Grant County

Grant County, New Mexico — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 28,185 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~28.2k (Census Population Estimates Program)
• Trend: flat to slightly declining since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~48 years
• Under 18: ~20–21%
• 65 and over: ~25–26%

Sex

• Female: ~50.5–51%
• Male: ~49–49.5%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census; mutually exclusive where noted)

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~57–58%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~36–37%
• Black or African American alone, not Hispanic: ~0.8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic: ~1.5%
• Asian alone, not Hispanic: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic: ~0.1%
• Two or more races, not Hispanic: ~2.8–3%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Number of households: ~11.6–11.8k
• Persons per household: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~60–62% of households
• Married-couple households: ~44–46%
• Households with children under 18: ~24–26%
• One-person households: ~31–33%

Insights

• Older-than-state/national age profile with about one-quarter 65+
• Hispanic-majority county; non-Hispanic White is roughly one-third
• Smaller household sizes and a high share of one-person households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program.

Grant County, NM snapshot (modeled from U.S. Census and national tech-use benchmarks)

• Population and density: 28,185 residents (2020 Census) across ~3,968 sq mi, ≈7 people per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈21,000 adults (roughly 75% of all residents), assuming near‑universal email use among internet users and high adult internet adoption.
• Age distribution of email users (county skews older than U.S. overall):
  • 18–29: ~10–12%
  • 30–49: ~25–28%
  • 50–64: ~25–28%
  • 65+: ~32–36% Adoption by age remains high: ≈95–98% (18–49), ≈90–93% (50–64), ≈85–90% (65+).
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s slight female majority.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Broadband subscription is typical of rural New Mexico, roughly three‑quarters of households, with remaining homes relying on mobile‑only or no subscription.
  • Connectivity clusters around Silver City and adjacent communities; outlying areas face sparse fixed‑line options and longer last‑mile distances, elevating smartphone dependence.
  • Public anchors (libraries, schools) play an outsized role in access and digital communication.

Implications: Email penetration is strong across all ages, but older population share and rural dispersion mean mobile access and public access points materially shape email usage patterns and frequency.

Grant County, NM mobile phone usage: key findings and how it differs from statewide patterns

Overall adoption and user estimates

• Population and households: ~28,000 residents; ~12,000–12,500 households (ACS 2022–2023).
• Estimated adult smartphone users: 18,500–20,000 (≈82–88% of adults), below New Mexico’s adult average (≈88–92%).
• Households with a smartphone: ~83–86% in Grant vs ~89–92% statewide.
• Households with any internet subscription: ~80–84% in Grant vs ~85–88% statewide.
• Mobile-only internet (households relying primarily on a cellular data plan): ~12–15% in Grant vs ~9–11% statewide.
• No home internet subscription: ~17–20% in Grant vs ~13–15% statewide.
• Basic/feature-phone reliance: ~9–12% of adults in Grant vs ~6–8% statewide.

Demographic drivers and usage patterns

• Older population mix: ~25–27% of residents are 65+ in Grant vs ~19% statewide. This skews device mix toward lower smartphone uptake and more voice/text-centric use among seniors.
• Income gap: Median household income is materially lower in Grant (≈$47–50k) than statewide (≈$57–60k), supporting higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only connectivity to manage costs.
• Education and student segment: Western New Mexico University (Silver City) raises smartphone adoption among 18–29s locally, but countywide aging offsets that gain—producing a wider intra-county adoption gap than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity: Hispanic share in Grant (~50–55%) is similar to New Mexico overall, while Native American share is lower than the state average. In Grant, rural Hispanic households show above-average mobile-only reliance relative to county peers, largely reflecting fixed-broadband availability and income.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage along US-180 and NM-90 corridors and population centers (Silver City, Bayard, Santa Clara, Hurley). Significant coverage gaps remain in the Gila National Forest backcountry and canyon terrain.
  • 5G: Present primarily in and around Silver City and the Mining District; coverage thins rapidly outside towns. County 5G availability lags the statewide pattern in both breadth and depth.
• Carriers and networks:
  • AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T-Mobile all serve the county. T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G offers higher peak speeds where available; Verizon and AT&T provide broader low-band 5G/LTE coverage for reach.
  • Public safety coverage via FirstNet has improved signal reliability on primary corridors but does not fully resolve remote-area gaps.
• Speeds and capacity:
  • Typical median download speeds: ~25–60 Mbps in town centers; <10–25 Mbps at the suburban fringe; sub-10 Mbps or no service in rugged terrain. This trails statewide urban medians (often >90 Mbps) and shows greater location volatility than New Mexico overall.
  • Uplink and latency constraints are more pronounced at peak hours due to lower site density and challenging terrain.
• Sites and density:
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than the state average; line-of-sight limitations and protected lands slow infill. Capacity upgrades tend to focus first on Silver City and highway nodes.
• Public access and backstops:
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings in Silver City and nearby towns provide critical Wi‑Fi offload; E‑Rate–supported networks and community hotspots are used more heavily than average due to fixed-broadband gaps.

How Grant County differs from statewide trends

• Lower smartphone and home-internet adoption overall, driven by older age mix, lower incomes, and sparser infrastructure.
• Higher share of mobile-only households using cellular data as their primary internet connection.
• Slower and more uneven 5G rollout beyond town centers; greater dependence on 4G LTE for daily use.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance gap within the county than New Mexico’s statewide pattern.
• Slightly larger cohort of basic/feature-phone users and prepaid subscribers relative to the state average.

Implications for planning and service

• Demand prioritizes coverage and reliability over sheer top-end speeds; voice/text performance and battery life remain important for older users.
• Targeted 5G mid-band infill around Silver City and along commuter corridors would yield outsized benefits.
• Subsidy and affordability programs (ACP successor offerings, Lifeline) and community Wi‑Fi continue to materially affect connectivity outcomes in the county.
• Mobile network resilience (power backup, wildfire-season deployables) is a higher-value differentiator than in most New Mexico metros.

Notes on data

• Figures synthesize the latest available county-level ACS device and internet indicators (2018–2022/2023), FCC coverage filings, and industry performance benchmarks through 2024. Ranges reflect known rural variability and margins of error at county scale.

Grant County, NM social media snapshot (modeled, 2024)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~28,300 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
• Demographics note: older-than-average age mix and a large Hispanic/Latino share (~45–50%), which influences platform preferences and language use

How many people use social media

• Estimated total social media users: ~16,700 (≈59% of all residents)
  • Adults (18+): ~15,300
  • Teens (13–17): ~1,500

Age breakdown of users (share of all social media users; modeled from county age mix and Pew adoption by age)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~17%
• 30–44: ~23%
• 45–64: ~33%
• 65+: ~18%

Gender breakdown

• Overall usage rates are very similar by gender; with Grant County’s near-even sex split, user totals are roughly:
  • Female: ~8.4–8.6k (≈50–51%)
  • Male: ~8.2–8.4k (≈49–50%)

Most-used platforms and estimated reach Adults (share of all adults; counts use ~22,640 adults)

• YouTube: 83% (18.8k)
• Facebook: 68% (15.4k)
• Instagram: 47% (10.6k)
• TikTok: 33% (7.5k)
• Pinterest: 30% (6.8k)
• LinkedIn: 28% (6.3k)
• Snapchat: 27% (6.1k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (5.0k)
• WhatsApp: 23% (5.2k) Teens 13–17 (share of teens; counts use ~1,560 teens)
• YouTube: 95% (1,480)
• TikTok: 67% (1,040)
• Instagram: 62% (960)
• Snapchat: 59% (920)

Behavioral trends observed in counties with similar profiles, applied locally

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups for local news, events, school and sports updates, community alerts, church and civic activities, and yard-sale/buy–sell trading. Older adults gravitate strongly to Facebook; posting is modest, sharing and commenting dominate.
• YouTube for learning and leisure: DIY, ranching/home repair, automotive, music, and Spanish/English bilingual content are common; consumption outweighs creation.
• Youth split attention between TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat: Local teens and 20-somethings follow trends, sports highlights, and creators; short-form video drives discovery, while Snapchat handles daily messaging and friend groups.
• Messaging backbone: Facebook Messenger is near-universal alongside SMS; WhatsApp penetration is meaningfully above the U.S. average within Hispanic households for family coordination and cross-border contacts.
• Small-business marketing: Local businesses and events lean on Facebook Pages/Groups and Instagram Reels; boosted posts around weekends and holidays perform best. TikTok presence is growing for food, boutiques, outdoor recreation, and festivals.
• Older adults online but platform-conservative: Roughly half of 65+ use social media; they cluster on Facebook and YouTube, prefer information and community content, and are less likely to adopt new platforms.
• Platform overlap is the norm: Most users are active on 2–4 platforms; Facebook + YouTube is the most common pairing, with Instagram or TikTok added for under-45s.

Notes and sources

• County population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS/Census estimates, 2023).
• Adoption rates by age and platform: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2023–2024).
• Figures are modeled local estimates by applying Pew’s age-specific adoption rates to Grant County’s age mix; platform counts overlap because users often use multiple platforms.