Nez Perce County

Nez Perce County, Idaho — key demographics

Population size

• 42,090 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41.7 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity overlapping race)

• White alone: ~86–87%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~5–6%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Asian: ~1%
• Black or African American: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~83–84%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~18,000
• Average household size: ~2.34
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Married-couple families: ~48% of households
• One-person households: ~31%
• Living alone age 65+: ~13%
• Households with children under 18: ~26%

Notes/insights

• The county skews older than the U.S. overall, with about one-fifth age 65+.
• Presence of the Nez Perce Tribe contributes to a higher American Indian share than the state average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (race/ethnicity, total population) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, households; tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

Nez Perce County, ID snapshot

• Population and density: 42,090 residents (2020 Census) across 848 sq mi (≈49.6 people/sq mi), with most residents in the Lewiston urban area.

Email usage (estimates derived from Census age structure and Pew U.S. email adoption)

• Estimated users: ~31,000 adults (18+) use email; ~33,000 residents age 13+.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 5%; 18–29: 16%; 30–49: 35%; 50–64: 24%; 65+: 20%.
• Gender split: ~51% female, 49% male, mirroring the local population and near-equal email adoption by gender nationally.

Digital access and trends

• Broadband and devices: Approximately 86–88% of households have a broadband subscription and >90% have a computer (ACS 2018–2022 pattern for the county).
• Availability vs. use: Fixed broadband at ≥25/3 Mbps is available to the vast majority of addresses; adoption typically trails availability by ~5–10 percentage points (FCC/Microsoft measures).
• Mobile reliance: About 10–15% of households are smartphone‑only (aligned with Idaho statewide patterns), higher in rural tracts.
• Local connectivity: Wired options are densest in Lewiston, supporting higher speeds and engagement; more rural and tribal areas show lower speeds and greater reliance on mobile/satellite, contributing to an urban–rural usage gap.

Mobile phone usage in Nez Perce County, Idaho — 2024 snapshot

Key takeaways

• Nez Perce County’s mobile adoption is high but trails Idaho’s metro-led averages, mainly due to an older age profile and more rural terrain outside Lewiston.
• 5G is broadly available to the population in Lewiston and along US‑12/US‑95, but large rural tracts remain LTE‑only, with notable dead zones in canyons and uplands.
• Mobile-only internet dependence is higher than the Idaho average, reflecting limited wireline choices outside the Lewiston/Clarkston urban area.

User estimates (people and households)

• Population base (2023 est.): ~43,000; households: ~17,300.
• Any mobile phone users: ~33,400 residents (about 78% of total population).
• Smartphone users: ~31,600 residents (about 74% of total population; roughly 86–88% of adults 18+).
• Mobile-only internet households (no wired subscription, rely on smartphones and/or cellular home internet): ~2,900 households (≈17% of households).

Demographic breakdown (modeled from local age structure and national adoption rates)

• By age (share using a mobile phone / using a smartphone):
  • 18–34: ~98% / ~96% (younger adults mirror state/national norms).
  • 35–64: ~94% / ~90% (slightly below Idaho’s metro-heavy average).
  • 65+: ~80% / ~70% (older share is larger locally, weighing down overall smartphone penetration).
• Urban vs rural:
  • Lewiston/Lapwai corridor: near-universal mobile ownership; 5G widely present; higher use of data-heavy apps and cellular home internet.
  • Outlying rural tracts (Craig Mountain/Waha, Lapwai Canyon, forested ridges): higher incidence of LTE-only service and coverage gaps; more voice/SMS‑first usage and external antennas/boosters.
• Income/plan mix:
  • Mid-income households commonly use bundled cable/fiber + mobile.
  • Lower-income and rural households show elevated reliance on prepaid and mobile-only internet to manage costs or compensate for limited wireline options.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers and coverage: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T‑Mobile all serve the county. 5G population coverage is strong in Lewiston/Clarkston and along US‑12/US‑95; land-area coverage remains predominantly LTE outside these corridors.
• Spectrum/use:
  • T‑Mobile mid-band 5G (n41) is the primary 5G capacity layer in Lewiston and along main highways.
  • Verizon and AT&T C‑band (n77) augments capacity in town and at select sites; LTE on low-band carries most rural coverage.
• Typical user experience (indicative, varies by site load and terrain):
  • 5G in-town: often 100–300 Mbps down; uplink 10–40 Mbps; low latency for app use and video calling.
  • LTE in rural areas: commonly 5–30 Mbps down; uplink 1–10 Mbps; occasional sub‑5 Mbps or no signal in canyons/ridges without clear line-of-sight.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backbones follow the Snake/Clearwater river corridors and US‑12/US‑95 into Lewiston (regional carriers include Lumen/CenturyLink, Ziply Fiber in North Idaho, and Charter Spectrum for cable), supporting denser macro sites in-town; rural sites rely on longer microwave/fiber spurs, constraining 5G capacity off-corridor.
• Home internet via cellular:
  • T‑Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home are available in Lewiston and some nearby communities; adoption is meaningful among renters and in locations with weaker DSL. Availability drops quickly with distance from macro sites.

How Nez Perce County differs from Idaho statewide

• Adoption level: Overall smartphone penetration among adults is a few points lower than the state average, driven by a larger 65+ share and more rural households.
• Network mix: A higher share of usage occurs on LTE in rural tracts compared with Idaho’s metro counties (Boise/Treasure Valley), where mid-band 5G density and speeds are higher.
• Mobile-only dependence: Mobile-only internet is measurably higher than the Idaho average (local ~17% vs a lower statewide share), reflecting patchier wireline options outside Lewiston.
• Performance variability: In-county speed and reliability variance by location is wider than state urban centers due to canyon topography and sparser backhaul in uplands.
• Cross-border dynamics: Daily life spans the Lewiston–Clarkston metro across the state line; residents commonly see overlapping Washington/Idaho cell footprints, with network selection and performance influenced by roaming and river-valley propagation.

Notes on methodology

• Population/household bases reflect 2023 estimates. Usage figures are modeled from county age structure and widely cited U.S. adoption rates (Pew/NTIA) adjusted for rurality, then applied to local population. Infrastructure points synthesize FCC coverage maps, carrier deployments, and known regional topology. Figures are rounded to convey practical magnitudes.

Social media usage in Nez Perce County, ID (2025 snapshot)

Population base

• Residents: ~43,000; adults (18+): ~33,000–34,000

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70–75% (≈23,000–25,000 adults)
• Smartphone ownership among adults: ~80–85%
• Daily users among social users: ~70%+

By age (share using any social media)

• 18–29: ~90%
• 30–49: ~82%
• 50–64: ~73%
• 65+: ~47%

Gender breakdown

• Social media users: ~51% women, ~49% men (mirrors county demographics)
• Platform skews: women more present on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men more present on YouTube, Reddit, X

Most-used platforms (share of adults using each; local estimates aligned to 2024 U.S. adoption, adjusted for the county’s age mix)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 40–45% overall; 70%+ among 18–29
• Pinterest: 30–35% overall; ~50% of adult women
• TikTok: 28–33% overall; ~60% of 18–29
• Snapchat: 25–30% overall; ~60% of 18–29
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (higher among healthcare, education, logistics)
• X (Twitter): 20–22%
• Reddit: 18–22%
• WhatsApp: 18–22%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-centric Facebook usage: heavy engagement in local Groups, school and sports updates, church and civic announcements; Facebook Marketplace widely used for buying/selling
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, outdoor/recreation, home/auto; strong growth in short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) for local food, events, and businesses
• Younger cohorts communicate via DMs: Snapchat and Instagram DMs favored for 13–29; Facebook Messenger common for family and cross‑generation communication
• Event- and season-driven spikes: back‑to‑school, county fairs, high school sports, hunting/fishing seasons drive local content and ad responsiveness
• Shopping and trust: high reliance on peer recommendations, local reviews, and word‑of‑mouth; coupon codes and limited‑time offers perform well; Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups influence purchase decisions
• Timing: engagement peaks around 7–9 am, 12–1 pm, and 7–10 pm; weekends see strong mid‑morning and early‑evening activity

Note: Figures are modeled for Nez Perce County using its age/gender mix and 2024 Pew Research platform adoption rates; they represent realistic local estimates suitable for planning.