Pawnee County

Key demographics for Pawnee County, Nebraska

Population size

• 2,544 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2010–2020 change: −6.9%

Age

• Median age: 51.7 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 19%
• 18–64: 54%
• 65 and over: 27%

Gender

• Male: 51.7%
• Female: 48.3%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: 92.9%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 3.6%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 2.1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.7%
• Black: 0.2%
• Asian: 0.2%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: 1,160
• Average household size: 2.08
• Family households: 62% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 79%
• Average family size: 2.67

Insight

• Small, aging population with a high share of owner-occupied housing and predominantly White non-Hispanic residents.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Pawnee County, Nebraska (≈2,600 residents; low density ≈6 people/sq mi) has high but age-skewed email adoption.

• Estimated email users: 1,850–2,000 adults (≈88–92% of ≈2,100 adults).
• Age distribution of email use (adoption rates applied to local age mix):
  • 18–29: ≈95–98%
  • 30–49: ≈96–98%
  • 50–64: ≈90–93%
  • 65+: ≈75–85% The county’s older profile (median age ≈52; roughly 3 in 10 residents 65+) pulls the overall rate slightly below urban levels.
• Gender split: essentially even; men ≈90–92%, women ≈90–93% use email (difference typically <2 percentage points).
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈75–82%; computer ownership ≈85–90%.
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance: ≈12–18%, higher in more remote areas, which can limit routine email use requiring larger screens/keyboards.
  • Technologies: DSL and fixed wireless remain common outside town centers; fiber is present mainly in core communities; cable is limited. 4G LTE coverage is widespread on primary roads; 5G is emerging but spotty.
• Connectivity implications: Very low population density and long last‑mile runs raise per‑household network costs, contributing to slower speed upgrades and lower broadband adoption compared with Nebraska’s urban counties, which in turn modestly depresses email usage among older and lower‑income households.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Pawnee County, Nebraska

Baseline and user estimates

• Population baseline: about 2,600 residents (2023-era Census estimate).
• Estimated mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~2,425 residents, or roughly 93% of the population.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~1,925 residents, or roughly 74% of the population.
• Estimated 5G-capable device users: ~1,350 residents (about 70% of local smartphone users), reflecting slower 5G device turnover than the state’s urban centers.

How these estimates were derived

• Age structure in Pawnee County skews older than Nebraska overall; applying national age-specific ownership rates to a rural, older profile yields lower smartphone and 5G-device penetration than the state average.
• Assumptions align with recent national research on device ownership by age and rural/urban differences, scaled to the county population.

Demographic breakdown and usage implications

• Seniors (65+): Roughly 30% of Pawnee County’s population, versus about 16% statewide. Smartphone adoption among seniors is materially lower than among younger adults, pulling down the county’s overall smartphone and 5G-capable device rates.
• Working-age adults (35–64): Largest adult block locally; high cellphone ownership but somewhat lower smartphone uptake than their peers in Omaha/Lincoln. Many retain LTE-only devices.
• Young adults (18–34): Near-parity with statewide smartphone ownership, but absolute numbers are small due to the county’s size.
• Income and education: Lower median household income than the Nebraska average corresponds with a higher share of value/prepaid plans and slower upgrade cycles. This contributes to fewer 5G-capable devices and more LTE-only usage.

Digital infrastructure touchpoints

• Coverage: All three national carriers provide 4G LTE coverage in and around Pawnee City and along main corridors (notably US-136 and NE-50). Geographic coverage remains spotty on low-traffic gravel and section roads, in creek bottoms, and near the Big Nemaha drainage.
• 5G availability: Predominantly low-band 5G along primary highways and in town centers; mid-band capacity sites are limited. Effective 5G availability is notably behind the state’s urban counties.
• Capacity and speeds: Typical outdoor speeds range from low double-digits Mbps in fringe areas to higher double-digits in town centers; speeds and signal quality drop faster with distance from towers than in cities due to wider cell spacing.
• Backhaul: Fiber backhaul is present on key highway routes and in town cores; outside them, older backhaul or microwave links limit peak performance and upgrade cadence.
• Redundancy and outages: Fewer distinct tower sites and shared backhaul paths mean maintenance or weather-related issues can affect wide areas relative to population.
• Public and anchor connectivity: Schools, county offices, and clinics in town are on stronger backhaul, but public Wi‑Fi options are sparse outside civic buildings, increasing reliance on mobile data for everyday connectivity.

Trends that differ from the Nebraska statewide picture

• Lower smartphone and 5G device penetration: Pawnee County’s smartphone share (74%) and 5G-capable base (52% of residents) trail statewide levels driven by Omaha–Lincoln markets, where both device turnover and mid-band 5G availability are higher.
• More LTE-first usage: A larger fraction of residents remain on LTE-only devices and plans, reflecting both cost sensitivity and limited practical 5G benefits away from highways.
• Greater reliance on mobile for home connectivity: With limited fiber-to-the-home outside town centers and variable fixed-wireless quality, a higher share of households rely primarily on mobile hotspots and phone tethering than the state average.
• Higher prepaid/value-plan mix: Price-sensitive plans are more common than in urban Nebraska, contributing to slower device refresh cycles and modest data allowances.
• Wider urban–rural performance gap: Nebraska overall posts strong median mobile speeds due to metro builds; Pawnee County’s speeds and indoor coverage lag more noticeably, especially in farmsteads, metal buildings, and valleys.
• Coverage variability: While population coverage appears high on maps, geographic coverage gaps are more consequential locally for agriculture, field work, and emergency services than in urban counties.

What this means in practice

• Expect reliable LTE for calls, messaging, and standard apps in town and on main routes, with inconsistent performance in low-lying or remote areas.
• 5G improves consistency along highways and in Pawnee City but is not yet transformative countywide; LTE optimization remains the practical priority.
• Any meaningful uplift will come from incremental tower adds, sector upgrades to mid-band 5G, and expanded fiber backhaul, plus continued device refresh as residents transition from LTE-only to 5G-capable phones.

Pawnee County, NE — social media usage snapshot (2024)

How these figures were built: They are best-available local estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 US social media use data, adjusted to rural/small-county patterns typical of southeast Nebraska. Percentages indicate the share of local adults who use each platform at least occasionally.

Overall reach

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~73%

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~38%
• Pinterest: ~32%
• TikTok: ~28%
• Snapchat: ~24%
• LinkedIn: ~20%
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• Reddit: ~15%
• Nextdoor: ~10%

Age profile (share of each age group using any social media)

• 18–29: ~86%
• 30–49: ~81%
• 50–64: ~73%
• 65+: ~45%

Gender breakdown (platform skews among adult users)

• Facebook: female-leaning; women more active than men
• Instagram and TikTok: slight female tilt
• Pinterest: strongly female-leaning (largest gender skew)
• Snapchat: female-leaning among under-35s
• YouTube: slight male tilt
• X (Twitter) and Reddit: male-leaning
• Overall user base: roughly balanced men vs. women

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook for local news, school and sports updates, church/community announcements, and Marketplace buying/selling.
• Video utility: YouTube used for how‑to content, agriculture, DIY/home repair, and product research; high watch time but relatively low posting.
• Private-by-default: Messaging via Facebook Messenger and Snapchat is preferred over public posting, especially among younger adults.
• Short-form discovery: Instagram Reels and TikTok used for entertainment and local business discovery; local businesses often cross-post to Facebook for reach.
• Low Twitter/X penetration: Limited day-to-day use; activity clusters around statewide news, weather, and sports.
• Professional networking is niche: LinkedIn usage concentrated among educators, healthcare, finance, and public-sector roles; recruiting and job search are the main behaviors.
• Interest communities: Pinterest used for recipes, crafts, events, and home/garden; Reddit used by a small, mostly male cohort for tech, sports, and farming/mechanics subs.

Notes for application

• To reach most adults quickly: Facebook + YouTube.
• To reach under-35s: Instagram + TikTok (+ Snapchat for messaging).
• For commerce and events: Facebook Pages/Groups + Marketplace; supplement with Instagram for visuals and Reels/TikTok for awareness.

Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024; community-type and age/gender cuts), Pew Research Center (teen platform use, 2023–2024). Figures are localized estimates aligned to rural Nebraska usage patterns.