Cherokee County

Here are the latest high-level demographics for Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Figures are rounded; source is U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program 2023).

Population

• Total population: ~48,000 (2023 estimate)

Age

• Under 5: ~6%
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~17%
• Median age: ~37–38 years

Sex

• Female: ~51%

Race/ethnicity (race alone unless noted; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White: ~53%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~32–35%
• Black: ~1.5–2%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races: ~10–12%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~7–8%

Households

• Total households: ~18,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple households: ~45–50%
• Nonfamily households: ~32% (single-person households make up a large share)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and Population Estimates Program (V2023).

Cherokee County, OK email usage (estimates)

• Users: About 38,000–41,000 residents use email, roughly 75–82% of the total population (~50,000). Method: applied state/national email adoption rates to local population and age mix.
• Age pattern:
  • 13–17: ~80–85% use (≈3–4k users).
  • 18–29: ~95–98% use (college presence boosts rates).
  • 30–49: ~95–97% use.
  • 50–64: ~90–93% use.
  • 65+: ~80–85% use (lower where broadband is limited).
• Gender split: Approximately even (near 50/50; national gap is negligible).
• Access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription around 65–75% of households; 15–20% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Fiber and cable are concentrated in Tahlequah and nearby towns; rural areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • 4G/5G coverage is good along main corridors; hills/valleys have weaker signals.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈60–70 people/sq mi spread over ~750 sq mi; connectivity is strongest in Tahlequah (college town, Northeastern State University) and patchier in the Cookson Hills and around Lake Tenkiller.
  • Recent tribal (Cherokee Nation) and state BEAD/ARPA projects are expanding fiber and public Wi‑Fi, narrowing rural gaps.

Below is a concise, data-informed snapshot of mobile phone usage in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, with emphasis on how local patterns diverge from statewide trends. Estimates are derived from the 2020 Census population baseline, ACS age structure, and national/rural adoption research (Pew Research Center), plus FCC/Oklahoma Broadband Office infrastructure reporting. Where precise local counts aren’t published, ranges and assumptions are stated.

Estimated users and adoption

• Population baseline: ~48,000 (2020 Census). Adults (18+) ≈ 75%, teens (13–17) ≈ 6%.
• Smartphone users (best estimate):
  • Adults: 80–84% adoption in a rural/tribal-mix county → ~29,000–30,500 adult smartphone users.
  • Teens (13–17): 93–97% adoption → ~2,700–2,900 users.
  • Total smartphone users (13+): ~31,500–33,500.
• Feature-phone-only users: ~3–5% of adults → ~1,100–1,800.
• Total mobile phone users (smartphone + feature phone, 13+): ~33,000–35,000 people, or roughly 85–90% of residents aged 13+.
• Lines vs. people: Active lines likely exceed users due to second lines, hotspots, and IoT; users above reflect people, not SIMs.

Demographic patterns of usage

• Age
  • Older adults (65+) are a larger share than in metro Oklahoma; smartphone adoption lags here, lifting the county’s share of feature-phone users and Wi‑Fi–only behavior.
  • College presence (Northeastern State University in Tahlequah) pushes very high smartphone penetration among 18–24 and heavier app-based communication, hotspots, and video.
• Income and plan mix
  • Median income is below state average; prepaid, MVNO, and value plans are more common.
  • Prior Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) uptake was relatively high; the program’s wind‑down has likely increased plan downgrades, shared plans, and hotspot reliance.
• Race/ethnicity
  • American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population share is multiple times the state average. Tribal e‑government, language, and telehealth apps drive meaningful mobile use cases, but affordability and coverage gaps persist in rural tribal areas.
• Household connectivity
  • A higher share of households are “mobile-first” or “mobile-only” for internet, especially outside fiber footprints and among younger renters/students.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile; widespread LTE; spotty but growing low‑band 5G in and around Tahlequah/primary corridors (US‑62, OK‑82/51). Mid‑band 5G (for higher speeds) is limited outside town centers.
• Terrain effects: Hills/valleys (Cookson Hills, Lake Tenkiller area, Illinois River corridor) create dead zones and cell‑edge performance; in‑building penetration is better on low bands (e.g., 600/700/850 MHz) and worse on mid‑band.
• Capacity: Evening slowdowns are more common on town-adjacent sectors serving both residents and students; seasonal surges from tourism (river/lake) stress select sites.
• Backhaul and fiber: Local electric/fiber co‑ops and tribal initiatives have expanded fiber along key routes and into communities; this helps tower backhaul and enables Wi‑Fi offload. Remote sites still rely on microwave backhaul, which constrains capacity.
• Fixed wireless: 4G/5G home internet options exist in/near Tahlequah; rural availability thins quickly. Where fiber isn’t present, WISPs and satellite remain important.
• Public safety/FirstNet: AT&T Band 14 presence improves rural/public-safety coverage used by tribal and county responders.

How Cherokee County differs from Oklahoma overall

• More rural-plus-tribal profile: Adoption is high overall but trails metro Oklahoma for seniors and in hard‑to‑serve pockets; meanwhile, usage intensity among students and mobile‑first households is higher than state average.
• Plan economics: Prepaid/MVNO share is higher; ACP sunset effects are more visible (downgrades, data caps, churn). Statewide, postpaid penetration is stronger in metros.
• Technology mix: Heavier dependence on LTE and low‑band 5G; mid‑band 5G and carrier aggregation are less widespread than in OKC/Tulsa, so average speeds lag state metro benchmarks.
• Coverage variability: Terrain-driven gaps and seasonal demand swings (tourism corridors) are more pronounced than the state average.
• Tribal digital services: Greater use of mobile for tribal e‑gov, language, and telehealth than statewide, reflecting local priorities and service patterns.
• Device lifecycle: Longer handset replacement cycles and slightly older device mix than metro Oklahoma, contributing to fewer advanced-5G users.
• Hotspot/home substitution: Higher reliance on smartphone tethering and fixed wireless as primary home internet in rural tracts than the state overall.

Notes on uncertainty and sources

• Estimates synthesize 2020 Census/ACS population structure, Pew smartphone adoption (U.S. and rural differentials), and FCC/Oklahoma Broadband Office reporting on coverage and projects, plus known local geography and institutional presence (Cherokee Nation, NSU).
• For programmatic planning or grant work, validate with the latest FCC Broadband Data Collection maps, carrier coverage/disclosure, Oklahoma Broadband Office datasets, and Cherokee Nation/area co‑op fiber build plans.

Below is a concise, county-specific snapshot built from national/state patterns (Pew Research Center 2024), rural adoption trends, and the county’s age mix (including Northeastern State University in Tahlequah). Figures are modeled estimates, shown as ranges where local, direct measurements aren’t published.

Quick user stats

• Population: ~51,000; residents 13+ ≈ 43,000
• Social media users (13+): ~34,000–38,000 (≈75–85% penetration)
• Adult users (18+): ~30,000–33,000
• Gender among social users: ~53% women, 47% men (slight female tilt due to Facebook/Pinterest)

Age mix of social users (share of total users)

• 13–17: 9–12%
• 18–24: 17–20% (boosted by NSU student population)
• 25–34: 17–19%
• 35–49: 21–24%
• 50–64: 19–22%
• 65+: 12–16%

Most-used platforms in Cherokee County (share of residents 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–65%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 25–35%
• Pinterest: 25–35%
• Next tier: LinkedIn 12–18%, Reddit 12–18%, X (Twitter) 10–15%, WhatsApp 10–15%, Nextdoor 5–10%

Notable demographic skews

• Women: higher on Facebook and Pinterest; strong engagement in Groups and Marketplace
• Men: higher on YouTube, Reddit, and X
• 18–24: heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; DMs are primary contact channel
• 50+: Facebook-centered; Marketplace, local news, church/school updates

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook Groups run local life: buy/sell/trade, yard sales, river outfitters/float trips, lost-and-found pets, school and church bulletins, and Cherokee Nation/community announcements
• Video-first discovery: Reels/TikTok for choosing restaurants, events, local makers; short, vertical video outperforms static posts
• Local news and weather: heavy reliance on Facebook Pages/Groups for severe weather, road closures, school alerts; “citizen journalism” is influential
• Events drive spikes: powwows, festivals, NSU athletics/homecoming, lake and river seasons
• Messaging as commerce: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs for quotes, reservations, and customer service; younger users prefer IG/Snap DMs
• Timing: highest activity evenings (7–10 p.m.), solid lunch window (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), weekend mid-days; student activity clusters around class schedules
• Culture and language: Cherokee language/heritage posts earn above-average engagement; local history and community-pride content performs well
• Marketplace matters: strong secondhand and local-services economy on Facebook Marketplace
• Access realities: pockets of mobile-only users and variable broadband; keep content light, vertical, and captions on

Method notes

• Percentages modeled from Pew’s 2024 U.S. platform usage by age and rural vs. urban patterns, adjusted for Cherokee County’s age structure and student share. Figures are directional, suitable for planning and channel prioritization.