Stephens County

Stephens County, Texas — key demographics

Population size

• Total: 9,101 (2020 Census)
• Trend: Down ~5.5% from 2010 (9,630 to 9,101)

Age

• Median age: ~41.5 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone (any ethnicity): ~87%
• White, not Hispanic or Latino: ~71%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~22–24%
• Black or African American alone: ~3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~6% (ACS 2019–2023; race and Hispanic origin overlap)

Household data

• Households: ~3,600
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~66%; married-couple households: ~50–52%
• Nonfamily (incl. singles): ~34%; single-person households: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72% (ACS 2019–2023)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Figures are rounded for clarity.

• Population and density: Stephens County, TX has about 9,100 residents (2020 Census) across roughly 920 square miles—≈10 people per square mile. Most residents cluster in Breckenridge; outlying areas are very sparse, affecting service economics and coverage.

• Estimated email users: ≈6,300 people (≈69% of residents) use email regularly.

• Age distribution of email users (share of users; approx. counts): 13–17: 8% (500); 18–29: 18% (1,100); 30–49: 33% (2,050); 50–64: 23% (1,470); 65+: 18% (~1,150). Adoption remains near-universal among under-50 adults and moderates with age, but a majority of seniors use email.

• Gender split among users: approximately 49% male, 51% female, reflecting the county’s population mix and minimal gender gap in email use.

• Digital access and trends: About 78% of households have a home internet subscription; roughly 19% are smartphone-only for internet. Fixed broadband is strongest in and around Breckenridge (cable/DSL; growing fiber footprints), while ranchland and lakeside areas often rely on fixed wireless or satellite. Smartphone dependence is elevated compared with metro Texas, but state and federal rural broadband investments are expanding higher-speed options through 2026–2028, which should lift email access and reliability.

Stephens County, Texas mobile usage snapshot (focus on county-specific patterns vs state)

County context

• Population: 9,101 (2020 Census), county seat Breckenridge; rural, low density.
• Age structure skews older than Texas overall (roughly one-fifth 65+ vs ~13% statewide), which materially affects device adoption and plan types.

Estimated users and adoption (people, not lines)

• Total mobile phone users (any mobile handset): ≈7,400 residents, about 81% of the population. This reflects very high adult mobile ownership typical of the U.S., tempered by rural and older-age factors.
• Smartphone users: ≈6,250 residents, ~69% of the total population. This is a few points lower than Texas overall because of the county’s older age mix and lower household incomes.
• By age cohort (estimates):
  • Adults 18–64: ~4,560 smartphone users, with smartphone adoption in the high 80s percent.
  • Adults 65+: ~1,160 smartphone users, reflecting materially lower adoption in this group.
  • Teens 13–17: ~530 smartphone users; teen smartphone adoption is near-saturation.
• Mobile-only home internet households: on the order of 700–900 households countywide rely primarily on cellular for home internet (hotspots or tethering). This is a meaningfully higher share than in Texas metros, driven by patchy wired broadband outside Breckenridge.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Older population share increases basic/feature-phone use and keeps a visible segment on talk-and-text or low-data plans; this pulls down overall smartphone penetration compared with Texas.
• Income levels below the Texas median translate into:
  • Greater prevalence of prepaid and budget MVNO plans.
  • Higher sensitivity to data caps; more conservative streaming and hotspot usage.
• Household composition (more single-line seniors and small households) also correlates with less multi-line family plans than state urban averages.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access: County coverage is dominated by LTE, with 5G primarily low-band along major corridors and in/around Breckenridge.
  • AT&T: Strong rural footprint, including Band 12/17 LTE and FirstNet Band 14; generally the most consistent countywide coverage.
  • Verizon: Broad LTE coverage with Band 13; capacity can dip outside town centers.
  • T-Mobile: Solid low-band (600 MHz) coverage; pockets of 5G are present but mid-band capacity is mostly town-centered.
• Performance (typical observed ranges in rural West-Central Texas counties of similar profile):
  • LTE: ~5–25 Mbps down in fringe areas; 25–80 Mbps in/near Breckenridge or close to towers.
  • 5G low-band: often similar to good LTE, with better indoor reliability rather than large speed gains.
  • 5G mid-band: where lit in town centers, 150–300+ Mbps; coverage footprint is limited relative to metro Texas.
• Tower grid: Sparse macrocells with wide inter-site spacing (often 5–10 miles), producing dead zones in low-lying ranchland and along less-traveled county roads.
• Backhaul: Mix of microwave and limited fiber; fiber presence is strongest along US-180 through Breckenridge. Outside town, sites are more backhaul-constrained, which caps peak speeds and uplink.
• Public safety: FirstNet adoption by agencies improves priority access for AT&T users during incidents, but commercial users can still see congestion in event windows.

How Stephens County differs from Texas overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: About 69% of the total population on smartphones vs low-to-mid 70s percent statewide when translated from adult rates, driven by a larger 65+ share and lower incomes.
• More mobile-only homes: Reliance on cellular for primary home internet is notably higher than the Texas average, reflecting scarce cable/fiber beyond Breckenridge and legacy DSL performance limits.
• Coverage vs capacity trade-off: Coverage is reasonably broad for LTE, but capacity is thinner and 5G mid-band footprints are smaller and more fragmented than in Texas metros and larger towns.
• Plan mix: Higher prevalence of prepaid and MVNO usage and lower multi-line family plan saturation than urban Texas; data-conservative behaviors are more common.
• Platform and use patterns: Voice/SMS remain proportionally more important; hotspotting for school/work and telehealth is more common than in metro counties, but quality is variable with location and weather.

Implications

• Connectivity is good enough for baseline mobile use almost everywhere people live, but there are persistent edge areas where speeds dip below 10 Mbps and calls may degrade, especially indoors.
• The largest, most immediate gains for residents would come from incremental tower infill and expansion of fiber backhaul to existing rural sites, plus broader mid-band 5G activation in and around Breckenridge.
• Programs that pair affordable plans/devices with digital skills support for seniors will have outsized impact locally compared with statewide averages.

Social media in Stephens County, TX (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~9,000 residents
• Social media users (13+, monthly): ~6,300 (about 70% of total population; ~84% of those 13+)
• Adult users (18+): ~5,800

Age breakdown of the user base (share of all social media users)

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–29: ~17%
• 30–49: ~27%
• 50–64: ~23%
• 65+: ~17%

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: ~52% female, ~48% male
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Pinterest (75% F), TikTok (60% F), Snapchat (60% F), Instagram (58% F), Facebook (~56% F)
  • More male: Reddit (65% M), X/Twitter (58% M), LinkedIn (55% M), YouTube (52% M)

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

• YouTube: ~84%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~48%
• TikTok: ~36%
• Snapchat: ~29%
• Pinterest: ~32%
• LinkedIn: ~28%
• WhatsApp: ~27%
• Reddit: ~22%
• X/Twitter: ~20%

Age-pattern highlights (platform penetration within each age group)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~67%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~33%
• 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~75%, TikTok ~62%, Snapchat ~59%, Facebook ~50%
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%, Facebook ~72%, Instagram ~58%, TikTok ~39%
• 65+: YouTube ~55–60%, Facebook ~45–50%, Instagram/TikTok typically <15%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local public square: high use of community groups, school/booster updates, churches, local government, and especially Marketplace (autos, equipment, furniture). Engagement spikes around weather events, outages, and high school sports.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) consistently outperforms static posts; how-to, ranching/hunting/fishing, auto repair, and local sports highlights do well. YouTube anchors longer-form viewing and church service streams.
• Messaging over posting among younger users: Snapchat and Instagram DMs dominate daily communication; public posting is lighter and episodic.
• Small-business playbook: Cross-posting IG→FB is common; Reels repurposed to TikTok; FB Events drive foot traffic; giveaways and limited-time offers get above-average engagement.
• Mobile and timing: Usage is overwhelmingly mobile; local engagement peaks 7–9 pm on weekdays and mid-day on weekends.
• Niche platforms: WhatsApp used in family/work-group chats (notably in Hispanic households and shift crews); LinkedIn is sporadic (energy and trades hiring); Reddit/X are niche for younger males and sports/news watchers.

Notes on figures

• Statistics are modeled for Stephens County using the county’s age/sex profile (ACS 5-year estimates) and 2024–2025 Pew Research platform adoption by age and gender. County-level platform data are not directly published; values here reflect localized estimates consistent with rural Texas usage patterns. Margin of error typically ±3–5 percentage points.