Reeves County

Key demographics for Reeves County, Texas (U.S. Census Bureau; primary vintage ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial where noted)

Population size

• Total population: ~15,500 (ACS 2019–2023)
• 2020 Census: 14,748

Age

• Median age: ~31
• Under 18: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~11%

Gender

• Male: ~59%
• Female: ~41%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~84%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~13%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%

Household data

• Households: ~4,600
• Persons per household (avg): ~3.2
• Family households: ~74% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–55% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~65–70%

Insights

• Population is predominantly Hispanic/Latino and notably younger than the U.S. median with larger-than-average household sizes.
• The county has a distinctly male-skewed sex ratio, influenced by group quarters (e.g., detention facilities) and the oilfield workforce.

Reeves County, TX snapshot

• Population and density: 14,748 residents (2020 Census) across ~2,642 sq mi ≈ 5.6 people/sq mi. Roughly 70% live in/around Pecos, with sparse connectivity outside town.
• Estimated email users: ~9,800 residents use email regularly (method: adult population ≈ 10,800; internet adoption ≈ 85–90%; email usage among internet users ≈ 95%).
• Age distribution of email use: 18–34 ≈ 30% of users; 35–54 ≈ 35%; 55–64 ≈ 18%; 65+ ≈ 17%. Usage is near-universal among working-age adults; seniors lag but growing.
• Gender split: ≈ 55% male, 45% female among email users, reflecting a male-skewed oilfield workforce.
• Digital access: ~80–85% of households have internet; ~70–75% have a fixed broadband subscription. Smartphone-only access is high (≈ 20–25%), especially outside Pecos. Fixed cable/fiber is concentrated in Pecos; beyond town, satellite and fixed wireless are common. Adoption gaps align with income, age 65+, and rural remoteness.
• Trends: Growth in mobile-first usage, ACP-era subsidy participation elevated, and gradual fiber/cable build-outs in Pecos. Peak email engagement occurs during work hours tied to energy sector employment; off-grid ranching areas show lower, more intermittent access.

Reeves County, TX mobile phone usage summary (2024)

County context

• Population: 14,748 (2020 Census). Large Hispanic/Latino majority and a sizable oil-and-gas workforce based around Pecos and along I‑20/US‑285.
• Settlement pattern: One small urban hub (Pecos) with very low-density ranchland and oilfield sites elsewhere.

User estimates

• Resident mobile users: 10,500–12,000 residents actively use a mobile phone on a typical month.
• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 8,900–9,700 adults (about 85–87% of residents 18+) carry a smartphone.
• Total devices present on local networks (including non-resident workers): Frequently 12,000–18,000 active lines on a typical workday due to inbound oilfield crews; this seasonal/workforce churn pushes active lines above resident population during peak activity.

Demographic breakdown of users

• Ethnicity: 75–80% of resident mobile users are Hispanic/Latino, reflecting the county’s population makeup.
• Age: A larger share of users is in working age (18–44) than the Texas average, driven by oilfield employment. Teen smartphone use is widespread; most high-school-age teens carry smartphones.
• Income/plan type: Higher prevalence of prepaid and month-to-month plans than the Texas average, aligned with shift work and migration in and out of the county.
• Device mix: Android share is higher than the State average; iPhone share is somewhat lower, consistent with income and prepaid usage patterns.
• Smartphone-only internet: A notably larger slice of households rely on a cellular data plan as their primary or only internet connection than the Texas average. This translates into heavier on-device video, social, and messaging use and fewer fixed‑home broadband subscriptions.

Digital infrastructure

• Coverage: All three nationwide carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide LTE and low-band 5G across Pecos, Balmorhea, Toyah, and the I‑20/US‑285 corridors. Coverage becomes spotty in remote ranchlands and oil leases away from highways.
• 5G characteristics:
  • Low-band 5G is common countywide and provides broad coverage.
  • Mid-band 5G (capacity layers) is concentrated in and around Pecos and along major corridors for T‑Mobile (n41) and increasingly for AT&T/Verizon (C‑band/3.45 GHz). Outside those zones, service often falls back to LTE or low‑band 5G.
  • mmWave 5G is negligible.
• Capacity and performance: Median download speeds on main corridors typically range 30–80 Mbps, dropping to single digits or no service off‑corridor. Daytime congestion is pronounced during oilfield shift changes and in work camps; evening residential peaks are milder than in metro Texas due to the higher share of mobile-only users spreading usage throughout the day.
• Backhaul: Fiber backbones follow I‑20, rail, and pipeline/utility rights‑of‑way into Pecos; microwave backhaul remains common at edge sites, limiting capacity in outlying areas.
• Sites: Macro towers are sparser than the Texas average; infill is focused near Pecos, I‑20 interchanges, and high‑traffic oilfield access points. Remote areas rely on fewer, high‑elevation or long‑reach sites.

How Reeves County differs from Texas overall

• Higher smartphone-only dependence: A materially larger share of households rely on a cellular data plan for home internet than the statewide average, reflecting limited fixed broadband options and income profiles.
• More prepaid and churn: Prepaid, bring‑your‑own‑device, and short‑term plans are more common due to transient workforce dynamics, increasing SIM churn compared with Texas metro areas.
• Coverage gaps remain: Texas overall has dense, multi‑layer 5G in metros; Reeves has usable coverage on highways and in towns but persistent dead zones off‑corridor.
• Capacity is targeted, not ubiquitous: Mid‑band 5G capacity is present mainly where crews and residents cluster (Pecos, highway corridors), whereas many Texas metros have broad mid‑band overlays.
• Peak‑load pattern is industrial: Network stress aligns with oilfield shifts and logistics windows rather than the classic evening residential peak seen in metro Texas.
• Device mix and spend: Higher Android share and lower average revenue per user than the Texas average, with heavier reliance on unlimited prepaid plans that include Mexico calling/text features.
• Safety and reliability: More frequent emergency‑calling and location accuracy issues in fringe zones than in urban Texas due to tower spacing and terrain.

Key statistics at a glance

• Residents using mobile phones: 10.5k–12k
• Adult smartphone users: ~8.9k–9.7k (85–87% of 18+)
• Active lines present on a typical workday (including non-residents): 12k–18k
• Network character: Low‑band 5G countywide; mid‑band 5G clustered around Pecos and major corridors; LTE fallback common off‑corridor
• Distinctive trends vs Texas: Higher smartphone-only households, more prepaid usage, sparser tower density, industrial peak traffic, and patchier mid‑band 5G outside key corridors

Notes on methodology

• Population and demographics are based on the 2020 Census for Reeves County.
• Adoption and user counts are derived by applying recent U.S./Texas smartphone ownership benchmarks to the county’s adult population and adjusting for rural adoption gaps and non‑resident workers typical of the Permian Basin. These figures are presented as point estimates/ranges reflecting the latest observed patterns in rural West Texas.

Social media snapshot for Reeves County, Texas (2024–2025)

How many people use social media

• Estimated monthly social media users (age 13+): 11,500–13,000 residents
• Overall penetration (age 13+): 80–86%
• Daily users: 70–75% of residents age 13+

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

• YouTube: 82–87%
• Facebook: 65–72%
• Instagram: 46–52%
• TikTok: 37–43%
• WhatsApp: 38–44% (notably elevated due to a majority Hispanic/Latino population)
• Snapchat: 28–33%
• Pinterest: 28–34% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 12–16% (lower given the county’s oilfield/blue‑collar employment mix)
• Reddit: 11–15% (skews male)

Age-group breakdown (share using each platform monthly)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube 90–95%; TikTok 60–70%; Instagram 55–65%; Snapchat 55–65%; Facebook 20–30%
• Ages 18–29: YouTube 90–95%; Instagram 70–80%; Snapchat 55–65%; TikTok 55–65%; Facebook 55–65%; WhatsApp 35–45%; X 25–35%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube 85–92%; Facebook 70–78%; Instagram 45–55%; WhatsApp 35–45%; TikTok 35–45%; Snapchat 25–35%; Pinterest 35–45%
• Ages 50–64: Facebook 68–75%; YouTube 65–75%; WhatsApp 25–35%; Instagram 25–35%; TikTok 20–28%
• Ages 65+: Facebook 45–55%; YouTube 30–40%; WhatsApp 20–28%; Instagram 12–20%; TikTok 8–15%

Gender breakdown (platform tendencies among adults)

• Women: Higher use of Facebook (70–75%), Instagram (50–55%), Pinterest (45–55%), Snapchat (30–35%); TikTok 38–45%; WhatsApp 35–45%
• Men: Higher use of YouTube (85–90%), X (18–24%), Reddit (14–18%); Facebook 60–65%; Instagram 40–45%; TikTok 32–38%; WhatsApp 38–45%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: local news, buy/sell/marketplace, school, youth sports, and civic updates concentrate in Facebook Groups and Pages. It also overperforms for local advertising and public notices.
• Messaging-first behavior: WhatsApp is critical for family, work crews, and bilingual communication; Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are common among younger users.
• Short‑form video is entrenched: TikTok and Instagram Reels dominate entertainment and local creator content; YouTube Shorts extends reach to older cohorts via YouTube’s broad base.
• Work-shift rhythms: Engagement spikes early mornings (pre‑shift) and late evenings (post‑shift); weekend mid‑day activity is strong. Midday dips are common on weekdays due to fieldwork.
• Commerce and services: Facebook Marketplace and local groups drive peer‑to‑peer sales; Instagram and TikTok aid local discovery for food trucks, auto services, beauty, fitness, and events.
• Language mix matters: Spanish and bilingual content performs strongly; creators and organizations that post in both English and Spanish see higher reach and shares.
• Trust and community validation: Word‑of‑mouth via Groups, comments, and reshares meaningfully influences decisions (contractors, rentals, vehicles, youth programs).
• Ads and content that work: Short native video with subtitles, creator-style testimonials, localized headlines, and WhatsApp or Messenger CTAs outperform static posts; geotargeting around Pecos and key corridors is efficient.

Notes on method

• Figures are the best available county‑level estimates mapped from 2023 ACS county demographics and 2024–2025 platform adoption patterns reported by Pew Research Center (with rural vs. urban and Hispanic/Latino adjustments). Teens reflect Pew’s latest teen social media study. Exact platform counts are rarely published at the county level; ranges above reflect that reality while providing actionable, platform‑specific guidance.