Crawford County

Crawford County, Michigan — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

• Population size:

  • 2020 Census: 12,988
  • Approx. current (ACS 2019–2023 5-year): ~13,000

• Age:

  • Median age: ~47 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 65 and over: ~21%

• Sex:

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race and Hispanic origin (ACS 2019–2023):

  • White alone: ~94–95%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
  • Asian alone: ~0.3–0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

• Households (ACS 2019–2023):

  • Total households: ~5,600
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~62% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~48% of households
  • One-person households: ~31%
  • Households with children under 18: ~24%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year). Figures rounded for brevity.

Snapshot: Crawford County, Michigan (pop. ≈13.4k; ≈560 sq mi; ~24 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users

• About 10.5–11.0k residents.
• Method: 82% are adults (11.0k). With 92–95% adult email adoption (Pew U.S. norms) plus high teen use, total falls in the above range.

Age distribution (estimated users)

• 13–24: ~95–99% use email (≈1.4–1.6k).
• 25–44: ~97–99% (≈3.0–3.4k).
• 45–64: ~92–96% (≈2.8–3.1k).
• 65+: ~75–85% (≈1.8–2.2k). Note: Older adults lag but are steadily adopting.

Gender split

• Near parity; roughly 49% male, 51% female among users (mirrors county demographics; email usage shows minimal gender gap nationally).

Digital access and trends

• Broadband subscription likely around three-quarters of households, with 10–15% smartphone‑only internet access (ACS/Pew rural benchmarks).
• Strongest connectivity in and around Grayling and along I‑75; more variability in forested/outlying areas where fixed wireless, satellite, or older DSL are common.
• Public/library Wi‑Fi and school networks help bridge gaps; seasonal homes can create fluctuating demand.

Notes

• Figures are estimates applying national/rural Michigan adoption rates to local population; precise counts require county‑level survey data.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Crawford County, Michigan

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, based on recent U.S./Michigan adoption rates applied to local population)

• Population baseline: roughly 13,000 residents, with an older age profile than Michigan overall.
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): about 10,000–11,500 residents.
• Smartphone users: about 8,800–9,800 residents.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): roughly 60–65% of households locally versus a higher share statewide; older residents keep landlines at higher rates than the state average.
• Mobile-only internet reliance: noticeably present among lower-income and younger households, but tempered by the county’s older age structure (net effect: a smaller smartphone-only share than statewide).

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age: The county skews older than Michigan overall. Seniors are less likely to own smartphones and more likely to keep a landline, which pulls down smartphone penetration and wireless-only rates compared with the state.
• Income: Median household income is lower than the state average. This drives price-sensitive plan selection (prepaid/MVNO and smaller data buckets) and raises the importance of assistance programs. The phase-out of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 likely led to plan downgrades or shifts to prepaid among eligible households.
• Race/ethnicity: The population is predominantly White non-Hispanic; differences in usage are driven more by age and income than by race.
• Veterans and seasonal factors: A relatively high veteran presence and the Camp Grayling training schedule, plus seasonal tourism (Au Sable River, outdoor recreation), produce short bursts of heavy mobile traffic that are more pronounced than in most Michigan counties.

Digital infrastructure and service availability

• Coverage footprint:
  • 4G LTE from the national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) is solid in and around Grayling and along major corridors (I‑75, state highways).
  • 5G: Low-band 5G is common near population centers and highways; mid-band 5G (for higher speeds/capacity) is mostly concentrated in/near Grayling and along I‑75. Outside those zones, users often fall back to LTE.
  • Dead zones: Coverage can be spotty in lightly populated, heavily forested areas and on certain back roads, with reliability gaps that are less common in downstate metro counties.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • In-town and along I‑75, users typically see strong LTE and mid-band 5G capacity. Outside these areas, throughput and indoor coverage drop faster than in most of Michigan due to tower spacing and terrain/forestry.
• Home internet alternatives tied to mobile networks:
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile Home Internet is widely available and popular where cable/fiber are limited; Verizon 5G Home may be available in/near Grayling where mid-band 5G is active. Adoption of FWA is higher than in many metro counties.
  • Satellite (e.g., Starlink) fills gaps for remote homes; uptake is higher than the state average because of limited wired options.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • Prioritized coverage along highways and around Camp Grayling; however, redundancy outside core corridors is thinner than statewide norms. Weather and foliage can impact rural signal reliability more noticeably than in urban Michigan.

How Crawford County differs from Michigan overall (key trends)

• Lower smartphone penetration: The older age mix and more persistent landline use reduce smartphone and wireless-only rates versus statewide averages.
• More pronounced urban–rural divide within the county: Strong service near Grayling/I‑75 and quick drop-offs into forested areas—statewide maps understate these micro-gaps compared with what residents experience locally.
• Higher reliance on alternative access: Greater dependence on mobile FWA and satellite for home broadband than the state average, due to fewer cable/fiber passings.
• Seasonal load spikes: Tourism and military training create short, sharp demand peaks that are less typical in most Michigan counties.
• Price sensitivity: With lower incomes and the sunset of ACP, there’s a higher propensity to choose prepaid or lower-cost plans and to manage data more tightly than in much of the state.

Data notes and assumptions

• Estimates are derived by applying recent U.S./Michigan mobile and smartphone adoption rates to Crawford County’s population and age structure; exact figures require current carrier coverage data, FCC maps, and ACS microdata.
• For project planning or grant applications, consult Michigan’s High-Speed Internet Office maps, the FCC National Broadband Map, and carrier availability tools to verify exact coverage, FWA eligibility, and active fiber/cable buildouts.

Here’s a concise, planning-ready snapshot for Crawford County, MI. Because platform vendors rarely publish county-level data, figures below are estimates extrapolated from the county’s age mix (Census/ACS), rural-Michigan patterns, and recent U.S. platform benchmarks (Pew). Treat them as directional, not exact.

Headline user stats

• Population: ~13,000 residents; adults (18+): ~10,500–11,000
• Internet/smartphone access (rural MI est.): 70–80% household broadband; 80–85% smartphone adoption
• Social media penetration (adults): ~75–80% use at least one platform
• Estimated adult social media users: ~8,000–9,000 (add ~600–800 teen users ages 13–17)

Most-used platforms (adults, at least monthly; county-level estimates)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 20–30%
• Pinterest: 20–30% (skews female 25–54)
• Snapchat: 15–25% (concentrated under 25)
• X/Twitter: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (lower due to occupational mix)
• Reddit: 6–10%
• Nextdoor: 2–6% (Facebook Groups fill this role locally)

Age mix and usage patterns

• Teens (13–17): 90%+ on social; heavy Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube; low Facebook
• 18–29: 85–92% on social; Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; Snapchat strong; Facebook for events/groups
• 30–49: 80–88% on social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising; Pinterest among parents
• 50–64: 65–75% on social; Facebook and YouTube core; Pinterest niche; light Instagram/TikTok
• 65+: 45–55% on social; Facebook for community info and family; YouTube for news/how‑to

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall social audience roughly balanced M/F
• Platform skews: Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok skew female; YouTube and Reddit skew male; Facebook fairly balanced but slightly female; Instagram near-balanced; LinkedIn slightly male

Behavioral trends to expect locally

• Facebook as the community hub: school athletics, civic updates, DNR/MDOT notices, buy/sell/trade, local businesses, nonprofits, veterans/Guard community; Groups outperform Pages for conversation
• Seasonal spikes: summer tourism (Au Sable River, festivals), fall hunting, winter snowmobiling—event posts and trail/conditions updates perform well
• Video wins: short, phone-shot clips (reels/shorts) outperform static posts; under 30–45 seconds with captions
• “Useful now” content: road closures, weather, wildfire/air quality, school schedules, local deals—high save/share rates
• Best posting windows: early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evening (7–9 p.m.); weekends for events/outdoors
• Messaging-first: Facebook Messenger and SMS over email for quick responses and service coordination
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups drive discovery for small retail, powersports, gear, and services
• Trust signals: recognizable local faces, place names, and outdoors imagery improve engagement and click-through

Notes and method

• Percentages are county-level estimates derived from national/rural usage rates adjusted to Crawford County’s older-leaning age mix; platform penetration among adults is lower than U.S. averages for teen-skewed apps and close to average or higher for Facebook/YouTube.