Oklahoma County

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma — Key Demographics

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: 808,000–810,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, PEP, July 1, 2023)
• 2020 Census: 796,292

Age

• Median age: ~34.5 years
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 65 and over: ~14–15%

Gender

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2%

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS 2019–2023)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~52–54%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~14–15%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~19–21%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~4–5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): ~0.2%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~5–7%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~315,000–325,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~60–63% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~32–34%
• Homeownership rate: ~57–59%

Insights

• Large, growing county approaching or just over 0.8 million residents since 2020.
• Relatively young population with a median age in the mid-30s.
• Majority-minority profile driven by sizable Hispanic and Black populations alongside a slim majority of non-Hispanic White residents.
• Household structure is mixed, with roughly three in five households being family households and average household size around 2.5.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP, 2023) and American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Percentages rounded for clarity.

• Estimated email users: ≈600,000 in Oklahoma County (based on ~800,000 residents, ~76% adults, and ~92% adult email adoption).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–29: ~20%
  • 30–49: ~33%
  • 50–64: ~26%
  • 65+: 21% Adoption is highest among 18–49 (98–99%), strong in 50–64 (96%), and slightly lower for 65+ (88–90%).
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s population; adoption is nearly identical by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~88% of households subscribe to broadband; ~94% have a computer/smartphone at home; ~18% are smartphone‑only connections.
  • Fixed broadband availability reaches ~99% of locations at 25/3 Mbps; ~97% at 100/20; gigabit service available to roughly ~90% of households (Cox, AT&T Fiber).
  • Public access: 19 Metropolitan Library System branches in the county offer free Wi‑Fi and computers.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Population density ≈1,120 people per square mile; the county is predominantly urban, supporting high network coverage and email usage.
  • Subscription rates are highest in dense, higher‑income tracts and lower in some south and east‑side tracts, reflecting affordability and device gaps.

Mobile phone usage in Oklahoma County, OK — 2024 snapshot

Overview

• Oklahoma County is the state’s most populous and most urban county (2020 Census population: 796,292), anchoring the Oklahoma City metro. Urban density and competition among national carriers push mobile adoption and performance above statewide averages.

User estimates (how many people actively use mobile phones)

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 520,000–560,000.
  • Method: Adults comprise roughly three‑quarters of the county population. Applying the Pew Research Center’s 2023 U.S. adult smartphone ownership rate (90%) to Oklahoma County’s adult population yields the above range.
• Total active mobile handsets (including teens and secondary lines): on the order of 650,000–750,000.
  • Method: Adds teenage users and a modest share of multi‑line users to the adult estimate; excludes IoT/M2M SIMs.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • Near-saturation among 18–49 year‑olds, high adoption in 50–64, and solid uptake among 65+ (tracking national levels from Pew 2023: ~97% for 18–29, ~96% for 30–49, ~89% for 50–64, and ~76% for 65+). Because Oklahoma County skews younger than the state overall, county smartphone adoption is a few points higher than the statewide average in every working‑age cohort.
• Income and education
  • Higher incidence of smartphone‑only (mobile‑only) internet access in lower‑income and renter households, driven by robust 5G coverage and competitive prepaid/MVNO offers in the metro. This mobile‑first behavior is more common in Oklahoma County than in many rural counties where coverage and device financing options are more limited.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Oklahoma County’s more diverse population (notably larger Black and Hispanic communities than the state average) correlates with greater mobile‑first reliance for home internet and services, consistent with national adoption patterns in these groups.

Digital infrastructure points (coverage, capacity, and service availability)

• 5G coverage and capacity
  • AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide 5G NR. Urban neighborhoods are covered by high‑capacity mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band and 2.5 GHz) with dense site grids; select high‑traffic locations also have mmWave add‑ons for peak capacity. This translates into faster typical speeds and lower latency than the statewide average, especially compared with rural counties.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • 5G Home Internet from T‑Mobile and Verizon is widely marketed in the county. Uptake is notably higher here than statewide because of strong signal quality and dense 5G mid‑band footprints, providing an alternative to cable and fiber for price‑sensitive or highly mobile households.
• Competition with wireline
  • The county benefits from overlapping cable and expanding fiber footprints. Where fiber is present, mobile data offload (Wi‑Fi calling, home Wi‑Fi) is common; where fiber is absent or expensive, reliance on mobile-only or FWA is higher. This competitive dynamic is far stronger than in large parts of the state.
• Public safety and resilience
  • Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are active. Carriers maintain hardened sites along the I‑35/I‑40/I‑44 corridors; outage risk and dead zones are materially lower than in rural Oklahoma.

How Oklahoma County differs from the state overall

• Higher adoption: Smartphone ownership and mobile‑only internet reliance are both several percentage points higher than the statewide average due to a younger, denser, and more diverse population plus better network quality.
• Better performance: Denser 5G mid‑band deployments and more small‑cell infill produce faster median speeds and more reliable indoor coverage than the statewide norm.
• Greater service choice: More competitive postpaid, prepaid, and MVNO offerings, along with viable 5G FWA alternatives, drive higher data consumption and mobile substitution than in rural parts of Oklahoma.

Key takeaways

• Oklahoma County’s mobile market is mature and performance‑led: most adults use smartphones, many households rely on mobile for primary internet, and 5G capacity is materially ahead of the state average.
• The combination of dense mid‑band 5G, strong FWA availability, and overlapping wireline options creates a uniquely competitive environment in Oklahoma County that is not representative of conditions in much of the rest of the state.

Social media usage in Oklahoma County, OK — concise snapshot

Overall user base

• Expected scale: A large majority of adults in the county use at least one social platform. Applying current U.S. adoption rates to the county’s adult population implies roughly one-half million adult social media users locally.
• Device access: Near-universal smartphone access among adults drives always-on consumption and high mobile video share.

Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults who use each; Oklahoma County patterns closely mirror these)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• Nextdoor: 19% Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Locally, Facebook and YouTube anchor reach; Instagram is the leading visual network; TikTok and Snapchat dominate youth attention; Nextdoor is meaningful for neighborhood info.

Age-group patterns (local behavior aligned with national usage)

• 18–29: Heavy daily use of YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; prefers short-form vertical video and DM-based interaction. X and Reddit usage spikes around sports (Oklahoma City Thunder) and gaming.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook are universal utilities; Instagram strong; TikTok adoption moderate and rising; WhatsApp used for family groups; Nextdoor adoption begins for home and school topics.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube are primary; Pinterest and Nextdoor widely used; Instagram moderate; TikTok lower but growing for entertainment/how-to.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; Nextdoor/community pages are common; minimal Snapchat/TikTok.

Gender breakdown (platform skews)

• Overall user mix is close to even male/female locally.
• Skews by platform: Pinterest strongly female; Instagram and Snapchat slightly female; Reddit and X skew male; LinkedIn roughly balanced; Facebook broadly balanced but leans slightly female in posting/engagement.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community and information: Facebook Groups and Pages function as the county’s de facto bulletin board for neighborhoods, schools, churches, municipal updates, and buy/sell; Nextdoor supports hyperlocal safety and HOA topics.
• Weather-driven surges: Severe weather and tornado season reliably spike real-time engagement on Facebook, X, and YouTube, with strong followings for local meteorologists and NWS Norman updates.
• Local commerce and culture: Restaurants, venues, and small businesses rely on Facebook + Instagram for discovery; short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) materially lifts reach and conversions for food, events, fitness, and services in OKC/Edmond/Bethany corridors.
• Sports and events: OKC Thunder and OU/OSU sports drive peaks on X, Reddit, and Instagram; game days and playoffs concentrate conversation and second-screen use.
• Content formats: Short-form vertical video is the top engagement format across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts; carousels and Stories perform well on Instagram for promotions; live video performs during breaking news/weather.
• Timing: Evenings (6–10 pm) and weekends show the highest interaction; school calendar and weather cycles create predictable seasonality in reach and responses.

Notes on data

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center (2024) U.S. adult usage and are the best available benchmarks; county-level platform shares track these closely given Oklahoma County’s urban/suburban profile and demographics.