Torrance County

Torrance County, New Mexico — key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• Total population: 15,045 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Current estimate: ~14,900 (ACS 2019–2023 5-year)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Male: ~56%
• Female: ~44% (Note: higher male share reflects the county’s detention facility population in group quarters.)

Race and ethnicity

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~41%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~49%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~4%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~2%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~1%
• Non-Hispanic multiracial/other: ~3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~5,300
• Average household size: ~2.55
• Family households: ~66% of households; average family size ~3.1
• Housing units: ~6,400
• Occupied (owner-occupied ~74%, renter-occupied ~26%)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (DP05/DP02/DP04). Figures rounded for clarity.

• Scope: Torrance County, NM (≈15,000 residents over ≈3,346 sq mi; ~4.5 people/sq mi, among the most sparsely populated in NM).
• Internet access: About 81% of households have internet of any type; ~71% have a fixed broadband subscription; ~9% are smartphone‑only; ~19% have no home internet.
• Estimated email users: ~9,400 adult residents (18+) use email regularly, derived from local internet adoption and the near‑universal use of email among online adults.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–34: ~22%; 35–54: ~34%; 55–64: ~18%; 65+: ~26%. Younger and middle‑aged adults are nearly universal users; seniors’ usage is substantial but lower where home broadband is absent.
• Gender split among email users: ~49% male, ~51% female; usage rates are effectively parity by gender.
• Digital access trends: Broadband subscription has risen modestly since 2019 (roughly +5–7 percentage points), with steady growth in smartphone‑only connectivity. Fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps outside towns along the I‑40/US‑66 corridor (e.g., Moriarty/Estancia/Mountainair), while fiber remains limited beyond population centers.
• Connectivity insight: Low density and long loop lengths in ranchland areas depress wireline availability; pockets remain “underserved” for 100/20 Mbps, constraining email reliability for large attachments and telework.

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

Core context

• Population and settlement: 15,045 residents (2020 Census) across ~3,346 square miles; population density ≈4.5 per square mile. The county is largely rural with population centers along the I‑40 corridor (notably Moriarty) and smaller hubs around Estancia and Mountainair.
• Economic/demographic profile: Lower median household income and higher poverty rates than the New Mexico average; a substantial Hispanic/Latino population; a sizable share of older adults relative to the state. These factors shape device ownership patterns and a greater reliance on mobile connections for home internet.

User estimates (adults and households)

• Estimated adult smartphone users: ~9,200 (method: rural-leaning adoption rates applied to local age structure; assumes ≈11,500 adults and ~80% smartphone adoption among rural adults).
• Total mobile phone users (smartphones + basic phones): ~10,600 adults (assumes ≈92% have some type of cellphone).
• Mobile-only internet households: ~1,300 (about 22% of roughly 6,000 occupied households relying on cellular data plans as their primary or only internet). This share is materially higher than the New Mexico statewide average.
• Prepaid vs. postpaid: Prepaid is notably more common than state average, reflecting income variability and coverage-driven carrier switching in rural areas.

Demographic breakdown of use and access (directional insights based on rural adoption patterns and county profile)

• Age:
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership; heavy mobile data use and video/social platforms; limited fixed broadband substitution where 5G is strong.
  • 35–64: High smartphone ownership; pronounced use of mobile hotspots for work/education where home broadband is unavailable or costly.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone adoption than state average; above-average presence of flip/feature phones and voice/text-first usage; coverage and device affordability matter.
• Income:
  • Lower-income households show higher “mobile-only” internet reliance and higher prepaid participation than statewide.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Hispanic/Latino residents exhibit high smartphone adoption but also elevated mobile-only internet reliance versus county averages, consistent with statewide patterns; Native residents (smaller share locally) face coverage and affordability barriers that increase device sharing and hotspot use.
• Geography:
  • Residents along I‑40 (e.g., Moriarty) experience stronger and more consistent LTE/5G performance; south and southeast of Estancia and into the Manzano/Cibola National Forest edge see more dead zones and fallback to 3G/legacy voice or satellite/workarounds.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage pattern:
  • I‑40 corridor: Multi-carrier 4G LTE with expanding low-band and mid-band 5G; most reliable voice and data in the county.
  • Off-corridor ranchlands and forest-edge communities: Noticeable coverage gaps; signal variability indoors; frequent reliance on external antennas, boosters, or Wi‑Fi calling.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Peak speeds and capacity are lower than New Mexico’s urban corridors (Albuquerque, Santa Fe), with more congestion during travel peaks on I‑40 and at community hubs.
• Backhaul and site density:
  • Sparse tower density away from I‑40; several sites depend on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak throughput and upgrade cadence compared to fiber-fed urban cells.
• Public access and offload:
  • Libraries and schools in Moriarty, Estancia, and Mountainair serve as critical Wi‑Fi and hotspot distribution points; municipal/school-issued hotspots are a notable part of household connectivity strategies.
• Emergency and resilience:
  • Residents and first responders rely on low-band coverage; terrain in the Manzano foothills can impair line-of-sight, making roaming and priority services important during incidents.

How Torrance County differs from New Mexico overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A distinctly larger share of households depend primarily on cellular data for home connectivity than the statewide average, driven by fixed-broadband gaps and cost.
• More coverage variability: Service quality diverges sharply between the I‑40 corridor and outlying areas, unlike many New Mexico urban counties where 5G is more continuous.
• Lower mid-band 5G availability: Torrance trails the state’s metro counties in mid-band 5G density and capacity, reducing average speeds and the viability of mobile-as-home-internet in some communities.
• Older-device and prepaid skew: A greater share of older handsets, basic phones among seniors, and prepaid plans versus the New Mexico average.
• Adoption gap among seniors: The 65+ smartphone adoption rate is meaningfully below the state as a whole, widening the digital divide in telehealth and e-government access.

Implications

• Mobile networks are the primary bridge for the broadband gap in much of the county, but performance and reliability are uneven away from I‑40.
• Investments with the highest near-term payoff include: additional low-band sites and fiber backhaul off the corridor; indoor coverage solutions for civic buildings; and sustained device/hotspot programs for students and seniors.
• For service providers, pricing flexibility (prepaid-friendly, fixed-wireless plans) and hardened backhaul will better match Torrance usage patterns than metro-focused tiers.

Social media usage in Torrance County, NM (short breakdown)

Context

• Rural county; 2020 Census population: 15,045. Digital behavior tracks rural U.S. patterns: mobile-first access, Facebook- and YouTube-heavy use, and community-group engagement.

User stats (best-available benchmarks applicable to Torrance County)

• Share of adults using at least one social platform: ~80% of U.S. adults (Pew Research Center, 2024); rural counties typically a few points lower, but Facebook/YouTube usage is comparatively higher among older adults.
• Daily use: A majority of social media users visit at least daily; Facebook and Snapchat users are most likely to be daily users, with Instagram and TikTok also highly habitual among under-40 adults (Pew, 2024).

Most-used platforms (adult reach; U.S. benchmarks that closely reflect rural NM usage)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• X (formerly Twitter): 27%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Reddit: 22%
• Nextdoor: ~20% Source: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. In rural counties like Torrance, Facebook and YouTube tend to slightly over-index relative to Instagram/TikTok due to an older age profile.

Age-group patterns (what this implies locally)

• 18–29: Highest multi-platform usage; heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Facebook mainly for groups/events and Marketplace.
• 30–49: Broadest mix; Facebook and YouTube are core, with significant Instagram and Messenger/WhatsApp; TikTok growing for short-form content.
• 50–64: Strong Facebook and YouTube; Pinterest for projects/DIY; lower but rising TikTok adoption.
• 65+: Primarily Facebook (groups, local news) and YouTube (how-to, health, religious content); limited Instagram/TikTok.

Gender breakdown (behavioral tendencies seen in rural counties)

• Women: More likely to use Facebook (especially Groups, local buy/sell), Instagram, and Pinterest; strong engagement with short videos (Reels).
• Men: More likely to over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; strong interest in how-to, automotive, outdoor, and local news content.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous across genders; WhatsApp usage increases with Hispanic/Latino households and cross-border family ties.

Behavioral trends in Torrance County

• Community-first: Facebook Groups and Pages dominate for local news, wildfire/weather updates, school and county announcements, events, and buy/sell/yard sales.
• Marketplace utility: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for vehicles, equipment, ranch/farm supplies, and household goods.
• Mobile-first access: Many users rely on smartphones as the main internet device; evening and weekend engagement spikes are common.
• Short-form video rise: Reels/Shorts/TikTok are gaining for local business promos, real estate walk-throughs, food specials, and event highlights.
• Trust and local voice: Content from known local entities (county offices, schools, churches, 4-H/FFA, first responders, small businesses) earns outsized engagement vs. generic brand content.
• Regional spillover: Audiences overlap with Albuquerque/Santa Fe; targeting within 25–50 miles increases reach for services and events.
• Language and culture: Bilingual (English/Spanish) posts and WhatsApp/Messenger outreach improve reach with Hispanic/Latino families.
• Advertising tactics that work: Hyperlocal geotargeting, boosted Facebook posts, event RSVPs, Messenger click-to-chat, and YouTube pre-rolls targeted by interest (ranching, home improvement, autos, outdoors).

Notes on data

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 national survey and represent the best available benchmarks; rural NM counties like Torrance typically mirror these shares with slightly higher reliance on Facebook/YouTube and marginally lower adoption of Instagram/TikTok among older adults.