Irion County

Irion County, Texas — key demographics

• Population size

  • 1,513 (2020 Census)

• Age

  • Median age: ~42 years (2020)
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~20%

• Gender

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race and ethnicity (2020 Census)

  • White alone: ~83%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~32%
  • White alone, non-Hispanic: ~58%
  • Black or African American alone: ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
  • Asian alone: <1%
  • Two or more races: ~4%

• Households (2020)

  • Total households: ~580
  • Average household size: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~70% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~60% of households
  • Average family size: ~3.1

Insights: Small, rural county with a stable population around 1.5k, balanced gender split, older age profile than the U.S. overall, and a sizable Hispanic community. Households are predominantly family and married-couple with moderately larger household sizes typical of rural West Texas.

Email usage in Irion County, TX (best-available estimates)

• Local context: ~1.5–1.7K residents across ~1,000 sq mi → under 2 people per sq mi, making fixed broadband buildout sparse.
• Estimated email users: 1,000–1,200 adults use email regularly (~85–92% of adults), based on national adoption applied to local age mix.
• Age distribution among email users:
  • 18–29: ~95% use email; about 18–22% of users.
  • 30–49: ~95%; roughly 30–35% of users.
  • 50–64: ~85–90%; about 25–30% of users.
  • 65+: ~70–80%; about 15–20% of users.
• Gender split: Approximately even (near 50/50); women are slightly more likely to check email daily, but the gap is small.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: roughly 70–80%.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: about 10–15%.
  • Connectivity pattern: limited fiber beyond the county seat; many households use DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. LTE/5G strongest along main highways; coverage thins in ranchland.
• Implications: Email reaches most working-age adults reliably; engagement among seniors is solid but lower. Sparse density and mixed last-mile options mean mobile-optimized, low-bandwidth emails perform best.

Sources: Aggregated from recent Census/ACS small-county indicators and national/rural tech adoption studies (e.g., Pew) applied to Irion County’s profile.

Mobile phone usage in Irion County, Texas — 2025 snapshot

Headline view

• Mobile adoption is high but below the Texas average, with coverage and capacity shaped by a very low population density and a small number of macro towers concentrated along US‑67 and in Mertzon/Barnhart.
• 5G is present primarily as low‑band overlays; mid‑band 5G capacity common in Texas metros is sparse or absent in much of the county.
• Residents lean more on voice/SMS and basic app use than data‑intensive services during peak periods, reflecting capacity and backhaul constraints that are less common statewide.

User estimates

• Population baseline: 1,513 residents (2020 Census). Land area ~1,050 sq mi.
• Adults (18+): approximately 1,150–1,250.
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~1,100–1,200 (roughly 95% of adults; near‑universal).
• Adult smartphone users: ~900–1,050 (about 80–85% of adults; several points below Texas, which is close to 90%).
• Teen users (12–17): ~120–150 with a mobile phone, based on typical rural adoption patterns.
• Total active mobile users (adults + teens): on the order of 1,050–1,200 individuals.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age structure: Irion County skews older than Texas overall. About one‑fifth of residents are 65+, and smartphone adoption in this group is materially lower (roughly 60–70%) than among working‑age adults (>90%). This age mix is the primary driver of county‑level adoption trailing the state.
• Working‑age (25–54): Approximately two out of five residents. Mobile ownership is essentially universal; this cohort drives most app‑based usage, mobile payments, and location‑based services tied to oilfield, ranching, and commuting patterns.
• Hispanic/Latino residents: Roughly a quarter to a third of the population. Adoption rates are comparable to statewide peers, with above‑average use of mobile messaging and social platforms as primary digital touchpoints where home broadband is limited.
• Connectivity profile: A higher share of residents rely on mobile data for day‑to‑day internet needs than in Texas metros, but true “smartphone‑only” dependence is tempered by the older population and by pockets with weak indoor signal where fixed wireless/satellite is preferred.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, and T‑Mobile; regional carrier West Central Wireless operates in the Concho Valley and provides coverage/roaming that supplements the national networks.
• 5G footprint: Low‑band 5G from AT&T and T‑Mobile covers highways and population centers; Verizon’s low‑band 5G/extended LTE is present along primary corridors. Mid‑band 5G capacity (n41/n77) is limited outside Mertzon and highway nodes, unlike Texas metros where mid‑band is widespread.
• Performance: Typical download speeds range from ~10–80 Mbps on low‑band 5G/LTE, with higher peaks near tower sites and appreciable drops indoors (metal‑roof ranch structures are common). Upload speeds are often <15 Mbps outside town centers.
• Tower density and placement: A small, single‑digit number of macro sites serve most of the county, concentrated near Mertzon, Barnhart, and along US‑67; gaps persist along SH‑163 and in sparsely populated ranchland and creek canyons. This yields more dead zones and handoff gaps per mile than the Texas average.
• Backhaul: Mix of microwave and limited fiber along highways; constrained backhaul contributes to congestion during peak oilfield shifts and regional events.
• Home and small‑business broadband interplay: Limited fiber‑to‑the‑premise; fixed wireless and satellite are common. Mobile networks act as backup or primary internet in areas lacking reliable wired service, increasing traffic loads relative to urban Texas counties.

How Irion County differs from Texas overall

• Adoption level: Overall smartphone penetration is lower by roughly 5–8 percentage points, driven by an older age profile and sparse infrastructure, despite near‑universal basic mobile phone ownership.
• Network capacity: Reliance on low‑band 5G/LTE and sparse tower spacing leads to lower median speeds and more variability than the state median, which benefits from widespread mid‑band 5G in metros and larger towns.
• Coverage pattern: Coverage is corridor‑centric (US‑67, Mertzon/Barnhart), with larger geographic dead zones than typical Texas counties; indoor performance issues are more pronounced.
• Usage mix: Higher relative reliance on voice/SMS, messaging, and lightweight apps during busy hours; heavier data use (video, hotspotting) is feasible but less consistent countywide than in urban Texas.
• Provider landscape: Presence of a regional carrier (West Central Wireless) meaningfully supplements coverage, a dynamic less relevant in metro Texas where the three national carriers dominate.

Bottom line Irion County’s mobile ecosystem is characterized by high but not statewide‑level smartphone adoption, a thinly distributed macro‑cell grid, low‑band 5G as the prevailing technology, and corridor‑focused coverage. These factors produce a usage profile that is more conservative and variable than the Texas average, with residents and businesses adapting via multi‑carrier strategies, fixed wireless/satellite complements, and reliance on lower‑bandwidth services during peak times.

Irion County, TX social media snapshot (modeled 2025)

How these figures were built:

• Base population: ~1,520 residents (2020 Census), ~1,200 adults (18+).
• Adoption rates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use study, with a conservative rural-county adjustment (-5 percentage points vs. national where appropriate). Figures are modeled for Irion County’s size and rural profile.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: 72% (860 adults).

Age groups (share using at least one platform)

• Teens 13–17: ~95%+
• 18–29: ~90%
• 30–49: ~82%
• 50–64: ~70%
• 65+: ~50%

Gender breakdown

• Female adults using social media: ~75%
• Male adults using social media: ~70%
• Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter).

Most-used platforms (share of adult residents using)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~63%
• Instagram: ~42%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• TikTok: ~28%
• WhatsApp: ~24%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• LinkedIn: ~25%
• X (Twitter): ~17%
• Reddit: ~17%

Behavioral trends observed in small, rural West Texas counties like Irion

• Facebook as the community hub: Local news, schools, churches, emergency updates, events, buy/sell (Marketplace), and county information primarily run through Facebook Pages and Groups.
• Video-first habits: YouTube dominates for practical “how-to” content (ranching, equipment, vehicle maintenance), high school sports highlights, outdoor and hunting content; short-form video via Reels/Shorts/TikTok is growing among under-35s.
• Private sharing > public posting: Messenger, SMS, and WhatsApp group chats are heavily used for family, church, and work crews; many residents consume more than they post.
• Multi-platform but focused: Typical adult uses 3–4 platforms, but Facebook + YouTube cover most local reach; Instagram and TikTok add younger reach.
• Lower X/Reddit penetration: Niche audiences (news/politics on X; hobbies/tech on Reddit); conversations of local significance rarely originate here.
• Timing: Engagement spikes before work (6:30–8:30 a.m.) and evenings (7–9 p.m.), with weekend bumps around local events and school sports.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (plus prior waves for rural vs. urban deltas). Figures are modeled local estimates reflecting Irion County’s small, rural population.