Mills County

Mills County, Texas — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year)

Population size

• 4,456 residents (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~49 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~52%
• 65 and over: ~27%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~73–76%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~17–20%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Two or more races: ~2–4%

Households

• ~1,900–2,000 households
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55%
• Households with children under 18: ~20–25%
• One-person households: ~25–30%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a high share of older adults and smaller household sizes.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a meaningful Hispanic/Latino minority.

Mills County, TX snapshot: Population 4,456 (2020 Census), ~748 sq mi, density ≈6 people/sq mi; entirely rural.

Estimated email users

• Adults using email: ≈3,200 (≈90% of ~3,560 adults)
• Total users including teens: ≈3,350

Age distribution of email users (est.)

• 18–29: ~15%
• 30–49: ~31%
• 50–64: ~26%
• 65+: 28% Adoption is near-universal among 30–49 (97%) and high for 50–64 (92%); 65+ is lower (85%) but rising.

Gender split of users (est.)

• Female ~51%
• Male ~49% Email adoption differs little by gender.

Digital access and connectivity

• Household broadband subscription: ≈70–75%; the remainder rely on mobile-only service or have no subscription.
• Access mix: legacy DSL/cable and fixed wireless in town centers (e.g., Goldthwaite), expanding 5G home internet and satellite options; speeds and reliability drop on outlying ranchlands.
• Device access: smartphone penetration is high; ~15–20% of adults are smartphone‑only for internet, shaping email use toward mobile.
• Ongoing state/federal rural broadband programs are extending fiber backbones and last‑mile coverage, incrementally improving availability and consistency across the county.

Mills County, Texas — Mobile phone usage snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~4,600; ~1,950 households
• Age mix: ~26% age 65+, ~54% age 18–64, ~20% under 18
• Income: median household roughly mid-50k (well below Texas overall, low-70k range)
• Ethnicity: ~75–80% non-Hispanic White, ~15–20% Hispanic/Latino, small shares other groups

User estimates

• Smartphone users: ~3,200–3,350 residents (about 80–82% of adults; lower than Texas’ ~88–90%)
• Adult mobile phone owners (any type): ~3,500–3,800 (about 90–93% of adults; below Texas norms)
• Households relying on cellular as primary home internet: ~25–28% (notably above Texas’ ~12–18%)
• Households with no home internet at all: ~14–18% (roughly double the state rate)
• Prepaid share of consumer mobile lines: ~45–50% (above Texas’ ~35–40%), reflecting older demographics and price sensitivity
• Device replacement cycle: ~3.7–4.0 years on average (longer than Texas’ ~3.0–3.3 years)

Demographic usage patterns

• 18–64: smartphone adoption ~86–90%
• 65+: smartphone adoption ~60–68% (well below state average for seniors), with a measurable base of flip/feature-phone users
• Teens: high smartphone access but more constrained by coverage/speeds than urban peers
• Language/ethnicity: with a smaller Hispanic share than Texas overall, Spanish-language plan marketing and community retail presence are less dense than in urban counties

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile cover population centers and major corridors (US-183, US-84, TX-16). AT&T generally leads in rural coverage and FirstNet support; Verizon close second; T-Mobile’s low-band 5G is present but mid-band capacity is patchier outside Goldthwaite and primary highways
• 5G footprint:
  • Low-band (coverage layer): reaches most populated areas (roughly 85–90% of residents)
  • Mid-band (capacity layer): limited to the county seat and main corridors (roughly 35–50% of residents), far below Texas’ large-metro coverage
• Typical performance: reliable voice/SMS; data speeds variable—solid in town/highways, slower on ranch roads and low-lying terrain; congestion rare but backhaul can cap speeds
• Backhaul: a mix of microwave and limited fiber; fiber concentration in/near Goldthwaite with sparser reach in outlying areas
• Sites: on the order of a couple dozen macro cell locations countywide, clustered near Goldthwaite, Mullin, Priddy, and along highways; fewer small cells than urban Texas
• Public safety: AT&T FirstNet Band 14 is available on key rural sites, improving coverage for first responders compared with consumer-only bands

How Mills County differs from Texas overall

• Lower adoption: adult smartphone and overall mobile ownership trail state averages by several points, driven by an older population and tighter household budgets
• More cellular-dependent at home: a markedly higher share of households use cellular data as their primary or only home internet, and a higher share have no internet at all
• Carrier mix: AT&T over-indexes due to rural coverage and FirstNet; T-Mobile’s share is smaller than in metro Texas where its mid-band 5G dominates
• Network capacity: 5G mid-band coverage and average downlink capacity lag state norms; users see wider performance swings between town corridors and ranch areas
• Spending and lifecycle: higher prepaid penetration and longer device replacement cycles than the state, with slower adoption of premium handsets and wearables
• Usage behavior: voice/SMS reliability remains a top priority; data-heavy, low-latency use (gaming, 4K streaming) is less prevalent outside the county seat; hotspot use for home access is more common

Implications

• Retail: strongest traction for AT&T/Verizon postpaid where coverage is critical; value-focused prepaid plans resonate broadly
• Network: the biggest wins come from extending mid-band 5G and fiber backhaul beyond Goldthwaite and highway corridors
• Services: packages bundling generous hotspot data and signal-boosting solutions (CPE/boosters) fit local needs better than entertainment-heavy add-ons favored in urban Texas

Mills County, TX — social media usage (short breakdown)

County snapshot

• Population: 4,456 (2020 Census); rural, older-than-Texas average age profile; sex split roughly even.
• Adult base used for estimates: ~3,500 residents age 18+ (derived from Census age structure for similar rural Texas counties).

User stats (modeled 2024, based on Pew Research rural adoption applied to the county’s adult population)

• Adult social media users: ~2,300–2,700 (≈65–75% of adults).
• Daily users among social media users: ~60–70% use at least one platform daily.
• Device mix: Predominantly mobile; video and short-form consumption is high even among older users due to YouTube and Facebook video.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults; modeled from rural-U.S. adoption)

• YouTube: ~55–65%
• Facebook: ~50–60%
• Instagram: ~20–30%
• TikTok: ~20–25%
• Pinterest: ~20–25%
• Snapchat: ~15–20%
• X/Twitter: ~10–15%
• LinkedIn: ~10–15%
• WhatsApp: ~10–15%
• Reddit: ~5–10%
• Nextdoor: ~5–8%

Age-group usage patterns (adults)

• 18–29: Heaviest multi-platform use; Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lead alongside YouTube; Facebook used primarily for family/community ties rather than posting.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram is secondary; TikTok adoption is material but more for viewing than posting.
• 50–64: Facebook is dominant for local news, school sports, churches, and civic groups; YouTube strong; Pinterest notable among women.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube carry most activity; lower but rising TikTok viewing; Instagram limited.

Gender breakdown (behavioral)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook (groups, Marketplace), Instagram (family/lifestyle), and Pinterest; stronger participation in school, church, and local charity pages.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube (how-to, farm/ranch, hunting/outdoors, DIY), X/Twitter (sports/news), and Reddit (niche hobbies), with Facebook used for groups and Marketplace.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Texas counties and applicable locally

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups drive event coordination, lost-and-found, school athletics, fundraisers, weather and road updates, and local government notices.
• Video consumption: YouTube is the default for how-to, equipment maintenance, ag/ranch content, and sports highlights; short-form Facebook/TikTok videos gain strong organic reach.
• Marketplace reliance: Facebook Marketplace is widely used for livestock, equipment, vehicles, furniture, and yard sales; high response to clear photos and concise descriptions.
• Posting windows: Engagement peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.). Weekends favor events, sports recaps, and church/community content.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger and SMS carry most private coordination; WhatsApp use exists in family/work crews but remains secondary.
• Trust signals: Local identity cues, recognizable landmarks, and named individuals/organizations materially increase engagement and shares.

Notes on method and confidence

• County population is from the U.S. Census (2020). Social platform percentages are modeled by applying 2023–2024 Pew Research Center social-media adoption rates for rural U.S. adults to the county’s adult population profile; they reflect best-available estimates rather than official county-reported figures. Patterns and behaviors are consistent with observed rural Texas usage. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial 2020; ACS age structure for rural TX), Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024).