Liberty County

Liberty County, Montana — key demographics

Population size

• 1,959 residents (2020 Decennial Census)
• Land area ≈ 1,430 sq mi; population density ≈ 1.4 persons per sq mi

Age

• Median age: ~46 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~93–95%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~840–850
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%
• Housing units: ~1,150–1,200

Insights

• Very small, rural county with extremely low density
• Older age structure relative to national median
• Predominantly White population with small American Indian and Hispanic communities
• Housing is largely owner-occupied; household sizes are modest

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates (latest available). Figures rounded; ACS values subject to sampling error.

• Scope: Liberty County, MT (pop. ~1,960; area ~1,447 sq mi), population density ~1.3 people/mi².
• Estimated email users: ~1,410 residents (about 72% of total; ~91% of adults), modeled from county population and U.S. age-specific adoption.
• Age distribution of email users (approx. counts):
  • 18–34: ~350 (≈98% of cohort)
  • 35–64: ~770 (≈96%)
  • 65+: ~290 (≈75%)
• Gender split among email users: 51% male (720) and 49% female (690); usage is effectively equal across genders under 65, with slightly lower adoption in the 65+ group.
• Digital access trends:
  • Internet subscription (any): ~80% of households.
  • Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber): ~70% of households; fastest, most reliable service clusters around Chester/US‑2.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users: ~12% of adults, reflecting rural reliance where fixed lines are sparse.
  • Fixed wireless and satellite (e.g., modern LEO services) fill coverage gaps across farms/rangeland; seasonal weather and long last‑mile runs affect reliability and speeds.
• Insight: Email usage is near‑universal among working‑age adults; overall adoption is capped by an older age profile and patchy fixed broadband outside the US‑2 corridor. Improvements in fiber backbones and satellite uptake are gradually raising email access among 65+.

Liberty County, Montana: Mobile phone usage snapshot (2025)

Overall usage and user estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 2,000 residents; about 1,500–1,600 adults.
• Mobile users: approximately 1,300–1,500 residents use a mobile phone (about 85–90% of adults and most teens).
• Smartphone vs. basic phones: about 80–85% of mobile users carry smartphones (roughly 1,050–1,250 people); 15–20% use basic/feature phones, a higher share than the statewide average.
• Carrier mix (share of subscribers): Verizon 55–65%, AT&T 25–35%, T‑Mobile 5–10%. Verizon dominance is stronger than Montana overall due to broader rural coverage.
• Plan types: prepaid and budget plans account for roughly 30% of lines (higher than the state), reflecting cost sensitivity and patchy 5G performance.
• 5G device penetration: around 60–70% of users have 5G‑capable handsets, but practical 5G performance gains over LTE are limited outside the US‑2 corridor.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age 18–34: smartphone adoption ~93–96%; heavy use of data, messaging, and social apps similar to state levels.
• Age 35–64: smartphone adoption ~82–88%; above-average reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and hotspotting for work/farm operations.
• Age 65+: smartphone adoption ~55–60% (10–15 points below the Montana average); feature phones remain common for voice/text.
• Household patterns: more mobile‑only households (no fixed broadband) than the state average, and longer device replacement cycles (often 3.5–4.5 years).

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage geography: reliable LTE/low‑band 5G along US‑2 (Chester–Joplin–Inverness) and around the county seat; spotty or no signal toward the Canadian border and in low‑population ranchland.
• 5G availability: low‑band 5G from AT&T and T‑Mobile is present along main corridors; mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band) is limited or absent, so speeds often mirror good LTE rather than “urban” 5G.
• Typical performance:
  • Along US‑2 and in Chester: 25–100 Mbps down, 3–15 Mbps up; latency 30–70 ms.
  • Outside corridors: 1–10 Mbps down with frequent drops; uplink can fall below 2 Mbps; VoLTE reliability varies indoors without boosters.
• Network assets: a small number of macro sites clustered near Chester and along US‑2, with large coverage gaps between sites; many rural homes and operations use external antennas/boosters to ensure voice service.
• Public‑safety and enterprise: AT&T FirstNet improvements have strengthened corridor coverage, but fringe areas still depend on legacy VHF for mission‑critical voice.
• Backhaul and fixed access: Triangle Communications provides fiber in and around Chester and along key routes; fixed wireless fills some gaps. Starlink adoption is materially higher than the Montana average in off‑grid sections, reducing pressure on mobile networks but encouraging hotspot use where fixed service is unavailable.

How Liberty County differs from Montana statewide

• Lower senior smartphone adoption and a larger feature‑phone base, driven by an older age profile and patchier 5G.
• Stronger Verizon share and weaker T‑Mobile share than the state, reflecting coverage realities.
• Higher reliance on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and mobile hotspotting to overcome sparse tower spacing.
• More prepaid/budget plans and longer device replacement cycles, tied to income mix and limited 5G performance off‑corridor.
• Greater prevalence of mobile‑only or mobile‑primary households and higher Starlink uptake, whereas many Montana towns rely more on cable/FTTH.
• 5G is mostly low‑band/DSS; mid‑band rollouts common in larger Montana cities are largely absent, so per‑user mobile data consumption and peak speeds trend lower than state averages in rural zones.

Key takeaways

• Mobile connectivity in Liberty County is dependable along US‑2 and in Chester but remains fragile in remote areas, shaping user behavior toward boosters, Wi‑Fi calling, and conservative data use.
• The market skews older, more Verizon‑centric, and more price‑sensitive than Montana overall, with a noticeable contingent of basic‑phone users and mobile‑only households.
• Continued fiber buildouts and satellite uptake are improving backhaul and off‑grid access, but additional rural macro sites (or mid‑band small‑cell infill along secondary roads) would be required to close the remaining voice and data gaps.

Liberty County, Montana — Social media usage (2025 snapshot; modeled from best-available data)

Baseline

• Population: 1,959 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Adults (18+): ≈1,540–1,560 (≈79% of population; age structure typical of rural MT)

Overall usage (adults, 18+)

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈70–75% (≈1,080–1,170 people)
• Daily users among those on social media: high for Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok; moderate for YouTube (frequent but not always daily)

Most-used platforms (share of adults; overlaps expected)

• YouTube: ≈80–85%
• Facebook: ≈65–70%
• Instagram: ≈35–40%
• Pinterest: ≈30–35%
• TikTok: ≈25–30%
• Snapchat: ≈20–25%
• WhatsApp: ≈15–20%
• LinkedIn: ≈15–20%
• X (Twitter): ≈15–20%
• Reddit: ≈10–15% Note: Nextdoor’s footprint is limited in very low-density counties; Facebook Groups/Marketplace fill that niche locally.

Age groups (share of adults in each bracket using any social media)

• 18–29: ≈90–95%
• 30–49: ≈85–90%
• 50–64: ≈70–75%
• 65+: ≈50–55%

Gender breakdown

• User base mirrors county demographics (roughly balanced: ~49% female, ~51% male)
• Platform skews: Pinterest female‑majority; Reddit and X male‑skewed; Facebook balanced; TikTok/Snapchat slightly female‑skewed

Behavioral trends

• Platform roles: Facebook is the community hub (Groups, local news, school sports, buy‑sell‑trade, events); YouTube dominates how‑to, repairs, ag and weather content; Instagram used by small businesses and younger adults for visuals; TikTok used by under‑35s for short‑form entertainment and trends; Snapchat is primarily for messaging among teens/young adults.
• Content that performs: local updates, high school athletics, community events, hunting/fishing and harvest content, road and weather alerts, farm/ranch equipment tips, service‑provider promos, and local classifieds.
• Usage patterns: mobile‑first; evening peaks (≈7–10 pm) with secondary early‑morning check‑ins (≈5–7 am); event‑driven spikes (sports, storms, county events). Connectivity constraints favor shorter videos, image posts, and Facebook Live only for high‑interest events.
• Advertising/engagement: boosted Facebook posts offer the most efficient local reach; video under 60–90 seconds lifts completion; Marketplace and Group postings drive direct responses; Instagram Stories perform for under‑35; YouTube pre‑roll builds awareness; X delivers limited local reach.

Method notes and sources

• Figures are modeled for Liberty County using: U.S. Census (2020) population baseline and rural age structure; Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by U.S. adults, with rural adjustments). County‑level platform measurements are not directly published; estimates reflect rural Montana patterns applied to Liberty County’s size and age mix.