Pottawatomie County

Pottawatomie County, Kansas — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 25,348
• 2023 estimate: ~27,000 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program), reflecting continued growth since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~36 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~27%
• 65 and over: ~14%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~86–88%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–4%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0–0.1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~9,700
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68–70% of households
• Married-couple households: ~58%
• Households with children under 18: ~35%
• Nonfamily households: ~30–32%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73–75%
• Average family size: ~3.1

Insights

• The county is growing and family-oriented with a relatively young median age.
• Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a modest but rising Hispanic share.
• High share of married-couple and owner-occupied households supports a suburban/commuter profile tied to the Manhattan–Wamego area.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

• Population and users: Pottawatomie County has roughly 26,000 residents; about 19,500 are adults (18+). Estimated adult email users ≈18,100 (≈93% adoption, applying Pew national rates to the local adult population).

• Age distribution of email adoption (adults):

  • 18–29: 99%
  • 30–49: 97%
  • 50–64: 94%
  • 65+: 86%

• Gender split: Adoption is essentially even (female 93%, male 92%); user base ≈50% women and 50% men.

• Digital access trends:

  • ~94% of households have a computer.
  • ~88% of households subscribe to broadband internet (ACS 2018–2022).
  • Mobile-only internet households are a minority (~8–10%).
  • Smartphone ownership aligns with Kansas/national levels (~85–90% of adults), reinforcing near-ubiquitous access to email.
  • Broadband availability and subscriptions have risen in recent years as fiber and fixed wireless expand.

• Local density/connectivity context: Population density is about 30 residents per square mile across 840+ square miles. Connectivity is strongest in population centers (e.g., Wamego, St. George, Westmoreland) with more variable fixed options in rural areas, which can modestly lower email engagement among the oldest cohorts.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022; Pew Research Center (adult email adoption).

Summary of mobile phone usage in Pottawatomie County, Kansas

County context most relevant to mobile adoption

• Population: 25,348 (2020 Census), up 17.3% from 2010 (vs +3.0% statewide). The county is part of the Manhattan, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area and includes fast‑growing communities such as Wamego and St. George alongside large rural areas. This mixed metro‑adjacent/rural profile is the main driver of usage patterns that diverge from Kansas overall.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users (est.): 16,500–18,000 residents. Method: 2020 adult population implied by the Census (total population minus the typical Kansas under‑18 share) multiplied by contemporary smartphone ownership rates reported for the U.S. and Great Plains states in 2022–2023 studies; the county’s metro adjacency supports adoption at or slightly above the Kansas average.
• Wireless‑only telephony (no landline) is the norm countywide, with prevalence at least in line with statewide levels reported by national health/telecom surveys during 2021–2023. Rural precincts show higher reliance on mobile lines per household and more device sharing than urban Kansas.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Young adults and student/early‑career households concentrated along the Manhattan–St. George–Wamego corridor drive heavy app‑centric use (social, navigation, short‑form video) and high 5G handset penetration. This skews mobile data demand above the state average in evening and weekend peaks.
• Family households (the county has a larger share of family and multi‑child households than many Kansas counties) show above‑average multi‑line plans and bundled device ecosystems, with mobile augmenting home connectivity for homework and streaming.
• Older/rural residents in northern and eastern townships rely more on voice/SMS and fall back to LTE; handset upgrade cycles are longer than in the corridor communities.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro mobile coverage: 4G LTE population coverage is effectively universal across populated areas. 5G coverage from all three national carriers is established along US‑24 and in/around Wamego, St. George, St. Marys, and the Pottawatomie side of the Manhattan urban area. Terrain in the Flint Hills and river valleys creates localized dead spots and mid‑band attenuation off the main corridors.
• Performance pattern: Mid‑band 5G (especially along US‑24) delivers materially higher median downlink speeds than the Kansas rural median, while several low‑density tracts remain LTE‑only or low‑band 5G, with upload constrained relative to the state’s urban counties.
• Fixed broadband interplay: The county’s mix of fiber/cable in towns and sparse fixed options in outlying areas pushes above‑average uptake of mobile broadband for home use (T‑Mobile 5G Home and Verizon LTE/5G Home) compared with Kansas overall. This increases mobile network load in the late afternoon/evening compared with peers.
• Local ISPs and backhaul: Town centers benefit from local fiber providers and regional carriers that feed tower backhaul along the US‑24 corridor, improving capacity compared with many rural Kansas counties. Outside these zones, microwave backhaul segments and longer fiber laterals contribute to variable cell‑edge performance.

How Pottawatomie differs from Kansas overall

• Faster growth and metro adjacency produce higher smartphone penetration and 5G handset share than typical rural Kansas counties, with usage patterns closer to small‑metro norms.
• A higher share of households in rural precincts rely on cellular as primary or backup home internet compared with the statewide average, elevating per‑SIM data consumption and evening congestion in those tracts.
• 5G mid‑band is more continuously present along the Manhattan–Wamego axis than in many rural parts of the state, while pockets of challenging terrain create sharper within‑county disparities than the Kansas average.
• Device upgrade cycles bifurcate: faster refresh in corridor communities, slower in outer townships—this split is more pronounced than at the state level.

Key statistics (definitive)

• Population: 25,348 (2020), up 17.3% from 21,604 (2010). Kansas statewide growth: +3.0% over the same period.
• Metropolitan status: Part of the Manhattan, KS MSA, which materially influences coverage investment and handset adoption relative to rural‑only Kansas counties.

Data notes and sources

• Population and growth: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 decennial census.
• Coverage and 5G availability: FCC Broadband Data Collection maps and national carrier public coverage maps current through 2024; local variability reflects Flint Hills topography and road‑corridor siting.
• Smartphone and wireless‑only estimates are derived from applying recent U.S./regional adoption rates (Pew Research Center, CDC/NCHS NHIS telephony reports, 2022–2023) to the county’s adult population; county‑level smartphone ownership is not directly enumerated by federal datasets, but observed metro adjacency and provider footprints support the estimates above.

Social media in Pottawatomie County, KS (modeled local estimates using 2024 Pew Research U.S. platform adoption rates applied to the county’s age/sex mix; patterns in semi-rural Kansas counties track closely with national figures)

Headline user stats

• Overall penetration: ~80% of adults use at least one social platform.
• Typical multi-platform behavior: 3–4 platforms per adult user; cross-posting between Instagram Reels and TikTok is common; Facebook + YouTube is the default duo across ages 30+.

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Age-group usage and behaviors

• 18–29
  • Adoption: ~90%+ on at least one platform.
  • Most-used: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat.
  • Behaviors: Visual-first messaging (Stories, DMs), local nightlife/food discovery via Reels/TikTok; Snapchat for daily communication and location sharing.
• 30–49
  • Adoption: ~85%.
  • Most-used: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; TikTok rising.
  • Behaviors: Facebook Groups for schools, youth sports, churches; Marketplace for buy/sell; short-form video for quick how-tos and product discovery.
• 50–64
  • Adoption: ~70–75%.
  • Most-used: Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest for projects/recipes; LinkedIn for career networking.
  • Behaviors: Local news, civic updates, events; long-form how-to viewing on YouTube; active Marketplace use.
• 65+
  • Adoption: ~45–50%.
  • Most-used: Facebook, YouTube.
  • Behaviors: Community groups, obituaries, local government updates; lower posting frequency, higher engagement on trusted local pages.

Gender breakdown (directional patterns consistent with Pew 2024)

• Overall “any social media” is near parity by gender.
• Women are more likely to use Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest (women use Pinterest roughly twice as much as men).
• Men are more likely to use YouTube, Reddit, and X; Reddit skews notably male.
• TikTok and Snapchat skew slightly female; LinkedIn and WhatsApp are near parity.

Local behavioral trends

• Facebook is the county’s civic backbone: school/sports announcements, church and community groups, county fair/4-H, city/EMS updates, and Marketplace dominate.
• YouTube is the universal utility: DIY, home, ag and equipment maintenance, hunting/fishing, and product reviews drive high watch-time.
• Short-form video is now the discovery engine: Reels and TikTok shape awareness for restaurants, boutiques, services; creators cross-post content for reach.
• Messaging-first habits among younger users: Snapchat and Instagram DMs are primary channels; public posting is secondary.
• Professional networking is steady but niche: LinkedIn usage clusters among commuters and workers tied to Manhattan/K-State, Fort Riley, Topeka, and healthcare/education.
• Neighborhood platforms are patchy: Nextdoor activity exists in denser subdivisions near Manhattan/Wamego but remains below Facebook Groups for local coordination.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local buy/sell; Pinterest influences project planning and local shopping among women; TikTok/Instagram drive impulse discovery.

Notes on method

• Percentages are localized estimates derived from 2024 Pew Research Center platform adoption rates and applied to the county’s demographic profile; platform rank order and behaviors reflect observed patterns in similar semi-rural Midwest counties.