Nowata County

Key demographics for Nowata County, Oklahoma

Source note: Population from 2020 Decennial Census; all other figures are U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Population

• Total population: 8,251 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

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

• White: ~65%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~16%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Some other race: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~16%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6%

Households

• Total households: ~3,350
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Married-couple households: ~48% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Nonfamily households: ~39%; one-person households: ~30%; living alone 65+: ~13%
• Homeownership rate: ~74% owner-occupied; ~26% renter-occupied

Insights

• Older age profile than the U.S. overall (median age ~43 vs. U.S. ~39).
• Predominantly White with a sizable American Indian/Alaska Native population and notable multiracial share.
• High homeownership and a majority of family/Married-couple households reflect a rural household structure.

• Scope: Nowata County, Oklahoma (2020 pop. ≈9,320; land area ≈566 sq mi), density ≈16.5 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈6,200 adults.
  • Method: 77% of residents are 18+ (7,200); applying typical rural U.S. email adoption yields ~86–90% of adults using email.
• Age distribution of email users (share ≈ count):
  • 18–34: ~22% ≈ 1,360
  • 35–54: ~37% ≈ 2,270
  • 55–64: ~21% ≈ 1,280
  • 65+: ~21% ≈ 1,290
  • Insight: Seniors are a smaller share of email users than of the adult population due to lower adoption, but they still represent roughly one-fifth of users.
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (3,150) and 49% male (3,050), mirroring the adult population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~74% of households subscribe to broadband; ~87% have a computer.
  • An estimated 15–18% are smartphone-only internet users, indicating reliance on mobile data where fixed service is limited.
  • Low population density raises last‑mile costs, keeping subscription rates below urban Oklahoma; uptake is growing gradually as fiber and fixed‑wireless expand.
• Practical takeaway: Email reach to adults is high (~85–90%), with strongest penetration among ages 18–54 and slightly lower among 65+.

Summary Mobile phone usage in Nowata County, OK is high but trails statewide patterns in both adoption and network quality, with heavier reliance on cellular data for home internet and slower 5G rollout than the Oklahoma average. The county’s older age structure, lower median income, and sparse settlement outside a few towns shape these differences.

User estimates

• Adult mobile users: 5,600–6,500 residents (about 82–86% of adults), below the Oklahoma adult smartphone adoption level (~88–90%).
• Smartphone share among mobile users: ~90–92% smartphones, 8–10% basic/feature phones; the basic-phone share is a few points higher than the statewide average due to older users.
• Household device and plan adoption (ACS-based small-area estimates, 2018–2022 5-year):
  • Households with at least one smartphone: ~80–85% (state ~86–90%).
  • Households with a cellular data plan: ~60–70% (state ~68–75%).
  • “Cellular-data-only” (no fixed broadband at home, relies on mobile plans): ~18–22% of households (state ~14–16%).
• Prepaid vs postpaid: Prepaid likely 40–50% of lines (state ~30–35%), reflecting income sensitivity and patchier 5G coverage that reduces the appeal of premium unlimited plans.

Demographic breakdown driving usage

• Age: A larger 55+ share than the state average reduces overall smartphone adoption. Estimated smartphone adoption among seniors in the county is ~60–70% versus ~75% statewide, with more basic phones retained for voice/SMS.
• Income/education: Lower median income and lower postsecondary attainment correlate with:
  • Higher prepaid plan usage.
  • Higher smartphone-only internet reliance.
  • Older device mix and slower upgrade cycles (fewer 5G-capable handsets).
• Household type: More single-adult and senior households increase voice/SMS-centric usage and reduce multi-line family plans relative to state averages.
• Rurality: Outside town centers, weaker signal quality reduces heavy video usage and nudges users to data-thrifty behaviors (Wi‑Fi offload when available, lower-bitrate streaming).

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network technologies available:
  • 4G LTE: Broad outdoor coverage along US‑169, US‑60, OK‑28, and in towns (Nowata, South Coffeyville, Delaware, Lenapah, Wann). Coverage becomes spotty in low-lying or heavily wooded areas and low-density western and northern parts of the county.
  • 5G NR: Present primarily in/near Nowata, South Coffeyville, and along US‑169/US‑60 corridors; limited or absent in outlying areas. Many locations see 5G outdoors with fallback to LTE indoors.
• Capacity and speeds (user-experienced ranges):
  • LTE: Typically 10–30 Mbps down, single-digit to teens up; occasional drops below 5 Mbps at cell edges or in peak hours.
  • 5G (where available): Often 50–150 Mbps down, 10–25 Mbps up; performance depends on proximity to highway corridors and sites with mid-band spectrum.
• Sites and backhaul:
  • The county is served by a modest number of macro towers concentrated near highways and towns; backhaul is a mix of fiber along main corridors and microwave in rural spans. Small-cell density is minimal outside town centers.
• Carriers:
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the most consistent footprint countywide; T‑Mobile coverage is stronger along US‑169 and town centers but thins faster off-corridor than the state average.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence supports public-safety coverage but does not fully resolve rural capacity gaps for consumers.
• Fixed-broadband interplay:
  • Patchy fiber/cable outside towns leads to elevated mobile substitution for home internet. Where DSL or fixed wireless is the only alternative, households more often rely on smartphone hotspots or cellular home internet.
• Reliability:
  • Weather and power events can degrade rural sectors disproportionately due to microwave backhaul links and fewer redundant sites compared with metro Oklahoma.

What’s notably different from the Oklahoma state-level picture

• Adoption: Overall adult mobile and smartphone adoption is a few points lower than statewide, with a distinctly higher basic-phone share among seniors.
• Access mode: A higher fraction of households rely on cellular data as their primary or only home internet, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband.
• Network experience: 5G availability and indoor 5G usability lag the state average, so more usage occurs on LTE, with lower median speeds and more variability off the main corridors.
• Plan mix and spend: Greater prepaid share, tighter data budgets, and slower handset refresh cycles than the statewide pattern.
• Usage patterns: More voice/SMS and conservative data use; streaming and gaming upticks are concentrated near highway-adjacent sectors where mid-band 5G is live.

Sources and methods

• Estimates synthesized from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022 5‑year Table S2801 (computer/smartphone and internet subscription), Pew Research Center smartphone adoption benchmarks (2023), FCC Broadband Data Collection coverage patterns (2023–2024), and typical rural network performance envelopes for northeastern Oklahoma. Figures are expressed as best-available county-level estimates and ranges appropriate to small-area data.

Nowata County, OK social media usage (2024, modeled from latest Pew Research Center platform adoption and 2023 ACS demographics for rural Oklahoma)

Most‑used platforms (adults 18+, monthly reach, estimated)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 32%
• TikTok: 30%
• Snapchat: 24%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Reddit: 16%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• WhatsApp: 15%
• Nextdoor: 8%

User stats and audience mix

• Adult population baseline used for modeling: roughly 6.8–7.1k adults (18+) in a county of ~9.0–9.4k residents
• Primary access: smartphone-first usage is prevalent; home broadband rates are below urban OK averages, but overall internet access is sufficient to support mainstream social platforms
• Typical daily social use: Facebook and YouTube dominate daily reach; Instagram and TikTok are checked daily by most of their users even if overall user bases are smaller

Age‑group patterns (estimated reach within each age band)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~92%, Instagram ~75%, TikTok ~70%, Snapchat ~65%, Facebook ~60%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~88%, Facebook ~78%, Instagram ~50%, TikTok ~35%, Snapchat ~28%, Pinterest ~35%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~78%, Facebook ~73%, Pinterest ~33%, Instagram ~28%, TikTok ~18%
• Ages 65+: Facebook ~66%, YouTube ~65%, Pinterest ~25%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10%

Gender breakdown of user bases (share of each platform’s users in the county)

• Facebook: ~56% women, 44% men
• YouTube: ~45% women, 55% men
• Instagram: ~55% women, 45% men
• TikTok: ~55% women, 45% men
• Snapchat: ~55% women, 45% men
• Pinterest: ~75% women, 25% men
• X (Twitter): ~40% women, 60% men
• Reddit: ~30% women, 70% men
• LinkedIn: ~46% women, 54% men
• WhatsApp: ~48% women, 52% men

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Oklahoma counties and applicable locally

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement in local groups (schools, sports, churches, civic info), Buy/Sell/Trade, and Marketplace for classifieds
• YouTube is primarily for consumption, not posting: local sports, DIY, faith content, and regional news/weather are top categories
• Short‑form video growth: Reels and TikTok drive discovery for local businesses and events; cross‑posting from Instagram to Facebook extends reach
• Messaging is fragmented: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat dominates quick messaging among teens/young adults; WhatsApp is niche but used for family/shift‑work coordination
• News and alerts: Facebook pages/groups and X are used for severe‑weather updates, outages, school closings, and road conditions
• Posting vs lurking: most residents are viewers rather than frequent posters; a minority of highly active community members and small businesses generate a disproportionate share of local content
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the leading local e‑commerce channel; Instagram is secondary for boutiques and services; TikTok is used for promotion but transactions tend to close on Facebook or in person
• Timing: peak engagement occurs early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.), aligning with shift and farm/ranch work schedules
• Trust dynamics: content from known local individuals, schools, churches, and county/city pages is trusted more than anonymous pages; video/live streams increase credibility and reach

Notes on method

• Percentages are county‑level estimates derived from 2023–2024 Pew Research Center platform penetration, adjusted for rural demographics and age structure typical of Nowata County (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 ACS), and known rural/OK usage differentials
• Platform user gender skews reflect consistent national patterns applied to the county’s user bases
• Where county‑specific measurement is unavailable, estimates are rounded to whole numbers for clarity and decision‑making consistency