Power County

Power County, Idaho — demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates)

Population size

• Total population: ~8,000 (2023 estimate; U.S. Census Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Under 18: ~31%
• 18 to 64: ~55%
• 65 and over: ~14%
• Median age: ~34 years

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Race and ethnicity

• Race (alone, any ethnicity): White ~86%; American Indian/Alaska Native ~3.7%; Asian ~0.4%; Black ~0.3%; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander ~0.1%; Two or more races ~4.2%
• Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino (of any race) ~42%; White alone, not Hispanic or Latino ~52%

Households and housing

• Households: ~2,700–2,800
• Persons per household: ~3.0
• Family households: ~73% of households; married-couple households comprise the majority
• Households with children under 18: ~40%+
• Owner-occupied housing: ~74% (renters ~26%)

Key takeaways

• Young, family-oriented county with larger-than-average household size
• Substantial Hispanic/Latino community (~4 in 10 residents)
• High homeownership relative to national average

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year estimates) and 2023 Population Estimates Program. Figures rounded for clarity.

• Scope: Power County, Idaho (pop. 7,878; land area ≈1,405 sq mi; density ≈5.6 people/sq mi, 2020 Census).
• Estimated email users (age 13+): ≈5,800. Adoption is effectively universal among working‑age adults; lower among the oldest residents.
• Age mix of email users (est. share of users): 13–17 ≈7%; 18–34 ≈28%; 35–64 ≈48%; 65+ ≈17%.
• Gender split among adult email users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male (email adoption is near‑parity by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household internet access is predominantly broadband; estimated 75–80% have fixed broadband, about 10–15% are mobile‑only, and roughly 10–15% lack home internet. Smartphone reliance is rising, making mobile the primary email channel for many households.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around American Falls and along the I‑86 corridor; sparsely populated outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, and cellular data, with lower speeds and higher latency.
  • Low population density and long last‑mile runs elevate deployment costs, sustaining a rural connectivity gap despite recent fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts.
• Insight: Email reach is highest among 18–64; the main adoption gap is 65+, driven by access and device comfort rather than interest among younger residents.

Mobile phone usage in Power County, Idaho — 2025 snapshot

Headline differences vs Idaho overall

• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet: Power County households are more likely than the Idaho average to use smartphones as their primary or only internet connection, reflecting sparser fixed-broadband options and lower median incomes than the state overall.
• Older, more rural usage profile: Overall smartphone penetration is a few points lower than state urban centers, with wider gaps among adults 50+ and in remote valleys.
• More bilingual users: A substantially higher Hispanic/Latino share than the Idaho average drives greater demand for bilingual support and cross-border communication features, and correlates with higher smartphone-only access.

User estimates (modeled from ACS county demographics, Pew smartphone adoption by age/rurality, and 2024–2025 FCC coverage data)

• Population base: ≈8,300 residents; ≈2,800 households.
• Estimated smartphone users (age 12+): ≈5,800 (about 83% of residents age 12+).
• Households with at least one smartphone: ≈2,500–2,550 (about 88–91% of households).
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed broadband subscription): ≈560 (about 20% of households), above the Idaho average of roughly 12–15%.
• Mobile hotspot reliance: materially above the state average, concentrated outside American Falls and along the Arbon and Rockland valleys where fixed options are limited.

Demographic breakdown (what differs from Idaho statewide)

• Age
  • 12–17: ≈92% smartphone access; usage near statewide levels.
  • 18–49: ≈92–94% smartphone access; slightly below metro Idaho but effectively universal.
  • 50–64: ≈80% smartphone access; notably below urban Idaho.
  • 65+: ≈58–62% smartphone access; a larger gap than statewide, contributing to lower overall penetration.
• Income and education
  • Lower median household income than the state average correlates with higher use of prepaid plans, budget MVNOs, and smartphone-only internet.
• Ethnicity/language
  • Hispanic/Latino residents represent roughly one-third of the county (well above Idaho’s ~13% statewide), which aligns with higher smartphone-only connectivity among Spanish-speaking households and stronger demand for bilingual customer care and international features.
• Workforce/seasonality
  • Agriculture and seasonal work increase daytime mobility and corridor-based usage (I-86/US-30), with noticeable peak loads during planting/harvest compared to more evenly distributed urban traffic in the state.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (how the county differs)

• Coverage profile
  • 5G low-band coverage from national carriers reaches most residents along I-86 and in American Falls; coverage thins in the Arbon and Rockland valleys and across rangeland south of the Snake River.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity is sparse outside town centers, so median speeds are below Idaho’s metro corridors (Boise–Nampa, Idaho Falls–Ammon, Twin Falls), and edge-of-cell areas often fall back to LTE with sub-urban throughput.
• Tower density and backhaul
  • Sites are clustered along the interstate, American Falls, and major farm corridors; remote sectors rely more on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak capacity versus fiber-fed urban sites common in larger Idaho counties.
• Fixed-broadband context
  • Fiber is available in limited pockets (primarily in-town and along core routes); DSL and fixed wireless ISPs fill gaps elsewhere. This patchwork elevates smartphone-only and hotspot use compared with the state.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet coverage is strong on primary corridors; off-corridor valleys remain more outage-prone than state urban averages during severe weather or wildfire smoke events.

What this means (actionable insights)

• Service mix: Plans with larger hotspot allowances and affordable prepaid/MVNO options see outsized demand relative to Idaho’s urban counties.
• Network build priorities: Additional mid-band 5G sectors and fiber backhaul outside American Falls—especially toward Arbon and Rockland—would meaningfully narrow the usage gap with state averages.
• Access and inclusion: Bilingual outreach and device assistance programs have above-average impact locally; senior-focused training can lift adoption in 50+ cohorts where the county trails the state.
• Post-ACP environment: With federal affordability support winding down in 2024, expect increased churn to prepaid tiers and greater mobile substitution for home internet than the Idaho average.

Methodology and sources

• Demographic base and households: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2018–2022/2023 5-year) for Power County.
• Smartphone adoption by age/rurality: Pew Research Center (latest 2023/2024 updates), adjusted for rural counties.
• Coverage and infrastructure characterization: FCC Mobile Broadband Data Collection (2024) and NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need to benchmark corridor coverage, capacity, and fixed-broadband availability.

Note: Figures are modeled estimates derived by applying age- and rural-adjusted smartphone adoption rates to ACS county demographics, then cross-checked against statewide patterns and local infrastructure constraints to highlight where Power County deviates from Idaho averages.

Power County, ID social media snapshot (2025)

User stats

• Residents: ≈8,100 (2023 est.)
• Social media users (age 13+): ≈5,200–5,600, or 75–80% of residents 13+
• Gender mix among social media users: Female 54%, Male 46%
• Age mix of social media users:
  • 13–17: 9%
  • 18–24: 11%
  • 25–34: 19%
  • 35–44: 18%
  • 45–54: 16%
  • 55–64: 14%
  • 65+: 13%

Most-used platforms in the county (share of residents 13+ using at least monthly)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 63%
• Instagram: 42%
• TikTok: 37%
• Snapchat: 33%
• Pinterest: 31%
• WhatsApp: 24%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Reddit: 16%
• LinkedIn: 14%
• Nextdoor: 9%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: strong use of Groups for buy/sell, school sports, churches, events; Marketplace is widely checked before driving to Pocatello/Idaho Falls.
• Messaging-first behavior: many interactions shift to private channels (Messenger, WhatsApp); click-to-message CTAs convert better than link-outs for local businesses.
• Short-form video growth: Reels and TikTok outperform static posts for awareness; YouTube Shorts extends reach to non-Instagram users.
• YouTube is utility-driven: how-to, ag equipment, home projects; increasing smart-TV viewing in the evenings boosts longer watch time.
• Youth skew: Teens and 18–24s are heavy daily users of Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram is secondary for DMs and Stories.
• Women-led engagement: Pinterest and Facebook drive discovery and planning for household and community activities; local boutiques and services benefit from Instagram Reels and Stories.
• Bilingual engagement: A sizable Hispanic audience responds to Spanish or bilingual content; WhatsApp use is above the county average among Hispanic households for family and work coordination.
• Seasonality: Engagement rises around school calendars, athletics, weather events, and ag cycles (planting/harvest).
• Timing: Best posting windows are 7–9 pm MT; weekends for community updates and weekday lunch hours for local business promos.
• Creative that wins: recognizable local faces, user-generated content, and practical demos outperform polished, stock-style creative.

Notes on method: Figures are model-based estimates for Power County using 2023 ACS population, Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social platform adoption by age, and rural-Idaho usage patterns; values are rounded to provide clear planning benchmarks.