Ottawa County

Here are core demographics for Ottawa County, Kansas, using the most recent decennial census and American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates available.

Population size

• Total population: 5,735 (2020 Census)
• Trend: modest decline versus 2010

Age

• Median age: about 42 years (ACS 5-year)
• Age distribution: roughly 24% under 18, 58% 18–64, 18% 65+ (ACS 5-year)

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (shares)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~90–93%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.5–1%
• Black (non-Hispanic): <1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): <1%

Households and housing

• Households: about 2,300 (2020 Census)
• Persons per household: ~2.4 (ACS 5-year)
• Family households: roughly two-thirds of households (ACS 5-year)
• Owner-occupied housing share: ~75–80% (ACS 5-year)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP-1/DHC) and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates.

• Scope and density: Ottawa County, KS has 5,735 residents (2020 Census) over ~721 sq mi—about 8 people per square mile, indicating highly rural connectivity conditions.
• Estimated email users: ≈3,600 adult email users. Method: adults (78% of population) × rural internet adoption (88%) × email use among internet users (~92%), based on Census/ACS and Pew Research benchmarks.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 18–34: 23%; 35–54: 35%; 55–64: 17%; 65+: 25%. Older cohorts in the county still show strong email adoption, though slightly below prime working-age adults.
• Gender split: Roughly even (about 50/50); national data show negligible gender differences in email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Broadband: Most households subscribe to broadband (roughly 80–85% in similar rural Kansas counties per ACS), with remaining gaps concentrated in the sparsest sections.
  • Access modes: Growing mobile-first behavior; roughly 12–15% of households are smartphone-only in comparable rural areas, which shapes email use toward mobile clients.
  • Connectivity pattern: Town centers tend to have multiple fixed-broadband options and 100 Mbps-class service, while outlying areas often rely on fixed wireless or satellite; libraries and schools supplement access with public Wi‑Fi.
• Insight: Email reach is high and cross-generational, but last‑mile constraints outside population centers can dampen frequency and attachment-heavy use.

Ottawa County, Kansas — Mobile phone usage summary (2025)

Topline estimates

• Population and base: ~5,700 residents; ~4,300 adults (18+); ~2,300 households
• Adult mobile phone status (modeled estimate):
  • Smartphone users: 3,700–3,900 adults (85–90% of adults), lower than Kansas statewide (90–92%)
  • Feature-phone-only users: 200–260 adults (4–6%), higher than state (3–4%)
  • Adults with no mobile phone: 380–500 (9–11%), higher than state (6–8%)
• Household device/connection status (ACS-style metrics, modeled from county demographics):
  • Households with a smartphone: ~88–92% (state: ~92–94%)
  • “Smartphone-only internet” households (cellular data plan with no fixed broadband): ~15–18% (state: ~11–13%)
  • Households with no internet subscription of any kind: ~11–14% (state: ~8–10%)

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age-driven differences (key divergence from state-level)
  • Ottawa County is older than Kansas overall (roughly one-fifth to one-quarter 65+ versus about one-sixth statewide). Senior smartphone adoption is correspondingly lower (~75–80%), pulling down the countywide average by roughly 3–5 percentage points relative to Kansas.
  • Younger adults (18–34) are near-saturation (~95–98% with smartphones) but comprise a smaller share of the population than statewide, further contributing to the overall adoption gap.
• Income and plan mix
  • Median household income trails the Kansas median, which correlates with higher prepaid usage. Estimated prepaid share among smartphone users is ~30–35% (state: ~25–28%). This mix aligns with observed higher “smartphone-only internet” reliance.
• Workstyle and device turnover
  • A larger share of agricultural, trades, and manufacturing employment supports longer device replacement cycles (often 3–4+ years) and a modestly higher prevalence of durable midrange/entry devices than in urban Kansas.
• Multi-line and home connectivity
  • Families with school-age children show strong smartphone penetration but are more likely than the state average to rely on mobile hotspots or cellular plans as the primary at-home connection when fixed broadband is limited or costly.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint
  • 4G LTE coverage is effectively countywide from at least one national carrier along primary corridors and in population centers (Minneapolis and other towns). 5G is present but more fragmented outside towns; coverage is strongest along major highways and near neighboring Salina’s metro spillover.
• Network capacity and speeds
  • Typical downlink speeds in town centers and along main corridors: ~30–80 Mbps on 4G/5G low-band, with higher peaks where mid-band 5G is available. Outside those areas, sustained speeds in the 10–30 Mbps range are common. These levels lag Kansas urban/suburban medians but are adequate for standard app use and SD/HD streaming with occasional congestion.
• Reliability and redundancy
  • Voice/SMS reliability is high on at least one carrier nearly everywhere residents live or work; data reliability drops in some low-lying and far-northern/western sections. Farm and ranch sites often use external antennas or boosters to stabilize service.
• Public-safety and enterprise
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage extends across the county’s towns and primary routes; volunteer fire/EMS and county services commonly keep multi-carrier devices or deploy signal boosters to ensure redundancy in fringe zones.

How Ottawa County differs from the Kansas average

• Lower overall smartphone penetration, driven primarily by an older age structure and a higher share of feature-phone and no-phone households than the state average.
• Higher reliance on cellular as the primary home internet in lieu of fixed broadband, reflected in a meaningfully larger “smartphone-only internet” share.
• Greater prepaid plan usage and longer device replacement cycles, correlating with income mix and rural work patterns.
• 5G availability exists but is less uniform than statewide urban corridors; speeds and capacity are more variable outside towns and major routes.

Method notes

• Figures are 2025 point-in-time estimates triangulated from ACS 5-year patterns for similar rural Kansas counties, Pew Research smartphone adoption by age, and Kansas rural-urban differentials, applied to Ottawa County’s demographic structure. Ranges reflect expected ACS margins of error and rural variability.

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

Scope and method: Figures are local estimates modeled from Pew Research Center (2024) U.S. platform adoption and usage frequency, adjusted to Ottawa County’s age/gender mix from the 2020 Census. Treat as best-available local estimates for a small county.

Baseline and user stats

• Population (2020 Census): 5,735
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~3,800
• Adults using any social platform: 81% of adults; daily users: 57% of adults

Most-used platforms (share of adult residents)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 30%
• Pinterest: 31%
• Snapchat: 26%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• LinkedIn: 17%
• Reddit: 14%
• Nextdoor: ~3% (limited footprint in rural Kansas)

Age profile (share within each age group using any social)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 96%
• 30–49: 90%
• 50–64: 78%
• 65+: 62%
• User base skews older than the U.S. average, so a larger share of local activity comes from 30–64 than from 18–29.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: ~52% female, 48% male
• Platform skew: Facebook and Pinterest lean female; Reddit and X lean male; Snapchat and Instagram are near-balanced locally.

Behavioral trends

• Community-first use: Heavy engagement with Facebook Groups and Pages for schools, churches, local government, emergency/weather updates, and community events.
• Marketplace-centric behavior: High use of Facebook Marketplace and local buy–sell–trade groups for vehicles, farm/ranch equipment, tools, and household items.
• Video habits: YouTube for how‑to, home/farm maintenance, hunting/outdoors, and regional sports; Facebook Reels and TikTok for short entertainment and local sports highlights.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is the default for adults; Snapchat dominates teen/young-adult coordination; WhatsApp usage is limited.
• News and information: Reliance on local pages and regional outlets; X is niche for severe weather watchers and sports scores.
• Posting style: Adults 30–64 share photos/announcements a few times per month and comment frequently; teens/young adults post Stories/Snaps daily but create fewer long-form posts.
• Timing: Peak activity evenings (7–10 pm), with secondary spikes early morning and around lunch; weekend engagement rises around sports, fairs, and church/community events.
• Response to promotions: Strongest lift for locally anchored offers (events, fundraisers, seasonal services), simple calls to action (call/text/visit), and visuals featuring recognizable places or teams.