Antelope County

Do you want the latest estimates (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-year, plus 2023 population estimate) or official 2020 Census counts? I can provide concise bullets for:

• Population size
• Age (under 5, under 18, 65+), median age
• Gender (female %)
• Race/ethnicity breakdown
• Households (count, average household size)

If you have a preferred source/year, I’ll use that and include margins of error if desired.

Antelope County, NE snapshot

• Population/density: ~6.2k residents spread over ~860 sq mi (≈7 people/sq mi). Connectivity is best in towns (e.g., Neligh); farm/ranch areas are sparse and harder to serve.

• Estimated email users: 4,000–4,500 residents (roughly 75–85% of people age 12+), based on rural internet adoption and near-universal email use among internet users.

• Age mix of email users (share of users, est.):

  • 12–17: 6–8% (adoption lower than adults)
  • 18–34: 22–26%
  • 35–64: 48–54%
  • 65+: 18–22% (high but somewhat lower adoption than middle ages)

• Gender split: Approximately even (about 50/50); slight tilt toward women among older users due to longevity.

• Digital access trends:

  • About three-quarters of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 5‑year patterns for rural NE).
  • Ongoing fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts since 2020 have raised speeds in towns and along major corridors; many remote homes still rely on fixed wireless or satellite.
  • 4G LTE coverage is common; 5G is present but spotty outside towns.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) supplements home access for students and seniors.

Overall: Email usage is widespread, with gaps mainly tied to rural last‑mile connectivity.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Antelope County, Nebraska (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

Big picture

• Small, rural, older county (about 6,200 residents) with agriculture-heavy employment. Mobile behavior is driven by coverage and reliability more than speed, and by sparse infrastructure between towns.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, derived from rural U.S. benchmarks adjusted for the county’s older age mix)

• People using any mobile phone: roughly 4,900–5,300 residents.
• Smartphone users: roughly 4,400–4,800 residents.
• By age (approximate):
  • Ages 18–64: very high mobile ownership; ~92–96% on smartphones.
  • Ages 65+: noticeably lower smartphone adoption; ~60–65% on smartphones, with a larger-than-average minority still using flip/feature phones.
  • Teens 13–17: high smartphone adoption (~88–95%).
• Lines vs. people: total active cellular lines likely exceed the number of users due to tablets, hotspots, farm/industrial IoT, and second lines. A meaningful share of SIMs in the county are machine-to-machine (ag equipment, sensors), a higher proportion than the state average.

Demographic and use-pattern highlights

• Older-skewed population: The county has a larger 65+ share than Nebraska overall; this pulls down smartphone penetration and increases the presence of basic phones.
• Work profile: Farming and contracting increase use of rugged devices, push-to-talk apps, and external antennas/boosters in trucks and equipment. More machine-connected lines (irrigation pivots, grain-bin sensors, telematics) than in urban counties.
• Coverage-first behavior: Households are more likely to keep or mix carriers for redundancy (e.g., one line on Verizon/AT&T and one on T-Mobile) to manage dead zones between towns and during fieldwork.
• Cellular as primary home internet: A higher share than the state relies on mobile hotspots or 5G fixed wireless where cable/fiber aren’t available, especially outside town limits.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Macro networks: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile cover town centers; coverage thins between towns due to long inter-site distances typical of the Sandhills/Platte–Elkhorn region. Low-band LTE/5G handles most mobility; mid-band 5G capacity is mainly in/near larger towns and along main corridors.
• UScellular transition: Legacy UScellular rural footprint historically mattered here. With 2024–2025 divestitures to national carriers, some sites are being integrated; expect coverage changes and plan migrations during the transition.
• 5G reality: Low-band 5G is fairly common but offers LTE-like speeds; mid-band (n41/C-band) is patchier than in Omaha/Lincoln and typically clustered around Neligh and primary highways.
• Backhaul and local fiber: Local and regional providers such as Great Plains Communications, Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company (NNTC), and Stealth Broadband contribute fiber backhaul to towers and offer fiber or fixed wireless to homes and farms. Microwave backhaul remains in use on remote sites.
• Home broadband alternatives: In town, fiber or VDSL may be available; in the countryside, fixed wireless (including CBRS) and satellite fill gaps. Where signal is strong, 5G Home Internet (from T-Mobile/Verizon) is gaining traction but is less ubiquitous than in metro Nebraska.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) presence along key corridors; off-corridor reliability varies. Volunteer EMS and fire often keep multi-carrier devices and mobile boosters.

How Antelope County differs from Nebraska overall

• Lower smartphone penetration among seniors and a slightly higher share of basic phones.
• Higher proportion of non-handset cellular lines (farm and industrial IoT).
• More reliance on cellular for home internet due to patchier cable/fiber availability beyond towns.
• Greater emphasis on coverage redundancy (multi-carrier households, boosters, external antennas).
• Slower and spottier mid-band 5G rollout; heavier day-to-day dependence on low-band 5G/LTE.
• Seasonal traffic swings (planting/harvest) and event-driven congestion rather than big commuter peaks typical of metro counties.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Figures are estimates using national rural adoption benchmarks and typical rural age distributions, adjusted for Antelope County’s older demographic and sparse infrastructure. For planning-grade accuracy, pair this with current FCC mobile coverage maps, ACS age/income tables, and local ISP build-out data.

Below is a concise, best-available picture of social media use in Antelope County, Nebraska. Because there’s no official platform-by-county reporting, figures are modeled from Antelope County demographics (Census/ACS), rural-Midwest adjustments, and recent U.S. platform benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research). Treat as directional estimates.

Topline user stats

• Population: ~6,300 residents
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~4,200 (about 77% of residents 13+, ~67% of total population)
• Gender split among social users: ~52% female, ~48% male

Age mix of local social users (share of users)

• 13–17: ~10%
• 18–29: ~20%
• 30–49: ~32%
• 50–64: ~22%
• 65+: ~17%

Most-used platforms (share of local social users; ranges reflect rural/age mix)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70% (dominant hub for community info)
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 30–40% (heavily 13–29)
• Snapchat: 25–35% (teens/younger adults)
• Pinterest: 15–25% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 10–18% (skews male/news-minded)
• LinkedIn: 8–15% (lower in ag/rural labor mix)
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: <5% (most neighborhood chatter happens in Facebook Groups)

Gender tendencies

• Women: higher on Facebook and Pinterest; moderate on Instagram; strong use of local groups, school and church updates.
• Men: higher on YouTube, X, Reddit; active in ag, equipment, outdoors groups on Facebook.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups are the county’s “public square” (local news like Antelope County News, school sports, county fair, buy/sell/swap, obituaries, weather alerts, lost/found).
• Messaging over posting: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are common for day-to-day coordination; WhatsApp is minimal.
• Video rising, but practical content wins: Short video performs well (YouTube/TikTok/FB Reels), especially how-tos, farm/shop fixes, storm and road updates, and school sports clips.
• Peak engagement times: Early morning (around chores/school), lunch, and evenings; noticeable upticks during severe weather, planting/harvest, and major school events.
• Trust signals: High response to content from recognizable local institutions, sponsors of youth sports, churches, and 4-H/FFA; tagging friends to “spread the word” is common.
• Business use: Most small businesses prioritize Facebook Pages/Groups; Instagram adoption is moderate; TikTok use by businesses is growing but not yet mainstream.
• Coverage reality: Spotty broadband/cellular in some areas can depress live video; photos and short clips travel better during outages.