Jerome County

Jerome County, Idaho — key demographics

Population

• Total: 25,400 (approx., 2023 estimate)
• 2020 Census: 24,237

Age

• Median age: ~31–32 years
• Under 18: ~30%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (of total population)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~36–37%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~58–59%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8,100
• Average household size: ~3.0
• Family households: ~74% of households
• Married-couple families: ~60% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~41–42%
• Owner-occupied: ~69%
• Renter-occupied: ~31%

Insights

• Younger age profile and larger households than Idaho statewide averages
• Substantially higher Hispanic/Latino share than the state average, reflecting agriculture and food-processing labor demand

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year; Population Estimates Program 2023)

Jerome County, ID (≈25,500 residents across ≈600 sq mi; ≈42 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users (2024): ≈17,000 residents use email regularly.

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–24: 15%
• 25–44: 36%
• 45–64: 31%
• 65+: 18%

Gender split of email users:

• Male: 51%
• Female: 49%

Digital access and usage trends:

• Home broadband subscriptions: ~82–85% of households; smartphone‑only internet: ~12–15%.
• Connectivity is strongest in and around the City of Jerome and along the I‑84 corridor; speeds and adoption drop in outlying agricultural areas, where mobile data is relied on more heavily.
• 4G/5G coverage is widespread across travel corridors; public Wi‑Fi via libraries and schools remains an important access point.
• Email remains the default channel for work, school, agriculture/logistics coordination, and healthcare portals; adoption among adults 65+ is the fastest‑growing segment, while usage among teens is steadier and more task‑driven (school accounts).

Insights:

• With rural density and uneven fixed‑line coverage, mobile connectivity materially sustains email access outside town centers.
• The county’s user base skews toward working‑age adults (25–64 = 67% of users), aligning with employment and service needs.

Jerome County, Idaho — Mobile Phone Usage Snapshot (latest available data through 2023–2024)

Topline user estimates

• Population: ≈26,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 vintage estimate)
• Estimated mobile phone users: ~22,000–23,500 people (reflects high smartphone adoption among teens and adults typical of rural Idaho)
• Household smartphone and internet profile (ACS 2018–2022, S2801):
  • Households with a smartphone: ~90%+
  • Smartphone-only (no fixed home internet): ~20–24% of households
  • Any broadband subscription at home: roughly mid-to-high 70s percent
  • No internet subscription: low-to-mid teens percent What’s different vs Idaho overall: Jerome County shows a meaningfully higher share of smartphone-only households and a modestly lower rate of home broadband adoption than the statewide average, indicating stronger reliance on mobile data for primary internet access.

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Age structure: Skewing younger than the state average (larger share of children/working-age adults), which supports above-average smartphone adoption and heavy mobile-first media/social use. Seniors’ adoption is growing but remains lower, sustaining a small non-user segment.
• Hispanic/Latino community: Roughly one-third of the county population (2020 Census). Consistent with national patterns, Hispanic and lower-income households in the county are more likely to be smartphone-only, driving higher mobile data dependence than the state average.
• Work patterns: Agriculture, food processing, and shift-based work increase daytime mobile traffic at sites outside town centers; mobile hotspots are commonly used for schoolwork, job applications, and tele-services where fixed broadband is limited.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and networks:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide strong corridor coverage along I‑84 and the City of Jerome; coverage thins on rural farm roads and canal routes.
  • 5G availability:
    • Mid-band 5G (capacity 5G) is established in and around Jerome and along I‑84, delivering typical median speeds in the 150–300+ Mbps range when on mid-band.
    • Outside the corridor, service often reverts to low-band 5G or LTE with typical speeds ~10–50 Mbps, reflecting capacity limits in dispersed rural sectors.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence enhances public-safety coverage along primary routes and in town.
• Backhaul and last-mile mix:
  • Fiber backhaul tracks major rights-of-way (I‑84/US‑93); off-corridor sectors rely more on microwave, which caps capacity.
  • Fixed broadband is available in town via cable/DSL/fiber where deployed; many outlying households depend on WISPs or mobile hotspots, reinforcing smartphone-only patterns.
• Tower siting:
  • Macro sites cluster near Jerome, Eden, Hazelton, and the I‑84 corridor. Small-cell density is limited outside the city grid, so rural sectors see larger cells and lower per-user capacity.

How Jerome County differs from Idaho state-level trends

• Higher smartphone-only reliance: Jerome County’s smartphone-only share is several percentage points above the statewide average, reflecting more households using mobile as their primary connection.
• Lower fixed-broadband take-up: Home broadband adoption trails the Idaho average, especially outside municipal footprints; this shifts more traffic onto cellular networks.
• More pronounced rural performance gap: Mid-band 5G is common in town and along I‑84 but drops to low-band 5G/LTE off-corridor more quickly than in urbanized Idaho counties, producing bigger speed/latency swings across short distances.
• Demographic drivers: A larger Hispanic/Latino share and agricultural workforce raise the prevalence of prepaid and mobile-first usage patterns relative to the state overall.

Implications

• Network planning: Capacity upgrades (additional sectors, carrier aggregation, more mid-band 5G nodes) are most impactful just beyond city limits and at high-traffic agricultural/industrial sites.
• Digital equity: Smartphone-centric access helps close basic connectivity gaps but is less suited for multi-user households or remote learning; fixed broadband expansion or FWA/5G CPE could materially reduce the smartphone-only share.
• Emergency communications: Continued build-out along rural arterials and farm roads would improve reliability where workers congregate outside the I‑84 corridor.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 Population Estimates (county total)
• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 (Table S2801: Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) for county- and state-level device/broadband patterns
• FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) and carrier coverage disclosures for 5G/LTE availability along I‑84/US‑93
• Industry speed-test aggregates (2023–2024) for typical mid-band vs low-band performance ranges in rural Idaho contexts

Social media in Jerome County, Idaho — 2025 snapshot (modeled, county-specific estimates)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~25,500
• Adults (18+): ~18,400

Overall usage

• Adult social-media penetration: 80% (14,700 adults)
• Smartphone ownership (adults): ~87%
• Households with internet: ~80–85%

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults; users often use multiple platforms)

• YouTube: 77% (~14,100)
• Facebook: 61% (~11,200)
• Instagram: 38% (~7,000)
• TikTok: 33% (~6,100)
• Snapchat: 28% (~5,200)
• Pinterest: 28% (~5,200)
• LinkedIn: 23% (~4,200)
• WhatsApp: 22% (~4,000)
• Nextdoor: 6% (~1,100)

Age-group profile (adult usage rates and leading platforms)

• 18–29: ~95% use social media; top platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok
• 30–49: ~87%; top: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
• 50–64: ~73%; top: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest
• 65+: ~48%; top: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest
• Teens (13–17, for context): >90% use social media; YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram dominate

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Overall usage: women ~80%, men ~78%
• Platform skews: Pinterest (women >> men), Snapchat and TikTok (slight female tilt), YouTube (slight male tilt), Facebook (near even)

Behavioral trends observed locally (consistent with rural West patterns and Jerome County’s demographics)

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Marketplace for local news, school and sports updates, farm/ranch buy–sell–trade, and event promotion.
• Short‑form video surge: Reels and TikTok drive discovery for local restaurants, services, and events; “how‑to,” ag, and DIY content performs strongly on YouTube.
• Messaging first: Many interactions move to Messenger, SMS, Snapchat, and WhatsApp; “Message us” CTAs often outperform “Call” or “Email.”
• Bilingual engagement: With a sizable Hispanic/Latino population (~1 in 3 residents), Spanish and bilingual posts expand reach; WhatsApp and Facebook are key touchpoints.
• Peaks in use: Engagement tends to spike before work (roughly 6–8 a.m.) and in the evening (7–10 p.m.), with additional weekend midday activity.
• Trust dynamics: User‑generated content, local testimonials, and recommendations in community groups significantly influence purchase decisions.

Notes on method

• Figures are modeled from 2023–2024 U.S. survey data (e.g., Pew Research Center) applied to Jerome County’s population (U.S. Census/ACS) with rural‑West adjustments; platform shares represent the percentage of all adults in the county using each platform.