Moffat County

Moffat County, Colorado – key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 13,292 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year estimates)

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~15–16% (2020 Census/ACS)
• Non‑Hispanic White: ~75–80%
• Other groups each small shares (each ~0–2%): American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races (collectively ~5–8%) (2020 Census/ACS)

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~5,000
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Married‑couple households: ~45–50% of households
• Households with own children under 18: ~30–35%

Notes

• Population count is from the 2020 Census; age, sex, and household characteristics are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5‑year estimates, the most reliable source for small counties. Percentages are rounded.

Email usage in Moffat County, CO

• Population and density: ≈13,200 residents; 4,743 sq mi; ~2.8 residents per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~9,700 residents (≈73% of the population).

Age profile of email users

• 13–17: ~7%
• 18–34: ~23%
• 35–64: ~52%
• 65+: ~18%

Gender split among users

• ~51% male, ~49% female (near parity).

Digital access and trends

• ~82% of households have a broadband internet subscription; ~18% lack home internet.
• Fixed 25/3 Mbps service covers >90% of addresses in and around Craig; coverage declines in remote western/southern tracts (e.g., Browns Park, Dinosaur).
• Fiber and cable are concentrated in Craig/along US‑40; many rural homes rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Smartphone-led access is common in lower‑density areas, sustaining email use despite home broadband gaps.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Craig concentrates most connections; countywide dispersion and rugged terrain raise last‑mile costs and latency, keeping broadband adoption below the Colorado average and shaping a slightly older-skewed email user base.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Moffat County, Colorado

Context and scale

• Population: roughly 13,000–13,300 residents, concentrated in Craig (the county seat) with sparse settlement across the rest of the county.
• Adults (18+): approximately 10,000–10,200.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: about 8,400–8,900 (assumes 82–87% ownership in a rural, older-leaning county; below Colorado’s urban-heavy average, which is near 90%+).
• Home internet via mobile only (smartphone hotspot or cellular router as primary): materially higher than Colorado’s statewide share. Expect high single-digit to low double-digit percentages of households relying primarily on cellular in Moffat, versus low single digits in the Front Range. This is driven by patchy fixed broadband outside Craig and along ranchland corridors.

Demographic factors shaping usage

• Age: median age near 40; a larger share of residents are 45+ than in Colorado overall. Older cohorts reduce the county’s smartphone-adoption ceiling relative to the state.
• Income and education: median household income is well below the Colorado median; bachelor’s attainment is roughly half the statewide rate. These correlate with higher Android and prepaid-plan use and slower upgrade cycles.
• Race/ethnicity: majority non-Hispanic White with a modest Hispanic community. Language-access plans and budget devices from national carriers and regional retailers see above-average uptake among price-sensitive households.
• Housing and settlement pattern: high owner-occupancy and wide dispersion outside Craig. Coverage at home is a bigger determinant of carrier choice than in metro Colorado, and Wi‑Fi calling is commonly used to fill indoor-signal gaps.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile provide dependable 4G LTE along US‑40 and CO‑13 and in Craig; coverage thins rapidly in Dinosaur National Monument, Browns Park, and backcountry oil-and-gas or ranch areas. This contrasts with Colorado’s Front Range, where contiguous coverage is the norm.
• 5G: low-band 5G from AT&T (incl. FirstNet) and T‑Mobile covers main corridors; mid-band (C‑band/n77 or 2.5 GHz) is sparse compared to the state’s urban counties. Typical countywide 5G speeds trail the Colorado average, with mid-band “fast 5G” mostly confined to Craig and select highway sectors.
• Backhaul and middle mile: the Project THOR regional fiber network and Yampa Valley Electric Association/Luminate fiber give Craig and nearby areas stronger backhaul than the county’s geography would otherwise allow, improving capacity when carriers sectorize busy sites.
• Fixed broadband context: fiber and cable are available in parts of Craig; many outlying addresses fall back to DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. That increases reliance on mobile hotspots for work and school relative to the state overall.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet buildouts improved AT&T coverage on key routes; wildfire and winter-weather resilience hinges on a small number of microwave and fiber spurs, so redundancy is weaker than in metro Colorado.

How usage differs from Colorado’s statewide pattern

• Adoption level: slightly lower smartphone penetration due to older demographics and rural context; fewer premium devices in service and slower replacement cycles than the state average.
• Network experience: more dead zones and greater dependence on low-band spectrum; fewer sectors with mid-band 5G mean lower median speeds than Colorado’s Front Range and resort counties.
• Access patterns: higher share of households that rely primarily on cellular for home connectivity or as a backup; Wi‑Fi calling and offline-capable apps are more common behaviors.
• Carrier mix: Verizon and AT&T have an outsized footprint along ranching, energy, and highway corridors; T‑Mobile is competitive in Craig and on US‑40 but less consistent off-corridor than it is along the urban Front Range.
• Affordability dynamics: with the end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program subsidies in 2024 and fewer low-cost wired options in the countryside, mobile plans with hotspot data and multi-line discounts carry more of the household connectivity load here than they do statewide.

Implications

• Capacity upgrades targeted at Craig, US‑40/CO‑13 sectors, and public-land trailheads yield outsized benefits versus broad-brush rural buildouts.
• Expanding mid-band 5G (where backhaul exists) and adding small cells in Craig can close much of the speed gap with the state average.
• Continued middle-mile investment and coordination with electric co-op fiber buildouts will directly improve mobile performance by strengthening backhaul resilience.

Moffat County, CO social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Population base

• Residents: ~13.2k; age 13+: ~10.0–10.5k
• Overall social media penetration (age 13+): 72–76% monthly; 55–60% daily

Most-used platforms (share of local social users, monthly)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• TikTok: 35–40%
• Snapchat: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 25–30%
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 15–20%
• Nextdoor: 5–8%

Age-group usage (share of people in each cohort using any social monthly; top platforms within each cohort)

• 13–17: 85–90%; YouTube 90%+, Snapchat 70–75%, TikTok 65–70%, Instagram 60–65%, Facebook 15–20%
• 18–29: 90–95%; YouTube 95%+, Instagram 70–75%, TikTok 60–65%, Snapchat 55–60%, Facebook 55–60%
• 30–49: 80–85%; YouTube 85–90%, Facebook 70–75%, Instagram 45–50%, TikTok 30–35%, Pinterest 30–35%
• 50–64: 70–75%; Facebook 65–70%, YouTube 70–75%, Instagram 25–30%, Pinterest 25–30%, TikTok 15–20%
• 65+: 45–50%; Facebook 55–60% (of this cohort), YouTube 55–60%, Instagram 15–20%, Nextdoor 5–10%

Gender breakdown (share of active users by platform)

• Facebook: women 55–60%, men 40–45%
• Instagram: women 58–62%, men 38–42%
• TikTok: women 55–60%, men 40–45%
• Snapchat: women ~55%, men ~45%
• Pinterest: women 70–75%, men 25–30%
• YouTube: men 55–60%, women 40–45%
• LinkedIn: men ~55%, women ~45%
• X (Twitter): men ~60%, women ~40%

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local Groups for buy/sell/trade, school sports, event notices, wildfire/road updates; link-sharing to local news organizations drives most news consumption.
• Short-form video growth: Instagram Reels and TikTok usage rising among under-35s; cross-posted Reels perform well on Facebook for 30–49.
• Messaging-first among youth: Snapchat and Instagram DMs dominate teen/young adult coordination; Facebook Messenger prevalent among 30+.
• Peak usage windows: 6:30–8:00 a.m., noon hour, and 7:00–10:00 p.m.; weekend morning spikes for community content.
• Content that performs: local faces and places, giveaways, sports schedules, weather/school closures, hunting/fishing season updates, ranching/how‑to videos on YouTube, and hyperlocal business specials.
• Ad performance norms: click and comment rates are highest for Facebook feed + Groups placements; short vertical video improves reach and saves CPM across Facebook/Instagram; static image posts with clear “what/when/where” outperform generic brand creative.
• Platform gaps: X/Twitter and LinkedIn are niche (energy, healthcare, education) and best for recruitment or industry networking; Nextdoor presence is small but useful for neighborhood-level notices.

Notes on methodology

• Figures reflect 2024–2025 estimates for Moffat County derived from platform audience tools, Pew Research’s rural U.S. usage patterns, and county demographics. Use the percentages as planning ranges for media mix and targeting decisions.