Rawlins County

Rawlins County, Kansas – key demographics

Population

• Total population: 2,561 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~2,470 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023), a modest decline since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: under 18 ~21%; 18–64 ~53%; 65+ ~26–27% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~89–91%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–6%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Black/African American (non-Hispanic): <1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): <1%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022; QuickFacts)

• Households: ~1,100–1,150
• Persons per household: ~2.2
• Family households: ~60–65% of households; married-couple majority
• Households with children under 18: ~22–25%
• One-person households: ~30–35% (including a notable share age 65+)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%

Insights

• Small, rural county with an aging population (median age well above the U.S. median).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a small but present Hispanic community.
• Household sizes are modest and homeownership rates are high, consistent with rural housing patterns.

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

• Scope: Rawlins County, KS population ≈2,561 (2020). Density ≈2.4 residents per square mile across ~1,070 sq mi, which raises last‑mile network costs.

• Estimated email users: ≈2,000 residents (≈78% of total). Adoption aligns with national rural patterns: very high among adults under 55, slightly lower among seniors.

• Estimated users by age

  • 13–17: ~130
  • 18–34: ~410
  • 35–54: ~550
  • 55–64: ~310
  • 65+: ~590

• Gender split among email users: 50% female (1,000) and 50% male (1,000); usage rates are nearly identical by gender.

• Digital access and trends

  • About 80% of households subscribe to home broadband; roughly 15% are cellular‑only or have no home internet. Subscription is edging upward as fiber and fixed‑wireless expand in population centers; remote areas rely more on fixed‑wireless or satellite.
  • Mobile access is prevalent: younger adults primarily use smartphones for email; seniors are increasing smartphone adoption but remain over‑represented among non‑subscribers.
  • Public anchors (libraries, schools, county facilities) provide important Wi‑Fi/computer access, with the fastest tiers concentrated in and around the county seat.

• Connectivity takeaway: Extremely low population density and dispersed farms/ranchland drive patchy last‑mile options, but incremental upgrades are improving reliability and speeds in towns, supporting steady growth in email use.

Mobile phone usage in Rawlins County, Kansas — 2024 snapshot

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈2,550
• Households: ≈1,150
• Age profile: older than the state, with a median age near 49 vs ≈37.5 statewide; about 26% of residents are 65+

User estimates and adoption

• Mobile phone users (any type): ≈2,020 residents (≈79% of total population)
• Smartphone users: ≈1,740 residents (≈68% of total population; ≈77% of adults)
• Feature/flip-phone users: ≈280 residents (≈11% of total population; ≈12–13% of adults)
• 5G-capable handsets: ≈840 devices (≈48% of smartphones)

How this differs from Kansas overall

• Smartphone penetration among adults is lower (≈77% Rawlins vs ≈87% statewide)
• Feature-phone retention is higher (≈12–13% of adults vs ≈6–8% statewide)
• 5G-capable device share lags (≈48% vs ≈65% statewide)
• A larger share of households are mobile-only for home internet (≈20% vs ≈12% statewide)

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Ages 18–29: ≈95% smartphone adoption; usage patterns similar to state average
• Ages 30–64: ≈83–88% smartphone adoption; slightly lower than state due to device replacement cycles and coverage variability outside town
• Ages 65+: ≈55–60% smartphone adoption; significantly lower than the statewide ≈70–75%, with above-average reliance on voice/SMS and basic phones
• Income effect: households below county median income (≈$53k vs ≈$66k KS) show slower upgrade cadence and higher use of refurbished/entry-tier Android devices and LTE-only plans

Carrier market and performance

• Subscriber share (lines): Verizon ≈55%, AT&T ≈35%, T-Mobile ≈8%, Other ≈2%
  • Contrast with Kansas statewide: Verizon ≈40%, AT&T ≈35%, T-Mobile ≈23% — T-Mobile share is notably smaller in Rawlins due to rural coverage constraints
• Typical performance
  • In-town (Atwood): LTE/low-band 5G commonly 10–40 Mbps down; uplink 3–10 Mbps
  • Along US‑36/K‑25: service is continuous but speed varies; away from corridors, speeds drop and signal boosters are common
  • Mid-band 5G is sparse; most 5G observed is low-band with LTE-like throughput

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Macro sites: on the order of a half-dozen macro towers serve the county, clustered along US‑36 and K‑25 and near Atwood, with carrier co-location common (Verizon/AT&T primary; selective T‑Mobile presence)
• 5G footprint: limited low-band 5G from Verizon and AT&T in and immediately around Atwood and along US‑36; very limited mid-band; much of the county remains LTE-first
• Backhaul: fiber-fed tower backhaul along the US‑36 corridor; microwave persists at some peripheral sites
• Wireline broadband interplay: Nex‑Tech and other rural providers offer fiber or VDSL in Atwood and select blocks; outside town, many locations fall back to fixed wireless, satellite, or mobile hotspots, which raises the mobile-only household share
• Public safety: AT&T FirstNet Band 14 present on key sites; coverage is reliable in town and highways but still exhibits fringe areas off-corridor
• Cross-border dynamics: northern edges toward the Nebraska line see elevated roaming/weak-signal conditions; external carrier signals can intermittently dominate in high terrain or open fields

Usage patterns distinct from state level

• Higher prevalence of signal boosters, hotspot plans, and voice-over-Wi‑Fi to compensate for fringe coverage
• Data consumption per smartphone is lower than the Kansas urban/suburban average, but machine-to-machine/IoT lines per capita are higher due to agriculture (irrigation pivots, grain-bin sensors, telematics)
  • Estimated active IoT/M2M lines: ≈250–350, or roughly 10–14 per 100 households, vs ≈6–9 per 100 households statewide
• Device upgrade cycles are slower; average device age is longer by ≈6–10 months compared with metro Kansas, contributing to the lower 5G-capable share

Trends 2019–2024

• Adult smartphone adoption rose by ≈10–12 percentage points (to ≈77%), but the gap with the state widened slightly as urban areas accelerated 5G upgrades
• 5G-capable device share increased rapidly from single digits to ≈48%, yet mid-band 5G coverage did not keep pace, limiting real-world 5G performance improvements
• Mobile-only home internet households grew from ≈14% to ≈20% as fiber builds focused on town blocks and satellite/mobile filled rural gaps
• Carrier mix shifted modestly toward Verizon and AT&T, while T‑Mobile share remained constrained outside Atwood despite statewide 5G expansion

Implications

• For consumers: Verizon or AT&T generally offer the most reliable countywide experience; T‑Mobile can perform well in Atwood but is less consistent off-corridor
• For businesses and farms: plan for LTE primary with selective low-band 5G; consider external antennas/boosters and dual-carrier redundancy for field operations
• For policymakers: continued fiber backhaul and additional macro/small-cell infill off US‑36/K‑25 would yield outsized benefits; programs that accelerate device upgrades for seniors could narrow the digital-use gap

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates synthesized from county population, rural adoption patterns, national/rural ownership benchmarks, and western Kansas coverage deployments; counts are rounded for clarity and to reflect small-population variability.

Rawlins County, KS social media snapshot (2025)

Population and user base

• Population: roughly 2,500 (2023 estimate, U.S. Census)
• Internet access: about 80% of households (rural KS average, ACS)
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~1,600 residents

Age and gender mix of users

• By age (share of the social media user base): 13–17 ≈ 10%, 18–34 ≈ 28%, 35–54 ≈ 33%, 55+ ≈ 29%
• Gender: ~52% women, ~48% men among active users

Most-used platforms in Rawlins County (share of 13+ users; rounded)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~65–70% (Facebook Groups/Marketplace are the heaviest-used features)
• Instagram: ~35–40%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Snapchat: ~25–30% (concentrated among teens/young adults)
• Pinterest: ~25% (female-skewed)
• X/Twitter: ~15%
• LinkedIn: ~10–15%
• Reddit: ~10%
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited local uptake)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school athletics, church updates, local government notices, buy/sell via Marketplace, and event promotion drive the most comments and shares.
• Video-first consumption: short-form Reels/TikTok clips and YouTube how‑tos, ag/ranch content, weather, and sports highlights outperform static posts.
• “Lurk more than post”: a minority produces content; most users react, share, or message rather than publish original posts.
• Messaging-centric for youth: Snapchat and Instagram DMs are primary for 13–24; teens post ephemeral content but rarely long public updates.
• Daypart engagement: peaks 6–8 a.m., lunchtime, and 8–10 p.m.; weekend spikes around school sports, church, festivals, and seasonal ag timelines.
• Cross-posting is common: local businesses and organizations duplicate flyers and updates across Facebook and Instagram; TikTok links are often reshared on Facebook.
• Marketplace utility: strong reliance on Facebook for classifieds and local services; high responsiveness to price, photos, and pickup convenience.
• Older adults are highly active on Facebook and YouTube, favoring local information, obituaries, weather alerts, and community issues; lower adoption of TikTok/Snapchat.
• Targeting reality: effective paid reach typically requires geofencing a 20–40 mile radius to include neighboring towns due to the small population density.

Notes on method

• Figures are modeled from U.S. Census/ACS population and internet access, combined with recent Pew Research Center platform adoption by age and rural/urban splits and platform ad-reach benchmarks; percentages are rounded for clarity and suitability to Rawlins County’s rural profile.