Ochiltree County

Ochiltree County, Texas — key demographics

• Total population: 10,015 (2020 Census). ACS 2019–2023 estimate: 9,991.
• Age (ACS 2019–2023):
  • Median age: 31.9 years
  • Under 18: 30.6%
  • 18–64: 56.9%
  • 65 and over: 12.5%
• Gender (ACS 2019–2023): 49.1% female, 50.9% male
• Race and ethnicity, mutually exclusive (ACS 2019–2023):
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): 49.8%
  • White alone, non-Hispanic: 45.1%
  • Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: 0.9%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: 0.9%
  • Asian alone, non-Hispanic: 0.3%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 3.0%
• Households (ACS 2019–2023):
  • Number of households: 3,356
  • Average household size: 2.98
  • Family households: 75.0% of households
  • Households with children under 18: 44%

Insights: Younger-than-U.S. age profile (median 32 vs. U.S. ~39), large Hispanic/Latino community (50%), larger households (3.0 vs. U.S. ~2.6), and a near-even gender split.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (P.L. 94-171, Demographic Profile) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Ochiltree County, TX (rural Panhandle; ~10 people per sq. mile) shows high email uptake consistent with U.S. norms and local broadband growth.

Estimated email users

• Residents 13+: ~6,700–7,200 users (≈80–85% of those 13+, modeled from Pew email adoption among internet users and rural Texas internet-use rates).

Age distribution of email users (share of users)

• 13–17: 6–8%
• 18–29: 16–19%
• 30–49: 37–41%
• 50–64: 20–23%
• 65+: 12–15%

Gender split among users

• Male: ~50–52%
• Female: ~48–50% (Email usage rates by gender differ by only 1–2 percentage points nationally; local split tracks population mix.)

Digital access and trends

• Household internet: ≈78–83% subscribe to broadband; >90% have a computer or smartphone (ACS-like rural TX profile).
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~15–20%, rising.
• Connectivity pattern: Strongest fixed broadband and 4G/5G coverage in and around Perryton; outside town, many rely on fixed wireless or satellite.
• Speed/availability trend: Gradual expansion of fiber/fixed wireless from state/federal rural broadband investments (2024–2028), closing remaining gaps.

Key takeaway: Despite low population density, most teens and adults in Ochiltree County use email regularly, with highest usage among ages 30–49 and only a modest drop-off among 65+.

Mobile phone usage in Ochiltree County, TX — 2025 snapshot

Key takeaways

• Adoption is high but a bit below the Texas average, with a larger rural “mobile-only” segment and older-adult adoption gap.
• Usage skews family-plan, bilingual, and Android-leaning compared with the state.
• 5G is present (primarily low-band) in and around Perryton and along US‑83/TX‑15; LTE remains the default in outlying areas. Fixed broadband is available in town, but many rural households rely on cellular or fixed wireless.

User estimates (modeled from ACS S2801 2018–2022 county data, FCC mobile coverage, and 2020–2023 Census population)

• Population base: ≈10,000 residents; ≈3,400 households.
• Adult smartphone users: ≈6,300 (±400) adults use a smartphone regularly.
• Household smartphone access: 86–89% of households have at least one smartphone (Texas ≈91%).
• Mobile-only home internet: 18–21% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet (Texas ≈12–14%).
• No home internet subscription: 13–15% of households (Texas ≈10–11%), often substituting smartphone data.
• Multi-line family plans: ≈70–75% of mobile lines are on shared/family plans, reflecting larger household sizes and cost sensitivity.
• Prepaid share: modestly higher than state (≈30–35% of lines vs ≈25–30% statewide), driven by price and seasonal/industry work patterns.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Age • 18–34: Very high smartphone penetration (95%), heavy app/social/video use; similar to Texas. • 35–64: High penetration (90%), with above-average use of messaging and navigation for work commutes in agriculture/energy. • 65+: Noticeably lower penetration (~70–75% vs Texas ~80%+), with a larger subset using voice/text-focused devices or shared family plans.
• Language and culture • Bilingual (English/Spanish) households are common; WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube usage is higher than state norms on a per-capita basis, with more family/group messaging and international calling features.
• Income and devices • Mid-income, working households favor durable Android devices and value plans; iPhone share is lower than in Texas’s metro areas. • A small but meaningful “smartphone-only” cohort (no computer at home) is larger than the state share, reinforcing mobile-first behaviors for banking, school communication, and government services.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T‑Mobile cover the county; regional fixed‑wireless providers serve rural areas.
• 5G footprint: Predominantly low‑band 5G in and around Perryton and along US‑83/TX‑15; mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile n41) appears in town/road corridors; C‑band from national carriers is limited. mmWave is not a factor.
• LTE baseline: Countywide LTE coverage is broad; performance is strongest near Perryton and major corridors and degrades at section-line distances away from highways and population clusters.
• Typical performance (field-test composites and rural Panhandle norms) • In-town 5G: ~50–150 Mbps down, 5–25 Mbps up; latency ~30–55 ms. • Rural LTE: ~5–30 Mbps down, 1–10 Mbps up; latency ~45–70 ms; occasional dead zones at the far edges of sections or terrain dips.
• Backhaul and resilience: Fiber backhaul concentrates in Perryton and along main corridors; microwave backhaul supports remote sites. Post‑2023 hardening improved site redundancy in town; rural single‑feed sites remain more outage‑prone.
• Fixed broadband context: Cable/fiber options cover most addresses in Perryton; fiber-to-the-home thins quickly outside city limits. Many ranch and farm locations use fixed wireless or satellite, which, combined with work patterns, sustains higher mobile‑data reliance than the state average.

How Ochiltree County differs from Texas statewide

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A meaningfully larger share of households use cellular as their primary or only home internet, elevating per‑device data usage and hotspot adoption.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone access: County household smartphone access trails Texas by a few percentage points, driven mainly by older adults and rural edges.
• Platform and plan mix: Android share and prepaid use run higher than the statewide mix, while premium iPhone penetration is lower than in large metros.
• Work-driven mobility: Agriculture/energy jobs boost daytime mobile traffic outside residential zones, increase demand for robust coverage along secondary roads, and sustain voice/SMS and push‑to‑talk use cases.
• Bilingual engagement: A higher share of bilingual households amplifies usage of cross‑border messaging and community apps, and raises the importance of Spanish‑language support for public services over mobile.

Implications

• Network priorities: Continued infill on rural LTE/low‑band 5G sites and added mid‑band capacity in Perryton will yield outsized benefits versus state-average returns.
• Service design: Family, bilingual support, and prepaid-friendly plans perform better than metro‑style premium device bundles.
• Public services: Mobile-first delivery (SMS reminders, WhatsApp channels, lightweight web apps) reaches more residents than desktop-centric approaches, especially outside town limits.

Ochiltree County, TX social media snapshot (modeled local estimates) Note: County-specific surveys are not published; figures below are modeled from Ochiltree County’s Census profile and 2023–2024 Pew/Texas rural usage benchmarks to provide a realistic local view.

Overall usage (age 13+)

• Use at least one social platform: ~78–82% of residents
• Adults (18+) using social media: ~72–76%

Most-used platforms (share of residents age 13+)

• YouTube: 82–85%
• Facebook: 66–70%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• TikTok: 30–35% (60–70% among teens)
• Snapchat: 26–30% (65–75% among teens)
• WhatsApp: 20–25% (notably higher among Hispanic households)
• X (Twitter): 12–15%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 5–8% (Facebook Groups largely fill the neighborhood role)

Age mix of local social media users

• 13–17: 8–9%
• 18–29: 21–23%
• 30–49: 35–37%
• 50–64: 22–24%
• 65+: 12–14%

Gender breakdown of local social media users

• Female: 52–54%
• Male: 46–48%

Behavioral trends and content habits

• Facebook is the community hub: school sports, church activities, fundraisers, county updates, and buy/sell (Marketplace) dominate engagement.
• YouTube is the primary video destination for how‑tos (auto, ag, home repair), hunting/outdoors, and local sports replays.
• Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery for local businesses; cross‑posting to Facebook Reels extends reach to older audiences.
• Teens favor Snapchat for messaging and TikTok for entertainment; Instagram is secondary for highlights and team/club updates.
• WhatsApp is widely used in bilingual households for family and church groups; bilingual posts materially expand reach across platforms.
• Engagement peaks evenings (7–9 pm) on weekdays; weekend mornings perform well for events and retail offers.
• Severe weather and public safety updates trigger outsized spikes in shares and comments; practical, hyperlocal information outperforms generic content.
• Trust and response rates are highest for posts featuring recognizable local people, places, and sponsor support for school or youth sports.