Silver Bow County

Silver Bow County, Montana — key demographics

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~36,100
• 2020 Census: 35,133

Age

• Median age: ~40.8 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS categories)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~89%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~0.5%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): ~0.1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~16,000
• Average household size: ~2.18
• Average family size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Married-couple households: ~43% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~42%
• Living alone: ~36% of households; age 65+ living alone: ~14%
• Housing units: ~19,000
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~65%

Insights

• Older age profile than the U.S. overall (median age ~41 vs. U.S. ~39)
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White population with small but present American Indian and Hispanic communities
• Smaller household size and a relatively high share of single-person households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program (2023). Figures rounded for readability.

• Scope: Silver Bow County (Butte–Silver Bow), population ~36,000 over ~718 sq mi (≈49 people/sq mi).

• Estimated email users: ~26,500 adult residents use email regularly (≈75% of total residents, reflecting high adult adoption).

• Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):

  • 18–24: 3,100
  • 25–34: 4,500
  • 35–44: 4,200
  • 45–54: 4,100
  • 55–64: 4,700
  • 65+: 5,800 Email use is near-universal among 30–64, slightly lower for 65+ but still strong.

• Gender split: Roughly even. Given small national adoption differences (women marginally higher), expect ≈49–51% split by sex locally.

• Digital access and trends:

  • Household broadband subscription: ~84–86% (ACS 2018–2022), up from the mid-70s in the mid‑2010s.
  • Computer access: ~91–93% of households; smartphone-only internet households roughly high single digits.
  • Connectivity footprint: Fixed broadband covers the Butte urban core at 100+ Mbps via cable, with >95% of households having at least basic fixed access; rural fringes rely more on DSL and fixed wireless.
  • Public/anchor access (libraries, schools, campus Wi‑Fi) supplements access for lower-income and rural residents.

• Insight: High household broadband and near-universal adult email adoption make email a reliable channel countywide, with slightly lower penetration among seniors and in rural outskirts.

Mobile phone usage in Silver Bow County, Montana — summary with county estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline user estimates

• Population baseline: ~36–37 thousand residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 vintage estimate). Adults (18+) are roughly 79–81% of residents, or ~28.5–30.0 thousand.
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~27.5–29.0 thousand (96–98% adult mobile ownership; Pew Research Center 2024 national benchmark with rural adjustment).
• Adult smartphone users: ~25–26 thousand (about 86–90% of adults; Pew 2024 shows 90% nationally, somewhat lower in rural areas).
• Households with a smartphone present: roughly 90% in Silver Bow (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year device-type indicators place Montana just under the U.S. average; Silver Bow’s urban core pushes the county slightly above the state rate).
• Smartphone-only internet households (cellular data plan as the primary/only home internet): estimated 16–18% in Silver Bow vs ~13–15% statewide (ACS S2801 cellular-only subscription share; higher in lower‑income, more urban counties).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Very high smartphone adoption (~95%+). This group is about one-quarter of the county and drives most app- and data-centric usage (social, maps, gig/shift platforms).
  • 35–64: High adoption (~90%). BYOD for work is common in health care, trades, retail, and public sector. This is the largest user block by absolute count.
  • 65+: Moderate adoption (60–70% smartphone; near-universal mobile ownership via basic or feature phones). Silver Bow’s 65+ share (20–21% of residents) is slightly above Montana’s average and tempers overall smartphone penetration.
• Income and affordability
  • Median household income in Silver Bow trails the Montana median, and the county shows a higher share of sub‑$35k households. In line with national patterns, this raises smartphone‑only home internet reliance by several points above the statewide rate and supports a larger prepaid segment.
• Education and device mix
  • Educational attainment (4‑year degree or higher) runs below the statewide average; combined with income mix, Android share and longer device replacement cycles (3–4 years) are elevated relative to Montana as a whole.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Butte (urban core) exhibits near‑statewide‑best coverage and speeds with 5G mid‑band where available; outlying basins and canyons south and east show LTE fallback and spotty service, which depresses heavy data use outside town.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Carrier coverage
  • Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile provide LTE and 5G in and around Butte; 5G covers most of the city and the I‑15/I‑90 corridors. Coverage diminishes in mountainous terrain outside the valley, with common LTE fallback and localized dead zones in canyons.
• Spectrum and performance context
  • Mid‑band 5G deployments in Butte (e.g., C‑band/n41 where lit) materially improve capacity over LTE. That advantage largely disappears in fringe areas where only low‑band 5G/LTE is present.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Long‑haul fiber routes along I‑90/I‑15 (e.g., Lumen/Level 3, Zayo) traverse Butte, and local fiber laterals support macro sites and key community institutions. This backbone density is stronger than in many rural Montana counties and underpins higher urban‑core mobile capacity.
• Site density and in‑building coverage
  • Macro towers are clustered along the interstate junction and on surrounding ridgelines. Older brick construction in Uptown Butte can see indoor attenuation; carriers supplement coverage with small cells/sector optimization in the core. Public safety (FirstNet on AT&T) generally mirrors commercial coverage, strongest in town and along highways.

How Silver Bow County differs from Montana overall

• Higher smartphone-only home internet reliance: Several percentage points above the state average, reflecting lower median income and a more urban footprint than many Montana counties.
• Better 5G availability and capacity in the population center: The Butte core has earlier and denser 5G deployments than typical rural counties, producing higher median mobile speeds than the statewide rural norm. Conversely, the county still contains pronounced fringe gaps away from the corridors.
• Slightly older population structure: A marginally larger 65+ share pulls down overall smartphone penetration versus fast‑growing college and resort counties, even as the urban core lifts it above much of rural Montana.
• Larger prepaid and Android share: Affordability dynamics in Silver Bow increase prepaid usage and lengthen device upgrade cycles relative to the statewide mix.
• Usage intensity bifurcation: Urban users in Butte show data‑heavy patterns comparable to Montana’s larger cities, while out‑of‑town users face coverage‑constrained behavior more typical of frontier counties.

Notes on sources and method

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 vintage estimates and ACS 2018–2022 5‑year.
• Device ownership baselines: Pew Research Center (2024) for national/rural smartphone ownership; county figures derived by applying rural‑adjusted adoption rates to ACS population structure.
• Household device and subscription types: ACS S2801 (2018–2022 5‑year) for Montana, with county estimates inferred from Silver Bow’s urbanization and income profile.
• Coverage and backhaul context: FCC 4G/5G maps and major carrier/fiber route disclosures as of 2024; qualitative localization reflects the I‑15/I‑90 node at Butte.

Key takeaways

• Around 27.5–29.0 thousand adults in Silver Bow use a mobile phone, with ~25–26 thousand using smartphones.
• Smartphone‑only home internet is notably more common in Silver Bow than statewide, pointing to higher mobile dependence for core online access.
• The Butte core benefits from robust 5G and fiber backhaul, while mountainous fringes still experience LTE‑only service and dead zones, creating a sharper urban‑rural usage split than Montana’s average.

Social media usage in Silver Bow County, Montana (Butte–Silver Bow)

Snapshot

• Population: ~36,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate). Adults (18+): ~29,000.
• Estimated social media users (any platform): ~21,000 adults (applying Pew’s U.S. adult social-media adoption rate to the local adult population).

Most-used platforms (adults) — benchmarked to Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adoption rates, applied to the county’s adult population for local sizing

• YouTube: 83% of adults ≈ 24,200 local adults
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 19,800
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 13,700
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 9,600
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 8,700
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 8,700
• Pinterest: 30% ≈ 8,700
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 6,400
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 6,400
• WhatsApp: 24% ≈ 7,000 Note: Figures are modeled local estimates using national adoption percentages; actual local shares generally track these patterns in small-city Montana counties.

Age groups (local composition and implications)

• Local age structure (Census, rounded): under 18 ~19%; 18–24 ~10%; 25–34 ~13%; 35–44 ~12%; 45–54 ~13%; 55–64 ~15%; 65+ ~19%.
• Implications for platform mix:
  • 35+ (nearly 60% of residents): heavy Facebook and YouTube usage; Pinterest meaningful among women 35–64; LinkedIn relevant for professional and public-sector audiences.
  • 18–34 (~23% of residents): TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube dominate; Facebook still used for events and groups but less central for daily scrolling.
  • 65+: Facebook is the primary social network; YouTube used for how‑to and news clips.

Gender breakdown

• Population: ~51% male, ~49% female (Census).
• Platform skews (national patterns that typically hold locally): Pinterest skews female; Reddit, X, and YouTube skew male; Facebook slightly female‑leaning; Instagram near parity; Snapchat slightly female‑leaning.

Behavioral trends in Silver Bow County

• Facebook as the local hub: High engagement in Groups (community news, school/sports updates, buy/sell/ trade, events, road and wildfire conditions). Facebook Marketplace is a top utility.
• Short‑form video first: Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts drive discovery; 18–34s favor TikTok/IG Reels, 35+ often consume similar content via Facebook Reels and YouTube.
• Local news and civic info: Facebook pages and groups are primary distribution for city/county alerts, school notices, utilities, and event announcements; cross‑posting to Instagram extends reach to under‑40s.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous across ages; Snapchat is the go‑to among teens/young adults for daily messaging; WhatsApp use exists but is niche and network‑driven.
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evenings (6–9 p.m.) on weekdays; weekends see strong midday interaction around events.
• Content that performs:
  • Community‑centric: local faces, teams, fundraisers, outdoors/recreation, and historical Butte content.
  • Practical value: deals, job postings, service updates, and how‑to video.
  • Authenticity: creator/UGC style video outperforms polished ads for recall and shares.
• Ads and outreach tips: Prioritize video and carousel on Facebook/Instagram; use geotargeting within 10–25 miles; anchor campaigns to local events; include phone or Messenger CTAs for older audiences; cross‑post vertical video to Reels and TikTok for under‑35 reach.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau: 2023 population estimates; ACS 5‑year age/sex composition for Silver Bow County.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024: adult platform adoption percentages.
• Local counts above are modeled by applying Pew’s national adult adoption rates to the county’s estimated adult population to provide practical, order‑of‑magnitude sizing.