Summit County

Key demographics — Summit County, Utah

Population size

• 42,357 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18 to 64: ~62%
• 65 and over: ~14%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS 2018–2022)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~82%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~13%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~3%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~1–2%
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American: ~0.5%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5%
• Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~14,900
• Average household size: ~2.7–2.8
• Family households: ~64–69% of households; average family size ~3.1–3.3
• Housing units: ~29,000–30,000; high seasonal/second-home stock yields ~45–50% vacancy rate
• Tenure: ~73–75% owner-occupied; ~25–27% renter-occupied

Concise insights

• Population is modest and older than Utah overall, with a median age around 40.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a substantial Hispanic community (~13%).
• Household sizes are smaller than the Utah average; a large share of seasonal/second homes drives high vacancy rates and a high owner-occupied share among occupied units.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP tables) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (DP02/DP03/DP04).

Summary for Summit County, Utah (pop. ≈44,000)

• Estimated email users: ≈34,000 residents (≈78% overall penetration), reflecting very high local internet adoption.
• Age mix of email users (counts, share of users): 13–17 ≈2.4k (7%); 18–34 ≈7.7k (23%); 35–54 ≈11.1k (33%); 55–64 ≈5.9k (17%); 65+ ≈6.9k (20%). Younger and prime‑working‑age adults show near‑universal use; seniors’ usage is high for the U.S. due to strong connectivity and education levels.
• Gender split among users: ~51% male, 49% female, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access trends: ≈96% of households have a computer and ≈93% subscribe to broadband; smartphone‑only internet households ≈6%. Email is routinely accessed on both mobile and desktop, with strong multi‑device use.
• Local density/connectivity: Low countywide density (~24 people/sq. mile across ~1,871 sq. miles) contrasts with very strong infrastructure in the Park City–Snyderville Basin corridor (gigabit cable/fiber widely available). Eastern valleys (Kamas, Coalville, Oakley) rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite, which slightly depresses speeds but not basic email access.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (computer and internet subscription, age/sex composition) and Pew Research on email adoption by age, applied to local demographics.

Summit County, Utah: mobile phone usage snapshot (2023–2024)

Resident user base and connections

• Population and households: ~43,700 residents and ~16,800 households.
• Resident unique mobile users: ~39,000 people carry a mobile phone (about 90% of the total population, reflecting very high adult ownership and widespread teen adoption).
• Total resident mobile connections: ~52,000 active lines when including secondary devices (smartwatches, tablets, vehicle modems), implying ~1.3 lines per user.
• Devices present in-market:
  • Typical weekdays outside peak season: 60,000–70,000 devices (residents + commuters + visitors).
  • Winter weekends: 95,000–120,000 devices.
  • Sundance peak days: 110,000–130,000 devices (the festival draws roughly 120,000 unique attendees over 10 days, creating short‑term surges).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age mix: Adults 18+ are ~76% of residents; 65+ is ~14%. Smartphone ownership is near-saturated among working-age adults and strong among seniors, keeping overall device penetration high despite an older profile than Utah overall.
• Income and education: Median household income is roughly $120,000–$125,000 and bachelor’s+ attainment is near 55–60%, both well above state averages. This correlates with:
  • Higher multi-line adoption (phones + wearables + connected cars).
  • Greater share of premium, 5G-capable devices and higher-tier plans.
• Households’ internet access: Broadband subscription rates are very high in the Park City/Snyderville Basin; mobile-only home internet is relatively uncommon countywide (estimated 6–8% of households), but more prevalent in east-county rural areas where wired options are limited.
• Seasonality and visitors:
  • Ski season and Sundance materially shift the user mix toward visitors, increasing international roaming SIMs and out-of-state devices. International roaming share rises several-fold January–March versus typical Utah baselines.
  • Event-driven spikes produce pronounced weekend/evening congestion in resort and Main Street nodes compared with shoulder seasons.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: AT&T (including FirstNet), T‑Mobile, and Verizon cover the I‑80 corridor and the Park City/Snyderville Basin well; 5G is broadly available in and around Park City.
  • T‑Mobile: extensive mid‑band 5G along the I‑80 spine and resort/town areas.
  • Verizon: C‑band 5G in the Park City basin and along primary corridors; mmWave appears in a few dense, venue-centric spots during major events.
  • AT&T: wide low‑band 5G/4G footprint and FirstNet for public safety; 5G+ is limited to select high‑traffic venues.
• Known weak/variable areas: high-elevation and forested terrain can shadow signals—Mirror Lake Highway (SR‑150), Guardsman Pass, remote Uinta‑Wasatch‑Cache National Forest segments, and some valleys east of Kamas. Coverage improves along I‑80/I‑84, U.S.‑189, and town centers.
• Densification and event support: Park City’s Main Street, resort base areas, and major venues use small cells/DAS; operators routinely deploy COWs during Sundance and peak ski periods.
• Backhaul and fixed broadband underpinnings:
  • Cable/fiber in the Basin (e.g., Xfinity) and fiber builds by regional providers (e.g., All West Communications) in Kamas Valley/Coalville support strong mobile backhaul.
  • Legacy DSL/fiber pockets from Lumen/CenturyLink remain in parts of the county.
  • WISPs (e.g., Utah Broadband, Rise Broadband) and 5G FWA (T‑Mobile, Verizon) fill gaps, particularly east-county.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) presence along major routes and in population centers; deployables are used for large events and in difficult terrain.

How Summit County differs from Utah overall

• Higher per‑capita device density: More lines per person (+10–20% above the state average) driven by income, second homes, and connected wearables/vehicles.
• Stronger seasonality effects: Visitor-driven traffic can 2–3x weekend loads in resort zones; Utah overall sees far smaller swings outside a few urban venues.
• Lower reliance on mobile‑only home internet: ~6–8% of households countywide versus roughly 10–12% statewide, with exceptions in rural east-county tracts.
• Earlier and denser 5G in core nodes: Mid‑band 5G and small‑cell grids in Park City/Snyderville arrived ahead of most rural Utah counties due to tourism and event demand.
• More international roaming: Winter and festival periods bring 3–5x the typical Utah share of international SIMs on local networks, affecting signaling and capacity planning.
• Older age profile but no adoption drag: Despite being older than Utah’s very young statewide median, smartphone adoption and premium-plan uptake remain exceptionally high due to affluence and professional telework patterns.

Key takeaways

• Summit County supports a resident base of ~39,000 mobile users but routinely operates a radio network sized for 60,000–120,000 active devices due to tourism and events.
• Investment priority remains densification and indoor coverage in Park City/Main Street/resorts, resilient backhaul on I‑80, and targeted fill‑in along SR‑150 and other shadowed corridors.
• Compared with Utah overall, Summit’s networks face sharper demand peaks, more roaming heterogeneity, and higher multi‑device usage, even as mobile‑only home internet reliance is lower in the Basin.

Summit County, Utah — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Overall usage (adults 18+)

• Share of adults using at least one social platform: 84% (local estimate modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 + ACS demographics)
• Median number of platforms used per adult: 3

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults who use)

• YouTube: 85%
• Facebook: 67%
• Instagram: 52%
• Pinterest: 38%
• LinkedIn: 36%
• TikTok: 31%
• Snapchat: 30%
• WhatsApp: 28%
• Nextdoor: 24%
• X (Twitter): 23%
• Reddit: 22%

Age breakdown (local estimates; share within each age group)

• 18–29: 96% use social media
  • Top platforms: YouTube 95%, Instagram 78%, Snapchat 68%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 36%, Reddit 36%
• 30–49: 91%
  • Top platforms: YouTube 92%, Facebook 76%, Instagram 52%, Pinterest 41%, TikTok 36%, LinkedIn 41%, WhatsApp 34%
• 50–64: 78%
  • Top platforms: Facebook 73%, YouTube 83%, Pinterest 41%, LinkedIn 33%, Instagram 29%, Nextdoor 28%
• 65+: 62%
  • Top platforms: Facebook 62%, YouTube 60%, Nextdoor 26%, Pinterest 28%, Instagram 15%, LinkedIn 20%

Gender breakdown (local estimates)

• Women (any social media: 85%)
  • Facebook 72%, Instagram 58%, Pinterest 60%, TikTok 35%, Snapchat 32%, YouTube 82%, LinkedIn 33%, WhatsApp 28%, Nextdoor 30%, X 20%, Reddit 12%
• Men (any social media: 82%)
  • YouTube 88%, Facebook 63%, Instagram 46%, LinkedIn 39%, TikTok 27%, Snapchat 26%, WhatsApp 29%, X 26%, Reddit 30%, Pinterest 15%, Nextdoor 18%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community coordination: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are heavily used for neighborhood/HOA updates, schools, road/trail conditions, and local safety (especially winter/avalanche info).
• Visual, lifestyle content: Instagram Reels and TikTok perform best for skiing, mountain biking, dining, arts, and hospitality; user‑generated short video outperforms static posts.
• Event‑driven spikes: Engagement surges around the Sundance Film Festival, major snowstorms, and summer festivals; Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube see the largest lifts; Facebook Events drive attendance.
• Timing: Peak engagement locally is early morning (7–9 a.m. MT) and evening (7–10 p.m. MT), with strong weekend midday activity during ski season.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook = community groups, events, and local news;
  • Instagram/TikTok = discovery for food, retail, and outdoor activities;
  • YouTube = gear and trip research;
  • LinkedIn = hiring in hospitality, real estate, tech/remote workers;
  • Nextdoor = hyperlocal services and public notices.
• Seasonality: Hiring and promo cycles ramp Aug–Nov (pre‑ski season) and again May–July (summer tourism); geo‑targeted ads around Park City, Kimball Junction, and Kamas deliver efficient reach.

Notes on methodology/sources

• Percentages are 2024–2025 local estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform‑usage rates by age/gender to Summit County’s age/education/income profile (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2022–2023). Higher income/education locally implies modestly higher LinkedIn, Instagram, and Nextdoor adoption than national averages.