Adair County

Here are concise, core demographics for Adair County, Oklahoma (most figures from U.S. Census Bureau; population from 2020 Census; other metrics from the latest available American Community Survey 5-year estimates around 2018–2022):

Population

• Total population: 19,495 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~35–36 years
• Under 18: ~28%
• 65 and over: ~14–15%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• American Indian and Alaska Native (alone): ~45%
• White (alone): ~42–44%
• Two or more races: ~8–10%
• Black or African American (alone): ~1%
• Asian (alone): <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–7%

Households

• Total households: ~6,700–7,000
• Average household size: ~2.8–2.9
• Family households: ~73–77% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55%
• Households with children under 18: ~33–37%

Notes: Figures are rounded for readability and reflect ACS 5-year estimates (which are estimates) and the 2020 Census count for total population.

Adair County, OK snapshot

• Population/density: ≈19.5k residents across ≈575 sq mi (~34 people/sq mi); largest town is Stilwell.
• Estimated email users: 9.5–10.5k adults (about 50–55% of total population; roughly 70–78% of adults). Estimate combines rural internet adoption with high email use among connected adults.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34 ≈33–37%; 35–64 ≈50–55%; 65+ ≈10–15% (senior usage lags younger groups).
• Gender split among users: ~49% male, ~51% female, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription likely in the mid‑60s to low‑70s percent of households; smartphone‑only access is common.
  • Outside town centers, residents often rely on fixed wireless or satellite; public Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries) supplements access.
  • 4G coverage is common along major roads; 5G is more limited and spotty in rural areas.
  • Ongoing state/federal rural broadband programs and tribal initiatives are expanding fiber; the ACP wind‑down may pressure affordability for lower‑income households.
• Connectivity context: Low population density and hilly, wooded terrain raise last‑mile costs and contribute to patchy wired options outside Stilwell/Westville; speeds and reliability tend to drop in remote areas.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Adair County, Oklahoma (with county–vs–state contrasts)

At-a-glance user estimates

• Population base: roughly 20,000 residents; about 15,000 adults.
• Smartphone users: estimated 11,000–13,000 adult users (rural ownership typically a few points below statewide averages, but still widespread).
• Total mobile phone users (including basic/feature phones and teens): approximately 14,000–16,000.
• Mobile-only home internet: estimated 25–35% of households rely primarily on a mobile data plan or hotspot for home internet, notably higher than the statewide share.
• Plan mix: prepaid/MVNO lines likely constitute a majority of new consumer activations in the county, higher than statewide, driven by price sensitivity and variable coverage.

Demographic breakdown and patterns

• Age
  • Teens/young adults: very high smartphone adoption and daily video/social use; hotspot use common for schoolwork when fixed broadband is unavailable.
  • Older adults: lower smartphone adoption than state average; basic/flip phones and voice/text-first usage more common.
• Income
  • Lower median income and higher poverty rates than the state overall translate to:
    • Greater reliance on prepaid plans (Cricket, Metro, Boost, Straight Talk/Tracfone and other MVNOs).
    • More conservative data use and frequent use of public/anchor Wi‑Fi.
    • Higher share of refurbished/used devices and longer handset replacement cycles.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Large American Indian/Alaska Native population (Cherokee Nation) with smartphone ownership comparable to state averages but a distinctly higher dependence on mobile for home internet vs fixed broadband.
  • Tribal programs (hotspots, service vouchers, community Wi‑Fi) play a visible role in connectivity, a differentiator from many Oklahoma counties.
• Household connectivity behavior
  • Above-average “mobile-first” or “mobile-only” households, partly due to limited cable/fiber availability outside towns.
  • Dual-SIM and carrier-hopping are more common than statewide to cope with local signal gaps.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology
  • 4G LTE is the primary workhorse across the county; low-band 5G (all carriers) is present but mid-band 5G capacity is spotty and mostly along main corridors and town centers (e.g., Stilwell, Westville).
  • mmWave 5G is effectively absent; indoor coverage often relies on Wi‑Fi calling/repeaters.
• Carriers
  • AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon all serve the area; users frequently choose based on micro‑geography (hollows vs ridges, proximity to highways).
  • MVNO availability is broad; prepaid storefronts and big‑box retail SIMs are widely used.
• Topography and tower density
  • Ozark foothills and valleys create coverage “shadows.” Towers are spaced farther apart than in metro Oklahoma, with better performance along highways (e.g., US‑59) and town centers and weaker service in rural hollows.
• Backhaul and fiber footprint
  • Fiber backhaul follows highway/power corridors; co‑op and regional builds (e.g., OzarksGo near the AR border, and electric co‑op/tribal middle‑mile expansions) are improving resilience but remain uneven versus urban Oklahoma.
  • Schools, libraries, tribal clinics, and community centers provide anchor Wi‑Fi; these locations see heavy use for uploads, telehealth, homework, and benefits applications.
• Post-ACP environment
  • With the wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024, the county has experienced a noticeable shift: more plan downgrades, greater reliance on shared/family plans, and increased use of public/anchor Wi‑Fi, likely more acute than the state average due to income and infrastructure constraints.

How Adair County trends differ from Oklahoma statewide

• Higher dependence on mobile as primary home internet, driven by limited fixed broadband in outlying areas and a larger share of low-income and tribal households.
• Greater use of prepaid/MVNO options and budget Android devices; device financing and postpaid family bundles are less dominant than in metro counties.
• More coverage variability by neighborhood and terrain, prompting carrier switching, dual-SIM use, and Wi‑Fi calling—behaviors less common in Oklahoma City/Tulsa metros.
• 5G’s practical impact is smaller: low-band 5G is present, but LTE remains the everyday baseline; mid-band 5G capacity adds value only in select corridors, unlike denser state urban areas.
• Community and tribal connectivity programs (hotspots, public Wi‑Fi, middle‑mile projects) are more central to everyday access than in most of the state.

Notes on methodology and confidence

• Estimates combine county population/age structure with rural smartphone adoption rates (from national surveys), observed rural Oklahoma broadband availability patterns, and carrier coverage norms for eastern OK. Exact county-level mobile counts are not published; figures above are reasoned ranges. For planning, validate against the latest ACS household internet tables, FCC broadband maps, carrier coverage maps, and local provider buildouts (tribal/co‑op fiber).

Below is a concise, county-tailored snapshot using the best available public benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024; DataReportal 2024 for the U.S.), adjusted for rural usage patterns. County-level platform stats aren’t published, so figures are estimates.

Headline size

• Population context: ~19–20k residents; ~14–15k adults.
• Estimated adult social media users: 9,000–11,000 (about 60–75% of adults; slightly below national penetration due to rural broadband and age mix).

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users; estimates)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70% (Facebook Messenger: 60–65%)
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 25–35% (skews under 30)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (majority women)
• X/Twitter: 15–20%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (lower in rural labor markets)
• Nextdoor: <10%

Age patterns (behavioral highlights)

• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; heavy Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook used mainly for family/groups and Marketplace.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing; Messenger central for communication.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube primary; Pinterest usage notable; gradual TikTok uptake via short-form news/recipes/DIY.
• 65+: Facebook for family/local info; YouTube for how‑to, church services, local meetings; light Instagram/TikTok.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall users roughly split male/female (county population is close to 50/50).
• Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; Instagram modestly higher among women.
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X/Twitter.
• Platform mix by gender in Adair County likely mirrors the rural U.S. pattern above.

Local behavioral trends

• Community-first Facebook usage: school updates, church events, high‑school sports, local government, road/weather alerts, lost-and-found, and buy/sell/trade groups (Marketplace is a key commerce channel).
• Information habits: Many residents get local news via Facebook Pages/Groups and YouTube clips rather than standalone websites; severe-weather content is highly followed.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous among adults; Snapchat common among teens/young adults for day-to-day chat.
• Video: YouTube used across ages for how‑to, farming/outdoors, auto, and local meeting replays; TikTok/shorts favored for quick tips and local highlights.
• Posting vs. lurking: Majority are passive scrollers; a smaller, very active core drives most local content in groups.
• Timing/device: Predominantly mobile use; engagement strongest evenings and weekends.

Notes and sources

• No official platform-by-county datasets exist. Estimates above extrapolate rural and Oklahoma-relevant patterns from Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2023/2024) and national social media penetration (DataReportal 2024), adjusted for rural adoption and age structure typical of Adair County.