Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Texas — key demographics

Population

• 678,490 (July 1, 2023 estimate). Up from 620,443 in 2020 (+9.4% over three years).

Age

• Median age: 36.8 years (ACS 2019–2023).
• Under 18: 25.8%; 65 and over: 14.6%.

Gender

• Female: 50.6%; Male: 49.4%.

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census)

• White, non-Hispanic: 59.7%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 27.7%
• Black or African American: 5.9%
• Asian: 2.7%
• Two or more races: 3.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.7%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: 239,800
• Average household size: 2.86 persons
• Family households: 73.9% of households
• Married-couple families: 57.8% of households
• Homeownership rate: 76.7%

Insight: The county is fast-growing, family-oriented with larger households and high homeownership, and continues to diversify with over one-quarter of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2023 Population Estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey).

Montgomery County, TX overview (2024 estimates):

• Email users: ~585,000–620,000 residents use email regularly. That’s roughly 85–90% of people age 13+ in a county of about 700,000.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: ~7–9%; 18–34: ~26–29%; 35–54: ~35–38%; 55+: ~25–28%. Adoption is near-universal among 18–64 and slightly lower but strong among 65+.
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~92–94% of households have an internet subscription; broadband adoption has risen steadily with strong growth in fiber and 5G since 2020.
  • ~12–15% of households are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • Fiber and high-speed cable are concentrated along the I‑45 corridor (The Woodlands–Conroe), supporting high email engagement and multi-device usage; northern/eastern rural areas rely more on fixed wireless and satellite.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population is concentrated in and around The Woodlands, Conroe, and the I‑45 spine, where multiple ISPs offer 100–1000 Mbps service and all major carriers provide 5G. Areas around Lake Conroe and near Sam Houston National Forest are less dense and show lower fixed-fiber availability, which modestly reduces email intensity compared with the suburban core.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Montgomery County, Texas (distinct from Texas statewide)

Headline estimates

• Population base: ≈680,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023). About 245,000 households.
• Adults (18+): ≈515,000. Adults with any mobile phone: ≈490,000–500,000 (≈95–97%). Adult smartphone users: ≈460,000–480,000 (≈90–93%).
• Including teens (13–17), total smartphone users in the county are on the order of 500,000–520,000; total people with any mobile phone ≈530,000–560,000.
• Compared with Texas overall: smartphone and mobile-phone adoption run a few points higher in Montgomery County, driven by higher income, suburban density, and strong network/fiber buildout.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (≈96–98%); ≈150,000 users. Heavy app, video, and social usage; highest 5G device penetration.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈92–95%); ≈235,000–245,000 users. Largest share of total data traffic; high family-plan and multi-line penetration.
  • 65+: adoption materially above the Texas average for seniors, reflecting local income/education (≈80–85% vs ≈75–80% statewide); ≈70,000–75,000 users. Telehealth and messaging are the stickiest use cases.
• Income and education
  • Median household income ≈$90,000–$100,000 (well above the Texas median). This correlates with higher postpaid share, more premium devices (notably iPhone), and greater 5G handset penetration than the state average.
  • Mobile-only internet reliance is lower than the Texas average because fixed fiber/cable is widely available and adopted in the southern and central parts of the county.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • County race/ethnicity skews more non-Hispanic White and less Hispanic than Texas overall. As a result, the statewide pattern of very high “mobile-first” reliance among Spanish-speaking households is present but less prevalent here than in many Texas counties.
• Wireless-only voice households
  • Adults living in wireless-only households are estimated around 69–72% in Montgomery County, a touch below Texas overall (≈72–75%), reflecting a slightly older population and higher fixed broadband adoption.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s different locally)

• 5G footprint and performance
  • All three national carriers provide countywide LTE with extensive 5G. Mid-band 5G (2.5–3.7 GHz) is broadly deployed along I‑45, TX‑99/Grand Parkway, SH‑242, FM‑1488, and US‑59/69, yielding faster median speeds than the Texas average in these corridors.
  • The Woodlands, Conroe, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, and parts of Magnolia/Montgomery see dense macro + small‑cell layering; exurban northern/western fringes and forested areas have more late‑LTE/low‑band 5G coverage with lower peak capacity.
• Capacity and congestion
  • Peak-hour congestion concentrates on commuter corridors (I‑45 and feeders) and around major venues (e.g., Town Center/Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion). Daytime capacity holds up better than many Texas metros due to aggressive small‑cell and C‑band/mid‑band upgrades since 2022.
• Fiber backhaul depth
  • Fiber-to-the-home expansion (notably Tachus, AT&T Fiber) and broad cable coverage (Xfinity) have increased 5G backhaul capacity and reduced household dependence on cellular-only internet relative to the state. This is a key divergence from rural Texas counties where limited fixed options push heavier mobile substitution.
• Cellular-only internet households
  • Estimated 10–12% of households rely on a cellular data plan as their only at‑home internet connection—meaningfully below Texas overall (≈15–18%). Mobile is still the primary connection for a sizable share of lower‑income and renter households in Splendora/New Caney and parts of Magnolia, but countywide fixed adoption is higher than the state average.
• Resilience and coverage gaps
  • Coverage is robust across population centers; weaker spots persist near lake/forest terrain and low‑density pockets northwest and northeast of Conroe. Post‑Harvey and 2021 winter‑storm hardening increased site backup power in urbanized areas; resilience remains above average for Texas suburbs.

Market and device mix

• Postpaid vs prepaid
  • Higher-than-state postpaid share and multi‑line family plans, consistent with higher income and suburban demographics. Prepaid remains important for younger users and price‑sensitive households along the US‑59/69 corridor.
• Device ecosystem
  • iPhone share is higher than Texas overall; 5G handset penetration is above state average, accelerating carrier migration of capacity to mid‑band 5G.
• Usage profile
  • Per‑line data consumption trends above statewide norms due to extensive video streaming, connected‑car usage, and telework. County residents are early adopters of Wi‑Fi calling and cellular wearables, further tilting usage toward postpaid ecosystems.

Key takeaways on how Montgomery County differs from Texas overall

• Higher smartphone and any‑mobile adoption by a few percentage points, especially among seniors.
• Lower cellular‑only home internet reliance, thanks to strong fiber/cable availability and take‑rates.
• Better mid‑band 5G density and backhaul in core corridors, translating to stronger peak‑time performance than many Texas counties.
• Usage patterns skew toward postpaid, premium devices, and heavier per‑user data consumption, tied to income and suburban work‑from‑home dynamics.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Population, household counts, income, and age structure reflect U.S. Census Bureau/ACS 2023 estimates.
• Adoption rates derive from ACS S2801 (computer/internet indicators), Pew Research Center/NCHS wireless‑only benchmarks, and are localized using county demographics and infrastructure footprints. Figures are rounded to reflect reasonable county‑level estimation.

Social media usage snapshot for Montgomery County, Texas (modeled to 2024)

• Overall penetration: Roughly 72% of adults use at least one social media platform (Pew Research Center, national adult benchmark; Montgomery County is a fast-growing, suburban county whose adoption closely tracks U.S. suburban norms).
• County demographics context: ~50% female / ~50% male; about one-quarter of residents are under 18 and ~15% are 65+ (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). Adult usage therefore drives most social activity.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each platform)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21% Source: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (applied to county adults; local suburban usage patterns align closely with these U.S. adult rates).

Age-group patterns (how usage skews locally)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; Facebook is used but less central for daily sharing.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate for news, parenting/schools, local groups; Instagram rising; TikTok used for short entertainment and product discovery.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram modest; TikTok adoption growing but still secondary.
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; others minimal.

Gender breakdown (what’s most used by whom)

• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (community groups, schools, local events, shopping/inspiration).
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (news, sports, tech/finance).
• Overall social audience in the county is near a 50/50 gender split, mirroring the population.

Behavioral trends specific to a suburban, commuter-heavy county like Montgomery

• Facebook Groups are the backbone for hyperlocal activity: HOAs, youth sports, schools, church/faith groups, buy/sell/trade, local incident reports.
• Nextdoor is influential for neighborhood alerts, city services, utilities, safety, and contractor referrals; it complements (not replaces) Facebook Groups.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube long-form and Shorts, plus Instagram Reels/TikTok for local eateries, events, real estate tours, and services.
• Peak engagement windows: early morning (commute planning), lunch, and evenings/weekends; weather and traffic incidents produce sharp, short-lived spikes.
• Messaging and private sharing are critical: Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp (notably among bilingual/Hispanic households), and Instagram DMs drive referral and conversion.
• Commerce and lead-gen: Service categories (home improvement, healthcare, fitness, pet services, real estate) perform well with geo-targeted creatives showing clear local proof (map pins, landmarks, testimonials).
• Trust cues matter: Localness, family-friendly framing, school tie-ins, and community sponsorships outperform generic brand content.

Notes on interpretation

• Percentages are definitive national adult usage rates from Pew (2024) used to size relative platform popularity among Montgomery County adults; county demographics from the U.S. Census indicate local adoption closely mirrors these patterns.