Curry County

Here are the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates for Curry County, NM (ACS 2019–2023 5‑year):

Population

• Total: ~50,700

Age

• Median age: ~31
• Under 18: ~26.6%
• 18–64: ~61.3%
• 65 and over: ~12.1%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; totals ≈100%)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~42.7%
• White alone, non‑Hispanic: ~40.9%
• Black or African American alone, non‑Hispanic: ~6.9%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non‑Hispanic: ~1.6%
• Asian alone, non‑Hispanic: ~1.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone, non‑Hispanic: ~0.3%
• Some other race alone, non‑Hispanic: ~1.3%
• Two or more races, non‑Hispanic: ~5.0%

Households

• Number of households: ~18,200
• Average household size: ~2.63
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married‑couple families: ~47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~34%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5‑year estimates (DP05, S0101, S1101, B03002).

Summary for Curry County, NM (estimates)

• Population baseline: ~50,000 residents.
• Email users: ~36,000–42,000 (about 72–84% of residents; 85–95% of adults).

Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users)

• 13–17: 6–8%
• 18–34: 32–36%
• 35–54: 28–32%
• 55–64: 12–14%
• 65+: 12–15% Usage is near-universal for 18–64; lower but rising among 65+.

Gender split (approx.)

• 51–53% male, 47–49% female, reflecting the Cannon AFB skew; email usage rates similar by gender.

Digital access trends

• Home broadband adoption ~70–80% of households; 10–15% are smartphone‑only.
• Clovis and Cannon AFB areas have cable/fiber and strong mobile coverage; rural communities rely more on fixed wireless or satellite, with variable speeds and data caps.
• Public access through Clovis-Carver Public Library, schools, and some municipal hotspots; ACP wind‑down in 2024 may dampen new low‑income sign‑ups.

Local density/connectivity facts

• ~35 people per square mile across 1,400+ sq mi; low density raises last‑mile costs and contributes to patchy rural coverage.
• Best 5G/wired connectivity clusters along the US‑60/70/84 corridor and around Cannon AFB.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Curry County, New Mexico

Overview

• Curry County (anchor city: Clovis; includes Cannon Air Force Base) has a younger, more transient, and more military‑affiliated population than New Mexico overall. That drives very high smartphone adoption, heavier mobile data use, and a stronger tilt toward postpaid and FirstNet/AT&T accounts than the state average.
• Eastern‑plains topography, a regional fiber backbone from the local cooperative (Plateau/ENMR), and mid‑band 5G buildouts give Curry County better 5G availability and capacity than many rural NM counties, with fewer hard coverage gaps than mountainous or tribal‑land areas elsewhere in the state.

User estimates

• Population and households: roughly 50,000 residents and about 18,000–19,000 households.
• Smartphone users: approximately 32,000–36,000 adult smartphone users (on the order of 85–92% of adults), higher than the statewide average due to the large 18–34 and military segments.
• Active mobile lines: likely exceeds population (order of 55,000–65,000 SIMs), including phones, tablets, wearables, hotspots, and IoT; multi‑line family and military plans are common.
• Mobile-only home internet: estimated 12–16% of households countywide use cellular or 5G fixed wireless as their primary home internet. This is:
  • Lower than the New Mexico average inside Clovis (fiber/coax are widely available).
  • Comparable to or higher than the NM average in rural tracts near the county borders, where LTE/5G and fixed wireless often substitute for wireline.
• Data consumption: per‑line mobile data use trends above the statewide rural average, driven by younger users, streaming, gaming, and hotspot use among military households.

Demographic patterns and how they affect usage

• Age and military presence: Curry has a larger 18–34 share and thousands of military personnel/families from Cannon AFB. Impacts:
  • Near‑universal smartphone adoption.
  • Faster device upgrade cycles and higher eSIM/5G adoption.
  • Greater use of postpaid plans with discounts (DoD, FirstNet) and multi‑line bundles.
• Ethnicity and language: a sizable Hispanic population supports strong use of cross‑border/social messaging apps (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger) and Spanish‑language streaming/content.
• Income mix: city households have access to competitively priced fiber/cable; lower‑income and rural households lean on prepaid plans, hotspots, and 5G fixed wireless more than urban Albuquerque/Las Cruces tracts.
• Seniors: smaller share than state average; those present skew to voice‑centric usage with simpler Android devices.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and networks:
  • AT&T: strong around Cannon AFB and public safety via FirstNet; solid LTE with expanding 5G. Popular among military.
  • T‑Mobile: broad mid‑band 2.5 GHz 5G coverage across the eastern plains and within Clovis; generally strong capacity in town and along US‑60/84.
  • Verizon: robust LTE and growing C‑band 5G in Clovis; reliable highway coverage.
• 5G availability: mid‑band 5G is common in and around Clovis; rural coverage relies on low‑band 5G/LTE with fewer small cells than metro NM. Compared to many rural NM counties, Curry sees better contiguous 5G along major corridors and flatter‑terrain macro coverage.
• Backhaul/fiber: Plateau (ENMR Telephone Cooperative) operates extensive regional fiber, with Optimum (cable) in Clovis. Long‑haul routes run along the rail/US‑60/84 corridor, supporting tower backhaul and enterprise sites.
• Fixed wireless and 5G home internet: CBRS and licensed fixed‑wireless options serve outlying areas; 5G home internet from T‑Mobile and Verizon is increasingly available in town and fringe areas.
• Tower siting: denser macro sites around Clovis and Cannon AFB; FAA/DoD airspace constraints shape placement and height east of the base; rural macros line highways and grain‑elevator corridors. Small cells are limited outside core city streets and venues.
• Public safety: FirstNet adoption is notable among county/municipal services and near the base; coverage prioritization during incidents is a differentiator versus general consumer traffic.
• Coverage gaps: generally fewer than in mountainous or tribal areas of NM; remaining weak zones tend to be on low‑traffic farm roads toward the northern county line and at the far eastern/western edges between macros.

How Curry County differs from New Mexico statewide

• Adoption and plans:
  • Higher smartphone penetration and per‑user data consumption than the NM average due to a younger, military‑heavy demographic.
  • Postpaid share and FirstNet footprint are higher than statewide; prepaid remains important but is less dominant than in lower‑income, non‑military rural counties.
• Access patterns:
  • Inside Clovis, cellular‑only home internet reliance is lower than the statewide average because fiber/coax are widespread.
  • On the rural fringe, cellular/5G fixed wireless reliance is on par with or slightly above statewide rural levels.
• Network quality:
  • Better mid‑band 5G coverage and capacity than many rural NM counties; fewer terrain‑driven dead zones.
  • Carrier competition is more balanced (AT&T and T‑Mobile comparatively stronger) than in some northern/western NM markets where Verizon historically dominates.
• Equity and affordability:
  • The sunset of the federal ACP subsidy in 2024 has nudged some households toward cellular‑only or 5G home internet; the impact is buffered somewhat in Clovis by co‑op fiber pricing and military/FirstNet discounts, but felt more in rural tracts.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates synthesize recent ACS population/household patterns, FCC coverage maps, carrier buildout announcements through 2024, local provider footprints (Plateau/ENMR, Optimum), and typical rural‑plains deployment practices. Where precise local measurements are unavailable, ranges reflect conservative assumptions to avoid overstatement.

Curry County, NM social media snapshot (est. 2025)

User stats

• Population: ~50,000
• Estimated social media users: ~30,000–34,000 (includes ~26k–30k adults plus ~3–4k teens)
• Overall adult penetration: ~70–75% (in line with U.S. averages; slightly boosted among younger adults due to Cannon AFB presence)

Age groups (share using any social media; est.)

• 13–17: 90–95%; heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram
• 18–29: ~85–90%; YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat (plus some Discord/Reddit)
• 30–49: ~80%; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; TikTok rising
• 50–64: ~70%; Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest; WhatsApp for family/friends
• 65+: ~45%; Facebook, YouTube; Messenger for family

Gender breakdown (est.)

• Overall users: ~51% female / ~49% male (usage rates slightly higher among women, population skews slightly male with the base)
• Platform skews:
  • Female-leaning: Pinterest (strong), Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook (slight)
  • Male-leaning: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (slight), YouTube (slight)
  • Mixed/neutral: TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults who use the platform)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 28–33% (heavier among women 25–54)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (especially under 30)
• WhatsApp: 22–28% (higher among Hispanic households)
• X (Twitter): 18–22%
• LinkedIn: 28–31% (job-seeking, military transitions)
• Reddit: 18–20%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (mainly select Clovis neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local “utility”: Groups and Marketplace dominate for school sports, severe weather, lost/found pets, buy/sell/trade, and base-related information.
• Short‑form video is the growth engine: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery of local businesses, events, and food spots.
• Private spaces matter: Messenger and WhatsApp (often bilingual English/Spanish) for family/community threads; Snapchat groups and IG Close Friends among teens/young adults; some Discord/Reddit among service members and gamers.
• Event-driven spikes: Engagement surges around storms, school closures, and Cannon AFB updates.
• When to post: Evenings (6–10 pm) and lunch hour see consistent engagement; shift work creates early‑morning pockets.
• Buying behavior: Facebook/Instagram ads deliver broad local reach; TikTok performs for 18–34. Spanish-language creative and geotargeting near Clovis and base gates improve response.

Notes

• Figures are estimates derived from national Pew Research Center platform usage benchmarks (2023–2024) adjusted for Curry County’s demographics (U.S. Census/ACS), plus known platform skews. Local rates can vary by ±3–5 percentage points.