Chaves County

Key demographics for Chaves County, New Mexico (U.S. Census Bureau; primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates; values rounded)

• Population

  • 2020 Census: 65,157
  • 2019–2023 ACS estimate: ~65,000–66,000

• Age

  • Median age: ~36
  • Under 18: ~27%
  • 65 and over: ~16%

• Gender

  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%

• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS B03002)

  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~58%
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~36%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~2%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
  • Two or more races/Other, non-Hispanic: ~2%

• Households and housing

  • Total households: ~24,000
  • Average household size: ~2.7
  • Family households: ~68% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~45%
  • Households with children under 18: ~34%
  • Living alone: ~27% (about ~11% age 65+ living alone)
  • Housing tenure: ~67% owner-occupied, ~33% renter-occupied

Notes: ACS figures are estimates with margins of error; percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

• County snapshot: ~65,000 residents; ~6,070 sq mi; density ≈11 people/sq mi. Roswell is the main hub; outlying areas are very rural.
• Estimated email users: 42,000–46,000 residents use email at least monthly. Basis: ~75% adults in population, with 80–85% adult email adoption plus a portion of teens using school accounts.
• Age mix of email users (approx.): 13–17: 6–8%; 18–34: 22–26%; 35–54: 33–37%; 55+: 30–34%. Frequency highest among 25–54; 65+ adopts email but uses it less often.
• Gender split: roughly even (about 49–51% either way); slight female tilt among older cohorts.
• Digital access and trends: Broadband subscription is improving but trails NM metro areas; smartphone‑only access is common. Fiber and fixed‑wireless footprints are expanding in and around Roswell; service degrades in sparsely populated ranchlands. Mobile coverage is strongest along major corridors (e.g., US‑285/US‑70) and weaker in remote areas. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, civic buildings) remains an important access point.
• Implications: Email is widespread for work, school, and government services. Remaining gaps are driven by rural distance, affordability, and device turnover rather than awareness.

Mobile phone usage in Chaves County, New Mexico — summary with local contrasts to statewide patterns

Key ways Chaves County differs from New Mexico overall

• Higher reliance on mobile as primary internet: A larger share of households are mobile-only or use phone-based hotspots compared with the state average, driven by patchier wired broadband outside Roswell and lower household incomes.
• More prepaid/MVNO and Android skew: Budget sensitivity and younger family profiles tilt the market toward prepaid plans and Android devices more than statewide, where postpaid/iPhone share is higher in urban corridors.
• 5G quality gap outside the county seat: Mid-band 5G is largely concentrated in Roswell; LTE remains dominant in rural areas. Statewide, Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Las Cruces corridors have broader mid-band 5G.
• Language and family usage: Higher Spanish-speaking population increases demand for bilingual customer support and content; multi-line family plans and device sharing are more prevalent than in the statewide urban mix.
• Sector-driven usage: Agriculture, dairies, and oilfield support shape daytime mobility along US‑285/US‑70/US‑380, pushing needs for rugged devices and coverage on ranch and field roads—patterns less pronounced statewide.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, 2024–2025)

• Population baseline: ~65–66K residents; ~48–50K adults.
• Unique mobile phone users (any mobile device): ~48K–52K residents.
• Smartphone users: ~43K–47K (smartphone adoption slightly below statewide urban levels due to age/income mix).
• Mobile-only or mobile-primary internet households: meaningfully above the NM average; common in outlying communities and among renters and younger households.
• Prepaid share of lines: higher than the statewide mix; MVNOs (e.g., Metro, Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk) compete strongly alongside the three national carriers.

Demographic patterns in usage (local emphasis vs state)

• Age: A mix of younger families and a sizable senior cohort. Youth/teens show very high smartphone access; seniors’ smartphone adoption lags the state’s metro areas.
• Income and affordability: Median incomes below the state average translate to:
  • Slower device replacement cycles; more refurbished/secondhand devices.
  • Multi-line discounts, prepaid, and financing plans favored.
• Language: Above-average Spanish-language use in plans, customer care, and apps.
• Work profile: Field-based work (agriculture/dairy/logistics/energy support) increases demand for coverage on secondary roads, hotspot tethering, and ruggedized devices.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes (what’s distinctive locally)

• Where coverage is strong:
  • Roswell and immediate suburbs: All national carriers present; T‑Mobile mid-band 5G is typically the most expansive; AT&T/Verizon low-band 5G/LTE widely available. Good indoor coverage in town centers, schools, hospitals, and retail.
  • Highway corridors: US‑285, US‑70/380 see prioritized macro sites; service continuity is better than on rural ranch roads.
• Where it’s weaker:
  • Outlying agricultural/ranch areas and between small towns (Dexter, Hagerman, Lake Arthur): More LTE-only zones, occasional dead spots, and variable indoor penetration—more pronounced than statewide averages.
• 5G specifics:
  • Mid-band 5G concentration in Roswell; low-band 5G/LTE elsewhere. Compared with NM’s urban corridor, fewer neighborhoods have mid-band depth or carrier aggregation in rural parts of the county.
• Fixed wireless crossover:
  • 5G/LTE Home Internet is available in and around Roswell and selectively along corridors; adoption is higher here than in many NM metros because it substitutes for limited wired options outside cable/fiber footprints.
• Backhaul and tower buildout:
  • Ongoing infill on existing towers along primary routes; fewer small cells than in NM’s largest cities.
• Public safety:
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) covers Roswell and main corridors; off-corridor coverage can still drive agencies to maintain multi-carrier devices or boosters.
• Offload and Wi‑Fi:
  • Cable and some fiber in Roswell support good Wi‑Fi offload; in rural zones, weaker home broadband makes handset data and tethering more central than statewide.

Implications and near-term outlook

• Demand will favor plans/devices that balance affordability with reliable rural LTE and usable 5G in Roswell.
• Investment that extends mid-band 5G beyond Roswell (plus roadside coverage and farm/ranch infill) will yield outsized local benefits compared with urban NM.
• Bilingual outreach, prepaid retail presence, and rugged/field-ready device options are more critical in Chaves County than in state metro markets.

Notes on estimation

• Figures are derived by applying national/regional smartphone adoption rates and rural adjustments to recent Census population and age structure for Chaves County, plus observed carrier deployment patterns in southeastern NM. Ranges are given to reflect uncertainty and intra-county variation. Sources and calculation steps available on request.

Below is a concise, county-level snapshot built from publicly available U.S./New Mexico patterns (Pew Research Center 2024 social media use, U.S. Census/ACS), adjusted for a rural county with a large Hispanic population. Exact, platform-specific county stats aren’t published; percentages are best-guess ranges.

At-a-glance

• Population: ≈66,000 (Chaves County; Roswell is the hub).
• Adult population: ≈49,000.
• Estimated adult social media users: ≈38,000–40,000 (about 78–82% of adults). Teen use is near-universal.

Age and gender profile (rounded)

• Age: 0–17 ≈26–28%; 18–34 ≈20–23%; 35–54 ≈24–27%; 55+ ≈24–27%.
• Gender: ≈50% female, ≈50% male.
• Note: A large Hispanic community (majority in many tracts) boosts WhatsApp/Facebook use and bilingual content engagement.

Most-used platforms (adults, estimated)

• YouTube: 78–82%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 25–33% (higher for under-30)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (concentrated under-30)
• WhatsApp: 15–22% overall; 30–40% among Hispanic adults
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (limited in rural zones)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first on Facebook: Heavy use of Groups and Marketplace (local buy/sell/trade, jobs, rentals, lost-and-found, farm/ranch gear). Local news, weather, public safety, and school updates drive quick spikes in engagement.
• Video wins: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/YouTube Shorts) outperforms static posts for events, dining, and local attractions; simple, phone-shot clips feel authentic and perform well.
• Bilingual engagement: Spanish/English posts and captions expand reach; WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are common for family and business inquiries.
• Youth patterns: Teens/20s skew to TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Stories; prefer DMs over public comments; respond to creator-style, trend-aligned content.
• Older adults: Facebook + YouTube dominate; long-form Facebook comments, shares of local news, church/community events, health and services.
• Timing: Evenings and weekends show stronger engagement; weekday early mornings also do well for quick local updates.
• Discovery and trust: Locals rely on Facebook Groups, community pages, and known local figures more than brand pages; reviews and neighbor recommendations matter.

How these estimates were derived

• Benchmarked to Pew Research Center (2024) U.S. platform usage, adjusted slightly downward for rural adoption and upward for Hispanic-preferred apps (WhatsApp/Facebook).
• Population, age, and gender shares aligned to recent Census/ACS profiles for Chaves County.
• Platform splits for teens reflect national teen studies, applied proportionally to local age mix.