White Pine County Local Demographic Profile
White Pine County, Nevada — key demographics
Population size
- Total population: 9,080 (2020 Decennial Census)
Age (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates)
- Median age: ~41 years
- Under 18: ~19–20%
- 18–64: ~63–65%
- 65 and over: ~16–18%
Gender (ACS 2018–2022)
- Male: ~59–61%
- Female: ~39–41% Note: Male share is elevated due to a large institutionalized population (state prison) and mining workforce.
Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is an ethnicity)
- Non-Hispanic White: ~70–75%
- Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~15–20%
- American Indian/Alaska Native (NH): ~4–6%
- Black/African American (NH): ~2–3%
- Asian/NHPI (NH): ~1%
- Two or more races (NH): ~2–4%
Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)
- Households: ~3,400–3,700
- Average household size: ~2.3–2.5
- Family households: ~58–62% of households
- Owner-occupied: ~68–72%
- Renter-occupied: ~28–32%
- Households with children under 18: ~23–27%
- Living alone: ~25–30% of households
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Figures reflect small-area estimates and may carry notable margins of error; ranges shown where appropriate.
Email Usage in White Pine County
White Pine County, NV has 9,200 residents across 8,877 sq mi (1.0 person/sq mi).
Estimated email users: ~5,600 adults (≈61% of residents; ≈79% of adults).
Age split of email users:
- 18–34: ~1,300 (23%)
- 35–54: ~1,900 (34%)
- 55–64: ~1,000 (18%)
- 65+: ~1,400 (25%)
Gender split of users: ~55% male, 45% female, mirroring the county’s male‑skewed population.
Digital access and trends:
- ≈72% of households subscribe to fixed broadband; ≈82% have any internet; ≈18% lack home internet.
- ≈88% of households have a computer; ≈85% of adults have a smartphone.
- Connectivity clusters in Ely/McGill (fiber/cable); outlying areas rely on fixed wireless or satellite. Ongoing state/federal programs are expanding middle‑mile and last‑mile capacity in and around town centers and along main highway corridors.
Insights: Email penetration is strongest among working‑age adults; seniors participate meaningfully but face higher access constraints. Extremely low population density and rugged terrain drive higher deployment costs and patchy coverage outside towns, making mobile‑only access common in remote areas.
Estimates synthesized from recent U.S. Census ACS, Pew Research, and rural broadband program data.
Mobile Phone Usage in White Pine County
White Pine County, NV mobile phone usage (estimates for 2024)
Overall user estimates
- Total population: ~9,200 residents (Census vintage 2023 scale). Adults (18+): ~7,200.
- Mobile phone (any cellphone) ownership among adults: ~90% → ~6,450 adult users.
- Smartphone users: adults plus teens 13–17 → ~6,700–6,800 people countywide.
- Adult smartphone users: ~6,030 (share by age below).
- Teen smartphone users (13–17): ~700 (≈95% of that age group).
- Smartphone-only internet households (relying on cellular without a fixed home broadband plan): ~20–24% of households (≈750–880 of ~3,600 households). This is meaningfully above the state average.
Demographic breakdown (ownership/use)
- Age (adult smartphone ownership; count ≈ rate × age-group population)
- 18–34: ~95% → ~1,750 users (near urban/state levels).
- 35–54: ~90% → ~2,150 users.
- 55–64: ~83% → ~1,070 users.
- 65+: ~64% → ~1,060 users (notably lower than Nevada’s ~70%+ in this cohort).
- Household income
- Below ~$35k: lower smartphone adoption but higher smartphone-only internet reliance; White Pine’s larger share of lower- and moderate-income households raises the smartphone-only share relative to the state.
- Race/ethnicity
- County has a smaller Hispanic share and higher non-Hispanic White share than Nevada overall, which would ordinarily reduce smartphone-only reliance; however, infrastructure constraints dominate, keeping smartphone-only households elevated versus the state.
- Device/plan patterns
- Higher mix of LTE-only devices and hotspot tethering for home access; 5G device penetration trails the state due to limited 5G coverage and fewer performance gains outside Ely/McGill.
Digital infrastructure and performance
- Coverage pattern
- 4G LTE: broad population coverage in and around Ely, McGill, Ruth, and along US‑93/US‑6 corridors; significant off‑highway dead zones toward Great Basin National Park, Snake Valley, and remote ranching/mining areas.
- 5G: present primarily in/near Ely and select highway segments; estimated population coverage ~55–70%, but land-area coverage is small (single‑digit to low‑teens percent). Statewide 5G population coverage is substantially higher in metro areas.
- Capacity and speeds
- Typical LTE downlink in town: tens of Mbps; rapid drop-off with distance/terrain. Median mobile speeds lag far behind urban Nevada (Reno/Las Vegas routinely exceed 100 Mbps on 5G).
- Uplink and latency constraints are common for hotspot use, especially evenings when backhaul is congested.
- Sites/backhaul
- Sparse tower density; terrain-limited propagation forces reliance on a handful of sites. Backhaul is a mix of microwave and limited fiber; fiber paths are concentrated in/near Ely and along primary corridors, with long spans lacking redundant routes.
- Reliability and public safety
- Public-safety (FirstNet/ Band 14) coverage is focused around population centers and highways; off-grid/valley areas remain coverage-challenged during incidents and wildfires.
How White Pine differs from Nevada statewide
- Lower overall smartphone penetration (by ~3–6 percentage points), driven by an older age profile and lower incomes.
- Much higher smartphone-only internet reliance (roughly 20–24% vs mid‑teens statewide), reflecting scarce and costly fixed broadband in outlying areas.
- Smaller and more discontinuous 5G footprint; LTE remains the dominant experience outside Ely, with materially lower median speeds than Reno/Las Vegas/Carson City.
- Greater single‑carrier dependence by location (households choose the one provider that works at their home/work), reducing competition and plan flexibility compared with urban Nevada.
- Larger rural dead zones by land area, making voice/Text and emergency coverage less consistent than state averages.
Method and sources
- Population and household counts scaled from recent Census/ACS county totals; age structure reflects rural Nevada patterns.
- Ownership rates draw from Pew Research Center’s national/rural benchmarks and ACS indicators of device and internet subscription, adjusted to White Pine’s age/income mix.
- Coverage/capacity observations align with 2024 FCC mobile coverage maps and rural Nevada performance patterns.
These figures provide a practical, decision-ready baseline: approximately 6,700–6,800 smartphone users countywide, with concentrated use and performance in Ely/McGill, substantial reliance on smartphones for home internet in lieu of fixed broadband, and distinctly lower 5G availability and speeds than Nevada’s urban counties.
Social Media Trends in White Pine County
White Pine County, NV social media snapshot (2024, modeled)
Population and user base
- Population: ≈9,200 residents (ACS 2023). Residents aged 13+: ≈8,000.
- Social media users (13+): ≈6,050 people ≈76% of 13+ residents (≈66% of total population).
User breakdown by age (share of social media users)
- 13–17: 9%
- 18–29: 19%
- 30–49: 35%
- 50–64: 28%
- 65+: 10%
Gender breakdown (share of social media users)
- Female: ≈52%
- Male: ≈48% Note: The county’s overall sex ratio is skewed by a large institutionalized male population; the active social media audience (non‑institutionalized residents) is roughly balanced, with women marginally more likely to use Facebook/Instagram.
Most-used platforms in the county (share of 13+ residents who use each)
- YouTube: 82%
- Facebook: 68%
- Instagram: 43%
- TikTok: 31%
- Pinterest: 28%
- Snapchat: 27%
- LinkedIn: 27%
- X (Twitter): 20%
- Reddit: 18%
- Nextdoor: 13%
Behavioral trends and usage patterns
- Community-first on Facebook: Local groups dominate (buy/sell/trade, road conditions, school sports, public notices). City/county departments and events see strong reach via Pages and Groups. Facebook Messenger is a top DM channel.
- Video-heavy consumption: YouTube is the county’s largest reach channel; how‑to, outdoors, ranching/mining, automotive, hunting/fishing, and local history/tourism content perform best. Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) is growing among 18–34.
- Youth/young adult split: Snapchat and Instagram are sticky among teens and 18–29; TikTok growth is strongest in 18–34. Facebook remains primary for 35+.
- Rural substitute for Nextdoor: Neighborhood app usage is modest; Facebook Groups fill the local bulletin-board role.
- Professional/niche: LinkedIn reaches healthcare, education, government, and mining professionals but is lower-frequency engagement; X is a minority use case for news/sports/state agency updates.
- Timing and format: Peak engagement evenings/weekends; shift work creates late-night spikes. Mobile-first; concise posts, images, and sub‑30‑second clips perform best. Road/weather/wildfire updates and local deals drive outsized interaction.
- Tourism spillover: Content tied to Great Basin NP, Ward Charcoal Ovens, Nevada Northern Railway, and outdoor recreation attracts both residents and travelers on US‑50, aiding page growth and ad performance.
- Trust dynamics: Word‑of‑mouth and familiar local pages outperform corporate voices; UGC and recognizable community figures increase credibility and shares.
Method notes
- Figures are 2024 modeled estimates for White Pine County using ACS population structure and age‑specific platform adoption from recent Pew Research Center studies (adults) and Pew/industry data (teens). Counts are rounded; platform shares reflect percent of residents 13+ who report using each platform.