Phillips County

Phillips County, Montana — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile)

• Population: 4,217
• Age:
  • Median age: ~46 years
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 65 and over: ~21%
• Sex:
  • Female: ~48% (male ~52%)
• Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be any race):
  • White alone: ~84–85%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~12–13%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Black, Asian, NH/PI, and Some Other Race: each <1%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~1,750–1,800
  • Average household size: ~2.3 persons
  • Family households: ~64% of households
  • One-person households: ~31%

Insights:

• Small, aging population with about 1 in 5 residents age 65+.
• Predominantly White with a notable American Indian population.
• Majority family households, but nearly one-third are single-person households.

• Scope: Phillips County, Montana has about 4,200 residents spread across roughly 5,200 square miles (≈0.8 people per sq. mile), with most population clustered around Malta along the US‑2 corridor.

• Estimated email users: ≈3,000 adults use email regularly (about 90% of the adult population).

• Age distribution of email users (estimated):

  • 18–34: 19%
  • 35–54: 36%
  • 55–64: 18%
  • 65+: 27%

• Gender split of email users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male (email adoption is essentially gender‑neutral).

• Digital access and connectivity:

  • About two‑thirds of households maintain a home broadband subscription; computer/smartphone access is widespread, with a notable minority relying on smartphone‑only internet, especially outside Malta.
  • Fixed broadband is concentrated along the US‑2/Malta area; large low‑density ranch and reservation lands contribute to unserved/underserved pockets on FCC maps, where satellite and fixed‑wireless are common stopgaps.
  • State and federal programs (including BEAD) are targeting rural gaps; incremental fiber and fixed‑wireless builds are expected through the mid‑2020s, improving reliability and speeds from today’s below‑national‑average baselines in much of the county.

Insights: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults and solid among seniors; access constraints are driven more by infrastructure and distance than by interest or capability.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Phillips County, Montana

User base and adoption (estimates grounded in Census age structure and rural adoption patterns):

• Population baseline: roughly 4.2k residents; about 3.2–3.4k adults.
• Estimated smartphone users: 2.7k–3.0k individuals. This reflects lower adoption among older adults but high uptake among working-age adults and teens.
• Mobile-only internet households: materially higher than the Montana average. Expect roughly one-fifth of households to rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet, versus a lower statewide share concentrated in cities with strong cable/fiber options.
• Multiline prevalence: a meaningful share of households maintain multiple mobile lines (smartphone + hotspot/tablet) to compensate for limited wired broadband, raising total active SIMs above the number of unique users.

Demographic factors shaping usage

• Older age profile: A larger 65+ share than the state average translates to more basic-voice users, slower smartphone adoption among seniors, and heavier reliance on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi calling in fringe-coverage areas.
• Higher American Indian share: Presence of Fort Belknap community members in the county contributes to cross-carrier device mixes and a higher incidence of mobile-only access, reflecting gaps in wired infrastructure on and near tribal lands.
• Lower median household income than the Montana average: Drives higher use of prepaid plans, discount MVNOs, and hotspot substituting for home broadband.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network technologies: 4G LTE is the workhorse across the county. 5G is present mainly as low-band coverage along the US‑2 corridor near Malta and other primary roadways; mid-band 5G capacity is limited or absent outside town centers.
• Coverage pattern: Strongest signal along US‑2 (Malta–Saco) and near towns; notable dead zones and weak indoor coverage in the Little Rocky Mountains (Zortman area), the Missouri River Breaks, and sparsely populated ranchlands.
• Carriers:
  • National: Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile provide the primary retail footprints; device compatibility and coverage vary by corridor and terrain.
  • Regional: Nemont/Sagebrush (regional carrier) operates in northeast Montana and supports roaming; its presence improves service resiliency in parts of the county.
• Backhaul: Fiber is concentrated along the Hi‑Line corridor; elsewhere, microwave backhaul is common, constraining 5G capacity and peak speeds. This reinforces LTE dependence and leads to variable performance during peak hours.
• Devices and workarounds: Signal boosters, Wi‑Fi calling, and outdoor CPE/hotspots are widely used to mitigate weak indoor coverage in metal-roof ag structures and distant homesteads.

How Phillips County differs from Montana statewide

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households use cellular data as their primary or sole internet connection compared with the statewide average, due to sparse cable/fiber options away from Malta.
• Slower 5G rollout and capacity: 5G availability is patchier and more often low-band, whereas Montana’s metro areas (e.g., Billings, Bozeman, Missoula) see broader mid-band 5G and higher median speeds.
• Greater coverage variability: Terrain and extremely low population density create more frequent dead zones and handoffs; service quality changes sharply within short distances, a pattern less pronounced in most Montana population centers.
• Plan mix: More prepaid/MVNO usage and hotspot substitution than the state average, reflecting budget sensitivity and the need to bridge home-internet gaps.
• Usage profile: Voice/SMS reliability and basic app access are prioritized over high-throughput mobile video; data consumption per line is constrained more by coverage and backhaul than by user demand.

Implications

• The county’s mobile experience is defined by dependable LTE along main corridors, spotty 5G, and meaningful reliance on cellular for home connectivity. Investments that extend fiber backhaul beyond the Hi‑Line and add macro sites or small cells in known dead zones would yield outsized gains compared with similar investments in already well-served Montana metros.

Phillips County, MT — social media usage snapshot

Population and user base

• Population: 4,217 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): ≈3,300
• Adult social media users: ≈2,650 (about 80% of adults)
• Teens (13–17): ≈240; social media users ≈210 (about 88%)
• Total social media users (13+): ≈2,860, or roughly 68% of total population

Age-group adoption (share using at least one platform; adults)

• 18–29: ~95%
• 30–49: ~88%
• 50–64: ~78%
• 65+: ~61%

Gender breakdown

• Population: ~51% male, 49% female
• Among social media users: ~52% female, 48% male (women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and X)

Most-used platforms in the county (modeled adult penetration; percent of all adults, with approximate user counts)

• YouTube: ~67% (≈2,200 adults)
• Facebook: ~55% (≈1,800)
• Instagram: ~31% (≈1,030)
• TikTok: ~24% (≈800)
• Pinterest: ~23% (≈760)
• Snapchat: ~22% (≈730)
• X/Twitter: ~16% (≈530)
• LinkedIn: ~14% (≈460) Notes: Platform rates reflect rural U.S. usage patterns applied to Phillips County’s adult base; counts rounded.

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Community-first Facebook use: Local groups and pages drive news, school sports, buy/sell, road and weather alerts, events, 4-H, and ranch/FFA topics. Posts with recognizable people, places, and photo/video outperform text-only updates.
• Video and how-to culture on YouTube: Strong usage for ranch and ag how-tos, equipment repair, hunting/fishing, weather, and Montana outdoors content. Longer watch sessions in evenings and weekends.
• Younger cohorts split attention:
  • Instagram: Heaviest among 18–34; reels and stories around outdoor lifestyle, rodeo, and small businesses; often cross-posted from Facebook.
  • TikTok: Fast growth in 18–29; trend-driven local clips (ranch humor, rodeo, 4-H showcases). Minimal 65+ presence.
  • Snapchat: Daily messaging for teens and younger adults; usage spikes around school and sports events.
• Niche platforms:
  • X/Twitter: Smaller but engaged audience for state politics, wildfire/incident updates, sports scores.
  • Pinterest: Strong with women for recipes, crafts, home projects, and 4-H ideas; steady outbound clicks to websites.
  • LinkedIn: Light local usage; limited ROI outside hiring and professional networking with out-of-county contacts.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger and SMS dominate; WhatsApp use is low; Discord shows up among gamers and hobby groups.
• Timing and seasonality: Peak activity 6–8 AM and 7–10 PM; midday secondary peak. Seasonal surges during school sports, calving/harvest, hunting season, and severe weather.
• Targeting and creative:
  • Geo-targeting 25–50 miles around Malta captures most residents due to regional travel patterns.
  • Short vertical video and photo-led posts perform best; local faces, landmarks, and timely utility (closings, road conditions) boost reach and shares.
  • For paid efforts: prioritize Facebook/Instagram for reach and event response, YouTube for searchable evergreen content, TikTok for youth engagement; LinkedIn spend is generally not efficient.

Sources and method notes

• Population: U.S. Census 2020.
• Platform rates and age adoption: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2024); rural crosstabs applied to Phillips County’s adult population to produce local estimates.