Twin Falls County

Twin Falls County, Idaho — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates)

• Population: ~94,000
• Age
  • Median age: ~35
  • Under 18: ~28%
  • 18–24: ~9%
  • 25–44: ~26%
  • 45–64: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~14%
• Gender
  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%
• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive)
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~73%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~22%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Black, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Households
  • Total households: ~34,000
  • Average household size: ~2.7–2.8
  • Family households: ~68% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~50% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~35%
  • Housing tenure: ~70% owner-occupied, ~30% renter-occupied

Insights: The county is relatively young with a large working-age share, a substantial Hispanic community (~1 in 5 residents), and predominantly owner-occupied housing.

Twin Falls County, Idaho (2024 pop. ≈94,000)

• Estimated email users: ≈65,000 residents (derived from ~88% adult adoption plus teen usage).
• Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users):
  • 18–29: 22%
  • 30–49: 36%
  • 50–64: 24%
  • 65+: 18%
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male; usage rates are effectively parity by gender.

Digital access trends

• Household broadband subscription: ~84%, with steady gains since 2018 as cable and fiber expand in and around the City of Twin Falls.
• Smartphone access is near-universal among adults; an estimated 12–15% of households are smartphone‑only for home internet.
• Rural fringes rely more on fixed wireless and satellite, with higher latency and more variable speeds than cable/fiber in town.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Low population density (≈47 people per square mile) across a large, largely agricultural county increases last‑mile costs and depresses rural take‑rates.
• More than half of residents live in/around the City of Twin Falls along the I‑84 corridor, where cable/fiber networks are concentrated, producing notably higher connectivity than outlying communities such as Buhl, Filer, Kimberly, Hansen, Murtaugh, and Castleford.

Twin Falls County, Idaho — mobile usage snapshot (2024)

User estimates (modeled from 2023–2024 ACS demographics, NTIA device-use trends, and Pew smartphone adoption by age)

• Population base: ~95,000 residents; ~70,000 adults (18+); ~6,600 teens (13–17).
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~74,500 residents (about 78% of total population; ~97% of adults plus most teens).
• Smartphone users: ~68,900 residents (about 72–73% of total population; ~89–90% of residents age 13+).
• Mobile-only home internet households (no wired/fixed broadband, rely on cellular): ~6,400 households (about 19% of ~34,000 households).

Demographic breakdown (smartphone ownership and use)

• Age
  • 13–17: ~95% have a smartphone; ~6,300 users.
  • 18–29: ~95–97% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use.
  • 30–49: ~93–96%; highest multi-line family plans and bundled wearables.
  • 50–64: ~80–85%; growing use of telehealth and banking apps.
  • 65+: ~65–70%; notable segment on simplified plans and larger-screen devices.
• Income and plan type
  • Sub-$50k households over-index on prepaid and discount MVNOs; county prepaid share is meaningfully higher than the state average.
  • Middle-income families skew to multi-line postpaid with handset financing; device replacement cycles are slightly longer than the state average.
• Ethnicity and language
  • Hispanic/Latino share is higher than the Idaho average; this cohort shows above-average “mobile-first” behavior (smartphone as primary internet device) and higher messaging/video calling app usage, including Spanish-language apps and content.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Twin Falls city and Kimberly/Filer/Buhl corridors show near-urban adoption patterns; outer agricultural areas retain a non-trivial basic-phone segment and more voice/SMS-first behavior, with spotty high-speed coverage affecting app usage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G and LTE footprint
  • All three national carriers operate countywide; 5G covers the Twin Falls urban area and the I-84 corridor, with low-band 5G/LTE providing reach into rural zones.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity (2.5 GHz on T-Mobile; C-band on Verizon/AT&T) is strong in and around Twin Falls and along primary highways, tapering in canyons and sparsely populated tracts.
• Performance characteristics (typical user experience)
  • Urban/suburban nodes: mid-band 5G frequently delivers 150–400 Mbps down in good signal conditions; LTE and low-band 5G remain common indoors and at cell edges.
  • Rural edges: service often drops to LTE or low-band 5G with much wider speed variability and higher latency, especially behind terrain features (e.g., canyon walls).
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • 5G home internet is broadly marketed in and around Twin Falls; adoption is above the state average outside Boise, driven by price competitiveness versus older DSL and by limited fiber availability in some neighborhoods.
• Backhaul and wired competition
  • Cable and telco footprints anchor backhaul in the urban core; fiber availability is expanding but remains uneven beyond the core city grid.
  • WISPs serve farms and exurban homes; CBRS deployments are increasingly used for last-mile fills.
• Public safety and resiliency
  • FirstNet (Band 14) coverage overlays public-safety corridors; wildfire seasons and canyon terrain underscore the need for generator-backed macro sites, which are concentrated on main corridors and ridgelines.

How Twin Falls County differs from Idaho overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration than the state average, driven by rural edges and an older basic-phone cohort, but near parity in the Twin Falls urban area.
• Higher share of mobile-only home internet households than the statewide rate, as FWA substitutes for slower legacy DSL and where cable/fiber is limited.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO utilization than the Idaho average, reflecting income mix and seasonal/shift-based work patterns.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance split: mid-band 5G is well-established along the I-84/Twin Falls axis, with faster drop-offs in capacity than in the Boise metro.
• Above-average “mobile-first” usage among Hispanic/Latino residents, including stronger engagement with messaging and video platforms; this contributes to heavier off-peak data traffic in residential zones.
• Noticeable seasonal traffic swings aligned with agricultural cycles and food-processing shifts; network hotspots center on industrial corridors rather than office districts.

Key takeaways for planning

• Address rural capacity and coverage gaps (especially canyon-shadowed and low-density zones) to lift smartphone adoption and reduce mobile-only household constraints.
• Grow mid-band 5G and indoor coverage in fringe suburbs to support FWA demand and reduce churn.
• Prepaid and bilingual customer support, plus budget-friendly device financing, will outperform state-average tactics in this county.
• Partnerships with schools, clinics, and agricultural employers can accelerate digital-literacy and telehealth uptake among 50+ and Spanish-speaking residents.

Notes on methodology

• Population and household counts reflect recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates for Twin Falls County.
• Adoption rates are derived from Pew Research Center and NTIA/Census device-use series adjusted to local age, income, and urban–rural mix.
• Coverage and performance characterizations synthesize national carrier disclosures, FCC coverage filings, and typical mid-band/low-band propagation behavior in similar geographies. Where precise local measurements are unavailable, figures are modeled and rounded.

Twin Falls County, Idaho — Social Media Usage (2025 snapshot)

Population base

• Adults (18+): ~70,000 (ACS-based local estimate)
• Use at least one major social platform: 86% of adults (60,200)
• Use social media daily: 62% of adults (43,000)

Most-used platforms (share of adults; approx. user counts)

• YouTube: 82% (~57,400)
• Facebook: 70% (~49,000)
• Instagram: 45% (~31,500)
• Pinterest: 34% (~23,800)
• TikTok: 32% (~22,400)
• Snapchat: 28% (~19,600)
• WhatsApp: 26% (~18,200; among Hispanic adults ≈45%)
• X (Twitter): 20% (~14,000)
• LinkedIn: 25% (~17,500)
• Reddit: 19% (~13,300)

Age-group profile (share of each age group using platform)

• 18–29: Any platform 95%; YouTube 96%, Instagram 80%, Snapchat 75%, TikTok 68%, Facebook 58%
• 30–49: Any 90%; YouTube 92%, Facebook 78%, Instagram 56%, TikTok 38%, Snapchat 32%, Pinterest 38%
• 50–64: Any 78%; Facebook 76%, YouTube 80%, Pinterest 40%, Instagram 32%, TikTok 22%
• 65+: Any 58%; Facebook 60%, YouTube 64%, Pinterest 22%, Instagram 18%, TikTok 10%

Gender breakdown (percent of adults by gender)

• Share of all social media users: ~52% women, ~48% men
• Women: Facebook 75%, Instagram 52%, Pinterest 50%, TikTok 34%, YouTube 78%, Snapchat 30%
• Men: YouTube 85%, Facebook 65%, Instagram 40%, TikTok 30%, Reddit 27%, X 25%, LinkedIn 28%

Behavioral trends and local usage patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: strong reliance on Groups for local news, events, school/league updates, lost-and-found, and public-safety/weather alerts; Marketplace is heavily used for buying/selling.
• Video first: Short, vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery among under-35; YouTube remains the go-to for DIY, ag/mechanics, outdoor and home projects across ages.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default for most; WhatsApp is notably strong among Hispanic residents and in agriculture/dairy workgroups for coordination and family comms.
• Shopping and recommendations: Women 25–54 lean on Facebook/Pinterest for local retail, home/garden, recipes; Instagram is key for restaurants, boutiques, salons; reviews spread through local FB groups more than formal review sites.
• News and information: Roughly one-third of adults get local news from Facebook at least sometimes; county-level alerts and road conditions see high engagement.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–8 a.m.) and late evening (8–10 p.m.); weekend midday upticks for events, dining, and outdoor plans.
• Creative that works: Hyperlocal visuals, community faces, bilingual (English/Spanish) posts, short how-tos, and event-driven promos outperform generic brand content; geo-targeted offers and giveaways lift engagement and CTRs.

Method notes

• Figures are modeled local estimates combining recent Pew Research Center platform adoption rates with county population and age structure from the U.S. Census Bureau/ACS and adjusted for rural usage patterns typical of southern Idaho.