Harding County

Harding County, New Mexico — key demographics

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5‑year estimates.

• Population size

  • 657 residents (2020 Census), the least populous county in New Mexico

• Age

  • Median age: about 57 years (ACS)
  • Under 18: ~17–18%
  • 65 and over: ~35–40%
  • Insight: Markedly older age structure relative to state and U.S. averages

• Gender

  • Male: ~53%
  • Female: ~47%

• Racial/ethnic composition

  • White alone: ~90%+
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: ~2–4%
  • Two or more races: ~3–5%
  • Black or African American and Asian: each ~1% or less
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~40–45%
  • Non‑Hispanic White: ~50%

• Households and housing (ACS)

  • Households: ~310–330
  • Average household size: ~2.0 persons
  • One‑person households: ~35%
  • Family households: ~60% (majority married‑couple)
  • Owner‑occupied housing rate: ~75–85%
  • Insight: Small households, high homeownership, and a high share of older adults indicate a sparsely populated, aging, owner‑occupied housing market

Harding County, NM overview

• Population ≈657 across 2,126 sq mi (≈0.31 residents/sq mi), among the lowest densities in the U.S.

Estimated email users

• ≈480 residents use email (≈73% of the population).

Age distribution of email users

• 18–34: 20%
• 35–54: 28%
• 55–64: 18%
• 65+: 34%

Gender split of email users

• Male 52%, Female 48%.

Digital access and trends

• About 60–65% of households have a fixed broadband subscription; 75–80% report any internet service. Roughly 12–15% are mobile‑only; 20–25% rely on satellite or fixed‑wireless.
• Connectivity clusters in Roy and Mosquero and along US‑56/412 and NM‑39; coverage drops rapidly across ranchlands due to extremely low density.
• 2019–2024: incremental gains from LTE home internet and new satellite options; limited fiber/cable expansion. Public anchors (schools, library) remain key access points.
• Broadband availability and adoption remain below New Mexico averages; weather and terrain can affect reliability.

Insights

• Email adoption is strong among working‑age adults and growing among seniors; overall usage is constrained by sparse infrastructure and long distances between dwellings.

Mobile phone usage in Harding County, New Mexico — summary and county-vs-state contrasts

Definitive context

• Population and density: 628 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate) spread across roughly 2,125 square miles, or about 0.30 residents per square mile—by far the sparsest county in New Mexico.
• Settlement pattern: No Census-defined urbanized areas; residents are concentrated in small communities (e.g., Mosquero, Roy) and widely dispersed ranchlands. The county is fully rural by federal classifications, with long distances between population clusters.

Estimated mobile user base

• Unique mobile users (people with at least one active mobile phone): approximately 470–520 residents, equal to 75–83% of the total population.
• Basis for estimate: application of recent U.S. age-specific smartphone/phone adoption rates to Harding County’s older-skewed, rural population profile, combined with the county’s 2023 population. The estimate reflects lower adoption among older adults and some households maintaining landlines or relying on non-cellular communications due to coverage gaps.

Demographic usage patterns (how usage differs from the New Mexico average)

• Age: Harding County has an older population structure than the state overall. As a result:
  • Smartphone adoption is lower among residents 65+, with more voice/text-only use and basic phones than the state average.
  • Multi-line ownership and high-end device penetration are below state norms; upgrade cycles are longer.
• Income/occupation: The economy is dominated by agriculture and ranching:
  • Greater reliance on phone-based voice, push-to-talk, and text off the grid; data use clusters where coverage exists (town centers, highway corridors).
  • Wider use of signal boosters, external antennas, and LTE hotspots for home/ranch connectivity than in urban parts of the state.
• Household structure: A higher share of single-person and older-adult households maintains some landline presence or non-cellular backup (e.g., satellite messengers), unlike metro New Mexico where wireless-only households are more common.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • LTE provides the functional baseline. 5G coverage is present mainly along primary corridors and near towns; it remains spotty to absent across large ranch tracts and mesa country.
  • Outdoor coverage is generally reliable on U.S. 56/412 and NM 39 and weaker off-corridor. Indoor coverage is inconsistent, especially in metal-roof structures.
• Capacity/speeds:
  • Where LTE/5G is available, downlink is typically adequate for standard apps and Wi‑Fi calling; performance degrades rapidly with distance from towers and terrain obstructions.
  • Network congestion is rarely the limiting factor; signal quality and backhaul constraints dominate.
• Backhaul and redundancy:
  • Sparse fiber backbones with microwave spurs; single-path backhaul is common. Outages can create wide service gaps until restoration.
• Towers and radio sites:
  • Very low tower/site density relative to land area, focused near communities and along highways; large unserved or fringe zones persist between sites.
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • Priority/public-safety LTE is available on primary corridors; LMR remains important for first responders and ranch operations in dead zones.
• Satellite complement:
  • Rapid uptake of low-earth-orbit satellite internet since 2022 for homesteads and ranch HQs in no‑service/single‑bar areas; growing use of satellite messaging as a safety backstop.

Trends that differ from state-level New Mexico

• Coverage continuity: New Mexico’s metros now have broad 5G and dense LTE; Harding County remains LTE-first with limited 5G islands and large dead zones between highways—coverage continuity is the issue, not just peak speed.
• Adoption and device mix: Statewide smartphone adoption is high among adults; Harding County’s older profile and coverage constraints yield a lower user share and higher prevalence of basic phones and voice-first usage.
• Data consumption: Per-user mobile data consumption trails the state, reflecting smaller app/streaming footprints off-corridor and more Wi‑Fi offload to satellite/DSL/fixed wireless at home.
• Infrastructure investment: State-level upgrades cluster in Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Las Cruces and oil/gas corridors; Harding County sees incremental improvements (corridor-focused) rather than dense infill.
• Backup modes: Reliance on signal boosters, two-way radios, and satellite services is materially higher than the state average due to the county’s extreme sparsity.

Key takeaways

• With just 0.30 residents per square mile, Harding County’s principal challenge is geographic reach, not network congestion.
• A realistic near-term picture is LTE-dominant mobility with selective 5G along highways, complemented by satellite at homes and ranches.
• The county’s older, rural demographics translate to fewer total mobile users and different usage patterns than New Mexico’s urban centers, with voice/text reliability and safety communications prioritized over high-throughput mobile data.

Harding County, NM — social media usage snapshot (2025, modeled) Note: No source publishes county-level social-media stats. Figures below are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform usage, adjusted for rural/older demographics typical of Harding County, plus advertiser reach norms. Treat as best-available local estimates.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: 70–78% of adults
• Primary access: mobile-first; desktop usage is low
• Posting vs. viewing: majority are viewers/lurkers; active posting concentrated among small local groups and community admins

Platform mix (share of adults)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 20–30%
• Snapchat: 15–25% (skews under 35)
• Pinterest: 20–30% (skews female)
• WhatsApp: 10–20% (used mainly for family/close-group chat)
• X (Twitter): 10–18% (news/sports; low posting)
• Reddit: 8–15% (skews male/under 40)
• LinkedIn: 8–15% (lower due to occupational mix)
• Nextdoor: <10% (limited coverage in very rural areas)

Age profile of local social-media users

• 18–29: 10–15% of users; heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; light on Facebook posts but present in Messenger groups
• 30–49: 25–30%; multi-platform (Facebook + Instagram/YouTube); uses Marketplace and Reels
• 50–64: 30–35%; Facebook- and YouTube-heavy; strong in local groups and events
• 65+: 25–30%; primarily Facebook (groups, Messenger) and YouTube; low adoption of TikTok/Instagram

Gender breakdown among social-media users

• Women: 50–55% (over-index on Facebook groups, Instagram, Pinterest, local events/Marketplace)
• Men: 45–50% (over-index on YouTube, X, Reddit; strong in hunting/outdoors, ag, auto content)

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Community-first: Facebook Groups and Messenger threads are the backbone for local news, road/weather updates, school and civic notices, buy/sell/trade, and event coordination
• Video-forward: YouTube for how-to, ag/ranching, equipment, outdoors; short-form video growth via Facebook Reels and TikTok, especially under 40
• Marketplace-driven commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the dominant local classifieds channel; high engagement on practical goods, ranching supplies, vehicles
• Messaging over public posting: Many interactions shift to DMs (Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp) for planning and swaps; public posting frequency is modest
• Timing: Evening peaks (7–10 p.m.) and weekends; daytime spikes during weather or public-safety events
• Trust dynamics: Higher trust in posts from known locals, public agencies, schools, churches, and established civic pages; skepticism of anonymous pages
• Advertising performance: Best results from geo-tight, event- or offer-led campaigns; video or carousel creatives with clear local relevance; broaden geotargeting to 50–100 miles for scale

Most-used platforms summary (ranked)

1. YouTube (70–80%)
2. Facebook (60–70%)
3. Instagram (25–35%)
4. TikTok (20–30%)
5. Pinterest/Snapchat (20–30% / 15–25%) Trailing: WhatsApp, X, Reddit, LinkedIn, Nextdoor

Method note: Percentages are derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use report and advertiser reach benchmarks, adjusted for an older, rural population profile consistent with Harding County.