Cache County

Key demographics for Cache County, Utah (primarily U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 1-year; 2020 Census noted):

Population

• Total population: ~137,000 (ACS 2022)
• 2020 Census: 133,154

Age

• Median age: ~26.7 years
• Under 18: ~31%
• 65 and over: ~10%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (share of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~82%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~12–13%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1.5–2%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~0.8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.7–0.8%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–0.7%

Households

• Number of households: ~43,500
• Average household size: ~3.2
• Family households: ~70–73% of households
• Married-couple families: ~60–65% of households

Note: Figures rounded for clarity; use ACS tables for precise estimates and margins of error.

Cache County, UT – Email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated users: About 85–95k adult email users. Basis: ~96k adults in the county and ~90–95% email adoption among adults (Pew), adjusted for the county’s young age profile.
• Age distribution of email users: Skews young due to Utah State University.
  • 18–24: ~32%
  • 25–44: ~37%
  • 45–64: ~22%
  • 65+: ~9%
• Gender split: Roughly even (near 50/50). National data show minimal gender differences in email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • High connectivity: Roughly nine in ten households have internet subscriptions; computer access is similarly high (ACS benchmarks for Utah/counties).
  • Strong campus and urban broadband: Fiber/cable widely available in the Logan–North Logan–Smithfield–Providence corridor; extensive campus Wi‑Fi elevates daily email use.
  • Rural gaps: Outlying valley and canyon areas rely more on DSL/fixed wireless; speeds and reliability are lower.
  • Mobile: Broad 4G/5G coverage along US‑91 supports on-the-go email; a minority are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Most residents live in the Logan urbanized area; Utah State University’s large student population (median age mid‑20s) boosts overall digital engagement and email reliance.

Sources/method: 2023 ACS population and internet-subscription indicators; Pew Research on email adoption by age/gender, adapted to local demographics.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Cache County, Utah (focus on differences vs statewide)

High-level takeaways

• Very high smartphone adoption driven by a large student population, but more uneven 5G experience outside the Logan urban core than along Utah’s Wasatch Front.
• Fewer fiber-to-the-home options than many Wasatch Front cities; mobile and fixed-wireless play a larger role for off-campus renters and rural households.
• Seasonal swings in active users and traffic due to Utah State University’s academic calendar; more prepaid/MVNO lines than the state average.

User estimates (2024)

• Population base: roughly 138,000–142,000 residents.
• Unique mobile phone users: 115,000–125,000 people (roughly 82–88% of total population, reflecting near-universal use among adults and teens).
• Active cellular lines (including secondary lines, tablets, wearables, IoT): 150,000–180,000.
• Smartphone users: 105,000–115,000.
• 5G-capable devices: 80,000–95,000 (roughly 70–80% of smartphones).
• Mobile-only home internet households: 15–20% countywide, but 25–35% among off‑campus student households and outer‑valley rural areas.

Demographic patterns affecting usage

• Age structure: Median age is notably younger than the Utah average (driven by Utah State University). Share of 18–29-year-olds is about 26–30% locally vs lower statewide. This pushes:
  • Near-100% smartphone ownership in the 18–29 segment.
  • Higher volumes of app-based messaging, video, and campus services.
• Students and seasonality: 17,000–20,000 USU students on/near the Logan campus create pronounced seasonal traffic peaks (late Aug–Nov, Jan–Apr) and dips (summer). Event days (football, graduation) produce short-term capacity surges.
• Plan mix: More prepaid/MVNO usage and family plans billed to out-of-county addresses than the state average, reflecting student economics and family ties. Rough estimate: 15–20% MVNO share countywide, rising to 25–35% among students.
• Households and families: Large family sizes and high teen penetration mirror statewide patterns, but campus-adjacent tracts skew toward single renters with mobile-first behaviors.
• Language/communities: Hispanic/Latino share is modestly below the statewide average. Neighborhoods in Logan/Hyrum with higher Spanish-speaking households show above-average adoption of WhatsApp and similar apps for voice/messaging.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage footprint:
  • Strongest along the US‑91 corridor (Hyrum–Logan–North Logan–Smithfield). Rural northern and eastern edges (e.g., Clarkston, Trenton, Lewiston, Cove) and canyon corridors (Logan Canyon/US‑89, Blacksmith Fork) see patchier service and occasional no‑service pockets.
  • Cross-border usage into Franklin County, Idaho, is common; users near the state line may prefer carriers with better roaming/edge coverage.
• 5G deployment and performance:
  • Logan urban core has broad 5G mid-band from T‑Mobile and C‑Band from Verizon, with AT&T 5G present but more variable outside the core.
  • Typical outdoor speeds in central Logan:
    • T‑Mobile 5G mid‑band: roughly 200–400 Mbps in good signal conditions.
    • Verizon 5G C‑Band: roughly 100–250 Mbps.
    • AT&T 5G/LTE: roughly 60–150 Mbps where mid‑band is active; lower where LTE dominates.
  • Outside the core, many areas fall back to LTE with 5–25 Mbps typical; canyons may drop below 5 Mbps or lose service.
• Site mix and capacity:
  • Macro sites line the valley floor and foothills; small cells and sector densification appear around downtown Logan and near campus to handle peak demand. Temporary capacity boosts occur for large campus events.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Multiple fiber rings in Logan from national and regional carriers support tower backhaul, but fiber-to-the-home is less ubiquitous than along the Wasatch Front UTOPIA cities.
• Home and fixed wireless:
  • Cable broadband is prevalent in Logan; telco fiber exists in pockets. Outside the core, fixed wireless (WISPs) and 5G home internet (T‑Mobile; selective Verizon) see higher adoption, especially among renters and rural homes.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) is in use; coverage improves along main corridors, but canyon/range areas still experience gaps requiring radios/satellite during incidents.
• Ag/IoT:
  • Agriculture drives above-average machine‑to‑machine lines for irrigation control, soil/asset telemetry, and vehicle tracking across the valley.

How Cache County differs from Utah statewide

• More youth/student-driven mobile behavior:
  • Higher share of 18–29 users and MVNO/prepaid lines.
  • Stronger seasonality in subscriber counts and traffic than most Utah counties.
• Less uniform 5G consistency:
  • Utah’s state averages are buoyed by dense, well‑served Wasatch Front metros. Cache’s Logan core performs well, but countywide 5G consistency is lower due to rural edges and canyon terrain.
• Greater reliance on mobile/fixed‑wireless for home internet:
  • Many Wasatch Front cities enjoy extensive municipal/open‑access fiber; Cache’s fiber footprint is more limited, nudging students and rural households toward 5G home internet or WISPs and driving higher mobile hotspot usage.
• Terrain effects:
  • Mountain valley topography and canyon corridors cause more dead zones and indoor penetration challenges than typical along the urban Wasatch Front.
• Cross‑border dynamics:
  • Proximity to Idaho elevates edge‑coverage and roaming considerations relative to most Utah counties.

Notes on estimates and methodology

• Figures above synthesize public population estimates, typical U.S./Utah smartphone adoption rates by age, carrier 5G rollout patterns as of 2023–2024, and observed rural/college-town usage behaviors. Ranges are provided where precise local counts are not publicly available. For planning-grade precision, validate with carrier RF maps, FCC Broadband Map layers, campus IT utilization, and local tower/backhaul inventories.

Below is a concise, decision-ready snapshot. Note: County-level surveys aren’t publicly reported; figures are estimates extrapolated from Utah statewide/US data, local demographics, and the presence of Utah State University (USU). Use ranges as directional.

Overall usage

• Penetration: ~90% of adults use at least one social platform; ~70–80% use daily.
• County skew: Younger than US average (USU), so higher Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat than typical Utah counties; Facebook remains strong for families and community groups.

Most-used platforms (estimated adult reach in Cache County)

• YouTube: 80–90% (No. 1 across all ages)
• Facebook: 60–70% (especially 30+; strong local Groups/Marketplace use)
• Instagram: 50–60% (very strong 18–34; heavy Stories/Reels consumption)
• TikTok: 40–50% adults; 70–80% among teens/college-age users
• Snapchat: 35–45% adults; 70–80% among teens/college-age (USU effect)
• Pinterest: 30–40% (skews female; home, crafts, recipes, weddings)
• LinkedIn: 20–30% (professionals, faculty/staff; less student-heavy)
• X (Twitter): 15–25% (news/sports/USU athletics chatter)
• Reddit: 15–25% (tech/gaming/outdoors; local subreddits used)
• Nextdoor: 10–20% (neighborhoods in Logan/Smithfield/Hyde Park; HOA/alerts)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube dominant; Instagram secondary; Facebook minimal.
• 18–24 (USU students): Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube lead; Reddit notable; Facebook used for Groups/Marketplace, events, housing.
• 25–34: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook; TikTok growing; Pinterest for life-stage planning.
• 35–54: Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram secondary; Pinterest strong among women; Nextdoor increases with homeownership.
• 55+: Facebook and YouTube; some Pinterest; limited TikTok/Instagram adoption rising via family content.

Gender tendencies

• Women: Higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong engagement with family, local events, recipes, fitness, crafts.
• Men: Higher on YouTube, Reddit, X; strong in sports (USU Aggies), tech, gaming, outdoor gear.
• Facebook and Instagram are near-balanced overall; Snapchat/TikTok slightly female-leaning; Reddit/X male-leaning.

Behavioral trends in Cache County

• Community utility: Heavy use of Facebook Groups for buy/sell/trade, local deals, housing, lost-and-found, and event coordination; Nextdoor used for neighborhood-level info.
• Student life cycle: Spikes around semester starts for housing, textbooks, campus events; Stories/Reels and short-form video drive discovery.
• Family and outdoors: High engagement with kid-friendly activities, faith/community events, trails, skiing, biking, and national parks trips; gear reviews on YouTube/Reddit.
• Marketplace behavior: Facebook Marketplace is a primary local commerce channel (furniture, cars, outdoor equipment).
• Content formats: Short-form vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) leads; authentic, low-polish content outperforms highly produced.
• Local influencers/micro-creators: Niche creators (outdoor, food, student life) have outsized sway relative to follower counts.
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 pm) and midday campus breaks show noticeable engagement spikes; weekends favor events and family content.