Box Butte County

I can provide this using either:

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts), or
• The latest American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), which are more current but are estimates with margins of error.

Which do you prefer? I can also present both side-by-side if helpful.

Box Butte County, NE snapshot (estimates based on U.S./Nebraska rural averages applied to local population ~10.6–10.8k):

Estimated email users

• 7,500–8,500 residents (ages 12+) use email at least monthly.

Age distribution of email use (share of people in each group)

• 13–17: ~85–90%
• 18–44: ~95–98%
• 45–64: ~90–93%
• 65+: ~70–80%

Gender split

• Roughly even; male and female email use differs by <2–3 percentage points.

Digital access trends

• Home broadband adoption ~70–80% of households; smartphone ownership ~80–85%.
• 10–15% are smartphone‑only internet users; public/library Wi‑Fi fills gaps.
• Increasing reliance on mobile and fixed‑wireless where wireline is limited.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density ≈10 people per square mile (very rural).
• Access is concentrated in Alliance and Hemingford; surrounding ranchland relies more on fixed‑wireless, LTE/5G, and satellite.
• FCC maps indicate most town addresses have 100/20 Mbps or better; coverage thins on farms/range.
• Mobile service is strongest along US‑385 and NE‑2 corridors; pockets of weaker signal persist in outlying areas.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Box Butte County, Nebraska (with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Big picture differences vs Nebraska overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration, but higher reliance on phones as the only home internet connection.
• Coverage and speeds are more variable: solid in and around Alliance and along highways, but more dead zones and capacity constraints in outlying ranchland compared with the state average.
• Carrier mix is more diverse due to the presence of regional provider Viaero Wireless, which plays a bigger role than in eastern/urban Nebraska dominated by national carriers.
• 5G is predominantly low-band for wide-area coverage; mid-band/capacity 5G is more limited than in Omaha/Lincoln and the I‑80 corridor.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, based on recent ACS demographics, rural adoption patterns, and carrier availability)

• Population and households: ~10.5k residents; ~4.5–4.8k households.
• Smartphone users: ~7,500–8,200 residents use a smartphone (lower share among 65+, higher among working-age adults and teens).
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~3,800–4,200 (roughly 82–90% of households; a couple of points lower than statewide).
• Mobile-only home internet (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): approximately 15–22% of households, higher than the Nebraska average (roughly low teens).
• Voice/SMS service adoption is near universal; app-based messaging (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat) has outsized use among younger and Hispanic residents, reflecting mobile-first patterns.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age: The county skews older than the state. Smartphone adoption among 65+ is materially lower than statewide peers, contributing to the slightly lower countywide penetration. Younger cohorts (teens/20s) are highly mobile-first.
• Income: Median household income is below the state median, which correlates with more households choosing mobile-only internet and budget/midrange Android devices. Installment plans and prepaid options are common.
• Race/ethnicity: A meaningful Hispanic/Latino community (larger share than in many rural NE counties) tends to be younger and more mobile-first, lifting overall smartphone and app-based communication usage despite the county’s older median age.
• Occupations/lifestyle: Agriculture, rail, and outdoor work increase emphasis on coverage along fields, section roads, and rail corridors, drive demand for rugged devices, and make battery life/coverage reliability more salient than peak speeds.

Digital infrastructure highlights (what’s different locally)

• Carrier landscape:
  • Viaero Wireless has a notable footprint in the Panhandle, offering strong rural LTE coverage and fixed‑wireless options; this regional presence is less relevant in eastern Nebraska.
  • Verizon and AT&T provide broad low-band LTE/5G coverage around Alliance and along US‑385/US‑2; AT&T’s FirstNet presence supports public safety.
  • T‑Mobile’s 600 MHz 5G covers highways and towns; mid-band “Ultra Capacity” is spottier than in metro Nebraska.
• 5G quality/capacity: 5G is available but is often low-band outside town centers. Mid-band capacity (which enables noticeably higher speeds) is limited compared to Omaha/Lincoln; real‑world speeds often resemble strong LTE.
• Coverage patterns:
  • Stronger: Alliance, Hemingford, major corridors (US‑385, US‑2), rail lines.
  • Weaker: Low-density ranchland and some rolling terrain north/west of Alliance; users report intermittent service and slower uplinks in the field.
• Backhaul and fiber: Alliance benefits from local fiber buildouts (e.g., ALLO and regional middle‑mile networks), which helps tower backhaul in town and on main corridors but thins out with distance, limiting rural cell capacity.
• Public safety and alerts: FirstNet coverage on AT&T and Wireless Emergency Alerts are in place; text‑to‑911 is supported, improving accessibility compared with historical rural baselines.

Implications

• Expect a modestly smaller total addressable market for premium 5G devices than statewide, but a higher share of mobile-only households needing reliable coverage and generous data plans.
• Network investments that matter most locally: additional low-band sites for reach, selective mid-band upgrades in and around Alliance, and targeted fill-in along agricultural routes and between towns.
• Services that resonate: plans with good rural roaming/coverage (including Viaero compatibility), Wi‑Fi calling, rugged devices, and affordable unlimited tiers.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Box Butte County, NE. County-level social media figures aren’t directly published; estimates combine recent U.S. Census/ACS demographics with Pew Research U.S. platform adoption (2023–2024) and typical rural/Great Plains patterns. Treat as directional.

Headline numbers

• Population: ~10.5–10.8k
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~6.0–6.8k
  • Adults 18+: ~5.3–6.1k users (assumes 65–75% of adults use at least one social platform)
  • Teens 13–17: ~0.6–0.7k users (assumes 90–95% usage)

Most-used platforms (share of local adults; users are multi-platform)

• YouTube: ~80–88%
• Facebook: ~70–78%
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~25–35% (much higher among teens)
• Snapchat: ~20–30% adults; ~75–85% teens
• Pinterest: ~30–40% (skews female)
• LinkedIn: ~15–25% (lower in rural labor markets)
• X/Twitter: ~15–22% (niche/local officials, sports, news)
• Reddit: ~12–20% Note: Teens skew heavily toward Snapchat and TikTok; adults 35+ skew toward Facebook and YouTube.

Age profile of users (directional)

• 13–17: ~9–11% of users; heavy Snapchat/TikTok, light Facebook
• 18–29: ~18–22% of users; Instagram, TikTok, YouTube core; Snapchat still strong
• 30–49: ~30–36% of users; Facebook + Messenger and YouTube dominant; Instagram moderate
• 50–64: ~22–28% of users; Facebook and YouTube core; Pinterest notable among women
• 65+: ~14–20% of users; primarily Facebook; growing YouTube usage

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall: roughly balanced male/female among users
• Skews by platform:
  • Female-leaning: Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), Pinterest (strong)
  • Male-leaning: YouTube (slight), Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), LinkedIn (slight)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Great Plains counties (likely in Box Butte)

• Facebook as the community hub: school updates, youth sports, churches, local government, volunteer groups, events, obituaries, buy–sell–trade/Marketplace.
• Messenger and group chats for coordination: ranch/farm crews, youth teams, civic clubs.
• YouTube for repairs/how-tos, ag equipment, weather, and sports highlights; local businesses use short video for demos.
• Short-form (TikTok/Reels) rising for local happenings, small-business promos, and high school athletics; strongest with under-35s.
• Snapchat is the default for teens/college-age for daily communication; low public posting.
• Pinterest used for home, crafts, recipes, weddings; strong adult-female engagement.
• X/Twitter is niche: school admins, emergency management, state agencies, sports reporters.
• LinkedIn remains limited; used by healthcare, education, utilities, and public-sector professionals.
• Practical content wins: weather, road conditions, local deals, school schedules, community fundraisers, hunting/fishing regs, and Nebraska Huskers content.

Notes on access/context

• Rural broadband and data caps influence behavior: more Wi‑Fi usage at home/work; video quality throttled on cellular; evening peaks.
• Older-leaning county profile tilts overall usage toward Facebook/YouTube versus Instagram/TikTok.