Washington County

Washington County, Nebraska — key demographics

Population size

• 20,865 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 41.9 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: 24.8%
• 18 to 64: 60.0%
• 65 and over: 15.2%

Gender

• Male: 50.4%
• Female: 49.6% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: 93.7%
• Black or African American alone: 0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.6%
• Asian alone: 0.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.0%
• Some other race alone: 0.5%
• Two or more races: 3.9%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 4.0%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 90.3%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: 8,210
• Average household size: 2.55
• Family households: 67.8% of households
• Married-couple households: 56.6% of households
• Households with children under 18: 29.7%
• Average family size: 3.07
• Owner-occupied housing share: 80.0%

Insights

• Older-than-state-average age profile and a high share of married-couple, owner-occupied households align with the county’s suburban–rural character.
• Population is overwhelmingly non-Hispanic White, with small but growing racial/ethnic diversity.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Washington County, NE email and access snapshot

• Population ≈21,000 across ~393 sq mi (density ≈53/sq mi); ~8,200 households.
• Digital access: ~94–96% of households have a computer; ~90–92% have a home broadband subscription; ~10–12% are smartphone‑only internet households. Connectivity is strongest in Blair, Fort Calhoun, and Arlington (cable/fiber); DSL and fixed wireless dominate rural tracts, with town download speeds commonly 100–300 Mbps and lower at the fringes.
• Estimated email users: ≈15,000 adults (about 90–93% of the adult population), with ≈12,500–13,000 using email daily.
• Age distribution of email use (share using email): 18–29: 94–96%; 30–49: 96–98%; 50–64: 90–94%; 65+: 78–85%. Usage among 65+ is growing fastest as broadband and smartphones expand.
• Gender split: approximately even (~50% women, ~50% men), mirroring the county’s population; usage rates by gender are effectively identical.
• Trend insights: High household connectivity and near‑universal smartphone ownership support strong email reliance for work, school, healthcare, commerce, and ag services. Continued last‑mile upgrades in rural areas are narrowing speed/provider gaps and should further lift engagement among older and remote households.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Washington County, Nebraska (focus on differences vs statewide)

Size/context (ACS 2019–2023 5-year):

• Population: ≈21,000–22,000
• Households: ≈8,300–8,600

User estimates and adoption

• Households with at least one smartphone: ≈92% (about 7,700–7,900 households), slightly above Nebraska overall (≈90%).
• Households with a cellular data plan: ≈73% (about 6,000–6,300 households), slightly above Nebraska (≈71%).
• Cellular-only internet (households that rely on a cellular data plan with no other home internet): ≈9–10% in Washington County vs ≈12–14% statewide. This indicates less reliance on phones as the sole connection than Nebraska overall.
• No home internet subscription of any kind: ≈5–6% in Washington County vs ≈7–8% statewide.
• Estimated individual mobile users: on the order of 17,000–18,000 residents carry a mobile phone, reflecting the high household smartphone rate and suburban profile. The share of residents using smartphones is higher than the Nebraska average.

Demographic patterns that shape usage (vs Nebraska)

• Income: Median household income is materially higher than the state average, which correlates with multi-device ownership and lower smartphone-only dependence.
• Tenure: A lower renter share (roughly one-fifth of households) than Nebraska overall (about one-third) reduces the incidence of mobile-only households.
• Age: A somewhat older population share (more 65+) than the state, but overall smartphone access remains high due to strong coverage and higher incomes. The county’s younger and commuting households drive heavy smartphone and mobile data usage, while seniors are less likely to be smartphone-only.

Device mix (implications)

• Desktop/laptop presence is moderately higher than state averages, reinforcing the pattern of multi-device homes and helping explain the below-average smartphone-only reliance.
• Tablet ownership is comparable to slightly higher than statewide, consistent with higher incomes.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Cellular networks: 4G LTE is effectively universal in and between towns (Blair, Fort Calhoun, Arlington, Kennard, Herman), with 5G service from the national carriers across population centers and primary corridors (US‑75, US‑30, NE‑91). Mid-band 5G is common in Blair and along main routes, enabling typical mobile download speeds in the 100–300 Mbps range in town centers; low-band 5G/4G predominates in outlying areas with more variable speeds.
• Coverage gaps: Remaining weak spots are localized in river bottoms and hilly or wooded areas, especially in the far north and northwest of the county; these gaps are smaller and less frequent than in many rural Nebraska counties.
• Backhaul and fiber: The county benefits from proximity to Omaha’s metro fiber ring and multiple middle‑mile routes. Blair and Fort Calhoun have strong last‑mile options, including fiber and DOCSIS 3.1 cable, which reduce pressure to rely solely on cellular for home connectivity.
• Providers: All three national mobile carriers operate in the county; FirstNet public‑safety coverage is in place. Fixed providers include Fastwyre (formerly American Broadband) in and around Blair, plus regional incumbents and fiber operators that serve towns and selected rural corridors.

How Washington County differs from Nebraska overall

• Higher smartphone access per household and higher incidence of homes with both smartphones and PCs/tablets.
• Lower reliance on cellular-only internet and a smaller share of households with no internet subscription.
• Earlier and denser 5G buildout relative to most rural Nebraska counties due to Omaha adjacency, resulting in better in‑town performance and fewer dead zones.
• Usage patterns skew toward multi‑device, multi‑network households; phones are central to daily use but less often the sole connection compared with the state average.

Bottom line Washington County’s mobile phone landscape is characterized by near‑universal smartphone access, widespread 5G in populated areas, and strong fixed broadband alternatives. Compared with Nebraska as a whole, residents are less dependent on mobile service as their only connection and enjoy more consistent coverage and higher in‑town performance, driven by higher incomes, more owner‑occupied housing, and proximity to metro‑area infrastructure.

Social media usage in Washington County, Nebraska (2025 snapshot)

How this was built

• Adult base: ~15,900 residents age 18+ (out of ~20,900 total population; U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
• Platform reach: Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult adoption rates applied to the county’s adult base to produce county-level estimates.

Overall usage

• At least 83% of adults use a major social platform, driven by YouTube’s reach. Estimated social media users: ~13,200 adults.

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled county reach; share of adults and approx. users)

• YouTube: 83% (~13,200)
• Facebook: 68% (~10,800)
• Instagram: 47% (~7,500)
• Pinterest: 35% (~5,600)
• TikTok: 33% (~5,300)
• Snapchat: 30% (~4,800)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~4,800)
• WhatsApp: 29% (~4,600)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~3,500)
• Reddit: 22% (~3,500)

Age-group usage patterns (percent of each age group using the platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube 93%; Instagram 78%; Snapchat 65%; TikTok 62%; Facebook 33%; Reddit 36%; X 28%.
• Ages 30–49: YouTube 92%; Facebook 69%; Instagram 49%; TikTok 39%; LinkedIn 43%; WhatsApp 32%; Snapchat 29%.
• Ages 50–64: YouTube 83%; Facebook 73%; Pinterest 40%; Instagram 29%; TikTok 24%; LinkedIn 24%.
• Ages 65+: Facebook 62%; YouTube 60%; Pinterest 23%; Instagram 15%; TikTok 10%.

Gender breakdown (share of adults by gender using each platform; Pew 2024)

• Women: Facebook ~75%; Instagram ~50%; Pinterest ~50%; TikTok ~35%; Snapchat ~34%; YouTube ~81%; LinkedIn ~27%.
• Men: YouTube ~86%; Facebook ~61%; Instagram ~43%; TikTok ~30%; Snapchat ~25%; Reddit ~29%; X ~29%; LinkedIn ~34%.
• Implication: Women in the county over-index on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube/Reddit/X. TikTok is closer to parity but skews younger.

Behavioral trends observed in similar suburban–rural counties and applicable locally

• Facebook is the community hub: Heavy dependence on Groups and local Pages (schools, county/city, sheriff, volunteer fire/EMS). Event posts, school/sports updates, road closures, storm/warning info, and Marketplace drive consistent engagement.
• Video is mainstream: Short, vertical clips (FB Reels/Instagram Reels/TikTok) outperform static posts; 30–60 seconds with captions/subtitles works best. Game highlights, local festivals, “what’s happening this week,” and human-interest pieces earn high shares.
• Youth split attention: Ages 13–24 center on Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok (discovery/entertainment), with Instagram for friends, sports, and local businesses. Facebook reaches them mainly via parents/coaches/teams.
• Professional spillover from Omaha: LinkedIn is effective for hiring in healthcare, manufacturing, education, construction, and public sector roles; best performance during weekday business hours.
• Commerce and classifieds: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for buy/sell/trade of farm, outdoor, auto, and household goods. Small businesses see strong ROI from boosted FB/IG posts targeting a 10–20 mile radius around Blair, Arlington, and Fort Calhoun.
• Trust and locality: Posts from known local entities (schools, county offices, chambers, churches, boosters) carry the highest credibility; plain-language advisories and same-day updates outperform polished but generic content.
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work (6–9 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.), with Sunday evening among the strongest windows. LinkedIn peaks midweek work hours.
• Device-first habits: Mobile dominates consumption; vertical video, readable text overlays, and concise headlines are critical. Cross-posting the same short video to Reels and TikTok extends reach across age cohorts.

Key takeaways

• YouTube and Facebook deliver the broadest county-wide reach; Instagram is essential for under-45; TikTok/Snapchat are musts for teens and young adults; Pinterest is influential among women 30–64; LinkedIn is valuable for recruiting.
• For public communication or local marketing, prioritize Facebook Groups/Pages and short-form video, then extend to Instagram and TikTok for younger reach and LinkedIn for workforce needs.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2023); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Figures are modeled to Washington County’s adult population.