Crook County Local Demographic Profile

Do you want figures from the 2020 Decennial Census or the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates? I can provide a concise snapshot (population, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household metrics) for your preferred source/year.

Email Usage in Crook County

Crook County, OR — email usage snapshot (estimates)

  • Population/density: 26–27k residents spread over ~2,980 sq mi (9 people/sq mi). Prineville is the hub; large data centers (Meta/Apple) have strengthened local fiber “middle‑mile” capacity.
  • Estimated email users: ~18–20k adults use email at least monthly (about 85–92% of adults).
  • Age mix of email users:
    • 18–29: ~15–18%
    • 30–49: ~32–35%
    • 50–64: ~25–28%
    • 65+: ~20–25% (lower adoption than younger groups)
  • Gender split among users: roughly even (about 49–51% each).
  • Digital access trends:
    • Home internet subscription rates trail Oregon’s urban counties but are rising; most Prineville addresses have 100+ Mbps cable/fiber, while outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
    • Smartphone‑only internet users likely ~10–15% of households.
    • Public/library Wi‑Fi remains important for some residents.
    • State/federal broadband programs (including BEAD) are funding new fiber and fixed‑wireless builds to reduce un/underserved pockets.
  • Connectivity notes: Coverage and speeds are strongest in/near Prineville and along main corridors; eastern and southern rural areas show the largest access gaps.

Method: Local population and rural age structure combined with recent national/OR internet/email adoption rates to produce county‑level estimates.

Mobile Phone Usage in Crook County

Here’s a concise, decision-focused snapshot of mobile phone usage in Crook County, Oregon, with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns. Figures are best-available estimates synthesized from national/rural adoption patterns, Oregon context, ACS device-use trends, and known local infrastructure; use them as planning ranges.

Topline

  • Adoption is high but slightly below the Oregon average for smartphones.
  • Reliance on mobile phones as the primary or only internet connection is notably higher than statewide.
  • Coverage and performance are strong in and around Prineville but drop off quickly in forested and mountainous areas; 5G is present in town, mostly low-/mid-band.

User estimates

  • Population context: ~26,000 residents; ~20–21k adults.
  • Mobile phone ownership (any cell phone): 92–95% of adults (roughly 18.5–20k users).
  • Smartphone users: 80–86% of adults (roughly 16–18k users).
  • Mobile-only households (smartphone as primary home internet, no fixed broadband): 18–22% (several points higher than Oregon overall).
  • Prepaid/MVNO share of lines: higher than state average (roughly 30–40% locally vs. ~20–25% statewide), reflecting price sensitivity and variable coverage by carrier.
  • Fixed wireless (5G home internet) uptake: growing in/near Prineville, often substituting for DSL or used where cable/fiber is absent.

Demographic patterns (how Crook County differs from Oregon overall)

  • Age
    • 65+: smartphone adoption lower than state (roughly 60–70% locally vs. mid‑70s to ~80% statewide). More basic-phone users and shared family plans.
    • Under 35: near‑universal smartphone ownership; higher mobile-only internet reliance than state peers due to housing cost and rental churn.
  • Income
    • Lower-income households show above-average dependence on mobile-only internet and prepaid plans; plan switching is more common (seasonal work, variable income).
  • Race/ethnicity
    • Hispanic/Latino residents have high smartphone adoption and a higher-than-average rate of mobile-only internet (consistent with national trends); this pushes countywide mobile-only reliance above the state average.
  • Work patterns
    • More outdoor/field-based and trades work than urban Oregon; heavier reliance on voice/SMS, push-to-talk apps, and offline-capable apps; Wi‑Fi calling at home is common to overcome weak indoor signals outside town.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

  • Coverage geography
    • Strongest around Prineville and along US‑26 and OR‑126 corridors.
    • Noticeable gaps or weak signals east/south of town (Ochoco National Forest, Maury Mountains, Post/Paulina valleys). Dead zones persist on forest roads and in canyons.
  • 4G/5G footprint
    • 5G available from major carriers in Prineville; mostly low-band (coverage-first) and some mid‑band in-town. Expect typical mid-band 5G speeds in-town and rapid fall-back to LTE outside the core.
    • mmWave/small-cell densification is minimal (unlike Portland/Eugene).
  • Backhaul and capacity
    • Prineville’s data center cluster (Meta/Facebook, Apple) has attracted robust fiber backhaul and middle‑mile routes. This improves in-town cell capacity and consistency compared with many rural Oregon counties.
    • Outside town, sites may have limited backhaul and power redundancy; generators present on main corridors but not universal on remote sites.
  • Carriers and public safety
    • Verizon tends to have the broadest rural footprint; T‑Mobile’s 600 MHz improves reach but can be spotty in drainages; AT&T coverage is competitive in-town and prioritized for FirstNet (public safety).
    • Local agencies still rely on land-mobile radio; FirstNet augments coverage on highways and incident areas but terrain remains a constraint.
  • Alternatives and complements
    • Cable/fiber available in central Prineville; DSL/legacy copper persists on the periphery. Where fixed options are weak, households lean on mobile hotspots or 5G fixed wireless.
    • Public/municipal Wi‑Fi is used as a cost/coverage backstop; Wi‑Fi calling is a key workaround indoors.
  • Program and policy context
    • The wind‑down of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 has pushed some low-income households toward mobile-only connectivity or reduced data plans, amplifying the county’s gap with statewide averages.
    • State/federal grants (e.g., BEAD) target fiber builds on the fringes; as these arrive, expect some migration from mobile-only to mixed connectivity.

How Crook County’s trends differ from Oregon’s statewide picture

  • Higher share of mobile-only households and prepaid lines.
  • Larger urban–rural performance gap (Prineville vs. outlying areas) than the statewide average gap between metros and rural.
  • 5G is more coverage‑oriented (low-/mid-band) with little small‑cell densification; state metros see more mid-/high-band depth.
  • Older residents are less likely to own smartphones than the statewide 65+ cohort; younger residents more likely to be mobile‑only than statewide peers.
  • In‑town cellular capacity is comparatively strong for a rural county due to exceptional backhaul from data center infrastructure—this is not typical across rural Oregon.

Planning implications

  • Design for offline/low-bandwidth use outside Prineville; ensure SMS fallback for critical alerts.
  • Expect higher demand for flexible, low-cost plans and hotspot features.
  • Consider Wi‑Fi calling instructions and signal boosters for households and small businesses outside the core.
  • Partner coverage tests should include forest roads and canyons where dead zones persist despite map claims.
  • Track BEAD/other buildouts; fixed broadband expansion will gradually lower the mobile‑only share over the next 2–4 years, first on the town fringe.

Social Media Trends in Crook County

Here’s a concise, county‑specific snapshot based on U.S. Census ACS population structure and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 platform adoption data, weighted toward a rural, older-leaning county like Crook.

Headline size

  • Population: ~27,000 residents
  • Estimated adult social media users: ~14,500–16,000 (roughly 68–75% of adults)
  • Including teens, total social media users likely ~16,000–18,000

Age mix of adult users (approx.)

  • 18–29: 15–20% of users (high intensity, multi‑platform)
  • 30–49: 30–35% (core of Facebook/Instagram/YouTube)
  • 50–64: 25–30% (Facebook and YouTube dominant; Pinterest rising among women)
  • 65+: 18–22% (Facebook and YouTube; growing but still lower multi‑platform use)

Gender breakdown (approx.)

  • Female: 51–53% of users (over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
  • Male: 47–49% (over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter)

Most‑used platforms among adult social media users in Crook County (modeled)

  • YouTube: 80–85%
  • Facebook: 70–75%
  • Instagram: 40–45%
  • Pinterest: 30–40% (skews female 25–64)
  • TikTok: 25–35% (concentrated 18–34; 50+ growing)
  • Snapchat: 20–25% (teens/20s)
  • WhatsApp: 15–20% (family/intl ties; smaller than FB Messenger)
  • X/Twitter: 15–18% (news/politics/emergency updates)
  • LinkedIn: 15–20% (pockets of tech/remote workers)
  • Reddit: 12–15% (younger males)
  • Nextdoor: 10–15% (more in Prineville neighborhoods than rural addresses)

Behavioral trends to know

  • Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for schools, youth sports, local buy/sell, wildfire/road updates, and event organizing (fairs, rodeos). Marketplace is a major utility.
  • Video first: YouTube for DIY, home/ranch projects, outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, OHV), and how‑tos; short‑form (Reels/TikTok) gaining for local food, small business promos, and community highlights.
  • Trust local voices: County/city agencies, fire districts, and local media pages see strong engagement during weather, fire season, and road closures.
  • Commerce behavior: Deal‑seeking on Marketplace; local service discovery via FB recommendations; Instagram DMs and FB Messenger used for booking/sales by microbusinesses.
  • Time patterns: Peaks early morning, lunch, and evenings; weekend marketplace activity spikes.
  • Platform roles: Instagram for lifestyle and events; TikTok for younger discovery and UGC; X/Twitter is niche but influential for real‑time updates; LinkedIn usage present among remote/tech workers but not mass‑market; Nextdoor adoption is patchy outside denser neighborhoods.

Notes on method and confidence

  • County‑level platform data aren’t directly published; percentages above are estimates applying Pew’s 2023–2024 U.S. adoption rates (with rural/age adjustments) to Crook County’s age mix. Treat figures as directional with moderate confidence.