Lamoille County

Lamoille County, Vermont — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: 25,945 (2020 Census)
• Current estimate: about 26,700 (ACS 2019–2023)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Age distribution:
  • Under 18: ~19–20%
  • 18–24: ~10–11%
  • 25–44: ~27–29%
  • 45–64: ~25–26%
  • 65 and over: ~17–19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; percent of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~92–93%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.3%
• Other, non-Hispanic: <0.5%

Households and families

• Total households: ~10,700–10,900
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Families as share of households: ~58–60%
• Married-couple households: ~40–42% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~26–28%
• One-person households: ~27–29%
• Homeownership rate: ~70–72% owner-occupied; ~28–30% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small but growing county since 2020, with a median age around 40 indicating a relatively balanced—though aging—population.
• Demographically homogeneous, with White non-Hispanic residents comprising over nine-tenths of the population; diversity is slowly increasing.
• Household structure skews toward owner-occupied, family households, with roughly one-quarter to one-third of households including children.

Email usage in Lamoille County, VT (population ~26,000; ~56 people per sq. mile):

• Estimated email users: ≈19,600 residents (≈75% of total population), derived from county age structure and U.S. email adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 7%
  • 18–29: 16%
  • 30–49: 31%
  • 50–64: 25%
  • 65+: 20%
• Gender split among email users: mirrors county demographics at ≈50.6% female, 49.4% male.
• Digital access and devices (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Households with a computer: ~93%
  • Households with a broadband internet subscription: ~88%
  • No internet subscription: ~7%
  • A small but notable share are smartphone-only, which can limit consistent email access.
• Connectivity and density facts:
  • Rural county with service concentrated along US-2/VT-100 corridors (e.g., Stowe–Morristown) and patchier coverage in more remote towns.
  • Ongoing fiber buildouts via the Lamoille FiberNet Communication Union District are narrowing remaining gaps, improving reliability and speeds for underserved addresses.

Insights: High device and broadband penetration support broad email use, with strongest engagement among adults 30–64. Seniors are well represented but somewhat less likely to be daily users, reflecting access and adoption differences.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Lamoille County, Vermont (latest available ACS/FCC/state datasets, rounded)

Scale and adoption

• Population and households: ~26,000 residents in ~10,600 households.
• Smartphone access: About 9,700–9,900 households (91–93%) have at least one smartphone, modestly above the Vermont average.
• Mobile broadband (cellular data plan) at home: Roughly 7,600–8,000 households (72–76%), on par to slightly higher than the state share.
• Mobile-only internet: Approximately 950–1,250 households (9–12%) rely on a cellular data plan without a fixed home broadband subscription, a higher share than the statewide average.
• No internet subscription: About 1,100–1,300 households (10–12%) report no home internet subscription, concentrated in the most rural tracts; this is slightly higher than the state average despite strong smartphone prevalence.

Demographic patterns that diverge from statewide trends

• Younger profile: Lamoille County’s median age is lower than Vermont’s, driven by service, hospitality, and outdoor recreation employment. Adult smartphone adoption exceeds 95% among ages 18–34 and is high among 35–64, lifting the county’s overall rate above the state average.
• Older adults closing the gap: Adults 65+ in Lamoille show higher smartphone adoption than rural peers elsewhere in Vermont, aided by proximity to services in Morristown/Hyde Park/Stowe; however, gaps remain in the most remote valleys where coverage and affordability issues persist.
• Income and plan mix: A larger seasonal/service workforce and second-home segment produces a bimodal mix—greater-than-average use of prepaid/MVNO plans and hotspots among cost-sensitive households alongside higher-end unlimited plans among seasonal residents and tourism businesses.
• Mobile-reliant workers: A higher share of workers in accommodation, food service, construction, and outdoor guiding rely on mobile devices for scheduling, point-of-sale, navigation, and gig/seasonal marketplaces compared with Vermont overall.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (distinctive county features)

• Coverage geography: 4G LTE is strong along the Route 100 and Route 15 corridors (Stowe, Morristown, Hyde Park, Cambridge/Jeffersonville). Mountainous terrain (Smugglers’ Notch, upper valleys) creates persistent dead zones and fringe coverage that are more pronounced than in the Champlain Valley counties.
• 5G availability: Low-band 5G from national carriers covers town centers and ski/resort areas; mid-band capacity is present in and around Stowe/Morrisville but drops off quickly with elevation and distance. As a result, real-world speeds diverge sharply between town centers (tens to hundreds of Mbps) and rural hollows (single to low double digits).
• Seasonal load: Tourism peaks (foliage, ski season) drive significant cell-sector congestion atypical for a rural county, with noticeable slowdowns around Stowe Mountain Resort, Smugglers’ Notch, and event weekends.
• First responder and public safety: FirstNet build-outs and E-911 enhancements have prioritized primary corridors and town centers; some backcountry gaps remain, leading residents and outfitters to maintain satellite messengers for redundancy more than the state average.
• Backhaul and siting constraints: Mountain topography, conservation areas, and aesthetic/permitting constraints limit optimal tower placement, leaving a larger gap between “coverage on maps” and reliable in-building service than is typical statewide.

How Lamoille County differs from the Vermont statewide picture

• Slightly higher smartphone access overall, driven by a younger workforce and tourism economy.
• Higher reliance on mobile broadband and mobile-only home internet, reflecting patchier fixed broadband in rural tracts and more itinerant/seasonal households.
• Larger seasonal swings in network demand and performance than the state average.
• More pronounced terrain-driven coverage variability; dead zones are a bigger factor in daily reliability even where nominal coverage exists.
• In-building coverage issues are more common outside town centers, pushing above-average adoption of Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters.

Implications

• Mobile is a primary connectivity layer for work and daily life in Lamoille County to a greater extent than statewide, but reliability depends heavily on location.
• Investments with outsized impact include additional mid-band 5G sectors on existing sites along resort corridors, targeted small cells in peak tourism zones, and coverage infill for valley bottoms and east–west backroads.
• Affordability programs and MVNO competition materially affect connectivity for cost-sensitive households; fixed–mobile convergence (home internet via 5G) is likely to grow faster here than the Vermont average.

Social media usage in Lamoille County, VT (modeled from the county’s population and the latest Pew Research Center platform adoption rates for U.S. adults; counts below are approximate local users)

Baseline

• Population (2020 Census): 25,945; adults (18+): ≈21,000; gender split ≈50% women, 50% men

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults using each platform; estimated local user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 83% (≈17,400 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (≈14,300)
• Instagram: 47% (≈9,900)
• Pinterest: 35% (≈7,400)
• TikTok: 33% (≈6,900)
• LinkedIn: 30% (≈6,300)
• Snapchat: 27% (≈5,700)
• X (Twitter): 22% (≈4,600)
• Reddit: 22% (≈4,600)
• WhatsApp: 21% (≈4,400) Note: Front Porch Forum is widely used in Vermont for neighborhood news, classifieds, and civic updates; while no reliable county-level percentage is published, local participation is high relative to other states’ hyperlocal networks.

Age-group profile and behaviors

• 18–29: Predominantly on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; heavy short‑video consumption and creator followership; event discovery via Instagram Stories/Reels. Lower reliance on Facebook for posting, but still present for events.
• 30–49: Multi-platform behavior; Facebook and YouTube for news, groups, parenting/school updates; Instagram for local businesses, dining, and outdoor recreation; LinkedIn usage for professional networking.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; frequent use of community groups, buy/sell/trade, local news, and how‑to content on YouTube.
• 65+: Facebook is the anchor platform; YouTube used for tutorials and local content; high engagement with hyperlocal channels (e.g., Front Porch Forum) for civic info and services.

Gender breakdown and skews (Pew Research Center, 2024, U.S. adults)

• Overall: Usage is roughly balanced by gender in aggregate in Lamoille due to a near‑even adult gender split.
• Platform skews:
  • Pinterest: women ≈50% vs men ≈19%
  • Facebook: women ≈73% vs men ≈63%
  • Instagram: women ≈49% vs men ≈45%
  • TikTok: women ≈35% vs men ≈30%
  • Snapchat: women ≈30% vs men ≈24%
  • YouTube: men ≈86% vs women ≈81%
  • X (Twitter): men ≈27% vs women ≈17%
  • Reddit: men ≈29% vs women ≈14%
  • LinkedIn: men ≈34% vs women ≈27%

Local behavioral trends and what they mean

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Front Porch Forum are primary channels for town notices, lost-and-found, mutual aid, school updates, and local government communications. Expect high engagement on posts tied to weather, road conditions, school activities, and public safety.
• Marketplace and classifieds: Strong participation in Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups; price sensitivity and quick response windows for in-demand seasonal items (ski gear, outdoor equipment).
• Seasonal content cycles: Spikes in posting and engagement around foliage, ski season (Stowe/Smugglers’ Notch), and summer tourism drive Instagram and YouTube activity; local businesses see disproportionate returns from Reels/shorts featuring scenery, trails, and dining.
• Event-centric discovery: Farmers’ markets, festivals, and fundraisers perform best when promoted via Facebook Events, boosted posts, and cross-posts to community groups; Instagram Stories amplify day‑of attendance.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube and short‑form vertical video (Reels/TikTok) outperform static posts for tutorials, trail conditions, and business spotlights; simple, authentic local footage performs as well as polished edits.
• Private coordination: Messenger and WhatsApp are common for group coordination (teams, clubs, small businesses), reducing public comment volume but increasing turnout when paired with a public event post.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population base for Lamoille County)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by U.S. adults, age and gender skews)