Valley County

Valley County, Idaho – key demographics

Population size

• 11,746 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~50 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~25%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial and ethnic composition

• White alone: ~94%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Some other race alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5% (2020 Decennial Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity and overlaps with race)

Households and housing

• Total households: ~5,000
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~62%; married-couple families: ~50%
• Households with children under 18: ~19–20%
• Owner-occupied: ~79%; renter-occupied: ~21%
• Total housing units: ~13,000; vacancy ~60% (primarily seasonal/recreational use) (ACS 2018–2022)

Insights

• Older-than-average population and smaller household sizes.
• Predominantly White, with a small but present Hispanic/Latino community.
• Very high share of seasonal/second homes characteristic of mountain resort counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Valley County, ID has ≈12,200 residents across ≈3,733 sq mi (≈3.3 residents/sq mi).

Estimated email users: ≈9,900 residents age 13+ (≈92% of 13+).

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–17: 6%
• 18–34: 22%
• 35–64: 46%
• 65+: 26%

Gender split among users: ≈51% male, 49% female.

Digital access and connectivity:

• Household broadband subscription ≈83%; smartphone‑only internet ≈13% of adults.
• Coverage is strongest along the US‑55 corridor and in McCall, Donnelly, and Cascade (cable/fiber footprints). Outlying tracts and mountain valleys remain underserved or reliant on lower‑speed DSL/fixed‑wireless, affecting email reliability.
• A large seasonal/second‑home stock depresses paid subscription rates per housing unit even where service exists.
• Very low population density and rugged topography raise last‑mile costs, creating pockets with limited fixed broadband.

Insight: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults and solid among seniors; remaining gaps are driven primarily by access and geography, not demand.

Mobile phone usage in Valley County, Idaho — key numbers and takeaways (distinct from Idaho statewide)

Population and baseline

• Residents: ~12,000; households: ~5,000 (large share of seasonal/second homes; roughly half of housing units are not year‑round occupied).
• Older profile: 65+ is about 25–28% of residents (vs ~17–18% statewide), which shapes device mix and connectivity behavior.

User estimates and device mix

• Smartphone users: approximately 8,300–8,900 adult users (about 86–90% of adults), a few points lower than Idaho’s ~88–90% due to a larger senior population.
• Basic/feature phones: ~8–10% of active lines (vs ~5–6% statewide), reflecting higher retention among retirees and in backcountry/outage‑prone areas for voice/SMS reliability.
• Mobile‑only internet reliance (households that use cellular data as primary home internet): ~12–15% in Valley County, higher than Idaho’s ~8–10%, driven by remote locations without cable/fiber and by seasonal households.
• Hotspot usage: materially above the state average; mobile hotspots and phone tethering are common for remote work/learning in outlying areas and for second homes.
• Seasonal swings: active lines and data demand surge during peak tourism (summer lake season and winter ski period), with weekend/holiday traffic rising to roughly 1.5–3× midweek off‑season levels, a pattern far more pronounced than the state average.

Demographic patterns behind usage

• Seniors (65+): smartphone adoption around 70–75% locally (vs ~78–80% statewide), higher likelihood of basic phones and voice‑centric plans, and heavier use of Wi‑Fi calling at home.
• Working‑age adults (25–54): high smartphone adoption (~95%+), above‑average hotspot usage due to hybrid work among second‑home owners and contractors.
• Youth (13–24): device adoption on par with state, but data consumption spikes around resort towns (McCall, Donnelly, Cascade) during school breaks and weekends.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network footprint:
  • 5G is present in town cores (McCall, Donnelly, Cascade) and along the US‑55 corridor; mid‑band 5G capacity is spotty and concentrated where population density and tourism are highest.
  • Outside town centers, LTE on low‑band spectrum (600/700/850 MHz) remains the primary layer; terrain‑limited valleys and forest roads see frequent drops to weak LTE or no service.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the most continuous voice/LTE along US‑55 and around lakes/resort areas; T‑Mobile coverage is solid in town cores and along the highway but has larger gaps off‑corridor.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) improves public‑safety coverage on main routes; priority access benefits emergency operations during peak tourism events.
• Notable gap areas and variability:
  • Portions of ID‑55 canyon (Banks–Smiths Ferry), Warm Lake and upper South Fork Salmon corridors, and backcountry around Brundage/Payette National Forest have persistent dead zones.
  • Winter storms and wildfire seasons can cause site outages; some macro sites rely on limited battery backup, increasing dependence on Wi‑Fi calling or satellite messengers in remote zones.
• Performance (typical, not guaranteed):
  • Town 5G mid‑band: 150–400 Mbps down during off‑peak; LTE low‑band edge: 1–10 Mbps, with high variability under congestion or in canyons.
• Backhaul and capacity:
  • Fiber backhaul follows the US‑55 spine through towns; off‑spine sites often depend on microwave links, constraining peak capacity more than in most Idaho counties.
  • Small‑cell and in‑building systems are deployed selectively around resort venues; this targeted densification is more seasonal and localized than the statewide norm.

How Valley County differs from the Idaho average

• More seasonal and older: Atypically high share of seniors and second homes leads to slightly lower smartphone penetration, more basic phones, and higher reliance on Wi‑Fi calling.
• Higher cellular‑primary internet use: More households depend on cellular or hotspot service as their main connection than the state average due to sparse fixed infrastructure in remote areas.
• Sharper demand spikes: Tourism drives pronounced, predictable congestion peaks (weekends/holidays), unlike the steadier statewide pattern.
• Coverage shaped by terrain: Service gaps and LTE‑first coverage outside towns are more common than across Idaho overall, where plains and urban corridors enable broader 5G mid‑band availability.
• Public‑safety and backcountry behavior: Greater use of priority networks (FirstNet), offline maps, and satellite messaging among residents and visitors, reflecting backcountry exposure and coverage gaps.

Bottom line

• Expect high smartphone adoption but with a notable senior/basic‑phone segment; heavier-than-average reliance on cellular for home internet; solid multi‑carrier service in McCall–Donnelly–Cascade and along US‑55; and pronounced coverage holes and capacity constraints off‑corridor. These patterns deviate from Idaho’s statewide profile primarily because of Valley County’s older/seasonal demographics, rugged topography, and tourism‑driven seasonality.

Social media usage in Valley County, Idaho (2025 snapshot)

What the numbers represent

• Percentages below represent the share of Valley County adults (18+) estimated to use each platform at least monthly in 2025. Figures are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age and rurality, adjusted to Valley County’s older age profile (ACS 5‑year). Expected uncertainty is roughly ±3–5 percentage points per platform.

Overall reach

• Adults using at least one social platform: 78–82% (modeled)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adult population)

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 34%
• TikTok: 26%
• Snapchat: 24%
• LinkedIn: 24%
• WhatsApp: 22%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 16%
• Nextdoor: 16%

Age group patterns (platform adoption within each age group, Valley County adults; modeled)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 76%, Snapchat 75%, TikTok 67%, Facebook 61%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube 92%, Facebook 79%, Instagram 58%, TikTok 39%, Snapchat 35%, LinkedIn 31%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube 78%, Facebook 73%, Instagram 32%, TikTok 18%, Snapchat 13%, Pinterest 38%, Nextdoor 17%
• Ages 65+: YouTube 61%, Facebook 57%, Instagram 21%, TikTok 9%, Snapchat 6%, Pinterest 28%, Nextdoor 19%

Gender breakdown (platform adoption within gender, Valley County adults; modeled)

• Women: Facebook 78%, Instagram 42%, Pinterest 48%, YouTube 79%, TikTok 28%, Snapchat 26%, WhatsApp 21%, LinkedIn 22%, X 18%, Reddit 9%, Nextdoor 18%
• Men: YouTube 84%, Facebook 66%, Instagram 35%, Pinterest 20%, TikTok 24%, Snapchat 22%, WhatsApp 23%, LinkedIn 27%, X 22%, Reddit 23%, Nextdoor 14%

Behavioral trends to expect locally

• Platform roles
  • Facebook is the default community hub: city/county notices, wildfire and road/snow updates, school/sports announcements, local buy/sell groups, and event discovery. Marketplace activity is especially strong for outdoor gear, vehicles, and home/contractor services.
  • YouTube is heavily used for DIY, home projects, and outdoor recreation content (ski/snow/snowmobile, boating, trail info). Smart‑TV viewing is common for longer tutorials; Shorts help event highlights.
  • Instagram and TikTok skew toward younger residents, seasonal workers, and visitors; best for hospitality, dining, outfitters, real estate visuals, and event reels. Peak interest aligns with winter and summer tourism seasons.
  • Snapchat remains concentrated among teens/young adults (McCall/Cascade/Donnelly areas) for day‑to‑day socializing; limited for broad public messaging.
  • Nextdoor is useful in HOA‑dense neighborhoods/subdivisions; good for lost‑and‑found, contractor referrals, and hyperlocal alerts but total reach trails Facebook Groups.
  • X and Reddit are niche: X for state/agency/weather alerts; Reddit for interest communities (skiing/snowmobiling/travel) rather than strictly local updates.
• Content formats
  • Local faces, plain‑language service info, road/conditions, and before/after visuals outperform polished corporate posts.
  • Short vertical video drives discovery; cross‑posting Reels to TikTok increases seasonal visitor reach.
  • Add captions/subtitles; bandwidth varies outside town cores, and many users watch muted.
• Timing and cadence
  • Engagement clusters around early morning and evening; weekends lift for events/outdoor content.
  • Sustainable cadence: Facebook/Instagram 3–5 posts weekly; YouTube 1–2 videos monthly; TikTok/Reels around events, conditions, and “what to do this week.”
• Community dynamics
  • Seasonal population swings matter: second‑home owners and visitors boost Instagram/TikTok/YouTube in peak seasons, while year‑round residents anchor Facebook Groups.
  • Trust is local: posts that credit local agencies, trail groups, and schools perform better; active moderation in Groups reduces rumor spread during wildfire/winter events.

Notes and sources

• Sources: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption by age, gender, and community type); U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5‑year (for Valley County’s older age profile); adjustments for rural patterns.
• Method: County‑level social platform usage is not directly published; percentages are modeled by applying 2024 Pew adoption rates to Valley County’s adult age mix and rural context. Use figures directionally with ±3–5 pp tolerance.