Carter County

Here are concise, recent estimates for Carter County, Oklahoma (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year):

Population

• Total: ~48,700

Age

• Median age: ~38.7 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Sex

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~68–69%
• Black or African American alone: ~6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~12%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.2%
• Some other race alone: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~9–10%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~10%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~19,100
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65% of households (married-couple families ~47%)
• Nonfamily households: ~35%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~69%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Carter County, OK email usage (estimates)

• County context: ≈48,000 residents; low-density, largely rural with Ardmore as the hub. Density roughly 55–60 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: 33,000–38,000 residents actively use email (based on county population and national adoption rates).
• Age mix of email users:
  • 13–24: ~15–20%
  • 25–44: ~30–35%
  • 45–64: ~30–35%
  • 65+: ~15–20%
• Gender split among users: roughly even; ~51% women, ~49% men (mirrors local population).
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Best fixed-broadband and fiber options cluster in Ardmore and along the I‑35 corridor; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • Mobile LTE/5G coverage is strong near highways/towns; rural gaps persist in low-density areas.
  • A notable share of households are smartphone‑only for internet (commonly 15–25% in rural areas), pushing email use toward mobile apps.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools/civic buildings) and employer/school accounts help sustain email access for residents without robust home broadband.

Notes: Figures are derived from 2020–2023 Census/Pew-style adoption patterns applied to Carter County’s population; they are indicative, not from a local survey.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Carter County, Oklahoma

Key points that differ from statewide patterns

• Mobile-only internet reliance is higher than the Oklahoma average, especially outside Ardmore, due to sparser fixed broadband options.
• Coverage quality is more polarized: very strong along I-35/Ardmore corridors and noticeably weaker at the county’s fringes and around recreation areas (e.g., parts of Lake Murray), leading to more frequent use of signal-boosting, Wi‑Fi offload, and multi-SIM strategies.
• Prepaid and budget plans are used more heavily than the state average, driven by income mix and variable coverage across carriers in rural zones.
• Youth and working-age adults are near-saturated for smartphones, but seniors’ adoption trails the state slightly more than in metro counties, widening the intra-county digital gap.

User estimates (transparent, order‑of‑magnitude)

• Population baseline: roughly 49,000 residents; about 75% are adults.
• Adult smartphone users: 31,000–34,000 (assumes 85–90% adult adoption; slightly below statewide rates due to rural/older mix).
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): ~2,700–3,300 (very high adoption).
• Total smartphone users (all ages): about 34,000–37,000.
• Wireless-only adults (no landline phone): likely high and at or above the already‑high Oklahoma average; a reasonable range for Carter adults is mid‑70% to high‑70%.
• Mobile-only home internet households (no cable/DSL/fiber at home, rely on smartphone hotspot or mobile plan): materially above the state share. A practical planning range is 18–25% of households in Carter vs roughly mid‑teens statewide, with the higher end outside Ardmore/Lone Grove/Healdton.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–44: Near-universal smartphone use; heavy app and streaming usage; higher likelihood of using mobile hotspots for work/school where home broadband is limited.
  • 45–64: High smartphone adoption; greater use of Wi‑Fi to manage data caps; more multi-line family plans.
  • 65+: Adoption meaningfully below younger groups and slightly below the state’s senior average, with more voice/SMS emphasis and device affordability concerns; telehealth use grows where coverage permits.
• Income and plan mix:
  • Lower incomes and rural addresses correlate with higher prepaid usage, careful data management, and hotspot sharing.
  • Bill sensitivity and coverage variability encourage carrier switching and BYOD.
• Race/ethnicity and tribal context:
  • Native and Hispanic residents are more likely to be smartphone-dependent for internet access (consistent with national surveys), which amplifies the county’s above-average mobile-only reliance.
• Education and households with kids:
  • Elevated hotspot use for homework in areas lacking affordable wired broadband; school/community Wi‑Fi access remains important as an offload.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and capacity:
  • Strongest multi-carrier service in Ardmore and along I‑35/US‑77/US‑70 corridors; mid-band 5G largely follows these routes.
  • Off-corridor areas rely more on LTE or low-band 5G; indoor coverage can be inconsistent in low-density zones and around parts of Lake Murray.
• Carriers and products:
  • AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all serve the corridor; fixed wireless (e.g., 4G/5G Home) is a key alternative to legacy DSL and can outpace it in many fringe areas.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) upgrades have improved some public-safety coverage; benefits spill over to commercial users where bands/sites are shared.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber concentration in Ardmore and along main roads supports better 5G capacity there; limited middle-mile off the corridor constrains rural sector throughput at peak times.
• Public and community access:
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings in Ardmore/Lone Grove function as critical Wi‑Fi offload points; usage spikes during evenings and events.
• Seasonal/temporal:
  • Recreation/tourism near Lake Murray and I‑35 travel periods create temporary congestion; carriers tend to optimize for corridor traffic more than remote lakeside spots.

How Carter County differs from Oklahoma overall (summary)

• Higher dependence on mobile as primary internet in rural tracts.
• Greater variability in signal quality within short distances; more practical need for boosters and Wi‑Fi offload.
• Slightly lower senior smartphone adoption and digital confidence than state averages, widening the local age gap.
• Heavier prepaid and fixed-wireless adoption, reflecting fewer affordable wired options outside the Ardmore core.

Notes on method and validation

• Estimates are derived by applying national/state adoption rates to Carter County’s population and rural/age profile; they are intended for planning, not precise counts.
• To refine locally: combine ACS Computer and Internet Use tables, CDC wireless‑only telephony estimates, carrier 5G/coverage maps, Oklahoma Broadband Office data, school hotspot program metrics, and crowdsourced speed tests (e.g., Ookla/M‑Lab) segmented by census tract.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate for Carter County, OK. County-level social media surveys are rare, so figures are modeled from U.S./rural-Oklahoma patterns (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024) and Census population baselines. Treat them as directional.

Population baseline

• Total population: ~48,000; adults (18+): ~36,000–37,000

Estimated social media users

• Adults using at least one platform: ~26,000–29,000 (about 72–78% of adults)
• Teens (13–17) using social platforms: ~2,800–3,200 (very high adoption, ~90–95%)
• Combined users (13+): ~29,000–32,000

Age profile (share who use social media within each age group, local estimate)

• 13–17: ~90–95%
• 18–29: ~95%+
• 30–49: ~85–90%
• 50–64: ~70–78%
• 65+: ~45–55%

Gender breakdown (among users)

• Overall: roughly even (female ~51–53%, male ~47–49%)
• Skews by platform: Pinterest and TikTok lean female; Reddit and X (Twitter) lean male; Facebook nearly even, slightly female; YouTube slightly male.

Most-used platforms among adults (percent of adults who use each; multiple platforms per person)

• YouTube: ~78–82%
• Facebook: ~68–74%
• Instagram: ~38–44%
• Pinterest: ~28–34% (strong female skew)
• TikTok: ~26–32%
• Snapchat: ~20–26% (concentrated under 30)
• X (Twitter): ~17–21%
• Reddit: ~12–17%
• LinkedIn: ~12–18% (lower in rural/blue‑collar areas)
• Nextdoor: ~4–8% (low in rural zones)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Local news, school and church events, high school sports, severe weather updates, buy/sell (Marketplace), and local business pages/groups drive the highest engagement.
• Video is king: YouTube for DIY, home/auto repair, ranching/farming, hunting/fishing, and regional sports. Short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) growing for under-35 discovery.
• Messaging beats posting for coordination: Heavy use of Facebook Messenger, Snapchat (younger), and group texts for day-to-day communication.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local deals; Instagram Shops used by boutiques, but reach skews younger/urban-connected audiences.
• News and alerts: Facebook pages for local media, first responders, and weather trackers see spikes during storms and community incidents.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; school-year activities create weekday late-afternoon bumps.
• Content that performs: Practical “how-to” videos, local faces/stories, event reminders, giveaways, and before/after visuals. Straight ads perform better when paired with community benefit or clear utility.
• Platform roles by age:
  • Teens/college: Snapchat and TikTok daily; Instagram for identity/announcements.
  • 25–44: Facebook + Instagram for family, kids’ activities, local services; TikTok growing for ideas/shopping discovery.
  • 45+: Facebook as primary hub; YouTube for learning/entertainment; Pinterest for projects/recipes.

Notes

• Figures are estimates derived from national/rural usage patterns applied to Carter County’s size and age mix. For campaign planning, validate with a quick local poll or platform audience tools to fine-tune.