Sheridan County

Key demographics — Sheridan County, Kansas (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 2020 Census: 2,447

Age

• Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18 to 64: ~55%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~92–94%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–7%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Black: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,000–1,050
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~65%
• Married-couple families: ~55–60%
• Nonfamily households: ~35%
• 1-person households: ~30–32%
• Households with someone 65+ living alone: ~14–16%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%

Insights

• Small, aging, predominantly non-Hispanic White population with modest Hispanic presence.
• Household sizes are small and owner-occupancy is high, typical of rural Kansas counties.
• Figures are ACS multi-year estimates for a small population and carry notable margins of error.

Sheridan County, Kansas (2020 pop. 2,447; ~896 sq mi) has a very low population density of about 2.7 residents per square mile, shaping connectivity options outside Hoxie.

Estimated email users: 1,700–1,800 residents (about 70–75% of the total). Method: applying rural internet adoption (92% of adults) and near‑universal email use among internet users to the county’s age structure.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~5%
• 18–34: ~25%
• 35–64: ~50%
• 65+: ~20%

Gender split among users: roughly 50% female, 50% male, mirroring the county’s population.

Digital access and trends:

• About 80% of households maintain a broadband subscription (ACS-style 5‑year patterns for rural Kansas).
• Fixed broadband availability at baseline speeds (25/3 Mbps) is broadly high (>90%), but subscription lags availability in outlying areas; connectivity is strongest in and around Hoxie, with DSL and fixed‑wireless more common on farms/ranches.
• Smartphone-only internet users account for roughly 15–20% of households, supporting on‑the‑go email access.
• Trends: gradual fiber buildouts and expanding LTE/5G coverage; declining reliance on legacy DSL; steady gains in email use among older adults as device ownership rises.

Sheridan County, Kansas — mobile phone usage snapshot (2025)

Baseline

• Population: 2,447 (2020 Census), spread across roughly 900 square miles (≈2.7 people per square mile). Entirely rural; county seat: Hoxie.
• Age structure (Census-based profile, rounded): under 18 ≈23%, 18–64 ≈56%, 65+ ≈21% (older than Kansas overall, where 65+ is ≈16%).

User estimates (adults, derived from local age mix and current U.S./rural adoption rates)

• Adult population (18+): ≈1,892.
• Adults with any mobile phone: ≈1,816 (≈96% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈1,658 (about 88% of adults; derived using ≈92% among 18–64 and ≈76% among 65+).
• Adult basic/feature-phone users: ≈158 (about 8% of adults).
• Implication: Sheridan County’s adult smartphone penetration runs a few points below Kansas statewide, driven primarily by a larger senior share.

Demographic drivers that shape usage (how Sheridan differs from the state)

• Older population: 65+ share ≈5 percentage points higher than Kansas, depressing smartphone adoption and app-centric usage. Higher prevalence of large-font devices, simplified UIs, and voice/SMS reliance among seniors.
• Lower density and longer travel distances: heavier emphasis on coverage along US‑24 and K‑23 corridors and on section-line roads; more vehicular and outdoor usage than in urban Kansas.
• Income and work mix: agriculture-centric work patterns yield daytime load concentrated around farmsteads, elevators, oil/gas sites, and school/health facilities rather than office districts typical in metro counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14 for public safety), Verizon, T‑Mobile, and regional carrier Nex‑Tech Wireless. These four collectively provide the practical coverage footprint most residents use.
• Radio access:
  • 4G LTE: countywide outdoor coverage from at least one carrier along main corridors and towns; deep rural quarter-sections still see edge-of-cell conditions.
  • 5G: low-band 5G (AT&T/Verizon DSS; T‑Mobile 600 MHz) reaches Hoxie and the primary corridors; mid-band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz, C‑band where lit) is spotty and largely town/road-focused; no mmWave.
• Sites: roughly a dozen macro cell sites serve the county (plus edge coverage from adjacent counties), with co-location common on highway-adjacent towers. Terrain-induced shadowing occurs in creek bottoms and around the South Fork Solomon River.
• Backhaul: robust fiber presence from Nex‑Tech (the local RLEC/ISP) along US‑24 and into Hoxie; carriers commonly use this plant for tower backhaul, which stabilizes capacity in town and on main roads relative to very remote sections.
• In-building experience: many farm and ranch homes rely on Wi‑Fi calling or signal boosters; metal structures attenuate signals, creating a larger gap between outdoor and indoor reliability than in urban Kansas.

Usage patterns versus Kansas overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration and app intensity: about 2–4 percentage points below the statewide adult smartphone rate, primarily due to age mix.
• Higher share of basic phones among seniors: around 8% of adults countywide use non-smart devices, a few points higher than the state average.
• 5G utilization lags: residents more often remain on LTE or low-band 5G; mid-band 5G capacity (and the high speeds associated with it) is less ubiquitous than in metro Kansas.
• Mobile-only internet dependence is bifurcated: outlying households without modern fixed options lean more on cellular data, but Hoxie and fiber-served areas skew toward home broadband with mobile as a complement. Net effect: a modestly higher mobile-reliant share than Kansas in remote tracts, tempered by strong FTTH penetration in town.
• Congestion profile: generally light (fewer simultaneous users than urban counties) but with sharp, localized spikes during school events, fairs, and harvest activity around elevators.

Practical implications

• Coverage quality, not just capacity, is the binding constraint: signal reliability on farms and along secondary roads matters more than peak speeds.
• Device mix and support needs skew older: demand for hearing-aid compatibility, larger displays, and straightforward plans is above the state average.
• Regional carrier relevance: Nex‑Tech Wireless plays a larger role locally than in most Kansas counties, reflecting both coverage fit and community presence.
• FirstNet footprint improves public-safety reliability on AT&T, but multi-carrier redundancy remains prudent for agencies and businesses operating across the county line.

Summary Sheridan County’s mobile landscape is defined by extremely low population density, an older age profile, and a reliance on corridor-based coverage. Compared with Kansas overall, the county posts slightly lower adult smartphone penetration, more basic-phone retention among seniors, thinner mid-band 5G reach, and greater reliance on LTE and Wi‑Fi calling in metal buildings and remote sections. Fiber-backed towers and town-centered FTTH mitigate some constraints in Hoxie and along US‑24, but outside those areas reliability and indoor coverage, rather than absolute speed, remain the primary differentiators of user experience.

Sheridan County, KS — social media snapshot (2024)

Context and headline stats

• Population context: rural county of roughly 2.5K residents, about 1.9K–2.0K adults (18+).
• Internet access: 75–85% of households subscribe to broadband; smartphone access exceeds 90% of adults.
• Social media penetration: 70–80% of adults use at least one platform; 50–60% use social daily.
• Estimated adult social media users: 1,300–1,600; daily users: 900–1,200.

Most-used platforms (adults, monthly use; estimated local shares)

• YouTube: 75–85% (approx. 1,400–1,700 adults)
• Facebook: 60–70% (approx. 1,100–1,300)
• Instagram: 35–45% (approx. 650–850)
• TikTok: 25–35% (approx. 450–600)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (approx. 450–550; skews under 30)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female 25–54)
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 10–15%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: under 5%

Age-group usage and patterns

• Teens (13–17): 95%+ on at least one platform; YouTube ~95%, Snapchat 70–80%, TikTok 70–75%, Instagram 60–70%. Facebook limited.
• 18–29: ~95% overall; YouTube ~95%, Instagram 75–85%, Snapchat 65–70%, TikTok 60–70%, Facebook 60–65%.
• 30–49: 85–90%; Facebook 70–75%, YouTube 85–90%, Instagram 45–55%, TikTok 30–40%, Pinterest 35–45%.
• 50–64: 75–80%; Facebook 65–70%, YouTube 70–80%, Instagram 25–35%, TikTok 15–25%.
• 65+: 50–60%; Facebook 55–60%, YouTube 50–60%, Instagram 10–15%, TikTok 5–10%.

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Women: higher use of Facebook (+5–10 points vs men), Instagram (+5), and Pinterest (roughly 2–3x men). Strong participation in local groups and event posts.
• Men: higher use of YouTube (+5–10), X and Reddit (+5). Content skew to sports, agriculture, auto, and hunting.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook remains the community hub: Groups/Pages for schools, youth sports, churches, 4‑H, and county events; Marketplace is active for buy/sell.
• Short-form video is surging: Reels and TikTok drive discovery for local businesses, ag tips, and home services; sub‑45‑second clips perform best.
• Messaging-first commerce: Many small businesses convert via Facebook Messenger and Snapchat DMs; quick replies matter.
• Peak activity windows: 6–8 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; weekend spikes around school sports and church/community events.
• Cross-posting works: Audiences overlap across Facebook/Instagram/TikTok; repurposed vertical video with localized captions performs well.
• Trust and locality: Posts featuring known community members, event photos, and service updates outperform polished corporate creative.
• Connectivity considerations: Some users remain on slower or metered connections; concise captions and lightweight media improve reach.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 county-level estimates derived from Pew Research Center adoption rates (with rural adjustments), recent ACS age structure, FCC/ACS connectivity data, and platform usage patterns observed in rural Kansas. County platforms do not publish official user totals; ranges reflect the best available localization of national and rural benchmarks.