Trego County

Trego County, Kansas — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 2,808
• 2023 population estimate: ~2,820

Age

• Median age: ~48 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~25%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50% of population

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~92%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~1,280–1,300
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.1–2.2
• Family households: ~58–60% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~40–42%
• 1-person households: ~34–36%
• Households with children under 18: ~23–25%
• Housing units: ~1,550–1,600
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%

Insights

• Small, stable population with an older age profile and relatively small household sizes.
• Predominantly White, with a modest Hispanic presence and limited racial diversity.
• High homeownership consistent with rural Great Plains counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DHC/Redistricting data); American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most recent available); Population Estimates Program (2023).

Email usage in Trego County, Kansas (estimates, 2024; scaled from ACS 2018–2022 and national Pew adoption benchmarks to a ~2.9K population):

• Estimated email users: ≈2,200 residents age 13+.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17 ~5%; 18–34 ~20%; 35–54 ~33%; 55–64 ~17%; 65+ ~25%. Adoption is near-universal among under-65s; lower but substantial among 65+.
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors local population balance and similar adoption rates by gender).
• Digital access: 80–85% of households have an internet subscription; ~70–75% have fixed broadband at home, with ~10–12% of adults smartphone-only or relying on satellite/fixed wireless. Daily email checking among users is common (70%+), with older adults checking slightly less frequently.
• Density/connectivity context: ≈3.2 people per square mile across ~900 square miles; strongest fixed and mobile coverage clusters along the I‑70/WaKeeney corridor, while outlying areas show more dependence on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite. Recent regional fiber buildouts are improving speeds in town centers, but 100/20 Mbps service remains patchy outside populated tracts.

These figures provide a practical planning baseline for communication reach and segmentation in Trego County.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Trego County, Kansas (latest available data and modeled local estimates)

Bottom line

• Trego County is a small, older-leaning, rural county along I‑70 with strong corridor coverage but patchier performance away from the highway. Mobile adoption is high but below the Kansas average, with heavier reliance on LTE and cellular hotspots outside WaKeeney. Regional carrier presence (Nex‑Tech Wireless) is more salient than in most Kansas counties.

User estimates

• Population baseline: 2,808 (2020 Census). Households: roughly 1,250–1,350 (ACS 2018–2022).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile device, adults and teens): about 2,300–2,500 residents, or roughly 82–88% of the population. This is several points below the statewide mobile adoption, which typically exceeds 90%.
• Smartphone users: about 2,000–2,200 residents, or roughly 72–78% of the population (equivalent to about 84–88% of adults). Kansas statewide adult smartphone ownership is closer to ~90–92%, so Trego County trails by an estimated 3–7 percentage points.
• Cellular‑only home internet users (households relying on mobile hotspots or phone tethering instead of wired/fixed broadband): materially higher than the Kansas average in rural blocks. A reasonable local estimate is 8–12% of households countywide versus low‑single‑digits in metro parts of the state, with pockets higher where fiber isn’t present.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age structure: The county skews older than Kansas overall, with a notably larger 65+ share and a smaller 18–34 share. This age mix suppresses overall smartphone penetration relative to the state.
• Approximate smartphone adoption by age (localized from rural Midwest patterns and ACS age mix):
  • Ages 13–34: 95%+ smartphone ownership; near parity with Kansas.
  • Ages 35–64: roughly 85–90%; a few points below state peers.
  • Ages 65+: roughly 60–70%; 10+ points below statewide seniors.
• Implications:
  • Lower app‑centric engagement and slower device upgrade cycles than urban Kansas.
  • Voice/SMS and navigation remain comparatively more prominent, especially among agricultural, trucking, and service workers.
  • Higher propensity to use shared/family data plans and regional carriers.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile, and regional Nex‑Tech Wireless operate in and around Trego County.
• 5G availability: Deployed primarily along I‑70 and in/near WaKeeney and the US‑283 corridor. Outside those areas, service is predominantly LTE. Mid‑band 5G capacity is limited compared with Kansas metro counties.
• Performance gradient:
  • Along I‑70/within WaKeeney: reliable 5G/LTE with typical download speeds in the tens to low hundreds of Mbps and relatively low latency.
  • Rural sections north/south of the interstate: coverage remains, but speeds drop and indoor penetration can be inconsistent; LTE is the fallback, with higher variability during peak hours.
• Backhaul and fiber: The interstate corridor benefits from fiber backbones. Nex‑Tech (rural telco) has built fiber to premises in WaKeeney and several exchanges; fixed wireless fills many remaining gaps. This mixed footprint raises the share of households using mobile hotspots compared with fiber‑rich metro Kansas.
• Public connectivity supports: Library, school district, and civic buildings offer public Wi‑Fi and/or hotspot lending programs at higher rates per capita than in urban counties, partially offsetting household connectivity gaps.

How Trego County differs from Kansas overall

• Adoption level: High but consistently lower than the state average by a few percentage points for both general mobile and smartphones, driven by an older population and wider areas with LTE‑only coverage.
• Network mix: Greater reliance on LTE relative to 5G, particularly away from I‑70, whereas large Kansas metros are majority‑5G for everyday use.
• Carrier composition: Regional carrier (Nex‑Tech Wireless) holds a more visible share than in most counties, affecting plan selection and device availability patterns.
• Home internet substitution: Larger slice of households using mobile hotspots/tethering due to uneven fiber/DSL availability outside WaKeeney; this is less common in metro Kansas where fiber and cable are ubiquitous.
• Upgrade cadence and usage: Slower handset replacement and slightly lower per‑capita mobile data consumption than urban counties; practical, coverage‑driven behavior (voice/SMS, navigation, agricultural apps) stands out more than streaming‑heavy usage.

Sources and methodology

• Counts and age mix: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census; ACS 2018–2022 county profiles.
• Adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center smartphone adoption by age; National Health Interview Survey wireless‑only trends; aligned to Trego County’s age structure.
• Infrastructure: FCC National Broadband Map (2023–2024 vintages), Kansas carrier coverage disclosures, and known regional builds by Nex‑Tech in northwest Kansas.
• Estimates reflect conservative, county‑specific adjustments to statewide and national datasets to provide actionable local figures.

Trego County, KS social media snapshot (population ~2,800; 2020 Census)

User base

• Estimated social media users: ~1,900 (roughly 70–75% of residents age 13+), driven by strong adult adoption and near-universal teen use (Pew Research Center; U.S. Census/ACS).
• Device and access: Smartphone-first usage; household broadband subscription rates typical of rural Kansas (mid-70s percent), so video viewing leans toward shorter formats and Wi‑Fi at home or work.

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adult residents using at least once/month; best rural-adjusted estimates)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~38%
• Snapchat: ~28%
• TikTok: ~27%
• Secondary/niche: Pinterest ~30% (women‑skewed), X (Twitter) ~20%, LinkedIn ~18%, Reddit <10%

Age patterns

• Teens (13–17): Nearly universal YouTube; heavy Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal except for school/activities.
• 18–29: Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok lead; YouTube ubiquitous; Facebook used for local groups and Marketplace more than posting.
• 30–49: Facebook + YouTube dominate; Instagram for visuals; TikTok used but more for viewing than posting.
• 50–64: Facebook primary; YouTube for how‑to/news; Pinterest notable among women.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube remain core; other platforms limited.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base is approximately balanced male/female, mirroring the county’s population.
• Platform skew: Women over‑indexed on Facebook and Pinterest; men over‑indexed on YouTube and X. Instagram slightly female‑leaning; Snapchat/TikTok balanced to slightly female.

Behavioral trends

• High engagement with local Facebook Groups/Pages (schools, churches, county/city, events) and Marketplace; Facebook is the default “community noticeboard.”
• YouTube used for DIY, home/auto/ag equipment, weather, and local sports highlights.
• Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) consumption rising, but creation concentrated among younger users.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary; SMS for older adults.
• Peak attention windows are early morning and evenings; weekend spikes around local events, games, fairs, and seasonal activities (e.g., hunting, harvest).
• Trust and relevance matter: locally produced posts, faces known to the community, and practical information outperform generic brand content.

Notes on method

• Figures are localized estimates applying Pew Research Center social media adoption and platform splits (2022–2024) to Trego County’s demographic profile from the U.S. Census Bureau/ACS; rural adjustments reflect documented rural vs. urban differentials.