Washakie County

Washakie County, Wyoming – key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• 7,685 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: low-40s
• Under 18: roughly one-quarter of residents
• 65 and over: roughly one-fifth

Gender

• Approximately 51% male, 49% female

Racial/ethnic composition

• White, non-Hispanic: about three-quarters of the population
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): about one in five
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: about 1–2%
• Black, Asian, and other races: each well under 1% individually; small share report two or more races

Households

• Roughly 3,100–3,300 households
• Average household size: about 2.3–2.4 persons
• Family households: about 60% of households; married-couple families comprise the majority
• Households with children under 18: roughly one-quarter
• Single-person households: around one-third; a notable share are age 65+

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates, most recent release).

Washakie County, WY snapshot (2024):

• Population ~7,900 across ~2,240 sq mi (≈3.5 people/mi²). Most residents live in Worland and Ten Sleep; service is strongest in town centers and along US‑16/20, with fixed wireless/satellite common in outlying ranchlands.
• Estimated email users: ~5,800 residents use email at least monthly.
• Gender split: county is ~51% male/49% female; email users ≈2,960 men and ≈2,840 women (usage rates are essentially equal by gender among adults).
• Age distribution of email usage (penetration among each group; approximate users):
  • 18–29: 96% (~1,000 users)
  • 30–49: 94% (~1,800 users)
  • 50–64: 90% (~1,330 users)
  • 65+: 78% (~1,350 users)
  • Teens 13–17: 70% (320 users)
• Digital access trends:
  • ~84% of households have a broadband subscription; ~16% lack home internet.
  • ~91% have a computer; ~89% of adults have a smartphone; ~12% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Connectivity has improved since 2020 via cable upgrades in Worland and expanded fixed‑wireless coverage; gigabit service is available in parts of the population centers. Most locations have at least one 25/3 Mbps option, but remote areas still face higher latency and data caps, which can constrain frequent email attachments and cloud use.

Mobile phone usage in Washakie County, Wyoming — key statistics, demographics, and infrastructure (with county–state contrasts)

Baseline size and households

• Population: 7,685 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Households: roughly 3,200 (derived from Census count and average household size)
• County profile differs from Wyoming overall by being older and more Hispanic than the state average, both of which shape device adoption and service choices.

User estimates and adoption

• Estimated individual mobile phone users: ≈6,800 residents, or about 88% of the population. This aligns rural adoption patterns to the county’s age mix and is slightly below Wyoming’s overall adult cellphone adoption.
• Household smartphone adoption: mid–to–upper 80s percent of households have at least one smartphone (American Community Survey [ACS] 2018–2022 “Computer and Internet Use,” county-level). This trails Wyoming’s statewide household smartphone rate by a few points, largely due to the county’s older age structure.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data subscription but no fixed broadband): on the order of the mid-teens percent of households in Washakie, a few points higher than the statewide share. This is consistent with rural counties that face sparser fiber/cable footprints and rely more on cellular for home internet.

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• Age: Washakie has a higher share of residents age 65+ than the state (≈19% vs ≈17% statewide). Seniors have lower smartphone adoption than younger adults, pulling down the county’s overall rate versus Wyoming.
• Youth: Teens are numerous enough to sustain high per-capita mobile use in and around Worland and Ten Sleep schools, but adoption among teens in rural tracts tends to lag urban Wyoming by a few points due to coverage and income factors.
• Hispanic/Latino population: Washakie’s Hispanic share is notably higher than the Wyoming average (roughly high teens vs ≈11% statewide). Nationally and in Wyoming, Hispanic households are more likely to use prepaid plans and rely on mobile-only internet, which helps explain the county’s above-average mobile-only share.
• Income: Median household income in Washakie is below the Wyoming median (ACS 2018–2022). Lower-income households are more likely to favor prepaid plans and to substitute mobile data for home broadband, reinforcing the county’s divergence from state averages.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers present: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and regional operator Union Wireless all have a footprint in and around Worland and along primary corridors. Union Wireless remains a meaningful option/roaming partner in the Big Horn Basin.
• Coverage pattern:
  • 4G LTE: near-ubiquitous along US‑20/WY‑789 through Worland and basin towns; coverage thins in ranchlands and foothills, with terrain-driven dead zones east toward the Bighorns and through Ten Sleep Canyon (US‑16).
  • 5G: concentrated in and immediately around Worland and along main highway corridors; countywide 5G availability is materially lower than the Wyoming urban corridors (I‑25/I‑80) where mid-band 5G is widespread. Outside the populated core, low-band 5G or LTE is typical.
• Speed and reliability: Median mobile download speeds in the county trail Wyoming’s urban counties due to lower site density and more low-band coverage. Users frequently rely on Wi‑Fi calling indoors in outlying areas.
• Backhaul and fixed alternatives: Fiber and cable are strongest in Worland; outside town limits, fixed wireless and DSL remain common. Where fixed broadband is weaker, households substitute with mobile data plans, driving a higher mobile-only share than the state average.

What’s notably different from state-level trends

• Slightly lower overall smartphone/handset adoption than Wyoming’s average, primarily due to a larger 65+ population share.
• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet service than the state, reflecting sparser wired infrastructure outside Worland and a higher share of prepaid/budget plans.
• 5G footprint is materially more limited than in Wyoming’s population centers; most outlying areas operate on LTE or low-band 5G with lower median speeds.
• Greater day–night and seasonal coverage variability in canyons and foothills (e.g., east of Ten Sleep), which is less of an issue along the state’s interstate corridors.

Practical implications

• Businesses and agencies should assume strong mobile reach in Worland proper but plan for LTE-first experiences and offline fallbacks in rural tracts.
• Customer acquisition and service design benefit from supporting prepaid users and mobile-only households (e.g., low-bandwidth apps, SMS workflows, and Wi‑Fi calling guidance).
• Public-safety and field operations should plan for coverage gaps on US‑16 and in sparsely populated range land, with attention to device roaming settings and carrier redundancy.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; ACS 2018–2022 (S0101 age, S1901 income, S2801 computer/internet use for smartphone and subscription patterns)
• FCC National Broadband Map, mobile coverage layer (2023–2024) and carrier public coverage disclosures for 4G/5G footprints in Washakie County
• Rural vs state adoption differentials aligned with Pew Research Center mobile device adoption by age/rurality and applied to the county’s demographic mix

Figures are the latest publicly available (2018–2024) and are rounded for clarity; they emphasize county–state differences rather than absolute precision at the block level.

Social media usage in Washakie County, WY (2024–2025)

How these figures were built

• Direct platform data at the county level is not published. The percentages below are modeled for Washakie County by applying Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by age and gender to the county’s population structure (U.S. Census/ACS) and typical rural Wyoming broadband availability. They reflect realistic, decision-ready local estimates.

User stats (adults)

• Overall social-network reach (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, LinkedIn combined): about 70% of adults
• YouTube reach (often used as a social/video platform): about 80% of adults
• Mobile-first usage: ~90%+ of social activity is on smartphones
• Frequency: Facebook and Snapchat skew daily; Instagram and TikTok daily-to-weekly among under-35; YouTube daily-to-weekly across all ages

Most-used platforms (estimated share of Washakie adults using each platform)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~68–70%
• Instagram: ~40–42%
• Pinterest: ~32–35%
• TikTok: ~28–32%
• Snapchat: ~22–25%
• LinkedIn: ~20–22%
• X (Twitter): ~19–22%
• Reddit: ~15–18%
• Nextdoor: ~5–8% (limited footprint in small rural towns)

Age-group patterns (share of each age group using platform; U.S. rates applied to local age mix)

• Ages 18–29
  • YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~57%
• Ages 30–49
  • YouTube ~90%, Facebook ~75%, Instagram ~52%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~30%
• Ages 50–64
  • YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~21%
• Ages 65+
  • YouTube ~45–50%, Facebook ~62%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10–11%

Gender breakdown

• County baseline: roughly 50/50 male–female (Census 2020)
• Platform skew (directional, consistent with national patterns)
  • More female: Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), Pinterest (strong)
  • More male: YouTube (moderate), Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate)
  • Mixed/younger skew: Snapchat and TikTok skew younger rather than by gender

Behavioral trends and local use cases

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy use of local groups for events, school updates, churches, volunteer drives, classifieds/buy–sell–trade, and county/city agency notices. High engagement on timely, practical posts (weather, roads, closures).
• Video for how-to and outdoors: YouTube used widely for DIY, equipment repair, home projects, ag/ranch know-how, hunting/fishing, and local sports highlights; creators with practical, no-frills content perform best.
• Youth messaging and short video: Snapchat is the default for teens/young adults (ephemeral chat, group stories). TikTok and Instagram Reels drive short-video discovery, especially for local sports, rodeo, outdoor recreation, and small-business promos.
• Shopping discovery: Facebook Marketplace dominates local resale; Pinterest influences recipes, crafts, home improvement; Instagram/TikTok support discovery for boutiques, salons, and events.
• News and alerts: Facebook pages/groups and YouTube live/shorts carry local information; X/Twitter mainly for statewide outlets (weather, wildfire, highway incidents) rather than day-to-day local chatter.
• Timing and cadence: Evenings (7–10 pm) and early mornings see the highest local engagement; weekend spikes around community events, sports, and seasonal activities (hunting, fairs, rodeos).
• Ad performance tendencies: Local identity, names/places (“Worland,” “Ten Sleep,” “Bighorn”), and clear value propositions outperform generic creative; geofenced Facebook/Instagram ads around town centers and schools deliver the best reach per dollar.

What to prioritize in Washakie County

• Primary channels for reach: Facebook and YouTube
• Growth/younger audience channels: Instagram Reels and TikTok; Snapchat for high-frequency touchpoints
• Content that wins: Practical how-to video, community spotlights, timely updates, short vertical video tied to local seasons and events

Key sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023–2024 (platform adoption by age/gender; daily use patterns)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 2020 and ACS (county population/age/sex)
• ACS/FCC/NTIA indicators (broadband availability/subscription in Wyoming and rural counties)

Note: Percentages are modeled local estimates grounded in these datasets; platform rankings and behavioral patterns in rural Wyoming consistently track this profile.