Benewah County

Here’s a concise snapshot of Benewah County, Idaho (U.S. Census Bureau):

Population

• 2020 Census: 9,530
• Latest ACS estimate (2018–2022, 5-year): ~10.6K

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White alone: ~86%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~7%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Black: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.2%
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~5%

Households

• Total households: ~4.1K
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Average family size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~66% of households (married-couple ~52%)
• Owner-occupied housing: ~78%

Notes: Population count from 2020 Decennial Census; other indicators are American Community Survey (2018–2022 5-year) estimates, rounded.

Email usage in Benewah County, Idaho (estimates)

• Population context: Small, rural, low‑density county in the Idaho Panhandle; residents are concentrated in/near St. Maries and Plummer, with many dispersed households in forested areas.
• Estimated email users: ~6,800–7,600 residents use email at least occasionally. Basis: ≈90% of adults plus a portion of teens, applied to a local population of about 10,000.
• Age distribution among email users (approx.):
  • 13–24: 15–20%
  • 25–44: 28–33%
  • 45–64: 30–35%
  • 65+: 18–22% (growing via telehealth, e‑gov, and family comms)
• Gender split: Roughly 50/50; email adoption is similar for men and women.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home broadband is strongest in town centers; outside them, many households rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Fiber is expanding gradually.
  • Smartphone‑only internet access is common in rural Idaho (often near one in five households), driving mobile‑first email use.
  • Connectivity is better along main corridors (e.g., US‑95, St. Maries area) and spottier in valleys and lakeshore pockets.

Notes: Figures are approximations using national adoption rates mapped to local demographics and rural connectivity patterns.

Here’s a concise, planning-grade snapshot of mobile phone usage in Benewah County, Idaho, with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns.

Topline

• Adoption is high but below Idaho’s metro-heavy average. Coverage and speeds are more variable, with 4G LTE doing most of the work and low‑band 5G present only in limited corridors.
• Older demographics, rural terrain, and sparser backhaul keep smartphone penetration and data use below state norms; prepaid and Wi‑Fi calling reliance are higher.
• Infrastructure is concentrated around St. Maries, Plummer, Tensed, and the US‑95/ID‑3/ID‑5 corridors; dead zones persist in forested valleys and along the St. Joe River/foothill areas.

User estimates

• Population base: roughly 9.6k–10.1k residents (2024), with 18+ adults around 7.6k–8.0k.
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 6.3k–7.0k (assumes rural ownership rates in the low‑to‑mid‑80s, below Idaho’s statewide rate near 90%).
• Cellular-only home internet users: materially higher share than Idaho overall (rough guide 10–14% of households here vs ~7–9% statewide), reflecting gaps in wired broadband.
• Prepaid share: elevated (roughly 25–35% of lines vs ~20–25% statewide), driven by budget sensitivity and patchy 5G value.
• Typical device lifecycle: longer than state average (handsets kept 3.5–4+ years), which keeps a noticeable LTE‑only base active.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age: Larger 65+ population share than Idaho overall. This lowers overall smartphone penetration and pushes more voice/SMS‑centric use; tablets/hotspots for telehealth and family contact are common.
• Income/education: Lower median income and lower bachelor’s attainment vs state average correlate with higher prepaid and MVNO adoption and slower premium‑5G uptake.
• Tribal community: The Coeur d’Alene Reservation (including Plummer/Tensed) influences patterns via tribal broadband projects and local ISPs; Wi‑Fi calling and home Wi‑Fi offload are more relied upon than in many Idaho metros.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • Stronger: St. Maries, Plummer, Tensed, along US‑95 and ID‑3/ID‑5; most populated pockets see dependable LTE, with low‑band 5G from at least one carrier in and near these corridors.
  • Weaker/spotty: Emida, Fernwood, Santa, and forested canyons along the St. Joe River and side drainages; terrain causes dead zones and rapid signal drop-offs off main roads.
• Technology mix:
  • 4G LTE is the primary workhorse countywide.
  • 5G: Mostly low‑band (coverage-first) 5G from T‑Mobile (600 MHz) and DSS/low‑band from Verizon/AT&T near towns and US‑95; little to no mid‑band (C‑band/2.5 GHz) outside larger neighboring metros, so statewide 5G speed gains don’t fully translate here.
• Carriers (practical view):
  • Verizon tends to provide the broadest rural reach; AT&T coverage is solid along highways/towns and supports FirstNet for public safety; T‑Mobile has improved along US‑95 and in Plummer/St. Maries but falls off faster on back roads.
• Speeds (typical, not guaranteed):
  • Town/highway corridors: ~10–60 Mbps down on LTE/low‑band 5G; bursts higher where backhaul is strong.
  • Outlying/wooded areas: single‑digit to ~10 Mbps, with frequent drops to no service.
• Backhaul and sites:
  • Tower density is low; sites cluster around population centers and transport routes.
  • Backhaul is a mix of fiber on main corridors and microwave elsewhere; this constrains peak capacity compared with Idaho’s metros that have robust fiber and mid‑band 5G.
• Public safety:
  • FirstNet Band 14 present on primary corridors and towns, but canyon and timbered areas still have response‑relevant gaps; agencies often rely on land mobile radio with cellular as secondary.

How Benewah differs from Idaho statewide

• Coverage quality: More variability and dead zones than the state average; dependence on low‑band spectrum rather than statewide mid‑band 5G rollouts.
• Adoption: Lower overall smartphone penetration due to older age structure; higher LTE‑only handset share; longer device replacement cycles.
• Plans: Higher prepaid/MVNO share and reliance on Wi‑Fi calling; statewide, postpaid family plans and premium 5G tiers are more common.
• Speeds: Median mobile speeds lag state urban centers significantly; Idaho’s C‑band/2.5 GHz gains in Boise–Meridian, Idaho Falls, CdA, and Twin Falls are not yet mirrored here.
• Home connectivity: Greater use of cellular hotspots/fixed wireless and satellite as substitutes for wired broadband, reinforcing mobile as a primary connection in more households than the state norm.

Notes and caveats

• Figures above are estimates synthesized from recent rural adoption patterns, 2020–2024 infrastructure rollouts, and known geography; exact counts depend on carrier footprints and the latest FCC maps.

Below is a concise, locally tuned snapshot. Note: County-level platform stats aren’t directly published; percentages are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. usage, rural/Idaho patterns, and ACS demographics.

Snapshot

• Population: ~9.4–9.7k (Benewah County). Residents 13+: ~7.7–8.1k.
• Estimated active social media users (13+): 5.0k–6.0k (≈65–75%).
• Home internet/smartphone access: moderate-to-high but below urban Idaho; patchy in outlying areas.

Most‑used platforms (adults, modeled local reach)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Snapchat: 25–35% (very high among teens/18–24)
• Pinterest: 20–30% overall; 30–45% of women
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Reddit: 10–15% (skews men 18–34)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (concentrated among professionals/commuters)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% (family/faith/community ties); Nextdoor: <10% (limited footprint; Facebook Groups fill the gap)

Age patterns (who uses what most)

• Teens (13–17): Snapchat 70–85%, TikTok 60–75%, YouTube 90%+, Instagram 50–60%; Facebook low except for school/teams.
• 18–29: YouTube 85%+, Instagram 60–70%, Snapchat 55–65%, TikTok 50–60%, Facebook ~50%.
• 30–49: Facebook 65–75% (Groups/Marketplace), YouTube 75–85%, Instagram 35–45%, TikTok 25–35%.
• 50–64: Facebook 60–70%, YouTube 65–75%; TikTok/Instagram 15–25% each.
• 65+: Facebook 55–65% (grandkids/church/news), YouTube 50–60%; others <15%.

Gender tendencies (adults)

• Women: Facebook 65–75%, Instagram 35–45%, Pinterest 35–50%, TikTok 25–35%.
• Men: YouTube 75–85%, Facebook 55–65%, Reddit 12–18%, X 12–18%.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; Snapchat for youth; WhatsApp pockets in family/faith groups.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: school sports, youth activities, county fair, wildfire and road updates, local classifieds. Marketplace is the go‑to for buy/sell/trade.
• YouTube is strong for how‑to (equipment repair, outdoor rec, homesteading), church services, hunting/fishing content.
• Short‑form video (TikTok/Reels/Shorts) is rising for discovery; many small businesses cross‑post Reels to Facebook for reach.
• Local news/trust: People rely on county/tribal agencies, schools, and volunteer groups on Facebook; X is used mainly to follow state agencies and weather/road alerts.
• Posting rhythms: Peaks 6–8 a.m., noon, and 7–10 p.m.; weekday evenings outperform. Seasonal spikes during wildfire season, school sports, and hunting season.
• Commerce: High engagement with giveaways, fundraisers, and hyperlocal promos; practical offers (services, gear, ag/outdoor) outperform brand‑only ads.
• Content style: Authentic, community‑first tone beats polished corporate creative. Faces, names, and local landmarks drive shares.
• Platform gaps: Nextdoor has limited coverage; events and lost/found pets default to Facebook Groups.

How to act on this (quick tips)

• Lead with Facebook (Pages + Groups + Events + Marketplace) and YouTube how‑to/Shorts; add Instagram for 18–39 and TikTok for youth reach.
• Use short video, local faces, and utility (updates, deals, how‑tos). Post evenings; boost during local events and wildfire periods.
• For male 18–34 niches, seed content on Reddit and YouTube; for women 25–54, emphasize Facebook + Pinterest.