Tillman County

Tillman County, Oklahoma — Key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 7,033 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Trend: Continued gradual decline from 2010; small rural county

Age

• Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Under 18: ~25%
  • 18–64: ~57%
  • 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity, overlaps race)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~27–28%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~52–54%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~5–6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~8–10%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~2,600–2,700
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65% of households; average family size ~3.0
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Individuals living alone: ~30% of households; roughly half of these are age 65+

Key insights

• Small, aging, and slowly declining population typical of rural counties
• Relatively large Hispanic/Latino community for Oklahoma (around one in four residents)
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a substantial share of single-person households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Tillman County, OK is a sparsely populated, rural county (≈7,200 residents; density ≈8–9 people per square mile). Email is near-universal among connected adults.

Estimated email users: ≈5,100 county residents (≈90–92% of ~5,600 adults, plus some teens).

Age distribution of email users (penetration high across ages):

• 18–29: ~17% of users (≈98% penetration)
• 30–49: ~31% (≈97%)
• 50–64: ~27% (≈92%)
• 65+: ~22% (≈85%)
• Teens 13–17: ~3% (≈70–75%)

Gender split among email users: ~50% female, ~50% male (usage parity by sex).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Household broadband subscription: ≈65–72% (in line with rural Oklahoma), leaving a notable offline/low-bandwidth minority.
• Device access: ≈85–90% of households have a computer and/or smartphone; ≈18–22% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Network availability: Fixed 100/20 Mbps is available to most addresses near Frederick and along US‑70/US‑183; gaps persist in outlying farm/ranch areas, where reliance on cellular and satellite is higher.
• Cellular: 4G/5G covers primary corridors; indoor/rural edge performance is variable.

Insight: Email reach is strong for adults county‑wide, but campaign effectiveness improves when optimized for mobile and low‑bandwidth users, especially outside Frederick and other population centers.

Tillman County, OK — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Population and households

• Population: ~6,700–7,000; households: ~2,700–2,900
• Rural, aging profile and lower median income than the Oklahoma average

Estimated mobile user base

• Adult smartphone adoption: 78–82% of adults (estimate), versus ~85–88% statewide
• Total active smartphone users: ~4,600–5,000 residents (including teens)
• Smartphone-dependent (mobile-only) internet households: 28–34% (estimate), versus 22–26% statewide
• Multi-line households are uncommon outside Frederick and Grandfield; single-line or two-line households predominate in outlying areas

Demographic patterns influencing usage

• Older population: 65+ share ~22–25% (higher than Oklahoma’s ~16–17%); this segment shows lower smartphone adoption and higher voice/SMS reliance
• Hispanic/Latino residents form a larger share than the state average; bilingual households skew mobile-first for everyday connectivity and messaging apps
• Income and education: median household income and bachelor’s attainment both below state averages; cost sensitivity drives use of budget devices and data-conscious usage

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: broad outdoor coverage along US‑183/US‑70/US‑62 corridors and around Frederick/Grandfield; patchier service in low-density farm and river bottom areas
• 5G: population coverage concentrated in and around Frederick and along primary highways; fringe areas remain LTE‑only. County 5G coverage (by population) is materially lower than statewide coverage
• Indoor coverage: reliable in town centers; metal-roof structures and dispersed homesteads frequently require Wi‑Fi calling or external antennas
• Backhaul and capacity: fewer macro sites per square mile than the state average; peak-time capacity constraints are more common during school and event hours in Frederick
• Fixed broadband context: fiber and cable options are limited outside town centers; this elevates reliance on smartphone hotspots and cellular data plans for home internet

Usage trends that differ from the Oklahoma average

• Higher smartphone-only dependence: a larger share of households rely on mobile data as their primary or only internet connection, driven by limited fixed broadband choices
• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption: the older age structure pulls down adoption relative to the state
• More LTE persistence: day-to-day experience remains LTE‑heavy outside towns; 5G is less ubiquitous than statewide norms
• Greater sensitivity to device and plan costs: budget Android devices and metered or moderate‑data plans are more common; upgrade cycles are longer than the state average
• Coverage variability: meaningful town‑to‑farm performance gap (outdoor vs indoor, line‑of‑sight vs obstructed) is more pronounced than in suburban Oklahoma counties

Quantified takeaways (modeled 2024 estimates)

• Smartphone users: ~4.6k–5.0k
• Adult adoption rate: 78–82% (vs OK ~85–88%)
• Smartphone-dependent households: 28–34% (vs OK 22–26%)
• Households with any cellular data plan: ~55–62% (many also use phone hotspots in lieu of fixed broadband)

Implications

• Mobile networks function as the county’s default broadband for a sizable minority of households
• Investments with the highest immediate impact: additional sites or sectorization near Frederick/Grandfield, rural coverage infill along farm-to-market roads, and improved backhaul to raise peak-time capacity
• Outreach and device support for seniors and bilingual households would increase effective adoption and digital inclusion

Tillman County, OK — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2025)

Core stats

• Population baseline: 7,755 (2020 Census)
• Internet access: 72–75% of households have a broadband subscription; ~88–90% have a computer device (ACS 2019–2023)
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~4,900 (about 72–76% of residents age 13+, aligned with rural U.S. adoption rates per Pew)

Most-used platforms (share of Tillman County social media users, estimated)

• YouTube: 80–82%
• Facebook (core app): 70–73%
• Facebook Messenger: 60–66%
• Instagram: 34–38%
• Pinterest: 30–34%
• TikTok: 27–31%
• Snapchat: 26–30%
• X (Twitter): 16–20%
• WhatsApp: 16–20%
• Reddit: 11–14% Notes: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat trail statewide averages but are strong among under-30s. X and Reddit are niche.

Age profile of the user base (share of county social media users, estimated)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–29: 17–20%
• 30–49: 31–35%
• 50–64: 23–26%
• 65+: 14–17% Usage by age:
• Teens: Heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; light Facebook use except for school/sports updates.
• 18–29: Mix of YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook used for events/marketplace.
• 30–49: Facebook + YouTube core; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing.
• 50–64: Facebook dominant; YouTube strong; Pinterest notable.
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube for tutorials/news.

Gender breakdown (share of county social media users, estimated)

• Female: 52–54%
• Male: 46–48% Patterns:
• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, local groups/buy-sell.
• Men over-index on YouTube, X, Reddit; higher engagement with sports, outdoors, ag/mechanic content.

Behavioral trends and local dynamics

• Community and commerce: Facebook Groups/Pages and Marketplace are the hub for local news, school/athletics, churches, civic updates, events, and buy-sell-trade. Emergency/weather updates see fast spread via Facebook shares.
• Messaging gravity: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous for coordination across age groups; Snapchat is a staple among teens/20s. WhatsApp appears within bilingual households and ag/labor networks.
• Video habits: YouTube for how‑to (repairs, farm/ranch, small engines), product research, and long-form; TikTok and Facebook Reels for short-form entertainment and trends.
• Engagement cadence: Peaks around evenings and weekends; spikes tied to local sports, severe weather, and county/city announcements.
• Content posture: More “watchers” than frequent posters; local institutions (schools, churches, local government, chambers) act as anchor publishers.
• Advertising realities: Best reach and ROI via boosted Facebook posts to tight radii; Instagram works for under‑35 visuals; TikTok ads are emerging but still limited. X has minimal local ad utility.
• Cross-platform spillover: Events and fundraisers cross-posted Facebook→Instagram; Reddit/Nextdoor presence is minimal due to low local density and niche interest.

Method and sources

• County access/demographics: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 (computer and internet subscription), 2020 Decennial Census.
• Platform adoption baselines: Pew Research Center (2023–2024 U.S. social media usage), with rural-adjusted estimates applied to Tillman County’s profile.
• All platform and demographic percentages for Tillman County are modeled estimates grounded in the above sources and rural-OK patterns; use for planning and targeting, not as a substitute for first-party analytics.