How big is the community that uses mods and cc?

I always used CC and some NRass mods for the past three iterations and certainly needed mods for Sims 3 to solve some problems like the car proliferation one. I've got full CD's of Sims 2 objects and programs, even one letting you change any roof to any colour but I'm playing vanilla this time round until it is finished. It's just too much bother.