Murray County

Murray County, Oklahoma – key demographics

Population size

• 14,073 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; percentages sum to ~100)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~70–72%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~12–14%
• Two or more races: ~10–12%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–8%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and other: <1% each

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~5,600
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~63–66% of households
• Owner-occupied housing: ~72–76% of occupied units
• Renter-occupied: ~24–28%

Insights

• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with a sizable 65+ share.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a notable American Indian/Alaska Native population and growing multiracial identification.
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy typical of rural counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP02, DP04).

Murray County, OK email landscape (modeled from latest Census/ACS demographics and Pew email-adoption rates):

• Population and density: 13,904 residents (2020 Census) across ~425 sq mi; ~33 people per sq mi. Largest hubs: Sulphur and Davis.
• Estimated email users: ~9,800 adults (≈90% of ~10,900 adults), ~10,500 including teens 13–17.
• Age distribution of email users (reflecting local age mix and age-specific adoption): 18–29: 19%; 30–49: 34%; 50–64: 28%; 65+: 19%. Adoption is near-universal under 50, high in 50–64, and lower—but majority—among 65+.
• Gender split: ~51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s sex ratio; usage rates are essentially even by gender.
• Digital access and trends: ACS data indicate roughly three-quarters of households have a broadband subscription and about nine in ten have a computer or smartphone; roughly one in five households lacks home internet. Access is densest in Sulphur/Davis with expanding fiber along main corridors; outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless or satellite. Broadband adoption has risen steadily since 2018 as rural fiber builds progress.
• Connectivity insight: Low population density and terrain create last‑mile challenges; where fiber is available, email engagement and multi-device use are notably higher.

Murray County, Oklahoma — mobile phone usage summary

Population baseline

• Population: about 13,900 residents (2020 Census), with two small towns (Sulphur and Davis) and a largely rural remainder
• Households: roughly 5,400
• Age mix: ~24% under 18, ~19% age 18–34, ~36% age 35–64, ~21% age 65+

Estimated mobile user base (2025)

• Total mobile phone users (any mobile device): ~11,300 residents (about 81% of the population; ±5% margin)
  • Method: ~95% of adults 18+ use a mobile phone, ~95% of teens 13–17, and ~30% of children 6–12
• Estimated smartphone users: ~10,000 residents (about 72% of the population; ~88–90% of adults, ~95% of teens)

Demographic breakdown of use

• By age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone use (~95%+). Heaviest app, social, and video streaming usage
  • 35–64: high smartphone use (~88–90%), more work and navigation use, heavier data use on commuter corridors
  • 65+: materially lower smartphone use (~65–72%); above-average use of basic/entry smartphones and lower-cost plans
  • Teens 13–17: ~95% have smartphones; high app and video usage with sensitivity to data caps and throttling
• By income and plan type
  • Median household income sits below the Oklahoma median, which correlates with a higher share of prepaid/MVNO plans and lower-cost data tiers than the state average
  • Mobile-only internet reliance (using phones or hotspots as primary home internet) is noticeably higher than statewide, driven by patchy fixed broadband outside Sulphur and Davis
• By community type
  • Town centers (Sulphur, Davis): higher 5G use, more video and hotspotting; better indoor coverage
  • Rural areas and Arbuckle Mountains: more LTE/low‑band 5G usage, conservative data profiles, and device choices optimized for coverage over speed
• By race/ethnicity
  • White non-Hispanic is the largest group, followed by American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic residents; smartphone uptake is broadly similar across groups when controlling for age and income, but infrastructure gaps in rural and tribal-adjacent pockets depress effective use in those areas

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Macro coverage
  • 4G LTE: practical outdoor coverage across most traveled roads and populated areas; indoor coverage weakens in the Arbuckle Mountains, canyons, and lake/recreation zones
  • 5G: low‑band 5G is broadly present; mid‑band 5G is concentrated in Sulphur, Davis, and the I‑35 corridor. Interior rural areas remain LTE‑dominant
• Carriers and performance patterns
  • AT&T and T‑Mobile provide the strongest mid‑band 5G experiences near I‑35 and town centers; Verizon coverage is widespread with emphasis on low‑band 5G/LTE depth
  • Typical user speeds: roughly 50–150 Mbps down in town on mid‑band 5G; 10–40 Mbps on LTE/low‑band 5G in rural areas; single‑digit Mbps in canyon dead zones. Uplink commonly 5–15 Mbps in town and lower elsewhere
• Seasonal load
  • Tourism to Turner Falls Park and Chickasaw National Recreation Area creates predictable weekend/holiday congestion, with reduced speeds and elevated latency around parks, trailheads, lodging clusters, and highway exits
• Backhaul and tower siting
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest along I‑35 and in town centers; interior sites often rely on longer backhaul routes, contributing to variable performance
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Fiber availability is good in parts of Sulphur and Davis, with multiple neighborhoods served by regional providers; cable or VDSL fills some gaps
  • Large rural tracts remain unserved or underserved by fixed broadband; ongoing state and federal funds (e.g., BEAD) target these pockets, but buildouts are phased over several years
  • The patchwork footprint sustains above‑average reliance on mobile hotspots for home, farm, and small business connectivity

How Murray County differs from Oklahoma statewide

• Coverage depth vs breadth: the county has broad outdoor LTE/low‑band 5G coverage but a smaller mid‑band 5G footprint than metro counties, yielding lower median speeds and more indoor dead zones
• Terrain impact: the Arbuckle Mountains and canyons create shadowed areas and fluctuating signal quality uncommon in flatter regions of the state
• Higher prepaid and budget plan mix: income and rural plan preferences tilt usage toward prepaid/MVNO and lower‑cap data plans more than the statewide mix
• Greater mobile-only dependence: a larger share of households rely on mobile service or hotspots for primary internet due to uneven fiber/cable availability outside town limits
• Seasonal congestion profile: tourism-driven surges around recreation assets produce sharper, more localized capacity stress than typical Oklahoma counties

Actionable insights

• Capacity planning should prioritize mid‑band 5G infill in Sulphur, Davis, and along US‑77/OK‑7, plus targeted small cells or carrier-on-wheels near recreation hotspots during peak season
• Rural reliability gains will come from additional low‑band 5G sectors, microwave/fiber backhaul upgrades to interior sites, and elevation-aware siting to reduce canyon shadowing
• Plans and marketing that emphasize generous hotspot data and rural coverage resonate more strongly here than statewide averages
• Coordinating build schedules with ongoing fiber projects can reduce backhaul constraints and improve sustained 5G performance countywide

Murray County, OK social media snapshot (2025)

Scope and method note: County-level social media isn’t directly surveyed. Figures below are modeled local estimates using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. usage rates (with rural adjustments) and Pew’s 2022 teen study, applied to Murray County’s population structure. They are suitable for planning and benchmarking.

Overall user stats

• Adults (18+): ~72% use at least one social platform; daily users ~70% of adult users
• Teens (13–17): ~95% use at least one platform; ~90% use daily
• Average platforms per user: 3–4
• Access: predominantly mobile

Age-group usage (share using any social platform)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 96%
• 30–49: 88%
• 50–64: 72%
• 65+: 50%

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: ~52% female, ~48% male (slight female tilt driven by Facebook/Pinterest; YouTube/Reddit skew male)
• Engagement tendencies: women over-index for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index for YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn

Most-used platforms (estimated reach among local adults; teens listed where meaningfully different)

• YouTube: adults ~80%; teens ~95%
• Facebook: adults ~70%; teens ~30%
• Instagram: adults ~45%; teens ~60%
• TikTok: adults ~30–35%; teens ~65–70%
• Snapchat: adults ~25–30%; teens ~60%
• Pinterest: adults ~30% (majority female)
• WhatsApp: adults ~20–25%
• X (Twitter): adults ~20%
• Reddit: adults ~15–20%
• LinkedIn: adults ~20–25% (concentrated among 25–44)

Behavioral trends observed in comparable rural Oklahoma communities (applicable locally)

• Facebook as the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for local news, school sports, events, and buy/sell; older adults are most active here
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, home/auto repair, outdoors/AG content; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery and shares
• Messaging integration: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary DM channels; many local business interactions start in Messenger
• Local commerce: Facebook and Instagram posts/reels with clear calls (call, message, map click) outperform links; Marketplace is a major driver for service inquiries
• Time-of-day peaks: early morning (commute/school run), lunch, and evening prime time; weekends see stronger family/event content engagement
• Trust and news: local government pages, school districts, county emergency management, and nearby TV stations’ Facebook pages are key information sources
• Creative that works: people-first visuals (staff, owners), before/after, community involvement, and short how-to videos outperform polished ads; boosted posts often outperform complex ad formats for small budgets
• Younger users (teens/20s): Snapchat and TikTok for messaging/entertainment; Instagram for aesthetics, creators, and local lifestyle; Facebook used minimally except for events and family

Note on interpretation: Percentages are best-available local proxies drawn from recent Pew national/rural and teen studies; use them as planning baselines and adjust with your own page insights and ad-platform reporting.