Scott County

Scott County, Kansas – key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates and 2020 Census)

Population size

• Total population: ~5,000 residents

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18–24: ~7%
• 25–44: ~24%
• 45–64: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Male: ~50–51%
• Female: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~66–67%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~27–28%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Other non-Hispanic groups combined (Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, NHPI, other): ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~1,900–2,000
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~70%
• Married-couple families: ~55%
• Households with children under 18: ~30–32%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70–73%

Insights

• Small, stable rural county with a near-even gender split and median age around 40, indicating a balanced but slightly older age profile.
• Majority non-Hispanic White with a substantial Hispanic/Latino community approaching three in ten residents.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high homeownership and moderate household sizes.

Scott County, KS (pop. 4,936; ~6.9 people/sq mi). Estimated email users: ~3,600 residents (about 92% of adults and 73% of total population).

Age distribution of email users:

• 18–34: 24% (~860)
• 35–54: 33% (~1,190)
• 55–64: 15% (~540)
• 65+: 28% (~1,010)

Gender split among email users mirrors the population (≈51% male, 49% female).

Digital access: roughly 80–85% of households maintain an internet subscription; fixed broadband reaches the vast majority of addresses in and around Scott City, while farms/ranchlands show higher cellular-only reliance (~15–20% of households). Trend: steady gains in fiber/cable coverage and smartphone adoption have pushed email use close to universal among working-age adults; the 65+ cohort now exhibits strong uptake, though usage intensity remains lower outside town.

Local density/connectivity facts: Most residents cluster in and near Scott City, supporting higher-speed options; sparsely populated townships drive the remaining adoption gap.

Mobile phone usage in Scott County, Kansas (2023–2024)

Topline

• Population anchor: 5,151 (2020 Census). Current resident base is roughly 5,000, spread over 718 square miles (very low density), which materially shapes network deployment and usage patterns.
• Estimated mobile users: 3,900–4,100 residents use a mobile phone (about 78–82% of total population). Of these, an estimated 3,450–3,700 use smartphones (roughly 88–90% of mobile users).
• Distinctive trend vs Kansas statewide: higher reliance on mobile service as a primary internet path, more LTE/low‑band 5G usage than mid‑band 5G, and a slightly larger share of feature‑phone users among seniors.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age-related usage
  • Adults (18+): ~3,800–3,900 residents; mobile phone possession ~93–96% → principal driver of total users.
  • Teens (13–17): ~300–325; mobile phone possession ~85–92% → high adoption but somewhat below urban/metro Kansas.
  • Seniors (65+): adoption rising but still below younger cohorts; smartphone use among seniors estimated ~70–75% (vs low 80s statewide), yielding a visibly larger local feature‑phone segment than the state average.
• Household internet reliance
  • Households in county: about 2,000.
  • Mobile‑only internet households (smartphone/hotspot as primary, no fixed subscription): estimated 15–20% of households locally, vs roughly 11–13% statewide. This difference is one of the clearest divergences from the Kansas average and reflects gaps in affordable, ubiquitous fixed broadband outside Scott City and the main corridors.
• Socioeconomic/ethnic patterns
  • The county’s mix includes a notable Hispanic community relative to the state average. Consistent with statewide and national patterns, Hispanic households here show above‑average smartphone‑only internet reliance, driven by cost and availability considerations rather than lower device adoption.
  • Plan mix skews more prepaid and value/family plans than statewide averages. Estimated prepaid share among individual lines is 25–35% locally, a few points higher than the state overall.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE is effectively countywide along US‑83, K‑96, and in/around Scott City; between highways and around the Lake Scott State Park area, coverage can be patchy or degrade to lower throughput.
  • 5G availability is primarily low‑band coverage layers; mid‑band capacity layers are limited compared to metro Kansas. Practically, this yields broad 5G “coverage” but speeds closer to strong LTE.
• Typical real‑world speeds (outdoor, non‑congested)
  • Low‑band 5G: roughly 30–100 Mbps down; LTE: roughly 5–25 Mbps down in fringe areas and 15–50 Mbps in/near town. These are consistently below mid‑band 5G speeds seen in Wichita/KC/Topeka, where 200–400 Mbps bursts are common.
• Reliability considerations
  • Sparse tower spacing and long inter‑site distances create edge‑of‑cell conditions outside town, leading to higher latency, more frequent handoffs, and greater performance variability than state metro norms.
  • Severe weather and power events can affect single points of failure more noticeably than in dense urban grids, though E911/WEA capabilities are standard across carriers.
• Fixed broadband context that shapes mobile usage
  • In‑town residents have access to higher‑speed fixed options (including fiber or cable in parts of Scott City). Outside town limits, fixed choices tilt toward fixed‑wireless, legacy DSL, or satellite, with availability and performance that vary by section. Overall fixed broadband subscription rates are estimated at 75–80% in the county, several points below the statewide average, reinforcing higher mobile‑only use and hotspot reliance.
• Carrier dynamics
  • Network choice historically favors carriers with stronger rural footprints and low‑band spectrum, but 600 MHz 5G deployments have improved the competitive picture. Even so, mid‑band 5G capacity (key to metro‑class speeds) remains sparser than in Kansas population centers.

How Scott County differs most from the Kansas average

• Higher share of mobile‑only internet households, reflecting uneven fixed broadband off the main corridors and cost considerations.
• More dependence on LTE and low‑band 5G for everyday data; mid‑band 5G capacity is less prevalent than in metro counties, so average speeds are lower.
• Slightly higher prevalence of feature phones and basic plans among seniors, along with a higher prepaid share overall.
• Greater day‑to‑day variability in signal quality away from Scott City and the major highways due to long distances between sites.

Method notes

• Figures combine the 2020 Census baseline with 2023–2024 adoption rates from established national/rural trends and ACS‑style household patterns, scaled to Scott County’s size and rural settlement pattern. Estimates are rounded to emphasize their practical planning value.

Scott County, KS social media snapshot (2025-ready)

Baseline

• Population: 4,936 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Adults (18+): ~3,700 (est. 75% of population)
• Estimated social media users
  • Adults: ~3,000 (applying ~80% adult adoption common in rural U.S., Pew)
  • Teens (13–17): ~325 of ~340 teens (≈95% use at least one platform, Pew)
  • Combined reachable users (non-unique): ≈3,300 residents

Most-used platforms among adults (apply Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adoption rates to ~3,700 Scott County adults; individuals use multiple platforms)

• YouTube: 83% → ~3,070 adults
• Facebook: 68% → ~2,520
• Instagram: 47% → ~1,740
• Pinterest: 35% → ~1,300
• TikTok: 33% → ~1,220
• LinkedIn: 30% → ~1,110
• Snapchat: 27% → ~1,000
• X (Twitter): 22% → ~815
• Reddit: 22% → ~815
• WhatsApp: 21% → ~775

Age groups and platform skews

• 13–17: Very high YouTube (95%), strong TikTok (67%), Snapchat (60%), Instagram (62%); limited Facebook (Pew Teens 2022).
• 18–29: Highest on Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok; still active on Facebook; heavy short‑form video.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube core; lighter Instagram/TikTok.
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube for how‑to/news; minimal on newer apps.

Gender breakdown (behavioral)

• Women: Overindex on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok.
• Men: Overindex on YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn.
• Expect local Facebook audiences to skew slightly female; YouTube/X/Reddit slightly male (Pew 2024 patterns).

Behavioral trends in Scott County–type rural markets

• Facebook is the community hub: city/county, schools, churches, 4‑H/FFA, events; Groups and Messenger central to coordination.
• Local news and severe weather drive spikes on Facebook and X; peak engagement typically evenings (7–10 pm CT) and around school sports.
• Video‑first consumption: how‑to/ag/DIY, hunting/fishing, and school sports on YouTube; short‑form highlights via Reels/TikTok.
• Youth comms: Snapchat for daily messaging; Instagram DMs common; TikTok for trends.
• Commerce and discovery: Facebook Marketplace for buy/sell/trade; recommendations in local Facebook Groups outpace review sites.
• Mobile‑first usage; lighter, captioned video performs best; fast‑loading links matter.

Implications

• To reach most residents: prioritize Facebook and YouTube; add Instagram and TikTok for under‑45; Snapchat for teens/young adults.
• Use Facebook Groups/Events/Reels; schedule evenings and around local sports and county‑fair calendars.
• Feature local faces, schools, and ag themes; keep videos short with captions.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Scott County population)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption)
• Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022 (teen platform use)

Notes: County‑level platform shares are not directly published; figures above are modeled by applying the latest Pew adoption rates to Scott County’s adult and teen populations and reflect multi‑platform usage.