Hughes County

Hughes County, South Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 17,765 (2020 Census)

Age

• Under 5 years: ~6%
• Under 18 years: ~24%
• 65 years and over: ~17%
• Median age: ~39–40 years (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~86%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~9%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~7,800
• Persons per household: ~2.3
• Family households: ~62%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~69%
• Housing units: ~8,400

Insights

• Small, steadily growing county anchored by Pierre (state capital).
• Predominantly White with a notable American Indian/Alaska Native population.
• Household structure skews toward family households with relatively high owner-occupancy for a micropolitan area.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates)

Hughes County, SD (pop. ≈18,000; density ≈22/sq mi, concentrated in/around Pierre) shows high email adoption.

• Estimated email users: 13,500–15,000 residents (roughly 90–95% of adults; teen school accounts add modestly).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–34 ≈27%, 35–54 ≈36%, 55–64 ≈18%, 65+ ≈19%. Adoption by cohort: 18–54 ≈95–98%, 55–64 ≈90–93%, 65+ ≈80–85%.
• Gender split among email users: ~50% female, ~50% male (differences by gender are negligible in recent surveys).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a computer: ≈92–95%. With a broadband subscription: ≈88–90%. Smartphone-only internet households: ≈8–12%. No home internet: ≈8–10% (concentrated among seniors and lower-income households).
• Urban core (Pierre) has near-universal cable/fiber broadband with 100–1000 Mbps service; rural fringes rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with lower speeds and higher latency.
• 4G LTE and expanding 5G cover major corridors; mobile data is a common secondary access path.
• Public access points (libraries, schools, government buildings) help close remaining gaps.

Overall, strong broadband availability and a largely adult population drive near-ubiquitous email use, with the primary adoption gap appearing in residents 65+.

Mobile phone usage in Hughes County, South Dakota — 2023–2024 snapshot

User estimates

• Population baseline: approximately 17,800 residents (ACS 2023 est.). About 77% are adults (18+).
• Mobile users: about 14,400 residents use a mobile phone (≈97% of adults plus most teens 13–17).
• Smartphone users: about 13,500 residents use a smartphone (≈91% of adults plus ~90% of teens 13–17).
• Household context: roughly 7,400 households. About 87% have a fixed broadband subscription, and an estimated 10% are mobile-only for home internet (cellular data/hotspots as primary), lower than the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (usage and device penetration)

• Age
  • 13–17: ~90% smartphone adoption; ≈1,000 teen smartphone users.
  • 18–34: near-universal mobile (≈98%) and high smartphone adoption (≈95%).
  • 35–64: ≈97% mobile; ≈92% smartphone.
  • 65+: ≈93% mobile; ≈80% smartphone, aided by better device affordability and health/communications apps.
• Income and education
  • Median household income is modestly above the South Dakota average; higher income and a concentration of state-government jobs push 5G-capable device adoption and postpaid plans above statewide norms.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Hughes County’s racial/ethnic mix is somewhat less rural-tribal than the state overall, which correlates with lower mobile-only home internet reliance than the statewide average while keeping overall smartphone adoption high.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and networks: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all operate in Hughes County.
  • 5G: Countywide low‑band 5G/LTE coverage with mid‑band 5G clustered in and around Pierre (downtown/state offices, commercial corridors, and primary highways). T‑Mobile’s 2.5 GHz and selective Verizon/AT&T mid‑band deployments deliver higher speeds where available.
  • LTE remains the coverage fallback outside the urban core and along less‑traveled river recreation areas.
• Backhaul and fiber: State capital status benefits mobile capacity. Multiple fiber routes (state network, SDN Communications and other regional carriers, plus cable plant from Midco and telco fiber) provide robust backhaul for cell sites and public facilities.
• FirstNet/public safety: AT&T FirstNet Band 14 sites operate in and around Pierre, improving priority coverage and capacity for first responders.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): Verizon and T‑Mobile 5G home internet are offered in the Pierre area; adoption is growing but remains a supplement to strong cable/fiber options rather than a replacement.

How Hughes County differs from South Dakota overall

• Higher smartphone and 5G device penetration: Estimated 5G‑capable device share is several points above the state average, driven by higher incomes, public‑sector employment, and earlier mid‑band 5G availability in the capital.
• Lower mobile-only home internet reliance: About 10% of households primarily use cellular data at home versus a higher statewide share; Pierre’s cable and fiber footprint reduces dependence on mobile as the only home connection.
• More postpaid, employer‑paid lines: Government and enterprise accounts represent a larger slice of lines than statewide, lifting plan ARPU and accelerating device refresh cycles.
• Better in‑building performance in the urban core: Denser site spacing and fiberized backhaul in Pierre deliver more consistent indoor 5G/LTE than typical rural SD counties; remaining weak spots are mostly along the Missouri River bluffs and low‑density fringe.
• Earlier mid‑band 5G concentration: Mid‑band upgrades arrived sooner and more completely in Pierre than in many smaller SD counties, so average downlink speeds in population centers are typically higher than the statewide mean.

Key numbers (best-available estimates, rounded)

• Total mobile users: ~14,400
• Smartphone users: ~13,500
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~97%
• Adults with a smartphone: ~91%
• Households with fixed broadband: ~87%
• Mobile-only households: ~10%
• 5G‑capable device share: Hughes County ≈ mid‑80% of smartphones; statewide slightly lower

Sources and methodology

• Population, households, and broadband: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2023.
• Device ownership/adoption: Pew Research Center (2023) and CDC/NCHS patterns applied to local age mix.
• Network and infrastructure: FCC Broadband Data Collection (2024), carrier public coverage disclosures, South Dakota state network/fiber footprints, and regional operator literature. Estimates reflect urbanized Pierre conditions within Hughes County and are rounded for clarity.

Hughes County, SD social media snapshot (2025)

Overall usage (adults 18+)

• Use at least one social platform: 84% of adults (modeled local estimate)
• Use social daily: 70%; multiple times per day: ~40%
• Use 2+ platforms: 64%

Most‑used platforms (adults; estimated share of users)

• YouTube: 80% (daily ~45%)
• Facebook: 66% (daily ~55%)
• Instagram: 42% (daily ~30%)
• Pinterest: 34% (daily ~12%)
• TikTok: 30% (daily ~20%)
• Snapchat: 28% (daily ~22%)
• LinkedIn: 22% (weekly ~10%)
• X (Twitter): 20% (daily ~9%)
• Reddit: 18% (daily ~8%)
• WhatsApp: 18% (daily ~10%)
• Nextdoor: 8% (limited neighborhood coverage)

Age breakdown (share using each platform; adults)

• 18–29: Any social 95%; YouTube 93; Instagram 84; Snapchat 75; TikTok 67; Facebook 58
• 30–49: Any social 90%; YouTube 87; Facebook 73; Instagram 52; Pinterest 38; TikTok 35; Snapchat 33; WhatsApp 20
• 50–64: Any social 75%; YouTube 78; Facebook 72; Pinterest 32; Instagram 27; LinkedIn 21; TikTok 18
• 65+: Any social 50%; YouTube 55; Facebook 50; Pinterest 22; Instagram 15; TikTok 8

Gender breakdown (platform adoption within gender; adults)

• Women: Facebook 72; Instagram 48; Pinterest 47; TikTok 34; Snapchat 31; YouTube 79; WhatsApp 19
• Men: YouTube 82; Facebook 62; Instagram 37; TikTok 26; Snapchat 25; Reddit 26; X 24; LinkedIn 25

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: school and youth sports updates, church and civic groups, local news, and buy/sell/garage‑sale groups drive the highest engagement.
• Messaging habits split by age: under‑35s lean on Snapchat and Instagram DMs; 35+ favor Facebook Messenger.
• Video first consumption: YouTube for DIY, home projects, ag/outdoors content; TikTok for short local discovery (events, restaurants, small businesses). Mobile dominates watch time.
• Visual platforms for lifestyle: Instagram for events, sports highlights, and local creators; Pinterest for home, recipes, crafts, and seasonal planning (hunting and holidays).
• Professional niche: LinkedIn usage is modest but concentrated among state government, education, and healthcare workers; best reached during business hours.
• Participation pattern: roughly 1 in 5 users posts weekly; most are watchers/lurkers who react and share more than they author.
• Prime times: engagement peaks evenings 7–10 pm CT and weekend afternoons; school calendars and high‑school sports schedules noticeably move local traffic.
• Ads and outreach: Facebook/Instagram deliver the broadest county reach; TikTok/Snapchat excel for under‑30 awareness; YouTube pre‑roll builds recall across ages. Community pages and trusted local voices outperform anonymous pages.

Method and sources

• Figures are modeled local estimates for Hughes County as of 2025 using Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use data (platform and age/gender adoption) adjusted to the county’s age profile from U.S. Census Bureau ACS, plus rural Midwest usage patterns from Pew cross‑tabs and eMarketer/Insider Intelligence daily‑use benchmarks. Where county‑specific surveys are unavailable, the closest statistically valid state/rural benchmarks are localized to Hughes County’s demographics.