Washington County

Washington County, Utah — key demographics (latest Census Bureau estimates)

Population

• Total: 206,500 (2023 estimate)
• 2020 Census: 180,279 (approx. +14.6% since 2020)

Age

• Median age: 37.6 years
• Under 18: 26%
• 18–64: 54%
• 65 and over: 20%

Sex

• Female: 50.5%
• Male: 49.5%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: 76%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 15%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–1.5%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~1%

Households

• Total households: ~73,500
• Average household size: ~2.8–2.9
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple households: ~56%
• Households with children under 18: ~32%
• One-person households: ~24%

Insights

• Rapid growth since 2020 places the county above 200,000 residents.
• Older age profile than Utah overall, with a relatively large 65+ share.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with Hispanic/Latino as the largest minority group.
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a sizable share of one-person households, reflecting both young adults and retirees.

Washington County, UT overview

• Population and density: ≈200,000 residents; ≈80 people per square mile, concentrated along the St. George–Washington–Hurricane corridor.
• Estimated email users: ≈160,000 residents (about 78–80% of the population) use email regularly.

Age distribution of email users (share of users)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–34: 26%
• 35–54: 33%
• 55–64: 14%
• 65+: 19%

Gender split among email users

• Female: ≈51%
• Male: ≈49%

Digital access and connectivity

• Household internet subscription: ≈92% of households have an internet subscription; broadband is the norm in urban areas.
• Access modes: Fiber and high-speed cable are widely available in St. George, Washington, Hurricane, and Santa Clara; fixed wireless and DSL serve outlying communities; robust 5G coverage along the I‑15 corridor supports mobile email use.
• Performance context: Utah ranks among the fastest states for connectivity; typical median fixed broadband speeds exceed 200 Mbps and median mobile speeds exceed 100 Mbps, supporting heavy email and cloud use.
• Growth trend: One of the nation’s fastest‑growing counties; ongoing subdivision growth is driving rapid fiber buildouts and rising digital adoption.

Washington County, Utah — 2024 mobile usage snapshot

• Population: ~205,000 residents (2024 est.). Fastest‑growing county in Utah since 2010, expanding ~3–4% annually.
• Estimated unique mobile phone users (any cell phone): ~176,000 (≈86% of residents).
• Estimated smartphone users: ~169,000 (≈82% of residents).
• Wireless‑only households (no landline): ~46,000 of ~71,000 total households (≈66%, below Utah’s ~74% state average).
• Visitor load: Zion National Park drew ~4.6 million visits in 2023; peak weekends routinely add a double‑digit percent to active device counts in Springdale/Zion corridors and St. George.

Demographic breakdown (users and adoption)

• Age structure skews older than Utah overall (≈21% age 65+ vs ≈13% statewide), which nudges smartphone use slightly lower than the Utah average but still very high.
• Approximate mobile phone users by age (county residents):
  • 18–34: ~40,000 users (≈97% adoption among this cohort)
  • 35–64: ~65,000 users (≈96%)
  • 65+: ~39,000 users (≈91% have a mobile phone; ≈83% use smartphones)
  • Under 18: ~32,000 users (many teens; overall ≈60% have a mobile phone)
• Implications:
  • Compared with Utah overall, Washington County’s older profile reduces wireless‑only household share by ~8 percentage points and trims senior smartphone adoption by several points.
  • Youth share is smaller than the state average, slightly lowering overall penetration rates despite strong adult uptake.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G footprint:
  • Broad low‑band 5G coverage countywide across major carriers.
  • Mid‑band 5G capacity clustered along the I‑15 corridor (St. George, Washington, Santa Clara, Hurricane) and around SGU airport; thinner east of Hurricane toward Zion and in sparsely populated areas.
  • mmWave 5G appears only in small pockets (dense downtown/venue nodes) where present.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Ongoing fiber builds in the urbanized core (including open‑access projects in nearby cities such as Washington City and Santa Clara) have improved macro and small‑cell backhaul.
  • New subdivisions are seeing higher uptake of 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) where fiber or cable options are limited or newer.
• Coverage constraints:
  • Canyon terrain in and around Zion National Park creates unavoidable dead zones and rapid cell‑edge transitions; carriers rely on directional sites along SR‑9 and in Springdale.
  • Rural western and eastern fringes show larger LTE/NR cells and lower spectral reuse; speeds drop at peak.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet (Band 14) coverage is established on primary corridors and population centers; wildfire season and heavy‑tourism periods drive temporary cells and capacity augments.
• Traffic hotspots: I‑15 exits through St. George/Washington, SR‑9 to Zion, downtown St. George, athletic/event venues, and SGU airport experience the highest diurnal swings.

How Washington County differs from Utah overall

• Older population mix:
  • Smartphone ownership remains high, but countywide rates are a few points lower than Utah’s state average because the 65+ share is larger (≈21% vs ≈13%).
  • Wireless‑only households are materially lower (≈66% vs ≈74% statewide), reflecting greater landline retention among seniors and second‑home owners.
• Tourism‑driven demand:
  • Seasonal influx tied to Zion and events meaningfully elevates transient device counts and uplink congestion—an effect far more pronounced than the state average.
• Corridor‑centric 5G capacity:
  • Mid‑band 5G is concentrated along I‑15 and the urban cluster; outside that band, coverage thins faster than the statewide norm due to complex terrain and land‑use restrictions near federal lands.
• Faster relative uptake of mobile broadband alternatives:
  • New housing growth and patchy legacy wireline in subdivisions have buoyed take‑up of 5G FWA to a greater degree than Utah’s average, particularly in the St. George–Washington–Hurricane triangle.

Key takeaways

• ~176,000 residents use a mobile phone and ~169,000 use a smartphone, with adoption highest among working‑age adults and slightly lower among seniors.
• The county’s older age structure and prevalence of retirees depress wireless‑only household share relative to the state, even as overall mobile dependence remains strong.
• Mobile network investment is focused on the I‑15 urban corridor, airport, and tourist gateways; canyon geography and public land constraints define the remaining coverage/performance gaps.
• Tourism pushes peak loads well beyond resident baselines; carriers mitigate with mid‑band 5G capacity nodes and event‑driven augments, making utilization patterns more seasonal and location‑specific than the Utah average.

Notes on methodology: County figures are point‑in‑time estimates for 2024 derived from U.S. Census population structure, national/state mobile adoption benchmarks (Pew/CDC), and known local infrastructure patterns; numbers are rounded to aid interpretation.

Social media usage in Washington County, Utah — 2025 snapshot

Core user stats (adults 18+)

• Active social media users: ~72% of adults
• Daily users: ~60% of adults (about 4 in 5 social users are daily)
• Gender among social users: ~53% women, ~47% men
• Age mix of social users: 18–29: ~21% • 30–49: ~31% • 50–64: ~26% • 65+: ~22%

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

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~59–60%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~28%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• LinkedIn: ~27%
• Snapchat: ~21%
• X (Twitter): ~18%

Age-group patterns

• 18–29: Heavy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; light Facebook.
• 30–49: Broadest mix; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram core; TikTok moderate.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram secondary; limited TikTok/Snapchat.
• 65+: Facebook for community/family and YouTube for how‑to/news; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender tendencies

• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok.
• Men over-index on YouTube, X, Reddit, and LinkedIn.
• Marketplace/Groups on Facebook skew female; sports/news on X skew male.

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Community-first behavior: High engagement in Facebook Groups and Marketplace (neighborhoods, HOAs, buy–sell–trade, church/community events).
• Video-forward consumption: YouTube (including Connected TV) and short-form Reels/TikToks drive reach; short, location-tagged clips perform best.
• Discovery paths: Instagram for local businesses (food, fitness, real estate, tourism); Pinterest for home/DIY/travel planning; YouTube for outdoor and how‑to content.
• Youth messaging backbone: Snapchat for teens/young adults (ephemeral sharing, Snap Map for event awareness).
• Timing: Peaks around 7–9 a.m., lunch, and 7–10 p.m.; weekend spikes tied to events and outdoor recreation.
• Content that works: Family-friendly, outdoor/parks, school sports, service/faith, and local small-business promos; giveaways and cause tie-ins boost shares.
• Paid performance patterns:
  • Facebook: best reach and conversions for 35+ and retiree segments.
  • Instagram/Reels: strongest for 18–44 and lifestyle categories.
  • TikTok: efficient awareness among under-30s; needs native creative.
  • YouTube: effective for storytelling and consideration; strong with 25–64.

Method note

• Figures are modeled estimates for Washington County using 2024–2025 Pew Research U.S. platform adoption by age and gender, weighted to the county’s older-skewing age profile (U.S. Census). County-level platform usage is not directly published; the above reflects best-available localized estimates.