Custer County

Here are current, high-level demographics for Custer County, Montana (primarily from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; figures rounded):

• Population: ~11.9k (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~42–43
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~20%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%
• Race and ethnicity (shares of total; categories rounded):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~86–88%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (any Hispanic origin): ~5–6%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4–5%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
  • Black: <1%
  • Asian: <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~5,000–5,200
  • Average household size: ~2.2
  • Family households: ~60%
  • Married-couple households: ~45–50%
  • Housing tenure: ~68–70% owner-occupied; ~30–32% renter-occupied

Notes: Small counties have wider margins of error in ACS; for exact point estimates and MOEs, see ACS 2019–2023 tables (e.g., DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04) and the Census 2023 population estimates.

Summary of email usage in Custer County, Montana (estimates)

• Population and density: ~11–12K residents; about 3 people per square mile. Roughly 70% live in/around Miles City.
• Estimated email users: 9,000–10,000 residents use email at least occasionally. Basis: ~8.5–9.5K adults (18+) with ~90–95% email adoption, plus some teens.
• Age distribution of users (approx. share of all users):
  • 18–34: 20–25% of users (very high adoption, ~95%).
  • 35–64: 45–50% of users (very high adoption, ~93–97%).
  • 65+: 20–25% of users (adoption ~75–85%, rising).
  • Teens (13–17): small but growing share; most have access via school/mobile.
• Gender split: County population ~51% male, 49% female; email use is essentially even by gender.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly 75–85% (ACS-like for rural MT).
  • Best fixed broadband and fiber clusters in Miles City and along I‑94; outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless and satellite.
  • Mobile coverage is generally good near highways/town; smartphone-only internet use is common among lower-income and rural households.
  • Regional providers and co-ops have been expanding fiber; continued upgrades expected via state/federal rural broadband programs.

Notes: Figures derived from Census/ACS population patterns, rural MT broadband stats, and national email adoption (Pew).

Summary of mobile phone usage in Custer County, Montana

Context

• Population: roughly 11–12 thousand residents, centered on Miles City, with large, sparsely populated ranching areas.
• Rural, older-than-average age profile compared with Montana as a whole.

User estimates (best-available estimates using ACS/Pew rural adoption patterns and county demographics)

• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): about 9,800–10,400 people (≈85–90% of residents).
• Smartphone users: about 8,800–9,600 people (≈78–85% of residents). This runs a bit below Montana’s overall rate, largely due to an older age mix and more remote households.
• 5G-capable device users: roughly 45–55% of adult users in the county, versus ~60–70% statewide; upgrades lag outside Miles City where coverage/capacity gains are modest.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): approximately 55–65% in the county, slightly below Montana overall, given the county’s older population and the presence of cooperative landline service in rural areas.
• Smartphone-only internet users (no fixed home broadband): modestly higher share inside Miles City among lower-income renters; in outlying areas, many households use fixed wireless or satellite and treat mobile as a secondary connection.

Demographic breakdown and adoption patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: near-ubiquitous smartphone ownership (>90%), similar to statewide.
  • 35–64: high smartphone ownership (≈85–90%), a few points below statewide.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈65–75% with smartphones), below state averages; more voice/text-centric use and more basic/legacy devices than in Montana overall.
• Income and education:
  • Median income is below the state average; cost sensitivity shows up as slower device upgrade cycles and a higher prevalence of shared/family plans.
  • Smartphone-only internet use is more common among lower-income adults in Miles City; in rural tracts, limited wired options push households to fixed wireless or satellite rather than purely smartphone-only access.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county’s Native American share is smaller than Montana’s statewide average; coverage and usage near county borders can vary due to inter-county network differences, but within Custer County the demographic effect on overall mobile adoption is modest compared to the age effect.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carriers and coverage:
  • Verizon: generally the most reliable rural coverage; strong along I-94/US-12 and around Miles City; broad LTE, low-band 5G in/near town.
  • AT&T: solid along highway corridors and the Yellowstone River valley; patchier off-corridor plains.
  • T-Mobile: meaningful improvements with low-band spectrum; good in Miles City and along I-94; still thinner in far-rural sections compared to Verizon.
• 5G:
  • Predominantly low-band 5G coverage in Miles City and along I-94; mid-band 5G capacity is largely town-centric. Outside these areas, users often see LTE or low-band 5G with LTE-like speeds.
• Capacity/backhaul:
  • Fiber backbones follow I-94 and the rail corridor; towers off the corridor often rely on microwave backhaul, which limits peak speeds and consistency versus urban Montana markets.
• Fixed wireless and home internet:
  • T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G/LTE Home are available in and around Miles City; performance degrades with distance from town.
  • Mid-Rivers Communications serves much of eastern Montana and provides fiber in parts of Miles City and fixed wireless in rural areas; many remote households rely on fixed wireless or satellite (including Starlink).
• Public anchors:
  • Schools, the hospital, county facilities, and Miles Community College concentrate fiber and Wi‑Fi access in town; these anchors do not fully translate to wide-area mobile capacity in rural tracts.

How Custer County differs from Montana overall

• Adoption levels:
  • Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration, driven mainly by a larger 65+ cohort.
  • Lower share of 5G-capable handsets and slower replacement cycles.
• Network experience:
  • Coverage is adequate on corridors but falls off more quickly off-highway than in many Montana population centers; median speeds are lower and more variable outside Miles City.
• Access mix:
  • Higher reliance on fixed wireless and satellite for home internet in rural tracts; mobile is a supplement rather than a sole connection outside town, whereas in Montana’s larger cities mobile can substitute more often.
• Carrier share:
  • Verizon tends to command a larger share than statewide, reflecting its rural footprint; T-Mobile’s share is improving from a smaller base.
• Household telephony:
  • Wireless-only households are common but likely a few points below the statewide rate due to the county’s older population and legacy landline/co-op presence.

Notes on sources and method

• Estimates combine: American Community Survey device/Internet indicators for rural Montana counties, Pew Research Center’s rural smartphone adoption by age, FCC mobile coverage map patterns along I-94, and provider service footprints (Mid-Rivers, national carriers). Exact county-level figures can be refined by pulling the latest ACS S2801 table (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) for Custer County, FCC mobile coverage tiles, and carrier availability checkers for Miles City and surrounding ZIP codes.

Here’s a concise, data‑driven snapshot for Custer County, MT. Because platform companies don’t publish county‑level figures, the percentages below are estimates built from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media benchmarks (with rural adjustments) applied to Custer County’s age/sex profile from the U.S. Census/ACS. Treat them as planning ranges.

At‑a‑glance

• Population: ~12,000
• Estimated active social media users (13+): ~8,000 (≈65–70% of total population)
  • Adults (18+): ~7,300 users
  • Teens (13–17): ~650–700 users

Age usage (share of each age group using at least one social platform)

• 13–17: 90–95%
• 18–29: 90–95%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 70–75%
• 65+: 55–60% Note: County skews older; expect a larger share of total users to be 50+ vs. national.

Gender breakdown (among social media users, 13+)

• Female: ~52–54%
• Male: ~46–48% Patterns: Women overindex on Facebook and Pinterest; men overindex on YouTube and Reddit (smaller base).

Most‑used platforms (adults, 18+; estimated share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: 78–83%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (heaviest among women 25+)
• TikTok: 25–30% (concentrated under 35)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (primarily under 30)
• X/Twitter: 15–18%
• Reddit: 14–16%
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (Facebook Groups often substitute in small towns) Teens (13–17) skew differently: YouTube ~95%+, Snapchat ~75–80%, TikTok ~70–75%, Instagram ~60–65%, Facebook ~25–30%.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school and sports updates, event promos (e.g., rodeos/fairs), buy/sell/trade, lost‑and‑found, weather/road/fire alerts. Marketplace and Groups drive daily engagement.
• Video everywhere, short first: Reels/shorts perform best; under 30–45 seconds, captioned, vertical. YouTube for how‑to, ranching/ag, hunting/fishing, home repair, and gear reviews.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous among adults; Snapchat dominates teen/college‑age chat. WhatsApp usage is modest.
• Shopping and recommendations: Heavy reliance on word‑of‑mouth in Groups; local businesses often “boost” Facebook posts more than run complex ad campaigns.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–8 a.m.), lunchtime, and evenings (8–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around local sports, fairs, and the Bucking Horse Sale season.
• Content that travels: High engagement for community faces, youth sports highlights, ranch and rodeo content, weather and wildlife updates, giveaways, and practical how‑to clips.
• Older user base effect: Facebook holds steady; Instagram/TikTok growing but concentrated among under‑35. Pinterest remains a strong utility platform (recipes, crafts, home).

Method notes and sources

• Sources: Pew Research Center (2023–2024 U.S. social media use, with rural differentials), U.S. Census Bureau/ACS for Custer County age/sex profile. County‑specific platform data isn’t published; figures above are calibrated estimates for planning.