Dawes County

To make sure I give you the exact figures you need: do you want the latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (most current for small counties) or the official 2020 Census counts? I can provide both, but the numbers differ slightly.

Dawes County, NE is a sparsely populated, rural county with residents concentrated in Chadron and Crawford; connectivity is strongest in town centers and along major highways, weaker in ranchland and pine ridge areas.

Estimated email users

• 6,500–7,500 residents use email regularly (out of roughly 8–9k people), based on national adoption rates applied to local population.

Age distribution (estimates)

• 18–24: Very high usage (driven by Chadron State College students); near-universal.
• 25–64: Largest share of users; email is near-ubiquitous for work, services, and commerce.
• 65+: Lower but rising adoption; many use mobile email, with gaps where broadband is limited.
• Teens: High schoolers commonly have school-linked accounts.

Gender split

• Near parity (male ≈ female), reflecting minimal gender differences in email adoption nationally.

Digital access trends

• Towns (especially Chadron) increasingly have cable/fiber or high-speed fixed wireless; libraries and the college provide public Wi‑Fi.
• Outside town, many rely on DSL, fixed wireless, satellite, and mobile data; smartphone-first email use is common.
• Ongoing state/federal broadband investments aim to improve last‑mile coverage; terrain and low density remain cost barriers.

Notes: Estimates leverage ACS population figures and Pew/National benchmarks for email adoption by age.

Below is a practical, model-based snapshot of mobile phone usage in Dawes County, Nebraska, highlighting where local patterns differ from statewide norms. Figures are estimates derived from county population patterns, Pew/NTIA adoption rates for rural areas, and typical rural carrier footprints; they should be treated as directional ranges rather than point-in-time measurements.

Quick context

• Population baseline: Dawes County ~8.3–8.7k residents; adults (18+) ~6.6–7.0k. County seat: Chadron (college town), plus Crawford and wide rural ranchland/forest/grassland.
• Rural profile with a significant student presence at Chadron State College. Terrain (Pine Ridge escarpments, canyons, grasslands) creates signal variability outside towns.

User estimates (any mobile vs. smartphones)

• Adults with any mobile phone: ~92–95% of adults → about 6.1k–6.6k users.
• Adult smartphone owners: ~80–86% of adults (rural-adjusted) → about 5.3k–6.0k users.
• Teens (13–17) with smartphones: ~90–95% of ~600–700 teens → roughly 550–650 users.
• Total smartphones in use (all ages): approximately 5.8k–6.6k.

How this differs from Nebraska overall

• Nebraska statewide (driven by Omaha/Lincoln) skews slightly higher on smartphone adoption; Dawes runs a few points lower overall, but college students pull the 18–24 segment up to near-urban levels.
• A higher share of basic/feature phones persists among older adults in Dawes vs. statewide averages.

Demographic breakdown (modeled)

• 18–24 (college-heavy): near-universal phone ownership; smartphones ~95–99%. Heavier app/social/video use, stronger 5G device penetration than other local cohorts.
• 25–44: 90–95% smartphones. Mix of postpaid family plans and cost-conscious MVNO lines.
• 45–64: 80–88% smartphones. Practical use (voice, messaging, navigation, ag/weather, banking). Wi‑Fi calling common at home due to variable signal.
• 65+: 60–75% smartphones, higher basic-phone retention and larger on-device font/accessibility settings. More voice/SMS than streaming; telehealth uptake growing.
• Income and plan type: Prepaid/MVNO share estimated 25–30% in Dawes (vs. lower statewide), reflecting price sensitivity and ACP sunset effects.
• Seasonal pattern: Student return (late summer) increases device activations and data demand in Chadron; summer tourism around Fort Robinson/Toadstool brings roaming traffic, not long-term lines.

Usage behavior notes

• Voice/SMS reliability is prioritized outside towns; residents commonly use signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling.
• Mobile hotspots are used by some ranch and ex-urban households as primary or backup internet, boosting per-line data usage above urban-state averages for that subset.
• App mix: ag/weather radar, messaging, navigation/downloaded maps, telehealth portals, school/campus apps.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE: Broad highway/town coverage along US‑20 and US‑385; patchier in canyons, forested draws, and far northwest grasslands.
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band in/around Chadron and main corridors; limited mid-band outside town. Expect noticeably less 5G capacity than Omaha/Lincoln.
  • Carrier pattern (qualitative): Verizon often strongest in remote areas; AT&T competitive in towns and on corridors; T‑Mobile has expanded low‑band (600 MHz) coverage but can be inconsistent off‑corridor. Public safety typically relies on FirstNet (AT&T).
• Backhaul and capacity
  • Town macro sites have fiber or high-capacity microwave backhaul; capacity drops off quickly outside municipal footprints, impacting peak-time speeds.
  • Typical rural LTE speeds: teens to a few dozen Mbps in town; single‑digit to teens in fringe areas; low-band 5G adds coverage more than throughput. Mid-band 5G, where present, can provide 100–300 Mbps but is not widely available countywide.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Chadron has wireline broadband (including some fiber and DOCSIS) from regional providers; outside town, many locations rely on DSL, fixed wireless ISPs, LTE home internet, or Starlink.
  • Because fixed options thin out beyond town limits, mobile data (hotspots/home LTE) plays a bigger role than in Nebraska’s metro counties.
• Coverage constraints unique to Dawes
  • Pine Ridge topography and forested draws create dead zones; booster adoption is higher than state average.
  • Border proximity (WY/SD) can trigger inadvertent roaming near edges.
• Community and anchor connectivity
  • Chadron State College and K‑12 campuses offer strong Wi‑Fi, reducing on-network mobile data during class hours but spiking demand after-hours and at events.
  • E‑911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported; responders often use Band 14/FirstNet in the area.

Trends that diverge from state-level

• Lower mid-band 5G reach and fewer capacity layers than Nebraska’s metros; more dependence on low-band 5G/LTE.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO share and price-sensitive plan changes since ACP’s wind-down.
• Larger senior basic‑phone segment; simultaneously, an unusually high 18–24 smartphone saturation due to the college.
• Heavier reliance on hotspots/phone tethering in ex-urban areas; higher incidence of boosters and Wi‑Fi calling.
• Carrier choice leans more toward “best rural coverage” than “best price/speed,” leading to a different mix than the state’s urban counties.

Planning implications

• For outreach or services: prioritize SMS-first and low-bandwidth app experiences; cacheable content and offline maps help.
• For network investments: additional mid-band 5G sectors in Chadron/Crawford and fill-in LTE sites along canyons would materially improve user experience.
• For digital equity: senior smartphone training and affordable device programs would move the needle more here than in urban counties; hotspot lending remains impactful for outlying households.

Methods and sources (high-level)

• Population base from recent ACS/Census estimates; adoption rates adjusted using Pew/NTIA rural tech adoption benchmarks and typical carrier footprint patterns in the Nebraska Panhandle; infrastructure characterization informed by FCC coverage filings, common carrier maps, and regional provider footprints. For precise, current figures, verify against the latest FCC Broadband Data Collection maps, carrier 5G/LTE maps, and local provider buildouts in Chadron and Crawford.

Below is a concise, market-ready snapshot built from Dawes County’s population profile, rural U.S. and Nebraska patterns, Pew Research national platform use, and platform ad-audience tools. Figures are estimates for active monthly users unless noted.

Overview

• Population: ~8.5–8.8K residents; ~7.2K age 13+.
• Estimated social media users: 5.6–6.1K (about 65–72% of total population; ~75–82% of age 13+).
• College-town effect: Chadron State College boosts 18–24 usage and raises Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok penetration versus typical rural counties.

Age mix of social users (share of social users)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 22–25% (college-driven)
• 25–34: 18–20%
• 35–44: 14–16%
• 45–54: 12–14%
• 55–64: 10–12%
• 65+: 12–14%

Gender

• Roughly even overall (about 49–51% each).
• Platform lean: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men slightly over-index on YouTube and Reddit. Snapchat/TikTok skew younger rather than by gender.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of local social users, monthly)

• YouTube: 80–88%
• Facebook: 70–78%
• Instagram: 45–55% (higher among 18–34)
• Snapchat: 35–45% (very high among 18–24)
• TikTok: 35–45% (strong among 13–29)
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70%
• Pinterest: 28–35% (female 25–54)
• X/Twitter: 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (faculty/professionals/students)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (niche; Messenger more common)
• Nextdoor: <5% (Facebook Groups fill the “neighborhood” role)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first Facebook: Local news, school sports, civic updates, buy–sell–trade, events; very active Facebook Groups. Older adults engage via shares/comments; businesses see reliable reach with boosted posts.
• College-driven ephemeral content: Students favor Snapchat (messaging + Stories) and TikTok for campus life, events, and trend content; Instagram for Stories/Reels and clubs/athletics.
• Video utility via YouTube: Strong “how-to” (home/auto/ranch/outdoor), local sports highlights, and connected-TV viewing.
• Messaging norms: FB Messenger for community/business DMs; Snapchat for student peer comms; group chats coordinate events, study groups, and intramurals.
• Posting cadence and tone:
  • 35+ prefer informational posts, local deals, and community service content;
  • Under 30 prefer short-form video, authentic/behind-the-scenes, and quick calls-to-action.
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends perform best; weekday lunch hour bump. Spikes around school sports, weather events, county fair/rodeo, hunting season, and college calendar.
• Ad performance patterns:
  • Best ROAS via Facebook/Instagram geo-targeting (Chadron/Crawford + radius);
  • Event promos and recruiting get traction;
  • Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) drives awareness; Facebook Groups and Messenger drive conversions/inquiries.
• Trust and discovery: Word-of-mouth via known local voices; “seen in a local group” is a key credibility signal. Reviews and tagged posts matter more than polished brand creative.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates triangulate county demographics, rural vs. urban usage gaps, national platform adoption (Pew Research Center), and the presence of a residential college. Exact platform user counts are not published at the county level; use these figures as planning benchmarks.