Nemaha County

Nemaha County, Kansas – key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• Total population: 10,200–10,300 (2023 estimate ≈10.2k; 2020 Census ≈10.27k)
• Trend: essentially stable to slightly declining since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~41–42 years
• Under 5 years: ~6%
• Under 18 years: ~25%
• 65 years and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–5% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.

Households

• Total households: ~4,100
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.45–2.55
• Family households: ~65–70% of all households; married-couple families comprise the majority
• Nonfamily households: ~30–35%
• Households with one person age 65+: common for a rural/aging profile

Insights

• Small, rural county with a stable-to-slightly-declining population.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a modest Hispanic/Latino presence.
• Older age structure relative to the U.S. average; sizable 65+ share.
• Household sizes are modest; family households remain the majority.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates; Census QuickFacts for Nemaha County, KS. Figures shown are rounded to reflect ACS estimate precision.

Nemaha County, KS (2020 Census pop ≈10,300; ≈14 residents per sq mile) is predominantly rural, shaping digital access and email habits.

Estimated email users: ≈8,300 (≈80% of residents).

Age distribution of email users

• 13–17: ~6%
• 18–34: ~22%
• 35–64: ~51%
• 65+: ~21% Working‑age adults dominate usage, with steady gains among seniors.

Gender split among email users

• ~50% female, ~50% male (mirrors county demographics).

Digital access and connectivity trends

• ~84% of households have a home broadband subscription; ~90% have a computer.
• ~17% of households are smartphone‑only internet users, supporting mobile email but limiting desktop use.
• Fixed broadband (≥25/3 Mbps) reaches the vast majority of locations; higher‑speed (≥100/20) and fiber are concentrated in population centers (e.g., Seneca, Sabetha), with sparser coverage in outlying areas.
• Email remains near‑universal among internet users; overall usage is stable, with fastest growth in the 65+ cohort as device ownership, telehealth, and online services expand.

These estimates blend U.S. Census/ACS population and device-access baselines with Pew‑style age adoption rates to reflect local rural conditions.

Nemaha County, Kansas: mobile phone usage summary (focus on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: 10,273 (2020 Census); ~10,300 in 2023.
• Estimated adult (18+) smartphone users: ~7,000 (about 87% of adults).
• Estimated total smartphone users including teens (13–17): ~7,700 (about 75% of the total population).

How these estimates were derived

• Applied current U.S. smartphone ownership by age (Pew Research, 2023–2024) to a rural, older-skewed age mix typical of Nemaha County (higher share of 65+ than Kansas overall). Adult smartphone ownership rates used: 18–29 (97%), 30–49 (95%), 50–64 (83%), 65+ (76%); teens 13–17 (95%). Resulting county-level estimate is lower than statewide Kansas, which is near the national adult average (90%).

Demographic breakdown (users and penetration)

• 18–29: ~1,400 smartphone users; very high penetration (mid-to-high 90s%).
• 30–49: ~2,370 smartphone users; very high penetration (mid-90s%).
• 50–64: ~1,530 smartphone users; solid penetration but lower than younger cohorts (low-80s%).
• 65+: ~1,710 smartphone users; materially lower penetration than the state average for this cohort (mid-70s%).
• Teens 13–17: 690 smartphone users; very high penetration (95%).

Distinct trends vs statewide Kansas

• Smartphone penetration: Nemaha County’s adult smartphone adoption (about 87%) trails Kansas overall (near 90%) due to an older population share and more feature-phone retention among seniors.
• Device mix and upgrade cycle: A larger share of 4G-only and older handsets persists, with slower upgrade cycles than urban Kansas, which dampens 5G uptake.
• Mobile-only internet use: A slightly higher share of adults rely on smartphones as their primary internet connection than the statewide average, reflecting patchier fixed-broadband access in outlying areas.
• Usage profile: Voice/SMS and utility apps (banking, weather, ag/logistics, telehealth) are relatively more prominent; high-throughput mobile video is less common away from towns because of LTE fallback and building penetration limits.
• Coverage reliability: Outdoor coverage is broadly reliable in towns and along major corridors, but indoor coverage and rural hollows see more variability than in metro Kansas; Wi‑Fi calling is an important mitigator.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) operate in the county. 4G LTE is the baseline; 5G low‑band covers population centers and primary corridors; mid‑band 5G is concentrated in/near Seneca and Sabetha and along US‑36/US‑75, with LTE fallback common in outlying sections.
• Geography and siting: Sparse macro‑site grid typical of rural NE Kansas; sites cluster near towns (Sabetha, Seneca, Centralia) and highways (US‑36 east–west; US‑75 north–south; K‑9; K‑63). Rolling terrain and metal‑clad ag/industrial buildings reduce indoor signal quality outside town cores.
• Backhaul: Fiber backhaul interconnects the main towns and highway corridors via regional telco/co‑op fiber; this supports strong LTE capacity in towns and limited mid‑band 5G nodes. Outside these areas, sectors often run on longer microwave spans or lower-capacity fiber laterals, constraining 5G expansion and peak speeds.
• Public safety and resiliency: AT&T FirstNet service is available countywide; Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported. During storms and utility outages, single‑site dependence in rural zones can lead to spotty coverage until generators or restoration crews arrive.
• Fixed‑wireless interplay: CBRS and other licensed/unlicensed fixed‑wireless ISPs are active in rural pockets; households often blend mobile data with fixed‑wireless or fiber where available, but farther from towns mobile remains the default on‑the‑go connection.

Implications

• Expect steady but slower 5G migration than the Kansas average, concentrated first in Sabetha and Seneca before broader rural infill.
• Senior-focused digital inclusion (device upgrade assistance, Wi‑Fi calling setup, and telehealth training) will have outsized payoff relative to statewide efforts.
• Prioritizing additional mid‑band 5G sectors and indoor coverage solutions at community hubs (clinics, schools, co‑op facilities) would close the largest service gaps faster than uniform countywide buildouts.

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

County user base

• Population: ~10,300; adults (18+): ~7,900
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~80% ≈ 6,300 users

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adult population; multi‑platform use common)

• YouTube: 80% (~6,320 adults)
• Facebook: 70% (~5,530)
• Instagram: 40% (~3,160)
• TikTok: 30% (~2,370)
• Pinterest: 34% (~2,690)
• Snapchat: 24% (~1,900)
• LinkedIn: 24% (~1,900)
• X (Twitter): 20% (~1,580)
• Reddit: 14% (~1,110)

Age mix of adult social media users (share of the ~6,300 adult users)

• 18–29: 20%
• 30–49: 32%
• 50–64: 27%
• 65+: 21% Notes on teens (13–17): very high usage (90%+), concentrated on YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok; relatively little Facebook use.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ~52% female, 48% male
• Platform skew:
  • More female: Facebook (55% F), Instagram (54% F), TikTok (55% F), Snapchat (52% F), Pinterest (~75% F)
  • More male: YouTube (56% M), X/Twitter (56% M), Reddit (70% M), LinkedIn (53% M)

Behavioral trends (what people actually do)

• Facebook is the community hub: city/county pages, school districts, youth sports, churches, county fair, buy/sell/ISO groups. Marketplace and local groups drive the highest comment activity among 35+.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, ag/DIY, church services, school sports; short‑form Reels/TikToks (15–60s) for entertainment, local highlights, and small‑business promos.
• Under‑30 behavior: heavy DMs, Stories, and group chats (Snapchat/Instagram); post less publicly but consume more short‑form video. Event sharing peaks around games, dances, fairs.
• 30–49: mixes Facebook Groups with Instagram Reels; follows local boutiques, clinics, gyms; responds to limited‑time offers and kid‑focused content.
• 50–64 and 65+: rely on Facebook for local news, obituaries, weather alerts, and community events; more likely to click links and share posts than to create content.
• Pinterest usage centers on home/crafts, gardening, recipes, weddings; strong intent traffic to local retailers and registries.
• X/Twitter use is niche: weather/storm updates, K‑12/college sports scores, and state agency notices; little sustained local conversation.
• LinkedIn is practical rather than social: healthcare, manufacturing, education, and public-sector recruiting; event-driven spikes (job fairs, openings).
• Daily rhythms: engagement spikes 6–8 a.m., noon hour, and 7–10 p.m.; weekend peaks around school sports and community events.
• Content that performs: recognizable local faces/places, short vertical video, clear calls to action, and event-centric posts; trust is highest for content from schools, churches, first responders, and known local businesses.

Notes

• Figures are 2025 estimates derived from county demographics (ACS/Census) and current U.S. platform adoption patterns with rural adjustments; platform percentages are expressed as share of the adult population.