Converse County

To ensure accuracy: would you like figures from the 2020 Decennial Census (official counts) or the latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (most current county-level demographics)? I can provide both if helpful. Also, for “household data,” do you want just number of households and average household size, or additional items (family vs. nonfamily, households with children, owner-occupancy)?

Converse County, WY email usage (estimates)

• Users: About 9,500–10,500 regular email users. Basis: ~14.2k residents; ~10.8k adults; 85–95% of adults use email, plus some teens.
• Age mix of email users:
  • 18–34: 25–30% of users; very high adoption (95%+).
  • 35–64: 50–55% of users; near‑universal (95%).
  • 65+: 15–20% of users; strong but slightly lower adoption (80–90%).
• Gender split: Close to even; county skews slightly male (~51–52% male). Email use rates are similar by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Roughly 80–85% of households have a broadband subscription; device ownership (smartphone/computer) is around 90%+.
  • Fiber and cable are concentrated in Douglas and Glenrock; fixed wireless and satellite (including newer LEO options) serve outlying ranch and energy areas.
  • Mobile LTE/5G is solid along I‑25 and town centers; coverage weakens in sparsely populated zones.
  • Very low density (~3–4 people per square mile across ~4,250 sq mi) raises last‑mile costs, but recent state/federal grants are expanding rural fiber and middle‑mile backbones.

Overall: Email penetration is high and stable, with access improving via fiber builds and better rural wireless/satellite options.

Below is a county-focused summary built from statewide and national adoption benchmarks, rural-use studies, and known infrastructure patterns in Wyoming. Figures are estimates intended for planning, not official counts.

Topline snapshot

• Population baseline: ~14–15k residents (2023–2024). Adult share ~77–79%.
• Estimated unique mobile users in Converse County: roughly 10.5k–11.8k people.

User estimates (how we get there)

• Adults (18+): ~10.9k–11.7k residents; mobile phone ownership in rural areas typically 88–92%. Estimated adult users: ~9.6k–10.5k.
• Teens (13–17): ~750–1,050; smartphone access ~90–95%. Estimated teen users: ~680–1,000.
• Children (8–12): ~700–900; phone access is much lower (roughly 25–35%). Estimated child users: ~175–315.
• Mobile-only home internet households: estimated 22–28% of households in Converse vs ~16–20% statewide, reflecting patchier fixed broadband outside Douglas/Glenrock.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–29: Near-saturation smartphone ownership (≈95%+), heavy app and video use.
  • 30–49: Near-saturation; high work-related mobile use.
  • 50–64: High but below younger adults; more voice/text, lower app diversity.
  • 65+: Adoption significantly lower than younger cohorts; more basic use. Converse’s slightly older age mix likely pulls overall smartphone adoption a few points below the Wyoming average.
• Income and occupation
  • Energy, transportation, and agriculture workers rely on mobile for field logistics, navigation, messaging, and compliance apps; higher mobile data dependence where fixed broadband is weak.
  • Lower-income households more likely to be mobile-only for home internet, amplifying mobile data consumption versus state average.
• Geography within the county
  • Towns (Douglas, Glenrock): Higher 5G availability, better indoor coverage, and more fiber-fed sites; usage looks closer to state norms.
  • Outlying ranchlands and areas near Thunder Basin National Grassland/eastern and southern foothills: More coverage variability; heavier use of offline modes, Wi‑Fi calling, or fixed wireless as backups.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • County is slightly less diverse than the state overall. Digital inclusion needs are present but less tied to language access than in some other WY counties; affordability and signal quality are the bigger constraints.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and networks
  • Corridors: I‑25 and US‑20/26/87 are comparatively well covered by all three national carriers.
  • 5G: Broad low‑band 5G from multiple carriers along corridors and in towns; mid‑band “capacity” 5G is mostly concentrated in Douglas/Glenrock with limited reach off-corridor.
  • Off‑corridor gaps: Noticeable signal and capacity drop-offs south toward Esterbrook and east/northeast toward sparsely populated areas; device performance depends heavily on proximity to a macro site or terrain.
• Providers and backhaul
  • Incumbent telco and regional cooperatives provide DSL and targeted fiber in town centers; fixed wireless providers serve many fringes. Outside municipal cores, fiber-to-the-home availability is limited relative to the state’s larger towns.
  • FirstNet (public safety) sites generally track AT&T’s footprint along primary routes; roaming improves emergency reliability but not day-to-day capacity.
• Ongoing buildout
  • Wyoming broadband grants (CPF/BEAD-era) are targeting un/underserved census blocks; in Converse, expected improvements are fiber extensions outward from town and additional fixed wireless or upgraded microwave backhaul to reduce congestion. Benefits will be uneven until projects complete (likely 2025–2027 timelines).

Trends that differ from Wyoming statewide

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households in Converse use smartphones or hotspots as their primary home connection versus the state average, driven by patchier fiber/modern cable outside Douglas and Glenrock.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: The county’s older age profile and rural geography likely keep ownership a few points below the statewide rate, particularly among 65+ residents.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance gap: In-town experience is similar to statewide norms, but off-corridor areas see bigger drops in speed and reliability than in many Wyoming counties with denser fiber or more tower sites.
• Heavier use of fixed wireless and Wi‑Fi calling: Compared with statewide, Converse residents outside town centers lean more on fixed wireless providers and Wi‑Fi calling to offset weak indoor cellular signal.
• Capacity constraints at peaks: Where mid‑band 5G is sparse, LTE/low‑band 5G sectors can congest during events or shift changes, creating a wider performance spread than the state average.

Method notes and uncertainty

• Adoption rates draw on national Pew and rural adoption studies adjusted for Wyoming’s rural profile; county population and age structure reflect recent Census estimates. Because carrier maps and buildouts evolve quickly, 5G/mid‑band availability and grant-driven fiber expansions should be validated against the latest state broadband office and carrier disclosures if you need point-specific decisions.

Below is a concise, county-adjusted snapshot based on Pew Research’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media benchmarks, rural adoption patterns, and Converse County’s population (~14K). Figures are estimates; use platform ad tools for current, hard counts.

Overall user stats (13+)

• Estimated monthly social media users: 9,000–10,500 (roughly 70–80% of 13+ residents)
• Daily users: ~50–60% of 13+ check at least once per day
• Primary use cases: local news/alerts, community groups, buy/sell/Marketplace, school sports and events, how‑to content, messaging

Most‑used platforms (share of 13+ using at least monthly)

• YouTube: 65–75%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Facebook Messenger: 50–60%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 25–35%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Pinterest: 20–30% (skews female, 25–54)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (mostly energy, construction, healthcare, education)
• Reddit: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited coverage; Facebook Groups fill the gap)

Age mix among social users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: 7–9% — heavy on Snapchat/TikTok; YouTube nearly universal
• 18–24: 10–12% — Instagram/Snap/TikTok first; light Facebook posting
• 25–34: 18–20% — Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; Marketplace, Reels
• 35–54: 35–40% — Facebook dominant; YouTube for DIY/how‑to; some Instagram
• 55+: 25–30% — Facebook + YouTube; Messenger for family comms

Gender breakdown

• County population skews slightly male (~51–52% male). Among platform users:
  • Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest: skews female
  • YouTube/Reddit/X: skews male
  • Snapchat/TikTok: near even, slightly female-leaning among younger users

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub: community and yard‑sale groups, school/rodeo updates, local government and weather alerts; Marketplace is widely used for vehicles, equipment, and ranch items.
• Video first: short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) for events, promotions, and behind‑the‑scenes; YouTube for tutorials, hunting/outdoors, equipment maintenance, and “how’s the road/weather?” content.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary contact channels for businesses; “Message” and “Call” CTAs outperform long web forms.
• Peak activity: early morning (6:30–8:30 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.); Sunday tends to perform well. Spikes during storms, closures, wildfire season, and major school sports.
• Creative that works: locally recognizable faces/places, practical value (how‑to, deals, hours/closures), giveaways, and school/4‑H/rodeo highlights. Stock or overly polished corporate creative underperforms.
• Targeting tips: radius targeting around Douglas/Glenrock (15–30 miles), interest clusters in hunting, rodeo, ranching, oil & gas, construction, trucking, and outdoor recreation. Small audience sizes favor frequency and simple objectives (reach, messages, click‑to‑call).

Notes

• Use Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google Ads location tools for live reach benchmarks in Converse County.
• Figures are estimates extrapolated from national/rural patterns; small‑population variance can be high.