Chase County

Chase County, Nebraska – key demographics

Population size

• 3,893 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~79–82%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~15–18%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households

• Total households: ~1,600–1,700
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~63–65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70–75%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures rounded for clarity.

Chase County, NE snapshot

• Population and density: ~3.7–3.9k residents spread over ~900 sq mi; about 4–5 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users (adults): 2,100–2,600. Method: adults ≈75–80% of population; 80–85% use the internet; >90% of internet users use email.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: ~20–25%
  • 35–64: ~55–60%
  • 65+: ~15–20% (growing but still below mid‑age adoption)
• Gender split: roughly even (about 49–51% each), mirroring the county’s overall balance.
• Digital access trends:
  • About three‑quarters to mid‑80% of households have a broadband subscription; computer access around the low‑ to mid‑80% range.
  • Smartphone‑only home internet: roughly 10–15% and rising.
  • Fiber/cable concentrated in Imperial and along main corridors; fixed wireless and legacy DSL more common in outlying farms/ranches.
  • 4G cellular covers towns and highways; patchy coverage in remote areas.
  • Seniors’ adoption improving; middle‑aged adults are near‑universal users; youth rely on email for school/services but favor messaging apps daily.
• Local connectivity facts: Very low housing density raises last‑mile costs; long driveway spans and section‑line distances slow upgrades. Public Wi‑Fi via library, schools, and community facilities supplements home access.

Mobile phone usage in Chase County, Nebraska (2025 snapshot)

What’s different vs. Nebraska overall

• More rural carrier reliance: Viaero Wireless and Verizon tend to be stronger than in urban Nebraska; T-Mobile is present via low‑band 600 MHz but mid‑band 5G is spottier than in Omaha/Lincoln.
• More mobile-only internet: A larger share of households lean on cellular hotspots/home internet because fixed broadband choices thin out outside Imperial and along highways.
• Older age mix, more Android: A slightly older population means lower smartphone adoption among seniors, longer device replacement cycles, and a higher Android share than the state average.
• Coverage built for distance, not capacity: Low‑band LTE/5G covers farms and highways, but mid‑band capacity sites are fewer, so average speeds are lower and more variable than state urban averages.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, based on 2023–2024 national/rural adoption rates applied to a ~4,000 resident county)

• People who personally use a mobile phone: about 3,300–3,500 residents.
• Smartphone users: about 2,850–3,150 residents.
• Wireless-only internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on cellular): roughly 12–20% of households, higher than the statewide share.
• Prepaid vs. postpaid: prepaid likely 28–35% of lines (statewide closer to ~20–25%), driven by MVNOs on Verizon/T‑Mobile and regional pricing.
• OS mix: Android likely a modest majority (roughly 55–65%), higher than in Nebraska’s urban counties where iOS share is stronger.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Adults 18–64: very high phone use (≈95–97%); smartphone adoption ≈88–92%.
• Seniors 65+: phone use high but lower than younger adults (≈80–88%); smartphone adoption ≈55–70%. Greater reliance on voice/SMS and larger‑screen, lower‑cost Android devices; upgrade cycles 4–6 years.
• Teens 12–17: near‑universal phone and smartphone use (≈95–98%); heavy data/messaging/social usage; hotspot use for homework where home broadband is weak.
• Children 5–11: about 30–45% have a mobile device (often shared or basic handsets); usage concentrated in town.
• Language/culture: agricultural and food‑processing employment brings multilingual households; WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS widely used across age and language groups.
• Work and ag IoT: farms and irrigation systems use LTE/LPWA modems (Cat‑M1/NB‑IoT) and external antennas; text‑ and app‑based alerts are common.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE is the baseline; low‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 600 MHz, AT&T 850/FirstNet, Verizon DSS on 700/850) blankets highways and town areas.
  • Mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz, Verizon C‑band) is concentrated in/near Imperial and along primary corridors; far less common in outlying sections of the county than in Nebraska metros.
  • Building penetration: metal ag buildings and grain facilities often require boosters/external antennas for reliable indoor service.
• Carriers
  • Verizon: broad rural footprint; popular for coverage consistency and MVNO options (Straight Talk, Visible).
  • Viaero Wireless: meaningful local presence in western Nebraska; important for farm/ranch coverage and community plans.
  • AT&T/FirstNet: used by public safety and businesses needing Band 14 priority; coverage good on main roads and in town.
  • T‑Mobile: strong low‑band reach; mid‑band capacity more limited than in eastern Nebraska.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro-site density typical of High Plains counties (on the order of a dozen or so towers countywide, plus sites over the border serving fringe areas).
  • Fiber backhaul follows state and US highways and utility corridors; microwave backhaul still used on remote sites.
• Speeds and latency (typical user experience)
  • Town centers/near mid‑band 5G: 100–300+ Mbps down, 10–30 Mbps up, latency ~25–40 ms.
  • Low‑band 5G/LTE across most rural areas: 10–80 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up, latency ~35–60 ms, with dips during harvest/event peaks.
• Home internet over cellular
  • T‑Mobile Home Internet and Verizon LTE/5G Home are available to many addresses; performance depends on distance to a sector and line‑of‑sight. External antennas can materially improve reliability.
• Public safety and emergencies
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) provides priority access; mutual‑aid agencies often keep Verizon for redundancy. County E‑911 depends on statewide NG911 routing; accurate device location improves where mid‑band/VoLTE is available.

Implications for planners and providers

• Prioritize mid‑band infill around Imperial and along US‑6/US‑61 to lift capacity; small infill sectors could disproportionally improve peak-time performance.
• Encourage external-antenna friendly CPE and booster programs for farms, schools, and clinics to mitigate metal‑building losses.
• Support device affordability and digital skills for seniors to narrow the smartphone gap.
• Maintain multi-carrier redundancy for public safety and critical businesses due to weather and backhaul vulnerability.

Notes on method

• Population baseline from recent census/ACS; adoption rates from national rural benchmarks (Pew, CDC wireless-only, industry reports) scaled to local age structure and rural infrastructure. Ranges reflect uncertainty typical for a small county where official mobile usage stats aren’t directly published.

Below is a concise, practical snapshot. Because there’s no public, county‑level social media dataset for Chase County, these figures are estimates modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media data, rural Nebraska demographics, and typical usage patterns in small, ag‑heavy communities. Treat them as directional ranges.

Quick snapshot (population and users)

• Population: ≈4,000 residents; ≈3,000 adults (18+)
• Internet/smartphone access (adults): ~80–90%
• Social media users (adults): ~2,200–2,500

Most‑used platforms (estimated share of adults in Chase County)

• Facebook: 60–70% use; 50–60% use daily
• YouTube: 65–75% use; 40–55% use weekly+
• Instagram: 20–35% use; 15–25% daily
• Snapchat: 15–25% use (heavily <30)
• TikTok: 15–25% use; 10–20% daily
• Pinterest: 20–30% use (skews female 25–54)
• X/Twitter: 10–15% use (news, weather, sports)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% use (family, farm/vendor comms)
• Reddit: 8–12% use (skews male <45)
• LinkedIn: 8–12% use (lower given industry mix)
• Nextdoor: <10% use (limited local coverage)

Age groups (directional)

• Teens (13–17): Nearly all on YouTube; heavy Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok. Facebook mostly for teams, events.
• 18–29: Multi‑platform; daily Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram; Facebook for groups/events more than posting.
• 30–44: Facebook and YouTube dominant; moderate Instagram; TikTok growing; Pinterest for projects/recipes.
• 45–64: Facebook strongest; YouTube regular; some Pinterest; limited Instagram/TikTok.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube mainly; lighter overall activity.

Gender breakdown (behavioral tendencies)

• Female: Higher Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong engagement with school, church, community groups; heavy Marketplace use.
• Male: Higher YouTube, Reddit, X; follow weather, ag/equipment, sports; Facebook Groups for buy/sell/trade.

Behavioral trends to know

• Hyper‑local focus: School and high‑school sports, county/city notices, road closures, weather alerts, obituaries, local events.
• Groups > Pages: Buy/sell/trade, ag/4‑H/booster groups, neighborhood and church groups drive much of the engagement.
• Marketplace is big: Farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, tools, household items; meetups arranged via Messenger.
• Video habits: Short vertical video increasingly consumed (YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, TikTok); live streams of games/meetings perform well.
• Posting patterns: More sharing/commenting than original content creation; trust favors known local orgs/people.
• Timing: Peaks most evenings (7–10 pm), lunch hour on weekdays, and Sunday afternoons.
• Device reality: Mobile‑first; short captions, clear thumbnails, and vertical video perform best.
• Ad receptivity: Best for well‑known local businesses, events, and service offers; geo‑targeting around Imperial and nearby ZIPs works; authenticity and community tie‑ins beat “salesy” creatives.

Notes on method

• Percentages are adjusted from Pew’s 2024 U.S. adult platform usage for an older, rural profile typical of southwest Nebraska. They represent estimated adult reach in Chase County, not precise counts.