Payette County

Payette County, Idaho — key demographics

Population size

• 25,386 (2020 Census)
• +12.2% since 2010 (22,623 in 2010)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: 37.6 years
• Under 18: 26.6%
• 65 and over: 17.3%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: 50.7%
• Female: 49.3%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: 90.1%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 72.7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 24.6%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 1.1%
• Asian alone: 0.6%
• Black or African American alone: 0.4%
• Two or more races: 7.8%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: 9,525
• Persons per household (avg): 2.77
• Family households: 67.5% of households
• Married-couple households: 52.1% of households
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 71.3%

Insights

• Sustained growth since 2010 with a relatively young age profile (higher share of children).
• Hispanic/Latino population share is notably higher than Idaho’s statewide average.

• Scope and baseline: Payette County, Idaho had 25,386 residents in 2020 across 407 sq mi (≈62 people per sq mi), concentrated along the Payette–Fruitland–New Plymouth US‑95 corridor (U.S. Census Bureau).

• Estimated email users: ≈21,000–22,000 residents (ages 13+) use email regularly. Method: apply U.S. email adoption benchmarks to local age mix (Pew Research Center).

• Age distribution of email use (adoption rates applied locally):

  • 18–29: ≈95%
  • 30–49: ≈96%
  • 50–64: ≈92%
  • 65+: ≈85% Older adults are a sizable share locally, so overall adoption is slightly tempered by the 65+ group but remains high among working-age residents.

• Gender split: Near parity; national email adoption shows a negligible gender gap (≈1–2 percentage points), implying roughly equal male/female user counts in Payette County.

• Digital access trends and connectivity:

  • Households with a broadband internet subscription: roughly mid‑80% range in recent ACS 5‑year data for the county, indicating strong but not universal home internet availability.
  • Access is densest in population centers (cable/fiber), with rural areas relying more on DSL and fixed wireless; mobile access helps close gaps.
  • Practical implication: Email is a reliable channel for most adults, but complementary SMS or offline touchpoints improve reach among seniors and households without home broadband.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census, ACS 2018–2022), Pew Research Center (U.S. email adoption by age).

Mobile phone usage in Payette County, Idaho — 2025 snapshot

Scope and sources

• Figures synthesize the latest available U.S. Census/ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates, Idaho state demographic releases, Pew Research on smartphone adoption, and publicly available carrier coverage information current through late-2024. Where county-specific measures don’t exist, estimates are derived transparently from those sources and rounded for clarity.

County profile baseline

• Population and households: About 26,000 residents and roughly 9,500–10,000 households, concentrated in Fruitland, Payette, and New Plymouth, with a large rural/agricultural periphery.
• Adult population: ≈19,500 adults (18+), which is the denominator used for user estimates below.
• Demographics affecting mobile use: Older-than-state-average age profile, lower median household income than the Idaho average, and a sizable Hispanic/Latino community. Commuting ties to the Treasure Valley (Canyon/Ada counties) shape daytime network load.

User estimates (phone ownership and reliance)

• Adult smartphone owners: ≈16,000–16,500 (about 80–85% of adults). This is a touch below Idaho’s statewide adult smartphone adoption, reflecting Payette’s older age and income mix despite proximity to the Boise metro coverage footprint.
• Mobile-only internet households (smartphone or cellular hotspot as primary home internet, no fixed broadband): ≈1,000–1,300 households (about 10–13% of households), higher than Idaho’s statewide share. This stems from patchier fixed broadband in unincorporated zones and price sensitivity among lower-income and seasonal-agriculture households.
• Multiline and prepaid tendencies: Prepaid and MVNO usage is noticeably higher than the state average, driven by budget constraints and seasonal work patterns; multiline family plans remain common in town centers. These factors increase SIM churn around the growing season and school-year transitions.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: A larger 55+ segment than Idaho overall contributes to slightly lower flagship-device penetration and longer device replacement cycles; however, communication and basic app usage among older residents is high, helped by large-screen budget Android devices.
• Families and youth: Households with school-age children show high smartphone and hotspot use tied to homework and streaming, particularly where cable/fiber service is unavailable or unaffordable.
• Language and outreach: The county’s Hispanic/Latino population sustains above-average use of messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger), bilingual plan marketing, and international calling add-ons relative to the state average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access networks: All three national carriers provide LTE across the towns and primary corridors; 5G low-band covers population centers and the I-84/US‑95 corridors, with mid-band 5G concentrated in Fruitland/Payette. Coverage thins at the fringes along farm roads and riparian areas, where LTE fallback and signal boosters are common.
• Backhaul and fiber: Fiber backbones follow I‑84/US‑95 and river/rail rights-of-way into town hubs; outside those corridors, backhaul is sparser, which limits peak 5G capacities in rural sectors even when the radio layer is present.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Cable/fiber is available in town centers; many unincorporated areas rely on DSL or fixed wireless. This uneven fixed footprint directly elevates smartphone/hotspot reliance versus Idaho overall.
• Cross-border dynamics: Proximity to the Oregon line (Malheur County) increases cross-network handoffs and occasional roaming near the Snake River, a pattern less common in Idaho’s interior counties. Daytime loads swell with commuters traveling toward Nampa/Caldwell and seasonal agricultural crews.
• Public safety and alerts: Wireless Emergency Alerts and E-911 are supported countywide; first-responder coverage is strongest along highways and in towns, with planned buildouts targeting rural dead zones.

How Payette County differs from Idaho statewide

• Higher mobile-only dependence: A larger share of households rely on smartphones/hotspots as their primary internet, compared to the Idaho average, because of patchy fixed broadband beyond town limits and affordability gaps.
• Coverage vs. device gap: Network coverage, aided by proximity to the Treasure Valley corridors, is relatively strong for a rural county, but device turnover is slower than the state average, especially among older and lower-income users—slightly suppressing 5G device penetration rates.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: Budget sensitivity and seasonal work elevate prepaid and month-to-month plan adoption above Idaho’s statewide mix, with higher SIM churn.
• Border and seasonal load effects: Cross-border movement with Oregon and agricultural seasonality produce sharper demand spikes and handoff patterns than seen in interior Idaho counties.
• Messaging/app mix: Higher relative use of cross-platform messaging and international calling features aligns with the county’s demographic profile more than the statewide norm.

Key takeaways

• Expect around 16,000 adult smartphone users in Payette County, with a meaningfully higher-than-state share of households depending on mobile data as their primary home connection.
• Coverage is good along I‑84/US‑95 and in towns, but rural sectors still lean on LTE and boosters; backhaul constraints—not just towers—limit rural 5G performance.
• Pricing flexibility (prepaid/MVNO, family plans) and bilingual support matter more here than in Idaho overall, and seasonal/agricultural cycles should shape capacity and retail planning.

Social media usage in Payette County, Idaho — 2025 snapshot (modeled from latest ACS demographics for Payette County and U.S. platform adoption by age/sex from Pew and similar sources)

User base

• Residents (2023 est.): ~26,000
• Residents age 13+: ~22,100
• Active social media users (13+): ~17,600 (80%)
• Daily social media users: ~12,300 (70% of users)
• Average platforms used per person: 3.0

Age mix of social media users (share of total users)

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–24: 9%
• 25–34: 18%
• 35–44: 19%
• 45–54: 16%
• 55–64: 15%
• 65+: 16%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: 53%
• Male: 47%

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: 79%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 40%
• TikTok: 34%
• Pinterest: 31%
• Snapchat: 29%
• Facebook Messenger: 59%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• LinkedIn: 15%
• WhatsApp: 14%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Behavioral trends and local usage patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: Heavy reliance on Groups and Marketplace for local news, buy/sell/trade, school sports, church and civic updates. Engagement peaks evenings (7–9 PM MT) and lunch hour (noon–1 PM).
• Short‑form video drives reach: Reels and YouTube Shorts outperform static posts for businesses and events; 15–30 second clips with captions perform best.
• Utility beats polish: Practical, hyperlocal content (event reminders, road/closure alerts, deals, inventory photos, before/after services) earns higher saves/shares than highly produced creative.
• Messaging-first commerce: Many interactions move quickly into Facebook Messenger or SMS for quotes, scheduling, and customer support.
• Under‑35 skew: Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat dominate among high school/young adult users; Stories and DMs are key touchpoints.
• 35–64 core buyers: Facebook and YouTube lead discovery; Pinterest is strong for DIY, recipes, crafts, home and garden. Reviews and recommendations in local Groups influence purchases.
• 65+ participation: Facebook and YouTube are primary; clear visuals, readable text, and direct call-to-action lift response.
• Seasonal cycles: Spikes around school calendars, harvest/FFA seasons, county fair, hunting/fishing openings, wildfire and winter road updates.
• Language and culture: Bilingual (English/Spanish) posts expand reach for family, food, retail, home services, and community notices.
• Content cadence: 3–5 posts/week per channel sustains visibility; video 1–2x/week; event reminders 24–48 hours prior plus day‑of update.
• Trust signals matter: Local faces, sponsorship of school/booster events, and prompt comment replies improve credibility and algorithmic distribution.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Payette County derived by applying age/sex-specific platform adoption rates from large U.S. studies (e.g., Pew Research Center 2023–2024) to the county’s latest ACS demographic structure, with rural Mountain West adjustments. Percentages reflect residents age 13+ using each platform at least monthly.