Holt County

Holt County, Nebraska — key demographics

Population

• 10,127 (2020 Census). Modest decline from 2010 (−3%).
• Population density: roughly 4 people per sq. mi. (very rural).

Age

• Median age: ~43–45 years (ACS 5-year).
• Under 18: ~23%.
• 65 and over: ~22%.
• Insight: Older-than-state average age structure, indicating aging/retirement dynamics and out-migration of younger adults.

Sex

• Male: ~51%.
• Female: ~49%.

Race and ethnicity (ACS 5-year; shares sum to ~100%)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~90–93%.
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–7%.
• Two or more races: ~1–2%.
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–1%.
• Black/African American: ~0.2–0.5%.
• Asian: ~0.2–0.5%.
• Insight: Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White with a small but notable Hispanic community.

Households and housing (ACS 5-year)

• Households: ~4,100–4,300.
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4.
• Family households: ~62–65% of households; married-couple families predominate.
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%.
• One-person households: ~28–32% (notably higher share of seniors living alone).
• Owner-occupied housing: ~75–80%; renter-occupied: ~20–25%.
• Insight: High owner-occupancy and small household sizes typical of rural Great Plains counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count); American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most recent release).

Holt County, Nebraska — email usage snapshot (2024 estimates)

• Population and density: ~10,100 residents across ~2,417 sq mi (≈4.2 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈6,400 adult users (≈83% of adults), reflecting rural internet and email adoption norms.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ≈18% (≈1,150)
  • 30–49: ≈34% (≈2,180)
  • 50–64: ≈27% (≈1,730)
  • 65+: ≈21% (≈1,340)
• Gender split among email users: ~50% female, ~50% male; usage rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈79% (ACS-style measure, any technology).
  • Smartphone ownership among adults: ≈83%, making mobile the primary email access point, especially outside town centers.
  • Connectivity pattern: Fiber and cable concentrated in towns such as O’Neill and Atkinson; outlying areas rely heavily on fixed wireless and some legacy DSL. Typical rural service tiers range from 25/3 Mbps to 100/20 Mbps, with incremental fiber buildouts improving reliability and speeds.
  • Library/school Wi‑Fi and community anchors provide important supplementary access for students and seniors.
• Insight: Despite very low population density, email penetration is strong due to near-ubiquitous mobile coverage and steady broadband subscriptions; the main gap is among the oldest residents and the most remote ranching areas.

Mobile phone usage in Holt County, Nebraska — 2025 snapshot

Headline points

• Population baseline: 10,127 residents (2020 Census). Rural, aging population and low settlement density drive distinct usage patterns versus Nebraska overall.
• Adult mobile adoption is very high but smartphone adoption trails the state average. Households rely more on mobile data as a primary internet connection than the statewide norm because fixed broadband is patchier outside towns.

User estimates (modeled for 2025 from Holt County population and age structure, applying rural age-specific adoption rates from recent national research)

• Adults (18+): about 7,900.
• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile): ~7,450 (≈94% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~6,700–6,900 (≈85–87% of adults), vs Nebraska statewide closer to the high-80s to near-90%.
• Teen usage: mobile access among ages 13–17 is near-universal; practical smartphone access for teens in the county is ≈90%+, similar to statewide.
• Smartphone-only internet households (no home wired broadband): roughly 900–1,000 households, representing about 20–24% of households in the county, notably above the likely statewide share (mid-teens).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ≈92–95%; heavy app/social/video use comparable to statewide.
  • 35–64: ≈88–91%; strong reliance on messaging, navigation, and work apps; streaming is constrained in fringe coverage areas.
  • 65+: ≈68–72% (materially below state average); higher prevalence of basic/flip devices, voice and SMS-centric behavior, and shared/family devices.
• Income and affordability
  • A higher share of lower- and moderate-income households rely on prepaid plans and smartphone-only internet compared with the state overall, especially after the wind-down of federal affordability subsidies in 2024.
• Education and occupation
  • Agricultural and outdoor occupations increase reliance on durable devices, vehicle boosters, and offline-capable apps; device upgrade cycles are longer than the statewide norm.
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county’s population is predominantly non-Hispanic White; Hispanic residents are a small but growing share. Adoption patterns among Hispanic households skew toward smartphone-only internet at rates above the county average, echoing statewide and national trends.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage
  • Signal is strongest in and around O’Neill and along primary corridors (US-20, US-281, NE-91). Coverage becomes inconsistent across ranchland and Sandhills terrain, with dead zones in low-density areas regardless of carrier.
• 5G availability
  • Low-band 5G is present along major roads and in towns; mid-band 5G capacity is limited to a few nodes. Countywide 5G reliability lags the statewide picture, which benefits from denser sites around larger metro areas.
• Carriers and plan mix
  • Regional and rural-focused carriers have a visible footprint; national carriers are present but users frequently mix carriers in families to “patchwork” coverage. Prepaid and fixed-wireless home plans are used more often than statewide.
• Devices and add-ons
  • Vehicle-mounted boosters, high-gain antennas, and Wi‑Fi calling are used at above-average rates to compensate for weak indoor signal in farm/ranch structures.
• Public connectivity
  • Outside O’Neill, public Wi‑Fi options are sparse; libraries and schools are critical access points. Mobile hotspots are commonly used for homework and telehealth in outlying areas.

How Holt County differs from Nebraska overall

• Smartphone adoption is a few percentage points lower, driven by an older age structure and more variable coverage away from towns.
• A larger share of households are smartphone-only for home internet, reflecting gaps in fiber/cable buildout and the appeal of unlimited or fixed-wireless mobile plans.
• 5G is less consistent, especially mid-band capacity; real-world speeds drop faster outside towns than in the statewide average.
• Device replacement cycles are slower; basic phones remain more common among seniors.
• Usage skews more to voice/SMS, weather and ag apps, offline navigation, and asynchronous services; high-bandwidth mobile streaming and mobile payments are adopted more cautiously in fringe areas because of speed and reliability concerns.

Implications for service and outreach

• Improving mid-band 5G along secondary roads and adding rural small cells would materially narrow the gap with state averages.
• Bundles that combine fixed wireless for the home plus mobile lines, generous rural roaming, and Wi‑Fi calling support address the county’s pain points better than metro-style unlimited-only offers.
• Senior-friendly plans, trade-in support for flip-to-smartphone transitions, and device booster bundles have above-average traction.
• Continued library/school hotspot programs and telehealth-friendly data policies are disproportionately impactful in Holt County compared with the statewide context.

Holt County, Nebraska — Social media usage snapshot (2025)

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one major social platform: roughly 80–85% of adults
• Local mix skews older than national, so Facebook and YouTube dominate; short‑form video platforms are growing but remain below urban adoption

Most‑used platforms (share of adults who use)

• YouTube: ~82–84%
• Facebook: ~66–70%
• Instagram: ~35–40%
• Pinterest: ~30–35%
• TikTok: ~25–30%
• Snapchat: ~24–28%
• WhatsApp: ~18–22%
• X (Twitter): ~16–20%
• LinkedIn: ~18–22%
• Reddit: ~14–17%
• Nextdoor: ~8–10% (limited footprint in sparsely populated areas)

Age profile

• 18–29: very high adoption across platforms; heaviest on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near‑universal
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor usage; Instagram rising; TikTok moderate; Snapchat used mainly for messaging
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest meaningful; Instagram modest
• 65+: Facebook for family/community and YouTube for news/how‑to; limited TikTok/Instagram

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base is close to the county’s roughly even male/female split
• Platform skews: women over‑index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok lean slightly female but are broadly mixed

Behavioral trends (local/rural pattern)

• Community and commerce: High engagement with Facebook Groups and local buy/sell pages; strong interest in school sports, weather updates, road conditions, church and county‑fair content
• Agriculture and DIY: YouTube heavily used for equipment reviews, repairs, and how‑to guides; Facebook Pages/Groups for farm inputs and auctions
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are the most common private channels; SMS remains prevalent
• Content format: Short video (Reels/TikTok) is gaining, but static posts and photo albums on Facebook still perform well for community info; YouTube remains the top destination for longer tutorials
• Timing and seasonality: Evenings and weekends see peak engagement; activity spikes around storms, planting/harvest, school sports seasons, and local events
• Advertising performance: Facebook (News Feed and Groups) offers the most efficient local reach; short vertical video extends reach to younger adults; geofencing around O’Neill, Atkinson, Stuart, Ewing, and event venues improves conversion

Sources and method

• Figures are localized estimates for Holt County derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 platform‑adoption rates by age and community type, applied to Holt County’s age/sex profile from recent U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. County‑level platform usage is not directly published; values above are rounded, policy‑aligned estimates for planning.