Rooks County

Rooks County, Kansas — key demographics

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year)

Population size

• Total population: 4,919 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: about 46 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: ~22% under 18; ~56% 18–64; ~22% 65+ (ACS)

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50% (ACS)

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census unless noted)

• White alone: ~94%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Black or African American alone: <1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: <1% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race.

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~2,170
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~40%
• One-person households: ~33–34%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%

Insights

• Small, aging, predominantly White population with roughly half of households being married couples and a sizable share of one-person and older-adult households.

Rooks County, KS (pop. 4,900; ~895 sq. mi.) has very low density (5.5 residents/sq. mi.), with connectivity concentrated in and around Plainville and Stockton.

Estimated email users: ~3,500 adult residents (about 87% of adults), reflecting high U.S. email adoption moderated by the county’s older age profile.

Age distribution of email users:

• 18–29: 15%
• 30–49: 30%
• 50–64: 28%
• 65+: 27% Usage is near-universal among working-age adults and rising among seniors.

Gender split among email users: Female 51%, Male 49% (email adoption is effectively even by gender).

Digital access and trends:

• ~80% of households maintain a broadband subscription; ~90% have a computer or tablet.
• ~10% are smartphone‑only for internet, which supports basic email but limits multi-account/work use.
• ~15–20% lack a home internet subscription, but most population centers have public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, businesses), sustaining email access.
• Fixed broadband and 4G/5G mobile service cover the main corridors and towns; sparsely populated areas rely more on fixed wireless, with lower speeds and higher latency.
• Trend since 2018: steady increases in broadband subscriptions and speeds, narrowing the rural gap and boosting email use among older adults.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Rooks County, Kansas

Scope and sources

• Figures reflect the latest available American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5‑year estimates for device and subscription indicators, FCC carrier disclosures for coverage, and Kansas cooperative provider deployments for infrastructure. Counts are rounded for readability.

Population and user estimates

• Population and households: ~4,800 residents; ~2,180 households.
• Household smartphone adoption: 84.3% of households report having a smartphone (Kansas: 91.1%). That is roughly 1,840 households with at least one smartphone.
• Cellular data plan adoption: 72.8% of households report a cellular data plan for a smartphone/tablet/portable device (Kansas: 83.0%), or about 1,590 households.
• Mobile-only internet dependence: 10.9% of households rely on a cellular data plan without a fixed home internet subscription (Kansas: 16.2%). That equates to roughly 240 households in Rooks County versus a higher statewide share.
• Individual users: Using local age structure and ACS device penetration, the county has an estimated 3,200–3,400 adult smartphone users and roughly 3,600 adult mobile phone users of any type, reflecting near-universal mobile access among working-age adults but lower uptake among seniors.

Demographic breakdown (how Rooks County differs from Kansas overall)

• Age of householder
  • Under 35: 96% of households have a smartphone (Kansas: 99%).
  • 35–64: 88% (Kansas: 95%).
  • 65+: 67% (Kansas: 78%).
  • Rooks County’s older age profile pulls down overall smartphone and cellular-plan adoption relative to the state.
• Income of household
  • Under $25k: 70% of households have a smartphone (Kansas: 78%).
  • $25k–$75k: 84% (Kansas: 90%).
  • $75k+: 95% (Kansas: 97%).
  • The county shows a steeper income gradient than the state, with lower-income households less likely to maintain a cellular data plan and more likely to share devices.
• Rurality and household composition
  • Higher share of single‑older‑adult households than the state average correlates with lower smartphone ownership and fewer multi‑device plans per household.
  • Racial/ethnic comparisons are not shown due to small non‑White sample sizes; county totals are dominated by White non‑Hispanic households.

Digital infrastructure and coverage context

• Carrier presence and coverage
  • Verizon and AT&T provide near‑countywide LTE coverage, strongest along US‑24 and US‑183 and in Stockton and Plainville.
  • T‑Mobile coverage is present but spottier outside towns; 5G is primarily in and around town centers and along primary corridors.
  • 5G footprint is materially smaller than the statewide norm; service outside towns is frequently LTE with lower median speeds and greater variability.
• Tower density and signal quality
  • Approximately a dozen to 15 macro tower sites serve the county, yielding larger cells and more edge‑of‑sector coverage than urban Kansas counties. Terrain and distance create pockets of weak signal north–south between primary corridors and in river/creek valleys.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Nex‑Tech (Rural Telephone Service Co.) has deployed fiber‑to‑the‑premise in Stockton and Plainville and to key community anchors; cable is limited; outside towns, options are fiber where built, VDSL/ADSL, fixed wireless, and satellite.
  • Town fiber availability drives higher fixed‑broadband take‑rates in town and a lower share of mobile‑only internet households than the Kansas average; in contrast, outlying farms and ranches show above‑average cellular reliance for home internet.
• Performance expectations
  • In‑town: LTE often 10–50 Mbps; 5G where available 50–200 Mbps. Outside towns: LTE frequently 2–15 Mbps with higher latency and congestion sensitivity. Fixed fiber in town commonly delivers 100–1,000 Mbps, outpacing mobile and reducing mobile‑only dependence.

Key takeaways versus statewide trends

• Smartphone adoption and cellular data plan uptake are 6–10 percentage points lower than Kansas overall, driven by an older age structure and lower incomes.
• A smaller share of households is mobile‑only for home internet than the state average, influenced by cooperative fiber builds in town centers; however, mobile‑only reliance is higher than average in the most rural parts of the county.
• 5G availability is notably more limited and fragmented than statewide, with heavier reliance on LTE outside town centers and along secondary roads.
• Market concentration is higher: residents disproportionately rely on Verizon and AT&T for reliable rural coverage, with less carrier redundancy than in metro Kansas.

Rooks County, KS social media snapshot (2025)

Baseline demographics (U.S. Census, 2020)

• Population: 4,919
• Age mix: roughly 1 in 4 residents are 65+; about 1 in 5 are under 18; the remainder are working-age adults
• Sex: approximately even split female/male
• Implication: An older-leaning, rural profile favors Facebook and YouTube; youth segments drive Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram

Most-used platforms (percentages reflect U.S. adult usage; local share expected to track these with a slight rural/older tilt)

• YouTube: ~80–85% of adults (Pew Research Center reports ~8 in 10 U.S. adults)
• Facebook: ~65–70% of adults
• Instagram: ~45–50% of adults
• Pinterest: ~30–35% of adults
• TikTok: ~30–35% of adults
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% of adults
• Snapchat: ~25–30% of adults
• X (Twitter): ~20–25% of adults
• Reddit: ~20–25% of adults
• WhatsApp: ~20–22% of adults Note: In rural, older counties like Rooks, Facebook typically performs at or slightly above the national adult share; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok tend to come in a bit below national adult shares, while YouTube remains broadly adopted.

Estimated local user counts (order-of-magnitude, applying national rates to the county’s adult population; teens would add further Snapchat/TikTok users)

• Adults in Rooks County: approximately 3,800
• YouTube: ~3,000–3,200 adults
• Facebook: ~2,400–2,700 adults
• Instagram: ~1,600–1,900 adults
• TikTok: ~1,100–1,300 adults
• Snapchat: ~1,000–1,150 adults
• Pinterest: ~1,100–1,350 adults These are modeled estimates to size the local addressable audience; actual counts vary by broadband/mobile coverage and platform account duplication.

Age-group patterns

• Teens (under 18): Heavy Snapchat and TikTok for messaging and short video; YouTube for entertainment/how-to; Instagram for school, sports, and peer updates
• Young adults (18–34): Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat dominant; YouTube for entertainment/learning; Facebook used for events and Marketplace more than posting
• Midlife (35–64): Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest for home, food, and crafts; Instagram secondary; Marketplace and local groups drive utility use
• Older adults (65+): Facebook and YouTube dominate; usage centers on local news, church/community updates, obituaries, grandkids’ photos, and severe-weather info

Gender breakdown (composition mirrors the county’s near 50/50 split; platform skews follow national patterns)

• Higher female presence: Facebook (slight), Pinterest (women about 2–3x men), Snapchat (slight)
• Higher male presence: YouTube (slight), Reddit (notably male), X (slight), LinkedIn (slight)
• Local implication: Expect stronger female engagement in Facebook Groups/Marketplace and Pinterest-style content; higher male engagement on YouTube how-to, farm/auto, and sports

Behavioral trends in Rooks County–type rural markets

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: school sports, buy/sell/ISO, weather alerts, church and civic announcements, city/county notices
• Marketplace is a primary commerce channel for farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, tools, furniture, rentals, and local services
• Video is utilitarian: YouTube for repair/how-to, ag practices, small-engine/auto fixes; rising short-form (Reels/TikTok) for quick tips and local highlights
• Event- and season-driven peaks: high school sports (Fri nights), county fair, harvest, holiday bazaars, severe weather
• Messaging splits by age: teens on Snapchat; adults on Facebook Messenger and SMS; younger adults add Instagram DMs
• Best engagement windows: early morning (before work/school) and evening (post-dinner); weekend mornings for Marketplace
• Creative that performs: faces and local landmarks; short captions; clear “where/when” for events; vertical video for Reels/Stories/TikTok; cross-posting FB/IG increases reach

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population, age/sex structure)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption rates and demographic skews)