Bandera County

Bandera County, Texas – key demographics

• Population

  • 21,600 (approx.) — 2023 population estimate
  • 20,851 — 2020 Decennial Census

• Age

  • Median age: about 51 years
  • Under 18: ~18%
  • 65 and over: ~28%

• Gender

  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%

• Race/ethnicity (shares of total)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~75%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~21%
  • Black or African American: ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
  • Asian: ~0.4%
  • Two or more races: ~2%

• Households

  • ~9,000 households
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~66% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~55% of households

Notes and sources: Figures are rounded for clarity. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau — 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

Bandera County, TX email usage (estimates)

• Users: About 15,000–17,000 residents use email regularly. Basis: ~21K population, ~82% adults, and ~85–92% email adoption among adults (Pew/U.S. benchmarks); some teens also use email.
• Age mix of email users (reflecting the county’s older profile):
  • 18–29: ~10–15%
  • 30–49: ~25–30%
  • 50–64: ~25–30%
  • 65+: ~30–35% (adoption ~80–85%, slightly below younger groups)
• Gender split: Roughly even male/female; no strong gap is observed in national email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription is likely in the 78–82% range, below Texas’s average (85–90%). Rural terrain and distance increase last‑mile costs.
  • Mix of technologies: cable/DSL in towns (e.g., Bandera, Lakehills, Pipe Creek); fixed wireless and satellite common in outlying areas; fiber is present but limited and expanding gradually via state/federal grants.
  • Mobile access is important; LTE/5G coverage is good along main corridors and population centers but has dead zones in hilly or wooded areas.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Low population density (~25–30 people per sq. mile versus Texas ~100+) contributes to patchy high‑speed availability and slightly lower email/internet adoption than urban counties.

Here’s a concise, county-specific view based on the latest widely cited public datasets (ACS demographic structure, Pew mobile adoption, FCC broadband/coverage maps) and Hill Country infrastructure patterns. Figures are estimates with ranges to reflect rural variability.

Topline estimate of mobile users

• Population base: ≈21,000–22,000 residents.
• Adults (18+): ≈17,000–18,000.
• Adult mobile phone owners: ≈16,000–17,000 (roughly 94–96% ownership; slightly lower than Texas overall).
• Teens (13–17) with phones: ≈1,000–1,200.
• Total resident mobile phone users: ≈17,500–18,500.
• Smartphone share among users: ≈85–90% (lower than the statewide ~90%+ due to an older age profile and patchy high‑speed coverage).

How Bandera County differs from Texas overall

• Older population skews adoption: Bandera has a larger 65+ share than Texas, pulling down smartphone penetration and increasing basic/voice‑centric usage relative to the state.
• Coverage quality varies more sharply with terrain: Canyons, ridgelines, and low density create more dead zones and LTE fallbacks than typical Texas metros and many flat rural counties.
• 5G is present but more often low‑band: Mid‑band 5G capacity is spotty outside the town of Bandera and the main highway corridors; Texas metros see broad mid‑band coverage.
• Heavier weekend/seasonal load spikes: Tourism (Medina Lake area, Bandera events, Hill Country recreation) produces short, high‑congestion periods uncommon in most Texas counties.
• Higher reliance on workarounds: Signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling are used more commonly in homes and ranch properties than statewide; satellite (e.g., Starlink) is a more frequent complement.
• Fixed wireless as a substitute: 5G/LTE home internet is adopted as a primary connection in more places than the Texas average because wired options drop off quickly outside the town centers.

Demographic breakdown and usage notes

• Age:
  • 18–34: Smaller share than state; near‑universal smartphone use, heavier video/social data usage.
  • 35–64: High smartphone penetration; hotspot use for school/work on properties lacking wired service.
  • 65+: Substantially larger share than state; smartphone adoption ~75–85% (vs ~85–90%+ statewide). More voice/SMS dependence and simpler devices persist.
• Income/plan mix:
  • Prepaid/MVNO usage is somewhat higher than in Texas metros, driven by price sensitivity and simpler device needs, but ranch and small‑business users often keep postpaid for perceived coverage advantages.
• Ethnicity/language:
  • Hispanic households (share smaller than Texas overall) show strong smartphone reliance; in pockets with weaker wired broadband, mobile‑only or mobile‑first behavior is common.

Carrier and network performance patterns

• Coverage leaders: AT&T and Verizon tend to be strongest for broad rural coverage and voice reliability. T‑Mobile’s coverage has improved on main corridors but can drop in interior ranchland and canyons.
• 5G profile:
  • Low‑band 5G covers most traveled routes; mid‑band capacity is concentrated in/near Bandera and along primary highways (e.g., TX‑16, TX‑173, FM‑1283), with LTE fallback common off‑corridor.
  • Average speeds are lower and more variable than Texas metro averages; peak speeds appear during off‑peak and closer to towns.
• Congestion hotspots: Weekends/holidays around Medina Lake, Bandera events, and popular recreation routes can see noticeable slowdowns, more than typical for non‑tourist rural Texas counties.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Fiber and wired broadband:
  • Bandera Electric Cooperative’s BEC Fiber has brought FTTH to significant portions of its service area (town of Bandera, Lakehills/Pipe Creek corridors, selected subdivisions), but large rural tracts remain unserved/underserved by wireline.
• Fixed wireless and satellite:
  • T‑Mobile and Verizon 5G/LTE Home Internet options are available in and around population clusters; many outlying areas rely on LTE fixed wireless from WISPs or satellite (Starlink being common).
• Backhaul and tower siting:
  • Macro towers concentrate along highways and ridge lines; few small cells. Backhaul is a limiting factor off the main corridors, contributing to lower mid‑band 5G availability than statewide norms.
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage aligns with major corridors and population centers; terrain still creates gaps. Power backup on rural sites varies, so extended outages can impact service more than in urban Texas.

What this means for planning or outreach

• Expect slightly lower smartphone penetration and heavier voice/SMS reliance than the Texas average, with marked variability by terrain and distance from corridors.
• Engagements that assume continuous mid‑band 5G capacity (e.g., high‑bitrate live video) should be targeted to towns and highway‑adjacent areas or scheduled off peak.
• For countywide coverage, dual‑SIM or multi‑carrier device strategies and signal boosters can materially improve reliability versus a single‑carrier approach.
• Growth opportunities are strongest where BEC Fiber or solid mid‑band 5G overlaps with population clusters; beyond that, fixed wireless and satellite will remain key complements.

Here’s a concise, directional snapshot of social media use in Bandera County, TX. Figures are estimates derived by weighting national platform adoption (Pew Research, 2024) for an older, rural county profile and the county’s size (about 22k residents; roughly 18k adults). Treat as ranges, not exact counts.

Quick user stats

• Adult social media users: ~14k–16k (about 75–85% of adults)
• Daily users: ~10k–12k (about 55–65% of adults)
• Internet/smartphone context: rural coverage is spottier than urban TX; usage concentrates on a few “must-have” apps

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

• 18–29: ~12–15% (heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube)
• 30–49: ~25–30% (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; Messenger/WhatsApp for family/schools)
• 50–64: ~28–32% (Facebook, YouTube; some Pinterest)
• 65+: ~25–30% (mostly Facebook and YouTube; light TikTok/Instagram)

Gender breakdown (share of local social users)

• Female: ~52–56% (over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Male: ~44–48% (over-index on YouTube, X/Twitter, Reddit)

Most-used platforms (estimated share of adult residents using each)

• YouTube: 65–75%
• Facebook (incl. Groups/Messenger): 55–65%
• Instagram: 20–30%
• TikTok: 15–25%
• Pinterest: 20–28% (skews female 30–64)
• Snapchat: 8–12% (mostly under 30)
• X/Twitter: 8–12% (news, sports, weather)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% (family comms; higher among Hispanic households)
• Reddit: 5–8%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (patchy coverage outside denser areas like Bandera/Lakehills/Pipe Creek)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news and announcements, school/youth sports, buy–sell–trade, lost/found pets, event promotion (rodeo, market days, live music), volunteer/fire/sheriff updates, and weather alerts. Marketplace is heavily used for local commerce.
• Video habits: YouTube for DIY, ranch/outdoor and equipment repair, hunting/fishing, and church services; short-form (Reels/TikTok) for music, rodeo clips, and Hill Country scenery.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates for local coordination; SMS/iMessage common; WhatsApp in family/heritage networks.
• Trust and information flow: fast peer-to-peer diffusion via Facebook Groups; moderator/admin pages shape narratives; spikes during severe weather/emergencies.
• Seasonality: summer tourism and rodeo season increase posting and event-driven engagement; fall hunting season boosts outdoors/gear content.
• Platform gaps: LinkedIn has minimal local relevance; X/Twitter is niche aside from sports and real-time weather; Nextdoor adoption is limited by rural addressing.

Method note: Percentages are estimates by applying national platform usage (Pew 2024) to an older-skewing, rural county profile; local adoption of Facebook/YouTube is likely higher and Instagram/TikTok lower than national averages.