Salt Lake County

Salt Lake County, Utah – key demographics

• Population size:

  • 1,185,238 (2020 Decennial Census)

• Age (ACS 2018–2022):

  • Median age: 33.7 years
  • Under 18: 25.6%
  • 65 and over: 12.0%

• Gender (ACS 2018–2022):

  • Male: 50.2%
  • Female: 49.8%

• Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census):

  • White, non-Hispanic: 66%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): 19.6%
  • Asian: 5.0%
  • Black or African American: 1.8%
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 1.7%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: 1.1%
  • Two or more races: 4.8%

• Household data (ACS 2018–2022):

  • Households: ~391,000
  • Average household size: 2.89
  • Family households: ~67%
  • Households with children under 18: ~33%
  • Housing tenure: ~64% owner-occupied, ~36% renter-occupied

Insights:

• Largest county in Utah with a young age profile and substantial family presence.
• Racial/ethnic diversity is driven by a sizable Hispanic population and growing Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
• Housing tenure skews more renter-occupied than the state average, reflecting the urban character of the county.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Salt Lake County, UT (pop. ~1.20M) shows very high digital access: 93% of households have a broadband subscription and 96% have a computer (ACS 2022). Applying Utah’s ~95% adult internet adoption and Pew’s ~92–95% email use among online adults, about 1.0 million county residents use email.

Estimated age mix of email users (shares of all users):

• 18–34: ~37%
• 35–54: ~34%
• 55–64: ~14%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender split among users: approximately even, ~50% female and ~50% male.

Digital access and connectivity trends:

• Fiber and gigabit cable are widely available in populated areas (Google Fiber, Comcast/Xfinity, Lumen/CenturyLink); median fixed speeds in Salt Lake City exceed 200 Mbps (2024 speed tests).
• Smartphone-only households are modest at ~9%, indicating email is accessed on both mobile and desktop.
• Household broadband adoption (93%) is above national averages, supporting near-ubiquitous email reach for residents and businesses.
• Population density is roughly 1,600 people per square mile, with dense, well-connected corridors along I‑15 and strong 4G/5G coverage from major carriers, enabling reliable email access countywide.

Salt Lake County, UT: mobile phone usage snapshot (focus on how it differs from statewide Utah)

Scale and user estimates (2024–2025)

• Population and households: ~1.19 million residents; ~405,000 households (ACS 2023).
• Adults (18+): ~0.88–0.90 million.
• Adult smartphone owners: ~0.80 million (assumes ~90% adult ownership, in line with recent Pew/U.S. urban rates).
• Teens (13–17) with smartphones: ~79,000 (≈95% teen access).
• Total smartphone users (adults + teens): ≈0.87–0.88 million, or roughly 73–74% of the county’s total population.
• Adult mobile phone (any cellphone) users: ≈0.85–0.87 million (≈97%+ of adults).
• Mobile-only at home (smartphone as primary home internet): ≈12–14% of adults (≈105,000–125,000), lower than many U.S. metros but concentrated in specific west-side tracts.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–29: ~96% smartphone ownership; heavy app/social/video use and high 5G adoption.
  • 30–49: ~95%; highest share of multi-line family plans and wearables.
  • 50–64: ~85–88%; strong telehealth and productivity usage.
  • 65+: ~70–75%; fastest recent growth segment for smartphones and unlimited plans.
  • Compared with Utah overall, Salt Lake County is slightly older, so overall ownership is fractionally lower than Utah statewide but still above national averages.
• Income and education:
  • County shows a bimodal pattern: affluent east-bench suburbs exhibit very high 5G device penetration and fixed–mobile convergence; lower-income neighborhoods show higher smartphone-only reliance (often >15% of households in select tracts) and heavier use of prepaid/MVNO offerings.
• Race/ethnicity and language:
  • Hispanic/Latino share is higher in Salt Lake County (19–20%) than statewide (15%), correlating with above-average use of WhatsApp and carrier/MVNO plans with cross-border calling.
  • Refugee and immigrant communities elevate demand for international calling, multilingual customer support, and Wi-Fi calling.
• Work and mobility:
  • Large daytime population inflow (downtown, University of Utah, hospitals, industry corridors) creates sharper weekday mid-day traffic peaks than the Utah average, plus event-driven spikes around venues.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G mobile networks:
  • Pop coverage is effectively countywide (≈99%+). T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G is broadly available; Verizon and AT&T offer extensive C-band and mmWave in dense zones (downtown, University, SLC International Airport, venues).
  • Network density (macro + small cells) is meaningfully higher than the Utah statewide average, supporting higher median downlink speeds but also higher event congestion risk.
• Fixed broadband and backhaul:
  • ≥100/20 Mbps fixed broadband is available to ~98–99% of serviceable locations; gigabit service to ~95%+ via cable DOCSIS and multiple fiber footprints.
  • Fiber-to-the-home is widespread across many municipalities (Google Fiber, UTOPIA-partner cities, plus Lumen/CenturyLink FTTH builds), making fiber availability notably higher than the Utah average.
  • Households with no internet subscription are relatively low in the county (~3–4%, vs. higher statewide), reflecting strong fixed-network reach.
• Public connectivity:
  • Dense public Wi‑Fi and private Wi‑Fi offload across TRAX/FrontRunner stations, libraries, campus areas, healthcare facilities, and SLC International Airport support heavy app and VoWiFi usage.
• Data centers and transport:
  • Proximity to regional data centers and long-haul routes along the Wasatch Front shortens latency versus rural Utah, aiding cloud, gaming, and telehealth performance.

How Salt Lake County differs from Utah statewide

• Earlier and denser 5G: More mid-band and mmWave nodes per square mile than state average; faster median mobile speeds in core urban zones.
• Higher fiber penetration: A larger share of addresses can take FTTH and gigabit service, resulting in lower “mobile-only” dependency overall than many rural counties.
• Usage peaks and patterns: Stronger mid-day and event-driven load due to downtown employment and university/healthcare hubs; statewide traffic patterns skew more residential/evening.
• Demographic diversity: Higher shares of Hispanic/Latino and immigrant populations increase demand for international-friendly plans, multilingual support, and OTT messaging; this mix differs from many Utah counties.
• Retail and plan mix: Greater density of MVNO/prepaid storefronts (Metro, Cricket, Boost, Visible/Telco digital channels) than most counties, yet an overall tilt toward premium unlimited/postpaid in affluent suburban tracts; statewide averages show a slightly higher rural prepaid reliance.
• Digital divide profile: Overall connectivity gaps are narrower than statewide, but smartphone-only reliance clusters in specific neighborhoods, creating targeted—not generalized—access challenges.

Practical implications

• Capacity and densification payoffs are highest around downtown SLC, the University, hospital campuses, and the airport; managing special-event surges is a continuing priority.
• Fiber ubiquity plus dense 5G enables robust fixed–mobile convergence; multi-gig fiber and 5G FWA compete actively in suburban tracts.
• Outreach and plans tailored to multilingual communities and smartphone-only households have outsized impact west of I‑15 and in select inner-ring suburbs.

Salt Lake County, UT – social media usage snapshot (2024)

What the numbers represent

• County-level estimates aligned to 2024 Pew Research U.S. adoption rates, applied to Salt Lake County’s age/gender mix (ACS 2023) and high broadband/smartphone access. Figures are for adults 18+ unless noted.

Overall user stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~75–78% of residents 18+
• Teens (13–17): near-universal use of at least one platform; daily use skewed to Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok

Age-group adoption (use any social media)

• 18–29: ~84–90%
• 30–49: ~80–85%
• 50–64: ~70–75%
• 65+: ~45–50%

Gender breakout (platform propensity)

• Overall usage is similar by gender, with clear platform preferences:
  • Women over-index: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • Men over-index: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter)
• Practical takeaway: creative, community, and shopping content performs relatively better with women; news, tech, sports, and long-form video skew male

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each, estimated)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21%

Behavioral trends specific to Salt Lake County

• Community-first engagement: High activity in neighborhood and parenting groups, local events, and buy/sell/trade; Facebook Groups and Marketplace are key discovery and conversion surfaces
• Visual discovery for lifestyle/outdoors: Instagram and YouTube are primary for outdoor recreation, local food, and attractions; Reels/Shorts drive reach
• Youth-heavy ephemeral sharing: Snapchat and Instagram Stories dominate among high school/college-aged users; messaging-based sharing (private or small-group) is a large share of impressions
• Short-form video growth: TikTok and Reels consumption continues to rise among 18–34; direct response improves with native creator content and geo-tagging
• Professional networking: LinkedIn engagement is strong relative to population size due to a sizable tech, healthcare, and finance workforce; B2B events and hiring campaigns perform above average
• Local news and civic conversation: Facebook Groups and Reddit (e.g., r/SaltLakeCity) are primary for hyperlocal news, transit, housing, and civic issues; timely posts tied to city/county updates see outsized discussion
• Multilingual reach: Spanish-language content (Facebook and WhatsApp) improves coverage among Hispanic/Latino residents; bilingual creative increases engagement for service categories
• Daypart patterns (Mountain Time): Morning commute (7–9 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evening (7–9 p.m.) are consistent engagement peaks; weekends favor Instagram/TikTok discovery, weekdays favor Facebook/LinkedIn utility

Practical implications

• Use Facebook for scale, community, and commerce; YouTube for broad reach and education; Instagram/TikTok for visual storytelling and younger reach; LinkedIn for professional and recruitment; Snapchat for youth frequency; Pinterest for lifestyle planning (female skew)
• Pair paid reach with local signals (geo, interests like outdoors/family/healthcare/tech) and creator collaborations; prioritize short-form vertical video and community call-to-actions (events, offers, signups)

Note on methodology

• Percentages reflect estimated adult adoption in Salt Lake County based on 2024 Pew Research platform usage for U.S. adults, mapped to local demographics. Exact county-level platform shares are rarely published, but these figures provide a reliable planning baseline.