Sweetwater County

Sweetwater County, Wyoming — Key Demographics

Population

• Total population: 42,272 (2020 Census)
• Directional change: modest decline since 2010 peak; recent ACS indicates low-41k range

Age

• Median age: ~36
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18 to 64: ~62%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Gender

• Male: ~53%
• Female: ~47%

Race and Ethnicity (mutually exclusive; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~74%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~18%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1.5%
• Black, non-Hispanic: ~1.0%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.8%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0.2%

Households

• Households: ~16,200 (2020)
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~67% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• One-person households: ~23%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~72%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census DP1; ACS 5-year profiles)

Sweetwater County, WY email usage snapshot:

• Population about 42,300 (2020). Estimated email users about 33,000 (about 78% of residents; about 95% of adults).
• Age distribution among users: 13–17 8%, 18–34 29%, 35–54 35%, 55–64 15%, 65+ 13%.
• Gender split among users mirrors county demographics: about 53% male, 47% female.

Digital access and trends:

• About 85% of households maintain a broadband subscription; fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps reaches more than 90% of addresses, with 100+ Mbps cable/fiber widespread in Rock Springs and Green River.
• Smartphone‑only internet users are a minority (roughly 12–15%), concentrated in lower‑income and remote households.
• Email engagement is strongest among working‑age adults; lower among 65+ due to access and device gaps.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• County spans about 10,491 sq mi (largest in Wyoming) with about 4 people per square mile.
• Connectivity clusters in Rock Springs (about 23,000 residents) and Green River (about 12,000); vast rural tracts rely on fixed wireless or satellite, creating variability in latency and upload speeds that can affect timely email access.

Sweetwater County, WY mobile phone usage — 2024 snapshot (estimates)

Overview

• Population and geography: Approximately 41,800 residents spread across ~10,500 square miles, with most people clustered in Rock Springs and Green River along I‑80. The county’s extraction economy and large rural tracts shape adoption and coverage patterns.

User estimates (adults 18+)

• Adult population: ~32,200
• Any mobile phone: ~30,900 adults (≈96%)
• Smartphone users: ~28,900 adults (≈89–90%)
• Feature‑phone only: ~2,100 adults (≈6–7%)
• No mobile phone: ~1,300 adults (≈4%)
• Mobile‑only internet households (smartphone as primary home internet): ~3,540 of ~16,100 households (≈22%)
• Wireless‑only phone households (no landline): ~12,560 households (≈78%)

Demographic breakdown (adults)

• By age (adoption = share with a smartphone)
  • 18–34: ~9,700 adults; adoption ≈97% (≈9,400 users)
  • 35–54: ~12,300 adults; adoption ≈94% (≈11,500 users)
  • 55–64: ~4,500 adults; adoption ≈86% (≈3,900 users)
  • 65+: ~5,800 adults; adoption ≈70% (≈4,100 users)
• By place within the county
  • Rock Springs/Green River/I‑80 corridor (≈80%+ of residents): smartphone adoption ≈91%; mobile‑only internet ≈20% of households; broad 5G availability in town limits
  • Outlying/rural areas: smartphone adoption ≈84%; mobile‑only internet ≈26% of households; LTE remains primary with notable coverage gaps
• Socioeconomic patterns
  • Mobile‑only internet reliance skews higher among shift workers and contractor households tied to mining/energy and among renters; employer‑paid lines are more common than the state average

Digital infrastructure

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile, and regional carrier Union Wireless. Roaming with Union is common outside the corridor.
• 5G availability: Concentrated in Rock Springs and Green River and along I‑80. Estimated ~60–65% of residents live within a usable 5G footprint; mmWave is minimal.
• Typical performance
  • In‑town mid‑band 5G: ~150–300 Mbps down, 10–25 Mbps up; low‑band 5G/LTE: ~30–80 Mbps down
  • Rural LTE: ~5–20 Mbps down, often single‑digit uploads; service can drop to 3G/No‑service in the Red Desert, Flaming Gorge approaches, and remote well/lease roads
• Backhaul and tower siting: Macro sites cluster on highway corridors, ridgelines, and town perimeters. Given the county’s size, density is sparse away from I‑80, which limits contiguous 5G and reduces in‑building penetration outside town cores.
• Home broadband interplay: Cable/fiber are available in core neighborhoods of Rock Springs and Green River; fixed‑wireless/5G Home covers a portion of addresses in town. Rural residents frequently pair satellite or fixed wireless with mobile service, elevating mobile‑only reliance.

How Sweetwater differs from the Wyoming average

• Higher mobile‑only internet reliance: ~22% of households vs ~18% statewide, reflecting rural gaps and shift‑work lifestyles
• More wireless‑only phone households: ~78% vs ~72% statewide, tied to a younger, more transient workforce and employer‑provided mobiles
• Slightly lower overall 5G reach: ~60–65% of residents vs ~70–75% statewide, due to the county’s vast size and focus of advanced buildouts in Cheyenne/Laramie/Casper/Jackson
• Greater dependence on regional carrier infrastructure and roaming (Union Wireless) than most Wyoming counties
• Usage pattern is more “corridor‑centric”: strong performance and capacity along I‑80 and in the two cities, with sharper drop‑offs than the state average once off primary routes
• Age profile effects: A relatively larger 18–54 working cohort pushes smartphone adoption a bit higher in towns, while a sizable 55+ rural segment keeps the countywide average slightly below the state’s top metros

Key implications for planners and providers

• Capacity matters most along I‑80, mine sites, and industrial parks during shift changes; small‑cell or sector adds in those zones deliver outsized benefits
• Rural coverage investments (low‑band 5G, additional macros, microwave/fiber backhaul) will directly reduce the county’s higher‑than‑average mobile‑only reliance
• In‑building coverage upgrades in town (C‑band/2.5 GHz and indoor solutions) will improve reliability for employer‑provisioned lines common in energy and services

Notes on methodology

• Population and household counts are based on recent Census/ACS trends for Sweetwater County with 2023–2024 interpolation
• Adoption rates draw from Pew Research Center’s 2023 smartphone ownership benchmarks, CDC wireless‑only household data, and rural vs urban deltas applied to local age/place composition
• Coverage and performance characterizations synthesize FCC deployment data and commonly observed rural Rocky Mountain corridor patterns for the named carriers

Figures above are estimates calibrated to 2024 conditions and designed to be decision‑useful at county scale.

Sweetwater County, WY — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Population and internet/users

• Population: ~42,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
• Gender: ~54% male, ~46% female (ACS)
• Adults (18+): ~31,000
• Active social media users: 26,000 adults (84% of adults; Pew Research Center 2024)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults; Pew 2024 applied to county)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22% Note: Percentages are platform penetration among adults; applying to ~31,000 adults yields approximate user counts (e.g., Facebook ~21,000 adults).

Age-group usage patterns

• Teens 13–17 (Pew 2023): YouTube ~93%, TikTok ~63%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~33%, X ~20%. Daily use is concentrated on TikTok/Snapchat/YouTube; Facebook is minimal except for school, sports, and family pages.
• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are primary; Facebook is secondary for events and Marketplace.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram rising; TikTok used for entertainment/how‑to.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube first; Instagram/TikTok used but less frequently.
• 65+: Facebook for community and family updates; YouTube for news/how‑to.

Gender breakdown and tendencies

• County composition: ~54% men, ~46% women.
• Women over-index on Facebook/Instagram and local community content; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. LinkedIn use skews toward professional/managerial roles (energy, mining, logistics, healthcare, public sector).

Behavioral trends (what people do and engage with)

• Community and local commerce: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central (buy/sell/trade, vehicles, outdoor gear, housing, local services). Event posts (high school sports, fairs, rodeo, holiday events) drive spikes.
• Information utility: Winter road/weather updates and WYDOT alerts see elevated engagement on Facebook and X; emergency and school-closure posts spread fastest via Facebook shares and Messenger.
• Outdoor and lifestyle content: Hunting/fishing, off‑road, camping/Flaming Gorge, and ranch-life perform best on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (short-form video and Reels).
• How‑to and repairs: YouTube dominates for DIY, vehicle and equipment maintenance, home improvement, and tool reviews; connected‑TV viewing is common in the evening.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is near‑universal; WhatsApp adoption is concentrated among Hispanic households and cross‑border family ties.
• Teens and young adults: Snapchat is a primary messaging/social channel; TikTok is the top entertainment and trend source; Instagram used for school/team/social identity.
• Content formats: Vertical video outperforms static; giveaway posts and limited-time local deals see strong comment and share rates; “faces + place” (recognizable locals/landmarks) increases completion and reactions.
• Timing: Engagement clusters weekday evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mid‑day; shift-work patterns produce early-morning and late-night activity. Major weather events and local sports create real-time spikes.
• Platform trajectory: Facebook stable and central for community; Instagram and TikTok growing with under‑40s; Snapchat steady with teens; LinkedIn steady in energy/engineering; X remains niche outside sports and road/weather monitoring.

Sources and method

• Population and gender: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS.
• Platform penetration: Pew Research Center, 2024 (U.S. adults) and 2023 (U.S. teens); percentages applied to the county’s adult and teen populations to produce local estimates.