Bent County

Key demographics for Bent County, Colorado (latest Census/ACS data; figures rounded)

Population size

• Total population: about 5.6k (2020 Census; ACS 2018–2022 5-year shows similar)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~19–21%

Gender

• Male: ~60–65%
• Female: ~35–40% Note: The county’s prisons substantially increase the male share and skew age toward 18–44.

Race/ethnicity (ACS 5-year)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~35–38%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~47–50%
• Black or African American: ~6–8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~3–4%
• Asian: <1%
• Two or more races: ~5–7%

Households

• Number of households: ~1,900–2,000
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates. Figures include institutionalized population (e.g., prisons).

Overview (estimates): Bent County has about 5,800 residents. Given rural internet adoption levels, an estimated 3,600–4,200 people use email (roughly 62–72% of residents; most connected adults use email).

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–17: ~250–320
• 18–34: ~900–1,050
• 35–64: ~1,800–2,050
• 65+: ~800–1,000 (lower adoption than younger adults)

Gender split: Near parity (about 49% female, 51% male) with similar email usage rates by gender.

Digital access and trends:

• Very rural: ~3.5–4.0 people per square mile; connectivity concentrated in and around Las Animas.
• Household internet subscription is likely ~65–75% (below Colorado’s statewide average in the high 80s).
• Access mix: legacy DSL, cable in town pockets, expanding fixed wireless, and limited but growing fiber in populated corridors; smartphone-only access is relatively common for some households.
• Mobile coverage is strongest along US‑50; service can be patchy on outlying county roads and ranchlands.
• Public Wi‑Fi via the library and community locations helps fill gaps.
• State and federal broadband programs (e.g., Colorado’s BEAD-funded projects) are targeting southeast Colorado, which should expand fiber/fixed wireless through 2026–2028 and lift email adoption.

Below is a concise, planning-oriented snapshot of mobile phone usage in Bent County, Colorado, with emphasis on how local patterns diverge from statewide trends. Figures are estimates based on recent census demographics, rural adoption patterns, and national/mobile industry benchmarks for similar counties.

Headline estimates (2025)

• Population base: ~5,600 residents.
• Individuals with a mobile phone (any type): ~4,300–4,700 (roughly 77–84% of residents).
• Smartphone users: ~3,600–4,200 (about 65–75% of residents; 80–90% of mobile users).
• Mobile-only internet households: ~25–35% locally vs ~15–20% statewide (reflecting limited wired options and affordability pressures).

How Bent County differs from Colorado overall

• Adoption gap at older ages: Smartphone ownership among 65+ is materially lower than the state average (local: ~65–72% vs statewide seniors ~75–80%), pulling down overall penetration.
• Higher reliance on prepaid and value plans: Estimated prepaid share ~35–45% locally vs ~20–30% statewide; driven by lower median income and credit constraints.
• Android skew: Android share likely 60–65% of smartphones vs nearer parity statewide, reflecting price sensitivity.
• More “mobile-first” behavior: A higher share of households rely on a phone hotspot or fixed‑wireless/5G home internet instead of cable/fiber, increasing the importance of reliable LTE/low-band 5G.
• Slower 5G experience: Coverage is dominated by low-band 5G and LTE; mid-band 5G (capacity/speed layer) is sparse or limited to the county seat area, so average mobile speeds and indoor reliability trail Front Range/metro norms.
• Stronger ACP shock: The 2024 wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program has a larger effect locally, with greater risk of plan downgrades, line churn, or shared devices vs the state overall.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • Teens (12–17): High smartphone access (≈85–92%) but more shared/family plans and school Wi‑Fi dependence; summer use spikes near recreation areas.
  • 18–34: Near-universal mobile ownership (≈95%+); highest data use, streaming/video-first behaviors.
  • 35–64: High ownership (≈90%+), but cost-optimized plans; more use of Wi‑Fi calling to compensate for indoor coverage variability.
  • 65+: Mobile ownership ≈75–85% with smartphone adoption ≈65–72%; larger basic‑phone segment, longer device replacement cycles, and limited app adoption.
• Income and education
  • Higher prepaid and MVNO uptake; more lifeline/discount plan history where available.
  • Device lifetimes trend longer (cases of 4–6 years), and repair/secondhand markets more common than in metro Colorado.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Hispanic/Latine residents form a larger share of the population than statewide; this correlates with greater family-plan line sharing, higher WhatsApp/FB Messenger use, and more bilingual app utilization.
• Work patterns
  • Agriculture, outdoor trades, and travel along US‑50 increase daytime outdoor coverage needs and reliance on voice/text when data performance dips.
  • Small businesses frequently use fixed wireless or 4G/5G gateways where cable/fiber is unavailable.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Cellular networks
  • LTE is the primary workhorse; low‑band 5G is present along main corridors and in/around Las Animas, but mid‑band 5G capacity is limited compared with metro Colorado.
  • Outdoor coverage is generally reliable along US‑50 and in towns; indoor coverage and off‑highway areas can be inconsistent, with dead zones in sparsely populated tracts.
  • Seasonal load: Traffic surges around John Martin Reservoir and recreation sites can degrade speeds on peak weekends/holidays.
• Backhaul and tower spacing
  • Macro sites are spaced for highway/town coverage; microwave backhaul remains common on rural sites, with fiber backhaul concentrated in/near the county seat and anchor institutions.
• Home internet interplay
  • Cable/fiber options are concentrated in Las Animas; outside town, many residents depend on DSL remnants, fixed wireless (regional ISPs), 5G home internet (availability varies by sector load and signal), or satellite.
  • Where 5G Home Internet is available, it reduces mobile hotspot dependence but competes with tower capacity during busy hours.

Implications for planners and providers

• Coverage quality indoors (especially for older homes and metal buildings) and capacity on peak days drive the user experience more than raw coverage maps.
• Investments with the highest local impact differ from the state: small-cell or sector splits in town centers, backhaul upgrades on existing macros, and selective mid-band 5G overlays would yield outsized benefits.
• Outreach on device financing, refurbished options, and digital skills for seniors can narrow the local adoption gap.
• Post-ACP affordability bridges (county programs, nonprofit vouchers, or bulk-discount community plans) can meaningfully stabilize connectivity for cost‑sensitive households.

Method notes (for transparency)

• Population and age structure reflect small‑county rural Colorado profiles and recent ACS patterns; ownership and smartphone rates are derived from rural vs metro deltas observed in national surveys (e.g., Pew) adjusted for an older, lower‑income mix. Where precise local counts are unavailable, figures are provided as ranges to avoid false precision.

Here’s a concise, county-specific snapshot built from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 social platform benchmarks, adjusted to Bent County’s small, rural, older-leaning population profile. Exact county-level measurements aren’t published, so treat figures as modeled estimates.

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈5.5–5.7K; adults ≈4.4–4.7K
• Internet access: mobile-first; fixed broadband patchy outside Las Animas and along US‑50

User stats

• Social media users: ≈3.2K–3.6K residents use at least one platform monthly (≈65–70% of adults)
• Daily actives: ≈60–65% of users
• Typical multi-platform use: 2–3 platforms per person; Facebook + YouTube is the default pair

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users; multi-platform, so totals exceed 100%)

• Facebook: 75–85% (dominant hub for local news, groups, Marketplace)
• YouTube: 75–85% (how‑to, ag, DIY, sports, sermons)
• Instagram: 25–35% (younger adults, local businesses)
• TikTok: 18–25% (under 35; short local video, trends)
• Snapchat: 15–25% (teens/20s; messaging)
• Pinterest: 20–30% (women 25–54; recipes, crafts, home/farm)
• X (Twitter): 10–15% (sports, state/national news)
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (small professional niche)
• Reddit: 8–12% (male‑skew, hobby/tech/outdoors)
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (pockets of use in town neighborhoods)

Age profile and behaviors

• 13–17: 90–95% on social; Snapchat 70–80%, TikTok 70–80%, Instagram 60–70%, YouTube ~90%; light Facebook (mainly for school/events)
• 18–24: 90%+; Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram dominant; Facebook used for groups/Marketplace
• 25–34: 85–90%; Facebook + Instagram core; TikTok/Snapchat ~40–50%; heavy Marketplace
• 35–54: 75–85%; Facebook groups and YouTube lead; Instagram 30–40%; Pinterest strong among women
• 55+: 55–65%; Facebook + YouTube; Instagram/TikTok <20%

Gender notes

• Overall active base roughly balanced
• Engagement skews: Facebook and Pinterest female-leaning; YouTube/Reddit/X male-leaning; TikTok slight female tilt; Snapchat female-leaning in younger cohorts

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups for schools, county/sheriff updates, 4‑H, church, youth sports, county fair; local buy/sell/trade is highly active
• Marketplace matters: primary local ecommerce channel for vehicles, farm/ranch gear, furniture
• Trust in local voices: posts from county offices, schools, first responders, coaches, and known business owners outperform generic content
• Video is rising: short, captioned clips (Facebook Reels/TikTok) perform well; YouTube for longer how‑to and equipment maintenance
• Mobile usage dominates: keep creatives lightweight; spotty bandwidth makes short videos and clear thumbnails crucial
• Timing: engagement peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.), lunchtime, and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around events and sports
• Seasonality: agriculture calendar (planting/harvest), hunting season, and county events drive noticeable engagement surges

Source/method note: Estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption data, Colorado/state rural patterns, and Bent County’s demographic makeup; no official platform publishes Bent County–level usage counts.