Colfax County

What data vintage would you like? I can provide the latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023) for Colfax County, NM, covering:

• Population total
• Age (median and age-group shares)
• Sex (male/female share)
• Race/ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino and race groups)
• Households (number, average household size, family vs. nonfamily, homeownership)

If no preference, I’ll use ACS 2019–2023 5-year by default.

Colfax County, NM email usage (estimates)

• Users: ~9,000–10,000 residents use email regularly (≈75–80% of the ~12k population), based on ACS population, adult share, and national email adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–29: ~14%
  • 30–49: ~31%
  • 50–64: ~27%
  • 65+: ~21%
• Gender split: ~51% female, ~49% male (email use is nearly uniform by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~75–80% of households have a broadband subscription; smartphone‑only internet households ~15–20%.
  • Fiber/cable broadband available in towns and resort communities; fixed wireless and satellite fill rural gaps.
  • Coverage strongest along the I‑25 corridor (Raton–Springer) and populated valleys; mountainous terrain creates patchy service in outlying areas.
  • Affordability pressures (e.g., subsidy program changes in 2024) may modestly reduce subscriptions among lower‑income households.
• Local density/connectivity facts: 12k people over ~3,750 sq mi (3.2 people/sq mi). Low density and terrain increase last‑mile costs, reinforcing the urban–rural connectivity gap but with ongoing co‑op and provider fiber buildouts improving speeds in select areas.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Colfax County, NM (what’s distinctive vs. statewide)

Context

• Rural, mountainous county (~12–13k residents) anchored by Raton, Angel Fire, Cimarron, Springer, and Eagle Nest. Terrain and sparse tower density shape usage and reliability far more than in New Mexico’s metro corridors.

User estimates

• Adult population: roughly 9–10k; youth (13–17) about 1–1.5k.
• Mobile phone ownership (any cell phone): ~88–92% of adults, a few points below the NM average due to an older age profile and coverage gaps.
• Smartphone adoption: ~78–84% of adults (state: ~85–88%). Adding teens (who have very high adoption) yields roughly 8,000–9,000 total smartphone users countywide.
• 5G-capable devices: ~60–70% of smartphones; many users still on LTE-only hardware because 5G coverage is spotty away from towns.
• Lines per resident: ~1.0–1.1 SIMs per capita (lower than statewide), reflecting fewer wearables/IoT lines and more conservative device spending.
• Mobile-only internet households: elevated versus the NM average in and around towns (limited wired options and prior ACP participation), but drops sharply in backcountry areas where signal is inconsistent.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age: Seniors make up a larger share of the county than the state average. Their smartphone adoption lags by 10–15 points, and basic/feature phones or “voice-and-text-only” plans are more common.
• Income: Higher reliance on low-cost prepaid and Lifeline plans than statewide. The 2024 ACP wind-down led to plan downgrades or shared family data plans; some households pivoted to library/school Wi‑Fi.
• Ethnicity/language: Hispanic households are a large share of users (well above the national average). WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger see strong use for family communications; bilingual interfaces and retail support matter.
• Seasonal effects: Summer tourism (Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron Canyon) and winter sports (Angel Fire) create pronounced peaks in device presence and network load—more extreme seasonality than at the state level.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Where service is strong: I‑25 corridor (Raton–Springer), town centers, and the Angel Fire/Eagle Nest resort area. These are the primary 5G footprints (mostly low-band; some mid-band near Raton/Angel Fire).
• Dead zones and weak areas: Cimarron Canyon, Ute Park, Valle Vidal/Vermejo Park, and portions of state routes off the interstate. Mountain shadowing and canyons cause abrupt drops from LTE to no service.
• Carrier nuances:
  • Verizon: Often the most reliable on remote ranch/backcountry roads; 5G mostly low-band DSS in towns.
  • T‑Mobile: Band 71 (600 MHz) helps rural reach; good in towns/along highways, but canyon coverage remains patchy.
  • AT&T/FirstNet: Solid along I‑25 and public-safety sites; off‑corridor LTE can thin out quickly.
• Tower density/backhaul: Few macro sites away from highways; microwave-fed mountain sites are weather‑vulnerable. Fiber follows I‑25 and select state highways; redundancy is limited compared to urban NM.
• Public Wi‑Fi anchors: Libraries, schools, municipal buildings, and resort venues play an outsized role as connectivity backstops.
• Retail footprint: Fewer carrier/MVNO stores than in metro NM; device upgrades and repairs often require trips to larger towns, slowing 5G handset adoption.

How Colfax differs from New Mexico overall

• Coverage variability drives behavior: Users rely more on voice/SMS, Wi‑Fi calling, offline maps, and message delay tolerance than in metro NM.
• Lower 5G availability and median speeds outside towns; LTE remains the workhorse.
• Higher share of prepaid/Lifeline users; post‑ACP adjustments hit harder, with more plan downgrades and mobile/Wi‑Fi substitution.
• Strong seasonal demand spikes around tourism and scouting—network congestion swings are larger than statewide norms.
• Safety/reliability considerations shape carrier choice and device settings (e.g., Wi‑Fi calling default, external antennas/hotspots for ranching and backcountry work).

Practical implications

• For residents: Choose carriers by specific travel/work corridors; enable Wi‑Fi calling; consider low‑band-friendly devices and vehicle boosters if you drive canyons/backroads.
• For planners/providers: Highest ROI from infill along US‑64 and canyon corridors; prioritize resilient backhaul to mountain sites; seasonal capacity augments near Angel Fire and Cimarron reduce congestion.
• For digital inclusion: Library/school Wi‑Fi and Lifeline outreach remain critical; senior-focused smartphone training can close the largest local adoption gap.

Below is a concise, county‑level estimate built from Colfax County’s population profile and recent US/rural NM social‑media patterns. Treat figures as directional (±5–10 percentage points), since small‑county, platform‑specific data aren’t directly published.

County snapshot

• Population: ~12,000; adults ~9,000–9,500
• Adult social-media users: ~7,500–8,100 (≈80–85% of adults)
• Teens (13–17) using social media: ~90–95%

Age groups (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 90–95%
• 18–29: ~95–97%
• 30–49: ~90–92%
• 50–64: ~78–82%
• 65+: ~60–66%

Gender breakdown

• Overall social-media users: ~50–52% women, ~48–50% men (mirrors county population)
• Platform skews: women higher on Facebook/Pinterest; men higher on YouTube/Reddit; Instagram/TikTok roughly balanced

Most-used platforms among adults in Colfax County (estimated share of adults using)

• YouTube: 75–82%
• Facebook: 65–72%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• WhatsApp: 22–30% (boosted by sizable Hispanic/Latino population and family ties)
• TikTok: 20–28% (lower than US average due to older age mix)
• Snapchat: 15–22% (concentrated in teens/20s)
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–16%
• Nextdoor: 5–12% (rural housing pattern limits uptake)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first Facebook: Local groups dominate (buy/sell/trade, school updates, lost & found, events). Official pages (county/cities, emergency management, schools, NMDOT) are key for wildfire, weather, and road info.
• Marketplace and events: Facebook Marketplace and event pages drive local commerce; strong weekend and seasonal cycles (ski season in Angel Fire; summer tourism in Eagle Nest/Cimarron/Raton).
• Mobile-first, bandwidth-aware: Patchy broadband means heavy video/live streams underperform outside town centers; short clips, photos, and text updates get better reach. Evening (6–10 pm) and weekend usage peaks.
• Video habits: YouTube for how‑tos, ranching/home repair, local sports; Reels/TikTok used for quick updates and seasonal highlights but skew younger.
• Messaging/networks: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp widely used for family/community coordination; bilingual (English/Spanish) content improves engagement.
• Trust dynamics: Posts from known local admins and official agencies get higher credibility; cross-posting between official pages and community groups helps counter rumors.
• Advertising notes: Boosted Facebook posts and simple event ads perform well with tight geotargeting around Raton, Springer, Cimarron, Angel Fire, and Eagle Nest; bilingual creatives lift CTR.

Method note

• Estimates blend Colfax County age structure with recent Pew/NTIA rural adoption rates and US platform shares, adjusted for the county’s older median age and Hispanic/Latino presence.