Gooding County

To keep this accurate: do you want figures from the 2020 Decennial Census or the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (2018–2022)? The ACS is best for detailed age/household/race breakdowns but is an estimate; the 2020 Census gives an official population count with limited detail.

Note: Figures are estimates using Idaho/national adoption rates applied to Gooding County’s population.

• Estimated email users: 9,500–11,500 residents use email at least monthly. Basis: county population ~16K; ~75–80% are 13+; 80–90% of those use email.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–24: ~18–20%
  • 25–44: ~30–32%
  • 45–64: ~30–32%
  • 65+: ~16–20% (lower adoption than younger groups)
• Gender split: Approximately even (about 50/50); minor differences by age cohort are typical but small.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with an internet subscription: roughly 80–85%.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~8–12%.
  • No home internet: ~12–18% (higher in outlying rural areas).
  • Email access is strong in town centers (Gooding, Wendell, Hagerman) where cable/fiber is more available; rural users more often rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, which can reduce consistency of email access.
• Local density/connectivity context: Gooding County is rural and low-density (~20 people per square mile across ~730+ square miles). Connectivity is densest along the I‑84/Snake River Plain corridor; dispersed farms and rangeland see more coverage gaps and lower speeds, which can suppress daily email use compared with urban Idaho.

Below is a county-focused snapshot built from U.S. Census/ACS device-access patterns (through 2022), FCC broadband mapping (2023–2024), and national/rural mobile adoption research (e.g., Pew). Figures are modeled estimates and ranges intended for planning, not regulatory reporting.

Executive snapshot

• Estimated smartphone users: 10,000–11,000 adult users in Gooding County (population roughly mid‑teens thousands; adult smartphone adoption estimated in the mid‑ to high‑80% range, a bit below urban Idaho).
• Households with a smartphone: roughly 88–91% of households have at least one smartphone.
• Mobile-only internet households: 20–25% rely primarily on a smartphone/mobile hotspot for home internet (notable uplift vs Idaho overall, typically mid‑teens).

What’s different from Idaho statewide

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households in Gooding are “smartphone-only” (or smartphone + hotspot) compared with Idaho’s statewide average. This reflects lower fixed broadband availability outside towns and more budget-conscious connectivity choices.
• Greater rural coverage variability: Service is strong along I‑84 and in towns (Gooding, Wendell, Hagerman, Bliss) but drops more quickly with distance than in metro counties. That gap is wider than the Idaho average.
• Demographic drivers: Gooding’s Hispanic/Latino share is significantly higher than the state average. Nationally, Hispanic households are more likely than non‑Hispanic white households to be mobile‑only for home internet. Combined with farm and shift‑work schedules, this increases dependence on mobile data and hotspots locally relative to the state.
• Plan mix skews more value/prepaid: Compared with Idaho’s metro areas, Gooding shows a higher share of prepaid and discount MVNO lines and multi‑line family plans, consistent with rural income distributions and seasonal work patterns.

Demographic breakdown (implications for usage)

• Age: Younger adults (18–34) are near‑universal smartphone adopters; older adults (65+) in rural areas trail the state’s older‑adult average. Expect a steeper age gradient in Gooding than statewide for smartphone adoption and mobile banking/telehealth use.
• Income: Median household income is below the Idaho median, increasing price sensitivity. This correlates with higher smartphone-only home internet and hotspot use and more frequent plan downgrades after the ACP wind‑down in 2024.
• Language/household composition: Higher rates of bilingual and multi‑adult households increase shared-data plans and device sharing. Mobile is often the primary channel for work coordination and services.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • Strong along I‑84 and in/near towns (Gooding, Wendell, Hagerman, Bliss).
  • Patchier north of agricultural corridors and in hilly terrain (e.g., Bennett Hills) and canyon areas near the Snake River, with dead zones and fallback to 3G/voice‑only historically replaced by LTE but still variable.
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G (all carriers) is broadly present along major corridors.
  • Mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile UC, Verizon C‑band) is concentrated in/near towns and along I‑84; many outlying areas remain LTE‑only.
• Typical speeds (indicative ranges, not guarantees):
  • In‑town 5G mid‑band: roughly 50–200 Mbps down when signal is strong.
  • LTE in outlying areas: roughly 5–25 Mbps down; can drop below 5 Mbps in fringe/canyon locations.
• Tower density:
  • Sparser than Idaho’s urban counties; new macro sites and small cells are concentrated along transportation corridors. This contributes to greater performance swings than the statewide average.
• Fixed broadband context:
  • Towns have cable or VDSL and some pockets of fiber; many farmsteads remain unserved/underserved on the FCC map.
  • Fixed wireless access (both carrier 5G FWA and WISPs) and satellite (including newer constellations) see higher take‑up than statewide. This reinforces smartphone tethering patterns when fixed service is unavailable or pricey.
• Funding and upgrades:
  • BEAD and state broadband efforts prioritize unserved rural locations; expect incremental fiber builds and backhaul upgrades to reduce mobile congestion at the edges of towns over the next 1–3 years. Until then, Gooding’s mobile experience will lag metro Idaho on consistency.

User estimates and adoption detail (modeled)

• Adults: ~12–13k; smartphone adoption ~84–90% → 10k–11k adult users.
• Households with any smartphone: ~88–91%.
• Smartphone-only/home hotspot reliance: ~20–25% (vs Idaho ~14–18%).
• Older adults (65+): smartphone adoption materially below younger cohorts; device ownership and digital-skill barriers more pronounced than statewide.
• Prepaid/MVNO share: higher than Idaho metro counties; seasonal workers and budget users are overrepresented.

Planning implications

• Prioritize coverage infill north of I‑84 and in canyon-adjacent areas to narrow the county–state experience gap.
• Expand affordable fixed alternatives (fiber where feasible; carrier 5G FWA where not) to reduce smartphone-only reliance.
• Target digital skills and device subsidies for older adults and bilingual outreach for mobile-only households.
• For service design, assume more hotspot use, shared lines, and price-sensitive data plans than the Idaho average.

Gooding County, ID social media snapshot (2025 est.)

How many users

• Total social media users (age 13+): about 9,000–10,500 people (roughly 60–66% of the total population; ~75–82% of those 13+)
• Adult users (18+): about 8,000–9,000 (≈65–72% of adults)
• Most users are on 2–3 platforms; YouTube + Facebook is the most common combo

Age mix (share using at least one platform; of each age group)

• 13–17: 90–95%
• 18–29: 85–90%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 65–75%
• 65+: 40–50%

Gender notes

• Overall usage is similar by gender
• Platform skews among users:
  • More women: Pinterest (~70% female), Facebook (slight female tilt, ~53–55%), Instagram (55–60%), TikTok (≈58–62%), Snapchat (≈55–60%)
  • More men: YouTube (≈52–55% male), Reddit (≈65–70% male), X/Twitter (≈60–65% male)

Most-used platforms locally (monthly use; share of social-media users)

• YouTube: 80–88%
• Facebook: 70–78% (including heavy use of Groups and Marketplace)
• Instagram: 40–50%
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70%
• Snapchat: 35–45% (high among teens/20s)
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Pinterest: 28–35%
• WhatsApp: 10–18% (higher among Spanish-speaking residents)
• X/Twitter: 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 15–22%
• Nextdoor: 5–8% (limited footprint outside larger cities)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local public square: buy/sell/trade, school and youth sports updates, road conditions, church and community events; Marketplace and local Groups drive the bulk of engagement
• Video is king for learning and entertainment: YouTube for how-to (home, auto, farm/ranch), hunting/fishing, and local attractions; short-form (FB/IG Reels, TikTok) for humor, ag/rural life, and local businesses
• Messaging habits: Messenger is default for families and community orgs; Snapchat dominates teen/college-age chats; WhatsApp used within some bilingual/Spanish-speaking circles
• News discovery is hyper-local: residents rely on friends, local groups, school districts, and county/city pages over national sources; X/Twitter plays a minor role
• Younger users shift to TikTok/Snapchat/IG; older users remain Facebook-first; cross-posted Reels extend reach from IG to Facebook
• What performs well for businesses and orgs: short vertical video, event posts, giveaways, photo carousels of new inventory/menus; best results with tight geo-targeting (10–25 miles) and interest targeting (outdoors, ag, youth sports)
• Seasonality/time-of-day: spikes around early morning and evenings; seasonal peaks tied to school calendars, sports, tourism (Snake River/Hagerman), and ag cycles (harvest, fairs, 4‑H/FFA)
• Language/access: bilingual posts (English/Spanish) broaden reach; many households are mobile-first, so vertical video and concise captions matter

Notes and method

• Figures are estimates derived from Gooding County population patterns and U.S. rural benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024 social media use) adjusted for Idaho; expect ±5–10 percentage-point variability by neighborhood and demographic mix.