Flathead County

Flathead County, Montana — key demographics

Population

• Total population: ~112,000 (2023 ACS 1-year estimate)
• 2020 Census count: 104,357

Age

• Median age: ~42
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~57–58%
• 65 and over: ~20–21%

Sex

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; Non-Hispanic unless noted)

• White (Non-Hispanic): ~90%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Two or more races (Non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Asian (Non-Hispanic): ~0.5–0.7%
• Black/African American (Non-Hispanic): ~0.3–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic): ~0.1%

Households

• Number of households: ~46,000–47,000
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons
• Family households: ~60–62% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–28%
• One-person households: ~26–28%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 1-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and 2020 Census. Estimates rounded.

• County profile: ~113k residents (2023 est.) across 5,256 sq. miles; ~21 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: ~82–88k residents use email regularly (applying ACS internet adoption and Pew email-use rates of ~90–95% among adults), plus several thousand teens.
• Age mix (of adult email users, approx.):
  • 18–34: ~25%
  • 35–54: ~32%
  • 55–64: ~19%
  • 65+: ~24% Teen users add roughly another ~5% to the overall user base.
• Gender split: ~50/50, with a slight female majority, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and trends:
  • 85–88% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS). Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls are well served by cable/fiber; outlying valleys and mountain/forest edges rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, with some gaps.
  • Mobile-only internet is common for a minority of households (about 1 in 10).
  • In‑migration and more remote work since 2020 have raised demand; state/federal investments (e.g., BEAD) are funding new fiber to unserved areas.
  • Public libraries and schools provide free Wi‑Fi that supplements residential access.

Overall, email usage is widespread, with slightly lower adoption among the oldest residents and in the most remote parts of the county.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Flathead County, Montana

Baseline and user estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 110,000–115,000 residents (2023-era). Adult share ≈ 78–80%.
• Smartphone users (residents): about 80,000–90,000 people use a smartphone regularly.
• Total mobile phone users (including basic phones): roughly 90,000–100,000.
• Seasonal effect: summer tourism (Glacier National Park, Whitefish/Kalispell events) produces pronounced spikes in device counts and network load, especially along US‑2, US‑93, and near park entrances—much more seasonally variable than the statewide average.

How Flathead differs from Montana overall

• Faster growth and seasonal swings: One of the state’s fastest‑growing counties with heavy visitor influx; traffic can exceed resident demand in peak months. Most MT counties don’t see this scale of seasonal load.
• Terrain-driven gaps: Coverage is strong on the valley floor but drops quickly in mountain corridors and inside Glacier NP. Eastern MT’s gaps are distance‑driven; Flathead’s are terrain‑driven with sharp dead zones.
• Earlier/more visible 5G in population centers: Mid‑band 5G is reported by major carriers around Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and along key corridors. Many rural MT counties still rely mostly on LTE.
• Mixed digital profile: A larger share of remote workers and new in‑migrants boosts high‑end device adoption, while a sizable older population and dispersed rural housing keep a noticeable group on basic phones or mobile‑only internet.

Demographic breakdown (estimates)

• Age
  • Teens (13–17): very high smartphone adoption (≈90–95%). Stronger reliance on messaging/social apps and school‑issued hotspots where home broadband is weak.
  • Young adults (18–34): near‑universal smartphone ownership (≈95–99%); heavy mobile data and hotspot use among service/hospitality workers and remote workers.
  • Middle age (35–64): high adoption (≈85–90%); many mobile‑only or mobile‑primary households outside cable footprints.
  • Seniors (65+): lower adoption (≈55–65% smartphones; additional basic‑phone users). Larger senior share than some MT metros slightly pulls down overall smartphone penetration vs places like Gallatin or Missoula.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower‑income households show above‑average mobile‑only internet reliance; prepaid and budget MVNOs are common.
  • The lapse of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 has pushed some households toward mobile plans/hotspots as primary internet—visible in rural pockets outside cable or fiber.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Highest device density and best performance: Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and the US‑93/US‑2 corridors.
  • Patchy or no service: North Fork area (Polebridge), Swan/Seeley corridors, higher‑elevation and forested valleys, and interior Glacier NP.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and capacity
  • 4G LTE: Broad on the valley floor and along main highways; performance degrades quickly off‑corridor.
  • 5G: Major carriers report low‑band “extended” 5G widely in the valley and mid‑band 5G in/near Kalispell and Whitefish; mmWave is limited to a few dense spots, if present at all.
  • Seasonal capacity management: Temporary cells and added bandwidth are commonly deployed near West Glacier/Apgar and event venues during peak months—more common here than in most MT counties.
• Carriers and services
  • National carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile, Verizon) have the most consistent footprints; regional and prepaid brands ride these networks.
  • Fixed wireless and 5G home internet (especially T‑Mobile) have meaningful uptake in exurban areas where cable isn’t available or where DSL is slow.
  • Starlink adoption is notable among rural properties with tree‑ or terrain‑limited terrestrial options.
• Wireline interplay
  • Cable (Charter Spectrum) serves Kalispell/Whitefish/Columbia Falls and some nearby communities; outside those areas, legacy DSL or WISPs fill gaps.
  • State/federal grants (e.g., BEAD/ConnectMT) are targeting unserved pockets in Flathead and neighboring counties; most large builds are 2025–2028 timeframes.
• Backhaul and resilience
  • Primary fiber backhaul follows highway corridors; single points of failure can cause regional slowdowns or outages.
  • Power/weather: Winter storms and wildfire seasons can interrupt service; many sites have generators but prolonged outages still occur. Public safety relies on AT&T FirstNet with portable assets during incidents.
• Public access and inclusion
  • Libraries (ImagineIF branches), schools, and municipal buildings provide Wi‑Fi; hotspot‑lending programs help bridge gaps during school months.
  • Tourism infrastructure (airport, hotels, downtowns) offers dense Wi‑Fi, which partly offsets cellular load in town centers.

What this means for planning and operations

• Expect above‑state‑average seasonal peaks and corridor congestion; capacity augments near park gateways have outsized benefit.
• Mid‑band 5G expansion in outlying neighborhoods will meaningfully improve both mobile and fixed‑wireless substitutes.
• Outreach to seniors and rural households (device training, hotspot loans, low‑cost plans) will close the biggest local adoption gaps.
• Redundancy on fiber backhaul and power at key macro sites reduces outsized outage risk compared to flatter parts of the state.

Method note: Estimates combine county population/age structure (Census/ACS), nationwide smartphone adoption by age (Pew Research), FCC coverage maps, carrier-reported 5G footprints, and observed local conditions (tourism patterns, terrain). Figures are presented as ranges to reflect uncertainty and recent growth.

Flathead County, MT — social media snapshot (modeled estimates)

User stats

• Population: ~112,000; adults (18+): ~87,000
• Estimated active social media users (18+): ~65,000–72,000 (75–83% of adults)
• Teens (13–17): ~6,500; social media use ~90%+

Most‑used platforms among adults (18+), estimated penetration

• Facebook: 70–75%
• YouTube: 75–80%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• Facebook Messenger: 60–65%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (higher among women, 30+)
• TikTok: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 20–25% (skews under 30)
• LinkedIn: 15–20%
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• WhatsApp: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 5–10%

Age profile (who uses what most)

• 13–17: YouTube ~95%; Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok ~70–80%; Facebook low except for groups/teams
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%; Instagram ~75–80%; TikTok ~60–65%; Snapchat ~60%; Facebook ~55–60%
• 30–49: Facebook ~75–80%; YouTube ~85%; Instagram ~50–55%; TikTok ~35–40%
• 50–64: Facebook ~75–80%; YouTube ~70–75%; Pinterest ~40–50%; Instagram ~30–35%; TikTok ~20–25%
• 65+: Facebook ~65–70%; YouTube ~55–60%; Pinterest ~25–35%; Instagram ~15–25%

Gender breakdown (overall and skews)

• Overall user base roughly mirrors population: ~51% women, ~49% men
• Skews by platform
  • More women: Pinterest (≈70/30), Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), TikTok (slight)
  • More men: YouTube (slight), Reddit (≈70/30), X/Twitter (≈60/40), LinkedIn (slight)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: neighborhood and buy/sell groups, school sports, wildfire/road condition updates; very high engagement during emergencies and winter weather
• Marketplace is a major channel for vehicles, outdoor gear, tools, and seasonal rentals
• Seasonal spike (May–Sept): travel/outdoor content around Glacier NP; Instagram Reels/TikTok shorts and YouTube trip-planning perform well
• Small businesses lean on Facebook + Instagram for reach; geotargeting typically within 25–50 miles; boosted posts outperform organic for events and openings
• Event discovery: Facebook Events is primary; Instagram Stories used for reminders; word‑of‑mouth via local groups matters
• Posting/engagement peaks: 6–8 a.m. and 6–9 p.m. local; Sunday evening and midweek evenings over-index; outdoors/seasonal daylight shifts nudge later summer activity
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp usage is modest; SMS still common for coordination
• Civic/political chatter: school board, land use, wildfire, housing, conservation—discussion concentrated in Facebook groups/pages; shares drive meeting turnout
• Creator niches that resonate: hunting/fishing, hiking/overlanding, homesteading/woodworking, real estate/land, fitness/outdoor lifestyle

Notes on method

• County-level platform data are scarce. Figures above are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform usage, adjusted for rural counties and Flathead’s age mix (ACS), plus observed regional adoption patterns. Treat as directional estimates rather than exact counts.