San Miguel County

San Miguel County, New Mexico — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates unless noted)

• Population: ~27,200 (declining modestly since 2010)
• Age
  • Median age: ~42 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 18–64: ~57%
  • 65 and over: ~22%
• Sex
  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%
• Race and ethnicity (share of total population)
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~77%
  • White alone, non-Hispanic: ~18%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Asian/Pacific Islander alone, non-Hispanic: <1%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Households and families
  • Households: ~11,300
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Families: ~6,900; average family size: ~3.0
  • Tenure: ~70–75% owner-occupied; ~25–30% renter-occupied
  • Household type mix: roughly 60% family households, ~40% nonfamily
• At-a-glance insights
  • Majority Hispanic county with an older age profile than the state overall
  • Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy typical of rural northern New Mexico

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; 2020 Census for historical context.

• Population and density: San Miguel County, NM has about 27,000 residents across ~4,736 sq mi (≈5.7 people/sq mi). Most connectivity is concentrated in and around Las Vegas, with sparser service in rural areas.
• Estimated email users: ~16,700 people (≈62% of total population). Based on local internet subscription levels and national email adoption among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–34: ~29%
  • 35–64: ~46%
  • 65+: ~17%
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, roughly mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with broadband subscription: ~70–72%.
  • Any internet subscription (including cellular-only): ~80–82%.
  • No internet at home: ~18–20%.
  • Smartphone-only home internet: ~12–15%, indicating reliance on mobile data where wired options are limited.
  • Computer access in households: ~85–90%.
  • Connectivity strongest along the I-25 corridor and in Las Vegas; coverage and speeds decline in outlying communities, increasing dependence on fixed wireless and satellite. Method: Estimates combine U.S. Census/ACS household internet indicators for San Miguel County with Pew Research email adoption rates by age to size local email usage.

Mobile phone usage in San Miguel County, New Mexico — snapshot and how it differs from statewide patterns

Scale of use and adoption

• Population and households: About 27,000 residents and roughly 10,600 households (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year).
• Household smartphone adoption: Approximately 86% of households have a smartphone, compared with about 90% statewide.
• Cellular data plan in household: Roughly 70% of households report a cellular data plan for a smartphone/tablet, versus about three-quarters statewide.
• Broadband subscription of any kind (cable/DSL/fiber/fixed wireless/satellite or cellular data): Around 73% in-county versus about 79% statewide.
• No internet subscription: About 27% of households in San Miguel County have no internet subscription of any kind, higher than the state average of roughly 21%.
• Smartphone-only reliance: An estimated 18% of households rely on a smartphone without a desktop/laptop, notably above the statewide share (about 12%).

Interpreting those numbers as users

• Using the household smartphone rate and the county’s size, a practical user estimate is roughly 19,000–21,000 residents who use a mobile phone regularly, with a higher-than-average share depending primarily on mobile data rather than fixed home broadband.

Demographic patterns that shape usage (and differ from New Mexico overall)

• Older and lower-income profile: San Miguel has a higher share of residents aged 65+ and a lower median household income than the statewide median. This combination tends to depress overall device and plan spending but increases substitution of mobile for home internet.
• Higher Hispanic/Latino share: The county’s majority Hispanic population (significantly above the state’s already high share) correlates with higher multilingual mobile use and above-average reliance on prepaid plans and discount programs.
• Education and poverty: Lower bachelor’s-degree attainment and higher poverty rates than statewide averages align with more smartphone-only use and a larger fraction of households without any internet subscription.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Coverage footprint: 4G LTE is the default across most populated areas, with 5G primarily along the I-25 corridor and in/around Las Vegas, NM. Terrain (canyons, mesas, forested areas) creates persistent dead zones and variable indoor coverage outside town centers; this unevenness is more pronounced than in New Mexico’s urban counties.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber backhaul concentrates along major rights-of-way (I-25, state highways). Many rural sites depend on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak capacity and can exacerbate congestion during events or emergencies.
• Providers and networks: National carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, T-Mobile, Verizon) are present; 5G mid-band capacity is limited outside the main corridor, so users often see 5–50 Mbps LTE/low-band 5G in rural stretches versus higher urban/statewide medians.
• Fixed alternatives: Fewer cable/fiber last-mile options than urban New Mexico lead to higher uptake of satellite and fixed wireless. This scarcity drives a higher share of cellular-only internet households than the statewide norm.
• Affordability supports: Enrollment in Lifeline and (until the 2024 funding freeze) the Affordable Connectivity Program was notably high per household, reflecting local income and driving prepaid and budget-plan usage patterns. The ACP pause raises the risk that cellular-data-only households will downshift plans or lapse service.

Key takeaways versus state-level trends

• Smartphone adoption is slightly lower, but smartphone-only reliance is meaningfully higher than the statewide rate.
• A larger share of households has no internet subscription at all; among subscribing households, more depend on cellular data as their primary connection.
• Coverage is adequate in-town and along I-25 but notably spottier off-corridor, with terrain-driven gaps and capacity limits more acute than the state average.
• Demographics (older, lower-income, higher Hispanic share) and infrastructure (sparser fiber/cable) combine to tilt use toward prepaid, mobile-first connectivity rather than the fixed-plus-mobile bundles more common in New Mexico’s metro counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates, Table S2801 (Computer and Internet Use) and related county profiles; FCC Broadband Data Collection and carrier public coverage disclosures for New Mexico corridors through 2023–2024.

Social media usage in San Miguel County, NM (2024 snapshot)

Headline numbers

• Population: ~27,000 residents
• Active social media users: ~16,000 residents (≈59% of total; ≈73% of adults; ≈90% of teens 13–17)
• Device behavior: Predominantly mobile-first; most engagement occurs evenings (7–9 pm) and weekends

Age and gender mix of users

• By age (share of social media users): 13–17: 8% | 18–29: 20% | 30–49: 32% | 50–64: 24% | 65+: 16%
• By gender: Women 54% | Men 46%

Most-used platforms (share of monthly social media users)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 74% (with Facebook Groups/Marketplace usage at 62%)
• Instagram: 39%
• TikTok: 34%
• WhatsApp: 32%
• Snapchat: 26%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• Nextdoor: 5%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-centric: Facebook Groups function as the county’s digital town square for local news, wildfire recovery updates, school athletics, road/weather alerts, and mutual aid. Trust and engagement are highest on pages/accounts run by local institutions (county, schools, health).
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups dominate peer-to-peer sales and service referrals; Nextdoor presence is limited due to rural dispersion.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (YouTube, Facebook Reels, TikTok) outperforms static posts for reach and shares; cross-posting the same clip drives compounding reach.
• Bilingual engagement: A sizable bilingual (Spanish/English) audience boosts performance for posts with dual-language captions; WhatsApp is widely used for family, church, and community coordination.
• Demographic splits:
  • Under 30: Heaviest time on TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram; messaging and music/sports content drive frequency.
  • 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; Facebook for community/commerce, YouTube for how-to and local-interest video; Instagram for lifestyle and small business.
  • 50+: Facebook and YouTube are primary; news, local events, health/community services, and church-related content perform best.
• Engagement cadence: Event-driven spikes around festivals, school calendars, severe weather, and emergency situations; informational posts from known local figures/pages see faster share velocity.
• Access realities: Mobile data is a key access channel; posts optimized for low-friction consumption (short text, captions on video, lightweight media) get better completion and share rates.

Notes on figures

• Counts and percentages reflect best-available 2024 estimates derived from U.S. Census/ACS population for San Miguel County and Pew Research Center platform adoption benchmarks, adjusted for rural connectivity and the county’s high Hispanic/Latino share. Figures represent the share of social media users (not the entire population) unless stated otherwise.