Custer County

Here are concise, high-level demographics for Custer County, South Dakota. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates (2018–2022) and 2020 Decennial Census; values rounded.

Population

• Total population (2020 Census): ~8,300
• ACS 2018–2022 estimate: ~8,900

Age

• Median age: ~52 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~49%
• 65 and over: ~31%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and Hispanic/Latino (of any race)

• White alone: ~93%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2–3%
• Black/African American: ~0.5%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4–5%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~3,900
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~67% (of households)
• Married-couple households: ~60% (of households)
• Nonfamily households: ~33%

Note: ACS figures are survey estimates with margins of error.

Email usage in Custer County, SD (estimates)

• Population and users: With about 8–9k residents and a relatively older age profile, roughly 6.1–7.2k adults likely use email (applying national email adoption of ~90–95% among adults). Daily users: about 4–5k.
• Age distribution and usage: County skews older. Approximate population share: 18–34 (15–20%), 35–64 (45–50%), 65+ (30–35%). Email uptake is near-universal among 18–49 (>95%), high among 50–64 (90–95%), and somewhat lower for 65+ (80–90%).
• Gender split: Near parity; minimal difference in email adoption between men and women (<2 percentage points).
• Digital access trends: Household broadband subscription likely in the 75–85% range, with a noticeable mobile-only segment (~8–12%). Fiber builds and fixed wireless are expanding via state/federal rural broadband programs; public Wi‑Fi at libraries/schools remains important for those without home service.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Very low density (~5–6 people per square mile) across a large, mountainous, and forested area of the Black Hills, including Custer State Park. Connectivity is best in/near towns along US‑16/US‑385; outlying areas often rely on fixed wireless, DSL, or satellite, and terrain can create cellular dead zones.

Notes: Figures are approximations using national/rural benchmarks applied to local population.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Custer County, South Dakota (focus on differences vs. statewide)

Key takeaways

• Lower smartphone penetration than South Dakota overall, driven by an older age profile and rugged terrain that limits 5G/advanced LTE coverage outside towns.
• Strong seasonal swings: summertime tourism in the Black Hills and Custer State Park can double the number of active devices on peak days, stressing capacity in and around Custer, Sylvan Lake, and major highways.
• Coverage is more uneven than the state average; 4G LTE is reliable in towns and along main corridors, but canyons/forested valleys still have dead zones. 5G is present mainly near Custer, along US-16/US-385 and SD-79 (Hermosa area), and select high-traffic sites—less extensive than the I‑29/I‑90 corridors that anchor statewide 5G.

Resident user estimates (order-of-magnitude)

• Population baseline: roughly 9,000–9,500 residents.
• Smartphone users: about 6,800–7,300 residents (roughly 74–78% of total population), lower than a statewide estimate near the low‑80s percent.
• Any mobile phone (incl. basic/flip phones): roughly 7,800–8,600 residents (about 85–92%).
• Wireless‑only households: likely below the statewide share (state ≈ high‑60s to low‑70s percent), due to older residents and spotty coverage; a local estimate of about 60–65% is plausible.
• Seasonal influx: summer peaks can add 10,000–25,000 visitor devices on busy days, especially around park entrances, trailheads, and scenic byways—far more seasonal variability than most South Dakota counties experience.

Demographic factors shaping usage (how Custer differs from SD overall)

• Age: Custer County’s median age is much higher than the state’s, with roughly 30% aged 65+. This skews usage toward:
  • Lower smartphone adoption and app intensity than statewide averages.
  • Higher incidence of basic/flip phones and voice/SMS reliance.
  • More landline retention for reliability, especially in fringe coverage areas.
• Household composition: More retirees and smaller households than the state average; mobile plans trend toward lower data tiers, and Wi‑Fi offload at home or lodging is common where broadband is available.
• Work patterns: Tourism, hospitality, public lands, and construction drive weekday/weekend and seasonal variability in device density and data demand in a way that’s atypical for many SD counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (local specifics vs. state patterns)

• Terrain‑driven gaps: The Black Hills topography creates shadowed areas where even strong statewide carriers underperform—more dead zones than in the plains counties.
• 4G/5G footprint:
  • 4G LTE: Solid in and near Custer, Hermosa, Pringle, and along US‑16/US‑385/SD‑79; patchy in canyons and backcountry.
  • 5G: Concentrated along main corridors, town centers, and some high‑traffic recreation nodes; generally lags statewide 5G buildouts prioritized along I‑29 (Sioux Falls corridor) and I‑90 (Rapid City to Sioux Falls).
• Carrier tendencies:
  • Verizon often favored for backcountry reliability; AT&T coverage improved via FirstNet buildouts for public safety; T‑Mobile offers stronger mid‑band 5G where it has spectrum and backhaul along highways and in town.
• Backhaul and capacity: Microwave and limited fiber backhaul to some sites constrain peak throughput. Congestion spikes during summer weekends; temporary capacity boosts sometimes appear region‑wide during peak events in the Black Hills.
• Public safety: Land mobile radio (VHF) remains critical in fringe areas; cellular 911 and alerts can be inconsistent in canyons, a bigger challenge here than in much of the state.

Usage patterns and behaviors

• Heavier reliance on voice/SMS and Facebook/Messenger among older residents; lower adoption of bandwidth‑heavy apps than in urban SD.
• Visitors drive high‑resolution photo/video sharing, navigation, and streaming near attractions, creating short‑term hotspots of data demand uncharacteristic of most SD counties.
• Home internet substitution: Mobile broadband substitutes for home internet in some rural pockets, but less so than statewide due to coverage variability; where available, coop fiber/cable is used to offload mobile.

Method notes

• County‑specific mobile adoption data are scarce; estimates above are derived by blending Custer County’s older age profile (American Community Survey) with national/rural smartphone and wireless‑only rates (e.g., Pew Research, NHIS), then adjusting for local terrain and tourism effects. Exact figures would require carrier or localized survey data.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Custer County, SD. Exact county-level platform stats aren’t published; figures are modeled from the county’s age mix (older than U.S. median), rural patterns, and Pew Research 2024 U.S. platform usage.

Overall user stats

• Population: ≈9,000 residents (ACS 2023).
• Social-media users: ≈6,000–7,000 residents use social monthly (about 65–75% of residents; 75–85% of adults).

Age mix of local social users (share of user base)

• 13–17: ~7%
• 18–29: ~14%
• 30–49: ~28%
• 50–64: ~27%
• 65+: ~24% Note: Older adults are a larger share than the U.S. average, so Facebook and YouTube over-index; TikTok/Snapchat under-index.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social-media users: ~52–55% women, ~45–48% men (skews slightly female due to strong Facebook/Pinterest use in older cohorts).
• By platform (tendencies): Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest skew female; YouTube/X/Reddit skew male; TikTok slightly female or near-even.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of county adults using monthly)

• YouTube: ~75%
• Facebook: ~71%
• Instagram: ~32%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• TikTok: ~22%
• Snapchat: ~19%
• X (Twitter): ~14%
• LinkedIn: ~15%
• Reddit: ~10%
• Nextdoor: ~6% Notes: Compared to U.S. averages, Facebook is a bit higher locally; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat/Reddit are lower; LinkedIn lower due to more retirees.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school athletics, church and civic groups, buy/sell/trade, and Marketplace dominate. Messenger is a primary contact channel.
• Government/emergency followership is high: county/city, sheriff, fire, Forest Service, wildfire and burn-ban updates get strong engagement.
• Seasonal spikes (May–Sep): tourism content (Custer State Park, Buffalo Roundup, trail/road conditions, wildlife safety) surges; short video and photo carousels perform well.
• Posting windows: early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evening (7–9 p.m.) see the most interaction; Sunday and weekday evenings work for community/event posts.
• Mobile-first and bandwidth-aware: outlying areas can have spotty broadband; vertical video under 60 seconds, subtitles, and compressed imagery help completion rates.
• Word-of-mouth dynamics: shares in local Groups drive reach; utility-forward posts (hours, closures, maps, phone numbers) outperform polished “brand” creative with older users.
• Younger cohort behavior (smaller in absolute numbers): teens/early-20s favor Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok (short video); Instagram matters for seasonal hospitality workers and tourism operators.
• Regional audience bleed: many page followers live within ~25–50 miles (Hot Springs, Rapid City area). Radius targeting captures most practical reach.
• Reviews/UGC matter: Facebook and Google reviews, check-ins, and user wildlife/landscape photos influence local choices.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 profile for Custer County, SD (population/age).
• Pew Research Center, Social media use in 2024 (national platform adoption by age); rural/older weighting applied to estimate local percentages.