Waller County

Key demographics for Waller County, Texas

Population size

• 2020 Census: 56,794 (+31.4% vs. 2010)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: 29.3 years
• Under 18: 23.4%
• 18–24: 16.7%
• 25–44: 28.5%
• 45–64: 20.4%
• 65 and over: 11.0%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: 52.3%
• Female: 47.7%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: 34.2%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): 31.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 30.1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): 1.4%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): 2.3%
• Other (non-Hispanic): 0.4%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: 19,560
• Average household size: 2.80
• Family households: 70.5% of households
• Married-couple households: 49.0% of all households
• Average family size: 3.31
• Housing tenure: 67.8% owner-occupied, 32.2% renter-occupied

Insights

• Young age profile driven by the presence of Prairie View A&M University
• Racially diverse population with sizable Black and Hispanic communities
• Predominantly family households with above-average household size for Texas

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).

Waller County, TX snapshot (2025 est.)

• Population ≈60,000 across ~520 sq mi (density ≈115 people/sq mi). Growth clusters along US‑290 and I‑10 corridors; more rural northwest remains sparse.

Email usage

• Estimated email users: ≈46,000 residents (≈92% of those age 13+).
• Age distribution of email users (rounded):
  • 13–17: ≈3,600 (8%)
  • 18–24: ≈8,800 (19%) — boosted by Prairie View A&M students
  • 25–44: ≈16,700 (36%)
  • 45–64: ≈11,700 (25%)
  • 65+: ≈5,400 (12%)
• Gender split among users: roughly even (≈50% female, 50% male).

Digital access and connectivity

• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈87%.
• Households without home internet: ≈11%.
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ≈13%.
• Access trends: expanding fiber and 5G coverage along Hempstead–Prairie View–Waller and Brookshire corridors; fixed‑wireless and legacy DSL remain common in low‑density areas, with slower speeds and higher latency.
• Public/anchor connectivity: schools and municipal buildings provide reliable Wi‑Fi in town centers; library and campus networks serve as key access points for students and lower‑income residents.

Overall: high email penetration countywide, with near‑universal adoption among 18–44, modest drop‑off among seniors, and persistent rural access gaps outside the main corridors.

Waller County, TX — Mobile phone usage (2024 snapshot)

Context and scale

• Population baseline: 56,794 (2020 Census), with strong post-2020 growth tied to Houston’s westward expansion and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Adult share is roughly three-quarters of residents.
• Household baseline: about 18–19 thousand households as of 2020.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 39,000–43,000 residents (90–93% of adults), reflecting near-universal adoption in the 18–29 cohort and slightly lower adoption in older/rural segments.
• Total resident mobile lines: roughly 50,000–60,000 human-used SIMs (about 1.2–1.4 lines per adult, excluding connected cars/IoT).
• Cellular-only internet households: approximately 22–26% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet, several points higher than the Texas average (roughly mid-to-high teens), reflecting both rural coverage gaps and student-heavy demand near PVAMU.
• Device mix: Android share likely above statewide averages due to higher prepaid uptake; 5G-capable devices concentrated among students and commuters in the US‑290/I‑10 corridors.

Demographic factors that shape usage (how Waller differs from Texas overall)

• Age: A larger 18–24 population (PVAMU) drives higher daily mobile data usage, campus-centric peaks, and near-universal smartphone penetration in that band; video/social streaming is materially above state average in term-time.
• Race/ethnicity: Black share is roughly twice the Texas average, with Prairie View as an anchor; this concentrates demand around campus/town nodes. Hispanic share is about one-third, similar to Texas, supporting family-plan and WhatsApp/Messenger-heavy usage patterns.
• Income/mix: Median household income trails the Texas median, lifting prepaid and budget MVNO penetration versus the state’s big-metro postpaid tilt.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage backbone:
  • 4G LTE is strong along US‑290 (Hempstead–Prairie View–Waller), I‑10 (Brookshire/Katy fringe), and SH‑6; interior farm/ranch blocks have thinner capacity and occasional dead zones, particularly north of US‑290 and west of SH‑6.
  • 5G availability:
    • T‑Mobile: mid‑band (2.5 GHz) covers the main towns/corridors and much of PVAMU; good capacity in US‑290/I‑10 corridors.
    • Verizon: C‑band along US‑290/I‑10 nodes; low‑band 5G elsewhere; capacity upgrades track subdivision growth near Katy/Waller.
    • AT&T: low‑band countywide with C‑band clustered nearer the Katy/Brookshire edge and major highways.
• Capacity patterns: Congestion is most pronounced at PVAMU during class changes, events, and home games; commuter peaks along US‑290 show evening slowdowns heading west.
• Fixed broadband context: Fiber is expanding in new subdivisions near Katy/Waller and in town cores, but large rural blocks remain on cable/DSL/wireless. This raises the county’s cellular-only household share above the Texas average and sustains higher mobile hotspot usage.
• Public safety and resilience: Macro sites are concentrated along highways and towns; storm-season outages disproportionately affect interior rural blocks with fewer overlapping sectors.

Behavioral and market trends vs. Texas

• Higher mobile-only reliance: Waller’s cellular-only internet households outpace the state by several percentage points, driven by the student population and rural last-mile gaps.
• More pronounced seasonality and day–night swings: Term-time spikes and event loads at PVAMU create sharper variability than typical Texas counties.
• Prepaid/MVNO share above state average: Younger users and cost-sensitive rural users lift prepaid penetration; family-plan bundles are common among Hispanic households.
• Growth corridors accelerating upgrades: New rooftops near the Katy/Waller fringe and along US‑290 are triggering new sites/sector adds and mid-band 5G expansions sooner than deeper rural interiors.

Key takeaways

• Roughly four in five Waller households subscribe to mobile data, and about one in four relies on it as the primary home connection—higher than Texas overall.
• Adult smartphone penetration is effectively universal among students and commuters, placing the county’s overall adoption near the high end for non-core-metro Texas counties.
• 5G capacity is solid along US‑290/I‑10 and on/near PVAMU, but rural interiors still see coverage/capacity gaps that sustain mobile-only behavior and hotspot use.

Sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census/ACS computer and internet-use tables (for cellular data plan and broadband-by-household), 2020 Decennial Census baselines for population/households, Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks by age, FCC mobile coverage data, and carrier-announced mid-band 5G buildouts in the Houston metro. Figures are rounded to reflect county-level uncertainty while remaining decision-useful.

Social media snapshot for Waller County, Texas (2025)

County context

• Population: about 60,000; sizable 18–24 cohort due to Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU, ~9,000 students). Median age skews younger than typical rural Texas counties.
• Internet access: household broadband subscription rates are in the mid‑80% range (ACS), and smartphone access is widespread. This supports strong social media penetration.

User stats (modeled for 2025, based on ACS age mix and Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. platform use)

• Adults using at least one social platform: roughly 33,000–36,000 (about 70–78% of adults).
• Gender split among social users: approximately 52% women, 48% men overall (female tilt driven by student population).
• Share of social media users by age:
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–24: ~22%
  • 25–34: ~21%
  • 35–44: ~16%
  • 45–54: ~13%
  • 55–64: ~11%
  • 65+: ~9%

Most‑used platforms (estimated adult penetration in the county)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• TikTok: ~32–38%
• Snapchat: ~25–30% (especially 13–24)
• Pinterest: ~28–33% (female‑skew)
• WhatsApp: ~22–28% (higher among bilingual/Hispanic households)
• X (Twitter): ~18–24% (students, sports, news)
• LinkedIn: ~18–22% (commuters/professionals toward Houston)
• Nextdoor: ~10–15% (newer subdivisions along the US‑290/SH‑99 corridors)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: Local news, school updates, churches, civic alerts, and Marketplace drive the highest cross‑demographic engagement. Neighborhood and “buy/sell/trade” groups convert well for events and local commerce.
• Student‑driven short‑form video: PVAMU fuels Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Snapchat stories. Best performers are campus life, food spots, sports, and events; UGC, challenges, and behind‑the‑scenes content outperform polished promos.
• Messaging as a sales channel: Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and WhatsApp see high use for inquiries, reservations, and micro‑commerce; fast response times materially raise conversion.
• YouTube utility and faith content: Strong consumption of how‑to/DIY, auto, ranching, and home‑improvement; churches and local organizations stream sermons and events.
• Timing patterns: Evenings (7–9 pm) are peak across the county; student activity spikes late night (11 pm–1 am). Weekend engagement is strong for events, sports, and church‑related posts.
• Language and creative: Bilingual (English/Spanish) creative broadens reach. Simple, clear flyers and short vertical videos outperform text‑heavy posts.
• Ads and geo: Tight radius/ZIP targeting around Prairie View, Hempstead, Waller, Brookshire, and along US‑290/SH‑99 corridors yields efficient reach. Lookalike audiences built from event RSVPs or engaged video viewers perform well.
• Platform skews: Women over‑index on Facebook Groups, Pinterest, and Instagram; men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit (smaller base), and X. TikTok and Snapchat remain youth‑heavy; Facebook and YouTube dominate 35+.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Figures are county‑level estimates derived from the county’s age/urban mix (U.S. Census Bureau/ACS 2018–2022), PVAMU enrollment, and Pew Research Center’s “Social Media Use in 2024” platform penetration by age. No publisher reports exact county‑level platform usage; the ranges above reflect a conservative local adjustment of national benchmarks.