Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County, Arizona — key demographics

Population size

• 47,669 (2020 Census)

Age and sex (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year)

• Median age: ~37 years
• Under 18: ~28%
• 65 and over: ~14%
• Sex: ~51% female, ~49% male

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~84%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~13%
• Non-Hispanic other races (combined, including Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Two+): ~3%

Households (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year)

• Households: ~15,400
• Average household size: ~3.2 persons
• Family households: ~77% of all households
• Homeownership rate: ~69%
• Median household income: roughly $55,000

Insights

• Predominantly Hispanic border county with larger households and a younger median age than the U.S. overall; owner-occupancy around two-thirds; household incomes below the Arizona state median.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP1) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (DP02/DP03/DP04).

Santa Cruz County, AZ email usage snapshot:

• Population ≈48,000; density ≈39 residents per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: ≈37,500 residents (≈78% of the population), based on local internet adoption and national email usage among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34: ~30%; 35–54: ~38%; 55–64: ~16%; 65+: ~16%. Email is near‑universal among adults under 55 and somewhat lower among seniors.
• Gender split: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county sex ratio).
• Digital access: ≈90% of households have a computer; ≈81% have a broadband subscription; ≈13% are smartphone‑only for home internet; ≈14% report no home internet subscription.
• Connectivity/geography: Reliable fixed broadband and fiber are concentrated along the I‑19 corridor (Nogales–Rio Rico–Tubac), while outlying ranchland and mountainous areas have sparser fixed‑line options and greater reliance on mobile data.
• Trend: Home broadband subscriptions have risen about 2–3 percentage points since 2019; smartphone‑only access is slowly increasing; available speeds have improved most in urbanized tracts, widening the urban‑rural performance gap.

Figures synthesized from U.S. Census ACS 2018–2022 (computer/broadband), FCC broadband availability, and Pew Research on email adoption by age.

Santa Cruz County, AZ: mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Core population and context

• Population: approximately 48,700 residents (2019–2023 ACS 5-year).
• Adults (18+): about 35,500; youth under 18: about 13,200.
• Demographics: roughly 85% Hispanic/Latino, 13% non-Hispanic White, 2% other/multiracial; Spanish is spoken at home by a large majority of households.
• Socioeconomics: median household income around $49,000; poverty notably above the state average; college attainment below the state average. The population is younger than Arizona as a whole, with a smaller 65+ share than the state.

Estimated mobile users and device reliance

• Adult smartphone users: about 31,000–32,000 (countywide weighted estimate applying Pew 2024 adult smartphone adoption by age/income/education to the county’s ACS profile; results round to roughly 88% of adults).
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): roughly 2,800–3,000 (applying national teen adoption rates to local age counts).
• Total smartphone users (13+): on the order of 34,000–35,000 countywide.
• Mobile-only internet households: measurably higher than the Arizona average. Using ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns for border/rural counties and the county’s lower fixed-broadband subscription rate, an estimated 18–22% of households rely primarily on cellular data versus roughly 12–14% statewide.
• Device mix: smartphone access is widespread and more universal than laptops/desktops in the county; households are more likely than the state average to be “mobile-first” for everyday connectivity.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), T-Mobile, and Verizon operate in the county, with roaming near the border sometimes affecting user experience and billing if devices latch to Mexican networks.
• Coverage geography:
  • Strongest along the I-19 corridor from the Nogales ports of entry through Rio Rico to Tubac; 5G is common there (mid-band/sub-6 GHz), with carrier aggregation improving speeds.
  • Patchy to limited service in mountainous and sparsely populated areas, notably the Patagonia Mountains, San Rafael Valley, and parts of Coronado National Forest. SR-82 and SR-83 have known signal gaps and capacity constraints during events or peak travel.
• Capacity and backhaul: fiber backbones parallel I-19 and feed most macro sites in Nogales/Rio Rico; sites off the corridor frequently rely on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak throughput and latency compared with metro Arizona.
• Public safety and emergency communications: FirstNet coverage is materially better along I-19 and in Nogales proper than in the eastern highlands; agencies report dead zones consistent with topography and tower spacing typical of rural border counties.
• Public access: libraries, schools, and community centers in Nogales and Rio Rico provide important Wi‑Fi offload, reflecting higher mobile-first usage and lower home fixed-broadband adoption than the state average.

How Santa Cruz County differs from Arizona overall

• Higher mobile dependence: a larger share of households is mobile-only or mobile-primary, driven by lower incomes, younger demographics, and lower fixed-broadband subscription rates than the state average.
• Coverage asymmetry: 5G and strong LTE cluster tightly along I-19 and Nogales urban areas; service quality drops faster with distance than in Arizona’s metro counties. Terrain-driven shadows and sparse tower grids make rural gaps more pronounced than statewide norms.
• Demographic tilt: the county’s predominantly Hispanic and bilingual population, younger age structure, and higher renter share align with higher smartphone adoption and prepaid plan usage relative to the Arizona average.
• Cross-border effects: proximity to Mexico introduces unique radio and roaming dynamics (network selection and interference management) that are less prevalent elsewhere in the state and can affect user experience near the line.

Key takeaways

• Roughly nine in ten adults in Santa Cruz County use a smartphone, yielding about 34,000–35,000 total users aged 13+.
• Mobile-only connectivity is substantially more common than statewide, and mobile devices are the primary on-ramp to the internet for many households.
• Infrastructure is robust along I-19 and the ports of entry but remains uneven in the county’s eastern and southern highlands; that gap, combined with local demographics, underpins a distinctly mobile-first pattern of use compared with Arizona overall.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2019–2023 American Community Survey (population, demographics, income, and internet subscription context); Pew Research Center, 2024 device ownership (adoption rates applied to local population to produce user estimates); FCC National Broadband Map and carrier public coverage materials for infrastructure characterization.

Santa Cruz County, AZ social media usage (2025 snapshot)

What this reflects

• Figures are modeled for Santa Cruz County adults (18+) by applying the county’s age/sex makeup (ACS 5-year through 2023; population ≈48k, adults ≈34k; ≈83% Hispanic/Latino) to Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by age, sex, and ethnicity. Numbers are rounded and represent percent of adults (not of internet users); overlaps across platforms are expected.

User stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: 74% (25k people)
• Access pattern: Predominantly smartphone-based; video-first consumption; heavy use of private/group messaging
• Language/culture: High bilingual usage (English/Spanish) and cross-border ties (Nogales, Sonora), which elevates WhatsApp, Facebook groups, and Spanish-language video

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults; modeled)

• YouTube: 85% (29k)
• Facebook: 66% (22k)
• Instagram: 50% (17k)
• WhatsApp: 44% (15k) — markedly above U.S. average due to Hispanic majority and cross-border communication
• TikTok: 35% (12k)
• Snapchat: 33% (11k)
• Pinterest: 31% (10k)
• X (Twitter): 20% (7k)
• LinkedIn: 21% (7k)
• Nextdoor: 10% (3k; limited reach outside a few neighborhoods)

Age-group usage (any social; modeled)

• 18–29: ~95% use social; platform mix skews Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook comparatively lower
• 30–49: ~86%; most omnichannel (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp; growing TikTok)
• 50–64: ~73%; heavier on Facebook and YouTube; moderate WhatsApp
• 65+: ~52%; Facebook leads, YouTube second; limited TikTok/Snapchat

Gender breakdown (modeled)

• Any social: Women ~76%, Men ~72%
• Platform tilt:
  • Women higher on Facebook (71% vs ~61%), Instagram (54% vs 45%), Pinterest (45% vs 12%), TikTok (38% vs ~31%)
  • Men higher on YouTube (88% vs ~82%), Reddit (24% vs 10%), X/Twitter (22% vs ~18%)
  • WhatsApp near parity (~45% women, ~43% men)

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Messaging-centric communities: WhatsApp groups (families, school parents, sports teams) and Facebook Groups function as community hubs and informal news channels
• Cross-border communication and commerce: Frequent use of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram for family ties, marketplace transactions, and microbusiness sales spanning Nogales, AZ–Nogales, Sonora
• Marketplace and local services: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for buying/selling goods and local gigs; Instagram DMs and WhatsApp used for ordering from home-based food, beauty, and repair services
• Civic and public safety: Local agencies, schools, and nonprofits rely on Facebook Pages/Groups and WhatsApp lists for alerts and events; Spanish-language posts significantly improve reach
• Creator and small-business marketing: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) and bilingual captions drive conversions; click-to-WhatsApp ads perform well due to preference for direct messaging
• News and information: YouTube and Facebook are leading sources of local and Spanish-language news; closed-group dynamics increase both trust and misinformation risk, so verified posts and recognizable local voices matter

Notes on interpretation

• County-level platform shares are rarely measured directly; the figures above are best-available modeled estimates grounded in ACS demographics and Pew 2024 adoption patterns, adjusted for the county’s high Hispanic share and border dynamics.