Wallace County

Key demographics: Wallace County, Kansas

• Population size:

  • 1,512 (2020 Decennial Census)

• Age structure (ACS 2018–2022 5-year):

  • Median age: ~44 years
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 65 and over: ~21%

• Gender (ACS 2018–2022 5-year):

  • Male: ~53%
  • Female: ~47%

• Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022 5-year):

  • White alone: ~93%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~12%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1%
  • Black or African American: <1%
  • Asian: <1%
  • Note: Hispanic is an ethnicity and overlaps with race; percentages may sum to >100

• Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022 5-year):

  • Households: ~650–660
  • Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
  • Family households: ~60–65% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~50–55% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
  • One-person households: ~25–30%
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~75–80%

Insights:

• Extremely small, sparsely populated county with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly White, with a notable Hispanic/Latino presence relative to its size.
• Slight male majority, typical of rural Great Plains labor patterns.
• High owner-occupancy and a majority of family households, consistent with rural housing markets.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Wallace County, KS snapshot

• Population and density: ~1,485 residents (2023), ~914 sq mi, ~1.6 people/sq mi—among the sparsest counties in Kansas. Communities cluster along US‑40 (Sharon Springs, Weskan, Wallace), with vast ranchland in between.
• Estimated email users: ~1,100 residents actively use email. This reflects roughly 90% adoption among adults in a county where adults comprise ~80% of the population.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–24: 12%; 25–44: 27%; 45–64: 37%; 65+: 24%. Older residents use email somewhat less frequently but still at substantial rates.
• Gender split of email users: ~51% female, 49% male (overall population leans slightly male, but women show marginally higher adoption).
• Digital access and trends: About three‑quarters of households maintain a broadband subscription, with connectivity strongest in Sharon Springs and more limited on outlying farms and ranches. Fixed 100/20 Mbps service is primarily available in towns (fiber/cable pockets), while many rural addresses rely on fixed wireless or satellite. Smartphone‑only internet households are in the mid‑teens percentage, and mobile email use continues to rise. Ongoing state and federal rural broadband investments are narrowing gaps, but distance and very low density keep infrastructure costs and variability in speeds high.

Mobile phone usage in Wallace County, Kansas — 2025 snapshot

Scope and sourcing: County-level ownership and usage are not directly measured by a single federal dataset. The figures below combine definitive demographic statistics (Decennial Census) with model-based estimates anchored to 2018–2022 ACS internet subscription data for rural Kansas, Pew Research Center device ownership by rural/age cohorts, and FCC mobile coverage filings for western Kansas. Estimates are rounded to practical ranges.

User estimates

• Population base: 1,512 residents (2020 Census), with a very low density (~1.7 people/sq mi) and no urbanized areas.
• Adults (18+): approximately 1,150–1,250.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile handset): roughly 1,050–1,150 adults (about 88–92% of adults), slightly below Kansas overall.
• Smartphone users: approximately 900–1,000 adults (about 75–82% of adults), reflecting the county’s older age profile; statewide Kansas is closer to the low-to-mid 80s.
• Household internet mix (usage behavior inferred from rural ACS patterns):
  • Mobile-only internet households: about 18–24% (higher than the Kansas average ~13–16%).
  • Households with no internet subscription: about 17–22% (above Kansas ~9–11%).
  • Among seniors 65+, basic/feature-phone retention is materially higher than the state average; smartphone adoption in this cohort is the primary drag on overall penetration.

Demographic breakdown (relevant to usage)

• Settlement pattern: entirely rural; small population centers in and around Sharon Springs and scattered farms/ranches.
• Age structure: older than the state, with a substantially larger share of residents 65+ and a smaller share 18–34. This tilts usage toward voice/SMS and lowers high-end smartphone penetration and 5G device uptake versus Kansas overall.
• Race/ethnicity: predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a modest Hispanic/Latino population tied to agriculture. Language-related barriers to digital onboarding are present but less pronounced than in more diverse Kansas counties.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and technology:
  • 4G LTE is the practical coverage baseline across populated corridors; true mid-band 5G (e.g., C-band/n77) presence is limited or absent countywide, with low-band 5G (coverage-first) the predominant 5G layer where present.
  • Coverage is strongest along state highways and near Sharon Springs; long inter-site distances produce dead zones in sparsely populated areas and along low-lying draws.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon and AT&T generally provide the most reliable rural footprint in western Kansas; T-Mobile’s low-band 5G/LTE reaches key corridors but remains more variable off-highway.
  • AT&T FirstNet is available for public safety; commercial users benefit indirectly from many FirstNet build-outs.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Typical user experience is 4G LTE/low-band 5G with modest capacity; sustained high-throughput mid-band 5G typical of metro Kansas is uncommon.
  • Microwave backhaul remains part of the transport mix; fiber backhaul exists along primary routes but is not ubiquitous.
• Alternatives and complements:
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) over LTE/5G and satellite broadband (including newer LEO constellations) fill gaps where DSL/fiber are unavailable; adoption of these alternatives is above the state average.
  • Wi‑Fi calling is a practical necessity inside some metal-roofed homes and outbuildings given weaker indoor cellular signal.

How Wallace County differs from state-level trends

• Lower smartphone penetration and slower 5G device turnover, driven by an older population and thinner retail/channel presence than urban Kansas.
• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet and FWA/satellite for home connectivity due to sparse wireline options, versus greater fiber/cable availability in much of the state.
• Coverage is breadth-first rather than capacity-first: users see broader low-band 5G/LTE reach but fewer mid-band 5G capacity zones than typical in Wichita, Topeka, or Johnson County.
• Greater variability in signal quality away from highways and small towns, with larger “quiet” areas between towers than the Kansas average.
• Prepaid and budget plans have a higher share of lines than statewide, reflecting income mix and seasonal agricultural labor patterns.
• Business/enterprise mobility is concentrated in agriculture, logistics, and public-sector users; advanced features (private LTE/5G, edge compute) are rarer than in larger Kansas markets.

Bottom line

• Expect roughly three in four adults in Wallace County to use smartphones and nearly nine in ten to carry some kind of mobile phone, with measurable pockets of mobile-only households.
• The county’s experience emphasizes coverage and reliability over peak speeds, with limited mid-band 5G and wide tower spacing shaping user outcomes.
• Compared with Kansas overall, Wallace County has lower smartphone/5G uptake, higher mobile-only reliance, and more pronounced coverage variability—consistent with its entirely rural, older, and extremely low-density profile.

Wallace County, KS — Social media usage (2025 small‑area estimate)

How these numbers were built: Small-population estimates calibrated to Wallace County’s age profile and rural adoption patterns using recent Pew Research Center platform usage, U.S. Census ACS age structure, and rural/urban adjustment factors. Figures reflect residents age 13+ unless noted.

Overall user stats

• Social media penetration: 72% of residents 13+ use at least one platform
• Daily users: 49% of residents 13+ (≈68% of social users) use social daily
• Multi‑platform: 58% of social users use 2+ platforms; average platforms per user: 2.3
• Time spent: median 45–60 minutes/day among users; heavier use among <35

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+, monthly)

• YouTube: 74%
• Facebook: 61%
• Instagram: 31%
• TikTok: 24%
• Snapchat: 22% Secondary platforms (smaller but notable): Pinterest 19%, X (Twitter) 10%, LinkedIn 9%, Reddit 8%

Age profile of social users (share of all social users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 17%
• 30–49: 31%
• 50–64: 24%
• 65+: 19%

Platform tilt by age (most-used per cohort)

• 13–17: YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal
• 18–29: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok; Snapchat for messaging; Facebook secondary
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube primary; Pinterest secondary; limited TikTok
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; minimal Instagram/TikTok

Gender breakdown (share of social users; and relative preferences)

• Women: 53% of users; over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; solid on Instagram
• Men: 47% of users; over-index on YouTube and Reddit; steady but lower on Instagram/TikTok than women in 30+

Behavioral trends in Wallace County

• Community and local info: Facebook Groups/Pages are the hub for school updates, county events, churches, high‑school sports, and classifieds/Marketplace
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat dominates teen/college-age messaging; WhatsApp minimal
• Video habits: YouTube used across ages for weather, ag markets, equipment repair, DIY, and hunting/outdoors; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) strongest under 35
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace widely used for vehicles, farm/ranch gear, and household goods; Instagram shopping limited
• Posting vs lurking: Majority are viewers; roughly 15–20% of users post weekly, with a small creator core cross‑posting Reels/Shorts
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–8 a.m., noon, and 7–10 p.m.; weekends see more Marketplace activity
• Trust and news: Local announcements via school/county pages rank highest in trust; X/Twitter seldom used for news; weather pages and local admins shape information flow
• Ad responsiveness: Best performing placements are Facebook/Instagram feed + local Groups; video pre‑roll on YouTube effective for broad reach; geotargeting works best within county + adjacent towns

Notes

• Figures are modeled for Wallace County’s small population and rural profile; platform shares reflect monthly use among residents age 13+.