Gage County

To ensure I give you the exact figures you need: do you prefer 2020 Decennial Census counts or the latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates? Also, which household metrics should I include—number of households, average household size, family vs. nonfamily share, owner-occupancy, or something else?

Gage County snapshot (estimates)

• Population: ~21–22k (centered in Beatrice, ~55–60% of residents). Density ≈25–30 people/sq mi, with widely dispersed rural townships.
• Estimated email users: 15–17k residents using email at least monthly.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • Teens (13–17): ~5–7%
  • 18–34: ~25–28%
  • 35–64: ~45–50%
  • 65+: ~18–22%
• Gender split among users: ~49% male, ~51% female overall; women slightly more represented in 65+.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription around 80–85%; ~15–20% of households lack home broadband.
  • Smartphone‑only internet households ~10–15%.
  • Highest connectivity and email engagement in Beatrice; lower fixed broadband availability and slower speeds in rural areas, where fixed wireless/satellite fill gaps.
  • Mobile coverage is generally strongest along main corridors (e.g., US‑77), improving access for rural users. Notes: Figures are modeled by applying recent U.S. email adoption by age/gender to Gage County’s population and adjusting for local broadband subscription levels common to similar rural Nebraska counties.

Here’s a county-level snapshot that emphasizes how Gage County differs from Nebraska overall. Figures are best-available estimates synthesized from ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns, statewide survey trends, and rural infrastructure data for similar Nebraska counties. Use ranges to reflect uncertainty and year-to-year variation.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: roughly 14,300–15,200 (about 2–5 percentage points lower penetration than Nebraska overall). Total smartphone users including teens: about 15,500–16,500.
• Households with at least one smartphone: about 8,000–8,300 (≈82–86% of ~9,600 households), a few points below the statewide share.
• Cellular-only home internet (households relying primarily on a mobile data plan instead of wired broadband): about 15–22%, notably higher than the statewide ~9–13%.

Demographic patterns that differ from Nebraska overall

• Age: Gage County skews older. Estimated smartphone adoption among residents 65+ is ~60–70% (roughly 8–12 points lower than the state). Younger adults (18–34) are near-saturation countywide, in line with the state.
• Income: A larger share of sub-$50k households are “smartphone-dependent” for internet (roughly 30–40% vs 22–28% statewide), reflecting fewer affordable wired options outside Beatrice and the main corridors.
• Plan mix: Prepaid and single-line plans are more common (by ~5–8 points) than statewide, tied to price sensitivity and patchier rural 5G performance. Family plans dominate in town; prepaid rises in the rural townships.
• Usage style: Voice/SMS remains more prominent among older users; heavy video/social usage is concentrated in Beatrice and along US‑77. Device replacement cycles run longer (≈3.5–4 years vs ≈3–3.5 statewide).

Digital infrastructure (what’s different on the ground)

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: Strong in Beatrice and along US‑77 and NE‑4; noticeably spottier in far-southern and western rural sections and inside some metal/brick buildings.
  • 5G: Present but thinner than statewide averages.
    • T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G is available in/near Beatrice and main corridors; rural reach is mixed.
    • AT&T and Verizon provide low‑band 5G broadly; mid‑band capacity (C‑band) is less prevalent than in larger Nebraska metros, so real‑world speeds lag.
• Capacity/backhaul: More sites still rely on microwave backhaul outside town limits; fiber-fed towers cluster along highways. This keeps peak speeds and consistency below state medians, especially evenings.
• Wired broadband contrast
  • Beatrice: Cable and telco fiber/DSL options give most households a wired alternative; adoption rates are closer to state averages inside city limits.
  • Rural Gage: Outside town, wireline choices thin out quickly; fixed wireless (WISPs) fills gaps but with variable throughput/latency, pushing more households toward cellular-only solutions.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Libraries, schools, and clinics act as important Wi‑Fi anchors, and residents report using these locations more than the state average for high‑bandwidth tasks (telehealth, homework, applications).

Key ways Gage County differs from the Nebraska average

• Slightly fewer total smartphone users on a percentage basis, driven by an older age profile.
• A meaningfully higher share of households relying on cellular data for home internet.
• More prepaid and single-line plans, and longer device lifecycles.
• 5G availability exists but delivers smaller real-world gains than in metro counties due to sparser mid‑band deployments and fewer fiber-fed towers.
• The “digital divide” is more geographic than in much of the state: in-town usage and experiences resemble Nebraska averages, while rural townships rely more on cellular and fixed wireless with lower, less consistent speeds.

What this means for planning

• Mobile network investments that matter most locally: additional mid‑band 5G sectors in rural cells, more fiber backhaul to existing sites, and targeted in‑building coverage improvements in community facilities.
• Adoption programs will get the biggest lift with 65+ training, discounted device/plan offerings for lower-income households, and hybrid solutions that pair fixed wireless with signal-boosting hardware for farmsteads.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate for Gage County, NE. County-specific social media datasets are scarce, so figures are extrapolated from 2020 Census/ACS demographics for similar rural Nebraska counties and 2024 Pew Research platform-usage patterns. Treat percentages as directional.

Headline user stats

• Population: ~21.5k; adults (18+): ~16–17k
• Social media adoption (adults): ~70–80% → ~11–14k adult users
• Internet/smartphone access: high but with rural gaps; usage is heavier in town (Beatrice) than in outlying areas

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: 70–75%
• Facebook: 60–65% (dominant locally)
• Instagram: 30–35%
• TikTok: 25–30% (much higher among under-30)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (concentrated under-30)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 15–20% (light, news/sports watchers)
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (professional niches)
• Reddit: 10–15% (younger men)
• Messenger: widely used for chat; WhatsApp usage relatively low (<15%)

Age-group profile (share of social users and tendencies)

• 18–29 (~18–22% of users): Heavy daily use; Instagram 70%+, TikTok 60%+, Snapchat 60%+. Facebook used mainly for groups/events.
• 30–49 (~30–35%): Facebook 70%+, YouTube 75%+; Instagram 40–50%; TikTok creeping toward 30–40%, especially parents. Marketplace and local groups are key.
• 50–64 (~25–30%): Facebook 70%+, YouTube 70%+; Pinterest 30%+; Instagram/TikTok lower but growing via Reels/shorts.
• 65+ (~20–25%): Facebook 60%+; YouTube 60%+ (how-to, church, health). Minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (among social users)

• Female ~52–54%, Male ~46–48%
• Platform skew: women over-index on Facebook, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X.

Behavioral trends (local)

• Facebook is the community hub: city/county/schools, church updates, youth sports, farm/garage sales, lost-and-found pets, Marketplace. Facebook Groups drive most local discovery.
• Video is rising: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) sees strong engagement for events, sports highlights, and how-to/farm content.
• Practical use cases dominate: weather/outage alerts, road conditions, school closings, county fair/4-H updates, local business hours/specials.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is default; Snapchat for younger cohorts. Limited WhatsApp except for small work/family clusters.
• Trust and news: Residents often rely on local outlets’ Facebook pages and community groups over national feeds; discussion can be civically active around elections, schools, and property taxes.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the primary P2P channel; Instagram used by boutiques/creators in Beatrice; YouTube for product research.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6:30–8:30 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend mornings perform well for posts about events and sales.

Notes on method

• Percentages are derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform usage, adjusted toward rural patterns (higher Facebook, slightly lower TikTok/Snapchat/X, similar YouTube), and scaled to Gage County’s older-than-average age mix. For planning, validate with page insights/group membership and small local surveys.