Cimarron County

Key demographics — Cimarron County, Oklahoma

Population

• Total: 2,296 (2020 Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Sex (ACS 2019–2023)

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~68%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~26%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Black, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~1,000
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Figures are estimates and subject to margins of error.

Cimarron County, OK (pop. ~2,200; area ~1,800 sq mi; ~1.2 people/sq mi—the sparsest in Oklahoma) has limited but improving digital connectivity.

Estimated email users: 1,200–1,500 residents use email regularly. Basis: adult share of population, rural internet adoption (~85–90%), and near‑universal email use among internet users.

Age distribution of email users (approx.):

• 18–34: 15–20% (high usage rates, smaller cohort locally)
• 35–54: 30–35%
• 55+: 45–55% (county skews older; strong adoption for healthcare, banking, ag services)

Gender split: roughly even (about 49–51% each).

Access and trends:

• Broadband availability trails state averages outside Boise City; many households rely on DSL or fixed wireless, with pockets of fiber expanding through co‑ops and state/federal programs.
• Mobile data and smartphone‑only access are common; public Wi‑Fi (library/schools) fills gaps.
• Download speeds outside town centers are often sub‑100 Mbps; latency can affect video meetings but supports email reliably.
• Ongoing fiber builds and 5G home internet are slowly raising reliability and speeds, nudging more seniors and small businesses into daily email use.

Note: Figures are estimates derived from rural adoption benchmarks and the county’s population/age profile.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Cimarron County, Oklahoma

High-level picture

• Cimarron County is Oklahoma’s most sparsely populated county (roughly 2,200–2,400 residents spread across ~1,800 square miles). Mobile use is widespread but shaped by distance, low tower density, and an older-than-average population. Coverage clusters around Boise City and highway corridors, with large gaps on ranchlands and around Black Mesa.

Estimated users and adoption

• Adult base: ~1,700–1,900 adults.
• Individual mobile phone users: roughly 1,800–2,000 people (includes most adults plus many teens).
• Smartphone users: approximately 1,300–1,600 (smartphone share lower than state average due to age mix and affordability).
• Feature phones and basic LTE handsets remain more common than in Oklahoma’s metros, especially among residents 65+ and on ranch operations needing rugged devices.
• Households relying primarily on mobile data for home internet are likely in the low double-digits percentage-wise—higher than in metro Oklahoma—but there’s a split: homes passed by local fiber use wired broadband, while remote locations lean on mobile hotspots or satellite.

Demographic patterns (how they differ from Oklahoma overall)

• Age: A larger 65+ share than the state. Seniors here are more likely to keep basic phones or limited-data smartphones, producing lower smartphone penetration than statewide (state urban seniors trend higher).
• Income and plan type: Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and seasonal plan changes than the state average, reflecting agricultural/seasonal work patterns and tighter household budgets. The end of ACP subsidies in 2024 has a more visible impact locally.
• Work profile: Farm, ranch, and energy workers often carry multiple lines or rugged devices and use vehicle/home signal boosters—behaviors less common statewide.
• Language/culture: A notable Hispanic community skews toward smartphone-first communication (WhatsApp, Facebook), with family device sharing more common than in urban Oklahoma.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage geography: Best along US-287/US-56/US-64/US-412 and in Boise City and Keyes. Expect dead zones in the northwest (near Black Mesa) and southern ranchlands, and indoor coverage challenges in metal buildings without Wi‑Fi calling or boosters.
• Carriers:
  • AT&T: Generally the most dependable rural footprint; FirstNet upgrades benefit public-safety coverage.
  • Verizon: Solid along highways and towns; similar pattern to AT&T but with different gaps off-corridor.
  • T‑Mobile: Present but spottier off the main roads; strongest where 600 MHz fill-ins exist.
  • Local provider: Panhandle Telephone Cooperative (PTCI) is a key fixed broadband player and offers mobile options (often leveraging national networks) that complement fiber footprints.
• 5G reality: Mostly low-band 5G/DSS with LTE-like speeds; little to no mid-band 5G capacity (the kind driving big urban speed gains in OKC/Tulsa). mmWave is absent.
• Tower density and backhaul: Very low site density (well under 1 site per 100 sq mi) with heavy reliance on microwave backhaul. This constrains capacity and consistency, especially during events or weather incidents.
• Adjacent-state dynamics: Cross-border travel into New Mexico and Colorado is common; roaming and carrier-to-carrier variability are more salient here than for most Oklahomans.

How Cimarron County trends differ from the state level

• Coverage and capacity: Far more “edge-of-network” experience than statewide—service is usable but fragile away from corridors; 5G benefits are muted without mid-band.
• Device mix: Higher persistence of basic/feature phones; smartphone penetration trails the state average, driven by age and income.
• Plan mix: Prepaid/MVNO share and use of boosters/hotspots are higher than the state norm.
• Internet substitution: A higher fraction of households rely primarily on mobile or satellite for home connectivity compared with metro Oklahoma—though local fiber buildouts create a sharp divide between fiber-served and remote areas.
• Mobility pattern: Multi-line use tied to work (ag/energy), and cross-state roaming, matter more than for typical Oklahomans.
• Resilience practices: Residents lean more on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and offline-first apps due to coverage variability—behaviors less necessary in the state’s urban centers.

Implications

• Operators that improve mid-band 5G and add a few strategic towers (plus fiber backhaul) along secondary roads would see outsized quality gains.
• Public-safety and school connectivity benefit from FirstNet continuation and school-issued hotspots, but affordability programs remain a key lever for consistent access.
• For residents and businesses, pairing local fiber (where available) with Wi‑Fi calling and a booster is the most reliable setup; truly remote sites often need satellite as a complement.

Below is a concise, directionally accurate snapshot. County-level social media surveys aren’t published for Cimarron County specifically, so figures are modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 platform use, rural U.S. deltas, and the county’s older age profile. Treat as estimates.

Base and user stats

• Population: ~2,200; adults (18+): ~1,600–1,700
• Adults using any social platform: ~70–75% → roughly 1,150–1,250 adult users

Most‑used platforms (estimated monthly reach of adults)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• Pinterest: 28–32%
• TikTok: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 22–26%
• WhatsApp: 18–22%
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 12–18%
• Reddit: 12–16%
• Nextdoor: 5–10%

Age patterns (estimated share using any social platform)

• 13–17: 90%+; heavy on Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube
• 18–29: ~90–95%; Instagram, TikTok, YouTube dominant; Snapchat strong
• 30–49: ~85–90%; Facebook, YouTube core; Instagram secondary
• 50–64: ~70–75%; Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest notable among women
• 65+: ~45–55%; Facebook and YouTube primarily

Gender breakdown (tendencies among users)

• Overall user base is roughly even by gender.
• Skews female: Facebook (55–60% of users), Pinterest (70%+), TikTok (slight female tilt)
• Skews male: YouTube (55–60%), Reddit (65–70%), X/Twitter (~60%)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Oklahoma counties

• Facebook is the community hub: local groups/pages (Boise City, Keyes, Felt), school and church updates, volunteer fire/wx alerts, buy/sell (Marketplace), events and fundraisers. Posts with names/faces and practical info get the highest engagement.
• YouTube has high dwell time: how‑to/repair (ag, ranch, diesel), weather, faith content, high smart‑TV viewing in the evenings.
• Instagram: used by younger adults and small businesses for visuals; Stories/Reels outperform feed posts.
• TikTok: growing with 18–34 for entertainment and “ranch/rural life” content; more consumption than creation; short local clips can travel regionally.
• Snapchat: default teen/young‑adult messaging and team/school coordination.
• Pinterest: strong among women 30–64 for recipes, crafts, home, event ideas; drives saves and later action more than immediate clicks.
• X/Twitter: niche—weather watchers, state agencies, sports; low general reach.
• WhatsApp: moderate in bilingual/immigrant circles; used for family/workgroup coordination.
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends peak; severe weather days spike Facebook and X usage.
• Trust and action: Word-of-mouth via Facebook Groups drives attendance and sales more reliably than other channels; clear CTAs with phone numbers work best for older audiences.

Notes on targeting for local orgs/businesses

• Prioritize Facebook (including Groups/Marketplace) and YouTube; add Instagram for 18–44 reach and TikTok for younger adults.
• Geo-target within ~25–50 miles of Boise City; use interest overlays (ranching, farming, hunting, high school sports, churches).
• Creative that is local, faces-on-camera, and utility-focused (hours, prices, dates, weather tie-ins) outperforms generic branding.

Sources informing estimates: Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Use; prior Pew rural vs. urban splits; U.S. Census/ACS age structure for rural OK (older skew).