Dallam County

Here are concise, current demographics for Dallam County, Texas.

Population size

• 7,115 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~30 years
• Under 18: ~33%
• 65 and over: ~10%

Sex

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is an ethnicity, overlaps with race)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~63%
• White alone, non‑Hispanic: ~31%
• Black or African American alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• Two or more races, non‑Hispanic: ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~2,250
• Average household size: ~3.2
• Family households: ~76%
• Homeownership rate: ~64%
• Median household income: ~$60,000
• Persons below poverty: ~15%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household/housing). Figures are rounded for readability.

Dallam County, TX email usage (estimates)

• Population and density: 7.1k residents, very low density (5 people per sq. mile); most connectivity clusters in Dalhart, with sparse ranchland elsewhere.
• Estimated email users: Adults ≈ 70–75% of population → ~5.0–5.4k. With 85–90% internet adoption and ~95% of internet users using email, expect roughly 4.1–4.8k email users countywide.
• Age patterns (typical rural U.S. mix):
  • 18–29: high but slightly lower than older working ages (~85–90% use email).
  • 30–49: near-universal (~95%+).
  • 50–64: very high (~90%).
  • 65+: lower but majority (~70–80%); usage rises with smartphones and telehealth.
• Gender split: Roughly even male/female population; email adoption differences are minimal (a few percentage points at most).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Fixed broadband is concentrated in and around Dalhart; coverage thins quickly in outlying areas, leading to mobile-only internet for many households.
  • A sizable minority of households (roughly 20–30%) lack fixed home broadband; affordability and last‑mile distance are key barriers.
  • Increasing reliance on smartphones for email and daily tasks; libraries, schools, and employers act as important access points.
  • Connectivity aligns with highway corridors (US‑54/87/385), while remote areas depend more on satellite or fixed wireless.

Notes: Estimates synthesized from ACS/FCC rural access data and national Pew email adoption patterns.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Dallam County, Texas (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~7,000–7,500 residents. Adults ~4,600–4,900; teens (13–17) ~450–550.
• Smartphone users: 4,400–4,900 (roughly 85–90% of adults plus most teens). This is a few points below large-metro Texas rates but high for a rural county.
• Basic/feature-phone users: 300–600, a higher share than Texas overall due to an older rural cohort and cost sensitivity.
• Total active mobile lines (personal + work + tablets/hotspots, excluding ag/IoT): ~6,000–7,500. Per-capita line density is slightly lower than the Texas average in town, but comparable once work and hotspot lines are included.
• “Mobile-only” internet households: materially higher than the Texas average. Expect roughly 25–35% of households to rely mainly on a smartphone or a hotspot for home internet (vs ~18–22% statewide), driven by patchy wired options outside Dalhart/Texline and the lapse of ACP subsidies.

Demographic usage patterns (and how they diverge from the state)

• Ethnicity and language: The county is majority Hispanic/Latino. Messaging and calling via WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger are more dominant than the Texas average; bilingual plans and international add‑ons see outsized demand.
• Age mix: More teens and working‑age adults tied to agriculture/logistics. Teen smartphone adoption is near-ubiquitous; older adults are more likely than the state average to keep a basic phone or shared family plan.
• Income and plan type: Median incomes trail the Texas median. Prepaid and MVNO plans have higher share; Android share is higher; device upgrade cycles are longer. With the federal ACP subsidy winding down in 2024, some households have shifted toward unlimited prepaid + hotspot use, increasing mobile data dependence.
• Work patterns: Agriculture, feedlots, trucking, and rail shift work create above-average use of push‑to‑talk apps, hotspotting from trucks, and line churn among seasonal workers.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s distinct vs Texas overall)

• Carriers and 5G:
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the most consistent rural LTE coverage; AT&T’s FirstNet Band‑14 helps public safety and often benefits consumers in fringe areas.
  • T‑Mobile generally covers Dalhart, Texline, and highway corridors but has more off‑highway gaps than in metro Texas.
  • 5G is present but is mostly low‑band for reach; mid‑band 5G (the fast stuff) is concentrated in/near Dalhart and along US‑87/US‑54. Outside those corridors, users often see LTE or low‑band 5G with modest speeds.
• Terrain and dead zones: Coverage is strong in town centers, along the rail line and major highways (US‑54, US‑87), and weaker in outlying ranchland and the Rita Blanca National Grassland. Dead zones and tower handoffs are more common than the state average off paved roads; signal boosters are widely used in trucks and farm equipment.
• Backhaul and local providers: XIT Communications (Dalhart-based cooperative) supplies much of the local fiber/backhaul and offers wired broadband/fixed wireless in and near population centers. Where fiber/coax is absent, residents lean on mobile hotspots or WISPs—hence the higher “mobile-only” share vs the state.
• Home internet via cellular: T‑Mobile Home Internet and, in limited pockets, Verizon/AT&T fixed wireless are available around Dalhart; availability drops quickly outside town limits. This makes cellular a primary or backup connection for many households and small businesses—again, more than the statewide pattern.
• Redundancy: Fewer towers and fiber routes mean lower network redundancy than urban Texas. Outages or maintenance can have wider impact areas, prompting some businesses to keep SIMs from two different carriers.

Behavioral and usage trends vs Texas averages

• More hotspotting for home/school/work, especially after ACP funding reductions.
• Heavier use of WhatsApp/Facebook for voice/messaging among Hispanic households.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO penetration; longer device lifecycles; higher Android share.
• Slightly lower median mobile speeds off‑corridor; bigger town–rural performance gap.
• Higher use of signal boosters and external antennas in vehicles and on homesteads.
• Notable ag/IoT footprint (fleet trackers, sensors) relative to population size, riding on LTE and low‑band 5G.

What this means for planning and outreach

• Optimize for coverage and reliability on AT&T/Verizon if working outside town; T‑Mobile is strong in town but verify off‑highway needs.
• Expect Spanish-language support demand and promote WhatsApp-friendly plans.
• Prepaid, unlimited hotspot bundles, and dual‑SIM offerings resonate more here than in metro Texas.
• For fixed service gaps, market cellular home internet where mid‑band capacity exists (Dalhart area) and WISP/fiber alternatives elsewhere.

Dallam County, TX social media snapshot (estimates for 2024–2025)

High-level user stats

• Population: roughly 7,000–7,500 residents; about 5,500–6,200 are age 13+.
• Estimated social media users: 4,500–5,200 residents (about 65–75% of total population; roughly 80–85% of adults 18+).
• Access pattern: mobile-first; usage clusters before work/school (6–8 a.m.), lunch, and evenings (7–10 p.m.).

Age usage (share of people in each group who use any social platform, based on national/rural patterns)

• Teens 13–17: 90–95% (heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat).
• 18–29: 90–95% (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok; Snapchat for messaging).
• 30–49: 85–90% (YouTube, Facebook; Instagram/TikTok growing).
• 50–64: 70–80% (Facebook, YouTube).
• 65+: 50–60% (Facebook, YouTube).

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall adoption is similar by gender.
• Women skew higher on Facebook and Pinterest; Instagram slightly higher among younger women.
• Men skew higher on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter).

Most-used platforms among local adults (estimated share using each at least sometimes)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 65–75% (Groups and Marketplace are especially active)
• Instagram: 30–45%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Snapchat: 20–30% (concentrated in teens/early 20s)
• WhatsApp: 20–30% (stronger in Spanish-speaking households/family comms)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (more women)
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (many rely on Facebook Groups instead)

Behavioral trends to expect

• Community-first: Heavy engagement with local school sports, weather alerts, road conditions, civic events, and buy/sell via Facebook Groups/Marketplace.
• Messaging-centric: Snapchat for teens; Messenger and WhatsApp for family and cross-border communication.
• Short video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels consumption rising; many creators cross-post between them.
• Practical content: YouTube used for DIY, equipment repair, hunting/outdoors, recipes; strong Spanish-language viewing alongside English.
• Participation pattern: A small share posts regularly; most users “lurk,” react, or share within groups rather than publish open posts.
• Timing: Peaks align with shift/field work and school schedules; weekend spikes around games, church, and community events.

Notes and method

• Figures are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption (with rural community adjustments) and applied to Dallam County’s size and demographics. Small-county variance can be high; treat numbers as directional ranges rather than exact counts.