Montgomery County

Key demographics for Montgomery County, Kansas

Population

• Total population: ~30,100 (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)
• 2020 Census: 31,486

Age

• Median age: ~40.4 years
• Under 18 years: ~23%
• 65 years and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50.4%
• Male: ~49.6%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~80–81%
• Black or African American alone: ~6–7%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~5–6%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~7%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~12,600
• Average household size: ~2.34
• Family households: ~60% of all households
• Married-couple households: ~44–45%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Living alone: ~31%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~68% (renter-occupied ~32%)

Notes and sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates). Percentages rounded.

• Population base: 30,300 residents; low-density, ~47 people per square mile, concentrated in Coffeyville and Independence (17,000 combined, ~57% of county).
• Estimated email users: ~23,000 residents actively use email (driven by high adult adoption and moderate teen use).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 13–17: 6%
  • 18–34: 25%
  • 35–54: 35%
  • 55–64: 17%
  • 65+: 17%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors local population balance).
• Digital access and adoption:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~81%.
  • Households with a computer: ~90%.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~12% (email primarily accessed via mobile in these homes).
  • Connectivity is strongest in Independence/Coffeyville (broadband tiers ≥100 Mbps common); rural townships rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, contributing to a roughly 10–15 point subscription/adoption gap versus the cities.
• Trends and implications:
  • Email remains a near-universal communication channel for working-age adults and seniors who are online.
  • Mobile access is meaningful for outreach; ensure email is mobile-optimized.
  • Rural last‑mile constraints continue to temper adoption outside the two main population centers.

Mobile phone usage in Montgomery County, Kansas — summary and differences vs. the state

Context and population baseline

• Population: 30,600 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate; 2020 Census was 31,486). Roughly 12,600 households.
• The county is older and lower-income than Kansas overall, with a higher rural share. Those factors typically correlate with slightly lower smartphone adoption and higher reliance on mobile-only internet than the state average.

User estimates (mobile and smartphone)

• Adult mobile phone users: about 23,000–24,000 residents. This estimate applies national adult mobile-phone ownership (Pew Research Center 2023: ≈97% of adults have a mobile phone) to the county’s adult population.
• Adult smartphone users: about 20,000–22,000 residents. This uses Pew’s 2023 smartphone rate (≈85% overall; slightly lower in rural areas) scaled to the county’s adult population.
• Households relying on cellular data as their only internet subscription: approximately 1,900–2,200 households. This reflects typical rural Kansas cellular-only rates in the mid-teens as seen in ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns (Table S2801, 2018–2022 5-year), applied to roughly 12,600 households.
• Households with a smartphone present: on the order of 10,800–11,400 households. This aligns with ACS S2801 device-ownership norms for rural Kansas counties (high-80s to low-90s percent of households).

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs within the county)

• Age: A larger 65+ share than Kansas overall implies:
  • Smartphone adoption among seniors trails the county average by 15–25 percentage points (Pew 2023 benchmark), so an estimated 5,000–6,000 seniors account for a disproportionate share of flip‑phone/basic-phone users and non-users.
• Income: Lower median household income than the Kansas average is associated with:
  • Higher prepaid and discount-plan usage and a higher rate of cellular-only households (often a cost-avoidance of fixed broadband). Expect cellular-only reliance to be concentrated among households under $35,000.
• Rural vs. town centers: Independence, Coffeyville, and Caney account for most 5G capacity and higher speeds; the more rural townships see lower mid-band 5G availability and more pockets where voice/LTE are reliable but capacity is limited.

Digital infrastructure points (coverage, capacity, and public-safety)

• Carrier presence: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all provide countywide 4G LTE; all three market 5G service in and around the main towns and along major corridors (US-75, US‑169, US‑166).
• 5G profile:
  • Town centers: mid-band 5G (especially from T-Mobile) provides materially higher capacity and speeds than rural surroundings.
  • Rural areas: widespread low-band 5G (and LTE) coverage with lower throughput; mid-band 5G is more limited outside the highways and towns compared with Kansas’s metro counties.
• Coverage characteristics that differ from the state average:
  • More frequent terrain- and vegetation-related signal variability in river bottoms and low-lying areas along the Verdigris and Caney rivers than in many Kansas counties.
  • Greater prevalence of mobile-only internet in households than the statewide average, reflecting lower fixed-broadband adoption and affordability constraints.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is active countywide, supporting emergency services. Kansas’s NG911/Text‑to‑911 is operational for the county PSAP, improving accessibility for mobile users during emergencies.
• Cross-border effects:
  • Proximity to Oklahoma can introduce edge-of-cell conditions and inter-carrier roaming/hand-off behavior near the southern border; users may see network selection differences compared with more central Kansas counties.

How Montgomery County differs from Kansas overall (key takeaways)

• Smartphone penetration is slightly lower than the statewide rate, driven by an older age profile and lower incomes.
• Cellular-only households make up a noticeably larger share than the Kansas average, signaling heavier dependence on mobile networks for home internet.
• 5G coverage exists from all major carriers but skews more to low-band outside towns; mid-band 5G capacity is less pervasive than in the state’s metro counties, so average mobile speeds are typically lower and more variable.
• Prepaid adoption and plan-churn are likely higher than the state average due to affordability dynamics, particularly since the wind-down of the federal ACP has shifted more households back to prepaid mobile solutions; Lifeline remains an important subsidy for eligible residents.

Sources and methods

• Population and households: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; 2023 Vintage county estimates).
• Device and subscription context: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year, Table S2801 (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions). County-level smartphone-present and cellular-only household shares are inferred from ACS patterns for rural Kansas counties applied to Montgomery County’s household base.
• Mobile adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center (2023) for adult mobile phone and smartphone ownership rates by age and geography.
• Mobile coverage and public safety: FCC mobile deployment maps (2024) for carrier presence and 4G/5G availability; State of Kansas NG911 documentation for Text‑to‑911 and PSAP readiness.

Note on estimates

• Where county-specific mobile usage figures are not directly published, the user counts and household reliance figures provided above are derived by applying credible state/national rates to Montgomery County’s known population and household totals. They are designed to be realistic for planning and comparison with Kansas-wide conditions.

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

User stats and reach

• Population baseline: 2020 Census counts 31,486 residents in Montgomery County. Roughly three-quarters are adults.
• Overall penetration: 72% of U.S. adults use at least one social media platform (Pew Research Center, 2024). Applied locally, this implies the clear majority of county adults are active on social media in some form.

Most-used platforms among adults (Pew Research Center, 2024 U.S. rates; rank order and relative reach hold well in rural counties like Montgomery)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%

Age-group patterns (how usage concentrates locally)

• 65+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; consumption skews to local news, church/community updates, and family content. TikTok is growing as a passive viewing channel.
• 50–64: Facebook remains the social “home base” (Groups, Marketplace, Messenger). YouTube used for how‑to, home/auto repair, and local sports.
• 30–49: Multiplatform. Facebook for Groups/Marketplace; YouTube for learning/entertainment; Instagram for brands and local businesses; some TikTok/Reels consumption.
• 18–29: Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are daily-use platforms; Facebook mainly for Groups/Messenger and event coordination. YouTube is universal for entertainment and tutorials.
• Teens: Heavy Snapchat for messaging; TikTok for entertainment and trends; YouTube for long‑form and creator content.

Gender breakdown (usage tendencies)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook (Groups/Marketplace), Instagram (Stories/Reels), and Pinterest (planning/shopping). Drive school, church, and community event engagement.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube (how‑to, sports, trades), Reddit (interest communities), and X (sports/news).

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Kansas counties and evident in Montgomery County communities like Coffeyville and Independence

• Facebook Groups are the civic hub: local news, school and sports updates, lost-and-found, and buy‑sell‑trade. Marketplace is a top discovery channel for local commerce.
• Event-driven spikes: Fairs, school sports, city announcements, weather incidents, and road closures trigger rapid engagement and sharing.
• Visual, place-based content performs: Photos of recognizable people, landmarks, and venues outperform generic assets; short vertical video (Reels/TikToks) sees the highest organic reach.
• Messaging-first interactions: Facebook Messenger is the default for business inquiries and peer-to-peer coordination; WhatsApp usage is present but niche.
• Cross-posting short video: Local businesses increasingly repurpose the same vertical video to Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
• Evening/weekend attention: Engagement peaks after work hours and on weekends; midday posts do well when tied to timely local needs (e.g., lunch specials, game-day reminders).
• Trust anchors: Known local admins, schools, churches, first responders, and established small businesses act as credibility gateways; collaborations or shares from them materially boost reach.

How to use this locally

• Maximize reach and community action via Facebook (Pages + Groups + Marketplace) and YouTube; add Instagram and TikTok for under‑40 audiences.
• Lead with short, authentic video and clearly local visuals; include Messenger as a primary call to action.
• Tie content to the local calendar (school schedules, sports seasons, festivals, weather) for outsized engagement.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption percentages).
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Montgomery County population baseline).