Greeley County

Greeley County, Nebraska – key demographics (latest available)

Population

• Total population: 2,188 (2020 Census). 2023 estimate: ~2,150 (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2019–2023).
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~52%
• 65 and over: ~26%

Gender

• Male: ~50.5%
• Female: ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity (alone or in combination; Hispanic is any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~93–94%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Black or African American: <1%
• Asian: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~930–950
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25%
• Living alone (all ages): ~35%; 65+ living alone: ~15%
• Housing units: ~1,200
• Owner-occupied rate: ~75–80%

Notes: Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; small-county ACS figures carry margins of error.

Greeley County, Nebraska (2020 pop. 2,188; ~570 sq mi) has a very low population density of ~3.8 people per sq mi, shaping digital access and email adoption.

Estimated email users: ~1,400 adults. Method: adults ≈ 80% of population; rural internet use ~86% (Pew 2023); email use among internet users ~92%.

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 18–34: ~18%
• 35–64: ~57%
• 65+: ~25% Older residents participate less than prime‑age adults but are steadily adopting email for healthcare, banking, and government services.

Gender split among email users: roughly even (≈49% female, 51% male), with no material usage gap.

Digital access trends:

• Household internet subscription is in the mid‑70s percent range typical of rural Nebraska (ACS 2018–2022), with growth driven by fiber buildouts in towns and fixed‑wireless in outlying areas.
• Smartphone‑only access is rising (roughly 1 in 10 households), enabling email use even without home broadband.
• Coverage is strongest in and around Greeley Center, Spalding, and Scotia; remote farms and ranches rely more on fixed‑wireless or satellite, affecting speed and reliability.

Connectivity facts: Sparse settlement and long last‑mile distances increase deployment costs, but FCC map updates through 2023 show multiple fixed options in populated places and improving 4G/5G corridors along main highways.

Greeley County, Nebraska — mobile phone usage snapshot (distinct from state-level patterns)

County context

• Population: 2,188 (2020 Census); estimated ~2,100 in 2024, reflecting gradual decline and a comparatively older age profile. Adults 18+: ~1,700; age 65+: roughly 27–30% (well above Nebraska overall).
• Settlement pattern: small towns (Greeley, Scotia, Spalding, Wolbach) separated by long rural stretches; this materially shapes coverage, tower spacing, and usage habits.

User estimates (modeled from ACS device/Internet patterns for rural Nebraska and FCC mobile coverage filings through 2024)

• Adults using any mobile phone: ~1,600 (about 94% of adults), slightly below Nebraska’s ~96–97%.
• Smartphone users: ~1,350–1,450 (about 80–85% of adults), 5–10 percentage points lower than the statewide share.
• Primary feature‑phone users: ~200–250 adults (roughly 12–15% of adults), more than double the statewide rate.
• Smartphone‑only Internet households (no wired broadband at home, rely on cellular data): ~20–25% of households versus roughly mid‑teens statewide.
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: ~30% versus ~20–22% statewide, reflecting price sensitivity and use of regional carriers/MVNOs.
• Multi‑carrier households (keep two different carriers for coverage redundancy): ~25–30% versus ~18–22% statewide.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• By age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~95%+; heavy app/social/video use comparable to state average when coverage allows.
  • 35–64: adoption ~88–92%; pragmatic mix of voice/text, messaging apps, navigation, and farm/work tools.
  • 65+: adoption ~60–70% (below statewide), with above‑average reliance on voice and text; gradual shift to smartphones continues but at a slower pace than Nebraska overall.
• By income and education
  • Lower‑income households show higher smartphone‑only Internet rates than the state average due to limited, costly, or absent fixed broadband options.
  • College‑educated users track more closely to statewide smartphone adoption but still experience infrastructure‑driven constraints on speed and app usage.
• Household composition
  • More single‑line and prepaid arrangements than statewide; family plans skew toward regional carriers where coverage is strongest.
  • Notable use of signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling in farm homes and metal‑roof structures.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), T‑Mobile, and regional Viaero Wireless. MVNOs piggyback on these networks but coverage quality varies.
• 4G LTE: near‑universal population coverage in and near towns and along main corridors; gaps persist in low‑lying or very remote sections. Land‑area coverage is meaningfully lower than Nebraska’s overall land‑area LTE coverage.
• 5G:
  • T‑Mobile low‑band 5G covers much of the county’s populated areas; mid‑band (capacity) 5G is spotty and primarily near towns/arterials.
  • AT&T and Verizon 5G present in limited footprints; performance often reverts to LTE outside town centers.
  • Expect typical speeds: LTE 5–25 Mbps in fringe areas and 25–80 Mbps near sites; low‑band 5G 30–100 Mbps; mid‑band 5G, where available, 150–300+ Mbps.
• Tower density and backhaul: macro sites are widely spaced (rural grid), with microwave backhaul still in use on some sites; fiber‑fed towers cluster near towns and major utilities. This spacing drives variable indoor performance and encourages Wi‑Fi calling.
• Fixed‑wireless interplay: T‑Mobile 5G Home Internet and some LTE/CBRS‑based WISPs offer alternatives where DSL/cable are thin, reinforcing the higher smartphone‑only and cellular‑primary behavior compared with Nebraska overall.
• Public safety and agriculture: FirstNet coverage prioritized on AT&T. Farm operations increasingly use telematics/IoT over LTE where signal exists, but private CBRS deployments are still limited.

How Greeley County differs from Nebraska overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: by roughly 5–10 percentage points, driven by an older population and cost/coverage tradeoffs.
• Higher feature‑phone and prepaid use: feature‑phone reliance is 2x the state rate; prepaid is roughly one‑third of lines, reflecting budget focus and coverage hedging with regional carriers.
• More smartphone‑only Internet households: about 1.3–1.7x the statewide share, due to sparse wired broadband and the availability of fixed‑wireless alternatives.
• Slower and less consistent 5G experience: low‑band 5G is present, but capacity‑grade mid‑band coverage is materially thinner than state averages, pulling median speeds down versus urban/suburban Nebraska.
• Greater coverage redundancy behavior: more households keep SIMs from different carriers to manage dead zones, a pattern less common in metro Nebraska.
• Above‑average reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters: a direct response to building penetration limits and wide tower spacing.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 1,350–1,450 adult smartphone users in the county, with a meaningful minority (200–250) still on feature phones.
• Usage is voice/text‑heavy among seniors and more app/data‑centric among younger adults, but overall data intensity is capped by infrastructure.
• Infrastructure constraints—tower spacing, limited mid‑band 5G, and patchy wired broadband—are the primary drivers of differences from statewide trends, elevating smartphone‑only households, prepaid adoption, and multi‑carrier redundancy.

Greeley County, Nebraska — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2025)

Context and user base

• Population: 2,188 (2020 Census). Rural, older-leaning age structure typical of central Nebraska.
• Estimated social media penetration:
  • Adults (18+): 75–80% use at least one platform.
  • Teens (13–17): ~90–95% use at least one platform.
  • Total resident users (any platform, any frequency): roughly 1,400–1,600.

Most‑used platforms among local adult users (share of social‑media‑using adults)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~40%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• TikTok: ~25%
• WhatsApp: ~20%
• Snapchat: ~20%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• LinkedIn: ~15%
• Reddit: ~10%

Age makeup of the local social media audience (share of users)

• 13–17: ~10%
• 18–34: ~22%
• 35–54: ~32%
• 55–64: ~18%
• 65+: ~18%

Gender breakdown and skews

• Overall user base: roughly balanced (≈50% women, 50% men).
• Platform skews:
  • More women: Facebook (+5–10 pts), Instagram (+10 pts), Pinterest (heavily female, +50–60 pts).
  • More men: YouTube (+5–10 pts), X/Twitter (+10–15 pts), Reddit (+20–30 pts).
  • Snapchat and WhatsApp: near gender‑balanced.

Behavioral trends

• Community‑centric usage: Facebook is the daily hub for local news, school sports, church/civic updates, county fair information, buy/sell/trade groups, auctions, road and weather alerts. Messenger is the default for quick coordination.
• Video‑first habits: YouTube is used for ag equipment repair, DIY, hunting/outdoors, and product research; short‑form TikTok/Instagram Reels is growing among under‑40s for entertainment and local highlights.
• Visual content performs best: Photos of youth activities, community events, and local landmarks reliably drive the highest engagement. Posts featuring recognizable people or places outperform generic content.
• Timing: Engagement clusters before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.), with weekend spikes around events and sports.
• Younger cohorts:
  • Teens: heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok; Instagram for peer networks and sports teams.
  • Ages 18–34: Instagram and TikTok for trends and local eateries; Facebook for events and family ties.
• Older cohorts:
  • Ages 35–64: Facebook as the primary network; YouTube for how‑tos and product research; Pinterest for recipes, crafts, home/garden.
  • 65+: Facebook for community and family updates; YouTube for news and tutorials; limited presence elsewhere.
• Business and civic use: Local businesses, co‑ops, and schools post to Facebook first; Instagram is used selectively for visuals; LinkedIn appears primarily among professionals tied to education, healthcare, and ag‑adjacent services.
• Platform gaps: X/Twitter presence is small and news‑oriented; Reddit usage is niche.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county‑level estimates derived from: 2020 Census population; Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption (with rural adjustments); and observed rural Great Plains usage patterns. Ranges reflect expected local variation (+/‑ 5–10 percentage points).