Yuma County

Key demographics for Yuma County, Arizona

Population

• 203,881 (2020 Census)
• ~225,000 (2023 Census Bureau estimate)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~33–34 years
• Under 18: ~30%
• 65 and over: ~17–18%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS 2018–2022)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~64–65%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~29–30%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0–0.3%
• Two or more races/other, non-Hispanic: ~1–3%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~70,000
• Average household size: ~3.1
• Family households: ~75–77% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–55% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~40–42%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~65–67%

Insights

• Majority Hispanic/Latino population and larger-than-U.S.-average household size indicate family-oriented, multigenerational households.
• Age structure is relatively young overall, with a notable retiree presence (Foothills area) elevating the 65+ share.
• Population has grown since 2020, with seasonal residents and agriculture/military influences shaping demographics.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022; Population Estimates Program 2023).

• Estimated email users: 150,000–160,000 adults in Yuma County (based on ~225,000 residents, ~74% age 18+, and 90–95% email adoption among adults).
• Age distribution (email adoption rates among adults): 18–29: ~98%; 30–49: ~97%; 50–64: ~92%; 65+: ~85%. This yields a user base dominated by working-age adults, with slightly lower but still high usage among seniors.
• Gender split: Near parity; men and women each account for roughly 49–51% of adult email users, reflecting the minimal gender gap in U.S. email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~80–85% of households.
  • Device access (computer or smartphone): ~90–95% of households.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: roughly 18–25%, indicating a notable mobile-first segment.
  • Home internet inequities persist in lower-income, rural, and farmworker communities, which are more likely to be smartphone-only or lack fixed broadband.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density is low (~40 people per square mile) but concentrated along the I‑8 and US‑95 corridors (Yuma, San Luis, Somerton). Fixed broadband coverage is very high in populated tracts (≥95%), with gaps in outlying desert and tribal areas. 4G LTE is widespread along major corridors; 5G service is available in the Yuma metro and expanding south toward San Luis.

Mobile phone usage in Yuma County, AZ — 2024 snapshot

By the numbers (resident base; excludes seasonal visitors)

• Population: ≈220,000 (2023 ACS estimate)
• Adults (18+): ≈155,000
• Mobile phone owners (any cellphone): ≈150,000–155,000 adults (≈97% of adults)
• Smartphone owners: ≈140,000–150,000 adults (≈90% of adults), plus ≈18,000–20,000 teens (12–17), yielding ≈160,000–170,000 total resident smartphone users ages 12+
• Households using only wireless phone service (no landline): ≈78%–82% (vs Arizona ≈72%–76%)
• Households relying on mobile data as their primary home internet (smartphone-only or mobile hotspot, no fixed broadband subscription): ≈22%–26% (vs Arizona ≈16%–18%)
• Fixed broadband subscription (any wired service at home): ≈74%–78% of households (vs Arizona ≈82%–86%)

Demographic context shaping mobile usage

• Ethnicity/language: Roughly 60%–65% Hispanic/Latino; about half of households speak Spanish at home. This aligns with higher reliance on smartphones as primary internet access and greater use of OTT messaging (e.g., WhatsApp) for cross‑border family communication.
• Age: Younger-than-state average population share (larger child/teen cohort) coexists with notable retiree presence in Fortuna Foothills; this produces strong smartphone uptake among youth and sustained voice/text needs among seniors, with higher-than-average use of larger‑screen devices and simplified plans in senior clusters.
• Income: Median household income trails the state (county ≈$55k–$60k vs Arizona ≈$70k+), correlating with higher prepaid adoption, greater mobile‑only internet dependence, and sensitivity to plan pricing and data caps.
• Workforce: Agriculture and border/trade logistics create seasonal employment flows, increasing device churn and short‑term prepaid lines during harvest peaks; the military footprint (MCAS Yuma, Yuma Proving Ground) drives concentrated demand near bases.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• 5G coverage: All three national carriers provide 5G along the I‑8 corridor and in Yuma, Somerton, San Luis, and Fortuna Foothills; mid‑band 5G capacity is strongest in the urban spine and near major corridors. Coverage thins in agricultural tracts north of Somerton/San Luis and east toward Dome Valley/Dateland, where LTE remains the fallback and speeds are variable.
• Mobile performance: In-town 5G typically delivers 100–400 Mbps down with low tens of ms latency; rural LTE often drops below 25 Mbps during peak periods, with upload especially constrained on sector‑edge farms.
• Fixed broadband: Cable DOCSIS and limited fiber cover Yuma’s urbanized areas (Yuma, Somerton, San Luis, Fortuna Foothills) with 300 Mbps–1 Gbps tiers. Legacy DSL and fixed wireless ISPs serve outlying farms and desert communities; many locations lack 100/20 wired service, reinforcing mobile data dependence.
• Un/underserved footprint: An estimated 10%–15% of county locations lack access to reliable 100/20 fixed broadband, materially higher than the state average. This gap is concentrated in agricultural zones and low‑density desert east of the metro area.
• Public and institutional access: Schools and libraries provide critical Wi‑Fi offload; E‑Rate and state middle‑mile builds have improved anchor‑institution connectivity, but last‑mile gaps persist for nearby households.

Usage patterns and behaviors distinct from Arizona overall

• Higher mobile dependence: Yuma residents are markedly more likely to be wireless‑only for both voice and home internet. Mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering are common substitutes for wired broadband in farmworker and lower‑income neighborhoods.
• Cross‑border dynamics: Proximity to San Luis Río Colorado increases roaming events near the border, encourages use of international add‑ons/bundles, and boosts demand for unlocked, dual‑SIM devices—patterns less prevalent in most Arizona counties.
• Seasonality: Network load varies more across the year than the state average. Harvest seasons and winter visitor influx raise downlink congestion on sectors along US‑95, I‑8 interchanges, and retail nodes, prompting carriers to add small cells and capacity upgrades more aggressively than in similarly sized Arizona markets.
• Language and app mix: A larger Spanish‑dominant base correlates with higher use of WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube for communication and media, and lower relative use of iMessage‑only group messaging than in metro Phoenix/Tucson cohorts.
• Plan mix: Prepaid and budget MVNO share is higher than the statewide norm, tied to price sensitivity, seasonal employment, and cross‑border travel needs; device upgrade cycles run longer on average outside the military segments.

Implications

• Carriers that extend mid‑band 5G deeper into agricultural corridors and add uplink capacity will capture outsized share from mobile‑only households.
• Affordable bilingual plans with cross‑border features and robust hotspot allotments fit local needs more closely than typical statewide bundles.
• Public‑private partnerships targeting last‑mile fixed broadband in farmworker housing and rural subdivisions would reduce mobile network congestion and close adoption gaps relative to the state.

Yuma County, AZ — Social media usage snapshot (2024, modeled from Pew Research platform adoption, ACS demographics, and platform audience patterns)

User stats

• Adult social media penetration: ≈77% of residents 18+ use at least one social platform
• Teen social media penetration (13–17): ≈95%
• Estimated resident users: ≈145,000 total (≈123,000 adults; ≈22,000 teens)
• Language/culture context: ≈64% Hispanic/Latino population drives higher WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok usage; strong demand for bilingual content

Age mix of social media users (share of all local users)

• 13–17: 16%
• 18–24: 13%
• 25–34: 21%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 13%
• 55–64: 11%
• 65+: 8%

Gender breakdown (share of local social media users)

• Female: 53%
• Male: 47%

Most‑used platforms in Yuma County (monthly reach, share of local social media users)

• YouTube: 84%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 49%
• WhatsApp: 40%
• TikTok: 36%
• Snapchat: 31%
• Pinterest: 28%
• LinkedIn: 22%
• X (Twitter): 20%

Behavioral trends and patterns

• Facebook is the local hub: Groups and Marketplace dominate for buy/sell, community alerts, events, and local business discovery; bilingual posts outperform monolingual ones
• Cross‑border communication: WhatsApp is heavily used for family ties, voice notes, and micro‑business coordination; strongest among 18–44 Hispanic users
• Short‑form video first: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery for food spots, events, and local government notices; peak viewing 6–10 p.m.
• YouTube as utility: High usage across ages for how‑to, automotive, agriculture, and local news recaps; skews to long‑form and Spanish/English bilingual channels
• Youth split: Snapchat for daily messaging and school life; TikTok for trends/entertainment; YouTube for tutorials and gaming; comparatively light use of X
• Seasonal fluctuation: Oct–Mar brings a noticeable rise in 55+ activity (winter visitors), boosting Facebook and YouTube consumption and Nextdoor participation in HOA/park communities
• Commerce behavior: Local SMBs rely on Facebook/Instagram for storefront presence, boosted geo‑targeted posts, and DMs; WhatsApp Business commonly used for appointments/confirmations (salons, auto services)
• News/public safety: Facebook pages are the primary distribution channel; high engagement on bilingual updates and weather/border‑related advisories

Notes

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates tailored to Yuma County’s demographics; platform reach reflects monthly usage among local social media users rather than entire population.