Harvey County

Harvey County, Kansas — Key demographics (most recent Census/ACS)

• Population size:

  • 34,429 (2020 Census)
  • ~34.1k–34.3k (2023 estimate, essentially flat vs. 2020)

• Age:

  • Median age: ~39 years
  • Under 18: ~24–25%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Gender:

  • Female: ~50–51%
  • Male: ~49–50%

• Racial/ethnic composition (percent of total population):

  • White alone: ~89–90%
  • Black or African American alone: ~2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
  • Asian alone: ~1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0–0.1%
  • Two or more races: ~5–6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~13–15%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~77–80%

• Household data:

  • Households: ~13.4k
  • Persons per household: ~2.5–2.6
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~69–70%
  • Family households: roughly two-thirds of households

Insights:

• Population is stable to slightly declining since 2010, with an older age profile than the U.S. average.
• Racial/ethnic diversity is modest; growth in the Hispanic/Latino population is the largest driver of diversity.
• Household size is typical for Kansas and homeownership is high, consistent with a largely suburban/rural county.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year) estimates.

Harvey County, KS has about 34,000 residents across roughly 540 sq mi (~63 per sq mi). Adults ≈26,200.

Estimated email users: ≈24,500 adults (≈94% of adults).

Age mix of email users:

• 18–34: 27% (≈6,700)
• 35–54: 34% (≈8,300)
• 55–64: 16% (≈3,900)
• 65+: 23% (≈5,500)

Gender split among email users: ≈51% female (≈12,500) and 49% male (≈12,000), mirroring county demographics.

Digital access and trends:

• About 85% of households subscribe to broadband; roughly 9% rely on smartphone-only internet.
• FCC maps indicate fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps is available to the vast majority of addresses, with gigabit cable/fiber in Newton, North Newton, and Hesston; rural townships lean on DSL or fixed wireless.
• Since 2019, home broadband adoption has risen ~2–3 percentage points, with notable gains among seniors, supporting the 65+ email uptake shown above.

Connectivity context:

• Service availability and speeds are highest along the I‑135 corridor (Newton–Hesston), where most residents are concentrated; sparsely populated western and southern areas face more limited wired options, modestly dampening email intensity among older adults.

Mobile phone usage in Harvey County, Kansas — 2024 snapshot

Topline and user estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 34,000 residents (2023 estimate; 2020 Census was just over 34,000).
• Estimated smartphone users: about 29,000 to 30,000 residents (≈85–90% of the population). This estimate applies current U.S. age-specific adoption rates to Harvey County’s older-than-state age mix.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): roughly mid-to-high teens as a share of households countywide, with materially higher rates in rural townships than within Newton and Hesston.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: Harvey County skews older than the Kansas average. Seniors (65+) comprise a larger share of the population than statewide, which pulls overall smartphone adoption a few points below the Kansas average. Among seniors, smartphone adoption is markedly lower than for working-age adults, while near-universal adoption among teens and college-age residents (Bethel and Hesston colleges) creates high-usage pockets in North Newton, Newton, and Hesston.
• Income: A slightly larger share of lower-to-moderate income households than the state average correlates with higher reliance on mobile data plans as the primary home internet connection outside the main towns.
• Urban–rural split: Residents in Newton/North Newton and Hesston show state-like adoption and data use. Rural tracts and small towns (e.g., Burrton, Halstead outskirts, Walton area) have higher mobile-only internet reliance and more frequent network fallback to low-band 5G/LTE during peak times.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile cover the county; UScellular has a niche rural footprint. MVNOs that use these networks are widely used.
• 4G/5G availability: LTE is effectively universal in populated areas. 5G low-band blankets the county; mid-band 5G is established in Newton/North Newton and along the I‑135 corridor and is increasingly present in Hesston. Outside the corridor and towns, coverage leans on low-band 5G/LTE, with lower capacity.
• Typical performance envelope:
  • Mid-band 5G (I‑135 corridor, Newton/Hesston): generally 150–400 Mbps downlink with strong indoor reliability in newer builds.
  • Low-band 5G/LTE (outer rural areas): commonly 10–60 Mbps downlink, with greater variance and occasional sector congestion at peak times or during severe weather.
• Network siting and backhaul: Tower density is highest along I‑135 and near Newton. Fiber backhaul is strong in the corridor and town centers; fixed wireless backhaul is more common on rural sectors. Local fiber expansion by regional providers has improved 5G densification prospects in the population centers.
• Public safety and accessibility: Text-to-911 is available countywide; E911 location performance is comparable to the state norm along major corridors and in towns, with more variability on rural edges.

How Harvey County differs from Kansas overall

• Overall smartphone adoption is a bit lower than the state average because of the county’s older age structure, despite very high adoption among younger residents in college and commuter hubs.
• Mobile-only internet dependence is higher in rural tracts than the statewide rate, reflecting patchier fixed-broadband options outside Newton and Hesston. Within those towns, fixed broadband competition brings Harvey closer to state norms.
• Mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated along I‑135 and in Newton/Hesston; coverage transitions to low-band 5G/LTE sooner than in larger Kansas metros, so sustained high-throughput mobile data is less consistent in the countryside than the statewide metro-centric experience.
• Carrier mix shows a somewhat higher share of customers on carriers with stronger rural footprints (including UScellular) than in urban Kansas counties.
• Daytime network load patterns are corridor-driven (I‑135, industrial/healthcare hubs in Newton/Hesston), producing more pronounced peak-time slowdowns along those sectors than the statewide average outside major metros.

Implications and actionable insights

• Capacity planning should prioritize mid-band 5G infill and sector splits around Newton/North Newton, Hesston, and I‑135 interchanges; rural sectors benefit most from additional mid-band overlays where fiber backhaul is available.
• Consumer segmentation is bifurcated: younger, heavy-data users in college/commuter zones vs. older residents with lower app intensity and higher voice/SMS reliance. Plans and devices that emphasize coverage and reliability resonate more in rural and senior segments.
• Programs replacing the now-sunset Affordable Connectivity Program will have outsized impact in rural Harvey County, where mobile-only households are more common than the state average.

Harvey County, KS — Social Media Snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

• Total population: ~34,400
• Adults (18+): ~26,500
• Adult social media users: ~19,100 (≈72% of adults)
• Teens (13–17): ~2,400; social media users: ~2,260 (≈95% of teens)
• Total social users (13+): ~21,400

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 31%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 30%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 18%

Age-group profile

• Teens (13–17): Near-universal use; top platforms YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat. Facebook is secondary.
• 18–29: Heavy daily use; Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok for creation and messaging; YouTube and Facebook for utility and groups.
• 30–44: Broadest mix; Facebook (Groups/Marketplace) and YouTube dominate; Instagram growing; TikTok used for short-form discovery.
• 45–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest useful for projects, recipes, DIY.
• 65+: Facebook is primary; YouTube for how‑to and local content; lighter use of other apps.

Gender breakdown

• Users: ≈52% female, 48% male (reflects county population and national usage propensity)
• Platform skews: Pinterest strongly female; Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat slight female majority; YouTube slight male majority; X and Reddit skew male.

Behavioral trends (locally relevant)

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement in local Groups, churches, schools, sports, buy‑sell‑trade, and event pages; Marketplace is a top traffic driver.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, local sports, home/auto repair; short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is the fastest-growth format for 18–44.
• Messaging-centric coordination: Facebook Messenger dominates across ages; Snapchat heavily used by teens/college‑age.
• Trust and locality: Content from known local institutions, news, and personalities outperforms generic brand posts; weather alerts and school updates spike engagement.
• Timing: Evenings (6–10 p.m.) and weekends post best; school-year calendars and seasonal events drive peaks.
• Advertising performance norms:
  • Reach/awareness: Facebook + Instagram and YouTube deliver the broadest local coverage.
  • Youth targeting: TikTok and Snapchat for 13–34.
  • Interest-based niches: Pinterest (home, crafts, food), LinkedIn (healthcare/education/manufacturing professionals), Reddit (tech/hobbies).

Notes: Counts derived from Harvey County’s population structure with 2024 U.S. adult/teen social-media adoption and platform usage rates applied (Pew Research Center, U.S. Census/ACS). Percentages reflect share of users, not total population.