Wheatland County

Wheatland County, Montana — Key demographics

Population

• Total population: 2,069 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 48.8 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: Under 18: 21%; 18–64: 54%; 65 and over: 25% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male: 52%; Female: 48% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: 94%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 2%
• Black or African American alone: 0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0%
• Two or more races: 3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 3–4%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~980
• Average household size: 2.1
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Married-couple families: ~48% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~42%
• Households with children under 18: ~23%
• Householder living alone age 65+: ~15%
• Housing tenure: ~74% owner-occupied; ~26% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small, aging population with a high median age and a quarter of residents 65+.
• Predominantly White, with small American Indian and Hispanic populations.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple and owner-occupied homes, with small household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP1) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Wheatland County, MT: ≈2,070 residents (2023), ≈1,423 sq mi, ~1.5 people/sq mi.

Estimated email users: ≈1,640 (≈79% of residents; ≈93% of ages 13+).

Population age mix: <18 ~20%, 18–34 ~17%, 35–64 ~43%, 65+ ~20%.

Email users by age (est.): 13–17 ~112; 18–34 ~338; 35–64 ~837; 65+ ~352.

Gender split among email users mirrors population: ~51% male, ~49% female.

Digital access and devices:

• Households with fixed broadband ≈74%; smartphone‑only ≈10%; no home internet ≈16%.
• Computers in ~70–75% of homes; smartphones in ~85–90%.

Trends and insights:

• Email is the default credential for banking, healthcare portals, schools, and government services; senior adoption is rising via smartphones.
• Usage is highest among working‑age adults and teens; the main gap is among the oldest residents and households without fixed service.

Connectivity and density context:

• Best speeds cluster in/around Harlowton; outside town, DSL and fixed wireless dominate; fiber/cable is limited.
• 4G LTE covers primary corridors (US‑12/MT‑3); 5G remains limited. Very low settlement density and terrain drive last‑mile challenges and higher per‑user costs.

Wheatland County, MT — Mobile phone usage summary (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~2,100 (2023 estimate), with an older age profile than Montana overall (median age near 50; roughly 27% age 65+).

User estimates (people using mobile phones)

• Any mobile phone: ~1,860 users (≈88.5% of residents).
• Smartphone users: ~1,610 (≈76.7% of residents; ≈86.5% of mobile users).
• Adults (18+): ~1,700 residents; ≈92–93% use a mobile phone; ≈79–80% have a smartphone.

Demographic breakdown (share using a mobile phone; share with a smartphone)

• Under 18 (~19% of population; ~400 residents): ≈72% use a phone; ≈65% have a smartphone. ≈287 youth phone users; ≈260 youth smartphone users.
• Adults 18–64 (~54%; ~1,130 residents): ≈96% use a phone; ≈88% have a smartphone. ≈1,090 adult phone users; ≈1,000 adult smartphone users.
• Seniors 65+ (~27%; ~570 residents): ≈85% use a phone; ≈62% have a smartphone. ≈480 senior phone users; ≈350 senior smartphone users. Key demographic drivers
• Older-skewing population depresses smartphone penetration relative to the state.
• Rural work profiles (ranching, energy, transportation) correlate with higher basic-phone/voice-first usage and more device ruggedization.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network footprint: Coverage is strongest in and around Harlowton and along US‑12/MT‑3 corridors. Large areas between highways and along coulees/valleys experience weak outdoor LTE and unreliable indoor service without boosters.
• 5G: Present primarily as low‑band overlays on major corridors; mid‑band 5G is limited or absent. LTE remains the primary carrier of traffic countywide.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon: Broadest rural footprint and most consistent LTE; best overall outdoor coverage.
  • AT&T: Solid along highways and in town; performance falls off more quickly off‑corridor than Verizon.
  • T‑Mobile: Usable along primary routes and in Harlowton; sparse off‑corridor coverage and weaker indoor performance outside town.
• Tower density/backhaul: Very low macro‑site density typical of central Montana (hundreds of square miles per site). Backhaul is a mix of microwave and selective fiber into Harlowton; outlying sites often rely on microwave, which can constrain capacity upgrades.
• Home internet interplay: Outside town limits, many locations lack wireline 100/20 Mbps service. A noticeable minority of households rely on cellular hotspots or satellite (e.g., Starlink) for home connectivity, and Wi‑Fi calling is commonly used to compensate for marginal indoor cellular signal.
• Reliability: Weather, terrain, and long power restoration times drive higher reliance on external antennas/boosters in ranch properties; public‑safety land‑mobile radio remains critical in dead zones.

How Wheatland County differs from Montana overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: Adult smartphone ownership is roughly 6–8 percentage points below the state average, driven by a higher 65+ share and sparser 5G.
• More LTE‑centric: 5G availability and usage lag state urban centers; LTE carries a larger share of traffic, with more frequent fallbacks to 3GPP low‑band or extended range layers.
• Coverage gaps shape behavior: Compared with the state, a larger share of residents rely on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and non‑terrestrial options; off‑peak congestion is rare but signal availability is the binding constraint.
• Carrier mix skews rural: Verizon’s relative strength is more pronounced than statewide; T‑Mobile’s share is comparatively smaller outside the Harlowton core due to off‑corridor gaps.
• Usage pattern tilt: Voice/SMS and pragmatic data use are more common in fringe areas; hotspot‑based home internet and rugged devices are more prevalent than the state average.

Actionable implications

• For residents and businesses: Choose carriers based on exact location testing; enable Wi‑Fi calling; consider external antennas/boosters in outlying areas; mid‑band 5G devices offer limited incremental benefit versus strong LTE in most of the county.
• For providers and planners: Highest ROI comes from infill along US‑12/MT‑3 and near population clusters just outside Harlowton; microwave backhaul upgrades or additional fiber laterals would materially improve capacity and pave the way for mid‑band 5G; prioritize senior‑friendly onboarding for smartphone services to close the usage gap.

Wheatland County, MT — social media usage snapshot (modeled 2024)

Population base

• Adults (18+): ~1,700 (ACS)
• Overall social media penetration (adults): ~72% ≈ 1,220 users

Most-used platforms among adults (percent of adults; overlap across platforms is expected)

• YouTube: ~75% ≈ 1,275 adults
• Facebook: ~70% ≈ 1,190 adults
• Pinterest: ~30% ≈ 510 adults
• Instagram: ~28% ≈ 480 adults
• TikTok: ~22% ≈ 375 adults
• WhatsApp: ~18%
• Snapchat: ~16%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• LinkedIn: ~10%
• Reddit: ~10%

Age-group patterns (adults)

• 18–34: Heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; still active on YouTube and Facebook for local info. Most video-first consumption; Stories/Reels drive discovery.
• 35–54: Facebook and YouTube dominate for news, events, marketplace; Instagram secondary for local businesses and family updates; TikTok adoption growing but selective.
• 55+: Facebook and YouTube are primary; Pinterest popular among women; low Instagram/TikTok usage, with more sharing/commenting than posting.

Gender breakdown by platform (share of users, typical for rural US and consistent with Pew 2024)

• Facebook: slight female skew (~55% female / 45% male)
• YouTube: male-skewed (~55–60% male)
• Pinterest: strongly female (~70–75% female)
• Instagram: slight female skew (~55–60% female)
• TikTok: slight female skew (~55% female)
• Snapchat: female-skewed
• X and Reddit: male-skewed (X ~60% male; Reddit ~65% male)

Behavioral trends in Wheatland County

• Community-first on Facebook: Local news, school sports, events, church/community groups, and buy–sell–trade groups drive the highest engagement; Marketplace is a core utility.
• Video utility on YouTube: DIY, equipment repair, ag/ranching practices, hunting/fishing, and local history content perform well; watch time skews to practical “how-to” and regional creators.
• Visuals for local commerce: Local retailers, outfitters, and food-service rely on Facebook Pages and cross-post to Instagram; short-form video (Reels) outperforms static posts.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; WhatsApp has limited but growing niche use within families and small teams.
• Posting vs. participation: Older adults post less original content but are highly active in commenting and sharing within groups; younger adults post more short-form video but in shorter bursts.
• Seasonality and timing: Engagement lifts during winter and during ag cycles (calving/harvest); evenings see the most activity, with weekend spikes around events and sports.

Method note

• Figures are modeled by applying Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption rates (with rural and age adjustments) to Wheatland County’s adult population from U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Percentages are of adults, not of “social media users,” and will overlap across platforms.