Johnson County

Johnson County, Kansas — Key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates)

Population size

• 629,000 (2023 Population Estimates Program, PEP)
• 609,863 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2023 1-year)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2023 1-year; race alone unless noted, and Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~75%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Asian: ~7%
• Black or African American: ~5%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Household data (ACS 2023 1-year)

• Households: ~246,000
• Average household size: ~2.55
• Family households: ~67% of households
• Married-couple families: ~53% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~34%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%; living alone: ~27%
• Homeownership rate: ~70% (owner-occupied); renter-occupied: ~30%

Insights

• Continued growth since 2020 (+3% to +4%) with strong family presence and high homeownership.
• Increasing diversity driven primarily by Hispanic and Asian populations alongside steady Black population share.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2023 Population Estimates (PEP), 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year, and 2020 Decennial Census.

• Scope: Johnson County, Kansas (2023 pop. ≈622,000)
• Estimated email users: ≈555,000 (about 89% of residents)

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 13–24: 18%
• 25–44: 35%
• 45–64: 28%
• 65+: 19%

Gender split among users (est.):

• Female: 51%
• Male: 49%

Digital access and usage trends:

• Household broadband subscription is very high (≈95%), reflecting the county’s income and education profile.
• Extensive fiber availability (Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber, Spectrum) across major cities including Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, and Shawnee supports reliable, high‑speed email use.
• Fixed internet speeds in the Kansas City metro commonly exceed 200 Mbps median, enabling heavy email attachments and cloud use.
• 4G/5G mobile coverage is near‑universal; smartphone‑only internet reliance is comparatively low (single‑digit to ~10%), indicating strong multi‑device access for email.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Population density ≈1,300 people per square mile; over 95% of residents live in the Kansas City urbanized area, which concentrates infrastructure investment and keeps connectivity levels high.

Mobile phone usage in Johnson County, Kansas — key findings with differences vs. the Kansas statewide picture

At-a-glance user estimates

• Population baseline: ~630,000–650,000 residents; ~500,000 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: 470,000–490,000 (94–96% adult penetration), noticeably higher than Kansas overall (about 88–90%).
• Total unique mobile users including teens: roughly 500,000–520,000, reflecting very high teen smartphone uptake in the suburban KC metro.
• Wireless-only telephony: an estimated 75–80% of households rely on mobile as their primary voice service (no landline), a bit above the statewide share (~70–73%).
• Home internet mix: 93–95% of households subscribe to home broadband (fiber/cable/DSL/FWA) in Johnson County vs. ~88–89% statewide; households relying only on cellular data plans for home internet are lower (about 5–7% in Johnson vs. ~10–12% statewide).

Demographic breakdown (smartphone penetration, Johnson County vs. Kansas)

• Age:
  • 18–34: ~98–99% (vs. Kansas ~95–97%)
  • 35–64: ~96–98% (vs. Kansas ~92–95%)
  • 65+: ~85–88% (vs. Kansas ~75–80%) Insight: The county’s seniors are substantially more connected than the statewide average, reflecting higher income, education, and digital literacy.
• Income:
  • <$35k: ~92–94% (vs. Kansas ~85–88%)
  • $35k–$100k: ~95–97% (vs. Kansas ~90–93%)
  • $100k+: ~98–99% (vs. Kansas ~96–98%) Insight: Elevated adoption persists even in lower-income brackets locally, narrowing the income-based gap compared with the state.
• Education:
  • Bachelor’s+ households: ~98–99% (vs. Kansas ~94–96%)
  • HS diploma or less: ~92–94% (vs. Kansas ~86–90%) Insight: Education-linked disparities exist but are smaller than statewide due to strong device affordability and service availability in the metro.

Usage and device profile

• 5G device penetration among smartphone users: 80–85% in Johnson County, higher than Kansas overall (70–75%), reflecting earlier 5G rollout and stronger upgrade cycles in the KC metro.
• Data consumption: Per-user mobile data use is materially above the Kansas average, driven by high 5G availability and streaming/remote-work patterns; extensive home fiber/cable access also means high Wi‑Fi offload, reducing the share of truly mobile-only internet users compared to the state.
• Plan mix: Higher prevalence of postpaid family plans and lower prepaid share than statewide, consistent with income and household composition.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G/LTE coverage: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide near-universal LTE and extensive 5G across Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Leawood, and Prairie Village. Mid-band 5G (e.g., C‑band/n41) is widely deployed along I‑35, US‑69, I‑435, K‑10, and key commercial corridors, with low-band 5G/4G predominating on rural fringes near Edgerton and western exurban areas.
• Speed and capacity: The KC metro’s mid-band 5G footprint yields higher median mobile speeds and capacity than the Kansas statewide median, with fewer congestion-related slowdowns except during peak events in dense retail and office districts.
• Small-cell density: Higher small-cell and sector density in employment/retail centers (Corporate Woods, Town Center, College Blvd corridor, Downtown Overland Park), improving uplink and indoor performance relative to typical Kansas communities.
• Home broadband backbones: Robust fiber and cable options—Google Fiber and AT&T Fiber across much of the urbanized area, plus cable HFC—support high household broadband adoption and reduce reliance on cellular-only home internet. Fixed wireless access (FWA) from T‑Mobile and Verizon is widely available but accounts for a smaller household share than statewide because fiber/cable are prevalent.

What’s different in Johnson County vs. the Kansas statewide trend

• Higher smartphone penetration across every major demographic, with the biggest gap among seniors and lower-income residents.
• Earlier, deeper 5G adoption and denser cell infrastructure (macro + small cells), reflecting KC-metro investments and the area’s legacy as a national wireless hub, translating to faster typical speeds and better in-building coverage.
• Lower dependence on mobile-only internet for the home because fiber/cable are widely available and subscribed, while FWA is a complementary option rather than a primary substitute.
• Heavier tilt toward postpaid family plans and newer 5G devices, producing higher data consumption but also better network performance compared to many non-metro Kansas counties.
• Coverage gaps are limited to exurban edges; statewide gaps are more common in rural regions, creating a wider urban–rural performance divide at the state level than within Johnson County.

Sources and methodology note

• Figures synthesize the latest available public aggregates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (household internet and device access), Pew Research Center (smartphone adoption by income/age), FCC coverage maps (carrier 5G/LTE footprints), and industry mobility reports (device penetration and data usage). County-level user counts are estimated by applying demographic-specific adoption rates to Johnson County’s population profile and then benchmarking against KC metro infrastructure deployment patterns.

Social media usage in Johnson County, KS (2024 snapshot)

User base and reach

• Population: ~620,000 (ACS 2023). Adults 18+: ~471,000; teens 13–17: ~41,000.
• Adults using any social media: ~83% ≈ 391,000 (Pew 2024).
• Teens using any social media: ~95% ≈ 39,000 (Pew 2023, 13–17).
• Total estimated social users 13+: ~430,000.

Most-used platforms (adults; share of all adults, with estimated users)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 391,000
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 320,000
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 221,000
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 155,000
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 165,000
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 141,000
• Snapchat: 27% ≈ 127,000
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 104,000
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 104,000
• WhatsApp: 21% ≈ 99,000 Note: Percentages are national adult usage rates (Pew 2024) applied to Johnson County’s adult population; local rates generally track these, with LinkedIn and Nextdoor tending higher in affluent, suburban counties like Johnson.

Most-used platforms (teens 13–17; share of teens, with estimated users)

• YouTube: ~95% ≈ 39,000
• TikTok: ~67% ≈ 27,700
• Instagram: ~62% ≈ 25,700
• Snapchat: ~59% ≈ 24,400
• Facebook: ~23% ≈ 9,500 Source: Pew 2023 Teen Social Media and Technology.

Age patterns

• 13–17: Video-first (YouTube, TikTok), heavy Snapchat/Instagram for messaging and social identity; Facebook minimal.
• 18–29: Broad multi-platform use; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat lead for daily engagement; YouTube ubiquitous.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominant; Instagram growing; TikTok adoption rising; frequent use of Facebook Groups and Marketplace.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram moderate; TikTok selective, driven by short-form video consumption.
• 65+: Facebook is primary, YouTube second; others marginal.

Gender breakdown and skews

• Overall users track county demographics (≈51% women, 49% men).
• Platform skews (national patterns likely mirrored locally): Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (women are about 2x as likely as men to use Pinterest). Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit (men ≈3x women), X, and slightly on LinkedIn.

Local behavioral trends

• Community/neighbor networks: Strong reliance on Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for HOA, school/PTA, youth sports, city updates, lost-and-found, and public safety notices.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for local resale; Instagram shopping and Pinterest drive discovery for home, style, and events.
• Local business discovery: Instagram Reels and TikTok are key for restaurants, fitness, and entertainment; cross-posting to Facebook extends reach to 30+ and family segments.
• Professional culture: Higher-than-average LinkedIn usage aligns with the county’s educated, white-collar workforce; weekday midday engagement is common.
• Information and news: City, county, and school district pages see strong followings on Facebook; YouTube used for how-to, civic meetings replays, and long-form local content.
• Creative format tilt: Short-form vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives outsized engagement; photo carousels and Stories remain effective on Instagram for lifestyle content.
• Timing: Engagement typically clusters in evenings and weekends, with secondary weekday midday spikes, consistent with suburban work/life rhythms.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year estimates (population and age structure).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption).
• Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (teen platform adoption).