/US‑281 corridors and in the cities of Anthony and Harper, where multiple ISPs and stronger cellular signals overlap.
• Public libraries and schools in Anthony/Harper provide free Wi‑Fi that supplements home access for students and seniors, supporting consistent email use across the county.

Mobile phone usage in Harper County, Kansas (2024 snapshot)

Context

• Population: about 5,500 residents (2020 Census baseline; slight decline since). Adults (18+): roughly 4,200–4,400.
• Rural, aging, and lower‑income profile relative to Kansas overall, which materially affects device ownership, carrier selection, and reliance on mobile data.

User estimates

• Any mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone): 90–93% of adults, or ~3,800–4,050 users. This is a bit below the statewide norm (Kansas typically 93–96%).
• Smartphones: 78–82% of adults, or ~3,300–3,600 users, versus ~85% statewide. The gap is driven by a higher share of residents 65+, and lower household incomes.
• Mobile-only internet households (no wired broadband at home, relying on cellular hotspots or phone tethering): 12–16% of households in the county versus ~8–10% statewide. This reflects patchy wired options outside town centers and the appeal of carrier fixed‑wireless offers.
• Plan type: prepaid accounts account for an estimated 28–35% of lines (vs ~20–25% statewide), reflecting price sensitivity and coverage-driven churn.
• Platform mix: Android roughly 60–65%, iOS 35–40% (Kansas urban areas skew more evenly toward iOS).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ~92–95%; heavy app/data use; T‑Mobile gains strongest in this cohort where mid‑band 5G is present.
  • 35–64: smartphone ownership ~85–90%; mix of postpaid family plans and employer-liable lines in the oil/ag supply chain.
  • 65+: smartphone ownership ~58–65% (vs ~70–75% statewide); comparatively higher use of voice/SMS and simpler devices; noticeable persistence of 4G-only handsets.
• Income
  • Households below county median are disproportionately prepaid and more likely to be mobile‑only for home internet; data caps and price-per‑GB shape behavior (e.g., off-peak downloads, Wi‑Fi use at libraries/schools).
• Geography within the county
  • Towns (Anthony, Harper, Attica): higher smartphone penetration and iOS share; better 5G availability and in‑building performance.
  • Outlying townships/farms: more feature phones and ruggedized LTE devices; greater use of carrier fixed‑wireless CPE for home connectivity.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T and Verizon provide the broadest LTE footprint countywide; T‑Mobile coverage is solid in town centers and along primary corridors, with more variability in fringe areas.
• 5G
  • Low‑band 5G (coverage-first): widespread on AT&T/Verizon along highways and through towns; supports modest performance gains and better uplink.
  • Mid‑band 5G (capacity-first): concentrated in and near Anthony and Harper, plus select highway segments; far less continuous than in metro Kansas, so users often fall back to LTE outside towns.
• LTE remains the reliability baseline for voice and data in outlying areas; VoLTE is standard. 3G has been sunset.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Fiber rings from regional rural telcos and state providers underlie tower backhaul in and between towns; microwave backhaul is still used on some remote sites, which can constrain peak speeds.
  • Public anchors (schools, libraries, county facilities) typically have fiber and serve as community Wi‑Fi supplements.
• Performance (typical, not peak)
  • Town centers with mid‑band 5G: 100–300 Mbps down, 10–30 Mbps up when uncongested.
  • Low‑band 5G/LTE along corridors: 10–60 Mbps down, 3–10 Mbps up.
  • Remote pockets: single‑digit Mbps and occasional dead zones in low‑lying or heavily vegetated areas until you reach a highway or town‑adjacent sector.
• Fixed‑wireless home internet (FWA)
  • Materially higher penetration than the state average; Verizon and T‑Mobile FWA fill gaps where DSL/cable are limited, particularly outside Anthony/Harper. Users report variability tied to tower load and line‑of‑sight.

How Harper County differs from Kansas overall

• Adoption: Smartphone ownership is 3–7 percentage points lower than the state, driven by age and income mix.
• Access mode: More mobile‑only households and heavier use of FWA as a primary home connection than statewide norms.
• Carrier mix: Higher share on AT&T/Verizon for coverage reliability; T‑Mobile’s share is growing but remains more town‑centric than in larger Kansas metros.
• Network experience: Mid‑band 5G is spottier and more “islanded,” so average speeds and consistency trail metro Kansas; users switch between 5G and LTE more often during routine travel.
• Devices and plans: More Android and more prepaid lines than the state average; slightly older handset fleet with a meaningful slice of LTE‑only phones among seniors and cost‑conscious users.

Implications

• Outreach, authentication, and alerts work best over SMS plus lightweight mobile web; do not assume continuous mid‑band 5G performance countywide.
• Public venues with fiber-backed Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries, city halls) meaningfully augment connectivity for mobile‑only households.
• For services needing uplink (telehealth, video), schedule flexibility helps users in LTE/low‑band 5G zones avoid evening congestion; offering offline modes benefits remote‑area residents.

Harper County, Kansas — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2025)

Method note: Figures below are modeled local estimates for adult residents, derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption by platform and age, adjusted for rural demographics and Harper County’s older-leaning age mix. Treat as directional but decision-grade for planning.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults using each platform)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~27%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~18%
• X (Twitter): ~16%
• Reddit: ~14%
• LinkedIn: ~14%
• Nextdoor: ~8% (presence varies by town; limited in very small communities)

Age-group usage (share of adults in each age band using the platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~93%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~67%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~53%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~90%, Facebook ~72%, Instagram ~53%, TikTok ~33%, Pinterest ~35%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~15%, Pinterest ~33%
• Ages 65+: YouTube ~62%, Facebook ~55%, Instagram ~20%, TikTok ~9%, Pinterest ~22%

Gender breakdown (platform skews within adult users)

• Women: Higher likelihood of Facebook (74%) and Pinterest (46%), moderate Instagram (41%), TikTok (29%)
• Men: Higher likelihood of YouTube (85%), Reddit (19%), X/Twitter (18%); Facebook slightly lower (66%) than women

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Platform roles
  • Facebook is the community hub: local news, school sports, church updates, buy/sell/trade, event coordination, severe-weather updates. Facebook Groups drive much of the organic reach.
  • YouTube is utility-first: how-to/DIY, farm and equipment repair, hunting/fishing, church services, archived school events, and local business explainers.
  • Instagram is lifestyle/showcase: younger adults and small businesses cross-post from Facebook; Stories/Reels outperform static posts.
  • TikTok and Snapchat concentrate among under-35s: short-form entertainment, local humor, ag/rural life, and small-business promos; strong peer-to-peer sharing.
  • Pinterest is planning-oriented: food, crafts, home improvement, weddings; female 25–54 skew.
  • X/Twitter is niche but timely: high school sports scores, National Weather Service and storm-spotter updates.
  • LinkedIn is small but relevant for healthcare, education, energy/oilfield, and public-sector roles.
• Content format
  • Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) yields the highest completion and share rates among 18–34.
  • Photo albums and flyers perform on Facebook for events; carousels help listings and menus.
  • How-to video and service walk-throughs outperform generic brand posts on YouTube and Facebook.
• Engagement timing (local rhythm)
  • Peaks: early morning commute/coffee (6–8 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evening wind-down (7–9 p.m.). Weekend spikes tied to school sports and community events.
  • Mobile-dominant consumption; Wi‑Fi/home broadband drives evening video viewing.
• Community dynamics
  • High reliance on local Pages/Groups for civic info, schools, public safety, and weather alerts.
  • Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are major discovery channels for local businesses.
  • Cross-posting from Facebook to Instagram increases reach with minimal lift; native Reels improve results.

Key takeaways

• Facebook and YouTube anchor reach across all adults; plan always-on presence there.
• To reach under-35s, prioritize Reels/TikTok/Snapchat with short, locally resonant video.
• To reach women 25–54 with evergreen content, include Pinterest.
• Expect lighter but valuable niches on X/Twitter (weather/sports) and LinkedIn (professional roles).

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform-by-age adoption); rural vs. urban adoption differentials applied to county’s older age mix using recent ACS age structure for Harper County.
• Figures are modeled local estimates (not a county survey), suitable for planning and channel mix decisions.