Glacier County

Glacier County, Montana — key demographics (most recent ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2020 Census shown for total count)

• Population: ~13,900 (ACS est.); 13,778 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~31
  • Under 18: ~31%
  • 65 and over: ~14%
• Sex (gender):
  • Female: ~50–51%
  • Male: ~49–50%
• Race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian and Alaska Native (alone): ~64%
  • White (alone): ~30%
  • Two or more races: ~5%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
  • Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: each <1%
• Households:
  • ~4,300 households
  • Average household size: ~3.1
  • Family households: ~70%+

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (5-year) and 2020 Decennial Census. Estimates subject to sampling error.

Glacier County, MT snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: 14K residents over ~3,000 sq mi (4–5 people/sq mi). Largest towns: Cut Bank (county seat) and Browning (Blackfeet Nation).
• Estimated email users: 8,000–9,500 residents. Basis: roughly three-quarters of households report an internet subscription (ACS S2801), and email usage is near-universal among internet users.
• Age profile of email use:
  • 18–34: high adoption (≈85–90%); mobile-first.
  • 35–64: strong adoption (≈80–85%).
  • 65+: moderate adoption (≈55–65%), rising as telehealth/government services digitize.
• Gender split: approximately even; email usage mirrors population (~50/50).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Connectivity clusters in town centers and along US‑2/US‑89; coverage becomes patchy in outlying reservation areas, ranchlands, and near Glacier National Park’s east side.
  • Household broadband subscription ≈70–80%; smartphone‑only internet access ≈20–25% of households; 15–20% have limited or no home internet.
  • LTE is common on corridors; 5G remains spotty; satellite (e.g., LEO) adoption is growing for remote addresses.
  • Ongoing tribal and state broadband initiatives are expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless backbones.

Notes: Figures are rounded from recent ACS/FCC rural benchmarks and local conditions; use for planning, not compliance.

Glacier County, MT mobile phone usage summary

Bottom line

• Expect slightly fewer resident mobile subscriptions per capita than the Montana average, but heavier day‑to‑day reliance on mobile data, especially among Native households and mobile‑only homes. Coverage is solid along US‑2/US‑89 and in towns, but far more variable than the state overall once you move into the park, foothills, and reservation backroads. Seasonal tourism and cross‑border dynamics create usage spikes and congestion patterns that the rest of the state sees less intensely.

User estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 14,000 residents.
• Active mobile users (phones of residents): 10,000–12,000. Method: apply 72–80% “mobile user share” to total population to reflect slightly lower device ownership than statewide, offset by teen adoption and multi‑user households.
• Smartphone users: 8,500–10,000 (roughly 80–85% of mobile users), with a higher Android share than in Montana’s cities due to price sensitivity.
• Subscriptions per 100 residents: somewhat below the state average because tablet/hotspot lines are less common and multi‑line family plans are underused outside town centers.
• Seasonal uplift: summer tourism in and around Glacier National Park can double or triple daytime device counts in East Glacier, St. Mary, Many Glacier, Babb, and along US‑2/US‑89, causing short‑term congestion atypical for most Montana counties.

Demographic usage patterns

• Native American majority: A large share of residents are Blackfeet. Compared with state averages, households here are more likely to be mobile‑only for internet access, with lower home broadband subscription rates and heavier use of prepaid plans and subsidy programs (historically Lifeline and the now‑expired ACP).
• Income and affordability: Higher reliance on prepaid, multi‑month top‑ups, and data‑capped plans than the state average; visible plan downgrades and churn since ACP funding lapsed in 2024. Shared devices and Wi‑Fi offload at schools, libraries, and tribal facilities are common.
• Age mix: A younger skew on the reservation boosts teen smartphone penetration and social/video usage; older adults show a higher mix of basic/feature phones than in Montana’s metro counties.
• Work patterns: Agriculture, rail, tourism, and public sector jobs drive daytime mobile use along transport corridors and in service hubs (Cut Bank, Browning), with lingering use of radios/offline workflows where coverage drops.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • Carriers: Verizon generally provides the broadest rural footprint; AT&T is strong in towns and for FirstNet; T‑Mobile presence is expanding along highways and population centers but is patchier off‑corridor than in Montana’s larger cities.
  • 4G LTE is the baseline nearly everywhere there is service. Low‑band 5G exists along the main highways and in towns; mid‑band 5G capacity is limited (mostly in/near Cut Bank and Browning), so average 5G speeds lag state urban benchmarks.
  • Park and terrain effects: Large dead zones persist in canyons and the east side of Glacier National Park. Signals drop quickly behind ridgelines; Many Glacier and backcountry areas often have no service by design/topography.
  • Seasonal augments: Temporary cells (COWs) and sector upgrades may appear near park gateways in peak season, yet midday slowdowns are still common.
  • Cross‑border: Proximity to Alberta introduces roaming/hand‑off quirks near Babb, Chief Mountain, and the Piegan–Carway crossing; Canadian visitor traffic spikes in summer.
• Backhaul and resiliency
  • Fiber follows the BNSF/US‑2 corridor; microwave backhaul serves outlying and park‑adjacent sites. Single‑homed segments mean fiber cuts or storms can degrade multiple towers at once more often than is typical in Montana’s larger metro areas.
  • Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) adoption by tribal and county agencies boosts coverage priority during incidents, but overall commercial capacity remains the bottleneck at peak times.
• Home and small‑business alternatives
  • Fixed wireless (Verizon LTE Home, T‑Mobile 5G Home) is available in town centers; performance drops outside core sectors due to signal quality.
  • Starlink adoption is noticeably above the state average in remote homesteads and small businesses because it outperforms legacy DSL and sparse cable options.

How Glacier County differs from Montana state‑level trends

• Higher share of mobile‑only households and lower home broadband take‑up; more dependence on prepaid and (previously) ACP/Lifeline than the statewide profile.
• Greater coverage variability: service is reliable in towns/corridors but falls off sharply with terrain—more so than the typical Montana county—yielding lower median speeds and more dead zones.
• Capacity is more seasonally stressed: summer tourism and Canadian roamers create congestion spikes not seen in most non‑park counties.
• Device/plan mix skews value‑oriented: Android and prepaid penetration are higher; family postpaid bundles and additional data‑only lines are less common than statewide.
• Public safety and resiliency considerations weigh more heavily: FirstNet is more central to operations, and single‑path backhaul risks create outages that would be rare in multi‑fiber metro areas.

Notes on confidence and estimation

• Figures above are rounded estimates derived from population, typical rural/tribal ownership rates, and observed carrier footprints in similar Montana counties. Exact tower counts, speed tests, and subscription totals vary by carrier and season. For planning, validate with current FCC coverage maps, carrier crowd‑sourced performance data in Cut Bank/Browning/East Glacier, and local institutions (tribal IT, schools, clinics) on post‑ACP connectivity impacts.

Below is a concise, county‑level snapshot built from Glacier County’s approximate adult population and U.S./rural Montana social-media benchmarks. Treat figures as directional estimates (there’s no official platform census at the county level).

County baseline

• Adults (18+): roughly 9,500–10,500
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~6,500–7,300 (≈65–70% of adults)

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; multi‑platform use is common)

• YouTube: 80–85% (≈7,600–8,900 adults)
• Facebook: 65–70% (≈6,200–7,300)
• Instagram: 35–45% (≈3,300–4,700)
• TikTok: 27–35% (≈2,600–3,700)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (≈2,900–3,700)
• Snapchat: 22–30% (≈2,100–3,100)
• WhatsApp: 18–25% (≈1,700–2,600)
• X (Twitter): 15–20% (≈1,400–2,100)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (≈1,400–2,100)
• Reddit: 15–20% (≈1,400–2,100) Note: YouTube and Facebook are clear leaders; Instagram/TikTok concentrate among under‑35s; LinkedIn/X are niche.

Age profile (adoption rates by age band; local mix skews slightly younger than the U.S. average)

• 18–29: 85–95% on at least one platform; heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube
• 30–49: 80–88%; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; growing TikTok
• 50–64: 65–75%; Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest
• 65+: 45–55%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; light Instagram/Pinterest

Gender breakdown (among total social users; platform skews reflect national patterns)

• Overall users: roughly 52–55% women, 45–48% men
• Skews by platform: Pinterest and Facebook lean female; Reddit and X lean male; Instagram, TikTok, YouTube are closer to balanced

Behavioral trends seen in rural MT counties (and observable locally)

• Community/info first: Facebook Pages/Groups + Messenger for county/tribal notices, schools, road/weather updates, events, lost-and-found, and buy/sell/trade.
• Video forward: Short‑form video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) is the most shareable format; local scenery, wildlife, sports, and event clips outperform polished ads.
• Messaging > public posting: Messenger and Snapchat are core for day‑to‑day communication; WhatsApp is niche but used for family and cross‑border ties.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace and Group sales drive discovery for small businesses; Instagram helps with visual products (food, apparel, arts).
• Timing: Engagement typically clusters evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; storm days and major local events create spikes.
• Trust signals: Content with recognizable local people/places, clear service info (hours, closures), and prompt replies earns higher engagement.

Method at a glance

• Population base from recent ACS estimates; usage rates from Pew and rural U.S./Montana benchmarks (2023–2024). Figures are modeled for Glacier County; use for planning, not for compliance reporting.