Cedar County

Which data vintage would you like? I can summarize Cedar County, NE using:

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts, best for total population), and/or
• ACS 5-year estimates (e.g., 2018–2022) for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics.

Tell me your preferred source/year and I’ll provide a concise, data-driven snapshot.

Cedar County, Nebraska — summary (estimates using ACS/Pew benchmarks and rural NE patterns)

• Population and density: ~8–9k residents; ~11 people per square mile. Most wired connectivity is in towns (Hartington, Laurel, Randolph); coverage thins in rural areas.
• Estimated email users: ~4,500–5,500 residents use email at least monthly.
• Age distribution (county): Under 18 ~25%; 18–24 ~8%; 25–44 ~22%; 45–64 ~26%; 65+ ~22–25%.
• Email use by age: 25–64 ≈ 90–97%; 65+ ≈ 65–80% (fastest growth); 18–24 ≈ 90%+; teens ≈ 60–70% (often secondary to messaging apps).
• Gender split: ~50/50 male–female; email usage rates are nearly identical (differences <3 percentage points).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband adoption ~75–85% of households; near-universal in town centers, lower on farms.
  • Fiber expanding within town limits; rural addresses often use fixed wireless; satellite remains a fallback.
  • Smartphone-only internet users ~10–15%; mobile LTE/5G strongest near towns/major roads with patchy pockets in river-valley terrain.
  • Email increasingly accessed via mobile; seniors show steady adoption gains through telehealth, government, and banking needs.

Note: Figures are directional estimates scaled from recent national/rural datasets to local demographics.

Cedar County, NE: mobile phone usage snapshot (with estimates) and how it differs from Nebraska overall

Topline

• Cedar County is small and rural (roughly 8.4–8.8k residents, ~3.1–3.4k households). Mobile adoption is widespread but skews more toward basic coverage and LTE than urban Nebraska, with slower 5G uptake and heavier reliance on fixed wireless for home internet.

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users: 6.1–6.7k adults with a mobile phone (assumes 18+ population ~6.5–7.1k; rural ownership 94–95%).
• Smartphone users: 5.9–6.5k total when adding teens (adult smartphone adoption ~83–85% in rural areas; teen smartphone ownership ~90–95%).
• Mobile-only internet (smartphone-only) households: roughly 8–12% of households, about 250–400 households. This may shift as 5G fixed‑wireless home internet (FWA) expands and with the end of the ACP subsidy.
• Non‑handset lines: a noticeable share of connections are for agriculture and small‑business telemetry (equipment trackers, grain‑bin monitors, sensors), so total active SIMs exceed the number of residents.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Older population share: Higher than the Nebraska average, which dampens smartphone and 5G handset penetration; basic/flip phones are more common among seniors.
• Youth and families: Near‑universal smartphone use among students; heavy messaging/social/video in town centers and around schools, but more constrained by coverage and capacity outside towns.
• Agriculture and trades: Practical, coverage‑first carrier selection (often Verizon/AT&T) for field reliability; more rugged devices, hotspots, and machine/IoT lines than state urban areas.
• Income and affordability: Lower median incomes than metro Nebraska make cost-sensitive plans and prepaid more common; the ACP wind‑down likely nudges some households toward mobile‑only internet or shared plans.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Cellular layers:
  • 4G LTE is the primary coverage layer countywide; generally reliable in towns and along main highways, with dead zones in low-lying river areas and between towns.
  • 5G low‑band is present but mostly adds coverage parity with LTE; mid‑band 5G (higher capacity) is more likely in/near towns and along key corridors than in farmland.
• Carriers: Verizon and AT&T typically have the broadest rural footprints; T‑Mobile performance is strong where it has mid‑band 5G but can be variable outside towns. Public‑safety/FirstNet coverage is a factor for agencies.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Fiber exists in pockets (town centers, select routes) but is not universal; DSL remains in places.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) from mobile carriers and local WISPs fills gaps and is adopted at higher rates than in metro Nebraska.
  • Satellite remains a fallback in remote spots.
• Backhaul and capacity: Tower backhaul is a mix of fiber and microwave; capacity can tighten during events or seasonal recreation traffic near the Missouri River/Lewis & Clark Lake.
• Cross‑border effects: Proximity to South Dakota can cause roaming or carrier preference shifts near the river; performance can depend on which side’s tower a device connects to.
• In‑home experience: Metal‑roof and spread‑out housing increase reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and external antennas/boosters.

How Cedar County trends differ from Nebraska overall

• Lower smartphone and 5G handset penetration than the state average due to older demographics and rural coverage priorities.
• Higher share of lines used for non‑handset purposes (farm and small‑business telemetry).
• More reliance on LTE and low‑band 5G; less consistent mid‑band 5G than in metro areas like Omaha/Lincoln.
• Higher adoption of fixed wireless (both mobile‑carrier FWA and WISPs) as a primary home connection; fiber availability is patchier than state urban averages.
• Mobile network selection is driven by coverage reliability rather than price/features; Verizon/AT&T tend to be favored outside towns.
• Capacity is more seasonal and event‑driven (recreation areas, county events) than in the state’s metros.
• Post‑ACP affordability pressures are more likely to shift households to mobile‑only internet or shared plans than in higher‑income urban parts of Nebraska.

Notes and sources to validate

• Use the latest ACS (for population, age, households), Pew Research (rural vs urban smartphone adoption), FCC National Broadband Map and carrier coverage maps (for LTE/5G layers and FWA availability), Nebraska PSC and county E911/public‑safety reports (for infrastructure updates).
• The numerical figures above are reasoned estimates based on rural adoption benchmarks; verify locally for planning or investment decisions.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot. Precise, published social metrics for Cedar County aren’t available; figures are modeled from Nebraska/rural-Midwest patterns and recent U.S. platform benchmarks, adjusted for the county’s older age profile.

Overall user stats (Cedar County, NE)

• Population context: ~8–9k residents; older-leaning, rural.
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~5,000–6,000.
• Usage frequency: ~60–70% of users check social daily; another ~15–20% weekly.
• Multi-platform behavior: typical user is active on 2–3 platforms; under-30s often 4–5.

Age mix of social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: 10–12%
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 30–34%
• 50–64: 20–24%
• 65+: 14–18%

Gender breakdown (share of users)

• Female: 51–55%
• Male: 45–49%
• Notes by platform: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most-used platforms (share of county social media users)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–78% (Marketplace and Groups are core)
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70%
• Instagram: 35–45% (skews under 45)
• Snapchat: 30–40% overall; 70–85% among teens/young adults
• TikTok: 30–38% overall; 55–70% under 30
• Pinterest: 28–35% (primarily women, DIY, recipes, events)
• X (Twitter): 12–18% (sports, news, weather)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (lower in rural labor mix)
• Reddit: 10–15% (younger men, hobby/tech/AG threads)

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for school sports, 4‑H/FFA, county fair, church/volunteer updates, road closures, storm and ag/weather alerts.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups drive person-to-person sales (farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, household goods).
• Ag content: YouTube and Facebook for equipment repair, planting/harvest tips, commodity outlooks; short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) rising for quick tutorials and ag humor.
• Youth communication: Snapchat is the default for teens; Instagram and TikTok for discovery and trends; YouTube for how‑tos and game/sports highlights.
• Video dominance: Even older users watch YouTube for DIY, local church/school streams, and weather briefings.
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (before work/school, 6–8 am) and evenings (7–9 pm). Daytime dips during planting/harvest; spikes during severe weather and major local sports/events.
• Trust and word-of-mouth: High interaction on posts from familiar local entities (schools, counties/cities, churches, volunteer groups, hometown businesses). Comments/reactions often outperform link clicks.
• Messaging: Messenger group chats are common for teams, church groups, volunteer coordination; SMS and WhatsApp secondary.

How to use this

• If you’re planning outreach: lead with Facebook (Posts + Groups + Events + Marketplace) and YouTube video; add Instagram for under‑45 reach and TikTok/Snapchat for teen/young adult targeting.
• Post local, practical content (weather impacts, schedules, scores, closures, how‑tos) in the morning or evening; use short vertical video for reach, and cross-post to Reels/Shorts.