Montrose County

Montrose County, Colorado — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• Total population: ~44.8K (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate)
• 2020 Census count: 42,679

Age

• Median age: ~45.5 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~53%
• 65 and over: ~25%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~21–22%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~72–74%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1–1.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.8–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%

Households

• Total households: ~18.8–19.0K
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65%
• Married-couple households: ~50% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~26–27%
• Householder living alone: ~29% (about 12% age 65+ living alone)

Notes and sources

• Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and 2020 Decennial Census. These provide stable county-level estimates appropriate for Montrose County’s size.

Montrose County, CO email usage (2025, estimates)

• Users: ≈33,400 of ≈43,000 residents use email (≈78% overall; ≈94% of adults).
• Age mix of users: • 13–17: ≈1,900 (≈6%) • 18–34: ≈7,500 (≈22%) • 35–54: ≈10,700 (≈32%) • 55–64: ≈4,900 (≈15%) • 65+: ≈8,300 (≈25%)
• Gender split: ≈50% female, ≈50% male among users; usage rates are effectively equal by gender.

Digital access and trends

• Local density/connectivity: Area ≈2,240 sq mi; population density ≈19 residents/sq mi, with most connectivity concentrated in and around the City of Montrose and sparser service in outlying rural tracts.
• Access: About 80% of households maintain a broadband subscription; 90%+ have some form of internet-capable device. Rural residents outside town centers are more likely to rely on DSL or satellite, while fiber has expanded around Montrose via local providers/electric cooperative, improving speeds and reliability.
• Trends: Email adoption is near-saturation for ages 18–64 and steadily increasing among 65+. Smartphone-led access continues to rise, supporting email use even where home broadband is weaker; libraries and community Wi‑Fi remain key access points for the un/underserved.

Estimates draw on recent Census/ACS demographics and national email adoption rates.

Montrose County, CO — mobile phone usage profile (focus on how it differs from Colorado overall)

At-a-glance estimates (2023–2024)

• Population base: 42,679 (2020 Census); roughly 43–44k in 2023 estimates, with an older age profile than Colorado overall.
• Adult (18+) base used for user estimates: ≈35k.
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ≈33k adults.
• Smartphone users: ≈29k adults.
• Households with at least one smartphone: ≈15.5k out of ≈18k total households.
• Households relying on cellular data for home internet (cellular-only): ≈13% (≈2.3k households), higher than the Colorado average.

How Montrose County differs from the state

• Older population, lower incomes, more rural households:
  • A significantly larger share of residents are 65+, which pulls down smartphone adoption relative to Colorado’s urban Front Range.
  • Median household income is lower than the Colorado median, and a greater share of households are spread across rural tracts; both factors correlate with lower smartphone and home broadband adoption and higher cellular-only reliance.
• More cellular-only home internet use:
  • Cellular-only home internet is meaningfully higher than the Colorado average, reflecting patchy wired broadband outside Montrose city and smaller towns.
• 5G availability pattern:
  • 5G coverage is present in population centers (City of Montrose and along primary corridors), but mid-band 5G capacity is more limited outside town than typical along the Front Range. Low-band 5G covers much of the county, but speeds vary widely with terrain.
• Coverage gaps and variability:
  • Mountain/mesa topography (Uncompahgre Plateau, canyons toward Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, West End) creates more dead zones and edge-of-cell conditions than the state average, with noticeable performance dips on highways outside town centers.

Demographic breakdown of smartphone adoption (modeled from local age/income mix and rurality; adult population basis)

• By age
  • 18–34: very high adoption (≈90–95%), near parity with Colorado.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈85–88%), a few points below Colorado.
  • 65+: notably lower adoption (≈65–70%) than the state, reflecting Montrose’s older age profile.
• By income
  • <$50k household income: materially lower adoption than the Colorado average; more reliance on prepaid plans and cellular-only home internet.
  • $50k–$100k: solid adoption but still a few points under the state.
  • ≥$100k: near-state-level adoption.
• By geography
  • Montrose city and in-town neighborhoods: highest adoption and best 5G capacity.
  • Rural tracts and West End communities: lower adoption and more cellular-only internet; greater reliance on low-band 5G/LTE.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Mobile networks
  • National carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) cover population centers; low-band 5G blankets much of the county. Mid-band 5G capacity is strongest in and around Montrose city and along US‑50/US‑550 corridors; it tails off in canyoned and mesa areas.
  • MVNO users are common (cost sensitivity), with performance tied to the underlying carrier footprint.
• Fixed and converged connectivity
  • Elevate Fiber (Delta-Montrose Electric Association) has expanded FTTH in and around Montrose and select communities, improving backhaul and enabling better small-cell siting in served areas.
  • Outside fiber/cable footprints, residents frequently use fixed wireless, satellite (including Starlink), or cellular hotspots as primary or backup home internet, raising the share of cellular-only households above the state average.
• Terrain effects
  • Topography drives site-specific variability; valleys and canyon walls cause shadowing and handoff issues. Seasonal tourism around Black Canyon NP and recreation corridors can create peak-hour sector congestion in summer.

Usage and behavior insights

• Higher share of cellular-only households means mobile networks carry a larger portion of home data use than in Colorado’s metro counties.
• Voice/SMS reliability remains important in rural tracts; Wi‑Fi calling is widely used indoors where fiber/cable is available, mitigating weak indoor LTE/5G in older buildings.
• Speeds and latency are more sensitive to distance-from-town than in urban Colorado; users in rural areas see larger gaps between off-peak and peak performance.

Method notes

• Counts are county-level estimates for 2023–2024 derived by applying nationally reported smartphone/mobile adoption rates (with rural and age adjustments) to Montrose County’s population, age mix, and household totals from the most recent Census/ACS releases available through 2024. Household internet subscription patterns reflect ACS “type of internet” data tendencies for rural Colorado counties and observed local infrastructure footprints. Figures rounded for clarity.

Montrose County, CO social media snapshot (2024)

User base and access

• Population: ~44,000 (2023 Census estimate)
• Estimated social media users: ~32,000 (≈72% of total population; modeled from US penetration)
• Internet access context: ~82–86% of households have a broadband subscription; ~88% adult smartphone ownership (ACS/Pew benchmarks for similar rural counties)
• Demographic note: ≈21% Hispanic/Latino, which raises WhatsApp and Facebook usage in bilingual households

Age groups (share of local social media users; counts rounded)

• 13–17: 26% (8.3k users)
• 18–29: 15% (4.8k)
• 30–49: 26% (8.3k)
• 50–64: 20% (6.4k)
• 65+: 14% (4.5k) Method note: Shares reflect county age mix reweighted by 2024 US adoption rates (higher among 13–49, lower among 65+)

Gender breakdown (of local social media users)

• Female: 52% (16.6k)
• Male: 48% (15.4k) Typical skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X

Most-used platforms in Montrose County (modeled adult usage; users often use multiple)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~42%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• TikTok: ~28%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~19%
• Reddit: ~17%
• LinkedIn: ~16%
• Nextdoor: ~12%
• WhatsApp: ~15% overall; higher among Hispanic/Latino users

Behavioral trends and practical takeaways

• Facebook is the local hub: Groups and Pages drive day-to-day engagement for community news, school sports, wildfire/road updates, events, and buy–sell–trade. Marketplace is a major behavior across 25–64.
• YouTube is “how-to” and outdoors: High watch-time for DIY, home/vehicle repair, agriculture/ranching, hunting/fishing, and local attractions. Pre-roll and searchable tutorials perform well.
• Visual discovery for businesses: Instagram (and cross-posted Reels) is key for restaurants, boutiques, tourism, real estate, and events; strongest in 18–39.
• Short-form growth but narrower: TikTok adoption is rising among teens and 18–29, with content around trades, ranch life, off-road, and regional travel; cross-posting to Reels extends reach.
• Youth messaging: Snapchat is a daily comms tool for teens/young adults; ephemeral highlights for school and local sports.
• Pinterest matters for home/garden: Strong with women 25–54 for projects, recipes, and seasonal planning; useful for retail and home services.
• X is event-driven: Spikes during emergencies (fires, storms, closures) and civic updates; light routine use otherwise.
• Neighborhood chatter: Nextdoor usage exists in town neighborhoods and HOAs, but Facebook Groups still dominate hyperlocal conversation.
• Language mix: Spanish-language posts and WhatsApp groups are effective for reaching Hispanic families, churches, and youth sports.
• Timing: Engagement clusters around weekday evenings (7–10 pm), midday lunch windows, and weekend mid-mornings; shopping and events planning skew to Thu–Sun.

Source basis

• US Census Bureau/ACS 2023 for population, age, and household internet access
• Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Use for platform adoption by age/region
• DataReportal 2024 (US) for overall social media penetration
• Modeled local estimates reweight national platform rates by Montrose County’s older age profile and rural behavior patterns (±3–5 percentage points typical uncertainty)