Logan County

Logan County, Nebraska — key demographics (latest U.S. Census/ACS)

Population size

• 716 residents (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years (ACS 5-year)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race/ethnicity

• White alone: ~95–96%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–4%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Asian: each ~0–1%

Households

• ~300–325 households (ACS 5-year)
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~70%
• Married-couple households: ~65–70%
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80–85%

Notes: Figures combine 2020 Decennial Census counts with American Community Survey 5-year estimates; due to the county’s small population, ACS margins of error are relatively large.

Email usage in Logan County, Nebraska (estimates)

• Population and density: About 716 residents (2020 Census) across roughly 571 square miles, ~1.3 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: 540 residents use email at least monthly (75% of the population), derived from rural U.S. adoption rates applied to the county’s age mix.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 13–17: 7%; 18–34: 20%; 35–54: 33%; 55–64: 18%; 65+: 22%. Usage is near-universal among working-age adults and growing among seniors.
• Gender split: Roughly even (about 50% female, 50% male), tracking the county’s population balance.
• Digital access trends: Majority of households access email via smartphones; home broadband is available to most but not all households, with fixed wireless and satellite bridging low-density areas. Mobile-only internet households are common. Senior adoption and smartphone-based access continue to rise, narrowing gaps with younger cohorts.
• Local connectivity context: Extremely low population density raises last‑mile costs and limits fiber deployment; connectivity clusters around Stapleton and primary highway corridors, while more remote ranchland sees weaker signals and greater reliance on fixed wireless or satellite.

These figures provide a practical planning baseline for communications, outreach, and service design in Logan County.

Mobile phone usage in Logan County, Nebraska (2024 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Population: 716 (2020 Census)
• Land area: ~571 square miles; population density ≈1.3 per square mile (Nebraska overall ≈25 per square mile)

User estimates

• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~630 residents (≈88% of total population)
• Smartphone users: ~520 residents (≈73% of total population; ≈83–85% of adults)
• Multi-line ownership (work/secondary lines, hotspots): ~10–15% of adult users maintain more than one active line, primarily for coverage redundancy and work in agriculture/ranching

Demographic breakdown of mobile users (estimates)

• Ages 0–12: ~90 children; limited phone ownership (family-shared or watch phones)
• Ages 13–17: ~45 teens; ~40–43 smartphone users (≈90–95% access)
• Ages 18–34: ~110 adults; ~100 smartphone users (≈90%+)
• Ages 35–64: ~300 adults; ~250–260 smartphone users (≈83–87%)
• Ages 65+: ~170 adults; ~90–110 smartphone users (≈55–65%), with another ~40–60 using basic/feature phones Key implication: Compared with Nebraska’s urban centers, a larger share of Logan County’s older adults still use basic phones, and device turnover cycles are longer.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet), T‑Mobile, and regional carrier Viaero Wireless operate in and around the county; Viaero is a meaningful provider in the Sandhills and along US‑83/NE‑92.
• 4G LTE: Reliable along primary corridors (US‑83, NE‑92, Stapleton) and around population clusters; signal drop-offs and dead zones persist on ranch land, in draws, and away from highways.
• 5G: Primarily low‑band 5G with limited mid‑band deployment; practical performance often resembles strong LTE, with mid‑band 5G more common in larger Nebraska towns than within Logan County.
• Site grid: Sparse macrocell spacing typical of the Sandhills; coverage is bolstered by adjacent-county sites. External antennas/boosters and Wi‑Fi calling are commonly used at homes and ranch facilities to stabilize voice service.
• Backhaul: Mixture of microwave and fiber along main corridors; less backhaul depth off-corridor constrains capacity and 5G build-out compared with Nebraska’s I‑80/Omaha–Lincoln corridor.
• Emergency and public safety: AT&T FirstNet presence on primary sites; alerting coverage is strongest along highways and in Stapleton, weaker in remote pastures.

How Logan County differs from state-level trends

• Adoption profile: Overall cellphone adoption is high but smartphone share is several points lower than the Nebraska average because of an older age mix; feature-phone usage among 65+ is materially higher than in urban counties.
• 5G availability and use: Nebraska’s metros see widespread mid‑band 5G and higher median speeds; Logan County typically relies on LTE and low‑band 5G with more variable performance off-corridor.
• Carrier mix: Regional carrier Viaero plays a larger role in Logan County than it does statewide; dual‑SIM/dual‑carrier behavior (e.g., national carrier + Viaero) is more common for coverage assurance.
• Usage patterns: More reliance on voice/SMS, Wi‑Fi calling at home, and device boosters; mobile hotspots are used to fill fixed-broadband gaps. Data-heavy use cases (high-resolution video, cloud gaming) are less consistent outside corridors than in Omaha/Lincoln.
• Build economics: Extremely low density (~1.3/sq mi) and Sandhills terrain make additional macro sites and mid‑band 5G less economically attractive than in the rest of Nebraska, slowing parity with state-level network upgrades.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates derived from the 2020 Census population base combined with current U.S. smartphone/cellphone ownership benchmarks adjusted for rural/older age profiles typical of the Sandhills; counts rounded to reflect realistic adoption.

Social media usage in Logan County, Nebraska — concise snapshot (2025)

Context

• Logan County is a very small, rural county. There are no audited, county-level social media datasets. Figures below use the best-available national and rural benchmarks (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024) applied to a rural Nebraska context. Population and demographic baselines come from the U.S. Census Bureau.

User stats and penetration

• Adult social media penetration: approximately 70–75% of adults use at least one social platform.
• Teen usage (ages 13–17): very high; roughly 90%+ use at least one platform; YouTube is near-universal among teens.
• Device/usage pattern: mobile-first consumption dominates; video and short-form content drive the most time spent.

Most-used platforms (adults) and typical share who use each

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• Reddit: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~19% Ranking reflects U.S. adult usage; in rural Nebraska, Facebook and YouTube tend to over-index relative to image/chat apps, while LinkedIn and Reddit under-index.

Age-group patterns (usage tendencies)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~90%+, Instagram and Snapchat ~60%+, TikTok ~60%+; Facebook is secondary. Heavy short-form video and messaging; low tolerance for long text posts.
• Ages 18–29: YouTube and Instagram lead; Snapchat and TikTok widely used; Facebook used but not dominant.
• Ages 30–49: Facebook and YouTube are primary; Instagram growing; TikTok usage present but lower than under-30.
• Ages 50–64: Facebook is the hub; YouTube strong for how-to and news; limited Instagram/TikTok use.
• Ages 65+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; minimal use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown (directional differences)

• Pinterest: women much more likely than men to use (roughly 50% vs ~18%).
• Reddit and X: men more likely than women (Reddit roughly 29% men vs ~17% women; X roughly mid‑20s% men vs high‑teens% women).
• Facebook and YouTube: broadly used by both genders; YouTube slightly higher among men.
• Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat: relatively balanced overall, with modest female tilt on Instagram/TikTok and teen/young‑adult tilt on Snapchat.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Great Plains counties (applicable to Logan County)

• Facebook as the community backbone: local news, school and sports updates, church events, 4‑H/county fair notices, road/weather advisories, volunteer drives. Facebook Groups and Messenger are key coordination channels.
• Marketplace utility: high engagement for farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, tools, and household resale.
• Video-first information seeking: YouTube for farm/ranch repairs, equipment reviews, DIY, weather briefings; short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) for quick tips and local entertainment.
• Youth communication: Snapchat for day-to-day messaging and team coordination; Instagram for social identity, events, and Stories/Reels.
• Local business usage: service and retail operators rely on Facebook Pages and Instagram for announcements, sales, and event promotion; boosted posts perform better than organic alone due to small audience size.
• Content formats that perform best: concise posts with clear visuals, dates/times, and location; short videos under 60–90 seconds; timely weather/road updates; photo galleries from school or community events.
• Timing: engagement generally higher evenings and weekends; severe-weather or school-related posts spike engagement irrespective of time.

Notes on scale

• With a very small resident base, page and group audience sizes are modest; cross-county and regional audiences (e.g., North Platte area) meaningfully extend reach, especially via Facebook.

Sources

• Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2024; Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (platform usage and demographics).
• U.S. Census Bureau: Decennial Census and ACS (population/demographic baselines for Logan County). These sources provide the percentages above; local application reflects rural Nebraska usage patterns.