Jackson County

Key demographics for Jackson County, Kansas

Population

• Total population: 13,232 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS 5-year)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~83%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~8–9%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1% or less
• Asian (non-Hispanic): <1%

Households

• Number of households: ~5,100
• Average household size: ~2.6 persons
• Family households: ~69% of households
• Married-couple households: ~57%
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most recent).

Jackson County, KS snapshot (population ~13,232; ~20 people per sq. mile, 2020 Census)

Estimated email users: ~10,000 residents use email regularly (driven by ~90% adult adoption seen nationally; rural counties trend slightly lower among seniors).

Age distribution of email use (estimated users):

• 13–17: ~700–800
• 18–34: ~2,400–2,600
• 35–54: ~3,000–3,200
• 55–64: ~1,400–1,600
• 65+: ~1,900–2,100 Usage rates typically exceed 90% for 18–54, ~85–90% for 55–64, and ~75–85% for 65+.

Gender split: Approximately even; men and women in Jackson County adopt email at similar rates, yielding ~50/50 among users.

Digital access and trends:

• Broadband subscription is commonly in the mid‑80% range of households in rural Kansas; computer ownership around 90%+, with 10–15% of households smartphone‑only.
• Mobile is the primary email access for many residents; fixed broadband plus mobile is the norm in towns, while some outlying areas rely on fixed wireless or satellite.
• Low density increases last‑mile costs; ongoing fiber builds and state/federal programs are improving coverage, while the 2024 lapse of the Affordable Connectivity Program pressured affordability for some households.

Overall: High email adoption, slight senior gap, near‑parity by gender, and improving—but uneven—rural connectivity.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Jackson County, Kansas (2024)

Context

• Small, rural county centered on Holton with dispersed populations outside the US‑75 corridor. Rural settlement patterns and patchy wired broadband make cellular service more central to daily connectivity than in the state overall.

User estimates

• Population: ~13,500 residents; ~5,200 households.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile phone): ~10,400 residents, or about 77% of the total population and ~93% of those age 18+. This runs a few points below the statewide adult share, reflecting a larger senior population and more rural households.
• Smartphone users: ~9,800 residents, or about 72% of the total population and ~87% of adults. This is 3–5 percentage points below the Kansas adult average.
• Households with at least one smartphone: 4,650 households (89%).
• Smartphone‑only households (no wired broadband at home, rely on cellular data plans): 18% of households (940). This is materially higher than the statewide share, which is closer to the low teens.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from ACS age structure and rural adoption differentials)

• Ages 18–34: ~2,700 residents; smartphone adoption ~95–97% → ~2,600 users.
• Ages 35–64: ~5,400 residents; smartphone adoption ~90–92% → ~4,900–5,000 users.
• Ages 65+: ~2,400–2,500 residents; smartphone adoption ~75–80% → ~1,850–2,000 users.
• Teens 13–17: ~850–900 residents; smartphone access/adoption ~85–90% → ~750–800 users. Key difference vs Kansas overall: the 65+ segment is larger and adopts smartphones at lower rates, pulling down countywide penetration and increasing the share of basic/legacy devices. Younger cohorts are on par with statewide adoption.

Usage and plan mix

• Higher reliance on cellular for home internet: ~20–22% of households use a cellular data plan as their primary home connection versus a notably smaller statewide share. This aligns with lower fiber/cable reach outside towns and contributes to heavier data usage per line.
• BYOD and prepaid share are modestly higher than in metro Kansas, reflecting price sensitivity and variable coverage by carrier in outer townships.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage: All three national carriers operate in the county. 5G is present along the US‑75 corridor and in/around Holton and other population centers; LTE remains the dominant layer in more remote areas. Coverage is serviceable on major roads but can be inconsistent on section roads and in low-lying areas.
• Capacity and speeds: Observed rural speeds trail state medians. Expect noticeably slower median download rates than in metro Kansas, with bigger swings by location and carrier, especially indoors in wood-frame and metal buildings.
• Fixed wireless and 5G Home Internet: Available to a meaningful share of addresses; uptake is above the state average because it fills gaps where cable or fiber are absent.
• Backhaul and fiber builds: Recent state and federal rural broadband programs have expanded middle‑mile and last‑mile fiber near towns; outside these footprints, carriers still rely on LTE/5G with limited sector capacity, which constrains peak-hour performance.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage largely tracks AT&T’s macro footprint; reliability is best on principal corridors.

How Jackson County differs from Kansas overall

• Lower adult smartphone penetration, driven by a larger 65+ population and rural adoption gaps (about 3–5 points below the state average).
• Higher share of smartphone‑only and cellular‑primary households (roughly 18% vs low‑teens statewide), making mobile networks more critical for basic home connectivity.
• More uneven 5G availability and lower median mobile speeds than the state average; LTE remains essential outside towns.
• Greater dependence on fixed wireless/5G Home Internet, with correspondingly higher per‑line data consumption.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates derived from the county’s recent population and household counts, ACS internet and device adoption patterns for rural counties, and national/rural smartphone adoption by age (Pew), adjusted to Jackson County’s age mix. They are intended to be decision‑grade approximations for planning and comparison with state‑level trends.

Social media usage in Jackson County, Kansas (snapshot, 2025)

Population anchor

• Total population: 13,232 (2020 U.S. Census).
• Adult (18+) population: roughly 10,000–10,500.

Estimated social media user base

• Rural adults who use at least one social platform: 66–72% (Pew Research Center).
• Applied to Jackson County’s adult population: approximately 6,600–7,500 adult social media users.

Most‑used platforms (benchmark rates: U.S. adults, Pew Research Center 2024; useful as the best proxy for county platform mix)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• Reddit: ~25%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Given Jackson County’s rural profile, expect Facebook and YouTube to slightly over-index relative to other platforms, with X/Reddit/LinkedIn under-indexing.

Age-group usage patterns (how the Jackson County audience is likely distributed across platforms)

• 13–17: Very heavy YouTube; Snapchat and TikTok are core daily apps; Instagram widely used; Facebook minimal.
• 18–29: Majority on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; Facebook secondary.
• 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram strong; TikTok growing.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable among women.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube are primary; limited use of newer platforms.

Gender breakdown (directional patterns consistent with U.S. usage)

• Women: Higher likelihood of using Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; strong participation in local Facebook Groups and marketplace activity.
• Men: Higher likelihood of using Reddit, X (Twitter), Twitch, and LinkedIn; heavier YouTube use for news, sports, DIY, and tech.

Behavioral trends observed in rural/Midwest counties and applicable to Jackson County

• Community information hub: Facebook Groups and Pages are central for school notices, high school sports, local government updates, church/community events, severe weather and outage updates, and buy/sell/trade.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is the go-to for how-to/DIY, agriculture and equipment content, home improvement, hunting/fishing/outdoors, and local sports streams or highlights.
• Messaging-as-utility: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous for local businesses and organizations; some WhatsApp use within family/work groups, but far less than Messenger.
• Short-form discovery: TikTok is growing for local dining, retail, salons, and events; creators amplify county fair, seasonal festivals, and small-business promotions.
• Youth communication: Snapchat remains a daily communication tool for teens and college-aged residents; geofilters and Stories drive local relevance.
• Marketplace and micro-commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are primary channels for used goods, farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, and home goods.
• Time-of-day patterns: Peaks before the workday (6–8 a.m.), lunch (noon–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around local events and sports.
• Neighborhood networks: Nextdoor presence is limited and uneven in rural tracts; Facebook Groups substitute for neighborhood apps.

What this means for planning

• Reach: Facebook + Instagram for broad county coverage; YouTube for cost-efficient video reach and how-to content; TikTok to reach under-35; Snapchat for teens/young adults.
• Creative: Emphasize community ties, local faces/places, practical value (how-to, deals, schedules), and short-form video.
• Targeting: Use ZIP/city-radius and interest signals tied to schools, youth sports, outdoors, ag/DIY, churches, and local events; lean on Facebook Groups and Marketplace placements for commerce-related efforts.

Data notes

• Population: U.S. Census (2020).
• Social media adoption and platform shares: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024; rural-versus-urban adoption benchmarks from Pew’s ongoing social media series.
• Figures above use national/rural benchmarks to estimate the Jackson County audience in the absence of county-specific surveys.