Cherry County

To ensure accuracy, which source/year would you like?

• Option A (recommended): U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Population Estimates (total population) + 2019–2023 ACS 5-year (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).
• Option B: 2020 Decennial Census (total population and limited demographics).
• Option C: Specify another year/source.

Cherry County snapshot (population ≈5,455; area ≈5,961 sq mi; density ≈0.9/sq mi; seat: Valentine).

Estimated email users

• 3,800–4,300 residents use email at least monthly (roughly 70–80% of the population; higher among adults).

Age distribution (approximate adoption)

• Under 18: 60–70% use email (school accounts); ≈15% of local users.
• 18–34: 90–97%; ≈25% of users.
• 35–64: 85–92%; ≈40% of users.
• 65+: 70–80% (lower in the most remote areas); ≈20% of users.

Gender split

• Roughly even (≈50/50), with a slight female tilt among older cohorts.

Digital access and trends

• Connectivity is patchy outside towns: Valentine and small communities have cable/fiber or VDSL; ranchlands rely on fixed wireless, legacy DSL, or satellite.
• Mobile LTE covers highways and towns; 5G is limited mainly along US‑20/US‑83 corridors. Mobile‑only internet households are rising.
• Public access points (library, schools, clinics) matter for seniors and low‑income residents.
• Fixed‑wireless and low‑earth‑orbit satellite (e.g., Starlink) adoption is growing to bridge last‑mile gaps; home broadband take‑up likely in the 65–75% range, lower in remote precincts.

Overall: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults, with usage constrained primarily by rural broadband availability rather than interest.

Cherry County, Nebraska: mobile usage snapshot (with emphasis on what’s different from statewide patterns)

High-level takeaways

• More rural, older, and sparsely populated than Nebraska overall, so smartphone adoption and 5G uptake trail the state; coverage gaps and tower spacing drive behavior (boosters, Wi‑Fi calling, prepaid/regional carriers).
• Seasonal tourism (Niobrara River, Sandhills recreation, Valentine events) produces visible summer peaks in traffic and occasional congestion uncommon in most of the state outside urban venues.
• Infrastructure is highway-centric (US‑20, US‑83, Valentine), with large interior dead zones; mid-band 5G is rare.

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~5,400–5,600 people; ~4,100–4,400 adults (2020 Census + modest change).
• Smartphone users: ~3,800–4,400 residents (about 70–80% of total population; roughly 78–86% of adults). This is lower than Nebraska’s ~88–90% adult smartphone adoption.
• Active mobile lines (phones + tablets/IoT): ~6,000–7,500. Per-capita line ownership is dampened by older age and coverage constraints but buoyed by ag/IoT lines.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): ~50–55% vs. Nebraska ~65–70%.
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~14–18% vs. Nebraska ~10–12%—higher reliance outside towns where fixed broadband is limited, despite many older residents keeping landlines/DSL.
• Plan mix: prepaid and regional-carrier share estimated 35–45% of lines, notably higher than statewide (≈20–25%); family unlimited/postpaid penetration is lower.
• Platform mix: Android share somewhat higher than the state average (price sensitivity and regional-carrier device portfolios).

Demographic breakdown (drivers of differences)

• Age is the dominant factor:
  • 65+: ~55–65% smartphone adoption (below statewide ~70%); more basic phones and voice/text-centric use.
  • 35–64: ~85–90% (below Nebraska’s low‑90s), more work-driven usage but cost/coverage limit heavy data plans.
  • 18–34 and teens: 95%+ have smartphones, similar to statewide; however, many rely on Wi‑Fi/hotspots at home or school due to patchy coverage outside Valentine.
• Income: Median household income trails the state, nudging users toward prepaid, smaller data buckets, or regional carriers; households under ~$50k are less likely to have multiple unlimited lines.
• Race/ethnicity: County population is predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small Native American and Hispanic communities; sample sizes are small, but observed gaps are more about geography/income than ethnicity.

Usage patterns that diverge from the state

• Lower median mobile data use per line, more Wi‑Fi offload at home/work and in public venues (library, schools, hospitality).
• Higher use of signal boosters, external antennas, and Wi‑Fi calling to compensate for in-home and pasture coverage gaps.
• Ag/field operations add M2M/IoT lines (equipment telemetry, remote sensors), but adoption is constrained by patchy LTE; some operations prefer private radio or satellite for reliability.
• Noticeable seasonal surges from visitors along US‑83/US‑20 and the Niobrara corridor; temporary congestion in Valentine during peak weekends.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage footprint:
  • Strongest around Valentine and along US‑20 (Cody, Merriman, Kilgore, Wood Lake) and US‑83; substantial dead zones across central Sandhills and in river breaks south of town.
  • Macro sites are spaced widely due to the county’s size; service often drops a few miles off the highways.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon and AT&T generally provide the most reliable highway/town coverage; Viaero Wireless has meaningful rural footprint and local familiarity; T‑Mobile is improving but still spottier in the interior Sandhills.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) is present along main corridors, but public safety still contends with gaps off-highway.
• 5G availability:
  • Mostly low‑band 5G along highways and in Valentine; mid‑band 5G (for higher speeds) is limited or absent in much of the county. Large areas remain LTE‑only.
• Performance reality vs. maps:
  • FCC maps tend to overstate practical coverage in valleys and on ranchlands. External antennas/boosters materially change the user experience in outlying areas.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber follows major routes into and through Valentine (regional fiber providers such as Great Plains Communications/NebraskaLink and others); many remote towers use microwave backhaul, which can cap capacity.
  • Fixed broadband competition outside Valentine is thin; satellite (e.g., Starlink) adoption is visibly higher than the state average and often paired with mobile service for voice/on‑the‑go data.
• Public access and offload:
  • Valentine library, schools, and some businesses provide Wi‑Fi that residents and visitors use to offload data—more critical here than in urban Nebraska.
• Reliability:
  • Weather and power events can cut service to remote sites; backup power varies by tower, leading to localized outages. E911 location accuracy degrades in fringe areas.

How Cherry County differs from Nebraska overall (at a glance)

• Lower smartphone adoption (especially 65+) and lower 5G uptake.
• More prepaid/regional-carrier use (Viaero) and Android skew.
• More coverage gaps, heavier reliance on boosters and Wi‑Fi calling.
• Higher share of smartphone-only internet households in outlying areas, but also a higher share of residents keeping landlines—overall a more polarized mix than the state.
• Greater seasonal traffic spikes from tourism and cross‑border travel.
• More satellite broadband and ag/IoT lines relative to population.

Methods and sources behind the estimates

• Built from 2020 Census and ACS population/age structure, state adoption benchmarks from Pew and industry reports, and typical rural‑county adjustments (older age, income, and coverage effects). Coverage/infrastructure patterns reflect FCC mobile maps (known to overstate), carrier public footprints, and common rural Nebraska deployment practices.

Below is a concise, decision-ready snapshot. Note: true, county-level social media measurements aren’t publicly reported; figures are best-fit estimates for Cherry County based on its demographics and rural U.S./Nebraska usage benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024; U.S. Census/ACS). Use ranges as guidance, not absolutes.

Quick user stats (Cherry County, NE)

• Population: ~5,500–5,700; adults ~4,200–4,600.
• Internet adoption (adults): ~85–90%.
• Social media users: ~3,000–3,800 people (≈55–70% of total population; ≈65–80% of adults).

Age-group usage (share who use at least one platform)

• Teens (13–17): 90–95%
• 18–24: 90–95%
• 25–34: 80–90%
• 35–49: 75–85%
• 50–64: 60–70%
• 65+: 40–55%

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: approximately balanced (48–52% male, 48–52% female).
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest.
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter).
  • Teens/young adults: heavier on Snapchat, TikTok.

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

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook (core app): 65–75%
• Facebook Groups (monthly): 55–65%
• Messenger: 60–70%
• Snapchat: 35–45% (dominant among teens/18–24)
• Instagram: 30–40% (strong 18–34, especially women)
• TikTok: 30–40% (teens/18–34; growing into 35–49)
• Pinterest: 20–30% (women 25–54)
• X (Twitter): 10–15% (news, sports)
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (professionals, small business)
• Reddit: 5–10% (niche/younger males)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited footprint in very rural areas)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for local news, school sports, county fair, weather, road/burn ban updates, buy/sell/trade.
• Ag and outdoors: Ranching, hunting/fishing, and Sandhills tourism content performs; practical, hyper-local info outperforms generic brand posts.
• Messaging > commenting: Many interactions shift to Messenger/Snapchat DMs for inquiries and peer-to-peer recommendations.
• Video preference: Short, mobile-first clips (reels/shorts) and photo carousels get the best completion/engagement; YouTube for how-to and equipment reviews.
• Time-of-day peaks: Evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; lunchtime micro-peaks on weekdays. School-year sports create event-driven spikes.
• Trust signals: Local faces, organizations, and sponsors outperform corporate voices; testimonials and UGC matter.
• Coverage realities: Patchy broadband outside Valentine means mobile-friendly, lightweight creatives and captions that work without audio.

Practical takeaways

• Anchor on Facebook (page + local groups) and YouTube; add Instagram and short-form video for under-40 reach; use Snapchat/TikTok for teens/young adults.
• Post locally relevant, utility-driven updates; highlight people and places; cross-post video in vertical format.
• Target by Valentine/nearby ZIPs; schedule for evenings; encourage DMs; partner with schools, 4-H, FFA, and civic groups.

Sources and basis

• Pew Research Center (2023–2024) U.S. adult social media use and rural/urban adoption gaps; U.S. Census/ACS for population/age structure; industry platform penetration benchmarks.