Sandoval County

Sandoval County, New Mexico — key demographics

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 148,834
• 2010–2020 growth: +13.1% (from 131,561)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~43%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~38% Race alone (may include Hispanics; categories are not mutually exclusive):
• White: ~75%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~13%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• Asian: ~2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~8%

Household data

• Households: ~55,000
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.7
• Family households: ~70%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–78%
• Renter-occupied: ~22–25%

Insights

• Fast-growing suburban county anchored by Rio Rancho
• Majority-minority composition driven by Hispanic and Native American populations
• High homeownership and predominantly family households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

• Scale: Sandoval County has 156,000 residents (ACS 2023), spread over ~3,714 sq mi (42 people/sq mi). Most residents cluster in Rio Rancho and the I‑25 corridor; rural and tribal areas are far less dense.

• Estimated email users: ~113,000 adults. Method: ~119,000 adults (18+) × ~95% U.S. adult email adoption (Pew-level benchmark) ≈ 113k.

• Age distribution of email users (est.):

  • 18–29: ~27k users (≈98% adoption)
  • 30–49: ~41k (≈99%)
  • 50–64: ~29k (≈95%)
  • 65+: ~23k (≈88%)

• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s population structure.

• Digital access and devices (county-level ACS patterns; suburban NM context):

  • ~90–92% of households have a broadband subscription.
  • ~94–96% of households have a computer; multi-device households are common.
  • Smartphone adoption among adults ~85–90%, supporting high email reach on mobile.

• Connectivity facts and trends:

  • Gigabit cable/fiber widely available in Rio Rancho; fixed wireless fills gaps on the fringe.
  • Rural/tribal uplands (e.g., Jemez Mountains and Pueblo/Navajo areas) show lower speeds and higher unserved pockets.
  • Affordability pressures have grown with the wind‑down of federal discounts, but ongoing state/federal builds are expanding fiber into underserved zones.

Sandoval County, NM mobile phone usage summary

User estimates

• Population baseline: 148,834 residents (2020 Census). Adults (18+) ≈ 115,000.
• Estimated adult smartphone users: ≈ 101,000 (method: adults x 88% U.S. adult smartphone ownership, Pew Research Center, 2023).
• Estimated mobile-only home internet households: ≈ 5,500–6,000 (about 11–12% of ~51,000 households in 2020), below the statewide share of cellular-only households (≈15–17% per ACS S2801 patterns for New Mexico), reflecting stronger fixed-broadband alternatives in Rio Rancho and along the I‑25/US‑550 corridor.
• Residents with no home internet but with a smartphone: meaningfully lower than the state average, consistent with higher household income and device availability in Sandoval.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • Younger and middle-aged adults dominate mobile use. Applying national adoption rates to Sandoval’s age structure yields:
    • 18–49: near-saturation (≈95%). This group comprises the majority of county smartphone users by volume.
    • 50–64: high adoption (≈80+%), supporting strong mobile engagement among late-career workers.
    • 65+: rising but still lower adoption (≈60%); translates to roughly 10,000–12,000 senior smartphone users. This cohort is growing in Sandoval, so senior mobile use is increasing faster than statewide.
• Income and education
  • Sandoval’s median household income is substantially above the New Mexico median, and its college-attainment share is higher than the state’s. Both factors correlate with higher device ownership, multiple-line plans, and lower dependence on cellular-only home internet than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity and tribal communities
  • The county includes several Pueblos and extensive tribal lands. In these areas, adoption is strong where coverage exists, but mobile dependence is higher where wireline options are limited. Geographic, not demand-side, constraints primarily drive the gap versus suburban tracts.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G deployment
  • T‑Mobile and Verizon mid-band 5G have broad outdoor coverage across Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, and the I‑25/US‑550 corridor, with typical median speeds in the 150–300 Mbps range and low latency suitable for home broadband substitution. AT&T 5G is present countywide with concentrated mid-band capacity in suburban zones.
  • This footprint is denser and faster than statewide averages because Sandoval’s population is concentrated in the Albuquerque metro’s northwest suburbs, attracting earlier C‑band/n41 deployment than many rural NM counties.
• LTE/voice coverage
  • Countywide LTE coverage is extensive along highways and population centers. Coverage gaps persist in the Jemez Mountains, Valles Caldera edges, and the northwest (e.g., around Cuba), where terrain and distance reduce reliability—more pronounced than state urban areas but less severe than New Mexico’s most remote counties.
• Backhaul and fixed-broadband interplay
  • Cable and fiber availability in Rio Rancho and along main corridors reduces cellular-only reliance and supports higher 5G performance (better backhaul), a key difference from many NM counties where limited wireline backhaul constrains mobile capacity.
  • Tribal and mountain areas rely more on microwave backhaul and have fewer macro sites, dampening 5G throughput and consistency relative to suburban Sandoval.

How Sandoval differs from New Mexico overall

• Higher smartphone penetration and multi-line plan ownership than the state average due to suburban demographics and income.
• Lower share of cellular-only home internet households than the state, reflecting better fixed-broadband alternatives and stronger 5G capacity where people live.
• Larger urban-suburban/rural divide within the county: world-class 5G performance in Rio Rancho versus persistent coverage and capacity constraints in tribal and mountainous zones. This intra-county disparity is starker than the statewide picture because Sandoval contains both dense suburbs and rugged terrain.
• Faster 5G rollout timing and higher median mobile speeds in populated areas relative to state averages, driven by carrier prioritization of the Albuquerque metro.

Sources and methods

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population, household base).
• Pew Research Center, 2023 (U.S. adult smartphone ownership at 88% used to estimate county users).
• ACS S2801 (Computer and Internet Use) patterns for New Mexico to benchmark cellular-only household shares and fixed-broadband availability.
• FCC mobile deployment filings and carrier public buildouts for 5G/LTE coverage characterization.

Note: Where county-specific device metrics are not directly published, figures are derived by applying current national adoption rates to the county’s census base and benchmarking against ACS and FCC patterns to produce conservative, policy-relevant estimates.

Social media usage in Sandoval County, NM — snapshot

Core demographics (ACS 2019–2023)

• Population: ~155,000 residents
• Adults (18+): 76% of residents (118,000 adults)
• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male
• Age mix:
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 18–24: ~9%
  • 25–34: ~13%
  • 35–44: ~14%
  • 45–54: ~12%
  • 55–64: ~13%
  • 65+: ~15%

Most-used platforms among adults (percent using; Pew Research Center, 2024; applied to Sandoval’s adult base for local reach)

• YouTube: 83% → ~98k adults
• Facebook: 68% → ~80k
• Instagram: 47% → ~55k
• Pinterest: 35% → ~41k
• TikTok: 33% → ~39k
• LinkedIn: 30% → ~35k
• Snapchat: 30% → ~35k
• X (Twitter): 27% → ~32k
• WhatsApp: 26% → ~31k
• Reddit: 22% → ~26k
• Nextdoor: 20% → ~24k

Age and gender usage patterns (local implications)

• Teens (13–17): High TikTok and Snapchat; YouTube ubiquitous. Short-form video dominates; school/sports and creator-led content perform best.
• Young adults (18–29): Multi-platform (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat); Instagram Reels and TikTok drive discovery; DMs central to interactions.
• Adults 30–49: Facebook + Instagram for community, parenting, events; YouTube for how‑to, local businesses, product research.
• Adults 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; growing Nextdoor usage for neighborhood updates.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube remain primary; Nextdoor for hyperlocal issues.
• Gender tendencies: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X. Use these skews for creative and placement choices.

Behavioral trends seen in suburban NM counties (applies strongly in Sandoval: Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, Placitas)

• Facebook groups are the community hub: city updates, schools, youth sports, utilities, public safety, lost/found. Event-style posts and shareable alerts outperform static updates.
• Video-first consumption: Reels/Shorts (15–60s) outperform static posts; “how-to,” local news recaps, high school sports highlights, restaurant spotlights, and scenic/parks content drive high completion.
• Marketplace and recommendations: Facebook Marketplace is a major local commerce channel; service discovery often starts on Google/YouTube, with social proof validated via Facebook groups and Instagram.
• Hyperlocal networks: Nextdoor sees strong uptake in established neighborhoods for HOA, roadwork, crime/safety, and wildlife/fire weather alerts.
• Messaging layer: Messenger and WhatsApp are used for coordination and business inquiries; enabling DMs and quick replies materially increases conversion for local services.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm MT) and weekend mornings; noon hours capture mobile check-ins. Consistent posting cadence beats sporadic bursts.
• Creative that works: Authentic, people-first storytelling; short captions with a clear call-to-action; subtitles on all videos; bilingual or plain-language summaries increase reach; geotagging and local hashtags aid discovery.

Notes on methodology

• Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 (county-level).
• Platform adoption: Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage rates. Local “user counts” above are modeled by applying these rates to Sandoval County’s adult population to show approximate reachable audiences.