Shoshone County

Shoshone County, Idaho — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year unless noted)

• Population: ~13,200
• Age:
  • Median age: ~45 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 18–64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~21%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%
• Race and ethnicity:
  • White (alone): ~93%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native (alone): ~2%
  • Asian (alone): ~1%
  • Black or African American (alone): <1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (alone): <1%
  • Two or more races: ~4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~5,900
  • Average household size: ~2.2
  • Family households: ~58% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~45% of households
  • Nonfamily households: ~42%; living alone: ~34%
  • Tenure: ~73% owner-occupied, ~27% renter-occupied

Insights: Small, stable population; older age profile than U.S. overall; predominantly White with a modest Hispanic presence; smaller household sizes and high owner-occupancy consistent with rural counties.

• Scope: Shoshone County, Idaho has about 13,000–13,300 residents across ~2,635 sq mi (≈5 people/sq mi), with population centers along the I‑90 corridor (Kellogg, Wallace, Pinehurst).
• Estimated email users: 9,500–11,000 residents use email regularly. Estimate applies US adult email adoption (≈90–95%) to the county’s largely adult population and internet-connected households.
• Age distribution (email adoption): 18–29 ≈95%+, 30–49 ≈95%+, 50–64 ≈90%, 65+ ≈80–85%. Given the county’s older-skewing rural profile, seniors comprise a meaningful slice of users despite slightly lower adoption.
• Gender split: Roughly even; email usage shows minimal gender gap, so the user base is close to the county’s ≈50/50 male–female split.
• Digital access trends: Most households have a computer and an internet subscription, but broadband subscription rates are a few points below Idaho’s statewide average, typical of rural mountain counties. Reliable fixed broadband is strongest in towns along I‑90; outlying valleys and higher elevations see more DSL, satellite, or mobile-only access. Mobile data dependence is rising among lower‑income and remote households.
• Insight: Email is effectively ubiquitous among working‑age adults and growing among seniors; improvements in last‑mile broadband and rural fiber will modestly expand email adoption and increase multi-device usage.

Mobile phone usage in Shoshone County, Idaho (2024–2025 snapshot)

Context and scale

• Population and density: 13,100 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate), spread over roughly 2,635 square miles, yielding about 5 residents per square mile—far below Idaho’s statewide density (~22 per square mile). The population skews older than the state median age.
• Households: About 5,700 households.

User estimates

• Adults with a mobile phone (of any kind): ~9,900 adults, or about 93% of the adult population.
• Adults with a smartphone: ~8,600–8,700 adults, or about 82% of the adult population.
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed home broadband, rely on mobile data): ~1,250 households (about 22% of households).

Demographic breakdown (estimates derived by applying current national/rural adoption rates to Shoshone County’s age and income profile)

• By age, estimated smartphone adoption among adults:
  • 18–34: ~92% (about 2,100 users)
  • 35–54: ~90% (about 3,000 users)
  • 55–64: ~80% (about 1,500 users)
  • 65+: ~65% (about 2,000 users)
• By income (household):
  • Under $35,000: smartphone adoption ~75–80%; materially higher likelihood of being smartphone-only for home internet
  • $35,000–$74,999: ~85–88%
  • $75,000+: ~90–93%
• By urban/rural within the county:
  • I-90 corridor towns (Kellogg, Wallace, Osburn, Pinehurst, Mullan): adoption and usage patterns closer to state averages, with higher 5G use and data consumption
  • Outlying and forested areas: slightly lower smartphone penetration and substantially higher reliance on mobile-only or satellite for home connectivity

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: All three national carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) operate in the county. 4G LTE is the baseline; 5G is available primarily along the I-90 corridor and in/near towns.
• 5G footprint:
  • T-Mobile’s low-band (600 MHz) “Extended Range” 5G covers the I-90 corridor and larger towns; coverage thins rapidly in canyons and forested terrain
  • Verizon and AT&T provide 5G mainly in and around towns and high-traffic segments of I-90, with LTE serving most other covered areas
• Performance (typical user experience):
  • Towns and the I-90 corridor: 5G download speeds commonly 100–300 Mbps on T-Mobile; 40–150 Mbps on Verizon/AT&T (5G/LTE). Mid-band 5G (C-band) appears in limited pockets; mmWave is negligible
  • Outside the corridor: LTE often ranges 5–25 Mbps; pockets of no signal exist in canyons (e.g., upper Coeur d’Alene River tributaries, Burke Canyon, Marble Creek, St. Joe backcountry)
• Backhaul and resilience:
  • Fiber and microwave backhaul concentrate along I-90; power and backhaul vulnerability increases with distance from the corridor, with seasonal outages more likely in remote sites
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Cable/fiber options exist in the main towns, but many outlying areas lack wired broadband, which raises the share of smartphone-only/mobile hotspot use compared with the state

How Shoshone County differs from Idaho overall

• Adoption level: Overall smartphone adoption among adults (~82%) sits 5–8 percentage points below the Idaho statewide pattern, driven by older age structure and lower median income
• Reliance on mobile for home internet: Smartphone-only households (~22%) run several points higher than the statewide share (high teens), reflecting limited fixed broadband outside towns
• Coverage geography: The county exhibits pronounced “corridor coverage”—strong service along I-90 and noticeable coverage gaps in mountainous, forested areas—more acute than the typical Idaho county
• 5G availability and speed: 5G is present where people live and travel most in the county, but its land-area reach and median speeds are more uneven than state averages, with greater fall-back to LTE outside towns
• Plan mix and devices: A higher share of prepaid/MVNO plans than statewide is evident, consistent with income patterns; device upgrade cycles are longer, especially among 55+ users

Key stats at a glance

• Population: 13,100 (2023 estimate)
• Households: ~5,700
• Adults with any mobile phone: 9,900 (93%)
• Adults with a smartphone: 8,600–8,700 (82%)
• Smartphone-only households: 1,250 (22% of households)
• Coverage pattern: All three national carriers; strongest along I-90 with significant rural dead zones

Sources and methods

• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 county population estimates; ACS 2018–2022 5-year profiles for age, income, and household counts
• Pew Research Center Mobile Fact Sheets (2023) for smartphone adoption by age and rural/urban segments
• NTIA Internet Use Survey (2023) and CDC/NCHS wireless-only trends to calibrate smartphone-only and mobile-reliant households
• FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) and national carrier public coverage disclosures for presence and general 4G/5G footprint
• Ookla/Opensignal statewide reporting (2024) to benchmark typical 5G/LTE speeds; localized performance generalized by corridor vs. backcountry topology

Notes on estimation

• County-level user counts are derived by applying the latest credible national/rural adoption rates by age and income to Shoshone County’s ACS demographic structure. Coverage and performance statements reflect the consistent pattern observed in FCC/provider maps and measurement platforms for mountainous rural counties anchored by an interstate corridor.

Shoshone County, ID social media snapshot (modeled from 2024 Pew Research platform adoption applied to a rural county profile; county-level platform counts are not directly published)

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70–75% of adults
• Daily social media users: ~55–60% of adults
• Multi-platform behavior: ~50% of users use 3+ platforms; YouTube + Facebook is the most common pairing

Most‑used platforms (estimated local adult penetration)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Pinterest: ~30–35%
• LinkedIn: ~25–30%
• Snapchat: ~25–30%
• X (Twitter): ~20–25%
• Reddit: ~20–25%
• WhatsApp: ~20–25%
• Nextdoor: ~15–20%

Age‑group patterns (share using each platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~90% | Instagram ~75–80% | Snapchat ~60–65% | TikTok ~60–65% | Facebook ~55–60%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~85–90% | Facebook ~65–70% | Instagram ~45–50% | TikTok ~35–40% | Snapchat ~25–30% | LinkedIn ~35–40%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~75–80% | Facebook ~70–75% | Instagram ~25–30% | Pinterest ~35–40% | TikTok ~10–15%
• Ages 65+: YouTube ~55–60% | Facebook ~50–55% | Pinterest ~15–20% | Instagram ~15–20% | Nextdoor ~15–20%

Gender breakdown (directional skews among users)

• Facebook: near-even, slight female tilt
• Instagram: slight female tilt
• TikTok, Snapchat: moderate female tilt
• Pinterest: strong female tilt
• YouTube: slight male tilt
• LinkedIn: slight male tilt
• X (Twitter), Reddit: strong male tilt
• WhatsApp: near-even

Behavioral trends observed in rural Idaho counties (applicable to Shoshone)

• Community-first Facebook usage: High engagement in local Groups (schools, youth sports, hunting/outdoors, road conditions, lost & found), county and city pages, and Marketplace for buy/sell/trade.
• Video as the default: YouTube for how-to/DIY, vehicle and home maintenance, outdoor recreation, and music; short-form TikTok/Instagram Reels among under‑35s.
• Messaging and ephemeral content: Facebook Messenger is common across ages; Snapchat dominates teen/young‑adult messaging; WhatsApp used in certain work crews and transplants.
• Small business and tourism: Local shops, contractors, and attractions (e.g., Silver Valley/Lookout Pass/Silver Mountain) lean on Facebook Pages and Instagram for promos, hours, and events.
• News and alerts: County/city agencies and the Shoshone News‑Press drive spikes in local news engagement; weather, closures, and emergency updates perform strongly.
• Posting cadence and peaks: Evenings (7–9 pm) and weekend mid‑day see the highest local engagement; weekday daytime usage skews toward YouTube consumption and Facebook scrolling rather than posting.
• Marketplace utility: High reliance on Facebook Marketplace for vehicles, tools, outdoor gear, and rentals; trust signals (mutuals, group membership) matter.
• Platform churn: Under‑30s shift attention from Facebook feeds to Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat, but still keep Facebook for Groups and events.

Notes on method

• Percentages reflect 2024 Pew Research Center U.S. adult platform adoption, adjusted for rural usage patterns; they provide realistic local estimates where county-specific figures are not published. Demographic skews mirror Pew’s 2024 findings and consistent industry panels.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by age, rural/urban, and gender skews)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (county rural profile used to contextualize adoption)