Nance County

Nance County, Nebraska — key demographics

Population

• Total population: ~3,380 (2020 Census); ~3,330 (2023 estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~55%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~94%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Black or African American alone: <1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Two or more races: ~2% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.

Households

• Total households: ~1,390
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~55% of households
• One-person households: ~30%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly White; modest Hispanic/Latino presence is the largest minority.
• Household sizes are smaller than the national average, with a relatively high share of married-couple and single-person (including older adult) households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey (5-year); Population Estimates Program (2023).

Nance County, NE snapshot

• Population and density: ~3,300 residents (2023), ≈7–8 people per sq. mile across ~441 sq. miles; population centers are Fullerton and Genoa.
• Estimated email users: 2,500–2,800 residents (roughly 75–85% of the population), reflecting high adult internet use and near-universal reliance on email for accounts, services, and work.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate share): Under 18: 15–18%; 18–34: 18–22%; 35–54: 28–32%; 55–64: 14–16%; 65+: 20–24%. The county’s older age profile means a relatively large senior email cohort, though adoption is slightly lower than prime-working-age adults.
• Gender split among email users: near parity, mirroring the county’s roughly 50/50 male–female population.
• Digital access and connectivity: About 75–80% of households subscribe to broadband; ~90% have a computer or smartphone. Roughly 10–12% are smartphone‑only internet users. Fixed wireless is common outside town limits; fiber and cable are concentrated in Fullerton/Genoa with 100+ Mbps service typical there. Outlying farms rely on fixed wireless or satellite; 4G mobile coverage is broad along highways, with patchier 5G.
• Trends: Gradual increases in broadband subscriptions and senior adoption since 2020; rising mobile dependence; email remains central for schools, agriculture businesses, healthcare portals, and government services.

Mobile phone usage profile for Nance County, Nebraska

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: 3,380 residents (2020 Census).
• Estimated mobile phone users (any mobile device): 2,500–2,700 residents, or roughly 74–80% of the total population.
• Estimated smartphone users: 2,200–2,400 residents, or roughly 65–71% of the total population.
• Household cellular-data-only internet (no fixed broadband): estimated 12–14% of households in Nance County, higher than the statewide share (Nebraska is typically around high single digits).

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage (estimates reflect rural Nebraska patterns adjusted to Nance County’s older age structure)

• Age
  • Under 18: ~24% of residents; smartphone uptake is high among teens (roughly 85–90%), but children under 12 bring the overall youth mobile rate down. Practical takeaway: strong teen smartphone presence, limited use among younger children.
  • 18–34: Smaller share than state average; smartphone adoption ~92–96%, similar to state, but absolute user counts are modest due to cohort size.
  • 35–64: Largest adult cohort; smartphone adoption ~85–90%. Heavy reliance on mobile for work coordination, agriculture operations, and hotspots where fixed broadband is weak.
  • 65+: Larger than the state average (about 22% of the county vs mid‑teens statewide). Smartphone adoption ~60–70%, with a nontrivial minority using basic/feature phones. This age tilt is the single biggest factor pulling countywide smartphone penetration below the statewide level.
• Income and plan mix
  • Median household incomes are lower than the state average; prepaid and regional-carrier plans are more common than in metro Nebraska.
  • Higher share of “cellular-only” households, especially in farm/rural addresses, due to gaps in affordable or performant fixed broadband.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Towns (Fullerton, Genoa, Belgrade): higher smartphone and 5G usage, greater app-driven behavior (banking, telehealth, video).
  • Outlying farms and acreages: more LTE reliance, more hotspot use for home internet, and more conservative data usage patterns.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Operators present
  • Regional: Viaero Wireless has a notable rural Nebraska footprint and is commonly used in and around Nance County.
  • Nationals: Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile provide broad LTE coverage; T‑Mobile typically leads in low‑band 5G “Extended Range” reach, while Verizon and AT&T 5G coverage tends to concentrate near towns and corridors.
• 5G availability and performance
  • Low‑band 5G: generally available outdoors across much of the county; indoor performance varies with building type and distance to towers.
  • Mid‑band 5G (faster): primarily in/near towns and along primary highways; limited rural sector reach. mmWave is not a factor.
  • Typical speeds: towns 30–200 Mbps on 5G/modern LTE; rural areas 5–30 Mbps on LTE/low‑band 5G, with occasional drops to single digits at the edges of coverage.
• Terrain and reliability
  • Macro‑tower grid is relatively sparse; coverage prioritizes towns and highways (NE‑14, NE‑22, NE‑39). River bottoms and low‑lying areas near the Loup River can have spotty signal and more handoffs.
• Backhaul and interplays with fixed broadband
  • Fiber backhaul is present to town sites via regional fiber providers; this supports good capacity in towns.
  • Outside towns, more sites depend on longer backhaul paths, and fixed wireless ISPs fill gaps; households off fiber/coax are more likely to lean on mobile hotspots.

How Nance County trends differ from Nebraska statewide

• Lower overall smartphone penetration due to a larger 65+ population share and a modestly higher prevalence of basic/feature phones among seniors.
• Higher share of cellular‑only households than the statewide average, reflecting patchier fixed broadband in rural tracts.
• Greater reliance on regional carriers (e.g., Viaero) and prepaid plans versus the mix seen in Omaha/Lincoln metros.
• 5G is predominantly low‑band outside towns; mid‑band capacity layers are less common than in the state’s urban counties, keeping typical mobile speeds and capacity below statewide urban norms.
• More frequent use of mobile hotspots for home connectivity in outlying areas, with data‑cap management shaping usage patterns more than in cities.

Method notes

• Population comes from the 2020 Census. Mobile user and device-type estimates apply national and Nebraska rural adoption rates (Pew/ACS/NTIA patterns) to Nance County’s age structure and rural settlement pattern. Infrastructure insights reflect FCC mobile coverage mapping, carrier deployment patterns in rural Nebraska, and known regional‑carrier presence.

Nance County, Nebraska — Social media snapshot (localized estimates)

Baseline

• Population: 3,380 residents (U.S. Census, 2020). Adults (18+): about 2,600.
• Age structure: County skews older than the U.S. average; roughly one-quarter of residents are 65+, which tilts platform use toward Facebook and YouTube (ACS 5-year).

Most-used platforms among adults (penetration and estimated local users)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 2,160 adults
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 1,770 adults
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 1,220 adults
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 910 adults
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 860 adults
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 780 adults
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 780 adults
• WhatsApp: 24% ≈ 625 adults
• X (Twitter): 23% ≈ 600 adults
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 570 adults
• Nextdoor: 17% ≈ 440 adults Method note: Percentages are Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult adoption rates applied to Nance County’s adult population to produce localized counts.

Age-group usage patterns (what’s most active locally)

• 18–29: Very high YouTube; strong Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook used but secondary to short‑form video and messaging.
• 30–49: Facebook + YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram meaningful; TikTok/Snapchat moderate; WhatsApp/LinkedIn used functionally.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest steady; Instagram/TikTok lighter but growing via Reels/shorts.
• 65+: Facebook is primary; YouTube for news, how‑to, church and local content; minimal use of TikTok/Snapchat/Reddit.

Gender breakdown

• Population is approximately half female and half male (Census).
• Platform skews (national benchmarks likely to hold locally):
  • Pinterest over-indexes female (about three-quarters of users are women).
  • Reddit and X over-index male.
  • Facebook slightly female-leaning; YouTube slightly male-leaning.
  • Instagram balanced to slight female tilt; Snapchat skewing younger, slightly female.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Nebraska counties like Nance (applicable to Nance County)

• Facebook-first for community: local groups for school sports, buy/sell, events, obituaries, weather/road updates; Facebook Messenger is the default DM.
• Video leads attention: long-form/how‑to and ag/repair content on YouTube; short-form news, humor, and product discovery via TikTok and Facebook/IG Reels.
• Marketplace over search: local commerce (farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, furniture) often starts in Facebook Marketplace/Groups.
• Event-driven spikes: engagement clusters around high school sports, county fair, churches, and emergency/weather incidents.
• Posting cadence: evenings and weekends draw highest interaction; weekday noon/after‑work posts perform better than early mornings.
• Low X/LinkedIn penetration for everyday residents; LinkedIn activity concentrated among educators, healthcare, and public-sector admins.
• Trust and reach: official county/school pages and well-moderated local groups have outsized influence compared with individual profiles.

How to read these numbers

• The percentages are definitive U.S. adoption rates from Pew (2024); the Nance County user counts are mechanically scaled estimates using the county’s adult population. Given the county’s older age mix, Facebook and YouTube usage locally will be at or above the U.S. averages, while Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat will be slightly below.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; ACS 5-year tables for age structure.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption by share).