Sutton County

Key demographics – Sutton County, Texas

Population

• Total population: 3,372 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~61%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~31%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Two or more races/other, non-Hispanic: ~6%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~1,250 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~75–80%; renter-occupied: ~20–25%

Insights

• Small, rural county with a majority Hispanic population and relatively high homeownership.
• Age structure is balanced, with roughly one-quarter children and about one-sixth seniors, indicating family orientation with a modestly aging component.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP1) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

• Population and density: Sutton County has about 3,372 residents (2020 Census) across ~1,454 sq mi—roughly 2.3 people per sq mi. Most residents live in and around Sonora, with very sparse settlement elsewhere.
• Estimated email users: ~2,300 adult residents use email regularly (≈68% of total population; based on adult share and rural Texas email adoption benchmarks).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–29: ~22%; 30–49: ~34%; 50–64: ~27%; 65+: ~17%. Younger and mid‑career adults are near‑universal users; seniors participate at lower but substantial rates.
• Gender split: Email usage is essentially even by gender; estimated users are ~51% male and ~49% female, mirroring the county’s overall sex ratio.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home internet: The majority of households maintain a broadband subscription, with adoption typical of rural Texas (roughly upper‑70s to low‑80s percent), supplemented by a notable smartphone‑only segment.
  • Access pattern: Strongest fixed broadband along the I‑10 corridor and inside Sonora; more remote ranchland areas rely more on cellular, fixed wireless, or satellite, which reduces speeds and reliability.
  • Mobility: High smartphone penetration supports consistent email access even where fixed options are limited.
• Insight: Extremely low population density raises last‑mile costs, so email access hinges on a blend of town‑center fixed broadband and county‑wide mobile coverage.

Mobile phone usage in Sutton County, Texas — 2024 snapshot

County baseline

• Population and households: 3,372 residents (2020 Census); approximately 3,300–3,500 in recent ACS estimates. About 1,150–1,250 households, with most residents concentrated in Sonora and sparse ranchlands elsewhere.

User estimates

• Total mobile phone users: ~3,000 residents (range 2,800–3,200), reflecting high mobile penetration across adults and teens.
• Smartphone users: ~2,600–2,800 (about 75–82% of total population; roughly 86–92% of adults under 65).
• Feature phone/voice-only users: ~200–300, concentrated among adults 65+ and in remote ranch operations.
• Mobile-only internet households: 220–300 (18–25% of households), higher than Texas overall (15–18%). This reflects limited fixed broadband options outside Sonora and cost-sensitive households.
• Plan mix: Prepaid lines estimated at 35–45% of active lines (vs ~25–30% statewide), driven by price sensitivity, seasonal/itinerant work, and fewer brick-and-mortar carrier options.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Ethnicity/language: Majority Hispanic/Latino (roughly 55–60% of residents), non-Hispanic White ~35–40%, other groups small. Spanish is spoken at home in a large share of households, supporting strong adoption of WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube as primary communication and media channels.
• Age: Larger 65+ share than the Texas average. Smartphone adoption by age is high in younger cohorts (18–34: 95%; 35–64: ~88–92%) but drops among 65+ (55–65%), which keeps overall county smartphone penetration a few points below the state average.
• Mobile reliance: Higher incidence of “phone-as-primary internet” among lower-income and rural households; hotspots and tethering are common for homework, telehealth, and ranch logistics.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage footprint: Strongest along I-10 and in Sonora with broad 4G LTE; patchier service across outlying ranchlands and canyoned terrain away from the corridor. In-building coverage can be challenged by metal-roof construction; Wi‑Fi calling helps indoors.
• 5G availability: Low‑band 5G present in and around Sonora on major carriers; mid-band 5G capacity is limited; mmWave is absent. Outside the town core, many areas fall back to LTE.
• Capacity and performance: In‑town 5G typically supports tens to low‑hundreds Mbps; LTE in rural areas often runs single‑digit to tens of Mbps with higher latency, especially under load or at cell edges.
• Backhaul and resiliency: Fiber follows the I‑10 corridor; off‑corridor sites rely more on microwave. Power and weather events can cause localized outages; backup power windows are finite, so extended storms can impact uptime in remote sectors.
• Alternatives: Fixed wireless and satellite (including Starlink) supplement limited wireline broadband, reinforcing mobile-first patterns.

How Sutton County differs from Texas overall

• Higher mobile-only broadband dependence: 18–25% of households vs ~15–18% statewide, reflecting fewer wired options and greater cost sensitivity.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: A larger 65+ population and more remote coverage zones lower the county’s top-line adoption a few points below statewide urban-heavy figures.
• Higher prepaid share: 35–45% vs ~25–30% statewide, tied to price sensitivity, seasonal work, and distance to carrier retail.
• Narrower 5G footprint and capacity: 5G largely town‑centric; outside Sonora, coverage reverts to LTE far more often than in metro Texas.
• Retail and support access: Fewer carrier stores and repair options than typical Texas counties, lengthening device refresh cycles and driving SIM‑only/online activations.

Operational/market insights

• Prioritize robust LTE/low‑band 5G performance and coverage extension tools (external antennas, CPE hotspots) for ranchlands and fringe areas.
• Offer competitively priced prepaid and hybrid family plans, bilingual support, and WhatsApp‑centric customer engagement to match usage patterns.
• Promote Wi‑Fi calling, offline-capable apps, and device trade-in programs to mitigate indoor coverage gaps and extend handset lifecycles.
• For network planners, incremental macro infill north/south of I‑10 and added mid‑band 5G sectors in Sonora yield outsized quality gains relative to cost, given sparse tower density.

Sutton County, TX — social media snapshot (2025)

User stats

• Residents using social media (monthly): ≈2,200 (±150), or about 68–72% of residents aged 13+
• Daily social media users: ≈1,600
• Household broadband subscription: ~75–80% of households; smartphone access among adults: ~90%
• Time spent: typical active users log 1.5–2.5 hours/day across platforms

Age mix of local social media users

• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~38%
• 50–64: ~24%
• 65+: ~16%

Gender breakdown of users

• Male: ~53%
• Female: ~47%

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, monthly)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 76–82% (Groups and Marketplace are the anchor features)
• Instagram: 35–45%
• WhatsApp: 30–40% (family/community groups; strong among bilingual households)
• TikTok: 28–35%
• Snapchat: 20–25%
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• LinkedIn/Nextdoor: 8–12% each

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, local events, buy/sell/trade) drive reach and repeat visits; Marketplace is a high-engagement channel for local commerce.
• Messaging-centric communication: WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are preferred for quick coordination, service inquiries, and family networks; responses are faster via DM than email.
• Video-led consumption: YouTube for how‑to, ranching/outdoors, DIY, equipment reviews; TikTok/Instagram Reels for short local highlights and event promos.
• Language and tone: Bilingual (English/Spanish) content performs above average; clear, practical posts (hours, pricing, how-to, directions) outperform brand-heavy creative.
• Posting cadence and dayparts: Best engagement windows are early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and late evening (8–10 p.m.); weekends see spikes for events and classifieds.
• Trust signals: Local faces, testimonials, and recognizable landmarks improve click-through; giveaways and time-bound offers lift comment and share rates.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook = community hub and discovery for services.
  • YouTube = education/evergreen search.
  • Instagram = visuals for local businesses and youth events.
  • TikTok = fastest organic reach for under‑40s, especially event or behind‑the‑scenes content.
  • WhatsApp = private networks and bilingual dissemination.
  • X/LinkedIn = niche (news junkies/professionals), limited local scale.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled from the latest US Census Bureau ACS (Sutton County) for population/age/sex mix, combined with Pew Research Center 2023–2024 US social media adoption by age and rural/urban segments, and DataReportal 2024–2025 US platform use. Percentages represent estimated shares of local social media users and reflect rural Texas usage patterns.