Catron County

Do you want figures from the official 2020 Census (point-in-time counts) or the latest American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most current, model-based)? I can provide both, but numbers differ slightly by source/year.

Summary of email usage in Catron County, New Mexico (estimates)

• Context: 3,400–3,600 residents spread over ~6,900 sq mi (0.5 people/sq mi), New Mexico’s largest and one of its most sparsely populated counties.
• Estimated email users: 2,200–2,600 residents (roughly 60–72% of the population). Assumes mixed internet access and that most online adults use email.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • Under 18: 8–10% (school accounts, lighter use)
  • 18–34: 15–20%
  • 35–64: 40–45%
  • 65+: 25–30% (lower adoption but sizable senior population)
• Gender split among users: ~52% male, 48% female (email adoption is similar by gender; county skews slightly male).
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription likely in the low-to-mid 60% range; many rely on fixed wireless or satellite (Starlink/legacy satellite) and mobile data.
  • Coverage strongest near town centers (e.g., Reserve) and along primary corridors (US‑60/NM‑12/NM‑180); mountainous and forested areas remain spotty.
  • Growing smartphone-only households; public/library Wi‑Fi remains important for residents without home service.
  • Email commonly used for government services, health care, and commerce where bandwidth is limited.

Notes: Figures synthesized from Census/ACS rural patterns and Pew email adoption benchmarks; local conditions may vary by settlement and terrain.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Catron County, New Mexico

High-level snapshot

• Very rural and sparsely populated (roughly 3,600–3,800 residents; large land area, mountainous and forested). The county’s age profile is much older than New Mexico overall, and fixed broadband and cellular coverage are both sparse outside highway corridors and towns.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, see assumptions at end)

• Adults with a mobile phone (smartphone or basic): about 2,700–3,000 adults
  • Basis: ~3,100–3,300 adults 18+, with 85–90% mobile-phone ownership in rural areas.
• Adult smartphone users: about 2,300–2,700
  • Basis: age-adjusted uptake (roughly 85% among 18–64; 65–70% among 65+).
• Feature-phone-only adults: roughly 400–700
• Wireless-only households (no landline): roughly 800–1,000 households
  • Basis: total households ~1,600–1,800; wireless-only rate likely 45–55% (lower than state average due to coverage gaps and older age).
• Primary internet via mobile phone: directionally higher than state average in areas without wired broadband, but many residents rely on satellite/wireless ISPs plus Wi‑Fi calling at home.

Demographic context shaping usage

• Age: Seniors are roughly one-third or more of the population (about 33–38%), versus ~18–20% statewide. This lowers overall smartphone penetration and increases landline retention and basic-phone use.
• Race/ethnicity: Higher share of non-Hispanic White residents and lower Hispanic/Native shares than New Mexico overall. This, combined with rural incomes and distances to service, correlates with more conservative device replacement cycles.
• Household structure: Smaller households and a sizable seasonal/part-time population. Seasonal residents often depend on satellite or hotspot solutions and may keep prepaid or secondary lines.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern: Service clusters around small towns and highway corridors (e.g., US‑60 and US‑180). Large dead zones exist in canyons, forested areas, and backcountry.
• Technology mix: LTE is the workhorse. 5G footprint is limited and typically low-band; real‑world speeds often resemble LTE outside towns.
• Capacity and backhaul: Few towers, long inter-site distances, and reliance on microwave backhaul in places limit peak speeds and network resiliency compared with urban New Mexico.
• Carrier variability: Coverage maps and user reports commonly show one carrier with relatively better highway/town coverage, with others more uneven; always verify per address because micro‑terrain drives large differences within a few miles.
• Workarounds: Many residents lean on Wi‑Fi calling at home, external antennas/boosters, and satellite internet to fill gaps. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, county buildings) is an important complement.
• Emergency and continuity: Wildfire seasons and power/backhaul outages can disrupt service across wide areas; redundancy (landline, satellite messenger) is more common than in most NM counties.

How Catron County differs from New Mexico statewide

• Much older population structure leads to:
  • Lower smartphone share and higher basic‑phone and landline retention than the state average.
  • Slower device upgrade cycles and lower adoption of data‑intensive apps.
• Far sparser tower density and more challenging terrain yield:
  • Larger and more persistent no‑signal areas than the statewide pattern.
  • Heavier reliance on Wi‑Fi calling, boosters, and satellite service than elsewhere in NM.
• Usage behavior skews toward:
  • Voice/SMS reliability over high-throughput mobile data.
  • Intermittent “travel-to-signal” patterns (connect along highways/towns, offline at homesteads).
  • Seasonal fluctuations in traffic with part-time residents and recreation.

Planning implications

• For outreach or services, assume uneven mobile reach; provide offline/low-bandwidth options and asynchronous messaging.
• Verify address-level coverage before committing to cellular-first solutions; budget for boosters/external antennas where residents are stationary.
• Pair mobile with satellite or fixed wireless for home internet; encourage Wi‑Fi calling setup.
• Public safety and health programs should maintain multi-path contact strategies (cell, landline where present, and mail/physical postings).

Assumptions and sources used

• Population and age structure from recent Census/ACS trends for Catron County (2020–2023), which show roughly 3.6–3.8k residents and an older skew (about one-third 65+).
• Smartphone and mobile ownership rates from recent national/Pew and rural/age-band studies; applied to Catron’s age mix to derive ranges.
• Wireless-only household rates benchmarked from national surveys, adjusted downward for rural/older populations; household counts derived from population and typical rural household sizes.
• Coverage and technology characterizations synthesized from FCC/provider coverage maps and common rural NM deployment patterns; exact address-level conditions vary.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Catron County, NM. Direct, county-level social media data are not published; figures are reasoned estimates based on the county’s age mix (U.S. Census/ACS), rural patterns, and U.S. platform usage (Pew Research Center 2023–2024). Small-population effects mean a swing of a few dozen people can shift percentages.

Quick context

• Very rural, small population, older median age; patchy broadband and mobile coverage.
• Net effect: overall social media adoption below the U.S. average; heavier reliance on Facebook (especially Groups) and YouTube; lighter uptake of Instagram/TikTok than urban NM.

User stats (estimates)

• Residents using at least one social platform: ~1,900–2,300 people (about 55–65% of residents; roughly 60–68% of adults).
• Activity cadence: ~70–80% of users are active weekly; ~50–60% daily.

Age breakdown (share of social media users, not population)

• 65+: ~25–30% of users (older county, but lower adoption within this group)
• 50–64: ~30–35%
• 30–49: ~22–27%
• 18–29: ~10–15%
• Teens (13–17): ~8–12% of total user base; very high usage rates but a small slice of the population

Gender breakdown (users)

• Roughly balanced overall: ~48–52% female, ~48–52% male
• Platform skews: Facebook/Instagram lean female; YouTube and X (Twitter) lean male

Most-used platforms in Catron County (estimated share of residents using the platform at least occasionally)

• Facebook: ~50–60% of residents; among social users, ~75–85% use it; many are daily users
• YouTube: ~55–65%
• Facebook Messenger: ~35–45%
• Instagram: ~18–25% (concentrated under 50)
• TikTok: ~15–22% (mostly under 40)
• WhatsApp or X (Twitter): each ~8–15% (WhatsApp for family ties; X for news/politics)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/older counties (highly likely in Catron)

• Facebook Groups are the hub: local news, wildfire/road conditions, buy/sell/trade, school and event updates, lost/found pets. Engagement spikes during fire season, storms, and elections.
• YouTube for utility and hobbies: ranching, off‑grid living, auto/ATV repair, hunting, gardening, firearms, ham radio. Longer-form viewing happens when connectivity allows.
• Business use is pragmatic: Facebook Pages drive most local visibility; posts are informational (hours, closures, specials) with scheduling/queries via Messenger or phone.
• Content style: short text/photo posts on Facebook; TikTok/Instagram Reels are shared into Facebook rather than native posting by older users.
• Participation patterns: more “lurkers” than posters; women often drive community/group interaction; men overindexed on YouTube and topic forums.
• Connectivity-aware behavior: smartphone-first; data‑saving habits (lower video quality, offline caching, Wi‑Fi posting). Evening and early‑morning activity windows.
• Trust and verification: official county, sheriff, fire/EMS, and school pages are treated as authoritative; residents cross-check rumors via known local groups.

Sources and method notes

• U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) for age structure; Pew Research Center (2023–2024) for platform adoption, age/gender patterns; rural vs. urban adjustments; FCC/NTIA for rural connectivity context. Figures are modeled ranges, not a county survey.