Summit County

Summit County, Colorado — key demographics (most recent Census/ACS)

• Population

  • 30,551 (July 1, 2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)
  • 31,055 (April 1, 2020 Census)

• Age

  • Under 18: ~18%
  • 65 and over: ~14%
  • Remainder (18–64): ~68%

• Gender

  • Male: ~54–55%
  • Female: ~45–46%

• Race and ethnicity

  • White alone: ~92–93% (includes those who are Hispanic)
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.9%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.6–1%
  • Asian alone: ~1.4–1.6%
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.2%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~15–16%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~76–77%

• Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023 5-year)

  • Households: ~13,500
  • Average household size: ~2.4 persons
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~69%
  • Total housing units: ~27,500
  • Occupied share of housing units ≈ 49% (reflects substantial seasonal/second-home stock)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year; QuickFacts, accessed 2024/2025).

Summary for Summit County, Colorado

• Estimated email users: ≈24,000 resident users (ages 13+) out of 31,055 residents (2020 Census), modeled by applying Pew adult email adoption (~92%) and lower teen adoption to local age mix.
• Age distribution of email users (modeled):
  • 13–17: ≈5%
  • 18–34: ≈37%
  • 35–49: ≈29%
  • 50–64: ≈20%
  • 65+: ≈9%
• Gender split: Near parity among users; email adoption shows no material gender gap in U.S. benchmarks, so local usage is effectively 50/50.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription rates are in the low 90% range (ACS 2018–2022 patterns for high-income Colorado mountain counties), supporting near-universal email access among adults.
  • Robust mobile (LTE/5G) along the I‑70 corridor; fixed wireless fills some outlying valleys, with gigabit cable/fiber common in Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon.
  • Regional middle‑mile resilience improved via NWCCOG’s Project THOR fiber ring (launched 2020), reducing single‑point backhaul outages for mountain communities.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population: 31,055; land area ≈609 sq mi; density ≈51 residents/sq mi, with most users clustered in the I‑70/town centers where last‑mile networks are strongest.
  • Seasonal tourism surges create peak‑load periods that can briefly constrain last‑mile capacity, but core town centers retain strong connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Summit County, Colorado — key figures and trends (2025)

Resident user estimates

• Resident population base: ~31,000 (2020 Census). Adults (18+) ≈ 83% → ~25,500 adults.
• Estimated resident adult smartphone users: ≈ 24,000.
  • By age cohort (users, estimated using 2023 national ownership rates):
    • 18–34: ~9,900
    • 35–54: ~8,900
    • 55–64: ~2,800
    • 65+: ~2,400
• Peak-day device load: 70,000–100,000+ unique devices countywide on winter weekends/holidays when ski areas are full (visitors + workers + residents), producing traffic spikes well beyond the resident base.

Demographic usage patterns (how Summit differs from Colorado overall)

• Younger, seasonal workforce: A larger share of 18–39 workers tied to hospitality/outdoor recreation leads to higher smartphone penetration and heavier app-based mobility (rideshare, workforce scheduling, multilingual messaging) than the state average.
• Higher share of Spanish-speaking residents and international visitors: More cross-border roaming and widespread use of WhatsApp/Signal for voice and messaging; SIM/eSIM swaps are common during the season.
• Housing mix and tenure: More roommates, seasonal renters, and second homes than the state average. This correlates with:
  • A higher share of smartphone-only or mobile-hotspot households (estimated 14–18%, above typical Colorado urban rates).
  • Heavy Wi‑Fi offload in multifamily buildings, lodges, and resort villages to mitigate indoor signal loss.
• Daytime population volatility: Device counts and traffic fluctuate far more than the state average, with multi-fold surges during peak ski weeks and event weekends that can compress sector capacity even where signal strength is good.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Topography-driven coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide strong coverage in town cores (Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone, Copper) and along I‑70/CO‑9. Terrain creates persistent weak or no-signal zones on passes (Loveland, Vail approaches), canyoned valleys, and at numerous trailheads/backcountry areas.
• 5G footprint:
  • Low-band 5G blankets the I‑70 corridor and town centers.
  • Mid-band 5G (e.g., 2.5 GHz, C‑band) is concentrated in denser cores; outside towns and ski bases many areas remain LTE-first because of terrain and backhaul constraints.
  • Resorts and main streets increasingly use small cells and multi-carrier DAS to handle seasonal density.
• Backhaul and resilience:
  • Project THOR (NWCCOG) provides a resilient middle‑mile fiber ring serving Summit communities, materially improving backhaul diversity compared with many rural Colorado counties.
  • CDOT fiber along I‑70 underpins carrier and ISP transport; microwave is still used to reach some ridge sites where fiber is impractical.
• Public safety and reliability:
  • FirstNet Band 14 coverage is present on key sites to support EMS, avalanche/road operations, and incident response.
  • Text‑to‑911 is enabled countywide; Wi‑Fi calling is widely relied upon in concrete/steel multifamily buildings and lodges.
  • Carriers deploy temporary COWs/COLTs during peak events to absorb surges.

Usage and performance characteristics vs state-level norms

• More “capacity-constrained, not coverage-constrained” hours in season: In towns and at base areas, users more often encounter busy‑hour congestion during peak weeks than the Colorado average; conversely, off‑peak periods can deliver very high speeds where mid‑band 5G and fiber backhaul exist.
• Greater Wi‑Fi dependence: A larger share of traffic is offloaded to resort, lodging, and municipal Wi‑Fi than in Front Range metros, driven by indoor attenuation and data plan management among seasonal workers.
• Device mix and roaming: Higher incidence of international SIM/eSIM use and prepaid plans than the state average; more dual‑SIM usage among seasonal staff.
• Safety/outdoors behaviors: Strong adoption of offline maps, downloaded entertainment, and satellite messengers for backcountry days due to predictable dead zones and battery drain in cold weather.
• Build constraints: Aesthetics, U.S. Forest Service/land-use permits, and avalanche/weather access windows make new macro sites and fiber laterals slower to deploy than in the plains and Front Range, so operators lean harder on small cells, DAS, and backhaul upgrades in existing footprints.

What this means for planning and service expectations

• Residents: Expect excellent in‑town service with occasional peak‑hour slowdowns; rely on Wi‑Fi calling indoors; carry battery packs in winter. Smartphone adoption is effectively universal among working‑age adults.
• Businesses and property managers: Investing in robust Wi‑Fi and indoor cellular solutions (DAS/repeaters) yields outsized returns during peak season; ensure diverse backhaul where available via Project THOR connections.
• Visitors: Plan for patchy service on passes and trailheads; download maps/media beforehand; eSIMs activate easily in town cores with strong 5G/LTE.
• Networks: The county’s backhaul resilience (Project THOR + CDOT fiber) is a comparative advantage, but radio access remains the limiting factor in mountainous fringes; capacity augments align to ski seasons and events more than to the steady growth patterns typical elsewhere in Colorado.

Method note

• User estimates combine 2020 Census population/age structure with 2023 national smartphone-ownership rates by age cohort (Pew Research). Infrastructure points reflect carrier disclosures, state and regional middle‑mile initiatives (NWCCOG Project THOR, CDOT fiber), and known geographic constraints in Summit County.

Social media usage in Summit County, CO (2025 snapshot)

Core user stats

• Residents: ~31,000; adults (18+): ~25,000 (U.S. Census/ACS estimate)
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~83% of adults → ≈20,700 users (Pew Research Center, 2024; applied locally)

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated local penetration; national rates applied)

• YouTube: ~83% of adults → ≈20,700
• Facebook: ~68% → ≈17,000
• Instagram: ~47% → ≈11,800
• TikTok: ~33% → ≈8,200
• Pinterest: ~35% → ≈8,800
• LinkedIn: ~30% → ≈7,500
• Snapchat: ~28% → ≈7,000
• X (Twitter): ~22% → ≈5,500
• Reddit: ~22% → ≈5,500
• WhatsApp: ~21% → ≈5,300
• Nextdoor: ~19% → ≈4,800

Age-group patterns (local implications from national benchmarks)

• 18–29: Very high on YouTube (90%+), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%); Facebook comparatively low (~33%). Summit County’s sizable seasonal/younger workforce amplifies Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok.
• 30–49: Heavy on Facebook (70%) and YouTube (90%), solid on Instagram (49%) and LinkedIn (40%). Good targets for family activities, housing, and employment content.
• 50–64: Facebook dominant (73%) and strong YouTube (80%+); moderate Pinterest and LinkedIn; growing but lower TikTok/Instagram use versus younger cohorts.
• 65+: Facebook still strong (~60%+); YouTube moderate; lower use of Instagram/TikTok; higher engagement with neighborhood/community updates (e.g., Nextdoor, Facebook Groups).

Gender breakdown (what to expect locally)

• County population skews slightly male (mountain/resort labor mix), so overall social audience likely slightly male-skewed.
• Platform tendencies (national): women over-index on Pinterest and Instagram; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Snapchat and TikTok lean slightly female. Expect local results to mirror these skews, modulated by the county’s male-leaning population.

Behavioral trends in Summit County

• Facebook Groups/Marketplace are central for housing leads, seasonal jobs, gear swaps, rideshares, and lost-and-found; high daily check-in behavior during peak seasons.
• Instagram and TikTok drive trip inspiration and real-time conditions: Reels/shorts of snow, powder days, trail and lake content; heavy use of geotags and local hashtags (resorts, trailheads, passes).
• YouTube is the go-to for long-form ski/snowboard, bike, hike, and “conditions/how-to” content; creators and local businesses see durable search-driven traffic across seasons.
• Nextdoor use clusters in HOA/second-home neighborhoods (notifications on plowing, noise/STR rules, wildlife, safety).
• WhatsApp and Facebook are key for Spanish-language community coordination (work shifts, events, family services).
• Strong seasonality: winter spikes around storms, road closures, avalanche and travel advisories; summer spikes for trail openings, wildfire/smoke updates, lake/boating days, and festival calendars.
• Purchase journey: visitors often discover on Instagram/TikTok, validate via Google/YouTube reviews, and convert via Facebook Events or direct booking sites; local businesses benefit from UGC reposting and creator partnerships.
• Content formats that perform: short vertical video (conditions, “day in the life” seasonal work, dining/après highlights), timely alerts (CDOT, sheriff, county EM), and practical guides (parking, shuttles, trail etiquette).

Notes on methodology and sources

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media use; counts above apply those rates to Summit County’s estimated adult population.
• Population and age structure are based on U.S. Census/ACS estimates for Summit County; behavioral insights reflect observed resort-county patterns and local use cases.