Le Flore County

Le Flore County, Oklahoma – key demographics

Population

• Total population: 48,129 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~39–40 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census; race alone unless noted; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White: ~71%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~16–17%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~8–9%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~7%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~18,700
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68–70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~49%
• Nonfamily households: ~30–32%
• Average family size: ~3.1

Insights

• Population is modest and relatively stable compared with 2010, with a slightly older age profile than the state overall.
• Substantial American Indian population reflects the area’s tribal presence (notably the Choctaw Nation).
• Household size is near the U.S. average, with a majority of households being family households.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Le Flore County, OK — email usage snapshot

• Population baseline: 48,129 (2020 Census); adults (18+): ~36,500.
• Estimated adult email users: ~32,400 (≈89% of adults), derived from Pew’s age-based adoption applied to the county age mix.
• Age distribution of email users (est.): 18–34 ≈ 9,100 (28%); 35–54 ≈ 10,800 (33%); 55–64 ≈ 4,300 (13%); 65+ ≈ 8,200 (25%).
• Gender split among users: ≈50% female, 50% male, mirroring the county’s near-even sex ratio.
• Digital access trends: ~86% of households have a computer and ~74% maintain a broadband subscription; access has risen over the past five years but remains below urban Oklahoma levels. Mobile-only and satellite/DSL connections are common outside town centers, shaping heavier email use on smartphones.
• Local density/connectivity context: ~30 residents per square mile across ~1,589 sq mi; dispersed settlement and Ouachita Mountain terrain drive higher last‑mile costs and uneven fixed broadband performance beyond Poteau, Heavener, and other hubs.

Bottom line: Roughly 32k adults in Le Flore County use email, with strongest penetration among ages 18–54 and slightly lower—but still substantial—use among seniors, constrained primarily by rural connectivity rather than interest.

Mobile phone usage in Le Flore County, OK — 2024 snapshot

Headline estimates (people and households)

• Population base: ~48,500 residents; ~38,000 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: ~31,000–33,000 (about 82–86% of adults).
• Teens (12–17) with smartphones: ~3,000–3,300 (about 90–95%).
• Total smartphone users (all ages): roughly 34,000–36,000 residents.
• Wireless-only (no landline) adults: ~75–80%—among the highest in the country and a bit above the Oklahoma average.
• Households: ~18,500.
• Households relying on a cellular data plan as their only internet (“smartphone-only” internet): 22–26% (about 4,100–4,900 households), materially higher than the Oklahoma average (17–19%).
• Households with any home broadband (cable/DSL/fiber/fixed wireless, excluding cellular-only): 65–70%, below the state average (78–80%).

How Le Flore County differs from Oklahoma overall

• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance: About one in four households rely solely on mobile data for home internet vs roughly one in five statewide.
• Lower fixed-broadband adoption: Home broadband subscription lags the state by 8–12 percentage points, pushing more everyday connectivity onto mobile networks.
• More coverage gaps and variable speeds: Terrain and low population density create dead zones outside towns and along forested stretches; median LTE speeds trend lower than the state’s urban/suburban medians.
• Greater prepaid and budget-plan use: A larger share of users are on prepaid or discounted plans, reflecting lower household incomes and the phase-out of the federal ACP benefit in 2024.
• Heavier mobile hotspot usage: Students and workers more often tether for school and remote work than in metro Oklahoma.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership (90%+). High app/social/video use; frequent hotspotting when fixed broadband is unavailable.
  • 35–64: High ownership (85–90%). Significant smartphone-only internet among service, retail, and outdoor workers who move between coverage areas.
  • 65+: Ownership around 60–65%, lower than the state average. This group accounts for most of the non-users; many rely on basic voice/text or share devices within households.
• Income
  • Low-income households (<$35k, a larger share locally than statewide): Smartphone ownership is high (~80–85%), but only ~50–55% have home broadband. About 30% in this group rely on smartphone-only internet.
  • Middle-income: More mixed; smartphone-only use still above state norms because fixed options are limited or costly in rural tracts.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Native American (notably within Choctaw Nation areas, 15–18% of the population): Smartphone ownership comparable to county average but with higher smartphone-only reliance (28–32%) due to fixed-broadband gaps in rural communities.
  • Hispanic (6–8%): High smartphone ownership (90%+), with smartphone-only internet common (30%+).
  • White non-Hispanic (majority): Patterns mirror county aggregate; rural location is the primary driver of smartphone-only use rather than ethnicity.
• Households with children: Elevated smartphone and hotspot use for homework; K–12 device programs often assume smartphone backup when home broadband is absent.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage in and between towns (Poteau, Spiro, Heavener, Talihina) and along US-59/US-271, with gaps in hilly/forested areas of the Ouachita foothills and along lesser-traveled county roads.
  • 5G: Low-band/“extended range” present in population centers and major corridors; mid-band 5G (with 100–300 Mbps-class performance) is spotty outside Poteau and select corridors. Overall 5G availability and performance are below metro Oklahoma.
• Speeds and reliability
  • Typical LTE downlink: ~20–40 Mbps in towns; lower at edges and indoors in older buildings. 5G low-band often in the 40–80 Mbps range; mid-band peaks higher where available but is limited in footprint.
  • Network variability: Noticeable slowdowns during school commute windows and evening video hours; rain and foliage can degrade fringe-area signal quality.
• Carriers and public safety
  • National carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, T-Mobile, Verizon) dominate; rural macro sites are the backbone, with limited small-cell density.
  • FirstNet coverage for public safety is established along main corridors; off-corridor handheld coverage for first responders can still require vehicle boosters.
• Fixed-broadband interplay
  • Fiber buildout remains selective; cable/fixed wireless cover towns and some subdivisions. Many rural addresses lack affordable wired options, sustaining high smartphone-only rates.
  • State and federal funds (e.g., BEAD) are targeting southeastern Oklahoma; as fiber extends down spurs from highways, expect gradual reductions in smartphone-only reliance over 2025–2028.
• Community access
  • Schools, libraries, and tribal/community centers provide key Wi‑Fi points; mobile hotspots were widely distributed during and after the pandemic and continue to bridge gaps.

Behavioral and market insights

• Device mix: Android share is relatively higher than state metros due to price sensitivity; midrange 5G devices predominate.
• Plan selection: Prepaid and MVNO brands (e.g., Cricket, Metro, Straight Talk) have strong traction; multi-line family discounts and unlimited tiers are common responses to hotspot needs.
• Use cases: Navigation, messaging, social video, and telehealth are heavy drivers. Telehealth usage particularly benefits from carrier partnerships that zero-rate or optimize traffic.
• Affordability pressure: The 2024 lapse of the ACP subsidy increased plan downgrades and prompted shifts to lower-cost carriers; some households reduced home broadband and leaned more on mobile data.

What to watch (next 2–3 years)

• As fiber and licensed fixed wireless reach more rural addresses via BEAD-funded builds, smartphone-only households should decline toward the state average.
• Additional mid-band 5G sites along US-59/US-271 will lift median speeds and indoor coverage in Poteau-adjacent tracts; dead zones in the foothills will persist without new macro towers.
• Public safety coverage improvements (FirstNet and signal-boosting in vehicles/stations) will modestly improve fringe-area reliability, with spillover benefits to consumer networks where sites are shared.

Bottom line

• Le Flore County is more mobile-dependent than Oklahoma overall, with roughly one in four households using cellular data as their only internet and a larger prepaid footprint.
• Coverage and speeds are adequate in towns and along corridors but notably uneven in rural terrain, reinforcing smartphone reliance where fixed broadband lags.
• Near-term infrastructure investments should narrow the gap with state averages, but the county’s geography means mobile-network quality will continue to vary more than in urban Oklahoma.

Social media usage in Le Flore County, OK (2025 snapshot)

User base

• Population: 48,129 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): roughly 36,000.
• Adult social media users: about 28,000–30,000 (≈80% of adults; in line with Pew 2024 rural-adult adoption of “any social media”).

Age groups (share of adults who use at least one social platform; Pew 2024)

• 18–29: ≈95%
• 30–49: ≈90%
• 50–64: ≈75–80%
• 65+: ≈50–55%

Gender breakdown

• County population is roughly even by sex (about 51% female, 49% male), and the active social audience mirrors this.
• Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit/X. Engagement skews female for local shopping, events, schools, and faith/community content; male skew for sports, outdoors, and how-to video.

Most-used platforms (rural U.S. adults; closest analogue for Le Flore County; Pew 2024). Local usage tracks these levels, with Facebook slightly higher and Instagram/TikTok slightly lower than large metros:

• YouTube: about 80–83% of adults
• Facebook: about 66–72%
• Instagram: about 30–40%
• Pinterest: about 30–36% (notably higher among women)
• TikTok: about 24–30%
• Snapchat: about 20–27% (concentrated under 35)
• X (Twitter): about 15–21%
• LinkedIn: about 15–20% (lowest in rural areas)
• Reddit: about 12–16%
• Nextdoor: under 10%

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: buy/sell/trade groups, school athletics, church and civic updates, public safety alerts, and local events. Facebook Events and Groups drive reach more than brand Pages alone.
• Video is the default: short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts; under-30s prefer creator-style, candid clips.
• YouTube is a “TV replacement”: strong use for news recaps, high school sports highlights, hunting/fishing, DIY, and equipment repair how-tos.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is a primary channel for inquiries, appointments, and customer service for small businesses.
• Timing: engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm CT) and weekends; midday weekday posts underperform outside of school/municipal notices.
• Commerce and causes: local giveaways, fundraisers, and seasonal promotions get high share/reshare rates; authenticity and local faces outperform polished creative.
• Youth split: teens/young adults center on Snapchat (friends, chat) and TikTok (trends, challenges), with cross-posting to Instagram Reels; school teams and clubs drive much of their local engagement.
• Interests: outdoors/land management, trucks/ATVs, home improvement, recipes/crafts (Pinterest), and regional events (fairs, rodeos, festivals) consistently trend.

Notes on methodology

• Population and adult composition: U.S. Census Bureau (2020).
• Platform percentages and age adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (rural crosstabs). Local figures are anchored to these verified rates and adjusted to Le Flore County’s size and rural profile.