Kerr County

Kerr County, Texas — key demographics

Population size

• 52,598 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~54,700 (July 1, 2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~49 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~51%
• 65 and over: ~30%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~64–65%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~30–31%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Two or more races and other: ~2%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~22,000–23,000
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~62%
• Nonfamily households: ~38% (including ~29% living alone)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75%

Insights

• Older age profile with nearly one-third of residents 65+, indicating a sizable retiree population.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a large Hispanic community.
• Small household sizes and high homeownership consistent with an older, settled population.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program, 2023; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year).

• Population and density: Kerr County has about 53,600 residents over 1,106 sq mi (≈48 people/sq mi), concentrated in Kerrville/Ingram; outlying areas are sparsely populated.
• Estimated email users: ~41,500 residents use email at least monthly.
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county demographics).
• Age distribution of email users (older-leaning county profile):
  • 18–34: ~8,500 (≈21%)
  • 35–54: ~11,800 (≈28%)
  • 55–64: ~6,700 (≈16%)
  • 65+: ~14,500 (≈35%)
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~90% of households have a computer; ~82% subscribe to home broadband.
  • Fixed broadband availability exceeds 90% at basic speeds (25/3 Mbps) and is roughly 75–80% for ≥100/20 Mbps; fiber is expanding in Kerrville while many rural tracts rely on cable, DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • 5G mobile coverage is present in Kerrville and along major corridors; coverage weakens in hillier, sparsely populated western areas.
  • Household adoption and average speeds are rising year over year, with the largest gaps among low-density, older, and lower-income households. Insight: Despite an older population, email penetration remains high due to strong adoption among 65+, but rural connectivity constraints moderate usage intensity outside Kerrville.

Mobile phone usage in Kerr County, Texas — summary with county-specific estimates, demographics, and infrastructure, emphasizing differences from the Texas statewide pattern.

User estimates

• Population baseline: 52,598 (2020 Census).
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 39,000–42,000 residents, or about 76–80% of the total population. This estimate reflects Kerr County’s older age structure (far older than the Texas median) applied to current U.S. age-specific smartphone adoption rates, which are high for under-65 adults and substantially lower for 65+.
• Household device access: roughly 86–89% of households have at least one smartphone (county), versus roughly 92–94% at the Texas level (pattern from recent ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables).
• Cellular-data-only home internet: approximately 10–13% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet in Kerr County, compared with roughly 7–9% in Texas overall. This higher cellular-only reliance is typical for rural counties with limited fiber-to-the-home footprints.

Demographic breakdown and usage implications

• Age: Kerr County has a much larger share of residents 65+ than Texas overall, and seniors adopt smartphones at materially lower rates than working-age adults. This drives:
  • More basic/feature-phone use than the Texas average.
  • Heavier reliance on voice/text and fewer app-centric behaviors, though telehealth and messaging use among seniors is growing from a smaller base.
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s attainment are below Texas averages, which correlates with:
  • Higher use of prepaid and budget plans and devices.
  • Greater price sensitivity to data caps and multi-line discounts.
  • Slower uptake of advanced services (e.g., premium 5G plans) outside Kerrville.
• Race and ethnicity: The Hispanic/Latino share in Kerr County is notably lower than the Texas average (Texas ≈40%). This typically translates into:
  • Lower prevalence of Spanish-first device settings and bilingual customer support needs than in many Texas metros.
• Urban–rural split: Most residents cluster in the Kerrville–Ingram area, with substantial outlying ranch and canyon communities. Rural residents report more coverage variability and slower 5G, contributing to:
  • Higher dependence on signal boosters and Wi-Fi calling at home.
  • Greater use of fixed wireless access (4G/5G home internet) relative to fiber or cable in outlying areas.

Digital infrastructure points

• Networks and coverage:
  • All three national carriers operate in the county. 4G LTE coverage is strong in and between towns and along major corridors (I‑10, SH‑16), with spotty service in river valleys and canyons northwest of Kerrville.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G is broadly present around Kerrville/Ingram and along highways; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in town cores and thins quickly in rural terrain. Compared with Texas metros, mid-band 5G availability is sparser and more variable indoors.
• Tower density and capacity:
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than the Texas average; intersite distances widen quickly outside Kerrville, producing capacity constraints during events and seasonal peaks.
  • Backhaul is a mix of fiber (along freeway/arterial corridors) and licensed microwave (serving more remote sites). Sites off the fiber backbone exhibit greater congestion and higher latency.
• Home broadband interplay:
  • Fiber-to-the-home is largely limited to parts of Kerrville; cable and legacy DSL serve many in-town neighborhoods; satellite and 4G/5G fixed wireless are common beyond town limits. This pushes a higher share of households to rely on mobile data as a primary or backup connection.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet coverage is available via AT&T, supporting county public safety. Rural topography still creates dead zones that agencies mitigate with deployables and boosters during incidents.

How Kerr County trends differ from Texas statewide

• Lower smartphone penetration: County-level smartphone access/usage rates trail Texas by roughly 8–12 percentage points, driven primarily by the much older age profile and rural topology.
• Higher cellular-only home internet use: Kerr County’s cellular-data-only household share is several points higher than the statewide average, reflecting limited fiber reach outside Kerrville and practical reliance on mobile networks for primary connectivity.
• Patchier mid-band 5G: Compared with Texas metros, mid-band 5G capacity is limited to town centers, with rapid performance drop-offs in rural areas; 4G LTE remains the workhorse outside core corridors.
• Device and plan mix: A higher share of prepaid and budget Android devices, more basic phones among seniors, and fewer premium unlimited 5G plans than typical in urban Texas counties.
• Coverage variability: More frequent dead zones and indoor coverage challenges in canyons/valleys than the state overall, increasing the use of boosters and Wi‑Fi offload.

Actionable implications

• Carriers: Prioritize mid-band 5G build-outs and fiber backhaul to macro sites on the periphery of Kerrville and along SH‑39/1340; add small cells or repeaters for event venues and medical corridors; tune for better indoor coverage in senior housing complexes.
• County/anchors: Expand digital skills programs for older adults; continue tower siting streamlining and rights-of-way for fiber laterals; target subsidies for signal boosters in known weak-signal pockets; coordinate with carriers on FirstNet augmentation for canyon areas.
• Community internet: Encourage fixed-wireless and fiber expansions to reduce cellular-only dependence and improve resilience during network congestion or power events.

Method note

• User and household figures are derived from the 2020 Census county population, recent ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns, and current U.S. age-specific smartphone adoption rates, adjusted for Kerr County’s older age structure. These yield conservative county-specific estimates and highlight differences from Texas statewide patterns.

Kerr County, TX social media snapshot

Population baseline

• Total population: 52,598 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): ~42,300 (≈80.4% of population)
• Gender: ~51–52% female, ~48–49% male (U.S. Census Bureau)
• Age structure: under 18 ≈19–20%; 65+ ≈29–30% (older-skewing county)

Estimated adult social media audience

• Adults using at least one social network (excluding YouTube): ~27,000–30,000 (≈64–70% of adults)
• Female share of social users: ~53–55% (reflects slight female majority and platform mix)
• Age mix of social users (approx.): 18–34 ≈22–26%; 35–54 ≈32–36%; 55–64 ≈18–20%; 65+ ≈22–26%

Most-used platforms among adults in Kerr County (monthly; share of adults, with estimated users)

• YouTube: 78–82% (≈33,000–35,000)
• Facebook: 62–68% (≈26,000–29,000)
• Instagram: 35–40% (≈15,000–17,000)
• TikTok: 20–25% (≈8,500–10,500)
• WhatsApp: 18–22% (≈7,500–9,300)
• Snapchat: 12–15% (≈5,000–6,300)
• X (Twitter): 12–15% (≈5,000–6,300)
• LinkedIn: 12–16% (≈5,000–6,800)
• Nextdoor: 12–18% (≈5,000–7,600) Notes:
• Figures are adult reach estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for Kerr County’s older age profile and rural context using Census age distribution. YouTube is listed separately because many local users treat it as a video utility in addition to social networking.

Age and gender patterns by platform (local tendencies)

• 65+: Facebook is dominant; YouTube used for news clips, local government meetings, and how‑to. TikTok/Snapchat minimal but growing via family sharing.
• 35–54: Facebook + YouTube core; Instagram moderate; TikTok adoption rising for short-form entertainment and local dining/activities.
• 18–34: Instagram and TikTok heavy; Snapchat active for peer messaging; YouTube near-universal.
• Women: Slightly higher engagement on Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor; strong participation in Groups and Marketplace.
• Men: Higher YouTube consumption (DIY, automotive, outdoors), relatively more Reddit/X (small base overall).

Behavioral trends observed in Kerr County

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor anchor local life (churches, school boosters, buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found, road and weather alerts). Engagement spikes during severe weather and wildfire risk.
• Marketplace-heavy behavior: Facebook Marketplace is a leading local commerce channel for vehicles, ranch equipment, furniture, and seasonal goods.
• Video-forward consumption: YouTube and Facebook Reels see steady watch time; TikTok short-form is the discovery path for restaurants, events, and local creators among under‑35s.
• Event-driven peaks: Kerrville festivals, fairs, high-school sports, hunting season, and summer tourism drive posting and ad response; weekends and early evenings are the highest-activity windows, with early-morning Facebook usage common among older adults.
• Messaging and micro-communities: WhatsApp group chats are common within extended families and parts of the Hispanic community; Facebook Messenger is the default for local business inquiries.
• Professional networking is niche: LinkedIn reach is smaller than state/national averages due to the county’s retiree share and smaller corporate footprint; best used for hiring and regional B2B.

What this means for outreach

• For broad reach: Lead with Facebook + YouTube; add Instagram for 18–44 and TikTok for under‑35.
• For neighborhood penetration: Use Facebook Groups and Nextdoor with locally relevant creative, clear place names, and community benefit framing.
• For conversion: Lean on Facebook/Instagram click-to-Messenger and Facebook Marketplace listings; time posts for early evening and weekend prime hours.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2022–2023 ACS indicators for Kerr County (population, age, gender)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024) platform adoption by U.S. adults; adjustments applied for Kerr County’s older, rural profile