Saline County

Saline County, Nebraska — key demographics

• Population size

  • 14,292 (2020 Census)
  • ~14,600 (2023 Census estimate)

• Age (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Median age: ~35 years
  • Under 18: ~25%
  • 65 and over: ~15%

• Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Male: ~52%
  • Female: ~48%

• Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

  • White alone: ~83%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~30%
  • White alone, not Hispanic: ~60%
  • Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
  • Asian alone: ~1%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%

• Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Households: ~5,200
  • Persons per household: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~66% (married-couple ~49%)
  • Households with children under 18: ~33%
  • Nonfamily households: ~34%; one-person households: ~27%
  • Owner-occupied housing: ~66%; renter-occupied: ~34%
  • Housing units: ~5,700; vacancy ~9%

• Key insights

  • Large Hispanic/Latino community (~30%) relative to state average
  • Younger age profile and slightly male-skewed population
  • Household size above the U.S. average, with a majority of family households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

Saline County, NE (2025 estimates)

• Population and density: ~14,400 residents across ~575 sq mi (≈25 people/sq mi). Most residents cluster in and around Crete, concentrating connectivity there versus rural townships.
• Estimated email users: ~10,900 residents age 13+ use email at least monthly.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 7%; 18–34: 31%; 35–54: 30%; 55–64: 16%; 65+: 17%.
• Gender split among users: approximately 50% female and 50% male, mirroring the county’s near-even sex balance.
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 83% of households maintain a home broadband subscription.
  • Roughly 10% are smartphone-only for internet access.
  • Around 7% report no home internet.
  • Email access skews mobile-first among younger adults; 35+ commonly use both mobile and PCs.
  • Adoption among 65+ is rising but remains less intensive than younger cohorts.
  • Fixed broadband and growing fiber are strongest in Crete and Wilber; rural tracts rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with speeds and reliability varying by distance to town.
  • 4G/5G mobile coverage is robust along main corridors (US-33/103) and thinner in low-density areas.

Saline County, Nebraska — mobile phone usage snapshot (with county-specific emphasis vs statewide)

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: 14,292 residents (2020 Census). Adults (18+): approximately 10,600.
• Adult smartphone users: about 9,400 (≈88–90% of adults), broadly in line with statewide and national adoption.
• Households: roughly 5,400. Households using mobile data as their primary home internet: about 800–900 (≈15–17%), measurably higher than Nebraska’s average (≈11–13%).
• Wireless-only voice (no landline): around three-quarters of households, similar to the statewide pattern.

Demographic context and what it means for mobile

• Ethnicity: roughly two-thirds non-Hispanic White and about one-quarter Hispanic/Latino—more than double the statewide Latino share. This sustains:
  • Higher bilingual usage (voice, messaging, and social), strong WhatsApp adoption, and greater demand for Spanish-language support.
  • A somewhat higher prepaid share and family-plan clustering than the statewide average.
• Age: a slightly younger working-age profile anchored by Crete (Doane University) and local manufacturing. Younger adults skew mobile-first for news, social, and entertainment, lifting per-user data consumption above the state average outside of metro hubs.
• Income: median household income is modestly below the Nebraska median, which supports a meaningful segment choosing value-focused Android devices and prepaid or entry postpaid plans.

Usage patterns distinct from statewide trends

• Higher mobile-reliance for home internet: Outside Crete and Wilber, patchier wireline options lead more households to rely on smartphone hotspots or carrier fixed-wireless for primary connectivity than is typical statewide.
• Heavier bilingual communications: Customer service, marketing, and content in Spanish matter more here than in the average Nebraska county.
• Student and shift-worker effects: Evening and late-night mobile traffic peaks are more pronounced due to university life and manufacturing shifts.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G availability: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) cover the county’s population centers with 5G.
  • T-Mobile typically provides the broadest low-band 5G footprint countywide, with mid-band 5G capacity in and near Crete and Wilber.
  • Verizon and AT&T 5G are strong along main corridors and in towns; rural coverage leans on low-band spectrum, prioritizing reach over speed.
  • mmWave 5G is not a factor here; coverage is macro-cell based with limited small-cell density.
• Fixed broadband and alternatives:
  • Wireline: Cable and telco DSL/fiber are present in Crete and selected town blocks; fiber availability is expanding but still uneven outside core neighborhoods.
  • Fixed wireless: 4G/5G home internet from mobile carriers is widely marketed and fills gaps where cable/fiber are absent, contributing to the higher mobile-primary household share.
  • Satellite broadband remains a rural fallback but is less favored where 5G home internet qualifies.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Schools, libraries, and campus networks in Crete add important offload capacity for students and families.

Device and plan mix

• Devices: Strong Android share overall, with iPhone penetration concentrated among postpaid family accounts. Budget and midrange 5G devices are common in prepaid.
• Plans: Family plans dominate among multi-generational and bilingual households; prepaid and no-credit-check options see above-average take-up relative to statewide norms.
• Content and apps: High usage of social/video (YouTube, TikTok), messaging (WhatsApp, Messenger), and bilingual media; mobile payments and two-factor security use are broadly mainstream.

Implications and actionable insights

• Network planning: Capacity upgrades (mid-band 5G) in Crete/Wilber and along commuting corridors will yield outsized benefits; rural sectors need improved in-building coverage given agricultural and dispersed housing patterns.
• Product positioning: Bilingual support, value 5G handsets, and competitively priced fixed-wireless home internet plans resonate more strongly here than across Nebraska on average.
• Community partnerships: Collaborations with schools, the public library system, and the university help address affordability and device adoption in lower-income and student segments, improving digital inclusion.

Notes on figures

• Population counts are from the 2020 Census. Smartphone-user and mobile-primary household figures are analyst estimates derived from county demographics, observed rural Nebraska adoption patterns, and recent national/state-level ownership rates; they are designed to be conservative and decision-useful for planning.

Saline County, Nebraska – social media snapshot (modeled, current as of 2024)

Headline user stats

• Population: ≈14.8k residents (ACS 2022). Estimated social media users (age 13+): ≈10.3k (±0.6k), penetration ≈84% of 13+ residents.
• Adult adoption: ≈83% of adults use at least one platform; teen (13–17) adoption ≈95%.

Age mix of local social media users (share of users, not of total population)

• 13–17: 8% — heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; low Facebook.
• 18–24: 15% — Doane University cohort lifts Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube.
• 25–34: 17% — Instagram, Facebook, YouTube; TikTok rising.
• 35–49: 26% — Facebook and Messenger dominant; YouTube universal; Pinterest notable.
• 50–64: 22% — Facebook/YouTube core; Pinterest and WhatsApp for family/recipes/news.
• 65+: 12% — Facebook for community/news; YouTube for how‑to and church services.

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: ~52% of local social media users
• Male: ~48% Notes: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest slightly female‑skewed; YouTube near‑even; X (Twitter) and Reddit skew male.

Most‑used platforms locally (share of social media users, monthly; ≈ user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 82% (~8.4k)
• Facebook: 70% (~7.2k)
• Facebook Messenger: 64% (~6.6k)
• Instagram: 44% (~4.5k)
• Snapchat: 38% (~3.9k)
• TikTok: 36% (~3.7k)
• Pinterest: 32% (~3.3k)
• WhatsApp: 28% (~2.9k) — elevated by sizable Hispanic community
• LinkedIn: 22% (~2.3k)
• X (Twitter): 17% (~1.7k)
• Reddit: 16% (~1.6k)
• Nextdoor: 6% (~0.6k) — most neighborhood chatter stays on Facebook Groups

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Facebook is the community backbone: school updates, church and civic events, high‑school sports, local buy/sell via Marketplace, and weather/road alerts drive the highest engagement.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp (for Spanish‑speaking households and workgroups) are key for coordination and rapid response.
• Youth and student behaviors: Snapchat streaks and TikTok/Instagram Reels dominate 13–24; event‑driven spikes around school sports, festivals, and university life.
• Video first: YouTube is the universal utility (how‑to/DIY, farm and equipment repair, local meetings, church services); short‑form video performs best across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Language mix: Higher-than-average bilingual (English/Spanish) content consumption and sharing; Spanish‑language creative sees above‑average CTR.
• Discovery and commerce: Facebook/Instagram power local business discovery; Marketplace is widely used for second‑hand goods and equipment. Pinterest influences recipes, crafts, and seasonal shopping.
• News and alerts: Severe weather, closures, and public safety posts see outsized reach and share rates; X is niche for state news/sports, not general community chatter.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–8 a.m., noon hour, and 7–10 p.m.; Sunday early afternoon is strong for community pages and churches.

Method and sources

• Figures are modeled for Saline County by applying U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2022 population/age structure to platform‑by‑age adoption rates from Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024; Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023), with local adjustments for a college‑age population (Doane University) and a sizable Hispanic community. Percentages reflect share of local social media users (13+) unless noted.