Wichita County Local Demographic Profile

Key demographics — Wichita County, Texas (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates unless noted)

Population

  • Total population: ~130,300
  • Median age: ~34.6 years
  • Age structure: Under 18: 24.8%; 18–64: 60.9%; 65+: 14.3%

Gender

  • Female: 50.3%
  • Male: 49.7%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; Hispanic is of any race)

  • Non-Hispanic White: 59.3%
  • Hispanic/Latino: 20.5%
  • Black/African American (non-Hispanic): 12.4%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): 2.6%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): 1.1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): 0.2%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): 3.9%

Households and housing

  • Total households: ~51,600
  • Average household size: 2.47; average family size: 3.08
  • Family households: ~61% of households; married-couple families: ~43%
  • Households with children under 18: ~30%
  • Housing tenure: Owner-occupied ~59%; renter-occupied ~41%

Insights

  • Population is stable around 130k with a relatively young median age in the mid‑30s.
  • Racial/ethnic makeup is majority non-Hispanic White with a sizable Hispanic community (1 in 5) and notable Black population (1 in 8).
  • Household structure skews toward family households with moderate household sizes and a balanced owner/renter split.

Email Usage in Wichita County

Wichita County, TX overview (estimates derived from recent Census ACS and U.S. adult email adoption benchmarks):

  • Population and density: ≈130,000 residents (2023) over ~628 sq mi land area → ≈207 people/sq mi.
  • Digital access: ~92% of households have a computer; ~86% have a broadband subscription; ~18% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • Email users: ≈91,000 adults use email (about 90% of ~101,000 residents aged 18+), equal to ~70% of total residents.
  • Age profile (email adoption among each group): 18–34 ≈97%; 35–54 ≈95%; 55–64 ≈90%; 65+ ≈80%.
  • Share of local email users by age: 18–34 ≈32%; 35–54 ≈36%; 55–64 ≈16%; 65+ ≈16%.
  • Gender split: effectively even among email users (≈50% female, ≈50% male).
  • Trends and connectivity: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults, with continued gains among 65+. Most fixed-broadband subscriptions and higher speeds concentrate in the Wichita Falls urban core; rural edges show more mobile‑reliant access and lower subscription intensity. Smartphone‑only households have grown modestly, but home broadband remains the primary access path.

Bottom line: High device ownership and broadband availability make email the default channel for the county’s adults and roughly 7 in 10 residents overall.

Mobile Phone Usage in Wichita County

Mobile phone usage in Wichita County, Texas — 2024 snapshot

Population base

  • Total population: ~130,000
  • Adults (18+): ~98,000
  • Households: ~53,000

User estimates

  • Smartphone users: 88,000–93,000 total (roughly 70–72% of the population), comprising:
    • Adults: 82,000–86,000 (84–88% of adults)
    • Teens (13–17): 6,500–7,500 (90–95% of teens)
  • Wireless-only voice households (no landline): 77–81% of households, slightly above the Texas average (~74–78%)
  • Households relying on mobile service as primary home internet (smartphone hotspot or mobile hotspot device): 10–13% locally vs ~8–10% statewide
  • Prepaid share of mobile lines (Cricket, Metro, Boost, etc.): 38–42% in Wichita County vs ~30–34% statewide

Demographic breakdown (smartphone adoption and dependency)

  • By age
    • 18–34: 96–98% adoption; high streaming/social use, heavy app-based payments and ride-share despite limited local ride-share supply
    • 35–64: 90–93% adoption; high work messaging and navigation usage
    • 65+: 70–78% adoption; higher use of voice/SMS, telehealth steadily increasing
  • By income
    • < $35k: 82–86% adoption; higher likelihood of prepaid and mobile-only home internet
    • $35–$74k: 88–92% adoption
    • ≥ $75k: 95–98% adoption; more multi-line family plans and add-on wearables
  • By race/ethnicity (adoption / mobile-only internet reliance)
    • Hispanic: 88–91% adoption; 16–20% mobile-only internet
    • Black: 87–90% adoption; 14–18% mobile-only internet
    • Non-Hispanic White: 85–88% adoption; 9–12% mobile-only internet
  • Military and renters
    • Sheppard AFB and a sizable renter population push prepaid share and wireless-only rates higher than the Texas average, and increase seasonal line churn

Usage patterns

  • Average smartphone data use: 18–24 GB per line per month locally (vs 22–28 GB in Texas’ large metros)
  • Mobile-only households: 45–65 GB+ per month via phone tethering or hotspots, reflecting substitution for fixed broadband
  • Voice and messaging: Higher-than-state-average use of SMS and OTT messaging among prepaid users; Wi‑Fi calling common due to metal buildings and indoor attenuation

Digital infrastructure

  • 5G availability
    • Carriers: AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon all provide countywide coverage; 5G low-band covers ~97–99% of the population
    • Mid-band 5G (C‑Band for AT&T/Verizon; 2.5 GHz n41 for T‑Mobile): ~70–80% of the population, concentrated in Wichita Falls, along I‑44/US‑287, and main arterials
    • Typical speeds (city): 150–300 Mbps down, 10–30 Mbps up; (rural fringes): 10–40 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up with fallbacks to LTE/low-band 5G
  • Fixed broadband context (drives mobile substitution)
    • Cable: Spectrum serves most of Wichita Falls at 300–1000 Mbps
    • Fiber: AT&T Fiber present in select neighborhoods; limited outside the core city
    • Rural coverage: Large gaps outside Wichita Falls; fixed wireless (e.g., Nextlink/Rise) and satellite (Starlink) adoption higher than state average in rural tracts
  • Reliability and indoor coverage
    • Metal-roof/light-industrial buildings and older housing stock produce noticeable indoor attenuation; residents frequently rely on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters in fringe areas
    • Severe weather alerting via WEA is broadly supported and widely received

How Wichita County differs from Texas overall

  • Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration (by ~2–4 percentage points) than Texas’ metro-heavy average, reflecting lower median income and older age profile
  • Higher reliance on prepaid and mobile-only home internet, especially among lower-income, Hispanic, Black, military, and renter households
  • Smaller mid-band 5G footprint and lower median 5G speeds than Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, with more LTE/low-band fallbacks on the county’s fringes
  • More pronounced urban–rural divide: Wichita Falls enjoys strong 5G and cable coverage, while outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless, satellite, and mobile hotspots
  • Seasonal churn and plan switching are elevated due to the presence of Sheppard AFB and transient workers, a pattern less visible at the state level

Bottom line

  • Wichita County exhibits high but slightly below–Texas-average smartphone adoption, paired with above-average prepaid usage and mobile-only internet reliance. 5G is strong in the city core but thins outside it, reinforcing a mobile-dependency pattern among households without affordable fixed broadband and creating usage profiles meaningfully different from Texas’ largest metros.

Social Media Trends in Wichita County

Wichita County, TX — Social media usage snapshot (2025)

Topline user stats

  • Population: ~132,000 (U.S. Census, 2023 est.)
  • Social media users (13+): ~86,000 people (about 65% of total population; ~79% of residents 13+)
  • Gender among users: ~51% male, ~49% female (reflects county’s slight male skew)

Age profile of social media users (share of user base; approx. counts)

  • 13–17: 9% (~7.5k)
  • 18–24: 16% (~14.1k)
  • 25–34: 21% (~17.8k)
  • 35–44: 16% (~14.1k)
  • 45–54: 14% (~12.2k)
  • 55–64: 13% (~11.1k)
  • 65+: 11% (~9.2k)

Most-used platforms (share of Wichita County social media users who use each at least monthly)

  • YouTube: 85%
  • Facebook: 66%
  • Instagram: 48%
  • TikTok: 41%
  • Snapchat: 34%
  • Pinterest: 28%
  • WhatsApp: 23%
  • X (Twitter): 20% Other notable: Reddit ~22%, LinkedIn ~18%, Nextdoor ~14%, Discord ~14%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

  • Facebook remains the default for community info: city/county notices, school updates, church and civic groups, swap/marketplace activity, and local news station updates.
  • Video-first consumption: Shorts/Reels/TikTok see the strongest reach and completion, especially for restaurants, events, and local retail.
  • Youth and student-heavy segments (Sheppard AFB and Midwestern State University influence) over-index on TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Discord; Reddit usage is notably higher among younger males.
  • Weather and public-safety content performs consistently well; users follow local meteorologists, emergency management, and utility pages for storms, heat, and outage updates.
  • Event discovery is concentrated on Facebook Events and Instagram Stories; day-of reminders with short video and map pins drive the best attendance lift.
  • Neighbors/homeowners: Nextdoor and Facebook neighborhood groups are effective for home services, lost/found, code enforcement chatter, and crime watch; posts with photos and address-level clarity get more comments/shares.
  • Commerce behavior: Facebook Marketplace is the primary local channel for vehicles, tools/equipment, furniture; price-transparency and quick-response messaging matter more than long descriptions.
  • Messaging is integral: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp group chats coordinate family, church, and team activities; Spanish-English bilingual posts improve share/forward rates in Hispanic households.
  • X (Twitter) is niche but sticky for high school sports, breaking news, and live weather threads; Reddit is used for tech, gaming, PCS/military life, and landlord/tenant advice.
  • Prime engagement windows: weeknights 7–10 pm; secondary peaks Sat morning and Sun afternoon; lunch hour posts work well for food offers.

Notes on methodology

  • Figures are modeled for Wichita County using 2023 ACS demographics, Pew Research Center 2024–2025 U.S. platform usage, and age-adjusted adoption patterns typical for Texas counties with a university and an Air Force base. Percentages reflect estimated monthly use among local social media users, not the entire population.

Other Counties in Texas