Gilpin County

Do you want figures from the 2020 Census (official counts) or the latest American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most current, but model-based)? I can provide both side-by-side if helpful.

Summary for Gilpin County, CO (small, mountainous county west of Denver; ≈6,000 residents)

• Estimated email users: About 4,600–5,000 residents. Method: apply national adult email adoption to local adult population; include most teens.
• Age profile of email use (estimates from Pew-style U.S. patterns):
  • 18–49: 97–99% use email regularly.
  • 50–64: ~94–96%.
  • 65+: ~80–88% (daily use somewhat lower).
• Gender split: Essentially even; men and women use email at similar rates.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with broadband: roughly 85–90% (ACS/FCC-based rural Colorado range); remaining homes rely on satellite, fixed wireless, or mobile data.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users: about 10–15%.
  • Remote work and online services since 2020 have increased subscriptions and upgraded plans where available.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population concentrated around Black Hawk and Central City along CO‑119; outlying homes are dispersed in rugged terrain, which leads to patchy mobile coverage in canyons.
  • Gaming/resort districts have strong fiber backbones, yielding better speeds in town centers than in forested subdivisions.
  • Fixed wireless fills gaps where cable/fiber are unavailable; fiber-to-the-home remains limited outside core areas.

Sources: Estimates synthesized from U.S. Census ACS, FCC Broadband Map, and Pew Research on U.S. email adoption.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Gilpin County, Colorado

Context

• Small, mountainous county centered on Central City and Black Hawk; resident population roughly 6,000–6,500, with large weekend/seasonal visitor inflows due to gaming and recreation.
• Terrain (steep canyons, forested subdivisions) strongly shapes coverage and usage patterns.

User estimates (residents)

• Adult residents: ~4,800–5,300.
• Mobile phone owners: ~4,300–4,900 (about 90–93% of adults; slightly below Colorado’s ~94–96% due to coverage gaps and older age mix).
• Smartphone users: ~3,800–4,500 (about 80–86% of adults; below Colorado’s ~88–90%).
• Mobile-only internet users (no home broadband, rely on phone data): roughly 8–12% of adults, below Colorado’s ~15–20%. Many households instead use fixed wireless or satellite rather than go smartphone-only, given patchy cellular and the need for reliable home connectivity during outages and emergencies.

Demographic breakdown (directional patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–34: Near state-level smartphone adoption (~93–96%), but lower share of mobile-only internet than peers statewide; gaming and service workers often commute, so resident base skews older.
  • 35–64: High ownership but slightly more dual-carrier and Wi‑Fi-calling dependence than statewide due to work and safety needs in the mountains.
  • 65+: Smartphone adoption around 70–78% (several points below Colorado), with higher reliance on voice/text and Wi‑Fi at home.
• Income: Middle-to-upper incomes are common among homeowners; lower-income residents are more likely on prepaid/MVNO plans and to have data-constrained plans post-ACP sunset. However, many households prioritize a fixed home option (fixed wireless, satellite, legacy DSL) over going smartphone-only.
• Race/ethnicity: County is predominantly non-Hispanic White with a small Hispanic/Latino share; device ownership gaps by race are modest compared with the stronger effects of terrain and age.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: Strongest in and around Black Hawk/Central City and along CO-119; rapid signal drop-offs into canyons and forested subdivisions. Outdoor coverage often does not translate to reliable indoor service without Wi‑Fi calling or boosters.
• 5G: Predominantly low-band/sub-6 5G in the town centers and along primary corridors; mid-band depth and capacity are limited outside those areas; mmWave is not a factor. Many rural spots remain LTE-only.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon: Generally the most reliable out of town and along canyon routes.
  • AT&T: Solid in towns and along corridors; FirstNet improves public safety coverage but not uniform countywide.
  • T‑Mobile: Good in town cores; weaker off-corridor in steep terrain despite 600 MHz spectrum.
  • MVNO users may see reduced priority during visitor surges.
• In-building: Casinos and larger venues commonly use indoor DAS or small cells; homes frequently rely on Wi‑Fi calling and consumer boosters.
• Backhaul: Robust fiber and high-capacity links in the casino corridor; elsewhere, backhaul to sites may rely on longer fiber spurs or microwave, constraining capacity during peaks.
• Power and resilience: Outages and planned shutoffs during wildfire risk can affect sites without extended backup; residents often keep landlines/VoIP or satellite as redundancy.
• Home internet mix: Fixed wireless (line-of-sight providers), Starlink and other satellite, and legacy DSL fill gaps where cable/fiber are absent; this reduces the share of smartphone-only households but increases Wi‑Fi-calling dependence.

How Gilpin County differs from Colorado overall

• Coverage variability is the dominant driver: more dead zones, heavier dependence on Wi‑Fi calling, and wider use of boosters than the state average.
• 5G capacity is thinner off-corridor, so median mobile speeds and consistency are lower than statewide figures reported for metro Front Range areas.
• Fewer smartphone-only households; residents more often add a fixed home connection (fixed wireless or satellite) for reliability, emergency alerts, and work-from-home needs.
• Higher weekend/holiday congestion due to visitors; networks experience sharper, venue-centered peaks (casinos, trailheads), which is less typical in most Colorado counties.
• Emergency readiness shapes behavior: more dual-carrier strategies (primary + eSIM/backup), kept landlines/VoIP, and offline navigation/download habits.
• Older resident age mix slightly depresses smartphone adoption compared with the state.

Notes on uncertainty

• Figures are estimates synthesized from statewide adoption baselines (e.g., Pew Research), rural usage patterns, and the county’s known geography/economy. Local carrier maps, FCC/Broadband map data, and on-the-ground drive tests would refine these estimates.

Gilpin County, CO social media snapshot (estimates)

How many users

• Population: ≈5,800–6,100 residents (small, older-leaning, rural-mountain county).
• Estimated monthly social users (age 13+): 3,500–4,200 people (roughly 60–70% of residents). Method: apply U.S. social-media adoption rates to Gilpin’s age mix.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; localized estimates informed by national data, adjusted for older/rural profile)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 20–30% (higher among under-30)
• Snapchat: 15–25% (mostly teens/20s)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female, DIY/outdoors)
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 15–25% (commuter workforce ties to Denver/Boulder)
• Nextdoor: 15–25% (hyperlocal info, neighborhood watch) Note: Teens are far more active on TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram than older adults.

Age patterns (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 90–95%; heavy on TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram; small cohort in absolute numbers.
• 18–29: 90–95%; multi-platform, video-first (YouTube/Instagram/TikTok).
• 30–49: 80–90%; Facebook/Instagram/YouTube; group/community engagement.
• 50–64: 70–80%; Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest; Nextdoor for local updates.
• 65+: 45–55%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; lighter on newer apps.

Gender tendencies (from national patterns, likely similar locally)

• Women: Higher activity on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Nextdoor; active in community groups and local marketplace posts.
• Men: Higher on YouTube, Reddit, X; content around outdoor gear, tech, gaming, local politics.

Behavioral trends to know

• Hyperlocal info channels: Strong reliance on Facebook groups and Nextdoor for wildfire/smoke, snow/road closures, lost-and-found pets, contractor recommendations, school/county notices.
• Event and seasonality spikes: Summer/fall posts around hiking, camping, leaf-peeping; steady interest in casinos/entertainment in Black Hawk/Central City; engagement jumps during storms and emergencies.
• Commute/visitor influence: Many follow and engage with Denver/Boulder pages; local businesses reach residents and visitors by geo-targeting highways and nearby counties.
• Content that performs: Short local videos, weather/wildlife photos, timely service updates, practical how-tos; marketplace and “ask the community” threads draw high comments.
• Usage rhythm: Morning check-ins (6–9am) for weather/roads; prime scrolling 6–10pm; weekend midday bumps.

Notes on method and confidence

• Figures are inferred from Pew Research Center 2024 platform use, DataReportal Digital 2024 (U.S.), and known platform demographics, scaled to Gilpin’s size and age mix (U.S. Census/ACS). County-specific surveys could shift shares by ±5–10 points.