Fergus County

Here are current, high-level demographics for Fergus County, Montana.

Sources and vintage: U.S. Census Bureau — 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.

• Population

  • Total: 11,446 (2020 Census); ~11.5k (ACS 2019–2023 estimate)

• Age

  • Median age: ~47 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18–64: ~56%
  • 65 and over: ~24%

• Sex

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS B03002)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~91%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
  • Black, non-Hispanic: <1%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0%

• Households and housing

  • Total households: ~5,200
  • Average household size: ~2.2
  • Family households: ~57% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~22%
  • Living alone (1-person households): ~35–36%
  • Tenure: ~72–74% owner-occupied; ~26–28% renter-occupied

Note: ACS figures are estimates and rounded for readability.

Email usage in Fergus County, MT (estimates)

• Population ~11.6k; land area ~4,300 sq mi → ~2.7 people/sq mi (very low density).
• Likely email users: ~6.5–7.5k adults (about 70–80% of adults), inferred from local broadband/Internet access rates and typical U.S. email adoption.
• Age mix of email users:
  • 18–29: ~12–15%
  • 30–49: ~28–32%
  • 50–64: ~25–28%
  • 65+: ~24–28% (slightly lower usage than younger groups)
• Gender split: roughly even, about 51% male / 49% female among users (mirrors county demographics).
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 70–75% of households have a home broadband subscription; 85–90% have a computer or smartphone.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around Lewistown (cable/fiber available); outside town many rely on fixed wireless or satellite, and some are mobile‑only.
  • Public/library Wi‑Fi remains an important access point.
  • Coverage and speeds are improving gradually via co‑op fiber and fixed‑wireless builds, but low rural density and terrain keep last‑mile costs high and service uneven.

Notes: Figures are derived from ACS-style broadband/device access data for rural Montana and national email adoption benchmarks, scaled to Fergus County’s demographics.

Here’s a concise, planning-oriented snapshot of mobile phone usage in Fergus County, Montana, with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns.

Headline estimates (2025)

• Population base: roughly 11–12k residents (heavily concentrated in and around Lewistown).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): about 8.5k–9.5k residents. Rationale: adult mobile ownership in rural areas typically ~90% with a small contribution from teens.
• Smartphone users: about 6.8k–7.6k residents. Rationale: rural/older mix usually pulls smartphone adoption 5–10 points below state averages.
• Household mobile-only internet: meaningfully higher than statewide outside Lewistown; many rural homes rely on cellular hotspots when wired options are limited.

How Fergus County differs from Montana overall

• Adoption level: Smartphone penetration is several points lower than the state average due to an older median age and a more rural settlement pattern. Basic/feature phones remain more common among seniors than statewide.
• Carrier concentration: More single-carrier households. Verizon tends to be the default outside town for coverage; AT&T has improved via FirstNet in corridors; T‑Mobile works in Lewistown but is patchier in the outlying areas. Statewide, multi-carrier choice is broader.
• 5G reality: 5G is mainly low-band around Lewistown; mid-band 5G (the faster kind) is scarce, so real-world speeds often resemble good LTE. In Montana’s larger cities, mid-band 5G is more common.
• Coverage gaps: Above-average dead zones in the Judith/Big Snowy foothills, coulees, and on ranch roads away from US‑87/MT‑200. Highway coverage is generally solid; off‑corridor coverage falls off faster than statewide norms.
• Capacity and consistency: More cell sites rely on microwave backhaul, so evening and event-time slowdowns are more noticeable than in Montana’s metro areas with fiber-fed sites.
• Usage patterns: Higher share of voice/SMS and offline-map use; lower share of always-on streaming away from town. Device replacement cycles are longer, and prepaid/budget plans are more common than statewide.

Demographic breakdown (directional)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone use; heavy app/social use in town; hotspot use when traveling.
  • 35–64: high smartphone use but more price-sensitive plans; work use common in ag, healthcare, trades.
  • 65+: materially lower smartphone adoption than state average; feature phones still present; accessibility features (hearing-aid compatibility, larger screens) matter.
• Geography
  • Lewistown: adoption and plan variety close to state norms; better indoor coverage and Wi‑Fi offload.
  • Rural areas: smartphone ownership 10–15 points lower than in-town; more Verizon/AT&T lock-in for coverage; heavier reliance on Wi‑Fi calling at home.
• Income/education
  • Below-median income households show higher prepaid use, older handsets, and Android skew; device lifecycles run longer than statewide.
  • Students/younger families in town align more closely with statewide smartphone usage and app mix.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE is the primary workhorse countywide.
  • 5G low-band is present in and near Lewistown across major carriers; mid-band 5G (T‑Mobile n41 or Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is limited or absent, keeping speeds modest compared with Montana cities.
• Carriers and bands
  • Verizon: strongest rural footprint; Band 13 LTE and low-band 5G; best for remote ranch roads.
  • AT&T: improving via FirstNet (Band 14) along corridors and in town; good in-town experience, better than before in highways.
  • T‑Mobile: viable in Lewistown; 600 MHz (Band 71/n71) helps range, but out-of-town gaps persist.
• Tower grid and terrain
  • Sparse macro sites outside Lewistown; ridgelines and valleys create shadowing. Few small cells; in-building coverage can be weak in metal-roof structures.
• Backhaul
  • Fiber exists in town and along select routes (supported by regional co-ops), but many rural cell sites still use microwave, capping peak capacity and delaying mid-band 5G upgrades.
• Home broadband interplay
  • In town: fiber or higher-speed fixed options enable Wi‑Fi offload.
  • Out of town: more reliance on cellular hotspots or satellite; cellular home internet is available around Lewistown but thins with distance.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet has improved AT&T coverage for responders along primary corridors, but VHF land-mobile radio remains essential off-corridor; commercial networks can congest during events.

Seasonal and event effects

• Traffic spikes during hunting season and summer travel push cell sites near trailheads and highway junctions into congestion; weekend evening slowdowns are common.

12–24 month outlook

• Incremental coverage fills and capacity work are likely along highways and in Lewistown.
• Expect gradual low-band 5G enhancements; mid-band 5G expansion depends on extending fiber backhaul beyond town, so speeds may lag Montana’s metro trendline.

Method notes

• Estimates synthesize FCC coverage maps, rural vs. urban adoption patterns from national surveys, and ACS-style demographics applied to Fergus County’s older, more rural population structure. Figures are directional ranges to avoid false precision.

Social media snapshot: Fergus County, Montana (2025, directional estimates)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~11.5–12.0k; adults 18+: ~9.0–9.5k
• Home internet access: ~75–80% of households; smartphone ownership: ~80–85% of adults
• Total social media users: ~6,000–8,000 residents (about 65–75% of adults; 50–60% of total population)

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, monthly; estimates)

• YouTube: 80–90%
• Facebook (incl. Messenger): 70–85%
• Instagram: 30–45%
• TikTok: 25–40%
• Snapchat: 20–35% overall; 60%+ among teens/young adults
• Pinterest: 20–30% (skews female 25–54)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (small professional base)
• X/Twitter: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: <5%

Age mix (approx. share of population; dominant platforms)

• 13–17: 6–7% — YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram
• 18–24: 7–8% — Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; lighter Facebook
• 25–34: 11–12% — Facebook, YouTube; Instagram/TikTok moderate
• 35–54: 28–32% — Facebook, YouTube; some Instagram/Pinterest; some TikTok
• 55–64: 13–15% — Facebook dominant; YouTube strong
• 65+: 25–28% — Facebook, YouTube; minimal others

Gender breakdown (of social users; estimates)

• Male: ~50–52%
• Female: ~48–50%
• Notable skews: Pinterest/Instagram more female; YouTube/X slightly more male

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups and Marketplace drive discovery for local news, events, buy/sell, and ag/ranch equipment.
• Video-forward: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) is growing; how-to/outdoor content performs on YouTube.
• Seasonal spikes: County fair, school sports, hunting/fishing seasons, weather/road conditions, and wildfire updates.
• Best posting windows: Evenings 7–10 pm; secondary 6–8 am. Weekends for events; weekday mid-day for classifieds.
• Local proof wins: Photos of recognizable people/places and posts shared into local groups outperform generic content.
• Low hashtag culture: Location tags and group shares matter more than heavy hashtagging.
• Conversion paths: Facebook Messenger and click-to-call are common; DMs > forms for small/local businesses.

Notes

• County-level platform counts aren’t formally published. Figures above are derived from recent Census demographics for Fergus County, Pew Research on U.S. (rural) social adoption, and typical rural Montana usage patterns. For campaign planning, validate audience sizes with each platform’s Ads Manager geotargeted reach for Fergus County.