Harmon County

Key demographics for Harmon County, Oklahoma

• Population size

  • 2,488 (2020 Census), down from 2,922 in 2010 (-14.9%)

• Age

  • Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2018–2022)
  • Under 18: ~26%
  • 65 and over: ~18%

• Gender

  • Male: ~52%
  • Female: ~48%

• Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity, any race)

  • Hispanic or Latino: ~45%
  • White alone, non-Hispanic: ~41%
  • Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~6%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~2%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5%
  • Other categories (Asian, NHPI): <1% each

• Households (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Total households: ~1,010
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~64% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~49% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~31%
  • Average family size: ~3.1
  • Tenure: ~71% owner-occupied; ~29% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small, declining rural county with a plurality Hispanic population, among the highest Hispanic shares in Oklahoma
• Household structure is family-oriented with moderate household and family sizes
• Age profile is balanced, with a sizable working-age population and roughly one-fifth seniors

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

• Scope: Harmon County, Oklahoma (2020 Census population 2,488; ~4.6 people per sq. mile across ~540 sq. mi., extremely rural).
• Estimated email users: ~1,850 residents (≈74% of total population).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–34: 22% (400 users)
  • 35–64: 51% (940 users)
  • 65+: 27% (510 users)
• Gender split among email users: roughly even (≈50% women, 50% men).
• Digital access and trends:
  • About two-thirds of households maintain a home broadband subscription; adoption lags state urban areas.
  • Mobile-only access is significant, with many residents relying on smartphones where wired service is limited.
  • Connectivity is concentrated in and around Hollis (county seat) with sparser options near Gould and Vinson; fixed wireless and satellite help fill gaps where cable/DSL/fiber are unavailable.
  • Public access points (schools, libraries) remain important for residents without reliable home service.
• Insights:
  • Email penetration is highest among working-age adults and remains substantial among seniors, reflecting email’s role for healthcare, government services, and commerce.
  • Low population density and limited provider choice suppress wired broadband adoption, steering some users to mobile or shared-access solutions while overall digital participation continues to rise.

Harmon County, OK — Mobile Phone Usage Summary

Executive snapshot

• Population base: 2,488 residents (2020 Census), among the least populous and most rural counties in Oklahoma.
• Estimated mobile phone users (any mobile phone): ~1,850–2,000 people.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~1,550–1,750 people (roughly 80–88% of adults).
• Households: roughly 950–1,050; estimated 250–350 “mobile-only” internet households (relying mainly on cellular data rather than fixed broadband).

How Harmon County differs from Oklahoma overall

• Heavier reliance on mobile data as primary home internet: a substantially higher share of households use cellular data as their main connection than the state average, driven by sparse fixed-broadband options.
• Older user base lowers smartphone penetration: overall smartphone adoption among adults trails the Oklahoma average by a few points because Harmon has a larger 65+ share.
• Coverage-first, capacity-light 5G: residents are more likely to be on low-band LTE/5G coverage optimized for range, with fewer mid-band capacity nodes than urban Oklahoma.
• More prepaid and MVNO usage: price-sensitive users and seasonal/agricultural work patterns push a higher share toward prepaid plans than the state average.

User estimates and demographics

• Adults 18+: approximately 1,900–2,000.
• Estimated smartphone penetration by age group (reflecting rural adoption patterns):
  • 18–34: 92–96% (approx. 360–420 users).
  • 35–64: 86–92% (approx. 800–900 users).
  • 65+: 65–78% (approx. 300–380 users).
• Youth (13–17): high smartphone access (roughly 75–90%), but absolute numbers are small given county size.
• Race/ethnicity context for usage: Harmon County has a notably higher Hispanic/Latino share than the Oklahoma average. Combined with lower median income and agricultural employment, this correlates with more prepaid plans, shared devices within households, and above-average dependence on mobile data rather than wired broadband.

Digital infrastructure points

• Network footprint: Service from the three national carriers is present, with coverage concentrated in and around Hollis and along main corridors; outlying ranchland and farm areas experience weaker signal quality and more dead zones.
• 5G availability: Primarily low-band (range-focused) with limited mid-band capacity nodes compared with urban/suburban Oklahoma; practical speeds often mirror strong LTE in many locations.
• Backhaul and capacity: Sparse fiber backhaul and long inter-site distances constrain peak speeds and indoor coverage, especially in metal-roof structures common on farms.
• Fixed-broadband substitute: Mobile data and fixed wireless (LTE/5G home internet) fill gaps where DSL, cable, or fiber are unavailable or unaffordable, contributing to the above-average “mobile-only” household rate.
• Public anchors: Schools, county offices, and healthcare sites often have the best wired connectivity in the county; surrounding residential areas rely more on cellular.
• Emergency communications: E-911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported; however, low population density and terrain can produce spotty rural coverage, affecting reliability during severe weather compared to urban counties.

Implications and actionable insights

• Capacity upgrades matter more than coverage: The county’s coverage is broadly present along main routes, but user experience hinges on adding mid-band 5G sectors and improving backhaul to raise capacity in town centers and school/clinic areas.
• Mobile-only households need affordable, high-cap plans: Data allowances and throttling thresholds have outsized impact here; plans and subsidies tailored for primary-home internet use would materially improve digital inclusion.
• Senior adoption is the growth lever: Focused training/support for older residents can close the smartphone gap versus the state average and increase telehealth and public-service uptake.
• Agricultural seasonality drives traffic spikes: Carriers and community networks should anticipate and provision for seasonal workforce-driven demand around planting/harvest windows.

Notes on methodology

• Population and household base from the 2020 Census; age structure and rural adoption patterns applied to derive user estimates.
• Smartphone adoption rates benchmarked to recent national rural trends and adjusted for Harmon County’s older age profile and lower fixed-broadband availability.
• “Mobile-only” household estimate reflects counties with similar broadband gaps in rural Oklahoma and ACS broadband subscription patterns; range provided to reflect statistical uncertainty at small population sizes.

Harmon County, Oklahoma — social media snapshot (modeled 2024)

Scope

• Figures are best-available estimates for a very small rural county, derived from U.S. Census/ACS age mix and Pew Research Center rural social-media adoption rates. Small-population margins of error are relatively high (±5–7 percentage points).

User base and penetration

• Population: ~2,500 residents; ~1,900 adults (18+)
• Social media users: ~1,450 total
  • Adults: 1,320 users (70% of adults)
  • Teens (13–17): 130 users (90% of teens)

Age mix of users (share of all county social-media users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 16%
• 30–49: 33%
• 50–64: 24%
• 65+: 18%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Most-used platforms (share of Harmon County social-media users using each at least monthly)

• Facebook: 83%
• YouTube: 78%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 33% (skews female)
• TikTok: 28% (heaviest in 18–34)
• Snapchat: 26% overall; ~70% among teens
• WhatsApp: 18% (higher among Hispanic residents)
• X/Twitter: 12%
• LinkedIn: 10%
• Nextdoor: 3%

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Marketplace for local news, school and church updates, youth sports, farm/ranch buy–sell–trade, and event coordination.
• Video for utility: YouTube dominates for how-to, repairs, agriculture, hunting/fishing, and product research; longer watch sessions on evenings/weekends.
• Messaging over posting: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat drive most daily interactions; Instagram DMs used by younger adults.
• Youth patterns: Teens split time between Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok (short-form creation/consumption); Instagram used for teams/clubs and aesthetics rather than news.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local classifieds; Instagram used for regional boutiques and side hustles; TikTok increasingly influences impulse buys among 18–34.
• News and alerts: Local updates flow through Facebook pages/groups; X usage is niche (sports, weather, emergency monitors).
• Professional networking: LinkedIn usage is low; adoption clustered among educators, healthcare, and public-sector workers.
• Access realities: Mobile-first behavior due to patchy wired broadband; evening peaks, data-conscious video settings, and offline/low-bandwidth habits are common.
• Culture and language: Family- and church-centered content performs best; bilingual (English/Spanish) posts see strong engagement where relevant.

Sources underpinning estimates: U.S. Census/ACS for population and age structure; Pew Research Center (2023–2024) platform adoption and rural/age skews; NTIA/ACS indicators for rural internet access.