Cassia County

Here are the most recent, high-level demographics for Cassia County, Idaho (U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 Decennial Census and 2018–2022/2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates):

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 24,655
• Recent estimate (ACS): approximately 25–26k

Age

• Under 18: about 31–32%
• 18–64: about 54–56%
• 65 and over: about 13–14%

Gender

• Female: about 49%
• Male: about 51%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): about 30–33%
• White alone: about 85–88%
• White alone, not Hispanic: about 57–60%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
• Asian alone: ~0.5–1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: <0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%

Households

• Number of households: roughly 8,000
• Persons per household (avg): about 3.1–3.3
• Family households: roughly three-quarters of households; married-couple families are the majority

Cassia County, ID email usage (estimates)

• Population baseline: 25–26k residents over ~2,570 sq mi (10 people/sq mi). Usage is densest in and around Burley along the I‑84 corridor; more limited wireline options in outlying ranching/farming areas (Raft River, Albion Mountains) where fixed wireless/satellite fill gaps.
• Estimated email users: ~16k–19k residents use email regularly. Method: apply rural internet/email adoption rates to local population; email is near‑universal among internet users.
• Age distribution (adult users):
  • 18–34: ~27–30% of users; adoption ~97–99%
  • 35–54: ~35–38%; adoption ~95–98%
  • 55–64: ~15–17%; adoption ~90–95%
  • 65+: ~15–18%; adoption ~75–85%
  • Teens (13–17): many have school accounts; adoption ~70–85% where access exists.
• Gender split: roughly even (about 50/50 among users).
• Digital access trends:
  • Town centers have multiple ISPs and some fiber; speeds and reliability drop in sparsely populated areas.
  • Home broadband uptake trails urban Idaho; a meaningful minority (≈15–20%) are smartphone‑only.
  • Mobile LTE/5G is strongest along major highways/valley floor; public/library/school Wi‑Fi remains important.
  • Satellite (e.g., new LEO options) and fixed wireless are increasingly used beyond the I‑84/Snake River Plain corridor.

Notes: Figures are derived from county population plus Idaho/rural U.S. adoption benchmarks.

Cassia County, Idaho: mobile phone usage summary (with county-vs-state contrasts)

County snapshot

• Population: roughly 25–26k residents; anchored by Burley and small towns (Declo, Oakley, Albion) with large rural/agricultural areas and mountainous terrain (Albion/South Hills, City of Rocks/Almo).
• Settlement pattern: Most residents are within or near the I-84/Snake River Plain corridor; large tracts are very sparsely populated.

User estimates

• Smartphone users: 16.5k–18k individuals.
  • Method: ~74% of residents are 18+ in a rural county of this size; 80–85% of adults report smartphone ownership in similar rural Mountain West areas; add high adoption among teens.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): about 70–78% of households (several points higher than Idaho overall).
  • Drivers: cost sensitivity, younger family structures, and weaker wireline competition outside town centers.
• Prepaid share: materially higher than the state average (often 35–45% of lines vs roughly mid-20s to low-30s statewide), reflecting seasonal/migrant work, credit constraints, and price shopping.
• Device mix: Android share is higher than the Idaho average; iPhone share correspondingly lower, driven by price and prepaid channel mix.
• Mobile data as primary internet: noticeably higher than the state average, especially outside Burley/Declo, due to limited fixed broadband options.

Demographic factors shaping usage

• Ethnicity and language: Hispanic/Latino residents account for roughly one-quarter to one-third of the population—well above the Idaho average. This correlates with higher use of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Spanish-language plans and customer support.
• Age: Slightly more children/teens than the state average; seniors share comparable or a bit lower. Youth skew lifts messaging/social/video usage; seniors lag somewhat in smartphone adoption but are catching up via family plans.
• Income/education: Median household income is below the statewide median and bachelor’s-attainment is lower, supporting more budget devices, refurbished phones, and prepaid/discount carriers.
• Work patterns: Agriculture, food processing, trucking, and outdoor trades drive demand for rugged devices, push-to-talk, hotspot use in the field, and coverage along farm roads and at processing sites.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage pattern:
  • Verizon: generally the most consistent rural footprint; wide LTE and low-band 5G across most traveled corridors.
  • AT&T: strong along highways and towns; patchier in the South Hills/Albion Mountains and far southern ranchlands.
  • T-Mobile: solid along I-84 and in Burley/Declo; gaps increase off-corridor, but improving. Mid-band 5G is concentrated along the interstate/town centers.
• 5G vs LTE: County usage still leans heavily on LTE outside towns; mid-band 5G (the big speed boost) is far less pervasive than statewide urban corridors. Low-band 5G is common but delivers LTE-like speeds.
• Terrain-driven dead zones: Notable weak/zero-signal pockets around City of Rocks/Almo, Albion Mountains/South Hills backroads, and canyons south and southeast of Oakley—more prevalent than typical state averages.
• Tower siting: Sparse outside towns and the interstate; valleys and ridgelines limit line-of-sight, so real-world coverage is more variable than state maps imply.
• Home broadband alternatives:
  • Fixed wireless (T-Mobile Home Internet, some Verizon 5G/LTE home, local WISPs) is available in and near towns and is a key option on the fringes; fiber/cable is limited once you leave Burley/nearby subdivisions.
  • Reliance on hotspots and phone tethering is higher than the state average among rural households and farm operations.
• Ag/IoT: Above-average use of LTE Cat-M/NB-IoT for irrigation pivots, storage monitoring, and equipment telemetry, which boosts the number of SIMs but not necessarily human users.

How Cassia differs from Idaho overall

• Higher mobile dependence:
  • More wireless-only households and greater use of mobile data as the primary internet connection.
  • Larger prepaid share and greater Android penetration due to price sensitivity and seasonal/mobile workforces.
• Coverage quality is more bimodal:
  • Strong service along I-84 and in Burley; faster drop-off into true dead zones in the county’s south and highlands than is typical statewide.
  • Less mid-band 5G prevalence; LTE remains the day-to-day workhorse.
• Demographics reshape usage:
  • Larger Hispanic/Latino share drives higher demand for bilingual support and cross-border/OTT messaging tools.
  • Younger household composition lifts teen smartphone adoption and family-plan usage.
• Work-driven patterns:
  • More hotspot use, rugged devices, and PTT-style solutions than state urban centers.
  • Heavier IoT line density on farms compared with the Idaho average.

Implications for planning

• Network buildouts that add mid-band 5G sites along farm roads and south of Oakley/Almo would close the largest user-experienced gaps.
• Spanish-first retail/support and competitive prepaid family plans will over-index in uptake.
• Fixed-wireless expansion (especially with external antennas/CPE) can reduce mobile-only strain and improve household connectivity more efficiently than new wireline in low-density areas.

Below is an estimate-based snapshot of social media usage in Cassia County, Idaho (pop. ≈25,000; largely rural; sizable Hispanic/Latino community ≈1/3). Figures use Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social-media and rural-internet benchmarks applied to Cassia’s demographics; treat as directional, not precise.

Overall usage

• Adults (18+): ≈75–78% of residents → ~18–20k adults
• Adults using social media: ≈78–82% of adults → ~15–16k users
• Home broadband/smartphone: rural benchmarks suggest ~70–80% broadband adoption; ~85–90% smartphone ownership

Most-used platforms (share of all adults; rounded)

• YouTube: 80–85% (≈15–17k adults)
• Facebook: 65–70% (≈12–14k)
• Instagram: 45–50% (≈8.5–10k)
• TikTok: 30–35% (≈5.5–7k)
• Pinterest: 30–38% (≈6–7.5k; strong female skew)
• Snapchat: 25–32% (≈4.7–6.2k; strongest among teens/20s)
• X (Twitter): 20–25% (≈3.7–5k; more male skew)
• Reddit: 18–24% (≈3.4–4.7k; more male skew)
• WhatsApp: 18–22% (≈3.4–4.3k; used in bilingual/Latino circles)
• LinkedIn: 15–22% (≈2.8–4.3k; likely lower than national due to local industry mix)

Age-group patterns (share using any social platform)

• Teens (13–17): very high usage; platform mix led by YouTube (90%+), TikTok (60–70%), Snapchat (60%), Instagram (60%); Facebook low
• 18–29: ~90%+ use social; Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok high; YouTube near-universal; Facebook moderate
• 30–49: ~85–90% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram growing; TikTok moderate
• 50–64: ~70–80%; Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest notable
• 65+: ~50–60%; Facebook and YouTube primarily

Gender breakdown

• Overall usage rates are similar by gender; county adult population is roughly even male/female
• Platform skews: Pinterest (mostly women), Facebook (slight female tilt), Reddit/X/YouTube (slight male tilt). WhatsApp use rises among bilingual/Latino families

Behavioral trends (local/rural patterns)

• Facebook is the community hub: school updates, churches, rodeo/fair info, youth sports, civic notices; Facebook Groups and Marketplace see heavy engagement (buy/sell/trade, farm/ranch gear, vehicles)
• Short-form video performs: TikTok and Instagram Reels showcasing ag life, outdoor recreation, rodeo, hunting/fishing, small-business how‑tos
• Youth attention: Snapchat for daily communication; TikTok for entertainment and trends; Instagram for events and local creators
• Spanish-language content: important for outreach to Hispanic/Latino residents (events, services, local businesses)
• Timing: engagement tends to peak evenings (7–10 pm MT), with secondary spikes at lunch and weekend mornings
• Trust and response drivers: community involvement, word‑of‑mouth, giveaways benefiting local causes, practical info (weather/road conditions, school/rec schedules)
• Geographies: activity clusters around Burley/Declo/Oakley/Albion; radius targeting along I‑84 corridors works for local promotions

Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2023–2024; Teens, Social Media and Technology), U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial 2020; ACS). Estimates adjusted for rural context and Cassia County’s demographic profile.