Ada County

Which data vintage would you like? I can use the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year estimates (2023) for Ada County, or the 2020 Decennial Census.

Ada County, ID email usage (estimates)

• Estimated users: 400,000 residents use email regularly, based on ~520,000 population and national adult adoption (90%+) plus high teen uptake.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–29: ~18%
  • 30–49: ~35%
  • 50–64: ~25%
  • 65+: ~15%
• Gender split: Roughly even (≈50% women, 50% men); email adoption is similar across genders.
• Digital access trends:
  • Around 90% of households subscribe to broadband in the Boise–Meridian urban core; smartphone-only internet households likely in the low-teens percent.
  • Robust ISP competition (cable, fiber, DSL, fixed wireless) in Boise/Meridian; fiber availability expanding. Suburban/rural edges (e.g., parts of Kuna/Star) see fewer fiber options but broad 4G/5G coverage.
  • High device penetration and remote-friendly employment sectors in the metro sustain frequent email use.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Ada is Idaho’s most populous county, centered on Boise, yielding stronger network buildout than most of the state.
  • Average population density is roughly 500 residents per square mile countywide, with much higher densities (and speeds) in Boise/Meridian along the I‑84 corridor.

Note: Figures are inferred from U.S. adoption rates applied to local demographics and public broadband indicators.

Below is a concise, local-first view of mobile phone usage in Ada County, Idaho, with estimates and infrastructure context, highlighting how the county differs from statewide patterns.

Headline user estimates (2025)

• Population base used: ~520,000–540,000 (Ada County).
• Total mobile phone users (any mobile, age 13+): ~430,000–450,000.
• Smartphone users (age 13+): ~405,000–425,000.
• Share of adults with a smartphone: roughly 92–94% in Ada County vs ~87–90% statewide.
• Mobile-only internet households: meaningfully lower share in Ada County than statewide (more fixed broadband here; rural Idaho pushes the state average higher).

Demographic breakdown (directional, Ada County vs Idaho overall)

• Age
  • 13–17: very high smartphone penetration (≈88–92%), similar to or slightly above the state.
  • 18–34: near-saturation (≈97–99%), above state average.
  • 35–54: high (≈94–97%), above state average.
  • 55–64: strong (≈90–93%), above state average.
  • 65+: elevated for a senior cohort (≈82–86%), several points higher than statewide due to better coverage, income, and digital literacy.
• Income and education
  • Higher median income and education in Ada County support higher iPhone share, more unlimited postpaid plans, and faster upgrade cycles than statewide.
  • Lower prepaid/MVNO reliance than the Idaho average; more multi-line family and employer-paid plans (healthcare, education, tech/business services).
• Household internet mix
  • More fixed broadband and Wi‑Fi offload than statewide; correspondingly fewer mobile-only internet households than in rural counties.
• Student and young adult effect
  • Boise State University and a larger young-professional base drive high app engagement (payments, food delivery, mobility), higher eSIM adoption, and broader wearables/connected device use than the state average.

Digital infrastructure points (what’s on the ground)

• 5G coverage and capacity
  • T‑Mobile: broad mid‑band (2.5 GHz) 5G across Boise–Meridian–Eagle–Kuna, strong indoor performance in denser areas.
  • Verizon and AT&T: C‑band 5G concentrated along I‑84 corridors, downtown Boise, commercial centers; expanding outward.
  • More small cells and denser macro sites in Ada County than most Idaho counties, especially downtown Boise, near BSU, retail corridors, and along I‑84.
  • Coverage gaps persist in foothills and around Lucky Peak/ID‑21 and other fringe areas, but these gaps are narrower than typical rural Idaho gaps.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Robust metro fiber from Lumen/Quantum Fiber, TDS Telecom, Sparklight (cable), plus enterprise routes from Zayo/Syringa—translating into stronger 5G backhaul and higher mobile capacity than many Idaho counties.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
  • Verizon 5G Home and T‑Mobile Home Internet broadly marketed and adopted in suburbs; more FWA choice and uptake than most rural counties.
• Public connectivity
  • Dense public Wi‑Fi footprint downtown, in libraries/parks, and at Boise State University; Boise Airport (BOI) offers high-usage Wi‑Fi—encourages offload and reduces mobile-only reliance compared to the state average.
• Public safety and enterprise
  • AT&T FirstNet and carrier priority services are well-established; larger enterprise base (health systems, higher ed, manufacturing/tech) supports more managed mobility and private/edge pilots than typical Idaho counties.

Trends that differ from the Idaho state-level picture

• Adoption and device mix
  • Higher smartphone penetration across all age bands, especially seniors; lower share of basic phones.
  • Skews toward postpaid unlimited and iPhone/flagship Android; prepaid/MVNO penetration lower than statewide.
  • More wearables, tablets with data plans, and connected car lines per household.
• Network experience
  • Earlier and denser 5G mid‑band/C‑band deployment yields better median speeds and capacity; more small-cell densification than most Idaho counties.
• Internet reliance pattern
  • Fewer mobile-only households; fixed broadband + Wi‑Fi offload is the norm. Statewide averages are pulled toward mobile-only by rural areas with limited wired options.
• Usage behaviors
  • Higher adoption of app-based transit/ticketing, food delivery, micromobility, contactless pay, and eSIM travel plans—supported by a larger student/young-professional population and denser venues.
• Upgrade cycles and ARPU
  • Shorter device upgrade cycles and higher plan ARPU than the state average, consistent with income/education and urban-suburban profile.

How the estimates were derived

• Population: recent county estimates (post-2020 Census growth trajectory).
• Adoption rates: blended from national/Pew trends, urban vs rural differentials, and observed urban-county behaviors; adjusted upward for Ada County and downward for statewide rural composition.
• Infrastructure: carrier public coverage maps/announcements, local provider footprints (Lumen/Quantum Fiber, TDS, Sparklight, Zayo, Syringa), and known 5G band deployments in Boise metro.

Below is a concise, county-level snapshot built from Ada County’s demographic mix (ACS) and the latest U.S. social platform adoption rates (Pew, 2023–2024), scaled to a local urban/suburban profile. Treat figures as modeled estimates, not official counts.

Overall usage

• Adult social media penetration: ~72–76% of adults. With ~400–410k adults in Ada County, that’s roughly 290k–310k adult users.
• Teens (13–17): very high usage (90%+ use at least one platform; daily use concentrated on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram).

Most-used platforms (share of adults; estimates)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• Pinterest: ~30–38%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Snapchat: ~28–32%
• LinkedIn: ~28–32% (often a bit higher locally due to Boise’s professional/tech sectors)
• X (Twitter): ~20–24%
• Reddit: ~20–24%
• Nextdoor: ~18–22% (notable in Meridian, Eagle, suburban neighborhoods)

Age-group patterns (directionally consistent with national patterns)

• 13–17: YouTube (90%+), TikTok (60–70%), Snapchat (60%+), Instagram (55–65%), Facebook low.
• 18–24: YouTube very high; Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok strong; Facebook moderate; Reddit higher than average.
• 25–34: Facebook and Instagram strong; YouTube high; TikTok moderate; LinkedIn above average.
• 35–44: Facebook highest; YouTube high; Instagram moderate; Pinterest and Nextdoor rise.
• 45–64: Facebook dominant; YouTube solid; Pinterest/Nextdoor useful; Instagram/TikTok lower.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; Nextdoor moderate; others lower.

Gender tendencies (local pattern mirrors national)

• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat.
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn.
• Practical implication: Pinterest/Snapchat campaigns skew female response; Reddit/X/YouTube skew male; Facebook/Instagram balanced but slightly female-leaning.

Behavioral trends to know in Ada County

• Community-first engagement: Heavy use of Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for neighborhood news, lost/found pets, service referrals, HOA and public safety chatter (especially Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Star).
• Events and local culture: Instagram/Facebook drive discovery for farmers markets, live music, festivals (e.g., Treefort), Boise State athletics; Reels/Stories see strong weekend reach.
• Outdoors lifestyle: Instagram/TikTok content around Boise Foothills, Bogus Basin, greenbelt, biking/hiking sees seasonal spikes; UGC and trail/conditions posts perform well.
• Newcomer/real-estate interest: Growth and relocation groups are active; school info, neighborhoods, and cost-of-living threads get high comment volume.
• Local news flows through Facebook: High engagement on KTVB/Idaho Statesman posts; policy/zoning/growth topics trigger long comment chains.
• Best posting windows (observed pattern for urban Mountain Time audiences): 7–9 a.m., 12–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; weekend afternoons for lifestyle/event content.

Notes on methodology

• Percentages are derived by applying recent U.S. platform adoption rates to Ada County’s urban/suburban demographic profile; LinkedIn and Nextdoor are nudged slightly upward given the local professional base and neighborhoods’ activity. For planning, validate with platform ad tools (location-targeted reach) and 30-day test campaigns.