Miami County

Miami County, Kansas — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 34,191 (2020 Census)
• Recent estimate: ~35,000 (U.S. Census Bureau intercensal estimate, 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: under 18: ~25%; 18–64: ~60%; 65+: ~15% (ACS 2019–2023)

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~90%
• Black or African American alone: ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–6% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and can overlap with race categories.

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~13,000
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7 persons
• Family households: ~70–75% of all households; married-couple households comprise the majority
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• Homeownership rate: ~80% of occupied housing units

Insights

• Miami County is growing modestly since 2020, with a relatively older median age compared with the U.S. overall.
• The population is predominantly White with small but gradually increasing racial/ethnic diversity.
• Household structure is family- and owner-occupied–oriented, with larger-than-average household sizes.

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

Miami County, KS email usage (estimates grounded in U.S. Census/ACS demographics and Pew Research adoption rates):

• Estimated users: ≈24,600 adult email users out of ≈34,600 residents. Calculation uses local age structure and age-specific U.S. email adoption (97% ages 18–34, 96% 35–54, 92% 55–64, 85% 65+).
• Age distribution of users: 18–34: 26%; 35–54: 39%; 55–64: 17%; 65+: 18%.
• Gender split: ≈51% female, 49% male among users, mirroring the county’s population; email adoption is effectively parity by gender.
• Digital access trends: ≈89% of households maintain a broadband subscription (about 11,300 of ≈12,700–13,000 households); ≈93% have a computer; ≈90% of adults own a smartphone, and about 15% are smartphone‑only internet users—supporting high mobile email use.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density is roughly 60 residents per square mile, with stronger fixed and mobile coverage along the Paola–Louisburg–Spring Hill corridors of the Kansas City metro fringe; more rural southern and western areas show higher reliance on DSL/satellite, which can depress email speeds and increase mobile‑only usage.

Insight: The county’s mid-density, metro-adjacent profile sustains near-universal adult email adoption, with the 35–54 cohort forming the largest share of users and mobile access playing a growing role.

Miami County, KS mobile phone usage summary (focus on differences from Kansas overall)

Headline figures

• Population baseline: 34,191 residents (2020 Census, Decennial). Growth since 2020 has been modest and positive, given Kansas City metro spillover into the county.
• Estimated total mobile connections: about 50,000–55,000 connections in the county at any time, assuming the U.S. per-capita rate of roughly 1.5 mobile connections per resident (CTIA, 2023).
• Estimated adult smartphone users: approximately 23,000–25,000 adult smartphone users, applying current U.S. adult smartphone adoption (~90%, Pew Research, 2023) to an adult share that is typical for a suburban–rural county of this size.
• Mobile-only internet households (no wired broadband, rely on cellular data): roughly 10–13% of households, equating to about 1,300–1,700 households countywide. This is lower than many rural Kansas counties (often mid-teens) but higher than core suburban Johnson County.

What stands out vs Kansas as a whole

• Adoption and usage profile: Miami County skews more “suburban metro” than “rural Kansas.” Smartphone adoption and per-capita connections are closer to the Kansas City metro pattern (high adoption, multiple lines per household) than to western or south-central Kansas where adoption and multi-line rates are lower.
• 5G availability: Population coverage by at least one carrier’s 5G is higher than the Kansas statewide average due to proximity to the Kansas City network core. Coverage is strongest along the US-69 and US-169 corridors and around Louisburg, Paola, Osawatomie, and the Spring Hill area. By contrast, many rural Kansas counties still have large LTE-only zones.
• Commute-driven demand: Average commute times are notably longer than the Kansas state average, reflecting out-commuting to Johnson County and the KC metro. This creates heavier daytime and peak-period mobile data demand on north–south corridors than seen in most Kansas counties.
• Mixed infrastructure reality: Northern and corridor areas benefit from metro-adjacent fiber backhaul and denser cell grids; southern and southwest parts of the county still exhibit spotty coverage and uplink limitations, a split less pronounced in uniformly rural Kansas counties.

Demographic breakdown and usage implications

• Age
  • 18–29 and 30–49: Very high smartphone adoption (mid-90%+). This cohort forms the core of heavy mobile data use (navigation, streaming, tethering during commutes).
  • 50–64: High adoption (roughly low- to mid-80%), with strong BYOD/remote-work reliance near the Johnson County border.
  • 65+: Moderate adoption (roughly low-60% range nationally). In Miami County this group is somewhat larger than in urban Johnson County, so accessibility and reliability (voice/SMS, telehealth) are key, and cellular is an important backup where wired broadband is limited.
• Income and household composition
  • Household incomes are generally above the Kansas median in the northern/commuter belt, supporting multi-line family plans and higher data tiers; southern rural areas show greater reliance on single-line or prepaid plans.
• Language and race/ethnicity
  • The county’s population is less diverse than the Kansas average; device ownership gaps by race/ethnicity that appear in statewide data are less pronounced locally. Programmatic outreach for affordability programs (ACP/ Lifeline) still matters in the southern half of the county.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carriers and networks
  • All three national MNOs (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) serve the county. T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G is prominent along US-69 and into population centers; AT&T and Verizon 5G are present with strong LTE overlays.
  • First responder networks: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is well-established on major corridors and around population centers; Verizon Frontline and T-Mobile priority services are also available.
• Coverage pattern
  • Strong: US-69, US-169, K-68, K-7, and municipal cores (Paola, Louisburg, Osawatomie, Spring Hill area).
  • Variable: Southern/western rural areas and low-lying or forested pockets near watercourses can exhibit weaker indoor coverage and slower uplinks.
• Capacity and performance
  • Higher sector density, fiber-fed backhaul, and mid-band 5G in the north yield metro-like speeds and capacity during peak commute windows. Rural sites rely more on LTE with lower spectral reuse, so cell-edge performance and uplink rates can dip under load.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Proximity to Kansas City fiber backbones improves resiliency and upgrade cadence in the northern half of the county. Rural backhaul mixes leased fiber and microwave; upgrades there lag metro schedules.
• Fixed-wireless and home internet
  • 5G fixed-wireless home internet is available in and around the northern corridor, filling gaps and contributing to the 10–13% cellular-only household share. In deeper rural tracts, legacy fixed wireless ISPs and satellite remain common.

Usage estimate details (how the numbers were derived)

• Total mobile connections: Applying the U.S. average of roughly 1.5 mobile connections per resident (CTIA 2023) to the 2020 Census population yields approximately 51,000 connections, with growth since 2020 plausibly pushing the live count into the low-50,000s.
• Adult smartphone users: Applying current national adult smartphone adoption (~90%, Pew 2023) to an adult population typical for a suburban–rural county of this size produces an estimated 23,000–25,000 adult smartphone users locally.
• Cellular-only households: Benchmarked to ACS “cellular data only” tendencies—lower in suburban metros, higher in rural counties—Miami County’s exurban profile supports an 10–13% estimate, lower than rural Kansas averages but above fully suburban Johnson County.

Key takeaways

• Miami County’s mobile market behaves more like a suburban extension of the Kansas City metro than like rural Kansas: higher adoption, more lines per household, and earlier 5G availability.
• Infrastructure is bifurcated: metro-grade capacity along the main corridors and towns, with rural pockets that still depend on LTE and show capacity or coverage gaps.
• Commute-driven, corridor-centric usage patterns differentiate the county from the Kansas average and should guide siting (additional sectors/small cells) and backhaul upgrades along US-69 and US-169.

Miami County, KS social media snapshot (2024)

Scope and user base

• Population baseline: ~35,000 residents
• Estimated social media users (all ages): ~25,000 (≈72% of residents), in line with U.S. penetration
• “At least one social platform” usage by age cohort (best-available U.S. benchmarks applied locally):
  • Ages 13–17: ~95%
  • 18–29: ~84%
  • 30–49: ~81%
  • 50–64: ~73%
  • 65+: ~50%

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult residents who use each at least sometimes; Miami County estimates modeled from Pew’s 2024 U.S. data)

• YouTube: 84%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 44%
• Pinterest: 36%
• TikTok: 30%
• LinkedIn: 28%
• Snapchat: 24%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• WhatsApp: 19%
• Reddit: 16%

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): YouTube (95%), TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%), Snapchat (60%) dominate; Facebook minimal use
• Young adults (18–29): YouTube universal; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are the daily drivers; Facebook used but less central than for older groups
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook lead; Instagram mainstream; TikTok adoption growing; LinkedIn usage notable among commuters/professionals
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest strong for projects/home; Instagram moderate; TikTok selective
• 65+: Facebook remains the primary network; YouTube for news/how‑to/entertainment; other platforms niche

Gender breakdown and skews (adults)

• Overall user split: roughly women 52%, men 48% of social users
• Platform skews (directionally consistent with Pew 2024):
  • Pinterest: women (50%) far more than men (20%)
  • Instagram: women slightly higher than men
  • Snapchat: women higher than men
  • TikTok: women slightly higher than men
  • LinkedIn: men slightly higher than women
  • Reddit: men substantially higher than women
  • Facebook, YouTube: broadly balanced by gender

Behavioral trends observed locally (suburban/exurban Kansas profile)

• Facebook as the community hub: local news, school/sports updates, church and civic groups, buy/sell/trade, and Marketplace transactions see high engagement
• Video-first consumption: short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives discovery; weather alerts, local events, and public-safety updates spike engagement
• Trust in local voices: posts from schools, city/county agencies, small businesses, and known community members outperform brand-only messaging
• Shopping/discovery: Facebook/Instagram for local businesses; Pinterest for home, food, and seasonal projects; TikTok/Instagram for younger shoppers
• Messaging habits: Messenger and Snapchat for private, rapid coordination among families and teens; community coordination often starts in Facebook Groups
• Daypart patterns: peaks around early morning (commute/school run), lunch, and 7–10 p.m.; weekend activity stronger for events, sports, and local commerce

Notes on methodology

• Figures are Miami County estimates derived from the latest U.S. Census population counts and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 national social media usage benchmarks; small local deviations of ±3–5 percentage points are typical for counties with a slightly older, suburban/exurban profile.