San Juan County

San Juan County, New Mexico — key demographics (latest Census Bureau estimates)

Population

• Total population: ~118,800 (2023 estimate)
• Change since 2020 Census (121,661): ≈ -2% to -3%

Age

• Median age: ~35–36 years
• Under 18: ~27%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and Hispanic origin (mutually exclusive summary)

• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~38%–40%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~32%–34%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~23%–25%
• Black (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.5%–0.7%
• Two or more races/other (non-Hispanic): ~2%–3%

Households and families

• Households: ~40,500–41,000
• Average household size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~74% of households
• Average family size: ~3.4–3.5
• Households with children under 18: ~38%–40%
• Tenure: ~70% owner-occupied, ~30% renter-occupied

Insights

• Large American Indian (primarily Navajo Nation) population shapes the county’s demographics.
• Younger-than-state median age and larger household/family sizes than New Mexico overall.
• Homeownership rates are relatively high for the state.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (1-year) and 2020 Decennial Census.

San Juan County, NM overview

• Population ~121,000 across 5,538 sq mi (≈22 people/sq mi).
• Households ~43,000; 84% subscribe to broadband; 12% have no home internet; about 14% rely on cellular-data–only service (ACS 2022).
• Estimated adult email users: ≈78,000 (about 87% of adults), reflecting near-universal email use among internet users.

Age distribution of email users

• 18–34: ~31% of users (very high adoption, mid-to-upper 90s percent).
• 35–64: ~50% of users (mid-90s percent adoption).
• 65+: ~19% of users (mid-to-high 80s percent adoption).

Gender split

• Approximately even among users: 51% female, 49% male, mirroring county demographics and national email parity.

Digital access trends and local connectivity facts

• Broadband subscription has trended upward since 2018; fixed access and speeds are strongest in the Farmington–Aztec–Bloomfield corridor, where most residents live.
• Remote and reservation communities show lower fixed-broadband availability, higher smartphone-only reliance, and greater dependence on public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools).
• Device access is broad, but mobile dominates for many lower-income households, shaping email usage toward smartphones and shorter, transactional interactions.

San Juan County, NM mobile usage snapshot (latest public data through 2023–2024, modeled from ACS 5‑year device/internet tables, FCC Broadband Data Collection, Pew mobile adoption, and carrier disclosures)

Overall user estimates

• Population baseline: ~120,000 residents; ~41,000 households.
• Estimated smartphone users: 85,000–92,000 people (roughly 72–77% of all residents, 88–92% of adults).
• Households with a smartphone: 34,500–37,000 (85–91% of households). This trails the New Mexico household smartphone rate by ~1–3 percentage points.
• Mobile-only internet dependence (cellular data plan with no fixed broadband at home): 8,500–10,000 households (21–24%), meaningfully higher than the statewide rate (~15–18%).

How San Juan County differs from the New Mexico average

• More mobile-only: A notably higher share of households rely exclusively on cellular data for home internet, reflecting gaps in affordable wired options outside Farmington/Aztec/Bloomfield and on tribal lands.
• Slightly lower household smartphone penetration: County household smartphone ownership is a bit below the state average, largely due to older and lower-income household profiles and coverage gaps in western and southern parts of the county.
• Bigger urban–rural performance gap: Mid-band 5G is strong in and around Farmington but drops to LTE or no signal across large stretches of Navajo Nation chapters and along NM‑371 and NM‑57, a wider gap than the state overall.
• Coverage from regional carriers matters more: Commnet/Cellular One and Choice Wireless play a larger role for basic coverage in mesas and valleys than they do in most NM counties.

Demographic breakdown (usage and access patterns)

• Age
  • 18–29: smartphone adoption ~95–98%; heavy mobile app and social usage, high 5G take-up in Farmington.
  • 30–49: ~92–96%; highest share of multi-line postpaid plans.
  • 50–64: ~85–90%; growing mobile-only reliance where wireline options are limited.
  • 65+: ~62–70%; lower smartphone adoption than the state average, with many voice/text-only or basic data plans.
• Income
  • Households under $35k show the highest mobile-only rate (estimated 30%+), driven by price sensitivity and availability barriers to cable/fiber outside city centers.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Native American residents comprise a large share of the county and face markedly lower fixed-broadband availability; smartphone ownership is broadly comparable to the county average, but mobile-only internet reliance is higher than for non-Native households.
  • Spanish- and Navajo-speaking households are overrepresented among prepaid users and mobile-only subscribers, reflecting both affordability choices and service availability.
• Students and youth
  • K–12 and community college students in rural chapters disproportionately depend on smartphones and hotspots for homework connectivity relative to the NM average.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G availability
  • Population covered by at least one national carrier’s 5G: estimated 73–78% (NM statewide: ~84–88%).
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) concentrated in Farmington/Aztec/Bloomfield and along US‑64/US‑550; most outlying areas remain LTE-only.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Urban core (Farmington): typical 5G downloads 100–300 Mbps on Verizon and T‑Mobile; AT&T 5G low- to mid-band coverage with lower peak speeds but solid capacity downtown.
  • Rural and tribal areas: LTE frequently 5–25 Mbps down with higher latency; pockets of <5 Mbps or no service persist, especially south of US‑64 and west of Shiprock.
• Carriers and networks
  • National: Verizon, T‑Mobile, AT&T operate macro 4G/5G grids; C‑band/n41 upgrades mostly complete in Farmington.
  • Regional: Commnet/Cellular One and Choice Wireless extend basic LTE/voice coverage in sparsely populated terrain; roaming fills some gaps.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Fiber backhaul is strong on the US‑64 and US‑550 corridors; limited middle‑mile south of Farmington and across Navajo Nation contributes to capacity constraints and outages.
• Investment and grants (2024 status)
  • New Mexico’s BEAD program (federal broadband) targets numerous unserved/underserved San Juan locations, especially on Navajo Nation and along NM‑371/NM‑511/NM‑173; builds run 2025–2028.
  • NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program awards to the Navajo Nation include San Juan County segments for fiber middle‑mile and fixed wireless upgrades that also support mobile densification.

Behavioral and plan trends

• Higher prepaid share than state average, reflecting price sensitivity and variable coverage between towns and chapters.
• Hotspot and phone-tethering use is materially above the NM average among students and workers in outlying areas.
• Video streaming over mobile is common but often downshifted to SD in rural zones to manage data caps and variable throughput.

Key takeaways

• San Juan County has nearly statewide-level smartphone adoption among adults but materially higher mobile-only internet reliance due to gaps in fixed broadband, particularly on tribal lands.
• 5G has significantly improved capacity in Farmington/Aztec/Bloomfield, yet large rural areas still experience LTE-only service with modest speeds, producing a sharper urban–rural divide than the state overall.
• Pending BEAD and tribal broadband builds should reduce mobile-only dependence and improve backhaul for 4G/5G in the 2025–2028 window, but near-term reliability outside the urban core will continue to lag state averages.

Social media usage in San Juan County, New Mexico (2025 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈120,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 estimate)
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ≈80,000–82,000 residents use social media at least monthly (modeled from county population and Pew Research U.S. adoption rates)

Age profile and adoption

• 13–17: ≈95% use social media; dominant platforms: YouTube (≈95%), TikTok (≈63%), Snapchat (≈60%), Instagram (≈59%)
• 18–29: 90%+ use social; very high YouTube/Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok usage; Facebook is secondary
• 30–49: ≈85–90% use social; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram lead; TikTok growing
• 50–64: ≈75–80% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate
• 65+: ≈55–60% use social; Facebook and YouTube lead; other platforms limited

Gender breakdown

• Population is roughly even by sex; the active social media user base is similarly balanced (~50/50)
• Platform skews: women are more likely to use Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest; men are more likely to use YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter)

Most-used platforms (adults, estimated share of county adults using each)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• Reddit: 22%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• WhatsApp: 21% (Percentages mirror 2024 U.S. adult usage and are applied to the county’s adult population)

Behavioral trends in the county

• Meta-first for community: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central for local news, events, school activities, lost-and-found, and buy/sell/trade; Instagram supports local businesses and nonprofits
• Video-first consumption: How-to, automotive, trades, outdoors, and local sports content perform strongly on YouTube; short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives reach among under-35
• Youth messaging culture: Snapchat is a daily habit for teens and high-schoolers; Stories and group chats underpin coordination for classes, sports, and social life
• Mobile-dominant use: Most engagement occurs on smartphones; peak local activity clusters on weeknights 7–10 pm and morning commutes 6–8 am, with weekend mid-day spikes around community events
• Language and cultural resonance: Bilingual and culturally grounded posts (English with Navajo and/or Spanish where appropriate) see higher interaction with local audiences
• Paid reach patterns: Small and mid-size businesses emphasize Facebook/Instagram geo-targeted ads for conversions; YouTube pre-roll for broad awareness; TikTok is used selectively for youth-oriented campaigns

Notes on methodology and sources

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 estimate, ACS)
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults); Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology (2023/2024)
• County estimates are modeled by applying Pew’s age- and platform-level adoption shares to San Juan County’s population structure to provide actionable, locally scaled figures