Lane County

Lane County, Kansas — key demographics

Population size

• 1,535 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~1,510 (Census Population Estimates Program), down modestly since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~46 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~51%
• 65 and over: ~26%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~88%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9–10%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Black, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023 unless noted)

• Households: ~690
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~60–62% of all households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~23–25%
• One-person households: ~30–35%
• Housing units: ~850; owner-occupied rate: ~75–80%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program)

Lane County, KS is very sparsely populated (2020 Census population 1,535 across ~718 sq mi; ~2.1 people/sq mi).

• Estimated email users: ~1,050 adults (about 90% of adults; ~68% of total residents). Basis: county age structure and national email adoption applied to rural connectivity.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–34 ≈ 19%, 35–64 ≈ 52%, 65+ ≈ 29% (older skew reflecting the county’s age mix; seniors’ email use lags but is substantial).
• Gender split of users: ≈51% male, 49% female, mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access trends: Roughly four in five households subscribe to broadband, and the vast majority have a computer or smartphone; smartphone‑only internet access is a meaningful minority. Adoption has risen since 2018, with the largest gains among older adults and low‑density areas as service expands.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Classified as “frontier” rural by density, which raises last‑mile costs and slows upgrades. Residents rely on fixed broadband where available, with mobile data and community Wi‑Fi (e.g., libraries/schools) supplementing access in outlying areas.

These figures synthesize Census/ACS demographics and established national email-use rates to provide county‑level estimates.

Mobile phone usage in Lane County, Kansas — 2025 snapshot

Context

• Population: 1,535 (2020 Census) spread across 718 square miles; very low density and an older age profile than the Kansas average. County seat: Dighton.

User estimates (modeled from 2020 Census population, ACS device-subscription patterns for rural western Kansas, and 2023 rural smartphone adoption rates)

• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile): ≈1,140 residents
• Adult smartphone users: ≈1,000 residents
• Residents relying on a mobile connection as their primary internet access (hotspot/smartphone-as-home internet): ≈250–300 residents
• Business users (farms, small enterprises) actively employing mobile devices or hotspots for field connectivity: ≈200–250 workers

Demographic breakdown (directional differences vs Kansas)

• Age
  • 18–34: high smartphone adoption (≈93–95%), roughly in line with state averages
  • 35–64: slightly lower than state (≈85–90% vs ≈90–92% statewide), reflecting more outdoor/agricultural occupations with mixed device mixes (smartphone + basic/feature phones and rugged devices)
  • 65+: notably lower than state (≈55–65% vs ≈70% statewide), driven by the county’s older age structure and conservative upgrade cycles
• Income/education
  • Ownership rates are strong but there is a higher share of budget/prepaid plans and longer device replacement cycles than the Kansas average
• Household connectivity pattern
  • Higher incidence of mobile-reliant households (smartphone/hotspot as primary internet) and lower fiber/cable availability than statewide norms; bundled fixed broadband + mobile adoption is lower than in metro Kansas

Digital infrastructure points

• Networks present: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon operate countywide; coverage is strongest in and around Dighton, along US-96 and KS-23, and near other primary corridors
• 5G availability: Predominantly low-band 5G with wide geographic coverage but modest capacity; mid-band 5G capacity is sparse compared with urban Kansas, so peak speeds are typically lower and more variable
• LTE fallback: Extensive LTE footprint underpins service continuity; signal variability increases on section roads between highways and in low-lying terrain
• Capacity/backhaul: Many rural sites rely on microwave backhaul or limited-capacity fiber, constraining 5G throughput compared with Kansas metro areas; this drives heavier reliance on LTE and contributes to evening slowdowns
• Emergency/public safety: E-911 cellular location and text-to-911 coverage are supported; FirstNet coverage is available via AT&T, commonly leveraged by county public safety
• Competitive landscape for home connectivity: Scarcer wired cable/fiber options than the state average and broader availability of fixed wireless access (FWA) from mobile carriers; this raises the role of mobile networks in home internet substitution

How Lane County differs from Kansas overall

• Higher mobile-as-primary-internet reliance: A noticeably larger share of residents and small businesses depend on smartphones/hotspots or FWA for home/field connectivity than the state average
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration among older adults: The county’s older age mix reduces overall smartphone share relative to Kansas, even as younger cohorts are on par with state norms
• Network capacity constraints, not coverage gaps, are the main limitation: Geographic coverage is generally adequate, but limited mid-band 5G and constrained backhaul keep median speeds below state urban benchmarks and produce more pronounced peak-hour slowdowns
• Device and plan mix skews value-oriented: Greater prevalence of prepaid and longer upgrade cycles than statewide, reflecting rural income/price sensitivity and fewer in-market retail options

Implications

• Expect stable overall mobile ownership but slower growth in advanced 5G usage than Kansas metros until additional mid-band capacity and fiber-fed sites are added
• Mobile networks will continue to shoulder a higher share of home broadband demand, sustaining strong uptake of hotspots and FWA offerings
• Targeted improvements—mid-band 5G overlays, added sectors on existing towers, and fiber backhaul upgrades—would yield outsized benefits compared with blanket new coverage deployments

Lane County, Kansas — social media usage snapshot (2025)

How this was built: County-aligned estimates using the 2020 Census (population 1,562; adult 18+ population ≈ 1,200–1,250) combined with recent Pew Research Center findings for U.S. adults, with rural adjustments. Figures below reflect share of Lane County adults unless noted.

Overall user stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: 65–75% (≈800–930 people)
• Daily users: ~50–60% of adults; weekly-but-not-daily: ~10–15%
• Access is overwhelmingly mobile-first (>85% of users primarily on smartphones)

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 20–25%
• Snapchat: 20–25%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• Reddit: 5–10%
• WhatsApp: 10–15% Notes: Facebook and YouTube dominate across ages; TikTok/Snapchat skew young; Pinterest over-indexes among women; X and Reddit over-index among men.

Age-group usage patterns

• Teens (13–17): 85–95% on Snapchat/TikTok; heavy YouTube; light Facebook (mainly for events/school updates)
• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; 70–85% Instagram/Snapchat; 50–65% TikTok; Facebook secondary
• 30–49: 65–75% Facebook (Groups, Marketplace, Messenger); 50–60% Instagram; strong YouTube for how-to/news
• 50–64: 60–70% Facebook primary; 60–70% YouTube; 25–35% Pinterest; limited TikTok/Instagram
• 65+: 55–65% Facebook; 55–65% YouTube; minimal on other platforms

Gender breakdown (directional, among users)

• Facebook: ~55–60% women, ~40–45% men
• Instagram: ~55–60% women, ~40–45% men
• Pinterest: ~70–75% women, ~25–30% men
• YouTube: ~50–55% men, ~45–50% women
• X (Twitter): ~55–65% men, ~35–45% women
• Reddit: ~65–75% men, ~25–35% women
• TikTok/Snapchat: close to even overall; slight female tilt among adults

Behavioral trends observed in rural Great Plains communities of similar size (applies to Lane County)

• Community coordination lives on Facebook: heavy use of Groups for school sports, churches, county updates, road/weather alerts, and event organizing; Marketplace is a key local buy/sell channel (farm/ranch gear, vehicles, household goods)
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for repairs, ag/ranch content, product research, sermons/meetings; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) dominates under 35 for entertainment and local highlights
• Private-by-default messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary chat tools; WhatsApp is niche and used mainly for family or work chains that span outside the county
• Posting vs. lurking: Older users post less but engage via comments/shares on Facebook; younger users create in Stories/Snaps but post fewer permanent feed items
• Time-of-day peaks: early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (noon), and evening (7–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around high school sports, fairs, and church/community events
• Trust and reach: Local pages/groups and known individuals outperform national sources for engagement; photo/video of recognizable people/places drives the highest interaction
• Ads and outreach: Best ROI via Facebook/Instagram with tight geo-targeting (10–30 miles) and creative tailored to events, seasonal needs, and practical offers; video or image posts featuring local scenes markedly outperform stock content

Key takeaways

• Plan around Facebook + YouTube for countywide reach, add Instagram for 18–49, and TikTok/Snapchat for under-30 engagement
• Use Groups, Events, and Marketplace for organic reach; short-form video boosts discovery across all ages
• Message responsiveness matters: many interactions move quickly into Messenger/Snapchat DMs for questions and conversions