Otero County

Key demographics — Otero County, Colorado

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

• Population

  • Total population: 18,690 (2020 Census)

• Age

  • Median age: ~40.6 years (ACS 2018–2022)
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Sex

  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%

• Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race; ACS 2018–2022)

  • Hispanic or Latino: ~47%
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~44%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~4%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): <1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and other: <1%

• Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Households: ~7,100
  • Average household size: ~2.4 persons
  • Family households: ~62% of households; married-couple families: ~43%
  • Tenure: ~69% owner-occupied; ~31% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small, stable population with an older median age than the state.
• Nearly half of residents identify as Hispanic/Latino.
• Household sizes are modest and homeownership is relatively high for Colorado.

Overview: Otero County, CO has low population density (~15 people/sq mi across ~1,270 sq mi) and moderate broadband adoption, shaping how residents access and use email.

Estimated email users: ≈13,000 residents age 15+ (about 70% of the total population), derived from ACS population and local broadband adoption coupled with national email-use norms.

Age distribution of email users (estimated):

• 18–29: 16% (~2,100)
• 30–49: 31% (~4,000)
• 50–64: 28% (~3,600)
• 65+: 25% (~3,300)

Gender split (estimated): 51% female (6,630) and 49% male (6,370), aligned with county sex ratios.

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a broadband subscription: ~79%
• Households with a computer (any type): ~90%
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~13%
• Connectivity is strongest in and around La Junta and Rocky Ford along the US‑50 corridor; more rural tracts rely disproportionately on mobile data and experience slower fixed-service speeds.

Insights: Email is a near-universal digital touchpoint for connected adults in Otero County, with notable reliance among older cohorts for essential services. Coverage gaps and smartphone-only access patterns mean mobile-optimized email and lightweight messages perform best, while fiber and fixed-wireless buildouts will gradually expand reach.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Otero County, Colorado (2023–2024 estimates)

At a glance

• Population: ~18,700; households: ~7,300 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Estimated mobile phone users (all types): ~15,200 (about 81% of total population; ~96% of adults)
• Estimated smartphone users: ~12,800 (about 69% of total population; ~83% of adults)
• Mobile-only internet households (no home fixed broadband, rely on smartphone hotspots or cellular home internet): 24–28% (vs ~12–15% statewide)
• 5G-capable device penetration among smartphone users: ~60% (vs ~75% statewide)

How Otero County differs from Colorado overall

• More mobile dependence for home internet: A materially larger share of households rely solely on cellular for internet, driven by lower incomes, higher rurality, and patchy fixed broadband. Fixed broadband subscription is ~70–74% in Otero vs ~85–90% statewide; households with no internet at all are roughly 2× the state rate.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration, near-universal basic mobile access: Adult cellphone ownership is near universal (96%), but adult smartphone ownership is lower (83%) than the state (~89–92%), reflecting older age structure and lower incomes.
• Heavier prepaid mix and longer device lifecycles: Prepaid lines constitute an estimated 35–45% of active mobile lines (vs 20–25% statewide), and average device replacement cycles are longer (3.2–3.8 years vs ~2.5–3.0 statewide), both tied to affordability.
• 5G access and use are improving but lag the Front Range: 5G population coverage concentrates in La Junta, Rocky Ford, Fowler, and along US‑50/CO‑71. Countywide 5G population coverage is estimated in the 70–85% range, below the Front Range’s >90%. A lower share of 5G-capable devices further widens the usage gap.

User estimates and demographic breakdown

• Adults (18+): ~14,600
  • Any mobile phone: ~14,000 (≈96%)
  • Smartphone: ~12,100 (≈83%)
• Teens (13–17): ~1,200
  • Smartphone: ~1,150 (≈95%)
• Seniors (65+): ~4,000
  • Any mobile phone: ~90–92%
  • Smartphone: ~64–70% (notably below statewide senior smartphone adoption)
• Hispanic/Latino residents (~45–50% of county population):
  • Comparable or higher smartphone adoption than non-Hispanic peers, but higher likelihood of smartphone-only internet access and prepaid plans
• Low-income households (county median household income ≈$42–45k vs ~$82–90k statewide):
  • Higher reliance on prepaid and ACP-era discounted plans; ACP wind-down in 2024 increased bill pressure and likely nudged additional households into mobile-only setups

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, T‑Mobile all operate macro sites covering population centers and primary corridors (US‑50, CO‑71, CO‑10). Coverage thins south toward the Comanche National Grassland and in low-density farm/rangeland.
• Technology mix:
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal population coverage in towns; broad but not continuous land-area coverage
  • 5G NSA/SA: Deployed in towns and along main highways; mid-band capacity is concentrated in La Junta/Rocky Ford with low‑band extending farther
• Typical user experience:
  • In-town LTE/5G: strong signal with moderate-to-good capacity; median mobile downloads commonly in the tens of Mbps
  • Between towns: larger dead zones and more band‑12/13/20 low‑band reliance; speeds and reliability vary sharply with terrain and distance to towers
• Backhaul and capacity: Many sites use microwave backhaul or limited fiber laterals; capacity can constrict during peak hours and harvest seasons when agricultural and logistics traffic spikes
• Offload and alternatives:
  • SECOM and other local ISPs provide fiber and fixed wireless in and around towns; outside those footprints, cellular home internet is a practical substitute
  • Public-safety and healthcare facilities report strong AT&T FirstNet coverage along US‑50; off-corridor coverage is more variable

Implications

• Mobile is a primary on-ramp to the internet for a sizable share of Otero households, not just a complement to home broadband
• Affordability pressures shape plan type (prepaid), device age, and data consumption patterns more than in the state overall
• Expanding fiber backhaul to rural towers and extending mid-band 5G beyond town centers would yield disproportionate gains in reliability and capacity compared with urban-focused upgrades

Method notes and sources

• Population, households, age, income: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5‑year
• Ownership/adoption baselines: Pew Research Center (cellphone/smartphone ownership), CDC NHIS (wireless-only households), adjusted for local age/income profile
• Broadband subscription gaps and smartphone-only reliance: ACS Computer and Internet Use tables; Colorado Broadband Office summaries and FCC maps (2023–2024)
• Coverage observations reflect carrier public maps and rural SE Colorado drive-test patterns; performance characterizations align with rural county speedtest medians observed in 2023–2024

All figures are county-specific estimates derived by applying national/state adoption rates to Otero’s demographic structure and cross-checking against rural Colorado infrastructure conditions to reflect local realities.

Otero County, CO — social media usage (2025, modeled)

How many people use social media

• Adults (18+): approximately 12,300–12,700 people use at least one major platform, or 84–87% of adults
• Mobile-first: about 90–95% primarily access via smartphone

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult population)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 31%
• TikTok: 26%
• WhatsApp: 23%
• Snapchat: 21%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• Reddit: 14%
• Nextdoor: 10%

Age makeup of the adult social audience (share of adult social users)

• 18–24: 10%
• 25–34: 16%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 19%
• 55–64: 18%
• 65+: 19%

Platform usage by age (localized estimates, percent of each age band)

• 18–24: YouTube 95%, Instagram 75%, TikTok 72%, Snapchat 70%, Facebook 58%
• 25–34: YouTube 95%, Facebook 78%, Instagram 68%, TikTok 58%, Snapchat 45%
• 35–54: YouTube 92%, Facebook 82%, Instagram 42%, TikTok 30%, Pinterest 35%
• 55+: YouTube 84%, Facebook 68%, Pinterest 42%, Instagram 22%, TikTok 12%, Nextdoor 14%

Gender breakdown (adult social users)

• Female: 54% overall; heavier on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
• Male: 46% overall; heavier on YouTube, X, Reddit
• Platform tilt (share within each platform’s adult audience): Facebook ~57% women; Instagram ~56% women; Pinterest ~70% women; TikTok ~55% women; YouTube ~54% men; X ~60% men; Reddit ~68% men

Behavioral trends and patterns

• Community-first: Facebook Groups are central for local news, school/sports, lost-and-found, emergencies; official city/county and school pages drive high trust and shares
• Marketplace-driven: Facebook Marketplace is the default classifieds; buy/sell/trade posts get fast engagement, especially weekends and early evenings
• Short-form video works: Reels/TikTok clips of local events, high school sports, DIY/how‑to, farm/ranch life perform above average; cross-posting to Facebook Reels extends reach to older audiences
• Bilingual engagement: noticeable English/Spanish mix; WhatsApp and Messenger used for family, work, and community coordination
• Timing: peak activity 6–9 pm MT on weekdays; strong Saturday morning activity; severe weather and county fair weeks create surge engagement
• Discovery habits: many residents “start on Facebook” for local info and businesses; YouTube used for tutorials, product research, equipment and auto repairs
• Trust signals: posts featuring recognizable local people, places, and institutions outperform generic brand creative; concise captions and subtitles matter due to mobile and variable connectivity

Notes on method: Figures are modeled for Otero County using the county’s adult age/gender structure and nationally observed platform adoption rates (Pew and similar 2023–2024 studies), then localized for rural/older skews and Hispanic bilingual usage. Percentages are rounded; “share of adults” refers to the adult population, while “share of adult social users” refers to those adults who use at least one platform.