Lampasas County

Lampasas County, Texas — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 23,700 (2024 Census Bureau estimate)
• Growth: Up roughly 9–10% since the 2020 Census count of 21,627

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~19–20%

Gender

• Female: ~49%
• Male: ~51%

Race and ethnicity

• Non-Hispanic White: ~69%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~22%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~3%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~1%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~4%
• Other non-Hispanic: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8,800
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7 persons
• Family households: ~70% (married-couple households ~52%)
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• One-person households: ~23%
• Owner-occupied: ~75%; renter-occupied: ~25%
• Total housing units: ~9,900

Insights

• The county is growing steadily post-2020, skews slightly older than the Texas median, has high owner-occupancy, and a majority non-Hispanic White population with a sizeable Hispanic community.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Vintage 2024 county population estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Lampasas County, TX — email usage snapshot

• Population and density: 21,627 residents (2020 Census) over ~714 sq mi ≈ 30 people/sq mi; most residents cluster in the City of Lampasas and the Copperas Cove fringe, with large rural tracts elsewhere.
• Estimated email users: ≈15,000 residents age 13+ use email regularly (about 70% of the total population), derived from local broadband availability and U.S. email adoption norms.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 6%
  • 18–34: 25%
  • 35–54: 32%
  • 55–64: 15%
  • 65+: 22%
• Gender split among users: ~50% female, ~50% male, tracking the county’s near-even sex ratio.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ≈85% of households have a broadband subscription; ≈92–94% have a computer device (ACS S2801, multi‑year).
  • Smartphone use is pervasive (≈85–90% of adults), supporting mobile email; some rural households are mobile‑only for internet.
  • Connectivity is strongest in Lampasas/Copperas Cove areas with cable/fiber options; unincorporated areas often rely on fixed wireless or satellite. 5G/4G covers primary corridors (US‑190/US‑183), with spotty coverage in low‑density hill country. Insights: High device and broadband access underpin robust email adoption; older-adult participation is substantial due to rising smartphone use, while sparsely populated zones see more mobile and fixed‑wireless reliance.

Lampasas County, TX — mobile phone usage summary (2024)

User estimates

• Resident base: 21,627 (2020 Census). Adults (18+) ≈ 16,600.
• Adults with a mobile phone (of any kind): ≈ 15,800 (applying ~95% adult mobile-phone ownership observed in recent national/state surveys).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈ 13,600 (applying an 82% rural-adult smartphone adoption rate; Texas statewide is closer to ~88–90%).
• Mobile-only home internet reliance: estimated 24–30% of households use a cellular data plan as their primary or only home internet connection, above the Texas average (~17–20%). This is consistent with rural infrastructure profiles and observed ACS patterns for similar counties.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: The county skews older than Texas overall, which pulls smartphone adoption below the state rate.
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (mid-90%s); heavy app, social, and video use.
  • 35–64: high adoption (upper-80s to low-90%s); strong use of productivity, navigation, and commerce apps.
  • 65+: lower adoption (mid-60s to mid-70%s), but growing; larger share on basic Android/iPhone models and voice/text-first plans.
• Income and plan type: Median incomes trail the Texas median, and wired alternatives are thinner outside town centers. This drives:
  • Higher prepaid/MVNO penetration than the Texas average.
  • Above-average mobile-only internet use for the home, especially among lower-income and renter households.
• Veterans and military-adjacent users: A notably higher share of veterans than Texas overall (reflecting proximity to Fort Cavazos/Killeen). This translates to:
  • Greater uptake of carriers with strong military discounts/support.
  • Higher device churn among working-age adults tied to duty cycles and employer device programs.
• Race/ethnicity: The county’s Hispanic share is markedly lower than Texas statewide (~40% statewide). Because Hispanic adults in Texas report high smartphone reliance, Lampasas’ lower Hispanic share partly explains its slightly lower smartphone penetration and app-based communications intensity compared with the state.

Digital infrastructure points

• Macro coverage
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) operate across the county. 5G low-band coverage reaches population centers and major corridors (US-190, US-281, TX-183); mid-band 5G is strongest in/near Lampasas and along the US-190 corridor and thins in ranchland and river-valley areas.
  • Coverage gaps persist on lightly populated FM roads and in hilly/limestone terrain, producing occasional dead zones and indoor signal variability outside town centers.
• Performance
  • 5G performance is adequate for typical consumer use but trails Texas metro norms. Expect lower median 5G speeds and greater variability than urban Texas (especially off-corridor), with LTE fallback common in fringe areas.
• Backhaul and tower density
  • Sites cluster around Lampasas, Kempner, Lometa, and along US-190/US-281. Rural spacing between sites is wider than in Texas metros, which contributes to capacity constraints at peak times and slower mid-band 5G expansion.
• Home and community access alternatives
  • Cable internet (DOCSIS) is available in the city of Lampasas (e.g., Vyve Broadband) with gigabit-class tiers.
  • Fiber is present in limited pockets via regional providers and co-ops; availability falls off outside towns.
  • Fixed wireless (e.g., WISPs) and 5G home internet (notably from T-Mobile; Verizon in select areas) cover many areas beyond cable/fiber reach.
  • Satellite internet (including Starlink) is widely accessible and used as a backstop in sparse zones.
• Public-safety and resiliency
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage extends across primary corridors and population centers, improving emergency communications reliability relative to commercial-only service in rural stretches.

How Lampasas County differs from Texas overall

• Smartphone penetration: 5–8 percentage points lower than the Texas average, driven by older age structure and rural coverage/performance constraints.
• Mobile-only internet: Meaningfully higher share of households rely on cellular as primary home internet compared with statewide, reflecting limited wired options beyond town centers.
• Plan mix: Higher prepaid/MVNO share and smaller share on premium unlimited plans than in metro Texas.
• Network quality: More frequent LTE fallback and slower median 5G speeds than state urban benchmarks; coverage gaps remain in low-density areas despite broad low-band 5G footprints.
• Demographics: Lower Hispanic share and higher veteran share than Texas overall, shaping device/plan choices (military discounts, BYOD) and slightly different app usage patterns.

Method notes

• Counts are derived by applying recent rural and statewide adoption rates (Pew/NTIA/industry benchmarks) to the 2020 Census adult population for Lampasas County. The mobile-only home-internet estimate reflects ACS patterns for similar rural Texas counties and observed provider footprints in Lampasas County.

Lampasas County, TX — Social Media Snapshot (2025)

Population baseline and access

• Population: ~23,000 residents (ACS 2023 estimate). Adults (18+): ~76% of residents.
• Internet access: ~80–85% of households have home internet; smartphone ownership among adults ~85–90% (rural-Texas benchmarks).

Overall social media usage (13+)

• Users: ~70–75% of residents 13+ use social media, equal to roughly 15,500–17,000 people.
• Daily users: ~62–66% of residents 13+.
• Time spent: Typical daily use 1.5–2.5 hours; heavier among under-30.

Age-group adoption (share of each age group using social media)

• Teens 13–17: 92–95%
• 18–29: 85–90%
• 30–44: 80–85%
• 45–64: 68–74%
• 65+: 45–52%

Gender breakdown (share of county social media users)

• Female: 51–53%
• Male: 47–49%

Most-used platforms in Lampasas County (share of social media users, monthly; daily in parentheses)

• YouTube: 78–84% (55–60% daily)
• Facebook: 76–82% (55–60% daily)
• Instagram: 36–42% (22–26% daily)
• TikTok: 30–36% (20–24% daily)
• Pinterest: 26–32% (12–16% daily; majority female)
• Snapchat: 22–28% (15–20% daily; concentrated under 30)
• WhatsApp: 12–18% (8–12% daily; family/church groups)
• X (Twitter): 12–16% (6–9% daily)
• LinkedIn: 10–14% (3–6% daily)
• Nextdoor: 6–10% (2–4% daily; most active around city limits)

Behavioral trends and content patterns

• Community-first usage: Extremely high engagement in Facebook Groups for local news, school updates (Lampasas Badgers), public safety, and buy/sell/trade. County and city agency pages see strong reach during weather, wildfire, and road-closure events.
• Marketplace and small business: Facebook Marketplace is a primary commerce channel for ranch/farm equipment, vehicles, household goods; local boutiques, trades, and home services use Facebook and Instagram for promotions and lead-gen.
• Video-driven discovery: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is the fastest-growing format for events, food spots, outdoor recreation, and youth activities; YouTube dominates for how-to/DIY, hunting/fishing, and equipment reviews.
• Event-centric spikes: Fairs, rodeos, youth sports, and church events drive predictable peaks in mentions, shares, and live streams on Facebook.
• Timing: Engagement clusters before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.); Sunday late afternoon is strong for community and church content.
• Demographic skews:
  • Under-30: Heaviest on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; high daily frequency and DM-based sharing.
  • 30–49: Facebook + Instagram for parenting, school, and local commerce; strong Reels adoption.
  • 50–64: Facebook Groups and Marketplace; YouTube for tutorials and local-interest content.
  • 65+: Primarily Facebook for news, community, and family updates; moderate YouTube.
• Topic hotspots: Local governance (school board, property taxes), severe weather, high school athletics, hunting/land management, and regional jobs.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county-level estimates derived from ACS population structure and 2024–2025 U.S. and rural-Texas social media adoption benchmarks (Pew and industry panels). They reflect likely usage in Lampasas County and are suitable for planning, targeting, and content strategy.