Valencia County

Valencia County, New Mexico — key demographics

Population

• 77,000 (approx.) as of 2024 population estimate; up about 1% since the 2020 Census (76,205)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Sex

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race and Hispanic origin (share of total population)

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~64%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~31%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Two or more races/other, non-Hispanic: ~1%

Households

• ~27,900 households (2019–2023 average)
• Average household size: ~2.7–2.8 persons
• Family households: ~69% of households
• Married-couple families: ~46% of households
• Single-person households: ~25%
• Households with children under 18: ~30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (DP02/DP05); Population Estimates Program (2024). Figures rounded for clarity.

Valencia County, NM snapshot

• Population and density: 76,205 residents (2020 Census) across ~1,068 sq mi; ~71 people per sq mi (semi‑rural).
• Estimated email users: ≈54,700 residents age 13+ use email regularly.
• Age mix of email users (share of users):
  • 13–17: 5.6% (3,050)
  • 18–34: 29% (15,900)
  • 35–54: 34% (18,400)
  • 55–64: 16% (8,700)
  • 65+: 15.7% (8,600)
• Gender split among email users: roughly even, mirroring population (≈50.4% female). Estimate: ~27.6k female, ~27.1k male users.

Digital access and connectivity

• Household access: ~90% of households have a computer and ~79–81% have a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022).
• Network availability: Most addresses have fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps or better, with slower pockets in lower‑density areas; fastest coverage clusters along the I‑25 corridor (Los Lunas–Belen).
• Mobile and device reliance: A meaningful minority (≈15–20%) are smartphone‑reliant for home internet, influencing email access via mobile.
• Trend: Broadband adoption and speeds are improving with ongoing fiber and 5G home internet expansion, narrowing rural gaps but leaving some underserved census blocks.

Valencia County, NM: mobile phone usage summary (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

User estimates (most recent public data and defensible projections)

• Population and adult base: ~76,600 residents (2023 Census estimate), ~58,000 adults (18+).
• Active smartphone users: ~50,000–51,000 adults (≈86–88% of adults), aligning with recent Pew/National adoption levels but trailing Albuquerque metro.
• Household device/subscription profile (ACS “Computer and Internet Use,” 2018–2022, county-level):
  • Households with a smartphone: ≈86–89% (New Mexico overall ≈88–90%).
  • Households with any internet subscription: ≈82–84% (NM ≈84–86%).
  • Households with a cellular data plan (for smartphone/tablet/etc.): ≈70–75% (NM ≈68–72%).
  • Cellular-only internet households (no cable/DSL/fiber fixed broadband): ≈18–21% in Valencia vs ≈12–15% statewide. That amounts to roughly 5,000–6,000 Valencia households relying entirely on mobile data for home internet.

Demographic breakdown and usage tendencies

• Ethnicity and income context: The county is majority Hispanic/Latino (~60–65%) with median household income modestly below the state average. Mobile-only reliance is notably higher in lower-income and Hispanic-majority tracts, consistent with national patterns; in Valencia this translates into a visibly larger share of prepaid and MVNO users than in New Mexico’s urban counties.
• Age: Younger renters and families along the I‑25 corridor (Los Lunas–Belen–Peralta) show near-saturation smartphone access (≈90%+), but fixed broadband take-up lags in outlying and unincorporated areas, pushing mobile-only reliance well above the state average.
• Seniors: Smartphone ownership among 65+ is rising but still trails the county average; this cohort is more likely to have voice/text-only or budget smartphone plans and, where fixed broadband exists, to keep it—so the senior share of “cellular-only” is lower than for working-age adults.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Mobile coverage:
  • 4G LTE is effectively continuous along the Rio Grande/I‑25 corridor and most populated areas.
  • 5G coverage is strongest around Los Lunas, Belen, and Peralta:
    • T‑Mobile mid‑band (n41) is the most extensive 5G with wide “Ultra Capacity” pockets along the corridor.
    • Verizon C‑Band 5G is concentrated near Los Lunas and major transport routes; elsewhere it falls back to LTE or low‑band 5G.
    • AT&T low‑band 5G has broad footprint; mid‑band capacity is more limited outside the main towns.
  • Outside the corridor—west mesa and far southern/eastern unincorporated areas—service commonly drops to LTE with lower capacity and higher variability, especially indoors.
• Fixed broadband context:
  • Cable (DOCSIS) is available in the denser towns (notably Los Lunas/Belen), offering 100 Mbps–1 Gbps where passed; availability falls off quickly outside municipal footprints.
  • Legacy DSL is still a factor in exurban areas; fiber-to-the-home exists in select new builds and pockets but is not widespread county‑wide.
  • The Meta (Facebook) data center in Los Lunas brought additional regional backhaul and fiber routes; this improves upstream capacity and resilience along the corridor but hasn’t yet translated into uniform last‑mile fiber coverage across the county.
• Network load patterns:
  • Peak-time congestion is more pronounced than statewide averages on corridor sectors (commuter flows to/from Albuquerque), producing higher variance in mobile speeds at evening peaks.
  • In cellular-only households, tethering and hotspot use are common, which can be de‑prioritized on prepaid/MVNO plans, further widening the experience gap with urban New Mexico.

How Valencia County differs from statewide trends

• Higher mobile-only reliance: Valencia’s share of households that depend exclusively on cellular data is roughly 3–7 percentage points higher than the New Mexico average, reflecting patchier fixed broadband beyond town centers and a higher share of price-sensitive users.
• More pronounced urban–rural divide within the county: Performance and plan types differ sharply between the I‑25/Rio Grande corridor and outlying areas; this intra‑county gap is wider than in New Mexico’s larger metros.
• Greater MVNO/prepaid penetration: Price sensitivity and cellular-only use drive above‑average adoption of prepaid and MVNO plans compared to the state overall, increasing exposure to deprioritization during congestion.
• 5G availability vs. consistency: 5G coverage dots the main population centers and routes, but sustained mid‑band 5G capacity is patchier than in Albuquerque/Santa Fe, leading to more frequent fallbacks to LTE outside towns.

Key takeaways

• About 50,000 adults in Valencia use smartphones, and roughly one in five households relies on cellular data as their only home internet—both higher dependence on mobile connectivity than New Mexico overall.
• The corridor towns enjoy strong multi-carrier 5G and cable competition, but large swaths of the county remain LTE‑heavy with limited fixed alternatives, reinforcing mobile-first behaviors.
• Investments tied to the Los Lunas data center have improved middle‑mile capacity; closing the last‑mile gaps (fiber or fixed wireless) is the lever most likely to reduce cellular-only reliance and congestion-driven performance variability.

Social media usage in Valencia County, New Mexico (modeled 2024–2025 snapshot)

Baseline

• Population: ~76,000 residents (U.S. Census). Adults (18+): ~59,000.
• Figures below apply Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates to Valencia County’s adult population to yield local estimates.

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults; estimated local users)

• YouTube: 83% (~49,000 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~40,000)
• Instagram: 47% (~28,000)
• Pinterest: 35% (~21,000)
• TikTok: 33% (~19,000)
• Snapchat: 30% (~18,000)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~18,000)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~13,000)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~12,000)

Age patterns (who uses what)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; Facebook comparatively lower.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram solid; TikTok moderate.
• 50–64: Facebook leads; YouTube widely used; Instagram/TikTok smaller but growing.
• 65+: Facebook remains the primary network; YouTube moderate; others limited.

Gender breakdown (usage skews)

• Overall social media use is roughly even by gender.
• Platforms skewing female: Pinterest (majority women, roughly three-quarters), Facebook and Instagram slight female lean.
• Platforms skewing male: Reddit, X, and YouTube lean male; LinkedIn slightly male-leaning.

Behavioral trends in Valencia County

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for local news, school/sports updates, events, and buy/sell/trade. Public agencies and school districts post reliably here.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts drive discovery for local eateries, events, and small businesses; cross‑posting is common.
• Messaging over public posting: Many interactions shift into DMs (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp) for customer service, coordinating pickups, and community organizing.
• Bilingual content: Higher-than-average share of Hispanic residents supports above‑average WhatsApp/Messenger use and engagement with bilingual posts.
• Mobile‑first consumption: Most usage is on smartphones; vertical video and captioned clips perform best.
• Time windows: Engagement peaks early morning, lunch, and evening; weekends lift for events, sports, and community announcements.
• Trust and locality: Content from known community members, schools, churches, and local government pages outperforms national/influencer content.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are key for secondhand goods; Instagram and TikTok aid discovery for boutiques, crafts, and services.

Notes and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau (Valencia County).
• Platform adoption percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Percentages applied to local adult population to produce estimated user counts. Actual local counts will vary, but rankings and relative shares are robust.