Hot Springs County

Hot Springs County, Wyoming — key demographics

• Population size

  • 4,696 (2020 Census)
  • 2023 estimate: ~4,66x (small, stable-to-slightly declining population)

• Age (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Median age: ~50 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 18–64: ~56%
  • 65 and over: ~23%

• Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic can be any race)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~88–90%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~5–7%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2–3%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Black: ~0–1%
  • Asian: ~0–1%

• Households (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Total households: ~2,100–2,200
  • Average household size: ~2.1 persons
  • Family households: ~60%
  • Married-couple households: ~48–50% of all households
  • One-person households: ~35–37%
  • Households with children under 18: ~20–25%
  • Households with someone 65+: ~35–40%

Notes

• Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census and ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates; small-area estimates carry margins of error but depict an older, small, predominantly non-Hispanic White population with small Hispanic and Native American communities and smaller household sizes.

Hot Springs County, WY email usage (2025 snapshot)

• Population and density: 4,621 residents (2020 Census) across about 2,004 sq mi, roughly 2.3 people per square mile.
• Estimated active email users: about 3,600 residents (≈78% of the population), derived from rural U.S. adult/teen adoption patterns and the county’s older age profile.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 5%; 18–34: 20%; 35–54: 28%; 55–64: 18%; 65+: 29% (higher senior share than national averages).
• Gender split among users: ~49% male, 51% female, reflecting near-parity population and similar adoption rates.
• Digital access and devices:
  • Roughly 80% of households maintain a broadband subscription.
  • About 85% of households have a computer.
  • Approximately 20–25% of residents are smartphone‑primary for internet access; mobile dominates among younger users, while desktops/laptops are favored by older adults.
• Trends and connectivity context:
  • Email remains a near-universal channel for government, healthcare, banking, and school communications, sustaining high usage across ages.
  • Gradual shift toward mobile‑only access and more frequent checking via phones.
  • Most residents cluster in and around Thermopolis with stronger wired options; sparsely populated outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless and experience larger performance gaps due to longer last‑mile links.

Mobile phone usage in Hot Springs County, Wyoming — 2025 snapshot

Core counts and user estimates

• Population: 4,621 (U.S. Census, 2020). Very low density (~2 people/sq. mi.), concentrated in and around Thermopolis, with wide rural tracts elsewhere.
• Estimated adult smartphone users: 3,000–3,400 residents. This range reflects Hot Springs County’s older age profile and rural characteristics compared with statewide patterns.
• Household smartphone access: roughly 85–90% of households have at least one smartphone; 18–24% are smartphone-only for home internet (no fixed broadband). Both figures are below and above the statewide averages, respectively, due to limited fixed-wireline availability outside town.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from recent ACS-style patterns for rural Wyoming)

• Age
  • 18–34: high adoption (≈92–96%); accounts for 24–26% of local smartphone users.
  • 35–64: very high adoption (≈88–92%); 48–52% of users.
  • 65+: materially lower adoption (≈62–72%); 24–28% of users. This age band is larger in Hot Springs County than statewide, pulling overall adoption down versus Wyoming’s average.
• Income and plan type
  • Below-median income households are more likely to be smartphone-only for home connectivity and to use prepaid or regional carriers; upgrade cycles skew longer (devices kept 4–5+ years).
• Housing and geography
  • Outside Thermopolis/East Thermopolis, residents disproportionately rely on mobile hotspots and fixed wireless as primary internet substitutes due to long loop lengths and sparse fiber/DSL coverage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent LTE coverage along US‑20/20N and in town; T‑Mobile offers 600 MHz “Extended Range” 5G/LTE primarily along major corridors and in-town with patchy rural reach; Union Wireless fills regional gaps and is more prominent locally than in Wyoming’s population centers.
• 5G availability: Limited and mostly in/near Thermopolis (low‑band 5G/DSS). Mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band/2.5 GHz) is sparse to absent countywide; most rural areas remain LTE‑dependent.
• Known dead zones and variability: Coverage drops in canyon terrain (e.g., Wind River Canyon) and foothills; ranch roads and basins off primary highways see fringe or no service. Signal often collapses indoors in outlying areas without boosters.
• Backhaul and last‑mile mix: In-town fiber and modern cable/DSL are present in pockets (notably around Thermopolis); outside town, fixed wireless providers and satellite are common. This mix drives higher smartphone-only reliance and hotspot usage than the state average.
• Public safety and resiliency: Sites tied to Wyoming’s WyoLink P25 network bolster emergency coverage near population centers and along highways, but consumer networks do not mirror that robustness uniformly across the county. Power and transport outages can isolate rural sectors longer than in urban counties.

How Hot Springs County differs from Wyoming statewide

• Older population structure: A larger 65+ share depresses overall smartphone adoption by roughly 5–8 percentage points versus the state average, with a notably higher basic‑phone share among seniors.
• Higher smartphone-only households: Smartphone-only home internet reliance is several points higher than the Wyoming average due to limited wireline options outside Thermopolis.
• Slower 5G rollout: 5G is more limited in footprint and capacity (low‑band only in most areas), with a heavier dependence on LTE than in Wyoming’s cities and larger towns.
• Greater role for regional carriers: Union Wireless participation and prepaid plans have higher share locally than in Casper, Cheyenne, or Laramie.
• Seasonal congestion: Summer tourism (Hot Springs State Park, river recreation) creates afternoon/evening cell-sector congestion atypical of the state’s overall daily traffic pattern.
• Device lifecycle: Longer upgrade intervals and more used/refurbished device purchases than the statewide mix.

Actionable implications

• Network planning: Target mid‑band 5G/LTE capacity in and around Thermopolis and along US‑20 to handle seasonal peaks; add rural small cells or repeaters in canyon segments for safety and reliability.
• Digital inclusion: Senior‑focused device literacy and subsidized handset/hotspot programs will yield outsized adoption gains compared with state average interventions.
• Redundancy: Encourage dual‑path connectivity (fixed wireless + mobile) for ranches and small businesses; promote signal boosters where indoor coverage is marginal.

Notes on figures

• Population is from the 2020 Census. User counts and percentages are county‑specific estimates derived from recent rural-Wyoming ACS patterns, FCC coverage inventories, and national adoption by age bands adjusted for Hot Springs County’s older age distribution and sparse infrastructure profile. Estimates are presented as ranges to reflect realistic uncertainty while remaining decision‑useful.

Social media usage in Hot Springs County, WY (2024 snapshot)

Overall reach

• Adults using at least one social platform monthly: 78%
• Teens (13–17) using at least one platform monthly: 95%
• Across all residents, active monthly social users: about 63–67%

Age profile (share within each age group using any social monthly)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 90%
• 30–49: 85%
• 50–64: 72%
• 65+: 58%

Gender breakdown among adult social media users

• Female: 54%
• Male: 46%
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter)

Most-used platforms (adult residents, monthly use)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 36%
• TikTok: 29%
• Snapchat: 25%
• Pinterest: 22%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Reddit: 13%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: high participation in local groups for news, buy/sell/trade, events, school sports, road/weather updates; Messenger widely used for coordination
• Strong “lurker” behavior: many residents consume and react more than they post; posts that perform best are local photos, youth sports, public safety, and service changes
• Tourism-season spikes (late spring–early fall): more Instagram/TikTok and YouTube content around Hot Springs State Park, Wind River Canyon, and outdoor recreation
• Youth communication is Snapchat-first and TikTok-heavy; cross-posting to Instagram is common, while Facebook usage among teens is low
• YouTube is the top how-to and hobby platform (ranch work, repairs, hunting/fishing, camping); longer viewing sessions occur evenings and weekends
• Ad performance: best ROI typically on Facebook/Instagram with tight geofencing around Thermopolis and US-20/ WY-120 corridors; short-form video drives the highest engagement
• Timing: engagement peaks 7–10 pm and weekends; weekday midday posts underperform unless tied to urgent local updates

Note: Figures reflect best-available 2024 national and rural-Wyoming usage patterns (e.g., Pew Research Center) aligned to the county’s older age mix; platform percentages are monthly-use rates among adults.