Noble County

Key demographics for Noble County, Oklahoma (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates unless noted):

• Population
  • Total population: ~11.4k
  • Population density: ~20 people per square mile
• Age
  • Median age: ~39–40 years
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 65 and over: ~18–19%
• Sex
  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%
• Race and ethnicity
  • White (non‑Hispanic): ~74–76%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~9–11%
  • Two or more races: ~10–12%
  • Black: ~1–2%
  • Asian: <1%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~7–9%
• Households and housing
  • Households: ~4,500
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~66%
  • Married‑couple families: ~50%
  • Homeownership rate: ~75–77%
  • Median household income: ~$55k–$60k
  • Persons in poverty: ~13–15%

Insights:

• Older age profile than the Oklahoma average (median age ~36–37 statewide), with a relatively large 65+ share.
• Homeownership is high versus state and national norms.
• Racial/ethnic mix is predominantly non‑Hispanic White with a notably higher American Indian/Alaska Native share than the U.S. average and a modest Hispanic/Latino presence.

• Scope: Noble County, Oklahoma (2020 Census pop. 11,561; ~742 sq mi), density ≈15.6 residents per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~9,000 residents (≈78% of total population), derived from county age structure and U.S. adoption rates (≈95% of adults and ~75% of ages 13–17 use email).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 13–17: ~5%
  • 18–34: ~24%
  • 35–49: ~23%
  • 50–64: ~26%
  • 65+: ~22%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% women, ~49% men (mirrors county demographics; email adoption is near-parity by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~90% of households have a computer.
  • ~78% of households maintain a home broadband subscription; ~85–88% have any internet subscription.
  • ~13% are smartphone‑only internet households (no wired broadband).
  • Broadband subscription rates have risen roughly 4–6 percentage points since 2019, with gains concentrated in and around population centers.
• Connectivity context: Service is densest in and near towns along the I‑35 corridor, while sparse, agricultural areas face higher last‑mile costs and rely more on fixed wireless and mobile data, influencing email access patterns and frequency of use.

Below is a concise, decision-ready profile of mobile phone usage in Noble County, Oklahoma. Where county-level usage data are not published directly, estimates are derived from the 2020 Decennial Census, 2022 ACS 5‑year indicators on device/Internet access, and recent (2023) U.S. smartphone adoption benchmarks, adjusted for Noble County’s rural age-income profile. Population counts are from the 2020 Census.

Headline snapshot

• Population: 11,561 (2020); land area ~740 sq mi; county seat: Perry
• Settlement pattern: Small towns (Perry, Morrison, Red Rock, Billings, Marland) separated by large rural tracts; I‑35 runs north–south through Perry

User estimates and adoption

• Adult smartphone users: ~7,100–7,600 adults (roughly 80–86% of adults), reflecting lower rural adoption than Oklahoma’s urban corridors but broadly in line with rural state peers
• Total mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~8,600–9,000 residents (roughly 90–95% of adults), slightly below the Oklahoma statewide adult rate
• Households primarily relying on cellular data for home internet (“mobile-only” or “smartphone-only” internet): ~24–29% of households in Noble County, versus roughly 18–22% statewide
• Prepaid share: Elevated relative to statewide average (by an estimated 5–8 percentage points), consistent with rural incomes and coverage-driven plan selection

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone adoption (~93–97%); heavy app/social/video use; high mobile data consumption
  • 35–64: High adoption (~85–90%); mix of postpaid and prepaid; frequent hotspot use where home broadband is weak
  • 65+: Moderate adoption (~60–70%); text/voice-first with growing telehealth and messaging; lower data usage but rising year over year
• Income and education
  • Low-to-moderate income households show higher mobile-only dependence than the state average; device financing and prepaid/MVNO plans are common
  • Households without a computer but with a smartphone are overrepresented versus statewide, raising reliance on phones for school and work tasks
• Race/ethnicity
  • Native American and Hispanic households (each a meaningful share locally) show above-average smartphone dependence and above-average mobile-only home internet usage compared with county averages, mirroring statewide patterns for these groups but with slightly higher mobile-only reliance in Noble County

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint
  • 5G is available primarily along the I‑35 corridor and in/near Perry; LTE remains the de facto layer in outlying areas
  • Outside towns and the interstate corridor, low‑band LTE coverage is generally present but with capacity constraints; mid‑band 5G availability is limited and spotty off-corridor
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical real‑world downloads in towns and along I‑35: often 50–150 Mbps on 5G and 20–80 Mbps on LTE; outside towns, speeds drop and fluctuate more (single‑digit to ~30 Mbps common during peak periods)
  • Uplink performance in rural sectors is frequently the bottleneck for video calls and telehealth
• Tower density and backhaul
  • Macro sites are clustered along I‑35, highways, and around Perry; fewer macro sites cover broad rural areas with larger cells, which limits capacity even when signal is “good”
  • Microwave backhaul remains in use on rural sectors; fiber‑fed sites are concentrated near the interstate and town centers
• Home broadband interplay
  • Fiber and cable are available in parts of Perry; DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite are more common outside town limits
  • Where fixed broadband options are slow or unavailable, residents hotspot phones for home connectivity, pushing up the county’s mobile-only share

How Noble County differs from Oklahoma overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: Noble County’s share of households primarily using cellular for home internet is several points higher than the statewide average, driven by patchier fixed broadband outside Perry
• More LTE dependence: 5G access is meaningfully more concentrated to the I‑35 corridor than in metro Oklahoma; LTE capacity limitations shape user experience in rural tracts
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration among seniors: The 65+ adoption gap versus the Oklahoma average is wider, reflecting the county’s older age structure and rural tech-support constraints
• Heavier prepaid/MVNO usage and Android skew: Price sensitivity and coverage-driven plan selection are more pronounced than in metro counties
• Greater variability in performance: Speed and reliability vary more by location and time of day than in urban areas, influencing plan choice and device behavior (e.g., aggressive video downscaling, offline media use)

Practical implications

• Network investments with the highest impact: Additional mid‑band 5G sectors and fiber backhaul on rural sites will yield disproportionate gains versus more low‑band coverage
• Public services and telehealth: Sustained support for mobile-friendly service delivery is critical, especially for seniors and mobile-only households
• Affordability programs: Enrollment in ACP successor programs and carrier assistance plans will materially affect connectivity outcomes in Noble County given its above-average prepaid and mobile-only profiles

Key figures to use operationally

• Adult smartphone users: ~7.1k–7.6k
• Mobile-only households: roughly one in four to one in three
• 5G coverage: strong along I‑35/Perry, limited off-corridor; LTE remains the workhorse countywide

These figures reflect 2020 population baselines, 2022 ACS household device/Internet indicators, and 2023 U.S. smartphone adoption rates adjusted for Noble County’s rural and age mix to highlight differences from statewide patterns.

Social media usage in Noble County, Oklahoma (modeled 2024 snapshot)

User base

• Population base: 11,561 residents (2020 Census)
• Residents age 13+: ~9,700
• Social media users (13+): ~7,600
• Daily active social media users: ~5,100

Most-used platforms among local social media users

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 45%
• TikTok: 37%
• Snapchat: 34%
• Pinterest: 28%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• LinkedIn: 17%
• Reddit: 14%
• Nextdoor: 9%

Age-group adoption (share of residents in each band using at least one platform)

• 13–17: ~95% use social media; heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook light
• 18–29: ~90%; YouTube, Instagram, TikTok dominant; Snapchat active; Facebook secondary
• 30–49: ~85%; Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok growing via Reels/shorts
• 50–64: ~73%; Facebook and YouTube primary; Pinterest meaningful among women
• 65+: ~50%; Facebook for family/community, YouTube for news/how‑to; limited TikTok/Instagram

Gender breakdown

• Overall share of local social media users: ~53% women, ~47% men
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Facebook over-index among women; YouTube slightly male-skewed; Reddit and X skew male; Instagram/TikTok close to gender-parity

Behavioral trends observed in rural Oklahoma communities of similar size, applied locally

• Community hubs: Facebook Groups and Pages for schools, churches, youth sports, county offices, and events drive the highest organic reach and discussion
• Marketplace-first shopping: Heavy use of Facebook Marketplace for vehicles, farm/ranch equipment, tools, pets/livestock, and household goods
• Short-form video lift: Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, and TikTok outperform static posts for local businesses, events, and sports highlights
• Utility content wins: YouTube “how‑to,” home/auto repair, farm equipment maintenance, weather tracking, and local sports streams see consistent watch time
• Messaging fabric: Facebook Messenger broadly used; Snapchat is the default for teens/young adults; WhatsApp usage remains low
• Local news and safety: Severe weather, school updates, road closures, and emergency notices reliably spike engagement; trust is highest for posts from known local institutions and voices
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work (6–8 AM) and in the evening (7–10 PM), with weekend mornings strong for community and Marketplace posts
• Cross-posting matters: Repurposing short videos and flyers across Facebook Groups, Instagram, and TikTok boosts reach; purely text-based updates underperform

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates for Noble County derived from the county’s 2020 Census population and age structure combined with recent Pew Research Center and similar U.S. rural social media benchmarks. Percentages reflect platform reach among local social media users, not the total population.