Woodward County

Woodward County, Oklahoma — key demographics

Population size

• 20,470 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age structure (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~36 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~51–52%
• Female: ~48–49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~73%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~15–16%
• American Indian and Alaska Native (NH): ~5%
• Two or more races (NH): ~4%
• Black or African American (NH): ~1–2%
• Asian (NH): <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NH): ~0.1%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~7,900
• Average household size: ~2.55
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Married-couple families: ~48% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• One-person households: ~28–29% (about 12% age 65+ living alone)
• Tenure: ~68% owner-occupied, ~32% renter-occupied
• Average family size: ~3.1

Insights

• Small, modestly growing county since 2010, with a slightly male-skewed population.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with notable Hispanic and Native American communities.
• Household patterns are family-oriented with average household size around 2.5–2.6, and roughly two-thirds owner occupancy.

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

Woodward County, OK (pop. ≈20,500; area ≈1,240 sq mi; density ≈16–17 residents/sq mi)

Estimated email users: ≈15,600 (≈76% of total population; ≈90% of residents age 13+)

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~6%
• 18–34: ~29%
• 35–54: ~34%
• 55–64: ~14%
• 65+: ~17%

Gender split among email users: ~51% male, ~49% female (mirrors local population)

Digital access and connectivity:

• ~80% of households have a broadband subscription; ~12–14% have no home internet; ~15% are mobile-only for home internet.
• Fixed broadband ≥25/3 Mbps available to roughly 95% of addresses; highest-capacity options (cable/fiber) are concentrated in and around the City of Woodward and along main corridors, with rural areas more reliant on fixed wireless/DSL/satellite.
• Trend 2019–2024: steady gains in fiber buildout and 5G coverage, declining DSL dependence, and gradual increases in household subscription and device access.

Insights: Email use is effectively universal among working-age adults locally; seniors participate strongly but remain the largest gap. Sparse settlement increases last-mile costs, creating a town–rural divide in speed and reliability.

Mobile phone usage overview in Woodward County, Oklahoma

Scale of use (modeled user estimates)

• Population baseline: 20,470 (2020 Census). Adults 18+: ~15,350.
• Adult smartphone users: ~12,900 (about 84% of adults), applying current national age-specific adoption rates to the county’s age mix.
• Including teens (13–17), total smartphone users are likely in the 14,500–15,000 range.
• Households primarily relying on mobile data for home internet (“cellular-only”): ~20% of households in Woodward County, versus roughly 15% statewide. This higher mobile-dependence is a key differentiator from Oklahoma overall and is typical of rural infrastructure patterns.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• By age (adults):
  • 18–29: ~3,000 adults; smartphone adoption ~96% → ~2,950 users.
  • 30–49: ~4,900 adults; adoption ~95% → ~4,670 users.
  • 50–64: ~3,500 adults; adoption ~83% → ~2,900 users.
  • 65+: ~3,900 adults; adoption ~61% → ~2,370 users.
  • Takeaway vs state: Woodward’s older cohort makes up a slightly larger share than in urban Oklahoma, which pulls overall adult adoption a few points below metro/state averages; the 65+ gap is the largest contributor to lower countywide penetration.
• By income/phone reliance:
  • Lower-income households (<$35k) show markedly higher smartphone-only internet reliance than the county average, mirroring rural-state patterns and exceeding Oklahoma’s statewide rate by several points.
  • Prepaid plans are used more heavily than in metro Oklahoma, reflecting cost sensitivity and coverage pragmatism in outlying areas.
• By ethnicity:
  • Hispanic/Latino community is a meaningful share of the county (mid-to-upper teens percentage). As seen statewide, this group shows high smartphone adoption and above-average smartphone-only internet reliance, contributing to the county’s elevated cellular-only rate.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and technology:
  • All three nationwide carriers operate in the county with broad 4G LTE coverage along US-270/412 and US-183 and in the City of Woodward.
  • Low-band 5G is present in and around the city and along primary corridors; mid-band 5G coverage is more limited outside the core, resulting in a larger share of users on LTE compared with state urban areas.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Typical rural performance profile: LTE median download speeds in the tens of Mbps, with 5G low-band improving speeds and capacity near town. This lags Oklahoma’s metro 5G (mid-band) performance, where triple-digit Mbps is more common.
• Backhaul and alternatives:
  • Fixed wireline broadband options are strongest in the City of Woodward (cable and some fiber/DSL), with sharp drop-offs in rural parts of the county. Fixed wireless ISPs using CBRS and 5 GHz fill coverage gaps.
  • The uneven fixed-broadband footprint is the primary driver of the county’s higher cellular-only household share.
• Reliability considerations:
  • Coverage is robust on main highways and in town; indoors at the fringe and in sparsely populated areas, service quality depends on proximity to macro sites, pushing greater use of Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters than in metro Oklahoma.

How Woodward County differs from Oklahoma overall

• Higher reliance on cellular-only home internet (by roughly 5 percentage points).
• Lower share of users on mid-band 5G and more time spent on LTE in rural areas, yielding lower typical mobile speeds than state metro averages.
• Slightly lower countywide adult smartphone penetration because of a larger 65+ share and lower adoption within that group, even though adoption among working-age adults is similar to the state.
• Greater prevalence of prepaid plans and smartphone-only households among lower-income users, reflecting cost and coverage realities in rural settings.

Notes on methods and sources

• Population and age mix are from the 2020 Census and standard county age distributions.
• Adoption rates by age draw on current national survey benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research) applied to the county’s age structure; household internet modality patterns reflect the latest ACS “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” trends for rural Oklahoma counties.
• Figures are rounded model-based estimates intended to give decision-ready order-of-magnitude precision for planning and comparison.

Social media usage in Woodward County, Oklahoma (2025 snapshot)

How this was built

• Base population: ~20,000 residents (U.S. Census/ACS 2023). Residents age 13+ ≈ 17,000.
• Usage rates modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 national/rural benchmarks and applied to the county’s age mix. Figures are best-available local estimates.

User base

• Estimated social media users: 14,200–14,800
  • About 84% of residents age 13+ (roughly 71–74% of total population)
  • Adults (18+): ~13,000 users; Teens (13–17): ~1,100–1,200 users

Age breakdown of users (share of social media users)

• 13–17: ~7–8% (near-universal use; heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok)
• 18–29: ~18–22% (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat dominant; YouTube universal)
• 30–49: ~32–36% (Facebook, YouTube core; Instagram rising)
• 50–64: ~22–25% (Facebook primary; YouTube strong)
• 65+: ~12–15% (Facebook and YouTube mainstays; limited TikTok/Instagram)

Gender breakdown

• Users: ~51–53% female, ~47–49% male (mirrors county demographics)
• Platform skews: Pinterest (majority female), Reddit (majority male); Facebook and YouTube near parity; Instagram/TikTok slightly female-leaning

Most-used platforms (reach among adult social media users in the county)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• Pinterest: 30–38% (especially women 25–54)
• TikTok: 28–35% (strongest 18–34)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (dominant for teens/20s messaging)
• X/Twitter: 18–22%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• LinkedIn: 22–28%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (lower in rural areas)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: City/county agencies, schools, churches, booster clubs, local buy/sell/trade and Marketplace drive daily reach; high engagement around school sports, local events, severe weather, and road conditions.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, weather, ag/mechanical content, and high school sports highlights; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) increasingly used by local businesses and creators for announcements and promos.
• Messaging patterns: Teens/young adults favor Snapchat for daily communication; adults rely on Facebook Messenger groups for teams, classes, and church ministries.
• Commerce and discovery: Facebook Marketplace is the go‑to for local buying/selling; Pinterest influences seasonal/home, crafts, hunting/outdoors; Instagram discovery growing for boutiques, salons, and eateries.
• News flow: Local and regional TV meteorologists and outlets reach residents primarily via Facebook shares; community groups often act as the first alert channel during storms and outages.
• Ads and content performance: Short video and carousel posts outperform static images; geo-targeting within ~25–50 miles captures regional shoppers; posts tied to local schools, sports, weather, and community service perform best.

Notes and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau/ACS 2023.
• Platform adoption and demographics: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024; adjusted for rural Oklahoma patterns and county age structure.