Teton County

Teton County, Idaho – key demographics

Population

• Total: 12,56x (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023); 11,630 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2020–2023 growth: roughly +8%

Age

• Median age: ~36 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~30%
• 65 and over: ~12%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population; ACS 2018–2022 unless noted)

• White alone: ~90%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~74%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~19%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: ~1%
• Black or African American: <1% (Note: “White alone” includes people who are Hispanic; “White alone, not Hispanic” excludes them.)

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~4,3xx
• Average household size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~72% of households
• Married-couple households: ~57%
• Households with children under 18: ~38%
• Nonfamily households: ~28%

Insights

• Young, family-oriented age profile with above-average share of children.
• Significant Hispanic/Latino community approaching one-fifth of residents.
• Household size is larger than the U.S. average.

Teton County, Idaho email usage (estimates grounded in Census/ACS counts and U.S. adoption rates):

• Estimated email users: ~9,400 residents (age 13+) actively use email.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~6%
  • 18–34: ~26%
  • 35–54: ~38%
  • 55–64: ~15%
  • 65+: ~15% Adoption is near‑universal among adults under 55, high but slightly lower among 65+.
• Gender split: Approximately even (about 49% male, 51% female among users), mirroring the local population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Population density: ~26 people per square mile (2020 Census; land area ~449 sq mi).
  • Computer access and broadband are widespread; most households subscribe to fixed broadband, with mobile broadband supplementing service in outlying areas.
  • Remote work and cross‑border commuting to Teton County, WY (Jackson Hole) sustain high daily email reliance, especially among 25–54-year‑olds.
  • Mobile‑only internet households exist but are a minority; fiber and cable footprints continue to expand along the Highway 33 corridor and in population centers (Driggs, Victor, Tetonia).

Insights: Email is effectively ubiquitous among working‑age adults; growth in remote‑workable occupations and expanding broadband reinforce sustained, high engagement, while adoption gaps persist primarily among the oldest residents and in the most rural pockets.

Mobile phone usage in Teton County, Idaho — summary and state-level contrasts

Overview and headline estimates (2024 snapshot)

• Population base: 11,630 (2020 Census), with 2023 estimates near 12,000.
• Adult mobile users: about 8,800–9,300 adults use a mobile phone (roughly 88–92% of adults).
• Smartphone users: about 8,000–8,300 adult smartphone users.
• Active mobile lines: approximately 9,500–10,500, reflecting personal, employer-paid, and secondary lines.
• Households with a cellular data plan: roughly 75–80% of households.
• Smartphone-only internet households (no home broadband): about 10–12% of households.

Demographic and usage breakdown

• Age:
  • Teton County skews younger than Idaho overall, with a comparatively larger 18–44 workforce tied to tourism, construction, outdoor recreation, and remote tech/creative jobs.
  • Smartphone adoption is highest among 18–44 (near-saturation), strong among 45–64, and above the Idaho average among 65+ due to higher education and income levels.
• Income and education:
  • Median household income is higher than the Idaho median, and the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher is also higher. This correlates with:
    • Higher postpaid plan uptake and higher per-line data allowances
    • Lower share of basic/feature phones compared with rural Idaho norms
• Hispanic/Latino community:
  • Hispanic/Latino share is higher than the Idaho average. This supports strong mobile-centric communication behaviors (e.g., messaging apps, bilingual content) and a meaningful segment on prepaid plans, although overall prepaid penetration remains lower than statewide due to higher income and employer-paid lines.
• Work patterns:
  • Work-from-home and hybrid arrangements are more common than the statewide average, increasing reliance on reliable mobile data and hotspot use as secondary connectivity, especially during shoulder seasons and power or backhaul outages.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network coverage:
  • 4G LTE blanket coverage across the main population corridor (Victor–Driggs–Tetonia) with persistent gaps in canyons and at higher elevations.
  • 5G coverage from at least one national carrier across the populated valley floor and along ID-33/ID-31 travel corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in town centers and along primary roads, with low-band 5G extending farther but at lower speeds.
• Capacity and seasonality:
  • Seasonal peaks (winter sports and summer tourism) materially increase mobile traffic, stressing capacity on weekends and evenings; carriers prioritize upgrades along lodging, dining, and trailhead corridors more than is typical in rural Idaho counties.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backhaul is anchored by regional providers, notably Silver Star Communications, with fiber present in and around Driggs and Victor and feeding key macro sites. Fixed wireless and microwave provide supplemental reach into fringe areas.
• Public and institutional connectivity:
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings in Driggs and Victor provide public Wi‑Fi that offloads mobile traffic. Event-driven temporary capacity (cells-on-wheels) is used during peak weekends when needed.
• Known pain points:
  • Shadowed terrain in canyons (e.g., Darby, Fox, Horseshoe) and metal-roof structures can create indoor coverage challenges; booster use is more common than the statewide average in rural residences.

How Teton County differs from Idaho overall

• Adoption and device mix:
  • Higher smartphone adoption among all adult age groups, including seniors, driven by higher income and education levels.
  • Lower feature-phone share and higher use of postpaid plans than the statewide average; prepaid remains present but not dominant.
• Mobile reliance:
  • Greater share of smartphone-only households compared with Idaho overall, reflecting seasonal and renter-heavy housing dynamics and younger workforce composition.
  • More hotspot usage for backup/secondary connectivity among remote and hybrid workers than statewide.
• Performance and availability:
  • Earlier and denser 5G deployment along the main valley corridor than is typical for Idaho’s rural counties, but sharper performance drop-offs outside the populated corridor due to mountainous terrain.
  • More pronounced seasonal congestion patterns from tourism than the Idaho average.
• Cross-border mobility:
  • Higher inter-carrier roaming and network handoffs due to commuting and travel across Teton Pass into Wyoming; this is atypically significant compared with most Idaho counties.

Key statistics at a glance (rounded)

• Population: ~12,000 (2023 est; 11,630 in 2020)
• Adult mobile phone users: ~8.8k–9.3k
• Adult smartphone users: ~8.0k–8.3k
• Active mobile lines: ~9.5k–10.5k
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~75–80%
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~10–12%

Notes on sources and method

• Figures synthesize the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2018–2022 for device/subscription and demographics), the 2020 Decennial Census (population base), FCC Broadband Map (2024) for coverage patterns, and national smartphone-adoption benchmarks (Pew Research, 2023–2024). County-level adoption and plan-type shares are estimated by applying ACS and Pew adoption rates to Teton County’s age/income profile and validating against FCC-reported coverage/backhaul. Estimates are rounded to avoid false precision while remaining decision-useful.

Social media usage in Teton County, Idaho — 2025 snapshot (modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates applied to Teton County’s ACS age/sex profile)

Most-used platforms (estimated share of adults who use each platform)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• WhatsApp: ~24%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%

Age groups (who’s active and how they behave)

• 18–29: Highest multi-platform use; heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. Uses Facebook mainly for Marketplace, local swaps, road reports, and events. Strong creators of short-form video, especially around ski days, storms, trail conditions, and nightlife.
• 30–49: Broadest day-to-day engagement across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Parents anchor school/team groups, events, and buy/sell threads; Reels/Stories drive discovery of restaurants, outfitters, guides, childcare, and home services.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate. Pinterest strong for DIY/home and outdoor planning; LinkedIn used by professionals commuting or connected to the Jackson Hole/Teton region.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube primary for local news, weather/road closures (e.g., Teton Pass), community groups, wildlife and emergency updates. Lower adoption of TikTok/Snapchat; prefers longer-form posts and shareable alerts.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media audience mirrors the county’s roughly even male–female split.
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. LinkedIn is near gender-balanced. TikTok leans slightly female; Snapchat skews younger rather than strongly by gender.

Behavioral trends specific to Teton County

• Community and utility first: Facebook Groups are central for road/weather alerts (Teton Pass closures, storm impacts), gear swaps, housing, lost/found pets, school and youth sports updates, and nonprofit coordination.
• Marketplace culture: High engagement with Facebook Marketplace for outdoor gear, vehicles, seasonal rentals, and home goods; posts with clear photos, price, and pickup location in Driggs/Victor perform best.
• Seasonal content cycles:
  • Winter: Spikes in short-form video (powder-day clips, avalanche info, lift status), road and weather updates, and local service hours changes.
  • Summer: Trail, fishing, river, and festival content; restaurant and event discovery via Instagram Reels/Stories; heavy weekend engagement.
• Local news and alerts: Strong followership and sharing of sheriff’s office, county, and East Idaho news posts, especially around wildlife incidents, closures, and emergencies.
• Messaging for commerce: Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger are primary customer-service channels for small businesses; WhatsApp commonly used within Hispanic/Latino networks for community and work coordination.
• Posting/engagement rhythms: Peaks before work (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend midday spikes tied to outdoor plans; storm days drive outsized reach on road/weather posts.

Notes on methodology and interpretation

• Percentages reflect Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult adoption rates by platform, applied to Teton County’s demographic mix (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2022–2023). County-level platform adoption is expected to be very similar to these figures; age and gender behaviors reflect national patterns adapted to local context (rural–mountain, tourism-driven, outdoor-recreation economy).