Wichita County

Wichita County, Kansas – key demographics

Population size

• 2,152 (2020 Census)
• ~2,080 (2023 Census Bureau estimate, Vintage 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~37 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~27%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (shares; totals may round)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~31%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~60%
• Other, non-Hispanic (combined): ~9%
  • Two or more races: ~5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: each ~1% or less

Households and housing

• Households: ~840 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married-couple households: ~56%
• Households with children under 18: ~38%
• Living alone: ~25%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75% (renter-occupied ~25%)

Notes and sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census (DHC), American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates, and Vintage 2023 population estimates. Figures rounded for clarity.

Wichita County, Kansas (pop. ≈2,050; area 719 sq mi) has a very low density (~2.9 residents/sq mi), with most connectivity centered in Leoti.

Estimated email users: ≈1,560 (about 76% of residents), derived from rural U.S. adoption benchmarks scaled to local age mix.

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–17: 6%
• 18–29: 15%
• 30–49: 34%
• 50–64: 27%
• 65+: 18%

Gender split among email users: ~51% male, 49% female, mirroring county demographics.

Digital access trends:

• Home broadband adoption ≈72% of households, with remaining users relying on mobile-only, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Smartphone ownership ≈80% of adults; 12–15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Fiber/coax availability is largely in and near Leoti; outside town, fixed wireless and satellite are common, with typical service tiers in the 25–100 Mbps range.
• Low population density raises last‑mile costs and contributes to coverage gaps and lower speeds for outlying farms and ranches.
• Seniors show lower email intensity than working‑age adults, but usage is rising as healthcare, ag services, and government move online.

Overall, email is a mainstream channel countywide, strongest among ages 30–64 and in/near Leoti’s wired footprint.

Wichita County, KS: Mobile phone usage snapshot (2025)

Topline user estimates

• Population and households: ~2,120 residents and ~820 households (2023 Census estimates)
• Smartphone users: ~1,500–1,600 residents 13+ use a smartphone (central estimate ~1,530), reflecting strong adoption among working-age adults and teens, with lower uptake among seniors
• Mobile-as-primary internet: ~20–25% of households rely primarily on cellular or fixed-wireless data for home internet (vs ~12–15% statewide), driven by rural geography and patchier wired options
• Device mix: Android remains slightly more common than iOS (typical rural KS pattern), with a higher-than-state share of prepaid and regional-carrier lines

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age: Older than the state overall (median age low-40s vs Kansas high-30s). Adoption is near-universal among 18–49, solid among 50–64, and meaningfully lower in 65+—creating a larger senior digital gap than the statewide picture
• Ethnicity: A sizable Hispanic/Latino community (roughly a quarter to a third of residents) drives high smartphone-dependency for communication, work, and school; bilingual households show above-average use of messaging apps and data-only plans
• Income and occupations: Agriculture and small-business employment raise demand for reliable voice/coverage over peak-speed performance, and encourage the use of regional carriers and fixed-wireless/Satellite as primary broadband in outlying areas

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, T-Mobile, and regional Nex-Tech Wireless provide service; roaming often supported
• 5G footprint: Low-band 5G covers the main corridors and Leoti; mid-band 5G (higher capacity) is concentrated in/near town centers with LTE fallback across farmland. Expect noticeable signal fades at county edges and along low-traffic section roads
• Backhaul and fiber: Pioneer Communications operates fiber in and around Leoti, supporting both FTTH and cellular backhaul; fiber thins outside town, where microwave backhaul and legacy copper persist
• Fixed wireless and satellite: T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G/LTE Home are available to many in/near town; Starlink fills gaps beyond terrestrial signal reach
• Tower layout: A small number of macro sites anchor service along K‑96 and K‑25, with broad cells serving low-density areas; in-building coverage can be variable in metal structures typical of farm and commercial buildings

How Wichita County differs from Kansas overall

• Higher mobile dependence for home broadband: Cellular and fixed-wireless usage as the primary household internet is meaningfully higher than the state average, reflecting fewer ubiquitous wired options outside town limits
• Capacity vs coverage tradeoff: Coverage is prioritized over capacity. Typical speeds are more variable than in metro Kansas due to sparse mid-band 5G/LTE sectors and longer inter-site distances
• Carrier mix: Regional carrier presence (notably Nex-Tech Wireless) and a larger prepaid share differentiate the county from urban Kansas markets dominated by Big‑3 postpaid plans
• Upgrade cycles: Handset replacement cycles tend to be longer than the state average, slightly reducing penetration of the newest 5G features
• Senior adoption gap: A larger 65+ share translates to a more pronounced gap in smartphone adoption and app-based service use relative to statewide norms

Actionable insights

• Network planning: Additional mid-band 5G sectors in Leoti and along K‑96/K‑25 would materially improve peak and indoor performance, especially for fixed-wireless users
• Public services: Targeted digital literacy and low-cost device programs for older adults would close the adoption gap more than similar efforts would in urban Kansas
• Business strategy: Regional and prepaid offerings, bilingual support, and farm/ranch‑friendly coverage guarantees are more influential to customer acquisition than headline 5G speeds
• Resilience: Maintaining microwave and fiber backhaul diversity and deploying enterprise-grade boosters in metal buildings can mitigate the most common coverage pain points

Notes on sources and method

• Population and household counts derive from recent Census/ACS estimates for small counties
• Adoption and mobile-reliance figures are county‑level estimates synthesized from rural Kansas ACS subscription patterns, Pew Research adoption rates by age, and carrier coverage disclosures for western Kansas
• Carrier presence and infrastructure characteristics reflect published coverage maps, regional operator footprints, and typical rural network design in western Kansas

Social media usage in Wichita County, Kansas (2025)

At-a-glance user stats

• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~1,500 residents
• Penetration (share of 13+ using at least one platform): ~80%
• Daily users: ~68% of 13+ residents (about 85% of social users)
• Average platforms per user: 2.5–3
• Primary access: smartphone-first; broadband gaps push heavier use of mobile apps and short video

Most-used platforms among adults (18+)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 31%
• Pinterest: 32%
• Snapchat: 24%
• WhatsApp: 16%
• LinkedIn: 14%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• Reddit: 10%
• Nextdoor: ~3%

Teens (13–17) skew

• YouTube: ~92%
• TikTok: ~62%
• Snapchat: ~60%
• Instagram: ~58%
• Facebook: ~20%

Age-group penetration (share using any social platform)

• 13–17: ~95%
• 18–29: ~93%
• 30–49: ~85%
• 50–64: ~70%
• 65+: ~50%

Gender breakdown

• Users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county population)
• Platform skews:
  • Women: higher on Facebook and Pinterest; strong participation in local buy/sell, school/booster, church, and community groups
  • Men: higher on YouTube, X, Reddit; strong consumption of ag, mechanics/DIY, weather, and sports content

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: Primary channel for local news, school sports, county fair updates, church announcements, obituaries, and buy/sell/trade groups. Facebook Messenger is the default DM for residents 30+ and small businesses.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to and repair content (farm equipment, home/auto), severe weather coverage, local sports highlights, and church service streams. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is growing fastest across all ages.
• Youth attention split: Teens and 18–24s toggle between Snapchat (messaging + Stories), Instagram (Stories/Reels), and TikTok (entertainment and trends). Facebook is mainly for events and family connections in this group.
• Hispanic/Latino connectivity: WhatsApp and Spanish-language Facebook groups support family ties, events, and local services discovery; cross-posting between WhatsApp and Facebook is common.
• Time-of-day peaks: Morning check-ins (6–8 a.m.), lunch scrolls (12–1 p.m.), and strongest activity evenings (7–10 p.m.). During planting/harvest, usage shifts later at night; weather events drive real-time surges on Facebook and YouTube.
• Trust and discovery: Content from known local pages (schools, county agencies, churches, boosters, radio) gets outsized engagement. Recommendations spread through comments and shares more than paid ads.
• Local commerce: Small businesses rely on Facebook Pages/Groups and Marketplace for reach; Instagram presence is increasing for boutiques, salons, and food trucks; TikTok is emerging for quick menu/features videos.
• Creator behavior: A small but active set of residents posts short-form video around ag life, hunting/fishing, sports, and rural humor; cross-posting to Reels/TikTok is standard to maximize reach.

Notes on the figures

• Percentages are modeled for Wichita County using recent Pew Research Center adoption rates (adults and teens), rural usage differentials, and the county’s age mix from Census/ACS, adjusted to 2025. They reflect typical patterns in rural western Kansas communities with similar demographics and connectivity.