Keweenaw County

Keweenaw County, Michigan — key demographics

Population size

• 2,046 residents (2020 Census; Michigan’s least‑populous county)

Age

• Skews older; median age in the high‑50s (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: roughly 14%
• 65 and over: roughly one‑third of residents

Gender

• Approximately balanced; about 52% male, 48% female (ACS 2018–2022)

Race/ethnicity (shares, 2020 Census/ACS patterns for small counties)

• White: about 95%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian: <1%
• Black: <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%

Households

• About 1,000 households (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size ~2.0 persons
• Family households ~55%; nonfamily households ~45%
• Many senior households; a substantial share include someone age 65+

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DHC) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates. Figures for ACS are estimates and subject to margins of error, especially in small populations.

Keweenaw County, MI is Michigan’s least-populous county (2,100 residents) with very low density (4 people per square mile). Adults comprise roughly 1,700–1,800 residents.

Estimated email users: 1,550–1,650 adults (about 88–94% adoption), derived from Pew U.S. email adoption rates applied to Keweenaw’s older age profile and local internet access.

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 18–34: ~300–320 users (very near-universal use)
• 35–64: ~780–820 users (mid-to-high 90s adoption)
• 65+: ~470–520 users (roughly mid-80s to high-80s adoption)

Gender split: near parity; approx. 770–840 male and 760–820 female email users, reflecting the county’s roughly even sex ratio and minimal gender gap in email use nationally.

Digital access and trends:

• About four in five households subscribe to home internet; roughly nine in ten have a computer. Smartphone-only households are a single-digit share; 10–15% lack home internet entirely.
• Connectivity is concentrated in populated townships along US‑41; remote areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Ongoing fiber expansions are improving speeds and reliability, but rural last‑mile gaps persist, especially for seasonal and dispersed homes.

These figures synthesize recent ACS computer/internet metrics with national email adoption by age.

Mobile phone usage in Keweenaw County, Michigan — 2024 snapshot

Overview

• Keweenaw County is Michigan’s least-populated and one of its most rural counties, with roughly 2,000–2,200 residents spread over rugged, heavily forested terrain at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The geography and very low population density shape both network buildout and user behavior in ways that diverge from statewide patterns.

User estimates

• Total mobile users (all handsets): approximately 1,800–2,000 residents use a mobile phone of some kind.
• Smartphone users: approximately 1,400–1,700 residents. This reflects rural/senior-heavy adoption rates that are modestly below statewide urban/suburban levels, offset in part by residents who use phones as primary internet access due to limited fixed broadband.
• Wireless-only voice households: majority, with landline retention higher than in Michigan’s metros but still a minority. Wireless is the de facto primary voice option countywide.
• Mobile broadband as primary internet: materially higher share than the state average due to sparse cable/fiber availability away from a few populated corridors; notable reliance on smartphone tethering, hotspots, and satellite as substitutes for fixed service.

Demographic profile and usage patterns

• Older age structure: Keweenaw skews significantly older than Michigan overall. Older adults adopt smartphones at lower rates and use less mobile data on average (more voice/SMS, fewer data-heavy apps), which pulls down overall penetration and per-line usage compared with state averages.
• Seasonal population swing: a sizable seasonal/second-home population and tourism (summer/fall and winter sports) drive pronounced peaks in mobile demand in and around Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Eagle River, Lac La Belle, and along US‑41/M‑26. This seasonality produces short, sharp congestion periods uncommon in most Michigan counties.
• Income and plan mix: incomes and year‑round household counts are lower than the state median, with a higher share of value/prepaid plans and hotspot bundles among residents who rely on cellular for home connectivity.
• Work and education: remote work/student usage exists but is constrained by coverage and backhaul; when fixed broadband is absent, households lean on mobile hotspots far more than the statewide average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage concentration: dependable 4G/LTE is largely aligned to the US‑41/M‑26 corridors and town centers (Mohawk, Ahmeek, Eagle River/Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor), with notable dead zones in interior forested areas and shorelines shielded by terrain. Lake Superior shoreline and interior topography create multipath and shadowing that reduce indoor performance.
• 5G availability: limited. Low‑band 5G overlays exist sporadically along primary corridors; mid‑band 5G (C‑band/n77 or n41) is sparse to absent in most of the county, unlike Michigan’s metro areas where mid‑band 5G is now common. Real‑world 5G speeds in Keweenaw generally resemble good LTE rather than the triple‑digit Mbps common downstate.
• Tower density and backhaul: few macro sites serve very large footprints, often with microwave backhaul and long link budgets. Fiber backhaul follows highways and utility rights‑of‑way; off‑corridor sectors are capacity‑constrained compared with Michigan’s urban counties.
• Carrier footprint: Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent macro coverage; AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 improves emergency service reach but does not eliminate gaps. T‑Mobile presence is more limited and often reverts to LTE or roaming outside towns.
• Public safety and resiliency: sites are ruggedized for winter storms, but prolonged power/transport outages can still impact service; roaming and satellite messengers are more common contingencies here than in most of Michigan.
• Fixed alternatives: where cable/fiber is absent, residents commonly use LTE/5G fixed wireless, WISPs, or satellite (notably Starlink) as primary home internet, increasing the share of heavy cellular hotspot use relative to state norms.

How Keweenaw differs from Michigan overall

• Lower smartphone penetration and lower average per‑line data use due to an older population, counterbalanced by a distinctly higher share of households that rely on cellular (hotspot/tethering) as primary or backup home internet.
• Much sparser 5G (especially mid‑band) and fewer sectors per square mile; median speeds and indoor reliability trail statewide metro averages.
• Greater seasonal volatility in network load tied to tourism and second homes; short-term congestion is more frequent and more localized than statewide patterns.
• Higher incidence of coverage gaps and roaming zones away from highways and town centers; residents are more likely to use external antennas, boosters, or dual‑SIM strategies than elsewhere in Michigan.
• Infrastructure upgrades prioritize coverage continuity and public safety (FirstNet/hardening) over high-capacity densification that is now common in downstate metros.

Key quantitative takeaways (best-available estimates)

• Population baseline: ≈2,000–2,200 residents; ≈1,650–1,800 adults.
• Mobile phone users: ≈1,800–2,000.
• Smartphone users: ≈1,400–1,700.
• Mobile-as-primary internet: materially above the Michigan average, reflecting gaps in fixed cable/fiber outside a few corridors.
• 5G availability: limited low‑band coverage with minimal mid‑band footprint; countywide median speeds generally below statewide medians.

Implications

• For carriers: adding mid‑band 5G on existing macros and selectively densifying near Copper Harbor/Eagle Harbor and along US‑41/M‑26 would most improve user experience; microwave backhaul upgrades or new fiber laterals would lift capacity.
• For residents and agencies: FirstNet expansion improves emergency reliability, but off‑corridor dead zones remain; continued reliance on satellite and fixed wireless is likely where terrain and return-on-investment constrain fiber builds.

Keweenaw County, MI social media snapshot (2024)

Headline numbers

• Population: ~2,100 residents (ACS 2023 est.); adults (18+): ~1,800
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~1,450 (≈80% of adults)

Age mix of adult social users

• 18–29: ~11% of users
• 30–49: ~29%
• 50–64: ~32%
• 65+: ~28% The user base skews older versus the U.S. average, reflecting the county’s age structure.

Gender breakdown (adult social users)

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~48% Women are slightly more represented due to higher platform adoption among older adults.

Most-used platforms among adults (reach; approximate counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 77% (1,390)
• Facebook: 65% (1,170)
• Instagram: 35% (630)
• TikTok: 26% (470)
• LinkedIn: 23% (410)
• Nextdoor: 20% (360)
• X (Twitter): 19% (340)
• Snapchat: 18% (320)
• Reddit: 15% (270)

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook-first community: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for local news, weather alerts, road conditions (US-41), school/municipal updates, buy/sell (Marketplace), and event coordination. Engagement spikes during storms, trail-grooming reports, and public-safety notices.
• Video and “how-to” on YouTube: Strong consumption of DIY, home/land maintenance, outdoor recreation (fishing, hunting, snowmobiling), and local-history content; creators skew to hobbyists rather than high-frequency influencers.
• Seasonal tourism content: Instagram and TikTok see visible surges around summer/fall travel (lighthouses, Brockway Mountain, shorelines, fall colors) and winter snow events/aurora nights; local hospitality uses short-form video and Reels for discovery.
• Messaging-centric behavior: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous among older residents; Snapchat concentrated among the smaller 18–29 cohort for private, day-to-day communication.
• Professional networking is niche: LinkedIn use is present among remote workers and regional professionals but yields lower engagement than consumer platforms.
• Timing and device use: Mobile-first usage with prime engagement early mornings and evenings; weekend peaks tied to weather-dependent activities. Video is consumed, but long-form uploads perform best when tied to local utility (weather, trails, how-to).

Notes on figures

• Estimates are modeled from ACS 2023 population/age structure for Keweenaw County and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption by age, adjusted for rural adoption patterns. Percentages represent share of adults; counts are rounded.