Washington County

Key demographics – Washington County, Kansas (latest U.S. Census Bureau data)

Population size

• Total population: 5,530 (2020 Census)
• ACS 5-year estimate: ~5.4k (2019–2023)

Age

• Median age: ~45–46 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~21–22%
• 65 and over: ~24–25%

Sex

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~93–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~2.4k
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.3
• Family households: ~65–67% of households
• Married-couple families: ~55–57% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~33–35%
• Householder living alone 65+: ~15–16% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics).

Washington County, KS (2020 pop ~5,530; ~6.1 people per sq. mile) shows broad email adoption despite rural density.

Estimated email users (age 13+): ~4,320 (≈78% of residents).

Age mix of email users:

• 13–17: ~6%
• 18–34: ~20%
• 35–54: ~27%
• 55–64: ~16%
• 65+: ~30%

Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male.

Digital access and trends:

• ~89% of households have a computer.
• ~76% of households have a broadband subscription.
• ~86% of adults use smartphones; ~17% of households are mobile‑only for home internet.
• Fiber/cable clusters in towns (e.g., Washington, Hanover, Linn), while farms and sparsely settled areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• FCC-reported 25/3 Mbps availability is widespread, but adoption lags in older and remote households.
• Ongoing fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts and high smartphone penetration are steadily lifting email use among seniors and mobile‑only residents.

Insights: Email is near‑universal among adults under 65 (>95%) and high among 65+ (~80–85%). The county’s very low population density and long last‑mile loops temper subscription rates, but connectivity improvements are closing gaps and reinforcing email as a primary communication channel.

Mobile phone usage in Washington County, Kansas (2025 snapshot)

Headlines that differ from the Kansas statewide picture

• Lower smartphone penetration and higher feature‑phone retention driven by an older age profile and more rural housing.
• Greater reliance on cellular data as a primary home internet option where wireline broadband is limited or costly.
• 5G is predominantly low‑band/outdoor and clustered around the US‑36 corridor and town centers; mid‑band 5G footprint is materially smaller than the statewide average.
• Typical mobile speeds are lower and more variable than in metro Kansas, with larger indoor coverage gaps in metal‑roof and limestone structures.

Population and user estimates

• Population: ~5,400 residents; ~4,200 adults (18+).
• Any mobile phone users: ~4,550 (84–87% of residents).
• Smartphone users: ~4,200 (77–80% of residents; ~3,250 adults plus ~950 teens).
• Wireless‑only (no landline) among adults: ~60–65% of adults, below Kansas’s ~70–75%.
• Households using a cellular data plan at home (in any form): ~55–60% of households.
• Households relying on cellular data as their only internet subscription: ~16–20% (notably higher than the Kansas average of ~10–13%). Method basis: U.S. Census population and household counts; Pew Research Center smartphone adoption by age/income/rurality; CDC/NCHS wireless‑only telephony; ACS “Types of Internet Subscription” patterns for rural Kansas counties. Estimates are adjusted for Washington County’s older age structure and rural settlement pattern.

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage (rounded)

• By age
  • 13–17: ~95% smartphone use; ~900–1,000 users.
  • 18–34: ~90–94% smartphone use; ~600–700 users. Lower absolute count than state norm due to out‑migration of young adults.
  • 35–64: ~85–90% smartphone use; ~1,900–2,100 users.
  • 65+: ~58–65% smartphone use; ~800–900 users. This age group is materially larger here than statewide, pulling down overall penetration.
• By income/education (directional vs state)
  • Low‑ to moderate‑income households comprise a larger share than statewide; they show higher “smartphone‑only” internet reliance and lower ownership of PCs/tablets, elevating dependence on mobile for all online tasks.
  • Digital skills gaps are deeper among older residents; more voice‑centric and text‑centric usage, lower use of high‑bandwidth apps relative to metro Kansas.

Usage patterns that diverge from statewide norms

• Device mix: Feature‑phone share ~6–8% (vs ~3–5% statewide), concentrated among 65+.
• Data plans: Higher prevalence of deprioritized and fixed‑wireless/mobile hotspot plans for home connectivity; multi‑line family plans dominate for cost reasons.
• Traffic profile: Peak congestion aligns with school and farm‑operation hours; harvest season sees short‑term load spikes along US‑36 and at grain elevators.
• Churn and portability: Lower carrier churn; residents prioritize reliable rural coverage over price or top‑end speeds.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage
  • 4G LTE: County‑wide outdoor coverage from the national carriers along highways and in towns; patchier coverage in low‑lying areas and along county section roads.
  • 5G: Low‑band 5G covers most populated areas and US‑36; mid‑band (C‑band/n41) is present in/near the City of Washington and select town sites but covers a much smaller share of land area than statewide. mmWave is not a factor.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14): Deployed on regional sites; public‑safety signal is generally stronger than consumer LTE indoors in town centers.
• Capacity and performance (typical)
  • Median mobile download: roughly mid‑20s to mid‑40s Mbps in towns; single‑digit to teens in fringe areas. This trails Kansas metro medians by a wide margin.
  • Uplink is frequently the bottleneck for telehealth and video calls in outlying homesteads.
• Tower density and backhaul
  • Rural Great Plains spacing yields on the order of one macro site per 90–130 square miles; Washington County’s ~900 square miles translates to only several multi‑carrier sites, necessitating careful positioning near population clusters.
  • Fiber backhaul follows US‑36 and state routes; off‑corridor sectors may run on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak capacity relative to urban Kansas.
• Home connectivity interplay
  • Fixed wireless (licensed and CBRS), mobile hotspot plans, and satellite (Starlink) fill gaps where DSL or fiber are unavailable.
  • T‑Mobile’s 5G Home Internet and select WISPs are available in town centers; availability drops quickly in the countryside.
• Indoor experience
  • Metal‑roof/farm structures and limestone foundations degrade signal; voice‑over‑Wi‑Fi and in‑home boosters are commonly used, more so than in urban counties.

Implications

• Service planning: Carriers that prioritize mid‑band 5G infill on existing sites along US‑36 and around Washington, Hanover, and Linn will see immediate quality gains; additional rural small cells have limited backhaul and siting feasibility.
• Public services: Libraries and schools remain critical for high‑throughput tasks; continued E‑Rate and middle‑mile investments will indirectly improve mobile performance via better backhaul.
• Digital equity: Targeted 65+ digital skills training and subsidy awareness (ACP successors, Lifeline) can lift effective mobile use without requiring immediate infrastructure expansion.

Key comparisons to Kansas statewide (directional)

• Smartphone penetration: Washington County ~78–80% vs Kansas ~85–90%.
• Wireless‑only adults: ~60–65% vs Kansas ~70–75%.
• Cellular‑only home internet: ~16–20% vs Kansas ~10–13%.
• Mid‑band 5G land‑area coverage: materially lower than statewide; speeds likewise lag metro medians.

Sources and methods: U.S. Census (population/age structure), ACS “Computer and Internet Use” for rural Kansas patterns, Pew Research Center (smartphone adoption by age/income/rural), CDC/NCHS wireless‑only telephony, FCC mobile coverage datasets and carrier build‑outs through 2024. Figures are county‑level estimates calibrated to Washington County’s demographics and rural infrastructure conditions.

Washington County, KS — Social Media Snapshot (2025)

Population and connectivity

• Population: ≈5,500 residents; older-skewed age mix (large 50+ cohort). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year.
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~78–80%. Source: ACS 2019–2023.
• Gender split: ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male. Source: ACS 2019–2023.

Estimated social media user base (13+)

• Total social media users: ≈3,300 (about 72–75% of residents aged 13+).
• By age among social media users (share of users):
  • 13–17: ~9%
  • 18–29: ~17%
  • 30–49: ~32%
  • 50–64: ~22%
  • 65+: ~20%
• Gender among social media users: ~50% female, ~50% male overall.

Most-used platforms in the county (share of social media users who use each at least monthly)

• YouTube: 80% (≈2,640 users)
• Facebook: 73% (≈2,400 users)
• Instagram: 38% (≈1,250 users)
• Pinterest: 32% (≈1,050 users; majority female)
• TikTok: 27% (≈890 users)
• Snapchat: 22% (≈725 users; concentrated under 30)
• WhatsApp: 16% (≈530 users)
• X (Twitter): 16% (≈530 users)
• LinkedIn: 13% (≈430 users; concentrated 25–54)
• Reddit: 11% (≈360 users; majority male)

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Local information hub: Facebook dominates for community groups, school updates, churches, local government, events, obituaries, road and weather notices. Facebook Messenger is a primary private channel.
• Video-first habits: YouTube and Facebook video draw the widest reach; popular content includes how‑to, agriculture and equipment, local sports, and county fair coverage.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups see high participation; Instagram is used by small businesses for showcases and stories, with click‑throughs lower than Facebook.
• Youth usage: Teens favor TikTok and Snapchat for daily engagement; they still maintain Instagram accounts, while Facebook is used mainly for events and family visibility.
• Older adults: Heavy Facebook use for news, community, and faith organizations; YouTube for tutorials and national news clips; Pinterest adoption is moderate among women 35–64.
• News and alerts: Severe weather, school closings, and high school sports consistently spike engagement; brief, timely posts with plain-language headlines perform best.
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends produce the strongest organic engagement; posts tied to harvest, sports seasons, and county events overperform.
• Ads and reach: Boosted Facebook posts with tight local geotargeting deliver the most efficient reach; Instagram placements add incremental 18–34 reach; TikTok is efficient for teen/young adult awareness but limited for older cohorts.
• Trust signals: Content from recognizable local people and institutions outperforms brand-first messaging; photos of known places/people and short native videos drive higher share rates than links.

Notes on methodology

• County totals and demographics: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year.
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (applied by age group and adjusted for rural/older skew). County platform figures are model-based estimates created by applying Pew age-specific usage to Washington County’s age structure and broadband adoption.