Seward County

Key demographics for Seward County, Kansas (latest U.S. Census Bureau data; primarily ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates; population count from 2020 Census):

Population size

• Total population: 21,964 (2020 Census)
• Latest ACS estimate: about 21,400

Age

• Median age: about 30 years
• Age distribution: under 18 ≈ 31%; 18–64 ≈ 60%; 65+ ≈ 9%

Gender

• Male ≈ 52%
• Female ≈ 48%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is an ethnicity overlapping race)

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): about 63%
• White, non-Hispanic: about 28%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: about 5%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: about 2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: about 1%
• Two or more races and other, non-Hispanic: about 1%

Households

• Total households: about 7,200
• Average household size: about 3.0
• Family households: roughly 73–75% of households
• Households with children under 18: roughly 45–46%
• Homeownership rate: about 58–60%

Insights

• Seward County is majority Hispanic and has one of the youngest median ages in Kansas.
• Household sizes are larger than state and U.S. averages, with a high share of family and child households.
• Slight male majority reflects the local labor market mix.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Seward County, KS overview (estimates, 2024):

• Population ≈21,500; land area ≈640 sq mi; density ≈34 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈12,800 adults. Method: adult population × internet adoption × email adoption among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34 ≈39% (5,000); 35–54 ≈34% (4,300); 55–64 ≈13% (1,700); 65+ ≈14% (1,800). Younger skew reflects a median age near low-30s.
• Gender split among users: male ≈51%, female ≈49% (mirrors county makeup).

Digital access and trends:

• Household internet subscription ≈84%; wireline broadband at home ≈79%; smartphone‑only internet households ≈13%. Email usage closely tracks broadband availability.
• Connectivity is concentrated in and around Liberal (the county’s population center), where cable/fiber is widely available; outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless/older DSL, which lowers speeds and raises smartphone‑only reliance.
• Practical availability of 25/3 Mbps broadband covers the vast majority of residents; fiber passings and 5G coverage have expanded since 2020, improving reliability and peak speeds in town while rural gaps persist.

Insights: Email penetration is high among working‑age adults; seniors’ usage lags but is rising as mobile access improves. Urban–rural infrastructure differences remain the primary constraint on universal email adoption.

Seward County, KS — mobile phone usage summary (with county-specific estimates and how they differ from Kansas overall)

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 22,000 residents (2020 Census; small net decline since 2010, with year-to-year variation).
• Unique mobile phone users: 15,000–17,000 residents carry a mobile phone on a typical day; of these, 13,000–15,000 are smartphone users. Method: adult population share and rural smartphone adoption benchmarks from national surveys applied to county demographics.
• Mobile-only internet households: materially above the Kansas average. Expect around 18–24% of households relying primarily or exclusively on cellular data/hotspots compared with roughly low-teens statewide, driven by income mix, rental rates, and younger age structure.

Demographic context that shapes usage

• Ethnicity: Seward County is majority Hispanic/Latino (about 60% vs ~13% statewide), which correlates with high smartphone dependence, strong messaging-app use (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger), and cross-border calling/data plans.
• Age: younger than the state average (median age around 30 vs ~37 statewide; under-18 share ~30% vs mid‑20s statewide). Implications: earlier smartphone adoption, heavier social/video use, and family hotspot sharing.
• Household structure and income: larger households and lower median incomes than the Kansas average increase the appeal of prepaid plans, budget Android devices, family data bundles, and mobile-only home internet.

Usage patterns that differ from state-level norms

• Higher mobile dependence: more residents use smartphones as their primary connection for school, work, and government services, with higher hotspot use for home connectivity than the statewide norm.
• Plan mix: prepaid and value MVNO plans are more prevalent than in Kansas overall; international calling/roaming add‑ons (notably to Mexico) are purchased at higher rates.
• App mix: above-average use of WhatsApp and Spanish-language streaming/social content; SMS falls slightly relative to OTT messaging.
• Device mix: Android share above the state average due to price-sensitive purchasing; device upgrade cycles run longer.
• Work-shift effects: traffic peaks align with shift changes in local manufacturing/logistics, producing noticeable evening congestion compared with typical suburban Kansas patterns.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Cellular coverage: all three national carriers provide LTE and 5G along the US‑54 corridor and in/around Liberal; coverage thins toward agricultural areas and the Oklahoma border where tower spacing increases.
• 5G availability: low-band 5G is widespread around population centers; mid-band 5G is strongest in and near Liberal with step-downs to LTE in sparsely populated sections. In-town performance typically supports HD video and hotspot use; rural edges trend toward basic broadband speeds with occasional dead zones in low-lying terrain.
• Backhaul and capacity: towers cluster along highways and near town; capacity can tighten during large community events and shift transitions. Upgrades in the last few years have improved in-town 5G capacity more than rural edge coverage.
• Home broadband context: cable/fiber is available in Liberal proper, but many rural addresses lean on fixed wireless or satellite; this accessibility gap feeds higher mobile-only reliance than statewide.

Quantified county-level estimates (how they compare to Kansas)

• Smartphone users: 13,000–15,000 in Seward County (share of total residents using smartphones materially above 60% when minors are included), broadly comparable to statewide adoption but with heavier reliance as a primary internet connection.
• Mobile-only households: roughly 18–24% in Seward vs low-teens statewide.
• Prepaid share of lines: meaningfully higher than the statewide mix (expect a mid-to-high 30s percentage of consumer lines vs upper 20s statewide), reflecting price sensitivity and international calling needs.

What this means for stakeholders

• Carriers: prioritize mid-band 5G capacity in Liberal and along US‑54; expand low-band coverage and fixed-wireless access toward farm/ranch areas; offer affordable international features and Spanish-language support.
• Public sector and service providers: design mobile-first services (forms, alerts, learning content) with low-data modes and offline options; increase public Wi‑Fi points where students and shift workers congregate.
• Businesses and nonprofits: expect higher engagement via WhatsApp/Facebook; deploy bilingual mobile messaging and click‑to‑chat; optimize for Android devices and variable bandwidth.

Sources and methodology (high level)

• Population and demographics: U.S. Census and ACS 5‑year estimates (latest available through 2023 release cycle).
• Mobile adoption and plan mix benchmarks: national and regional surveys (e.g., Pew) and industry reporting applied to county demographics; FCC mobile coverage data used for infrastructure characterization.
• Figures are rounded, county-scaled estimates designed to be decision-useful; they reflect local demographics and rural infrastructure patterns that diverge from Kansas statewide averages.

Social media usage in Seward County, KS (2025 snapshot; modeled from latest ACS demographics and Pew/industry platform adoption)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~21,800
• Residents age 13+: ~18,300

Active users

• Monthly active social media users (13+): ~13,700 (≈75% of residents 13+)
• Daily users (any platform): ~9,300 (≈51% of residents 13+)

User mix

• Gender (share of active users): ~51% female, ~49% male
• Age distribution (share of active users):
  • 13–17: 13%
  • 18–24: 17%
  • 25–34: 22%
  • 35–44: 18%
  • 45–54: 13%
  • 55–64: 10%
  • 65+: 7%
• Notable local context: Majority-Hispanic county, skewing younger and bilingual; this raises usage of mobile-first apps (TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram) and Facebook Groups/Marketplace

Most-used platforms (monthly reach among residents 13+; multiple platforms per person)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~42%
• TikTok: ~36%
• Snapchat: ~28% (dominant among teens)
• WhatsApp: ~24% (elevated due to bilingual households and cross-border family ties)
• Facebook Messenger: ~53%
• Pinterest: ~19%
• X (Twitter): ~16%
• LinkedIn: ~9%

Platform usage by age (monthly reach, local estimates)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%, Snapchat ~80%, TikTok ~75%, Instagram ~65%, Facebook ~40%
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%, Instagram ~70%, TikTok ~63%, Snapchat ~50%, Facebook ~55%, WhatsApp ~30%
• 30–49: YouTube ~85%, Facebook ~75%, Instagram ~45%, TikTok ~30%, WhatsApp ~28%
• 50+: Facebook ~70%, YouTube ~70%, WhatsApp ~20%, Instagram ~25%, TikTok ~15%

Behavioral trends and insights

• Mobile-first, video-heavy: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery; YouTube used for how‑to, church services, youth sports highlights, and Spanish-language content.
• Facebook as the community hub: High engagement in local buy/sell, job postings, school updates, weather/emergency info, and city/county pages. Marketplace is a major commerce channel.
• Bilingual engagement: Spanish and English content both perform; WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are primary for family and group coordination.
• Younger skew boosts TikTok/Snap: Teens and 18–29s concentrate on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Stories/Reels; cross-posting short vertical video performs best.
• Time-of-day peaks: Evenings 7–10 pm are the strongest across platforms; secondary peaks at lunch (12–1 pm). Weekend engagement is above weekday averages for Facebook and Instagram.
• Trust/local relevance: Local faces, businesses, churches, schools, and sports content outperform generic creative. Giveaways, coupons, and event posts see strong shares and comments.
• Ad responsiveness: Offers in Spanish and English, clear prices, and store‑visit directions perform well. Geotargeting around Liberal and main commute corridors improves ROI.

Approximate counts (apply percentages to residents 13+, ~18,300)

• YouTube users: ~14,300
• Facebook users: ~12,100
• Instagram users: ~7,700
• TikTok users: ~6,600
• Snapchat users: ~5,100
• WhatsApp users: ~4,400

Implications

• Use Facebook + Instagram as the always-on base; add Reels/TikTok for reach among under‑35s.
• Include Spanish-language creative and captions; expect above-average WhatsApp and Messenger click-through for service and retail categories.
• Prioritize short vertical video and local UGC; schedule posts and ads for evening peaks; increase weekend budgets for community/event pushes.