Cuming County

Key demographics: Cuming County, Nebraska Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates). Figures rounded; ACS values carry margins of error.

• Population

  • Total: 9,013 (2020 Census)

• Age (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Median age: ~44 years
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 65 and over: ~21%

• Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%

• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS 2018–2022)

  • Non-Hispanic White: ~80–85%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~14–18%
  • Non-Hispanic Black: <1%
  • Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
  • Non-Hispanic Asian: <1%
  • Non-Hispanic Two or more races/Other: ~2–3%

• Households (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Total households: ~3,600–3,800
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~65% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~50–55% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
  • One-person households: ~28–32%

Cuming County, NE snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: ~9,000 residents (2020 Census), ≈16 people per square mile; population concentrated in West Point, Wisner, Beemer, Bancroft, with very low-density farm areas between.
• Estimated email users: 6,500–7,000 residents. Method: adult share ~75–80% of population; 85–90% of adults use email; most teens do as well (Pew Research).
• Age pattern of email use:
  • 18–34: ~95% use email
  • 35–64: ~90–95%
  • 65+: ~70–80% (lower primarily due to access/comfort gaps)
• Gender split: roughly even; no meaningful male–female difference in email adoption (nationally).
• Digital access and trends:
  • About three-quarters of households report a broadband subscription (ACS 5‑year estimates for rural NE counties), with higher take-up in towns and lower on outlying farms.
  • Fiber and fixed wireless availability have expanded in-town and along main corridors; legacy DSL and satellite remain common in sparsely populated areas.
  • Smartphone-only internet access is rising among lower‑income households, which can shift email checking to mobile.
  • 4G is widespread; 5G appears primarily near highways/towns; coverage can drop in river valleys and distant sections.

Notes: Figures are derived from 2020 Census population, ACS broadband patterns for rural Nebraska, and Pew Research email/internet adoption rates.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Cuming County, Nebraska

Snapshot and user estimates

• Population baseline: ~9,000 residents and roughly 3,500–3,800 households. Adult share is higher than the state average due to an older age profile.
• Active mobile lines (people + IoT): 10,000–12,000 total lines (about 1.1–1.3 lines per resident), slightly above typical rural levels because of agricultural IoT and hotspots.
• Human users with a mobile phone (age 13+): approximately 6,300–7,000.
• Smartphone users (age 13+): roughly 5,400–6,200 (about 82–88% of users). This is a bit lower than Nebraska’s larger cities, where smartphone penetration is closer to the national high-80s to low-90s.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age: The county skews older than Nebraska overall. Smartphone adoption and mobile-only internet reliance are notably lower among residents 65+, increasing the share of basic/feature phones and voice-first plans relative to state urban areas.
• Households with kids: Teen smartphone ownership is high but slightly below metro Nebraska; more reliance on shared family plans than on individual premium plans.
• Income and occupation: A sizable farm and ag-services workforce increases demand for rugged devices, hotspots, and data SIMs in equipment. This pushes up lines-per-capita even as per-user data consumption may be lower than in Omaha/Lincoln.
• Language and plan mix: A modest but meaningful Hispanic population contributes to a somewhat higher share of prepaid or month-to-month plans than in the state’s suburban markets, though family postpaid remains dominant.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern: Strongest in and around West Point, Wisner, Beemer, and along US‑275 and other primary corridors. Coverage becomes more variable on section roads and in river bottoms; metal-sided buildings commonly require boosters or Wi‑Fi calling.
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G: Broad outdoor coverage from national carriers across most populated areas.
  • Mid‑band 5G (faster): Present primarily in/near towns and along US‑275, with T‑Mobile typically the most extensive mid‑band footprint in rural NE. Verizon and AT&T mid‑band is more limited and concentrated in larger regional cities; spillover into the county varies by site.
• 4G/LTE baseline: Ubiquitous outdoors along highways and towns; indoor LTE can be spotty in some farmsteads without boosters. Typical rural LTE speeds range widely (single‑digit Mbps in fringe areas up to tens of Mbps in town).
• Backhaul and fiber: Fiber routes follow major roads and town centers, with regional providers (e.g., Great Plains Communications, American Broadband/Fastwyre, NNTC) plus incumbent telco and cable. Fiber-to-the-home is expanding in towns; fixed wireless remains common on farms.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage focuses on highway corridors and towns; volunteer departments often augment with pagers, repeaters, and LTE devices. Power and backhaul redundancy is better in town than on outlying sites.

How Cuming County differs from Nebraska overall

• Adoption
  • Slightly fewer smartphone users as a share of population because of the older age mix.
  • Fewer mobile‑only home internet households than in Omaha/Lincoln; more “hybrid” setups (DSL/fiber or fixed wireless at home plus mobile data on the go).
  • More lines per capita than the state average when counting ag IoT, hotspots, and equipment telemetry.
• Network experience
  • Mid‑band 5G coverage is patchier than in metro counties; users more often fall back to low‑band 5G/LTE, so median speeds are lower and more variable.
  • Greater reliance on signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling inside metal buildings and on farmsteads.
  • Carrier-reported outdoor coverage is strong, but real‑world gaps persist on county roads and in river valleys—more so than in most Nebraska urban/suburban areas.
• Usage patterns
  • Voice/text reliability remains a higher priority than ultra‑high throughput.
  • Seasonal data spikes linked to planting/harvest and grain facility activity are more pronounced than in urban counties.
  • Plan mix shows a slightly higher share of prepaid and budget plans than state suburban markets, but family postpaid still leads.

Method notes and uncertainty

• Figures are estimates based on recent census/ACS baselines, national/rural smartphone adoption patterns, and typical rural network deployments in northeast Nebraska. Exact carrier footprints, tower counts, and speeds vary by location and are evolving with ongoing 5G upgrades and rural fiber builds.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate for social media use in Cuming County, Nebraska. Because platforms rarely publish county-level figures, numbers are modeled from Nebraska/rural Midwest benchmarks (Pew Research 2023–2024, platform audience tools) and adjusted for the county’s rural/older profile. Treat as directional ranges.

Snapshot (13+ population basis)

• Population baseline: ~9,000 residents; ~7,800 are 13+
• Internet reach: ~85–90% go online weekly (broadband + smartphone-only)
• Social media penetration: ~70–75% of 13+ use at least one platform monthly (≈5,500–5,900 people)

Most-used platforms (share of 13+; overlapping use)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–65%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• TikTok: 28–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30%
• Pinterest: 25–30% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 12–18% (skews male)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (lowest in rural areas)
• Reddit: 8–12%
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (higher among migrant/Spanish-speaking workers, if present)

Age patterns (who uses what most)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram strong; limited Facebook
• 18–29: YouTube + Instagram + TikTok lead; Snapchat common; Facebook moderate
• 30–49: Facebook/Messenger + YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising
• 50–64: Facebook first; YouTube/Pinterest next; lighter on Instagram/TikTok
• 65+: Facebook for family/news; YouTube for how-to/news; minimal Instagram/TikTok

Gender breakdown (typical split of platform users)

• Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat: slightly more women (≈55–60% female)
• Pinterest: majority women (≈70–75% female)
• YouTube, X, Reddit: more men (≈55–65% male)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first Facebook: Local groups/pages (schools, churches, 4‑H/county fair, buy-sell-trade, weather, obituaries) drive outsized engagement and sharing.
• Short-form video consumption up: TikTok/Reels/Shorts watched widely; creation is narrower (a few local creators, many lurkers).
• Messaging for coordination: Facebook Messenger prevalent for event organizing and quick outreach; WhatsApp clustered in specific labor/language communities.
• Peak times: Early morning, lunch, and evening; surges during severe weather, school sports, harvest/planting, and county events.
• Trust and sources: High engagement with posts from schools, county/city/sheriff, local paper/radio Facebook pages.
• Ads that work: Facebook/Instagram for reach and event RSVPs; YouTube pre-roll for awareness; TikTok to reach under‑35.

Notes and caveats

• Figures are estimates derived from statewide/rural patterns and platform benchmarks, not direct county-reported MAUs.
• Overlap across platforms is high; percentages are out of the 13+ population, not “share of social users.”