Taylor County

Taylor County, Texas — Key demographics

Population size

• 143,208 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~33 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 65 and over: ~13–14%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive where noted)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~57–58%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~27–28%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~8%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4%

Households

• Total households: ~54,000 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~63% of households

Notes

• Figures combine 2020 Census counts (population) with ACS 2018–2022 estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, household structure). The county skews slightly younger than the national median and has a substantial Hispanic population, with household sizes modestly above the U.S. average.

Taylor County, TX (pop. 143,208; ~919 sq mi) has an estimated 105,000 email users, reflecting high internet adoption concentrated in Abilene (≈87% of county residents). Population density is ~156 people per sq mi.

Estimated email users by age:

• 13–17: 6%
• 18–29: 23%
• 30–49: 34%
• 50–64: 24%
• 65+: 13%

Gender split among email users mirrors the county: ~51% female, ~49% male.

Digital access and trends:

• About 92% of households have a computer and ~88% have a broadband subscription (ACS-style measures), with steady gains over the past five years.
• Roughly 10–12% of households are mobile-only internet users.
• Abilene’s urban core has pervasive cable and growing fiber coverage with 5G from major carriers; rural fringes rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite, leading to lower speeds and higher latency.
• The concentration of residents in Abilene drives higher connectivity and email usage density; sparsely populated western/southern tracts show the largest digital gaps.

Insights: Email is near-universal among working-age adults and well adopted among seniors, though slightly lower in 65+. Urban infrastructure supports heavier daily email use, while rural access constraints modestly depress usage frequency rather than basic adoption.

Taylor County, TX mobile phone landscape (2024)

User estimates

• Population and users: About 146,000 residents (2023 Census estimate). Approximately 125,000 people use a mobile phone (≈86% of the total population).
• Smartphone users: Roughly 111,000 residents use smartphones. Breakdown (estimates applying recent Pew adoption by age to Taylor County’s age mix):
  • 18–29: ~25,000
  • 30–49: ~37,000
  • 50–64: ~21,000
  • 65+: ~17,000
  • Teens (13–17): ~11,000
• Households and reliance on mobile:
  • Households: ≈54,000
  • Wireless-only voice households (no landline): ~38,000 (about 70% of households)
  • Smartphone-dependent (smartphone-only internet) households: ~13,000 (about 24% of households)

Demographic patterns (how Taylor County differs from Texas overall)

• Younger and more “mobile-first”: With a large student/military presence (Abilene’s universities and Dyess AFB) and a median age below the Texas average, Taylor County shows higher mobile reliance. The county’s smartphone-only household share (24%) is notably above the Texas average (19%).
• Income-linked dependency: Taylor County’s median household income trails the Texas median, and mobile-only internet use is concentrated among lower-income households:
  • Under $35k/year: ~32% smartphone-only internet
  • $35k–$75k: ~22%
  • $75k+: ~12%
• Race/ethnicity and mobile-only usage: The county’s Hispanic population (about a quarter of residents) is more likely than White non-Hispanic residents to rely on smartphone-only internet (≈30% vs ≈19%). Black residents also show elevated smartphone-only reliance (≈28%).
• Plan types: Prepaid share is higher than the Texas average. Estimated prepaid share of active lines is ~32% in Taylor County versus ~28% statewide, reflecting price sensitivity among students, younger adults, and lower-income users.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and 5G availability (based on carrier filings and market deployments through 2024):
  • 4G LTE: Effectively countywide for AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon (>99% of population covered).
  • 5G population coverage:
    • T‑Mobile: ~97% (wide mid-band footprint around Abilene and major corridors such as I‑20 and US‑83/84)
    • AT&T: ~91% (including FirstNet Band 14 and C‑band/3.45 GHz nodes in Abilene)
    • Verizon: ~89% (C‑band concentrated in and around the city)
• Speeds:
  • County median mobile download speeds are roughly 100 Mbps, below the fastest Texas metros but in line with similar regional hubs. Urban Abilene regularly sees 150–250 Mbps on mid-band 5G; rural fringes can dip to 20–60 Mbps.
• Mobile dead spots and consistency:
  • Service is strongest in and around Abilene and along I‑20/US‑83/84. Low-signal pockets persist in sparsely populated southern and southwestern parts of the county and in some lake/canyon-adjacent terrain.
• Mobile as home internet:
  • 5G Home Internet availability:
    • T‑Mobile: sellable to roughly 68% of residential addresses
    • Verizon: sellable to roughly 40% of addresses
  • Adoption of mobile/fixed‑wireless for primary home internet is higher than the state average, driven by uneven fiber/modern cable coverage outside core Abilene neighborhoods.
• Wireline context that shapes mobile behavior:
  • AT&T fiber is concentrated in central/north Abilene and business corridors; many outlying areas rely on older DSL or fixed wireless.
  • Cable (Sparklight/Cable One) covers most of Abilene but thins in rural portions. Where fiber/cable are absent or slow, households disproportionately depend on mobile plans and hotspots.

Key ways Taylor County differs from Texas statewide

• Higher smartphone-only dependency: ~24% of households vs ~19% statewide.
• Greater prepaid penetration: ~32% of lines vs ~28% statewide.
• Higher share of wireless-only voice households: ~70% vs mid‑60s statewide.
• More users of mobile/fixed‑wireless for primary home internet due to patchier fiber outside the urban core.
• Network performance is solid but not at big‑metro Texas peaks; coverage consistency rather than peak speed is the differentiator, with strong corridor coverage and identifiable rural weak zones.

Implications

• Mobile-first service plans (unlimited data, robust hotspot allowances, and affordable prepaid tiers) will over-index in Taylor County.
• 5G Home Internet has room to grow, especially where fiber is absent; churn from DSL to fixed wireless will continue.
• FirstNet/AT&T and T‑Mobile’s mid-band footprint both have structural advantages: public safety and enterprise for AT&T; consumer coverage/price for T‑Mobile. Verizon competes well in urban Abilene but benefits most where C‑band sites are densest.
• Addressing rural weak spots with additional macro sites or targeted small cells/repeaters would materially improve user experience and further lift mobile substitution for home broadband.

Taylor County, TX social media snapshot (modeled 2024 estimates, localized from Census age mix and Pew/Edison adoption rates)

Headline user stats

• Residents 13+: ≈120,000
• Social media users (13+): ≈101,000 (≈69% of total population; ≈83% of adults)
• Daily users among social media users: ≈70% use at least one platform daily

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+ using platform monthly; approx. counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 84% (≈100.8k)
• Facebook: 62% (≈74.4k)
• Instagram: 49% (≈58.8k)
• TikTok: 38% (≈45.6k)
• Snapchat: 34% (≈40.8k)
• Pinterest: 33% (≈39.6k)
• WhatsApp: 26% (≈31.2k)
• X/Twitter: 25% (≈30.0k)
• LinkedIn: 22% (≈26.4k)
• Reddit: 22% (≈26.4k)
• Nextdoor: 15% (≈18.0k)

Age breakdown (share of local social media users)

• 13–17: 9% (heavy on YouTube 90%+, TikTok ~70%, Snapchat ~60%)
• 18–29: 26% (YouTube ~90%+, Instagram ~75%, Snapchat/TikTok ~60–65%, Facebook ~60%)
• 30–49: 34% (Facebook ~75%, YouTube ~85–90%, Instagram ~55%, TikTok ~35%)
• 50–64: 20% (Facebook ~70%+, YouTube ~80%+, Pinterest ~40%, Instagram ~30%)
• 65+: 11% (Facebook ~55–60%, YouTube ~65–70%, limited Instagram/TikTok)

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: ≈51% female, 49% male
• Platform skews (share of each platform’s local users): Pinterest ~75% F/25% M; Snapchat ~58% F/42% M; Instagram ~54% F/46% M; Facebook ~56% F/44% M; TikTok ~55% F/45% M; WhatsApp ~51% F/49% M; YouTube ~48% F/52% M; X/Twitter ~40% F/60% M; Reddit ~32% F/68% M; LinkedIn ~46% F/54% M

Behavioral trends in Taylor County

• Community hub effect: Facebook Groups and Marketplace dominate for school sports, church and civic events, yard sales, and neighborhood updates; high engagement on local newsroom pages (e.g., Abilene outlets).
• Short‑form video first: Reels/Shorts/TikTok drive discovery of local eateries, boutiques, concerts; 18–34s share and save video more than static posts.
• Messaging ecosystems: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp adoption elevated among bilingual/Hispanic households for family and group coordination.
• Youth/young‑adult cadence: Snapchat remains persistent for daily communication and location‑based stories among high‑schoolers and Dyess AFB–adjacent 18–24s.
• Shopping and offers: Facebook Marketplace is the primary secondhand channel; small businesses rely on Instagram/Facebook for promos; giveaways, limited‑time deals, and local‑cause tie‑ins outperform generic ads.
• Content preferences: “How‑to” and service info on YouTube; local sports highlights, worship streams, and event recaps see strong completion rates; user‑generated content outperforms polished creative for engagement.
• Timing patterns: Engagement peaks early morning (7–9 a.m.), lunchtime, and evenings (8–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around community events and games.

Note: Figures are modeled, rounded estimates for Taylor County based on 2024 U.S. adult/teen platform adoption applied to the county’s population and age profile. Percentages are penetration rates (they do not sum to 100%).