Santa Fe County

Santa Fe County, New Mexico — key demographics

Population size

• 154,823 (2020 Census)
• ~159,000 (2023 Census Bureau estimate; up roughly 2–3% since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~47
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is an ethnicity; figures from ACS 2019–2023 5-year)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~55%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~38–39%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–4%

Household data

• Households: ~67,000
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~58% of households; married-couple families ~41%
• Households with children under 18: ~23%
• Owner-occupied rate: ~70% of occupied units
• Median household income: ~$75,000; poverty rate: ~11–12%

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

• Population and density: Santa Fe County has about 159,000 residents across roughly 1,911 sq mi (≈83 people/sq mi), with most residents concentrated in and around the City of Santa Fe.
• Estimated email users: ≈122,000 residents use email regularly (~76% of the total population and ~94% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–29: 15%
  • 30–49: 32%
  • 50–64: 29%
  • 65+: 24%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county demographics; usage is near-parity by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~89% of households maintain a broadband internet subscription; ~95% have a computer or smartphone.
  • About 8% of households are mobile-only for internet.
  • Fixed broadband coverage is widespread in urban/suburban areas, with fiber-to-the-home expanding in and near Santa Fe; rural and tribal areas at the county’s edges show the largest gaps.
  • Public Wi‑Fi and library access remain important for low-income and rural residents.
• Connectivity insight: High education and income levels in the urban core support strong email adoption, while lower-density outlying areas drive the remaining digital divide despite countywide coverage that reaches the vast majority of residents.

Mobile phone usage in Santa Fe County, NM — 2022–2024 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: Santa Fe County has roughly 155–160k residents and about 67–71k households.
• Smartphone users (adults): Estimated 110k–120k adult smartphone users. This is derived by applying current U.S. age-specific adoption rates (very high among 18–64, lower among 65+) to Santa Fe County’s older-skewed age mix.
• Active mobile lines: Approximately 175k–190k active SIMs in the county (using statewide subscription density of roughly 110–120 wireless subscriptions per 100 residents applied to local population).

Device ownership and access (household-level, ACS 2018–2022, 5-year)

• Households with a smartphone:
  • Santa Fe County: about 90–93%
  • New Mexico statewide: about 88–91%
  • Insight: Santa Fe County is modestly above the state on smartphone presence in households.
• Households with a cellular data plan (any device):
  • Santa Fe County: about 80–85%
  • New Mexico: about 78–83%
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan alone, no wireline):
  • Santa Fe County: about 12–15%
  • New Mexico: about 20–24%
  • Insight: Santa Fe residents rely less on mobile-only internet than the state overall, reflecting stronger fixed-broadband availability and higher incomes.
• Households with no internet subscription:
  • Santa Fe County: about 9–12%
  • New Mexico: about 16–20%
  • Insight: Digital exclusion is meaningfully lower in Santa Fe County than statewide.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age: Santa Fe County has a larger 65+ share than the state. Seniors have the lowest smartphone adoption and are less likely to rely on mobile-only internet; this slightly suppresses the county’s per-capita mobile usage relative to its high-income peers but still leaves it ahead of the state overall on ownership.
• Income/education: Higher median income and education levels in Santa Fe County correlate with:
  • Higher rates of multi-device households (smartphone plus computer/tablet).
  • Greater likelihood of having both mobile and fixed broadband rather than mobile-only.
• Language/ethnicity: A large Hispanic/Latino population mirrors the state, but the county’s higher overall connectivity narrows gaps in mobile access compared with more rural parts of New Mexico.

Digital infrastructure highlights (2023–2024)

• Carrier footprint: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all offer 5G in the City of Santa Fe and along the I‑25 and US‑84/285 corridors; coverage becomes more variable in mountain valleys, mesas, and lightly populated northern areas and pueblos.
• 5G layers: Low-band 5G is widespread; mid-band 5G (e.g., 2.5 GHz or C-band) is present in and around the urban core, supporting higher capacity. Rural areas are more dependent on LTE/low-band 5G.
• Emergency and public safety: AT&T FirstNet is available in the county and is commonly cited by local agencies; dense coverage follows primary transportation and civic corridors.
• Backhaul and fiber: The metro area and main corridors benefit from multiple fiber routes, supporting denser cell deployment and higher median mobile speeds than much of rural New Mexico.

How Santa Fe County differs from the New Mexico state picture

• Lower reliance on mobile-only internet (by roughly 8–10 percentage points), indicating that mobile is more often a complement to, not a substitute for, home broadband.
• Slightly higher household smartphone presence and cellular plan take-up, despite an older population mix.
• Better 5G capacity coverage in and around the city, translating into higher typical speeds and more consistent performance than many rural counties.
• Smaller share of households with no internet subscription, reflecting stronger infrastructure and socioeconomic advantages.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Household device and subscription figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” and closely related tables. Ranges reflect county-level sampling error and rounding.
• Adult smartphone user estimates apply current national, age-specific adoption rates (Pew Research Center, 2023) to Santa Fe County’s age distribution.
• Active line estimates use typical subscription density (CTIA/Wireless Industry Indices) applied to local population.
• Infrastructure characterization aligns with FCC Broadband Data Collection mobile coverage filings (2023–2024) and carrier public network disclosures.

Social media usage in Santa Fe County, NM — 2024 snapshot

How many people use social media

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~73% of Santa Fe County adults
• Daily social-media users: ~51% of adults (about 70% of social users use at least one platform daily)

Most-used platforms (share of adults using the platform)

• YouTube: ~75%
• Facebook: ~67%
• Instagram: ~41%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~29%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21%
• Reddit: ~20%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• Nextdoor: ~18%

Age profile and platform mix

• 18–29: Heaviest on YouTube (93%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%); Facebook (~58%). Fastest Reels/Stories/Snaps consumption; high DM usage as primary messaging.
• 30–49: YouTube (87%) and Facebook (69%) anchor reach; Instagram (48%) and TikTok (39%) for short-form video; LinkedIn (~40%) relevant for career segments.
• 50–64: Facebook (73%) and YouTube (70%) dominate; Pinterest (36%) and LinkedIn (28%) notable; Instagram (29%) and TikTok (24%) are secondary.
• 65+: Facebook (65%) leads for community/news; YouTube (49%) for how‑to and long-form; Pinterest (28%); Instagram (15%) and TikTok (11%) are niche; Nextdoor (20%) stands out for neighborhood updates.

Gender breakdown (directional skews)

• Women: Higher usage of Facebook (74%), Instagram (50%), Pinterest (~50%), and Nextdoor (~~20%). Expect a majority-female audience on Facebook and a strong female skew on Pinterest.
• Men: Higher usage of YouTube (86%), Reddit (27%), X/Twitter (26%), and LinkedIn (34%). Expect male-majority audiences on Reddit and X.
• Overall county adult split is near even (slightly more women), so platform skews reflect behavior more than headcount.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are central for neighborhood news, wildfire/road/weather updates, city services, volunteerism, and buy/sell/trade. Facebook Marketplace is heavily used for local resale.
• Arts and tourism driven: Instagram and YouTube content centered on galleries, markets, festivals (e.g., Spanish Market, Indian Market), cuisine, trails, and architecture performs best; Reels/Shorts featuring events and itineraries get above-average engagement.
• Bilingual and private sharing: English/Spanish mix is common; WhatsApp groups support families, community orgs, and small businesses; many older adults prefer private groups over public posting.
• Video-forward consumption: YouTube and Facebook video see strong watch time; older users increasingly watch YouTube via smart TV apps; short-form (Reels/TikTok) usage grows in under‑40 segments.
• Local news and civics: City/county agencies, schools, utilities, and newsrooms use Facebook and X for alerts; engagement spikes during public safety and weather events.
• Seasonal patterns: Peak travel seasons (spring and late summer/early fall) bring measurable upticks in Instagram/TikTok discovery and YouTube search for “things to do,” markets, and trail content.

Notes on method and sources

• Percentages are 2024 county-level estimates derived by weighting Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by age and gender to Santa Fe County’s adult age/sex mix from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Household broadband availability (ACS) underpins overall reach; daily-use rates mirror Pew’s national daily-use shares among platform users.