Cass County

Cass County, Nebraska – key demographics (most recent Census/ACS)

Population

• Total: ~27,000 (2023 estimate); 26,598 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~90–92%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Black/African American: ~0.5%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5%

Households and housing

• Households: ~10,400
• Persons per household: ~2.5
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Married-couple households: ~55–57%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~80–82%

Notes and sources: Figures are rounded; population from 2020 Decennial Census and 2023 Vintage estimates; other indicators from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (latest available).

Cass County, Nebraska — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated users: Population ≈27k; adults (18+) ≈21k. About 19–20k adults use email (≈90–95% adoption). Including teens (13–17), total email users ≈21–23k.
• Age pattern (usage rates, broadly in line with U.S. norms):
  • 18–29: ~98–99%
  • 30–49: ~95–97%
  • 50–64: ~90–93%
  • 65+: ~85–90% Cass County skews slightly older than metro areas, so overall adoption is a touch lower than big-city averages but still very high.
• Gender split: Near parity; men and women use email at similar rates (≈within 1–2%), so users are roughly 50/50.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly 85–90%; smartphone ownership is widespread, supporting frequent email access.
  • Fixed broadband availability covers most addresses; towns typically have cable/fiber, while rural areas rely more on fixed wireless/DSL; satellite is a fallback.
  • 4G/5G mobile coverage is strong along main corridors and population centers (e.g., Plattsmouth, Louisville, Weeping Water), with some rural pockets of slower service.
• Local density/connectivity context: ≈10–11k households; land area ~560 sq mi; population density ≈45–50 people/sq mi—meaning good town connectivity with sparser rural coverage that can affect speeds but not basic email access.

Cass County, NE: mobile phone usage summary (with county-vs-state highlights)

User estimates

• Population base: roughly 27–28k residents; about 22–23k adults (18+) and 1.6–1.8k teens (12–17).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile, not just smartphones): about 23–24k residents aged 12+ use a mobile phone. Method: apply ~97% adult mobile ownership and ~95% teen mobile ownership to local age cohorts; Cass tracks slightly below big-metro counties but near the national/rural-suburban average.
• Smartphone users: about 21–22k residents (12+) use a smartphone. Method: assume ~86–90% of adults and ~95% of teens have smartphones; Cass is a peri‑urban county so adoption is a bit lower than Omaha/Lincoln core but above most rural western NE.
• Cellular-only home internet: ~1,100–1,300 households rely on a cellular data plan as their primary home internet. That share is likely a few points higher than the Nebraska statewide average, driven by pockets outside town centers where wired options are limited.

Demographic breakdown (and how it differs from state)

• Age: Cass is older than Nebraska overall (larger 45–74 cohort, smaller 18–34 share). Effects:
  • Smartphone adoption is slightly lower among seniors than the state average, so the county has a marginally higher share of basic/flip LTE phones.
  • Data plans skew toward family and multi-line accounts, with many households carrying 3–5 active mobile lines.
• Income/commuting: Household incomes tend to be above the state average, and a large share of workers commute to Omaha/Lincoln.
  • This supports higher device-per-household counts (smartwatches, tablets with LTE) and heavy daytime usage along commuter corridors.
  • BYOD/enterprise usage is higher than in rural interior counties.
• Education/language: The county is predominantly English-speaking and less diverse than the state overall, so there’s lower demand for multilingual mobile support than in urban Nebraska; outreach via schools and employers is especially effective.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and operators:
  • All three national carriers (Verizon, AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile) cover population centers (Plattsmouth, Louisville, Weeping Water, Eagle, Elmwood) and major roads. Viaero Wireless also serves parts of eastern Nebraska.
  • 5G mid-band is relatively strong along the I‑80/US‑75/NE‑50 corridors because of proximity to Omaha–Lincoln; this is better than much of rural Nebraska. Low-band 5G blankets most populated areas; 4G LTE remains the fallback in river valleys and fringe areas.
• Performance patterns:
  • Commute-driven peaks: morning/evening congestion is most noticeable on US‑75 and I‑80 approaches; this pattern is more pronounced than Nebraska statewide.
  • River bluffs and state recreation areas (e.g., Mahoney and Platte River SPs; Platte/Missouri river valleys) still have spotty or variable signal—more so than urban Douglas/Lancaster but better than the Sandhills/Panhandle.
• Sites/backhaul:
  • Dozens of macro sites with co‑location by multiple carriers; growing use of small cells and upgraded sectors along I‑80 and in town centers.
  • Fiber backhaul is strong along I‑80 and US‑75; outside towns, some sectors still depend on microwave, which can cap capacity—part of why cellular‑only home internet is common but speeds vary by location.
• Fixed–mobile interplay:
  • T‑Mobile 5G Home Internet and Verizon 5G/LTE Home are available in and around towns, filling gaps where cable/fiber aren’t ubiquitous. This mobile–fixed substitution is more common than the statewide average but lower than in remote western counties.

How Cass County trends differ from Nebraska overall

• Higher reliance on cellular for home internet than the state average, but not as high as western rural counties.
• Better 5G mid-band availability and generally higher median speeds than much of rural Nebraska due to the county’s position on the Omaha–Lincoln–I‑80 corridor.
• More pronounced commute-driven network load and daytime location shifts (devices authenticate in adjacent counties during work hours), unlike many interior counties.
• Slightly lower senior smartphone adoption (older population), but higher multi-device penetration per household (higher incomes, family plans).

Notes on method and confidence

• Counts are estimates synthesized from recent Census/ACS population and internet-use patterns combined with national ownership rates (Pew) and typical rural–suburban adoption gradients; exact figures vary by carrier and neighborhood.
• For planning or investment decisions, validate with the latest ACS table S2801 (Computer and Internet Use), FCC Broadband Map by location, and carrier-specific coverage/performance datasets (drive tests or MNO-provided maps) for Cass County.

Social media usage in Cass County, Nebraska (short, practical snapshot)

What this is

• Best-available local estimate built from Cass County population/demographics (ACS), Pew Research platform adoption (2023–2024), and rural/suburban usage patterns. Use ranges; validate with platform ad tools for campaigns.

Headline user stats

• Population: ~27,000 residents; ~21,000 adults (18+).
• Adults using at least one major platform: about 75–80% of adults (≈15,750–16,800 people).

Age mix of social users (share of adult users)

• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~36%
• 50–64: ~27%
• 65+: ~15% Notes: County skews slightly older than national; under-30 saturation is high but smaller in absolute numbers.

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: roughly even, ~51% female / 49% male.
• Skews by platform: Pinterest and Snapchat skew female; Reddit and LinkedIn skew male; Facebook and YouTube are near-even.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults; modeled ranges)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• Pinterest: 30–40% (female-heavy)
• TikTok: 25–30% (strong <35)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (mostly <30)
• LinkedIn: 18–22% (commuters/professionals)
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• WhatsApp: 12–16% (lower than national)
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (neighborhood pockets)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Very high engagement with local groups (schools/boosters, churches, city/county offices, scanner/weather pages), events, and fundraisers. Comment threads drive reach.
• Marketplace matters: Buy/sell and service referrals are active; weekend and evening spikes.
• Video-forward shift: Reels/Shorts clips of local events, parks, and “how-to” content perform best. YouTube used heavily for DIY, equipment repair, outdoor and home projects—often on TV screens.
• Younger users split attention: Instagram + Snapchat for day-to-day; TikTok for entertainment and local happenings; cross-posting Reels helps reach both IG and FB.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for adults; Snapchat DMs common under 30; WhatsApp niche (family/international ties).
• Local news/info discovery: FB Pages/Groups for schools, county offices, and Omaha/Lincoln media; weather and road conditions drive spikes during storms.
• When to post: Early morning (7–8:30 am), lunch (11:30–1), and evenings (7–10 pm); weekends mid-day. Severe weather or school updates trigger real-time surges.
• Targeting notes: Strong response to geo-local offers, service promos, and event reminders. Effective geos: Plattsmouth, Louisville, Weeping Water, Eagle; also capture commuters along Hwy 75 and I‑80 to Omaha/Lincoln.

How to refine locally

• Check Meta Ads Manager audience sizes by town ZIPs, YouTube affinity audiences, and Nextdoor Neighborhood reach to replace estimates with live counts before campaigns.