Baraga County

Baraga County, Michigan — key demographics (most recent Census/ACS):

Population

• Total: about 8,100–8,200 (2020 Census: 8,158; recent estimates ≈8.1k)

Age

• Median age: ≈45 years
• Under 18: ≈18%
• 18 to 64: ≈60%
• 65 and over: ≈22%

Gender

• Male: ≈55%
• Female: ≈45% (Note: the state prison in the county increases the male share.)

Race/ethnicity

• White alone: ≈75%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ≈16–20%
• Black or African American alone: ≈5–7%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Two or more races: ≈4–6%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ≈2%

Households

• Number of households: ≈3,100–3,200
• Average household size: ≈2.3
• Family households: ≈60%
• Households with children under 18: ≈24–26%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (rounded).

Baraga County, MI snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: ~8,100 residents; ~9 people per square mile. Most residents cluster in L’Anse and Baraga; interior areas are sparsely populated and heavily forested.

• Estimated email users: 4,700–5,300. Basis: adult, non-institutional population with rural email adoption in the 80s–90s%. Note: the county hosts a state prison that skews total population male but does not translate to typical email usage.

• Age distribution of email users:

  • 13–17: ~3–5%
  • 18–34: ~22–25%
  • 35–64: ~48–52%
  • 65+: 23–28% Adoption highest among 18–64 (90%+), somewhat lower for 65+ (~70–80%).

• Gender split among users: roughly even, ~49% male / 51% female (when focusing on non-institutional residents).

• Digital access and trends:

  • Household broadband subscription roughly 70–75%; many areas have only one wired option.
  • Best connectivity along US‑41 and in L’Anse/Baraga; interior sees dead zones and reliance on fixed wireless/satellite.
  • Mobile coverage is solid on main corridors, patchy in timbered interior.
  • Ongoing state/federal rural broadband investments are extending fiber to more unserved/underserved pockets, improving speeds and reliability.

Below is a concise, planning-grade snapshot of mobile phone usage in Baraga County, Michigan, with emphasis on how local patterns diverge from statewide trends. Figures are best estimates based on rural Upper Peninsula norms, Baraga’s known demographics, and typical carrier footprints; verify with the latest ACS 5‑year tables, FCC coverage maps, and carrier buildouts before making funding or siting decisions.

Headline takeaways vs Michigan statewide

• Lower smartphone penetration and more prepaid: Adoption and plan types skew more budget‑conscious than the state average; Verizon‑network MVNOs dominate due to coverage.
• Coverage is driven by a few corridors: Reliable LTE along US‑41/M‑28 near Baraga/L’Anse; large gaps off-corridor (Skanee/Huron Mountains, Herman–Nestoria, parts of Covington and Arvon).
• Tribal and group‑quarters effects matter: A high share of American Indian/Alaska Native residents (KBIC) and a large state prison materially change per‑capita and household usage patterns in ways not seen statewide.
• 5G is present but thin: Low‑band 5G appears in and around the Baraga–L’Anse area; many outlying areas remain LTE‑only with capacity constraints. Statewide, 5G coverage is far denser.
• Higher smartphone‑only internet reliance: More households rely on mobile data as their primary internet compared with the Michigan average due to sparse fixed broadband outside villages.

User estimates (order‑of‑magnitude)

• Population context: About 8,000 residents, with an unusually large share in group quarters due to Baraga Correctional Facility (~hundreds). Prison populations do not use mobile service, so “per‑capita” device counts can look artificially low.
• Adult, non‑institutionalized population likely around 5,500–6,200.
• Smartphone users: 4,300–5,100 adults (roughly 75–82% adoption; lower than Michigan’s ~85–90%).
• Total active mobile lines (phones + hotspots/tablets/MVNO): 5,500–6,500. Rural households often add hotspots for home internet, but multiple‑line ownership per person is lower than urban Michigan.
• Prepaid share: Elevated at roughly 35–45% of consumer lines (vs ~20–25% statewide), with Straight Talk/TracFone, Cricket, and other Verizon/AT&T MVNOs popular; Metro by T‑Mobile less prevalent where native T‑Mobile coverage is thin.
• Smartphone‑only households: About 20–30% of households rely mainly on mobile data (vs ~12–18% statewide), especially outside L’Anse/Baraga villages.

Demographic and usage patterns that shape demand

• Age: Older median age than Michigan overall; heavier voice/text and Facebook/Messenger usage; video streaming is common but constrained by data caps and spotty coverage off-corridor.
• Income and affordability: Median household income trails state averages; price sensitivity increases prepaid and MVNO adoption, slower phone replacement cycles, and family plan sharing.
• Tribal communities: The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) makes up a sizable share of residents. Tribal households have historically higher participation in Lifeline/ACP-style benefits, and tribal entities may hold/use 2.5 GHz (EBS) spectrum. ACP’s lapse in 2024–2025 disproportionately impacts affordability here compared to downstate.
• Seasonality: Summer tourism and winter snowmobile traffic create peak loads along US‑41, M‑28, and trailheads, stressing limited rural capacity.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carriers and relative strength:
  • Verizon: Generally the most reliable rural signal (Band 13/66 LTE), with some low‑band 5G near Baraga/L’Anse and along US‑41.
  • AT&T/FirstNet: Solid along primary corridors (Band 12/14 LTE); FirstNet improves public-safety reliability. Pockets off-corridor still weak.
  • T‑Mobile: 600 MHz (Band 71) helps, but native coverage is patchier than downstate; roaming/MVNO experience varies.
• 5G footprint: Mostly low‑band/non‑standalone near population centers and highways; little to no mid‑band depth in remote areas. Michigan’s metro corridors enjoy far denser and faster 5G.
• Known dead zones: Skanee/Huron Mountains, rural Arvon Township, interior forest roads, and stretches south toward M‑28/Herman–Nestoria.
• Backhaul: Fiber follows the highway/utility corridors (e.g., Peninsula Fiber Network/MERIT routes along US‑41/M‑28). Where towers lack fiber or have long microwave hops, capacity dips during peaks.
• Local wireline context: Baraga Telephone Co. and regional providers offer DSL/FTTH pockets in Baraga and L’Anse; outside these, residents lean on WISPs, LTE hotspots, or Starlink. Sparse fixed options boost mobile data dependence versus the state.
• Tribal spectrum and community networks: KBIC and regional ed‑networks have had access to 2.5 GHz/EBS and CBRS in parts of the UP. Where deployed to anchors, they can offload community traffic, but commercial handset coverage still hinges on national carriers.
• Resilience: Lake‑effect weather and long rural feeder lines lead to power outages; sites with limited battery/generator run‑time experience service disruptions more often than in downstate metros.

How Baraga differs most from statewide Michigan

• Coverage quality is “corridor‑centric,” with sharp drop‑offs off highway—unlike downstate’s broad suburban blanket.
• Device and plan mix skews older and prepaid; statewide leans postpaid with faster upgrade cycles.
• A larger share of households are mobile‑only for internet; statewide households more often have cable/fiber.
• Tribal and correctional facility presence materially affect per‑capita metrics and funding eligibility; these factors are minor or absent for most Michigan counties.
• 5G availability is thinner and delivers smaller real‑world gains than in metro Michigan, keeping LTE optimization crucial.

Planning implications

• Capacity relief where people actually are: prioritize small cells or sector adds along US‑41/M‑28 near L’Anse/Baraga, casino/commercial areas, and seasonal recreation nodes.
• Fill safety‑critical gaps: extend AT&T FirstNet and Verizon low‑band coverage on Skanee Rd, Herman–Nestoria, and forest routes used by EMS/fire.
• Affordable access: with ACP funding uncertain, partnerships with KBIC, schools, and local telcos for subsidized plans or community Wi‑Fi will matter more here than downstate.
• Backhaul first: adding fiber or higher‑throughput microwave to a handful of “choke‑point” sites will yield bigger user benefits than broad new site counts.

Data caveats and quick sources to verify

• Use ACS 5‑year for household internet and smartphone‑only metrics; exclude group quarters when possible to avoid prison skew.
• Check FCC National Broadband Map and carriers’ coverage maps for 5G/LTE overlays; crowd‑sourced apps (RootMetrics, Ookla, CellMapper) can validate corridors vs dead zones.
• Consult Michigan PSC, Peninsula Fiber Network, MERIT, and Baraga Telephone buildouts for backhaul and FTTH status.
• Engage KBIC on any 2.5 GHz/EBS or CBRS community deployments that could complement commercial coverage.

Here’s a concise, best-available snapshot. County-level social platform data isn’t directly published; figures below are modeled from 2023–2024 Pew Research platform use, adjusted for a rural county profile and applied to Baraga County’s ~8.1k residents (≈6.9–7.2k age 13+).

Overall usage

• Active social-media users (any platform), age 13+: ~70–78% (≈4.9k–5.6k people)
• Heaviest use times: evenings (7–9 pm) and early mornings; winter months see higher activity

Most-used platforms (share of residents age 13+, monthly; local estimate)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 60–65%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• Pinterest: 28–33%
• TikTok: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 20–25%
• Reddit: 15–18%; X (Twitter): 14–17%; LinkedIn: 12–15%; WhatsApp: 12–15%

Age patterns (directional, reflects rural skew and older median age)

• Teens (13–17): Very high YouTube; Snapchat/TikTok ~60–70%; Instagram strong; Facebook low
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%+; Instagram/TikTok strong; Snapchat moderate; Facebook moderate
• 30–49: Facebook dominant; YouTube high; Instagram moderate; TikTok moderate
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok lower but growing
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; other platforms niche

Gender breakdown (among active users; local estimate)

• Women: ~52–55%; Men: ~45–48%; (Nonbinary not well captured in public datasets)
• Platform skews: Pinterest heavily female; Reddit/X more male; Instagram/TikTok slight female tilt; Facebook broadly balanced with higher engagement among older women

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: school updates, county/tribal/government notices, local news, buy–sell–trade, events, fundraisers, obituaries
• Messenger is the default contact method for many small businesses
• YouTube use centers on DIY, auto/small-engine repair, hunting/fishing, home projects, and how-tos
• Instagram/TikTok: scenic and seasonal content (Lake Superior views, waterfalls, fall colors, snowmobiling, ice fishing); event highlights and short reels perform well
• Teens/young adults prefer Snapchat/TikTok for direct communication and short-form entertainment; low Facebook use among teens
• Trust is local: posts from known people, schools, churches, and community/tribal pages outperform generic ads
• Seasonality: winter = more scrolling and longer watch times; summer = more event discovery, trail/condition checks, and photo/video posts from outdoors
• Practical targeting: Facebook/Instagram geofencing within ~15–25 miles of L’Anse/Baraga works well; boosted posts often outperform broad ad campaigns