Mcculloch County

Key demographics – McCulloch County, Texas

Population size

• 7,652 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 42.9 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 22–23%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; 2020 Census/ACS)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~37%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~56%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~3,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Married-couple households: ~49% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

McCulloch County, TX snapshot (2020 Census): population 7,730; area 1,073 sq mi; density ~7.2 residents/sq mi. Brady holds ~5,400 residents, concentrating connectivity in town.

Estimated email users: ~5,800 residents (≈75% of all residents; ~88% of those age 13+).

Email users by age (share of users):

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–29: 16%
• 30–49: 33%
• 50–64: 24%
• 65+: 20%

Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male.

Digital access and trends:

• ~90% of households have a computer/smartphone.
• ~73% subscribe to home broadband.
• ~16% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Adoption is strongest in Brady; outlying ranchlands face longer last‑mile distances and sparser fixed broadband, increasing reliance on fixed‑wireless or satellite.
• Mobile access drives most email use; older adults are more desktop‑oriented. Senior adoption lags younger cohorts but continues to rise.

Local density and connectivity implications: very low population density and dispersed settlements elevate infrastructure costs, shaping a town‑centric broadband footprint and a higher share of mobile‑first email usage outside Brady.

Mobile phone usage in McCulloch County, Texas (2024 snapshot)

Headline takeaways

• McCulloch County is a sparsely populated, older, rural county centered on Brady (pop. roughly 7.3–7.6k; density ≈7 people/sq mi). Mobile adoption is high but trails metro Texas on 5G capacity and device upgrade pace. Coverage is reliable in town and along highways, with measurable gaps across ranchlands.

User estimates

• Total mobile subscriptions: 10,500–11,800 active lines (scaling CTIA’s Texas penetration of roughly 140–155 wireless lines per 100 residents to a county population near 7.5k).
• Smartphone users: 5,100–5,700 people
  • Method: adults ≈5.7–6.0k; smartphone ownership in rural Texas adults typically 80–85% vs ~88–90% statewide, plus high-teen adoption among local teens.
• Mobile-only internet households: 25–35% of households rely primarily on cellular data (vs ~18–22% statewide), reflecting limited fixed broadband options outside Brady and nearby communities.
• Prepaid share: 35–45% of lines (higher than the ~30–35% common statewide), tied to income mix, credit preferences, and seasonal workers.

Demographic shape of usage (how it diverges from Texas overall)

• Older population footprint:
  • 65+ share is materially higher than Texas (county ≈22–26% vs Texas ≈13–14%). Smartphone ownership among seniors is solid but lower (≈65–72% here vs ≈75%+ statewide), sustaining heavier voice/SMS usage and simpler Android device mixes.
• Working-age adults (25–54) show near-ubiquitous smartphone use (≈92–96%), but monthly data consumption is lower than metro Texans due to more time spent in LTE-only areas and fewer midband-5G zones for high-throughput apps.
• Hispanic/Latino residents form a large minority (roughly one-third), boosting bilingual app usage and family plan penetration; however, overall county device-upgrade cycles run slower than state averages because of price sensitivity and patchy 5G capacity outside Brady.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Operators present: AT&T (including FirstNet band 14), Verizon, T‑Mobile; regional West Central Wireless also serves the area.
• Radio/coverage profile:
  • 4G LTE: practical outdoor/population coverage in the mid- to high‑90% range for AT&T and Verizon in and around Brady and along US‑87/US‑190/US‑283/TX‑71; off‑highway gaps persist.
  • 5G: low‑band 5G from all three nationals blankets Brady and main corridors; midband 5G (T‑Mobile n41, Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is present primarily on a handful of macro sites near town and along the busiest routes, leading to uneven 5G speeds outside the core.
  • Typical speeds: LTE 10–40 Mbps in rural sectors; low‑band 5G 30–150 Mbps in town/corridors; midband 5G peaks higher but with limited footprint. Indoor speeds can degrade notably in metal‑roofed structures and low-lying terrain.
• Sites/backhaul:
  • The county operates with a few dozen macro towers (order of 25–35) plus water‑tank/rooftop fills in Brady. Backhaul relies on a mix of microwave and limited fiber spurs along major roads; microwave hops constrain peak capacity on outlying sites compared with metro Texas’ largely fiber‑fed grids.
• Public‑safety and resiliency:
  • AT&T FirstNet coverage materially improves rural reliability for responders relative to consumer-only layers, but single‑site dependencies mean localized outages can still create dead zones outside town during weather or power events.

How McCulloch County differs from Texas statewide

• Coverage quality gap: Strong basic coverage in town/corridors but more frequent off‑grid pockets across ranchlands than typical Texas metros; fewer midband‑5G sectors per capita, so average 5G capacity lags state urban norms.
• Higher mobile‑only reliance: A larger slice of households use cellular as primary home internet due to limited fiber/cable footprints outside Brady, whereas metro Texans more often have wired broadband.
• Slower device turnover: Older median age and price sensitivity produce longer replacement cycles, keeping a higher share of LTE‑only or low‑band‑only devices in use than statewide.
• Network density/backhaul: Lower tower density and more microwave backhaul than Texas metros, which limits aggregate cell capacity and makes peak‑hour speeds more variable.
• Regional carrier presence: West Central Wireless remains a meaningful option locally; this is uncommon in major Texas counties dominated solely by the three nationals.

Implications and near‑term trajectory (2025 outlook)

• Capacity gains should accrue first in Brady and along US‑87/US‑190/US‑283 as carriers light more midband 5G and add sectors; broad rural capacity improvements will depend on incremental fiber backhaul and selective new macro infill.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA) from T‑Mobile/Verizon will expand modestly in and near Brady; countywide FWA will remain constrained where midband 5G is absent.
• User growth is likely flat to gently rising, but data consumption per user will grow as coverage-driven performance improves in town, widening the performance gap between town and ranchland areas unless additional rural sites are added.

McCulloch County, TX – social media usage (modeled 2025 snapshot)

What this is: County-level social media surveys aren’t published. Figures below are modeled local estimates derived from the latest U.S. Census population for McCulloch County and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s older, rural profile. Percentages can exceed 100% because people use multiple platforms.

Population base

• Total population: ~7.6–7.7k residents (U.S. Census Bureau)
• Residents 13+: ~6.9k; adults 18+: ~6.0k (older-leaning age mix)

Estimated social media users (13+)

• 5,100–5,400 users (roughly 67–71% of all residents; ~75–80% of adults)

Age mix of local social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–29: ~19%
• 30–49: ~35%
• 50–64: ~25%
• 65+: ~13%

Gender breakdown of local social media users

• Female ~52%
• Male ~48%

Most-used platforms among residents (13+) – percent using each at least monthly

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–72%
• Instagram: 35–42%
• TikTok: 22–28%
• Pinterest: 28–35%
• Snapchat: 15–20%
• X (Twitter): 12–16%
• WhatsApp: 18–24%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 3–6%

Behavioral trends in the county

• Facebook-centric community life: Local news, school and church updates, civic groups, and buy/sell/marketplace activity concentrate on Facebook. Older adults are the most active posters; mid-life users engage heavily with groups and Marketplace.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is the default for how-to, home/ranch, outdoor, and local sports content; most usage is watching rather than posting.
• Visual commerce for small businesses: Instagram is used by local retailers, food, real estate, and events for product showcases and stories/reels; many posts are cross-shared from Facebook.
• Youth skew: Teens and 18–24s concentrate on TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat; content creation is highest in these cohorts, while older users primarily consume.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp usage is material among family networks and service trades.
• Platform mix vs. national: Higher reliance on Facebook and Pinterest than the U.S. average; lower share on TikTok/Snapchat and X among older cohorts; YouTube remains universally strong across ages.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau, McCulloch County population (latest available estimates).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023–2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption by age and gender).
• Local figures are modeled by applying national adoption by age/gender to the county’s age structure and rural adjustments; treat as best-available estimates rather than survey measurements.