Beaverhead County

Here are the latest high-level demographics for Beaverhead County, Montana.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census for total population; American Community Survey [ACS] 5-year estimates for 2019–2023 for all other indicators; figures have margins of error).

• Population

  • 2020 Census: 9,371
  • 2023 estimate (ACS): ~9.8K

• Age

  • Median age: ~43 years
  • Under 18: ~18–19%
  • 65 and over: ~22–23%

• Gender

  • Female: ~48–49%
  • Male: ~51–52%

• Race and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (ACS, shares may not sum to 100 due to rounding)

  • White alone, non-Hispanic: ~88–90%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Asian alone: ~0.5–1%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.2–0.5%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0–0.2%

• Households (ACS)

  • Total households: ~4,100
  • Persons per household (avg): ~2.1–2.2
  • Family households: ~55–60% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~66–68%

Beaverhead County, MT snapshot (estimates; ACS/FCC/Pew-based)

• Population/context: ~9.5k residents spread over ~5,500 sq mi (≈1.7 people/sq mi), Montana’s largest county by area. Connectivity is strongest in Dillon and along I‑15; many outlying ranching areas have patchier service.

• Estimated email users: ~7,000 residents (roughly 70–78% of the population; ~80–88% of adults). Email remains one of the most universal online activities among internet users.

• Age distribution of email users:

  • 18–29: ~15–18% of users (very high adoption, ~90%+).
  • 30–49: ~28–32% (high adoption, ~90%).
  • 50–64: ~25–28% (moderately high, ~80–90%).
  • 65+: ~18–22% (lower but rising, ~65–75%). Older-skewing demographics in the county temper overall penetration.

• Gender split: Approximately even (about 49–51%/51–49%); no consistent gap in email use by gender.

• Digital access trends:

  • Household broadband subscription likely in the mid‑70s to low‑80s percent range, near rural‑Montana averages.
  • Higher-speed options concentrate in Dillon (cable/fixed wireline); many rural homes rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • Mobile-only internet reliance is growing (roughly 1 in 10–6 in 10 of online adults statewide, skewing rural).
  • Ongoing state/federal broadband programs are expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless builds in underserved blocks.

Note: Figures are approximations derived from statewide/rural benchmarks applied to local population and geography.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Beaverhead County, Montana (focus on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Baseline

• Population: roughly 9.5K residents; ~4.0–4.3K households, concentrated in Dillon with very low density elsewhere.

User estimates (modeled from recent ACS/NTIA patterns, rural age structure, and carrier footprints)

• Mobile phone users (any mobile): about 8.2K–8.8K residents.
• Smartphone users: about 6.8K–7.3K residents. Share of adults with a smartphone likely in the low-80% range, a few points below Montana’s mid-80s.
• Households relying on mobile as their primary home internet (“cellular-only”): estimated 20–25% in Beaverhead vs ~15–18% statewide. This is driven by limited fixed-broadband choices outside Dillon and post-ACP affordability shifts.
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): high by rural standards but still slightly below state urban levels due to ranch/remote households keeping a landline or satellite/VoIP backup.

Demographic patterns that diverge from statewide

• Older skew overall lowers smartphone adoption and app-centric usage compared with Montana’s average; 65+ adoption and mobile data consumption are both below the state mean.
• A campus effect in Dillon (UM Western) creates a bimodal profile: 18–24s show near-saturation smartphone ownership, heavy unlimited-plan uptake, and higher “mobile-only internet” dependency than the county average.
• Income/affordability: with fewer wireline options outside Dillon, lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet than similar households in metro Montana. The ACP wind-down has pushed some homes from cable/DSL to prepaid mobile or to seasonal on/off mobile data usage.
• Work patterns: agriculture/outdoor sectors rely more on voice/text, PTT-style apps, boosters, and offline mapping than urban Montanans; device turnover is slower, with LTE feature phones noticeably more common than in cities.

Digital infrastructure (where Beaverhead differs most from state)

• Coverage geography
  • Strongest along I-15 and in Dillon; adequate in Lima and Wisdom/Jackson town centers; weak to none across the Big Hole and Centennial Valleys, Grasshopper/Polaris, Bannack, Medicine Lodge/Big Sheep Creek, and many USFS roads.
  • Compared with Montana’s metros, Beaverhead has larger, persistent dead zones and more “1–2 bar” fringe areas, especially off the interstate.
• Network technology
  • 4G LTE is the workhorse countywide; low-band 5G is present in Dillon and spotty along I-15, but mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) capacity seen in Billings/Bozeman/Missoula is limited or absent here. mmWave is effectively nil.
  • Practical speeds and latencies trail state urban norms; peak times can see notable slowdowns where sites are backhaul-constrained.
• Tower density and siting
  • Macro sites are sparse and clustered on highway corridors and hills above towns. Vast basins between ridges lack line-of-sight; residents frequently use vehicle boosters or home repeaters—far more than in Montana’s cities.
• Backhaul
  • Fiber is anchored to the I-15/Dillon corridor; microwave links serve many remote sites. This mix constrains upgrade paths compared with fiber-rich metro counties.
• Carriers
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all cover Dillon/I-15; rural coverage varies by carrier and band. Low-band spectrum (600/700/850 MHz) does most of the work; roaming and cross-border signal from Idaho can appear near Monida/Red Rock.
• Emergency/continuity
  • Wi‑Fi calling is a common workaround in valleys; Search and Rescue and ranch operations rely on VHF/satellite messengers more than in urban counties.

Trends versus Montana statewide

• Slower 5G capacity rollout: Beaverhead lags metros on mid-band 5G and site densification; most “5G” here behaves like extended-range LTE.
• Higher dependence on mobile or satellite as primary home internet, particularly outside Dillon; fewer fiber/cable options than state urban averages.
• More pronounced coverage variability: long stretches with limited or no signal remain, a contrast to improving continuity along most state urban/suburban corridors.
• Demographic bimodality: older residents depress overall smartphone adoption and data use, while the Dillon student population raises mobile-only and unlimited-plan adoption locally.
• Device mix and usage: more LTE feature phones, boosters, offline workflows, and cross-carrier SIM strategies than typically seen in Montana’s cities.

Implications

• Capacity upgrades on I-15/Dillon nodes and new backhaul to outlying sites would have outsized impact versus additional low-band coverage.
• Programs targeting older-adult smartphone adoption and affordability, plus campus-focused mobile plans in Dillon, would align with the county’s split user base.
• For emergency resiliency, encouraging Wi‑Fi calling adoption and maintaining VHF/satellite coverage remains more critical here than in most Montana counties.

Beaverhead County, MT — Social Media Snapshot (estimates)

Context and user base

• Population: ~9.5K residents (Dillon is the hub). Adult share ~75–80%.
• Connectivity: Household broadband subscription roughly 75–82%; mobile data fills gaps outside Dillon.
• Active social users: About 6,000–7,500 adults use at least one social platform monthly (rural usage is slightly below the U.S. average).

Most‑used platforms (share of adults using monthly; estimates adapted from rural U.S./Montana patterns)

• YouTube: 70–80% — universal how‑to, news, outdoor/recreation, equipment repair.
• Facebook: 60–70% — dominant for local news, groups, Marketplace, events.
• Instagram: 30–40% — strongest among 18–34; event photos, reels.
• Snapchat: 25–35% — heavy among teens/college students (Dillon/UM Western).
• TikTok: 25–35% — growth in 18–34; some spillover to 35–44 via Reels cross‑posting.
• Pinterest: 15–20% overall (25–35% of women) — home, crafts, recipes.
• X (Twitter): 8–12% — niche (sports, news junkies).
• LinkedIn: 10–15% — educators, healthcare, public sector, small‑business owners.
• Reddit: 8–12% — mostly men 18–34; hunting, tech, finance subs.
• Nextdoor: Low penetration; Facebook Groups fill that role.

Age‑group patterns (directional)

• 13–17: YouTube ~90%+; Snapchat 80–90%; Instagram 70–80%; TikTok 70–80%; Facebook <30% (mainly for teams/events).
• 18–24 (UM Western influence): YouTube ~95%; Instagram 80%+; Snapchat 80%+; TikTok ~70%+; Facebook 40–50% (Marketplace/events).
• 25–44: Facebook 70%+; YouTube 85–90%; Instagram 50–60%; TikTok 35–45%; Snapchat 30–40%.
• 45–64: Facebook 75–85%; YouTube 75–85%; Instagram 25–35%; TikTok 15–25% and rising.
• 65+: Facebook 60–70%; YouTube 50–60%; Instagram 10–20%; TikTok 5–10%.

Gender breakdown (tendencies)

• Women: Higher use of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat; active in local groups, school/league info, Marketplace.
• Men: Higher use of YouTube, Reddit, X; follow outdoor sports, ranching/mechanics, regional news.

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Facebook Groups are the community backbone: buy/sell/trade, ranching and ag, road/wildfire/weather alerts, school sports, missing pets, civic updates. Nextdoor is largely substituted by these groups.
• Marketplace is a primary commerce channel for gear, vehicles, livestock supplies; high response to “pickup today” posts.
• Local events drive spikes: Beaverhead County Fair, Dillon Jaycees PRCA Rodeo (Labor Day), hunting season openers, high‑school sports, UM Western academic calendar.
• Video consumption is up: short‑form (Reels/TikTok) for younger users; longer YouTube for tutorials, equipment repair, and outdoor content across ages.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the cross‑age default; Snapchat DMs for teens/college; WhatsApp/Telegram are niche.
• Trust flows through known local admins/moderators and official pages (county, schools, sheriff). Users rely on Facebook for real‑time closures, fire updates, and road conditions.
• Posting cadence: Peaks early morning (before work/ranch chores), lunch, and 7–10 pm; weekend activity rises with events and Marketplace.
• Connectivity constraints outside Dillon can limit live streaming; creators often upload off‑peak or from town Wi‑Fi.

Notes

• Figures are best‑effort estimates based on rural U.S./Montana patterns (e.g., Pew Research Center social media use, ACS broadband adoption) and known local behavior; precise, platform‑verified county‑level percentages are not publicly reported.