Hays County

Hays County, Texas — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; latest available: 2023 estimates unless noted)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~285,000–290,000 (2020 Census count: 241,067), reflecting very rapid growth

Age

• Median age: ~32 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~10–11%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~40–42%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~48–50%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~4%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Two or more races and other, non-Hispanic: ~3–5%

Households and housing

• Households: ~100,000–105,000
• Persons per household: ~2.7–2.8
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~60–62%
• Median household income (in 2023 dollars): roughly upper-$70k to low-$80k

Insights

• One of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. since 2010
• Young profile driven by Texas State University (San Marcos) and in-migration
• Large and growing Hispanic community; White non-Hispanic share near one-half
• Household structure and homeownership typical of fast-growing Austin metro suburbs

Hays County overview (2020 Census): 241,067 residents; ~678 sq mi; ~355 people/sq mi.

Estimated email users: 185,000 residents (≈77% of the total population), derived from county age structure and Pew adult email adoption (92%) plus teen usage.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~6%
• 18–24: ~21%
• 25–44: ~39%
• 45–64: ~23%
• 65+: ~11%

Gender split: ~51% female, 49% male; usage rates are essentially equal by gender.

Digital access and trends:

• About 9 in 10 households have an internet subscription (ACS), with very high smartphone/computer access.
• Fiber and cable broadband are prevalent along the I‑35 corridor (Buda–Kyle–San Marcos); western Hill Country areas rely more on fixed‑wireless/DSL and see slower speeds.
• 5G covers the main cities; a large student population (Texas State University) drives heavy mobile‑first email use and multiple account ownership.
• Rapid population growth along I‑35 concentrates connectivity, while rural precincts show higher “underconnected” rates.

Local density/connectivity facts: Most residents live in the high‑density I‑35 strip, where provider overlap is greatest; density and campus/workplace requirements reinforce daily email dependence for school, health care, commerce, and government services.

Mobile phone usage in Hays County, Texas — 2023–2024 snapshot

User estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 280,000–300,000 residents in 2023 (Census estimates). Adults (18+) are about three-quarters of the population.
• Estimated mobile phone users: approximately 235,000–250,000 people, anchored by ~90% adult smartphone ownership (Pew Research, 2023) applied to Hays’ younger-than-average age structure and high student share. That implies mobile penetration in the 82–85% range of total residents, and >90% among adults.

Demographic breakdown relevant to mobile use

• Age: Hays County skews younger than Texas overall due to Texas State University and rapid in-migration of young families along the I-35 corridor.
  • 18–24 share is materially higher than the state average; this cohort has near-universal smartphone adoption and heavier mobile-only internet reliance.
  • 65+ share is smaller than Texas overall, implying fewer legacy landline users and lower age-related smartphone gaps.
• Race/ethnicity: Hays has a larger Hispanic/Latino share than the Texas average and a smaller Black and Asian share. Hispanic households are more likely than non-Hispanic white households to be smartphone-dependent for internet, which raises the county’s mobile-only share relative to similarly affluent suburbs.
• Income and tenure: Median household income is modestly above the Texas median, with many renter households concentrated in San Marcos and rapidly growing suburban cities (Kyle, Buda). Students and renters are overrepresented in mobile-only segments versus homeowners.

Mobile access and adoption (household lens)

• Smartphone access per household: high-90s percentile is a reasonable estimate for Hays given its age/income mix and metro adjacency; Texas statewide household smartphone access is in the low-90s (ACS S2801).
• Cellular data plans (household broadband via mobile): elevated relative to Texas because of student and renter concentrations.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan without fixed broadband): estimated in the high teens as a share of households in Hays, compared with mid-teens statewide (ACS S2801). This pattern is most pronounced in student-heavy tracts around Texas State University and lower-cost rental areas.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: 4G LTE is effectively ubiquitous across populated areas; 5G NR from all three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) is broadly available along the I-35 axis (Buda–Kyle–San Marcos) and in city centers. Coverage quality declines moving west into the Hill Country (Wimberley and rural precincts), with more pockets of weak signal due to terrain and vegetation.
• 5G capacity/spectrum:
  • T-Mobile’s 2.5 GHz mid-band “Ultra Capacity” 5G is widely lit along I-35 and major arterials.
  • Verizon’s C-band 5G is present in the same corridor and around high-traffic nodes.
  • AT&T’s 5G+ (C-band and limited mmWave) is concentrated in dense commercial areas and expanding along the corridor.
• Speeds and experience: Crowdsourced testing consistently shows the I-35 corridor posting above-Texas-median mobile download speeds (often >100 Mbps on mid-band 5G) with lower and more variable performance west of the corridor (often falling back to LTE, with speeds commonly tens of Mbps). Congestion spikes are visible during Texas State University events and commuter peaks.
• Buildout patterns: Network densification has tracked the county’s fastest-growing suburbs (Kyle/Buda and north San Marcos), with co-location on existing towers and small-cell infill near commercial strips and campuses. Western census tracts remain comparatively underserved for capacity, not just coverage.

How Hays County differs from Texas overall

• Younger, student-heavy population: drives higher smartphone saturation, higher mobile-only internet reliance among renters, and heavier app/video/social usage per capita than the Texas average.
• Suburban growth corridor dynamics: carrier investment is concentrated along I-35, yielding speeds and 5G availability that outperform the statewide average in those zones; the county simultaneously has a sharper urban–rural performance split than the state as a whole.
• Device dependence: despite moderate-to-high household incomes, the mix of students and renters elevates the share of households relying solely on cellular data above the Texas average.
• Ethnic composition: a larger Hispanic share correlates with higher mobile-first engagement and payment via prepaid or budget MVNOs compared with wealthier, older Texas suburbs.

Implications

• Mobile-first remains the default for a large share of students and renters; plans with generous hotspot buckets and campus-area capacity matter more than in older Texas counties.
• Carriers that sustain mid-band 5G capacity along the I-35 spine will capture the majority of premium users; targeted coverage/capacity remediation west of San Marcos and Wimberley can unlock incremental share where fixed broadband options are sparse.
• Public-safety and resilience planning should account for terrain-driven dead zones west of the corridor and temporary load surges tied to university and event calendars.

Primary data inputs and benchmarks

• U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2022–2023; age, race/ethnicity, households, and device/broadband indicators via S2801).
• Pew Research Center (2023 smartphone ownership among U.S. adults ~90%).
• FCC National Broadband Map (2024 mobile coverage by technology and provider).
• Aggregated crowdsourced network performance datasets (e.g., Ookla/RootMetrics) indicating above-state-median mid-band 5G performance along I-35 and weaker speeds west of the corridor.

Hays County, TX social media snapshot (2024)

Population context (definitive)

• Gender: 50.4% female, 49.6% male (U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts)
• Age structure: 24% under 18; 64% ages 18–64; 12% ages 65+; county skews younger than the U.S. median due to Texas State University in San Marcos (Census; age band shares rounded)

Overall social media reach (modeled, adult population)

• Approx. 82–85% of adults use at least one social platform (Pew Research Center national usage applied to local demographics)

Most-used platforms among adults in Hays County (modeled share of adults who use the platform; based on Pew 2024 U.S. adoption rates adjusted for the county’s younger age mix)

• YouTube: ~85%
• Facebook: ~64%
• Instagram: ~52%
• TikTok: ~40%
• Snapchat: ~37%
• WhatsApp: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~27%
• X (Twitter): ~21%
• Nextdoor: ~18%

Age-group patterns (how usage concentrates locally)

• 18–29: Dominant on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; Facebook used but not primary. Expect the highest multi-platform overlap and daily use intensity around the San Marcos campus area.
• 30–49: Heavy Facebook and YouTube; strong Instagram; rising TikTok adoption; LinkedIn use concentrated among commuters and white-collar professionals along the I‑35 corridor (Buda, Kyle).
• 50–64: Facebook-first; YouTube for how‑to/news; selective Instagram use; TikTok adoption growing but still minority.
• 65+: Facebook for family/community updates; YouTube for news and entertainment; lower use of short‑form video apps.

Gender tendencies (platform mix)

• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Nextdoor; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. TikTok and Snapchat skew female among younger cohorts. Overall county gender split is near parity (50.4% female).

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Mobile-first, short-form video: Reels/TikTok drive discovery; Stories and vertical video outperform static posts.
• Community-centric usage: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are key for neighborhoods, buy/sell/trade, schools, and local alerts (notably in Buda, Kyle, Dripping Springs, Wimberley).
• Campus-driven virality: Texas State University content (events, athletics, nightlife, housing) amplifies TikTok/Snap use and weekend evening peaks around San Marcos.
• Bilingual engagement: A large Hispanic/Latino community (about 40% of residents) supports above-average WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram usage; bilingual creative improves reach and interaction.
• Messaging > comments: Instagram DMs, Messenger, and WhatsApp are primary for inquiries and conversions; fast responses matter.
• Timing: Highest engagement evenings (7–10 p.m.) and midday (11 a.m.–2 p.m.); weekend spikes around campus and high school sports, festivals, and outdoor activities.
• Creator economy: Micro‑local creators and student influencers drive reach; UGC and integrations with local events and businesses outperform polished ads.

Sources and method

• Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts (Hays County, TX).
• Platform adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024.
• Hays County platform percentages are modeled estimates by applying Pew’s age‑specific adoption to the county’s younger-leaning profile; they reflect share of adults who report using each platform.