Sierra County

Sierra County, New Mexico — key demographics

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

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 11,576

Age

• Median age: ~56–57 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: ~16% under 18; ~44% 18–64; ~40% 65+

Gender

• Female: ~49% of population
• Male: ~51%

Race and ethnicity

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~33%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~60%
• Black or African American alone, not Hispanic: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic: ~2%
• Asian alone, not Hispanic: ~1%
• Two or more races, not Hispanic: ~3%

Households

• Households (occupied housing units): ~5,800
• Average household size: ~2.0 persons
• Family households: ~55% of households; married-couple families ~40–45%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%

Key insights

• The county has one of New Mexico’s oldest age profiles, with about two in five residents age 65+, reflecting a retiree-heavy population and small average household size.
• Majority non-Hispanic White with a substantial Hispanic community; other racial groups each represent small shares.

Sierra County, NM has about 10.8k residents spread across 4,236 sq mi (≈2.6 people per sq mi), reflecting very low population density and dispersed connectivity. Estimated email users: ≈7,800 adults (≈86% of adults; ≈72% of total population), based on county internet-adoption patterns and national email-use rates.

Age distribution of email users (estimated):

• 18–24: ≈8%
• 25–44: ≈26%
• 45–64: ≈32%
• 65+: ≈33%

Gender split of email users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s population.

Digital access trends and connectivity facts:

• Household internet: roughly three-quarters subscribe to broadband; about one in five lacks a home internet subscription; around one in ten is smartphone-only.
• Access is strongest in Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte; many rural tracts rely on DSL, satellite, or fixed wireless.
• State and federal programs (e.g., BEAD) are targeting fiber build-outs to unserved/underserved locations, gradually improving speeds and reliability, but terrain and distance keep costs high and coverage uneven.

Insights: An older age profile and rural dispersion temper email adoption versus urban NM, yet email remains the dominant digital channel among connected residents, with growth tied to ongoing broadband upgrades.

Mobile phone usage in Sierra County, New Mexico — 2025 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: ~11,000 residents and roughly 6,000 households (ACS 2018–2022 and 2023 estimates). The population skews older than New Mexico overall.
• Active mobile users (any mobile phone): ~9,000–10,000 individuals.
• Smartphone users: ~6,800–7,800 adults, or roughly 75–85% of adults. This trails the statewide adult smartphone adoption rate (mid– to high-80s).

Demographic breakdown and how it shapes usage

• Age: Seniors 65+ make up an unusually large share of the county (mid-30% range vs ~19% statewide). This lowers overall smartphone adoption and data use; basic/feature phones and voice/SMS-only usage are more common among older residents.
• Income and affordability: Poverty and fixed-income prevalence are higher than state averages, elevating reliance on prepaid, Lifeline, and low-cost MVNO plans. Post-ACP funding lapse in 2024 increased price sensitivity and pushed some households toward mobile-only internet.
• Household connectivity (ACS-based county vs state)
  • Any broadband subscription: Sierra County ~68–72% vs NM ~78–82%.
  • Household smartphone data plan: Sierra County ~68–73% vs NM ~79–83%.
  • Smartphone-only (cellular-only) internet households: Sierra County ~22–28% vs NM ~14–18%. These gaps reflect both affordability constraints and limited fixed-network reach.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon operate in the county; no regional fourth carrier footprint. MVNOs ride these networks.
• Radio access:
  • 4G LTE provides the baseline; coverage is strongest along I‑25 and in/around Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte.
  • 5G NR is available primarily along the I‑25 corridor and in town centers; much of the county remains LTE-only.
  • Low-band spectrum (600/700 MHz) does most rural coverage work; mid-band 5G is concentrated in population nodes.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber largely follows I‑25; many off-corridor sites use microwave backhaul, constraining peak capacity. Seasonal demand around Elephant Butte Lake creates noticeable congestion compared with winter baseline.
• Coverage gaps: Western canyons/Black Range country, sparsely populated ranchlands east of the Rio Grande, and other off-corridor areas have persistent dead zones and fringe signal. Road coverage drops markedly off I‑25.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet-compatible coverage exists but is uneven outside the main corridor; redundancy off-corridor is limited. Power and backhaul constraints can extend restoration times after severe weather.

Trends that differ from the New Mexico statewide picture

• Lower smartphone adoption and lower broadband subscription rates, driven by an older age structure and affordability constraints.
• Higher share of smartphone-only (cellular-only) home internet, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband availability.
• Heavier use of prepaid/MVNO plans and longer device replacement cycles than in metro NM.
• Slower, more uneven 5G build-out; reliance on low-band coverage with fewer mid-band capacity layers.
• Larger seasonal traffic swings tied to recreation at Elephant Butte and travel along I‑25; capacity pinch points are more pronounced than in urban counties.

Practical implications

• Service providers: Prioritize additional low-band coverage fills in off-corridor gaps and add mid-band sectors and backhaul upgrades in Truth or Consequences/Elephant Butte to handle seasonal peaks.
• Public agencies: With ACP funding lapsed, expand Lifeline outreach and consider local affordability programs to prevent increases in mobile-only dependency from becoming digital exclusion.
• Businesses and healthcare: Keep SMS/voice channels prominent; design apps and sites for low bandwidth and intermittent coverage; enable offline/async workflows for rural users.

Sierra County, NM — social media usage snapshot (2025, modeled local estimates)

• Population base: 11,576 residents (2020 Census); ≈9.7k adults (18+). About 6.3k adults use social media (≈65% of adults).

Age groups among adult social media users

• 18–34: ~18%
• 35–54: ~28%
• 55+: ~54% (county skews older; ~40% are 65+)

Gender breakdown among users

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

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

• YouTube: ~74%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~28%
• Pinterest: ~22%
• TikTok: ~20%
• WhatsApp: ~18%
• Snapchat: ~12%
• X (Twitter): ~11%
• LinkedIn: ~9%
• Nextdoor: ~9% (Note: users often use multiple platforms; percentages sum to >100.)

Usage frequency

• Roughly two-thirds of local users check social media daily; Facebook users skew daily, while Instagram/TikTok users check multiple times per day. Older users show consistent morning use.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, events, buy/sell groups, lost-and-found, and emergency/weather updates see the highest engagement; county/city pages and civic groups are influential.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is dominant for how-to content and local recreation (Elephant Butte Lake, fishing/boating, RVing) plus church/community streams; short vertical video drives discovery.
• Tourism seasonality: Engagement rises late spring–summer with lake and festival traffic; local businesses’ event posts and reels perform best in these months.
• Private groups and messaging: A large share of interactions occurs in Facebook Groups and DMs (recommendations, classifieds, volunteer coordination).
• Platform demographics: Instagram/TikTok concentrated among 18–34; Pinterest stronger among women 35+; LinkedIn and X are niche.
• Time-of-day patterns: Peaks around 7–9 a.m. and 6–9 p.m., with a steady midday baseline from retirees.

Method note

• Figures are localized estimates produced by applying Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform adoption rates by age/gender to Sierra County’s demographic profile (U.S. Census/ACS).