Sevier County

Sevier County, Utah — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 21,522
• 2010 Census: 20,802 (approx. +3.5% over 2010–2020)

Age

• Median age: ~36 years
• Under 18: ~29%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is an ethnicity; shares sum to ~100%)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~87%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9–10%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Black: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0–1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~7,100–7,300
• Average household size: ~3.0
• Family households: ~72–74% (married-couple families ~60%)
• One-person households: ~20–22%
• Owner-occupied: ~73–75%; renter-occupied: ~25–27%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Sevier County, UT snapshot

• Population ≈22,300 across ~1,910 sq mi (density ≈11 people/sq mi), concentrated in Richfield/Salina corridors (I‑70/US‑89).
• Estimated adult email users (18+): ≈14,800. Modeled from county age structure and national email adoption by age.

Age distribution of email users (estimated)

• 18–34: ≈4,370 users (very high adoption, ~98%)
• 35–54: ≈5,140 users (~96%)
• 55–64: ≈2,260 users (~92%)
• 65+: ≈3,030 users (~85%) Insight: Older cohorts are sizable locally, so senior adoption meaningfully contributes to total usage.

Gender split

• Roughly even among users: ~50% female, ~50% male (email adoption shows minimal gender variance).

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription is high for a rural county (mid‑to‑upper 80s percent) and has risen several points in recent years.
• Fiber/cable is concentrated in towns; many outlying areas use DSL or fixed wireless. 4G/5G mobile coverage is strongest along I‑70 and town centers.
• An estimated 15–20% of households are smartphone‑only, so a notable share of email is mobile-first.

Overall: Email usage is widespread (~nine in ten adults), with strong middle‑age adoption, growing senior uptake, and access shaped by a town‑center fiber core and rural last‑mile constraints.

Mobile phone usage in Sevier County, Utah — summary, estimates, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline user estimates

• Total population: about 22,000 (2023 estimate; U.S. Census Bureau).
• Adult population (18+): approximately 15,800.
• Estimated unique mobile phone users: about 17,000 (≈14,900 adults with a mobile phone plus ≈2,100 minors with phones).
• Smartphone households: roughly 88% of households in Sevier County have at least one smartphone, compared with about 92% statewide (ACS 2018–2022 5-year, table S2801).
• Cellular data–only internet households: approximately 18% in Sevier vs roughly 11% statewide, indicating higher reliance on mobile networks for home internet (ACS S2801).
• Households with no internet subscription: approximately 12–14% in Sevier vs about 8–9% statewide (ACS S2801).

Demographic breakdown and implications for mobile use

• Age structure: Older than Utah overall. Children (0–17) account for a smaller share and 65+ a larger share than the state average. This supports slightly lower top-end smartphone penetration but robust basic mobile adoption, with heavier use of voice/SMS among seniors.
• Income and affordability: Median household income in Sevier is materially below the Utah median, and poverty is modestly higher. This correlates with higher uptake of prepaid/value plans, multi-year device retention, and a larger share of cellular-only home internet.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree attainment is notably lower than the state average. Combined with rural geography, this maps to a higher proportion of households using a single mobile connection for both phone and home data.
• Race/ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino share is somewhat below the statewide share. Language and plan-mix effects are present but smaller than in more diverse Wasatch Front counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage profile: 4G LTE is strong in and between population centers along I‑70 and US‑89 (Richfield, Salina, Monroe, Elsinore, Aurora, Joseph), with 5G low-/mid-band present in town centers and along major corridors. Coverage thins in the Fishlake National Forest, on the Sevier Plateau, and in canyons and sparsely populated valleys where signal fades and single-carrier coverage is common.
• 5G availability: T‑Mobile provides the broadest low-/mid-band 5G footprint in town areas; Verizon and AT&T offer low-band 5G along highways and in population centers. High-capacity mmWave is effectively absent (as expected in rural counties).
• Backhaul and middle mile: Fiber backbones run along I‑70/US‑89 (including UDOT-conduit routes). These trunks feed macro sites in town centers; more remote sectors depend on microwave hops, which contributes to capacity constraints at the network edge.
• Last-mile fixed broadband: Fiber is available in core towns via regional providers, with cable/DSL and fixed wireless filling gaps. Outside these zones, a meaningful number of households rely on mobile broadband (LTE/5G) as primary internet, reflected in the elevated cellular-only share.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is present along major corridors and towns. Terrain-driven dead zones persist in forested and canyon areas, affecting off-grid recreation zones and agricultural operations.

How Sevier County trends differ from Utah overall

• Higher reliance on mobile for home internet: Cellular data–only households are higher by roughly 6–8 percentage points than the state, signaling that mobile networks carry a larger share of home connectivity in Sevier.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration: Household smartphone presence trails the Utah average by roughly 3–5 points, consistent with older age structure and lower median incomes.
• Plan mix and upgrade cycles: Greater use of prepaid/value plans and longer device replacement cycles than statewide urban counties; family plans are common but include more legacy devices.
• Coverage quality gap outside towns: Towns and interstates are well served, but service degrades faster off-corridor than in the Wasatch Front, producing more single-carrier pockets and speed variability. Median mobile speeds in town centers are competitive; edge areas fall to LTE-only performance more frequently than state urban averages.
• Seasonal and corridor effects: Traffic on I‑70 and recreation-driven peaks (Fishlake area) create time-of-day and seasonal load spikes that are a larger share of total county traffic than in metro counties, increasing the importance of corridor-optimized sectors.

What this means for users and providers

• Users: Most residents have reliable 4G/5G in town and along highways; a notable minority use mobile service as their only home internet, which makes plan data caps, hotspot allowances, and rural tower capacity critical.
• Providers and planners: Network investments with the highest impact include mid-band 5G buildouts on rural sectors, added backhaul to edge sites, and strategic infill to reduce single-carrier pockets in valleys and forest perimeters. Public-private projects leveraging highway fiber can reduce congestion and improve resilience.

Sources and methodology

• Population and demographics: U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial Census 2020 and Vintage 2023 estimates).
• Device and internet subscription metrics: American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year, table S2801 (Computer and Internet Use).
• Coverage and infrastructure characterization: FCC Broadband Data Collection filings (2024), carrier public coverage maps, UDOT fiber network documentation, and regional provider footprints. Figures marked “approximately” reflect county-level ACS estimates translated into user counts using Census population and household baselines.

Sevier County, UT — social media snapshot (2025)

How many residents use social media

• Adults using any social platform: ≈79% (modeled estimate)
• Household broadband access is widespread and supports heavy mobile use; social activity skews to evenings and weekends

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults who use the platform; modeled for Sevier County)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 70%
• Pinterest: 38%
• Instagram: 36%
• TikTok: 24%
• Snapchat: 21%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• Reddit: 13%
• WhatsApp: 11%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Age profile of usage (adults)

• 18–29: ≈95% use social; heaviest on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube; Facebook for groups/Marketplace
• 30–49: ≈90% use social; Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram growing via Reels; TikTok moderate
• 50–64: ≈78% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest common; TikTok/Instagram selective
• 65+: ≈60% use social; Facebook first; YouTube for tutorials/news; Pinterest for hobbies; minimal TikTok/Snapchat

Gender breakdown

• County population is roughly balanced (≈49% female, 51% male), and the active social user base mirrors this split
• Platform skews
  • Women overindex on Facebook and Pinterest; modest edge on Instagram
  • Men overindex on YouTube, Reddit, and X
  • Snapchat is female‑leaning among younger users; WhatsApp usage concentrates within Hispanic and international‑ties households

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: city/county updates, school and church groups, local buy/sell, events, obituaries; Marketplace is a top traffic driver
• Video is the default: YouTube for how‑to, ag/mechanics, outdoor and faith content; short‑form (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery among under‑40
• Youth messaging is Snapchat‑centric; brand interactions there are limited and ephemeral
• Pinterest fuels home improvement, recipes, crafts, quilting; strong 25–54 female engagement with seasonal spikes
• Event‑ and safety‑driven spikes: weather, wildfires, road closures (I‑70/US‑89), school sports, and hunting/fishing updates generate the highest organic reach
• Best posting windows: evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings; weekday mid‑day performs better for civic/service updates
• Creative that works: recognizable local people/places, short vertical video with captions, before/after visuals (home/auto/landscaping), clear CTAs and directions; Spanish copy increases reach within Hispanic audiences
• Ads: Facebook/Instagram geo‑targeting within 25–50 miles of Richfield/Salina/Monroe is cost‑efficient for events, retail, and services; YouTube in‑feed can cost‑effectively extend reach for brand storytelling

Method and sources

• Figures are small‑area estimates for Sevier County adults derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform‑by‑age/gender usage rates to the county’s age‑sex structure from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2019–2023), rounded to whole percentages
• Primary sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use, 2024); U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2019–2023)