Texas County

Texas County, Oklahoma — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year; population level cross-checked with 2020 Decennial Census)

Population size

• Total population: ~21,300 (roughly stable since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~32 years
• Under 18: ~28%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~11%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race/ethnicity

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~55–57%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~33–36%
• Black or African American: ~2–4%
• Asian: ~3–5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1–3%
• Two or more races: ~2–4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0–0.2%

Households and housing

• Number of households: ~7,000–7,300
• Average household size: ~3.0
• Family households: ~70–73% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~40–45%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~65–70%; renter-occupied: ~30–35%
• Average family size: ~3.5–3.7

Insights

• Texas County is majority Hispanic/Latino, driven by meat-processing and agricultural employment.
• Young working-age profile with a relatively low median age and slightly male-skewed population.
• Larger-than-average household and family sizes, with high prevalence of family households and children.

Texas County, OK snapshot (2020 Census base: 21,384; land ~2,040 sq mi; density ~10–11 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users

• Adults ≈ 15,300; adult email adoption ≈ 92% (Pew) → ≈ 14,000–14,500 users

Age distribution of email users (estimated share of users)

• 18–34: ~28%
• 35–54: ~36%
• 55–64: ~17%
• 65+: ~19% (Usage is near-universal among 18–54; modestly lower but substantial among 65+)

Gender split (estimated among users)

• Male ~51%
• Female ~49% (Reflects local demographics; usage rates are similar by gender)

Digital access and trends

• Broadband subscription: ~78–80% of households (ACS-style county benchmark)
• Computer access in households: ~90%+; smartphone access is widespread, with ~15–20% of adults likely smartphone‑dependent for internet
• Connectivity is strongest in and around Guymon; fixed wireless and satellite fill rural gaps
• Ongoing fiber and higher-speed upgrades along main corridors (e.g., US‑54/US‑412) support stable email use and larger attachments

Insights

• Despite rural density, email penetration is high, driven by workplace communication and mobile access.
• Optimize for mobile-first email (short, lightweight, readable on phones) to reach the broadest share.

Mobile phone usage in Texas County, Oklahoma — 2024 snapshot

Population context

• Population: 21,384 (2020 Census); 2023 ACS indicates a slight decline toward roughly 20–21k residents. About 7,000–7,500 households.
• Demographics: Approximately half of residents are Hispanic or Latino (about 4x the statewide share). Foreign-born residents are roughly one-quarter of the population (vs ~6% statewide). Median age is low 30s (younger than Oklahoma overall), reflecting a large working-age population centered in and around Guymon.

User estimates (people and households)

• Adults with a mobile phone: ~14,700–15,000 adults (≈95% of the ~15.5–16k adults).
• Smartphone users (total): ~14,500–15,500 (combining adults and most teens). This implies adult smartphone penetration around 86–88%, with very high teen adoption.
• Wireless-only (voice) adults: ~75–80% of adults rely exclusively on wireless for voice (notably higher than the Oklahoma average, which is already among the highest in the U.S.).
• Mobile-only internet households: ~24–28% (≈1,700–2,000 households) rely on a cellular data plan as their primary/only internet at home, higher than the statewide ~16–20%.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age: The county’s younger median age pushes overall smartphone adoption up; seniors 65+ lag but still trend upward year over year.
• Ethnicity and nativity: With a much larger Hispanic and foreign-born population than the state average, usage skews toward:
  • Android devices and prepaid plans (Cricket, Metro by T‑Mobile, Boost) due to price sensitivity and family plan structures.
  • Over-indexing on OTT messaging (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger) and cross‑border calling/remittance apps.
• Income/education: A higher share of shift and hourly workers correlates with heavier reliance on mobile data for everyday connectivity (banking, school portals, job apps), and a materially higher rate of smartphone-only households than the state.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • 4G LTE from AT&T and Verizon covers nearly all populated areas; T‑Mobile provides solid service in towns and along highways but with more gaps off-corridor.
  • 5G low‑band covers Guymon, Hooker, Texhoma, and major corridors; true mid‑band 5G (C‑band/n41) is limited—generally small pockets in and near Guymon—with countywide population coverage well under one-third.
• Capacity and speeds (typical observed ranges):
  • LTE: ~10–35 Mbps down in towns/corridors; lower at the fringes and indoors in metal buildings common to industrial sites.
  • 5G low‑band: ~30–80 Mbps down, good reach but modest capacity.
  • 5G mid‑band (where present): ~200–400 Mbps down, but geographically sparse.
• Cell-site density and backhaul:
  • An estimated 35–45 macro cell sites countywide (roughly 1.7–2.2 sites per 100 square miles), concentrated along US‑54/64/412 and in towns.
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest in/around Guymon (supported by local providers such as the Panhandle cooperative), enabling 5G upgrades; microwave backhaul is still common on rural sites, constraining capacity.
• Fixed wireless/home internet:
  • 5G/4G fixed wireless is available in Guymon and select nearby areas; availability drops off quickly outside towns. This contributes to elevated mobile‑only internet reliance in rural parts of the county.

How Texas County differs from Oklahoma overall

• More mobile‑dependent: Higher shares of wireless‑only voice users and mobile‑only internet households than statewide, driven by income mix, rental patterns, and patchier wireline broadband outside town centers.
• Infrastructure asymmetry: Significantly less mid‑band 5G coverage than Oklahoma City/Tulsa metros; LTE remains the primary workhorse outside population centers.
• Market mix: A larger prepaid and Android footprint than the state average, aligned with the county’s higher Hispanic/foreign‑born share and cost‑sensitive adoption patterns.
• Younger, working‑age skew: A younger median age and shift‑work economy translate to high smartphone penetration and heavy app‑centric communications, especially WhatsApp and social platforms, relative to state norms.

Key takeaways

• Roughly 15k residents in Texas County use smartphones, and about three-quarters of adults are wireless‑only for voice.
• One in four households effectively relies on mobile data for home internet, a higher rate than the state at large.
• LTE coverage is broad where people live, but mid‑band 5G capacity is limited to small pockets, keeping average speeds and indoor performance below what’s typical in Oklahoma’s metro areas.
• Device and plan choices skew toward Android and prepaid, with strong adoption of cross‑border messaging and financial apps reflecting the county’s unique demographic profile.

Social media usage in Texas County, Oklahoma (2024, best-available estimates)

Snapshot

• Adult residents (18+): roughly 15–16k; adult social media users: about 11.5–12.5k (≈75–80% adoption).
• Demographic context: majority Hispanic/Latino population and a large shift-work labor force shape platform and language preferences (English and Spanish).

Age profile of adult social media users (share of users)

• 18–29: 27–30%
• 30–49: 35–38%
• 50–64: 22–24%
• 65+: 12–14% Adoption rates by age (approx.): 18–29 ≈90%+, 30–49 ≈85–90%, 50–64 ≈70–75%, 65+ ≈45–55%.

Gender breakdown (share of users)

• Women: 51–53%
• Men: 47–49% Patterns: women lead on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men lead on YouTube, X, and Reddit.

Most-used platforms (adult penetration, percent of adults)

• YouTube: 78–84%
• Facebook: 66–72%
• Instagram: 40–46%
• TikTok: 32–38%
• Snapchat: 28–34%
• WhatsApp: 24–30% (elevated by Hispanic usage and cross‑border family ties)
• Pinterest: 24–30%
• X (Twitter): 14–18%
• LinkedIn: 12–16% Note: Among teens/early 20s, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok dominate daily use; Facebook use is more group/Marketplace‑oriented.

Behavioral trends (what people do and how they engage)

• Community and commerce: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are primary hubs for local news, school athletics, buy/sell/trade, and church/community events; many groups are bilingual.
• Short‑form video: Strong growth in Facebook Reels/Instagram Reels and TikTok for entertainment, local business promos, and recruiting; cross‑posting between Reels and TikTok is common.
• Messaging first: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are heavily used for family coordination and shift scheduling; WhatsApp groups are prevalent in Spanish.
• Local information spikes: Weather events, school updates, county fair, and high‑school sports drive sharp engagement peaks; local admin‑run pages are trusted over national outlets.
• Time-of-day patterns: Noticeable early‑morning and late‑evening activity aligning with meatpacking and service‑sector shifts; lunch and evening commutes are secondary peaks.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook: default local network for groups, events, classifieds, and civic info.
  • YouTube: how‑to, church services, and local sports highlights; strong passive consumption.
  • Instagram: visual storytelling for small businesses (food, retail, salons); Stories/Reels outperform feed posts.
  • TikTok: discovery and entertainment; effective for employer branding and hiring younger workers.
  • Snapchat: day‑to‑day communication among teens/young adults; geofilters for events.
  • WhatsApp: Spanish‑language community coordination and family contact; voice notes are common.

Method note

• Figures are modeled for Texas County by applying recent Pew Research platform adoption rates (2023–2024), rural/Oklahoma adjustments, and 2020 Census/2023 ACS demographics. Ranges reflect expected local variation and the county’s unique age and ethnicity mix.