Kimball County

Kimball County, Nebraska — key demographics (latest official data)

Population size

• Total population: 3,434 (2020 Census)
• ACS 2018–2022 estimate: ~3,5xx (small, stable population)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Age distribution (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~57%
  • 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic can be any race)

• White alone: ~90%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Black or African American: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~7–8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~10–12%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~79–82%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~1,550–1,570
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Living alone: ~36%; age 65+ living alone: ~15%
• Homeownership rate: ~73%
• Housing units: ~1,900; notable vacancy typical for rural counties

Income and poverty (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median household income: ~$57k–$60k
• Per capita income: ~$31k
• Poverty rate: ~12–13%

Notes

• Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101, DP02, DP04, S1901).

Kimball County, NE email usage snapshot (estimated)

• Estimated active email users: ~2,200 residents (about 62% of all residents; roughly 80% of adults), derived from ACS household internet-subscription rates and age-based email adoption benchmarks.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: 12% (270 users)
  • 30–49: 34% (750 users)
  • 50–64: 29% (640 users)
  • 65+: 25% (540 users)
• Gender split among users: ~51% male, ~49% female, tracking local demographics.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~80–82%
  • Households with a computer: ~88–92%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~8–10%
  • Limited/no home internet: ~15–20% rely on mobile data or public access points
• Local density/connectivity context: Sparsely populated rural county (~3–4 people per square mile). Connectivity is strongest in and around the City of Kimball and along major corridors; remote areas more often use fixed wireless or satellite. Public anchors (schools, library, government sites) help bridge access gaps.

Insights: Email is near-universal among connected adults, with highest penetration in ages 30–64. Older residents participate at meaningful levels but are more affected by gaps in home broadband and device availability, making mobile and public access important.

Mobile phone usage in Kimball County, Nebraska (profile for 2024–2025)

Headline figures

• Population base: ~3,550 residents; ~78% adults (18+).
• People with any mobile phone: ~2,800–2,900 residents (central estimate ~2,815).
• Smartphone users: ~2,600–2,700 residents (central estimate ~2,620), representing ~74% of the total population and ~94% of adults under 65.

Demographic breakdown (users and adoption)

• By age (smartphone ownership; user counts are modeled from the county age structure):
  • 18–34: 97% own smartphones (690 users).
  • 35–64: 90% own smartphones (1,210 users).
  • 65+: 70–75% own smartphones (510–540 users).
  • Teens 13–17: 95% own smartphones (200 users).
  • Distinct from statewide: the 65+ ownership rate sits several points below Nebraska’s urban counties; the under-35 rate is on par with the state, but absolute numbers are small.
• Household connectivity behavior:
  • “Smartphone-only” households (no fixed broadband at home): ~20–25% of households in the county, notably higher than Nebraska’s statewide share in metro counties. This reflects coverage gaps and cost sensitivity.
  • Plan type tilt: prepaid and budget plans are more common than in Omaha/Lincoln; family postpaid penetration is lower.
• Usage patterns:
  • Higher reliance on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi calling in fringe areas; per-line mobile data consumption is lower than the state urban average.
  • Device replacement cycles are longer (often 3–4 years vs. closer to 2.5–3 years in metro Nebraska), and the mix skews toward midrange Android devices; iPhone share is lower than in urban counties.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), T‑Mobile, and regional Viaero Wireless. Viaero has a materially higher share locally than in Nebraska’s metro counties, especially outside the I‑80 corridor.
• Coverage pattern:
  • I‑80/US‑30 corridor and the City of Kimball have strong LTE and low‑band 5G from the national carriers, with mid‑band 5G (notably T‑Mobile’s 2.5 GHz) in-town or near towers.
  • Outside the corridor, coverage depends on sparse macro sites; Viaero often provides the most dependable signal on ranchland and county roads. Dead zones persist near county edges and in low-lying terrain, and cross-border roaming near the WY/CO lines can occur.
• 5G status:
  • Town center: low‑band 5G is common, mid‑band 5G is spotty-to-moderate (best with T‑Mobile). Verizon and AT&T lean more on low‑band/DSS 5G; dedicated mid‑band (C‑band) presence is limited compared with Nebraska metros.
  • Rural stretches: 4G LTE remains the primary layer; 5G adds modest coverage gains but not statewide‑metro speeds.
• Typical speeds (user-experienced, not theoretical):
  • In town on mid‑band 5G: roughly 50–150 Mbps down, 5–20 Mbps up.
  • On LTE or low‑band 5G in fringe areas: roughly 5–25 Mbps down, 1–5 Mbps up; single‑digit Mbps persists in some far-west and south-county spots.
• Backhaul and resilience:
  • Sites near I‑80 benefit from fiber backhaul along the interstate/rail corridor; off‑corridor sites frequently depend on microwave backhaul, which can constrain capacity and add latency.
  • Weather and power events can isolate single‑carrier sites; multi‑carrier redundancy is thinner than in Nebraska’s urban counties.
• Complementary access:
  • Public facilities (schools, library, city buildings) provide critical Wi‑Fi offload.
  • For remote homes and farms, fixed wireless and satellite (including Starlink) adoption is higher than the state urban average; many households rely on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters indoors.

How Kimball County differs from the Nebraska statewide picture

• Coverage and capacity are heavily corridor‑centric; off‑corridor users see more frequent fades and lower median speeds than the statewide average driven by Omaha/Lincoln.
• A higher share of residents are smartphone‑only for home internet, reflecting both affordability and the limited reach of cable/fiber outside town.
• Regional carrier Viaero plays a larger role than in most Nebraska counties east of Grand Island.
• Older age structure and lower median income translate to:
  • Lower 65+ smartphone adoption than urban Nebraska.
  • Greater reliance on prepaid/budget plans and longer device lifecycles.
• 5G quality is more variable: mid‑band 5G is present but not as ubiquitous as in metro counties; low‑band 5G and LTE do most of the work outside town.

Notes on estimation

• Population base from recent Census county estimates; age structure aligned to rural Nebraska patterns.
• Smartphone and mobile phone ownership rates applied from current U.S. rural adoption research (Pew and similar) with adjustments for local age mix.
• Coverage and speed characterizations synthesize FCC/provider maps, western Nebraska carrier footprints, and observed performance patterns on interstate vs. rural backhaul.

These figures give local planners and businesses a practical baseline: ~2,600+ smartphone users countywide, strong corridor service with meaningful rural gaps, and a user base that values reliability, voice/SMS, and cost control more than cutting‑edge 5G speeds—unlike Nebraska’s urban counties where mid‑band 5G and higher‑tier postpaid plans dominate.

Kimball County, NE — social media usage snapshot (modeled to 2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: 3,434 (2020 Census). Adults 18+: ≈2,650–2,750. Gender: ≈51% male, 49% female.

How many residents use social media

• Adults 18+: ≈1,850–2,000 users (≈68–72% of adults).
• Including teens (13–17): total ≈2,050–2,250 users. Note: Figures are county-level estimates derived from U.S. rural benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024) scaled to local demographics.

Most-used platforms (adults; any use)

• YouTube: ≈80–83%
• Facebook: ≈65–72% (Facebook Groups and Marketplace are especially active)
• Facebook Messenger: ≈55–60%
• Instagram: ≈35–40%
• TikTok: ≈28–34%
• Snapchat: ≈24–30%
• Pinterest: ≈24–28% (skews female)
• X/Twitter: ≈12–18%
• Reddit: ≈10–15%
• Nextdoor: <5%

Usage by age group (share using any social platform)

• Teens 13–17: ≈90%+. Platform mix: YouTube ≈95%, TikTok ≈65–70%, Snapchat ≈60%, Instagram ≈55–60%, Facebook ≈25–35%.
• Adults 18–29: ≈85–90%. Heaviest on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; moderate Facebook.
• Adults 30–49: ≈80–85%. YouTube and Facebook dominant; Instagram/TikTok moderate.
• Adults 50–64: ≈70–75%. Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/TikTok lighter.
• Adults 65+: ≈45–55%. Facebook primary; YouTube secondary.

Gender breakdown (among adult social users)

• Overall usage is near-parity by gender. Platform skews: Facebook and Pinterest lean female by roughly 5–10 percentage points; YouTube and Reddit lean male by roughly 5–10 points; Instagram slightly female; TikTok mixed but tilts female among 18–34.

Behavioral trends in the county

• Community coordination is Facebook-first: local news, school sports, events, buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found, and emergency/road-condition updates.
• Most adults are “browsers” rather than posters; content creation is concentrated in a small minority and local admins/moderators.
• Mobile-first behavior; Messenger is the default local DM channel; Snapchat is the primary peer-to-peer channel for teens/20-somethings.
• YouTube is used for practical/DIY content (ag, equipment repair, hunting/outdoors) and local church or school streams.
• Local businesses rely on boosted Facebook posts, Marketplace, and cross-posted Reels; Instagram and TikTok are used for short-form reach among younger audiences.
• Engagement peaks evenings and weekends, with notable spikes around school activities and weather events.

Method note: Statistics are best-available county estimates using 2020 Census population structure and 2023–2024 Pew national/rural platform adoption rates, adjusted for rural usage patterns.