Saguache County

Key demographics for Saguache County, Colorado (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; PEP where noted)

Population

• Total population: ~6,500

Age

• Median age: ~46–47 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–24: ~7%
• 25–44: ~24%
• 45–64: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Sex

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race and ethnicity

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~45–46%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~48%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~3%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Two or more races, not Hispanic: ~2%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~2,650
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73–75%
• Renter-occupied: ~25–27%
• Median household income: roughly mid-$40,000s
• Persons in poverty: ~20–22%

Insights

• Small, rural county with an older age profile and a large Hispanic/Latino community.
• Household sizes are modest, with high owner-occupancy but relatively low incomes and elevated poverty compared with state averages.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population estimates program for the recent total population level. ACS figures carry margins of error, particularly in small counties.

• Estimated email users: ~4,300 residents (of ~6,600), reflecting rural internet adoption and near-universal email use among online adults.
• Age profile of email users (share of users): 18–34: 24%; 35–54: 34%; 55–64: 18%; 65+: 24%. Adoption is highest in working-age groups and modestly lower among seniors, but still substantial.
• Gender split among users: ~51% male, 49% female, mirroring the county’s population with negligible gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~88% of households have a computer; ~72% have a fixed broadband subscription; roughly 28% lack a home subscription, with about 12–15% relying primarily on smartphones.
  • Home internet subscription rates have risen notably since the mid‑2010s as fiber and fixed‑wireless builds expanded in town centers, while remote areas remain more dependent on fixed wireless and satellite.
  • Mobile 4G LTE coverage is solid along main corridors; gaps persist in mountainous and sparsely populated areas.
• Local density/connectivity context: Saguache County spans ~3,170 square miles with ~2.1 people per square mile—one of Colorado’s lowest densities—making last‑mile broadband costlier and slowing uniform high‑speed availability, which in turn tempers email adoption among the oldest and most remote households.

Mobile phone usage in Saguache County, Colorado — estimates and contrasts to the state

Population basis

• 2023 resident population: ~6,700 (2020 Census baseline 6,368; slow growth).
• Adults (18+): ~5,150 (about 77% of residents).

User estimates (residents)

• Mobile phone users (any mobile, all ages): ~5,300 (≈80% of residents).
• Smartphone users (all ages): ~4,600.
• Adult smartphone adoption rate: ~82% in Saguache County vs ~89% statewide in Colorado.

Demographic breakdown (county-level estimates)

• By age (share with a smartphone):
  • 18–34: ~96% (≈1,090 users).
  • 35–64: ~85% (≈2,050 users).
  • 65+: ~65% (≈1,050 users).
  • Teens 13–17: ~88% (≈390 users). These rates reflect the county’s older age profile (roughly a quarter of residents are 65+), pulling overall adoption below the state average.
• By income:
  • Households under $35k are about 2–3 times more likely to be mobile-only for internet access than higher-income households.
• By ethnicity:
  • Hispanic/Latino residents comprise roughly 40–45% of the county. Mobile-only internet reliance is notably higher among Hispanic households, contributing to a countywide smartphone-only share above the state average.

Device and access patterns

• Household smartphone-only internet (no wired home broadband): ~20% in Saguache County vs ~13% statewide.
• Hotspot reliance for home connectivity is materially higher than state average due to patchy wired broadband in outlying areas.
• Wi‑Fi calling usage is above state average (many homes rely on it to overcome weak indoor cellular signal).

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Geography: Very large, sparsely populated county (≈3,170 square miles), with communities concentrated along US‑285 and CO‑17 (Saguache, Center, Moffat, Crestone/Baca Grande, Villa Grove). Terrain (San Luis Valley floor vs surrounding ranges) drives pronounced coverage variability.
• LTE availability:
  • Population coverage: ~92–95% (near state corridors and towns).
  • Land‑area coverage: ~35–45% (large unserved/underserved tracts in mountains, wildlife refuge, and ranchlands).
  • Service is generally reliable along US‑285, CO‑17, and in town centers; dead zones persist in valleys, canyons, and low‑density ranch areas.
• 5G availability:
  • Population coverage: ~40–50% (primarily low‑band in and around Saguache, Center, and parts of Crestone/Baca Grande).
  • Land‑area coverage: ~10–15%.
  • Mid‑band 5G is sparse; performance gains over LTE are modest outside town centers.
• Performance where signal is present:
  • Typical downlink: ~10–30 Mbps; uplink ~2–6 Mbps; latency ~40–70 ms.
  • Colorado statewide medians are several times higher (often 50–150 Mbps down), highlighting the rural performance gap.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backbones and last‑mile builds by the regional electric cooperative and incumbent providers have expanded in towns and some subdivisions, but large portions of the county remain on legacy copper or fixed wireless, contributing to mobile‑only behavior.
• Public access points:
  • Libraries and community centers in Saguache, Center, and Crestone provide reliable Wi‑Fi and have become important supplements for households with weak cellular or no wired broadband.

How Saguache County differs from the Colorado state pattern

• Lower smartphone adoption: ~82% of adults vs ~89% statewide, driven by an older population and lower median incomes.
• Higher mobile‑only reliance: ~20% of households rely on smartphones/hotspots for home internet vs ~13% statewide.
• Coverage concentrated in towns and along highways; large off‑grid areas: LTE covers most people but less than half the land area; 5G reaches under half the population vs ~90% statewide.
• Slower typical speeds and greater variability: everyday user experience is closer to 10–30 Mbps vs urban Front Range speeds that are commonly several times higher.
• Greater dependence on Wi‑Fi calling and text for reliability, plus more frequent carrier‑to‑carrier performance differences, making network choice more consequential than in metro Colorado.

Methodology note

• Estimates combine 2020 Census/ACS population structure for Saguache County with rural U.S. adoption benchmarks (Pew/industry), state‑level adoption norms, and FCC/industry coverage norms for rural Colorado. Figures are rounded and presented to reflect conditions as of 2024.

Saguache County, CO — social media usage (2025 snapshot; county-modeled estimates)

Users at a glance

• Adult (18+) social/video platform penetration: 80–85% of adults (~4.1K–4.4K people)
• Teen (13–17) penetration: 90%+
• Primary access: mobile-first; messaging is dominated by Messenger, Snapchat (teens), and WhatsApp (bilingual/Latino households)

Most-used platforms (share of local adults using each, est.)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 60–65%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• Pinterest: 25–30%
• TikTok: 25–30%
• WhatsApp: 20–25%
• Snapchat: 20–25% (skews 13–24)
• LinkedIn: 12–18%
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (limited neighborhood coverage)

Age mix of local social media users (13+, share of users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–24: 10%
• 25–34: 17%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 17%
• 55–64: 15%
• 65+: 14%

Gender breakdown of local social media users

• Women: 51–53%
• Men: 47–49%
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, WhatsApp; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups, Marketplace, road/wildfire/weather updates, school and event info; posts with practical value (services, buy/sell, lost-and-found) outperform brand creative
• YouTube is universal for how-to and rural living (homesteading, agriculture, outdoor/4x4, hunting/fishing); creators with “local voice” see high completion rates on short-form
• Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery among 18–34; Instagram remains key for art/food/retail in Crestone, Saguache, Center; geotagged reels outperform static posts
• Teens/20s: Snapchat for daily messaging; TikTok/IG for entertainment; limited Facebook use except for local announcements
• WhatsApp is strong for family and work coordination in bilingual households; cross-posting with Facebook boosts reach
• X usage is low; mainly for following state agencies and live incident info. LinkedIn is niche (public sector, education, healthcare)
• Posting windows with best engagement: 7–9 a.m. and 7–9 p.m. on weekdays; weekend mornings for events and outdoor content
• Advertising notes: small audience sizes favor broad interest categories + tight geo (entire San Luis Valley); Facebook/Instagram deliver the most efficient local reach; Marketplace listings can outperform paid ads for transactional offers

Method

• County-specific figures are modeled from Saguache County’s ACS age/sex profile and Pew Research 2024 platform adoption by age/sex; expect ±5–8 percentage-point uncertainty at this geography.