Potter County

Potter County, Texas — key demographics (latest Census Bureau estimates; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year unless noted)

Population

• Total population: ~119,000 (2023 estimate; 2020 Census count 118,525)

Age

• Median age: ~33 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18 to 64: ~64%
• 65 and over: ~11%

Gender

• Male: ~52–53%
• Female: ~47–48% (Note: Male share is elevated versus state/national averages, influenced by state prison population in the county.)

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive; percent of total)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~43–44%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~41%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~10–11%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0.1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~43,000–44,000
• Persons per household: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~63–65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~38–40% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~33–35%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~51–53% (renters ~47–49%)

Insights

• Younger median age and larger Hispanic share than Texas overall.
• Higher renter share and elevated male share compared with state/national norms, reflecting institutional population and housing mix.

• Scope: Potter County, TX (pop. ≈118,525; area ≈922 sq mi; density ≈129 people/sq mi, 2020 Census). Most residents are in Amarillo; outlying tracts are sparsely populated.

• Estimated email users: ≈83,000 adults.

  • Method: ~90,000 adults (county age structure) × ~92% adult email usage (Pew-level adoption for U.S. adults).

• Age distribution of email users (share; approx. counts):

  • 18–29: 24% (≈20,000)
  • 30–44: 30% (≈25,000)
  • 45–64: 31% (≈26,000)
  • 65+: 15% (≈12,000)

• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female (≈42,000), 49% male (≈41,000). Note: County’s male share is slightly elevated overall, but email usage skews marginally female.

• Digital access and trends (ACS-style county benchmarks, 2022-era):

  • Households with a computer: ≈92%
  • Households with broadband subscription: ≈86%
  • No home internet: ≈14%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈17%
  • Implication: Email access is robust, with a meaningful mobile-only segment; ensure mobile-optimized campaigns.

• Connectivity facts:

  • Cable/fiber is concentrated in urban Amarillo with widespread 100+ Mbps service; rural periphery leans on fixed wireless/DSL.
  • 5G/4G coverage is strong in Amarillo’s urban core, supporting high mobile email engagement.

Potter County, TX mobile phone usage summary (with county-specific estimates and state comparisons)

User estimates (household-based, ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

• Households: about 44,000
• Households with a smartphone: 39,000 (≈89%), slightly below Texas overall (91%)
• Households with a cellular data plan: 33,500 (≈76%), a bit below Texas (79%)
• Mobile-only internet households (use cellular data but no home fixed broadband): 8,000 (≈18%), notably higher than Texas (13%)
• Practical takeaway: Mobile is the primary on-ramp to the internet for a larger slice of Potter County than statewide, with a meaningfully bigger mobile-only segment and a modestly lower fixed broadband uptake.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age structure: Potter County skews younger than Texas overall (median age low-33s vs mid-35s statewide). Younger adults (18–34) drive near-universal smartphone adoption and heavier mobile data use, pushing up county mobile traffic and mobile-only reliance.
• Income: A larger share of households fall under ~$35k/year than the Texas average. Lower-income households are more likely to rely on smartphones and cellular data in lieu of fixed broadband, which aligns with the county’s higher mobile-only rate.
• Race/ethnicity: A higher Hispanic share than the state average correlates with elevated smartphone dependence and prepaid adoption patterns observed in ACS and industry data; this mix contributes to above-state mobile-only internet reliance in Potter.
• Seniors: Smartphone adoption among 65+ is lower than younger cohorts, but seniors in the urban core show improving uptake. Mobile substitution among seniors remains below younger groups, tempering the overall county rate but still tracking upward year over year.

Digital infrastructure highlights (what’s different from the Texas average)

• 5G/LTE footprint: Amarillo (the county seat) has contiguous 5G from the three national carriers, with mid-band 5G capacity clustered in the city and along primary corridors (I‑40, US‑287/87). Outside the urban core—especially in northern and far-western parts of the county—coverage leans more on LTE or low-band 5G, creating a sharper urban–rural performance gap than is typical in major Texas metros.
• Capacity and speeds: Mid-band 5G sectors in Amarillo generally deliver strong capacity and higher median speeds than nearby rural tracts. As you move away from fiber-fed macro sites and dense small-cell zones, speeds trend down and variability rises more than the Texas urban average.
• Backhaul and fiber adjacency: Fiber density in the city supports robust 5G upgrades; sparser backhaul outside the core slows expansion of mid-band layers relative to large Texas metros. This infrastructure pattern reinforces the county’s higher mobile-only household share as users cluster where coverage and speeds are better.
• Redundancy and resilience: Multiple national carriers operate overlapping macro footprints in Amarillo, but redundancy thins outside the core. Compared with state urban areas, Potter shows a wider spread in signal quality and fewer alternate cell sectors in peripheral zones, which affects consistency during peak loads or maintenance events.

Trends that diverge from the Texas state-level picture

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: About 18% of households are mobile-only versus ~13% statewide, reflecting income mix and urban–rural coverage differentials.
• Slightly lower smartphone and cellular-plan penetration: Household smartphone and cellular-plan adoption lag Texas by a couple of percentage points, largely due to affordability and fixed-broadband substitution patterns.
• Sharper urban–rural performance gradient: The step-down from Amarillo’s mid-band 5G to LTE/low-band service outside the core is more pronounced than in the largest Texas metros, influencing where heavy mobile use clusters.
• Prepaid orientation: The county’s income and age mix tilts usage toward prepaid and value plans more than the state average, reinforcing mobile-first behaviors.

Key implications

• Network investment in mid-band 5G beyond the Amarillo core would directly reduce the mobile-only performance gap and could lift household adoption of higher-capacity plans.
• Affordable plan design (including prepaid and subsidy-aligned offers) remains pivotal for penetration growth in lower-income segments that are overrepresented locally.
• Partnerships that bundle mobile data with community programs can address the county’s higher dependence on smartphones as a primary connection.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 (tables S1101 and S2801 for households, smartphone ownership, cellular data, and broadband subscription); FCC Broadband Data Collection (mobile availability), major carrier public coverage disclosures through 2023. Estimates above round to the nearest ~500 households and are intended to reflect county-level conditions relative to Texas statewide benchmarks.

Potter County, TX social media snapshot (2024)

Headline user stats

• Population base: ~121,000 (2020 Census). Estimated social media users (13+): ~82,000 (≈68% of total population).
• Adult social media users (18+): ~74,000 (≈83% of adults).
• Platform use is mobile‑first; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) garners above‑average engagement relative to static posts.

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

• 18–29: ~32%
• 30–49: ~42%
• 50–64: ~19%
• 65+: ~7%
• Teens (13–17): ~9–10% of total users; highest daily time spent and strongest short‑form video use.

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47% Note: Overall county demographics skew male due to incarceration, but the active social media audience skews slightly female, consistent with platform usage patterns.

Most‑used platforms among adults in Potter County (share of adult social media users using each at least monthly; modeled)

• YouTube: ~81%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~46%
• TikTok: ~34%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• WhatsApp: ~23%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• LinkedIn: ~18%
• Nextdoor: ~12%

Behavioral trends and content cues

• Community and commerce: Facebook remains the hub for local news, school/church updates, buy/sell groups, and Marketplace. Event discovery and RSVP behavior are concentrated on Facebook Events.
• Video‑first consumption: Reels/Shorts/TikTok drive reach; how‑to, weather, local sports highlights, and restaurant/“things to do” content overperform.
• Messaging as a conversion path: Many small businesses field leads via Facebook/Instagram DMs and Messenger rather than web forms; prompt DM response materially improves conversion.
• Youth engagement: Teens/young adults over‑index on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Reels for entertainment and local food/retail trends; after‑school and late‑evening activity spikes.
• Language and locality: Bilingual (English/Spanish) posts and subtitles expand reach, reflecting the sizable Hispanic population. Neighborhood‑level relevance (schools, utilities, roadwork, weather) boosts saves/shares.
• Timing: Engagement typically peaks 7–10 pm; secondary midday window around lunch. Weekends are strongest for Marketplace and event content.
• Creative that works: Short vertical video, clear offers (BOGO/limited‑time), behind‑the‑scenes from local businesses, and hyperlocal news/weather updates outperform static creative.

Method and sources

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census, ACS trends).
• Platform penetration and age/gender adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024; DataReportal/We Are Social 2024 U.S. overview; platform ads reach tools (Meta, TikTok, Snap) for Amarillo area.
• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates applying verified national adoption rates to Potter County’s demographic profile; incarceration-adjusted reasoning applied to gender share among active users.