Polk County

Polk County, Nebraska — key demographics

Population

• 5,214 (2020 Census)
• 5,150 (2023 Census Bureau population estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~95%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Black or African American: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~2,200
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~63%
• Owner-occupied: ~77%; renter-occupied: ~23%

Insights

• Small, predominantly White rural county with an older age profile, modest household sizes, and high homeownership.

• Population and density: Polk County, NE has roughly 5,100 residents, with a low density near 12 people per square mile concentrated around Osceola, Stromsburg, and Shelby.
• Estimated email users: ~3,750 adult users. This assumes ~4,100 adults and ~91% email adoption among adults, consistent with U.S. usage benchmarks.
• Age distribution of email use (approximate):
  • 18–34: ~1,000 users (≈98% adoption)
  • 35–64: ~2,030 users (≈95%)
  • 65+: ~730 users (≈80%)
• Gender split: Essentially even; ≈51% female and 49% male among email users, reflecting minimal gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~83–85% of households (ACS-style computer/internet metrics for rural Nebraska counties).
  • Coverage: >90% of locations have access to ≥100/20 Mbps fixed broadband; fiber availability is expanding but remains spotty outside towns.
  • Mobile: 4G/5G covers most populated areas and primary roads; 10–15% of households are smartphone-only for home internet.
  • Adoption typically trails availability by ~10–15 percentage points in rural Nebraska, and Polk County aligns with this pattern, indicating room for growth as fiber builds proceed.

Mobile phone usage in Polk County, Nebraska — 2025 snapshot

Summary

• Population baseline: ~5,200–5,400 residents; ~4,000–4,300 adults (18+). Rural, older-than-state age profile, with activity concentrated around Osceola, Stromsburg, Polk, and Shelby.

User estimates and adoption

• Adult smartphone users: ~3,400–3,800 (roughly 82–88% of adults), modestly below the Nebraska average due to a larger senior share.
• Basic/feature-phone users: ~450–700 adults (about 12–18%), noticeably above the state rate because of higher 65+ prevalence.
• Cellular-only home internet households: ~350–450 households (about 15–20% of ~2,200–2,300 total households), higher than the state share; many rely on phone hotspots or 5G fixed wireless access (FWA).
• 5G FWA subscribers (Verizon/T-Mobile): ~250–400 households; uptake is rising faster than the state average where cable/fiber options are limited.
• No home internet subscription: approximately 12–15% of households, above Nebraska’s typical 8–10% range.

Demographic and usage breakdown

• Age skew: Seniors (65+) comprise roughly one-fifth of residents, several points above the state. Smartphone adoption is high among under-50 cohorts (>90%) and drops for 65+ (≈60–70%), pulling the county’s overall rate below state-level.
• Income and education: A larger share of households in middle/lower income brackets and a higher proportion of non-degree workers than urban Nebraska correlate with higher prepaid usage, shared family plans, and longer device replacement cycles (often 3.5–4 years vs. near 3 years statewide).
• Sector usage: Agriculture drives distinct patterns—extensive reliance on mobile connectivity for machine telematics, irrigation control, and seasonal field work. This raises day-time rural data traffic and dependence on strong outdoor coverage more than in urban/state averages.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T serve the county. Verizon offers the broadest rural LTE footprint; T-Mobile provides the most mid-band 5G along US‑81 and town centers; AT&T coverage is improving with FirstNet buildouts but remains spottier off main corridors.
• Coverage profile: Near-universal outdoor LTE across populated areas; indoor service varies in metal agricultural buildings and at section-line homesteads. 5G is concentrated in and around towns and along US‑81; far-field sections remain LTE-first.
• Typical speeds:
  • LTE: ~10–40 Mbps down, lower uplink in fringe areas.
  • Mid-band 5G in towns/corridors: ~100–300 Mbps down, with peaks higher in optimal cells.
  • FWA (5G home internet): commonly 80–250 Mbps down in town footprints; performance tapers at cell edges.
• Wired backhaul: Fiber is present to anchor institutions (schools, county sites) and in limited residential pockets via incumbents/regional providers; DSL and coax availability is inconsistent outside towns. This scarcity of wired last-mile options pushes mobile/FWA dependence above state norms.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Schools and libraries in Osceola, Stromsburg, Polk, and Shelby function as key public Wi‑Fi anchors; fairgrounds and community centers increasingly host carrier small cells or repeaters during events.

How Polk County differs from Nebraska overall

• Slightly lower overall adult smartphone penetration (by ~3–5 percentage points) driven by an older age structure.
• Higher reliance on mobile connectivity for home internet (cellular-only and 5G FWA) due to thinner cable/fiber footprints; Polk’s cellular-only share is several points above the state average.
• More pronounced coverage gaps inside metal structures and in farmsteads off primary roads; dependence on external antennas/boosters is higher than in urban counties.
• Carrier mix skews toward Verizon for deep rural reliability; T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G is growing but is still town/corridor-centric; AT&T’s improvements trail in off‑corridor areas—this single-carrier reliance risk is more acute than statewide.
• Device and plan behavior: Higher prepaid share, more multi-line family plans, and slower upgrade cycles than state averages; these patterns reflect income mix and distance to carrier retail.
• Use-case profile: Above-average machine/IoT usage in agriculture and seasonal surges in field activity shape traffic patterns differently than in metro Nebraska.

Implications and near-term trajectory (12–24 months)

• Expect incremental 5G mid-band infill around towns and along US‑81, improving FWA capacity and indoor performance near population clusters.
• Without new wired builds, FWA and cellular hotspots will remain the main upgrade path for many households; Polk County’s FWA penetration is likely to remain above the state average.
• Targeted investments that matter locally: additional mid-band 5G sectors on rural towers, fiber-fed small cells in town cores, and farm‑oriented signal solutions (CBRS/OnGo, boosters) to mitigate metal-building attenuation.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates synthesize the latest publicly available federal datasets (U.S. Census/ACS 5‑year for population, device and subscription indicators; FCC and carrier coverage disclosures), combined with widely reported national adoption rates by age and rural/urban splits. Figures are expressed as county-level approximations to reflect Polk County’s rural and age characteristics and to highlight divergences from statewide trends.

Polk County, Nebraska — social media snapshot (2025, modeled)

Topline user stats

• Population baseline: ≈5,200 residents; ≈4,400 are age 13+ (ACS 2019–2023; Census estimates)
• Social media users (13+): ≈3,600 monthly (≈82%); ≈2,800 daily (≈63%)
• Adults (18+) using social media: ≈3,150 (≈78% of adults)
• Access: ≈80% of households have broadband; most social use is mobile-first (≥85–90%)

Age profile (share using any social platform; platform skews in parentheses)

• 13–17: ≈95% use social; heavy YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram moderate; Facebook light
• 18–29: ≈95%+; YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook moderate
• 30–49: ≈90%+; Facebook, YouTube lead; Instagram moderate; TikTok/Snapchat lighter
• 50–64: ≈80%+; Facebook dominant; YouTube strong; Pinterest moderate; Instagram light
• 65+: ≈60–65%; Facebook dominant; YouTube moderate; others minimal

Gender breakdown (share using any social; platform skews)

• Overall users ≈51% women, 49% men (near county gender split)
• Women: relatively higher Facebook and Pinterest; solid Instagram; lower Reddit/X
• Men: relatively higher YouTube; modestly higher Reddit and X; lower Pinterest

Most-used platforms in Polk County (13+, monthly reach; modeled point estimates)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 74%
• Instagram: 36%
• TikTok: 31%
• Pinterest: 28%
• Snapchat: 23%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• LinkedIn: 11%
• WhatsApp: 10%
• Reddit: 9%
• Nextdoor: 4%

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwest counties like Polk (applicable locally)

• Community-first Facebook usage: High engagement with local groups for school sports, county fair, church and civic events, lost-and-found, and buy/sell/marketplace posts. Facebook Messenger is a default contact channel for many residents and small businesses.
• Information utility: Weather alerts, road conditions, severe-storm updates, obituaries, and local news see rapid sharing; county/city pages and first responders get outsized reach.
• Commerce and classifieds: Strong activity in local Facebook buy/sell groups for farm equipment, vehicles, tools, home goods, and seasonal services; seasonal spikes around planting/harvest and back-to-school.
• Video habits: YouTube is the top on-ramp for how-to, repair, ag equipment maintenance, and church/school livestreams; short-form (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) is growing for local event highlights and sports clips.
• Younger cohorts: Teens and 18–29s rely on Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram for daily messaging and entertainment; cross-posting to Instagram Reels from TikTok is common; Facebook mainly for family and group coordination.
• Posting cadence and timing: Peak engagement evenings (7–9 p.m.) and weekends; midday bumps around lunch. Photo-first posts and concise video outperform text-only updates.
• Business use: Local retailers, ag suppliers, trades, realtors, and eateries favor Facebook Pages and Groups for reach; Instagram used for visuals; TikTok adoption is selective but growing for personality-driven local brands.
• Platform gaps: LinkedIn and Nextdoor have low penetration; X is used by a small set for sports, markets, and breaking news.

Method note and sources

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Polk County derived by applying Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform-adoption rates by age and gender to the county’s ACS 2019–2023 population structure, with adjustments typical for rural Midwest counties (older age mix and higher Facebook reliance). Household broadband from ACS; mobile-first behavior from Pew. Point estimates carry an expected local uncertainty of ±5–8 percentage points.