Sheridan County

Sheridan County, Nebraska — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 5,127 (2020 Census)
• Latest estimate: ≈5,050 (2023 population estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 5 years: ~5%
• Under 18 years: ~24%
• 65 years and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~79%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~17%
• Black or African American alone: <1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~76–78%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~2,200–2,300
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60%
• Married-couple households: ~50%
• Nonfamily households: ~40%
• Households with own children under 18: ~25–30%
• Households with someone 65+ living alone: ~15%

Insights

• Small, rural county with an older age profile (about one-quarter 65+).
• Notable American Indian population share relative to state average.
• Household sizes are modest and family households comprise a clear majority.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023). Figures are rounded for clarity; ACS values are estimates subject to sampling error.

Sheridan County, NE email usage (estimates grounded in Census/ACS patterns for rural Nebraska)

• Population and density: ~5,250 residents across ~2,470 sq mi (≈2.1 people/sq mi), among the most sparsely populated in Nebraska.
• Estimated email users: 3,200–3,700 residents use email regularly (roughly 60–70% of total population; 75–85% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 4–6%
  • 18–34: 22–25%
  • 35–54: 30–34%
  • 55–64: 18–21%
  • 65+: 20–24%
• Gender split among email users: ≈49% male, 51% female (mirroring the county’s slight female majority).
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with any broadband subscription: ~75–80%
  • Households with no home internet: ~10–12%
  • Mobile-only internet households: ~15–20%
  • Device access: computer in home ~75–80%; smartphone penetration >85% among adults.
• Connectivity notes: Fixed broadband is concentrated in Gordon–Rushville–Hay Springs along US‑20; vast ranchland areas rely on fixed wireless or satellite. Long last‑mile distances and low density raise per‑premise costs, slowing fiber buildouts. Mobile LTE coverage is strongest near highways; 5G remains limited outside towns.

Insights: Email is near-universal among connected adults, with strongest engagement in 25–64 cohorts; older adults participate widely but at lower rates where home broadband is absent.

Mobile phone usage in Sheridan County, Nebraska — summary with county-specific estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Scale and user estimates

• Population base: About 5.2 thousand residents (2020 Census), roughly 4.0–4.1 thousand adults.
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): Approximately 3.9–4.0 thousand adults (about 95% of adults, consistent with rural U.S. cell ownership).
• Smartphone users: Approximately 3.2–3.4 thousand adults (about 78–82% of adults; a few points below Nebraska’s statewide average).
• Households: Roughly 2.2–2.3 thousand households; an estimated 400–560 households (18–25%) rely primarily on a cellular data plan or mobile hotspot for home internet, roughly double the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age structure: Older than the state overall. Seniors (~65+) make up about one-quarter of residents, pulling down overall smartphone adoption by 3–5 points versus the statewide rate. Estimated smartphone adoption by age:
  • 18–34: 95–98%
  • 35–64: 85–90%
  • 65+: 55–65% (cellphone ownership for this group still ~90% when including basic/flip phones)
• Race/ethnicity: The American Indian/Alaska Native share is several times higher than the Nebraska average. Community programs and pricing (e.g., ACP-era sign‑ups when available, tribal lifeline) have historically increased mobile dependency relative to wired broadband in parts of the county.
• Income and plans: Lower median incomes and higher prepaid usage than the state average. Price-sensitive plans and longer device replacement cycles are more common; 4G‑only handsets remain in circulation at a higher rate than statewide.
• Work and mobility: Agriculture and ranching drive “corridor-centric” usage (towns and highways) with pronounced coverage gaps on ranchland. Voice/SMS reliability remains a top need, and mobile broadband is often a substitute for limited wired options.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier mix: In addition to the national carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile), Viaero Wireless is a meaningful player in rural western Nebraska and serves many Sheridan County users. This regional-carrier presence is a notable difference from more urban Nebraska counties.
• Coverage pattern:
  • 4G/LTE: Strongest in and between towns on US‑20/US‑385 corridors; sparse in remote sections away from highways.
  • 5G: Present primarily as low‑band along main corridors and in towns; mid‑band 5G coverage is limited. Population coverage is markedly higher than land‑area coverage.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber backhaul exists along primary corridors and in town centers (e.g., via regional fiber providers), but a number of remote sites still rely on microwave backhaul. This creates variable peak-hour speeds and contributes to more conservative data usage than in metro Nebraska.
• Fixed alternatives: Cable or fiber-to-the-premise is available in town centers; DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite (including newer LEO options) fill gaps elsewhere. This drives higher-than-state mobile-only home internet use.
• Resilience: Fewer cell sites with wider spacing increases sensitivity to power and weather events; backup-power duration and overlapping coverage are more limited than in urban Nebraska.

How Sheridan County differs from Nebraska statewide

• Lower smartphone penetration: Estimated 3–5 percentage points below the statewide average due to older age structure and income mix.
• Higher mobile-only households: Roughly double the statewide rate rely primarily on cellular data for home internet because wired options thin out quickly outside town limits.
• Carrier dynamics: Viaero Wireless has a larger footprint and user share than in metro counties; Verizon and AT&T hold stronger rural coverage positions relative to T‑Mobile than in urban Nebraska.
• 5G reality: 5G exists but is predominantly low‑band with limited mid‑band capacity; practical speeds and capacity gains trail state urban centers.
• Device lifecycle and plan mix: More prepaid lines and longer device replacement cycles; a higher share of 4G‑only devices remains active compared with the state average.
• Usage behavior: Greater emphasis on voice/SMS reliability and hotspotting for household connectivity; per-line data consumption is tempered by coverage variability and plan constraints, while hotspot reliance is higher than in metro areas.

Key takeaways

• About 3.9–4.0 thousand adults in Sheridan County use a mobile phone, and 3.2–3.4 thousand use smartphones.
• Mobile networks cover towns and corridors well; large, low-density areas have gaps that keep smartphone adoption and 5G utilization below statewide levels.
• The county’s mix of older population, higher tribal share, lower-density ranchland, and the presence of a strong regional carrier (Viaero) produces a mobile market that is more coverage-sensitive, more prepaid-leaning, and more reliant on cellular for home internet than Nebraska overall.

Sheridan County, NE social media snapshot (2025)

Overall usage (modeled, county-adjusted)

• Adults using at least one social platform monthly: ~80%
• Daily users: ~65% of adults
• Multi‑platform users (2+ platforms): ~55% of adults
• Primary access: mobile-first among a clear majority of users

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: ~76%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~31%
• Pinterest: ~29%
• TikTok: ~22%
• Snapchat: ~21%
• X (Twitter): ~13%
• WhatsApp: ~12%
• Reddit: ~11%
• LinkedIn: ~9%
• Nextdoor: ~6%

Age profile (approximate adoption within each age group)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%; Snapchat ~70%; TikTok ~65%; Instagram ~60%; Facebook ~30%
• 18–29: YouTube ~92%; Instagram ~75%; Snapchat ~68%; TikTok ~60%; Facebook ~65%
• 30–49: YouTube ~88%; Facebook ~76%; Instagram ~45%; TikTok ~35%; Pinterest ~35%
• 50–64: Facebook ~72%; YouTube ~70%; Pinterest ~30%; Instagram ~25%; TikTok ~15%
• 65+: Facebook ~58%; YouTube ~52%; Pinterest ~22%; Instagram ~15%; TikTok ~9%

Gender breakdown among social media users

• Users by gender: Women ~53%, Men ~47%
• Platform skews:
  • Higher among women: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (Pinterest roughly 45%+ of women vs ~12% of men)
  • Higher among men: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter)

Behavioral trends in Sheridan County

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, buy/sell groups, school and sports updates, church and civic notices, obituaries
• Video leads engagement: short-form clips on Facebook/Instagram and how‑to, ag/ranching, and local sports content on YouTube
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger (all ages) and Snapchat (younger users) are primary private channels
• Event-driven spikes: severe weather, high school sports, county fair/4‑H, hunting seasons, agriculture market shifts
• Posting rhythms: morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evening (7–9 p.m.) see the highest local activity
• Trust dynamics: local faces and known organizations outperform generic brand creative; comments in community groups strongly shape sentiment and reach
• Advertising implications: boosted Facebook posts and short video ads with tight geo‑targeting perform efficiently; cross‑posting to relevant local groups materially increases reach

Notes on method

• County-level platform metrics are not directly published. Figures above are modeled estimates using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption rates, rural vs. urban differentials, and Sheridan County’s older age profile from recent U.S. Census estimates. They reflect likely behavior in Sheridan County rather than a platform’s official counts.