Benton County

Here are concise, current demographic highlights for Benton County, Minnesota (primarily from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; population count also shown from 2020 Census):

Population

• Total population: 41,379 (2020 Census). ACS 2019–2023 estimate: about 42,000.

Age

• Median age: ~37 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~62%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS, race alone unless noted; Hispanic is of any race)

• White: ~90%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: ~1–2%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <0.5%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–4%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~87–88%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~16,500–16,700
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~64% of households (married-couple families ~46%)
• Nonfamily households: ~36% (single-person households ~28–29%)
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Housing tenure: ~73% owner-occupied, ~27% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171).

• Context: Benton County, MN has about 41–42k residents and roughly 100 people per square mile. The urban cluster around Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud is well connected; eastern rural townships are more sparsely served.

• Estimated email users: Applying national adult email adoption (~90–95%) to the county’s ~32–33k adults yields about 29–31k adult email users. Including teens likely places total users around 30–33k. (Based on Census/ACS population and Pew Research adoption rates.)

• Age pattern (approximate adoption among adults):

  • 18–29: ~95%
  • 30–49: ~97%
  • 50–64: ~90–95%
  • 65+: ~75–85% This skews overall usage toward under-65 adults despite sizable older populations.

• Gender split: Email usage is essentially even by gender; expect users to mirror the county population (~49% male, ~51% female).

• Digital access trends: Most households have broadband subscriptions in central MN (85–90% per ACS), and smartphone ownership is high (85% statewide). Fast cable/fiber predominates near Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud; rural pockets rely on DSL or fixed wireless, with ongoing fiber expansion via Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband program.

Takeaway: Email penetration is high countywide, with lower uptake among 65+ residents and in underserved rural areas.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Benton County, Minnesota (focus on what's different from the state)

Topline estimates (orders of magnitude, not exact counts)

• Population: ~41,000; adults ~31,000–33,000.
• Adult mobile phone ownership: ~93–95% (≈29,000–31,000 adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~85–88% (≈26,000–29,000 adults). Including teens pushes total smartphone users near 28,000–30,000 countywide.
• Households relying primarily on cellular data for home internet (mobile-only internet): ~13–16% in Benton vs ~9–10% statewide.
• Wireless-only (no landline) households: high and rising; likely slightly above the Minnesota average given age/income mix and renter share in the St. Cloud-adjacent area.

How Benton County differs from Minnesota overall

• Higher mobile-first reliance: A larger share of households use mobile data as their main/only internet connection, driven by patchy rural wired options east/northeast of Foley and lower household incomes than the state median.
• Bigger urban–rural gap in mobile performance: Western Benton (Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud fringe) sees strong mid-band 5G and higher median speeds; eastern townships see more LTE-only coverage, indoor dead zones, and capacity drops during peak hours.
• More prepaid/budget plans and Android share: Price sensitivity and a younger, renter-heavy segment near St. Cloud push prepaid adoption and Android penetration higher than the state average; upgrade cycles are longer than in the Twin Cities.
• Network load patterns differ: Daytime/commute congestion spikes along US‑10/MN‑23 are more pronounced than the statewide picture, while app-heavy urban use cases (ride-hailing, delivery) are less dominant than in the metro.
• Slightly lower overall home broadband subscription rates than Minnesota, which correlates with heavier mobile hotspot use for school/work in rural schools and trades.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use (relative tendencies)

• Age:
  • 18–29: Near-universal smartphone ownership (>95%); heavy app/social/video use; prepaid common among students and early-career workers.
  • 30–49: Very high ownership; widespread hotspot use for work-on-the-go (construction, field services).
  • 50–64: High ownership, but lower 5G plan uptake than younger cohorts.
  • 65+: Ownership trails the state average (roughly 70% smartphone use countywide, lower in rural townships); more basic and voice-first use.
• Income and housing:
  • Lower-income and renter households (concentrated around Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud fringe) are more likely mobile-only for home internet and to use prepaid/MVNO plans.
  • Higher-income households in newer subdivisions near the metro edge show faster 5G adoption and multi-line family plans.
• Urban vs rural within the county:
  • Urban/metro-adjacent (Sauk Rapids, west/southwest): Closer to statewide smartphone/5G adoption rates; stronger indoor coverage; more carrier choice.
  • Rural east/northeast (Foley, Mayhew Lake, Graham, Alberta townships): Slightly lower smartphone adoption among seniors; more LTE-only zones; greater reliance on boosters and Wi‑Fi calling.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier presence: All three nationals (AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile, Verizon) cover the county; competitive signal and capacity along the St. Cloud fringe and US‑10/MN‑23/MN‑25 corridors. T‑Mobile mid-band 5G and Verizon C‑Band are strongest near Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud; coverage thins with distance from those corridors.
• 5G availability:
  • Western Benton: Mid-band 5G widely available; typical real‑world speeds well above LTE, supporting reliable home fixed‑wireless offers.
  • Eastern townships: Mix of LTE and low‑band 5G; speeds and indoor penetration vary; some pockets still experience weak or fluctuating signal.
• Fixed broadband context that shapes mobile use:
  • Cable/fiber in and near Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud (e.g., Spectrum; local co‑ops and incumbents providing fiber in some pockets).
  • DSL and legacy copper persist in rural townships; fiber buildouts are uneven, raising the appeal of mobile and fixed‑wireless (T‑Mobile Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home, regional WISPs).
  • Where wired options lag, residents commonly use phone hotspots for homework, telehealth, and seasonal farm operations.
• Coverage pain points frequently reported locally:
  • Pockets east/northeast of Foley and near county lines where tower spacing is wider.
  • Indoor coverage in metal buildings, basements, and farm structures; many residents rely on Wi‑Fi calling or signal boosters.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is solid along major corridors and population centers; volunteer EMS and rural fire departments still note dead zones off‑corridor, prompting use of external antennas/boosters.

Trends to watch

• Fixed‑wireless as a primary home connection is growing faster than statewide, especially where rural fiber is not yet built; this reinforces mobile-first behavior (bigger data plans, more hotspot devices).
• Post-ACP budget pressure: With federal subsidy headwinds, cost-conscious households are shifting further toward prepaid/MVNOs and data-capped plans, and delaying device upgrades—more so than the Minnesota average.
• Capacity needs on commuter corridors: Continued housing growth on the St. Cloud edge suggests rising peak-load pressure on sectorized sites along US‑10/MN‑23 unless additional mid-band capacity is added.

Method notes

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census/ACS demographics and internet-subscription patterns, Pew Research smartphone adoption rates by age/income, and typical FCC/mobile carrier coverage characteristics for central Minnesota. Ranges are provided where county-specific measurements are not published, and urban/rural intra-county differences are emphasized to reflect conditions that diverge from Minnesota’s largely metro-driven statewide averages.

Here’s a concise, locally oriented snapshot for Benton County, MN. Figures are estimates based on U.S. Census/ACS demographics and Pew Research Center’s 2024 social-media benchmarks applied to the county’s age mix. Population ~42,000; adults ~32,000.

At-a-glance user stats

• Residents using at least one social platform: ~28,000–32,000 (about 65–75% of all residents; higher among ages 13–49)
• Household internet access: roughly mid- to high-80s percent; mobile-first usage is common in younger cohorts

Most-used platforms (share of adults; local estimates)

• YouTube: 80–85% (about 26k–27k adults)
• Facebook: 65–70% (21k–23k) — strongest for local news, groups, events, Marketplace
• Instagram: 40–50% (13k–16k) — Reels growth; local business discovery
• TikTok: 30–35% (10k–12k) — younger skew; short local video
• Snapchat: 25–35% overall; 65–75% of under-30s
• Pinterest: 30–40% (women-heavy)
• LinkedIn: 20–25% (professionals; hiring)
• X (Twitter): 18–22% (news/sports followers)

Age-group patterns (likelihood of use within each age band)

• 13–17: YouTube ~95%+; Snapchat 75–85%; TikTok 70–80%; Instagram 70–80%; Facebook ~30–40%
• 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram 75–80%; Snapchat 65–70%; TikTok 60–70%; Facebook ~60–70%
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%; Facebook 75–80%; Instagram 50–55%; TikTok 35–40%; Pinterest 35–45% (esp. women)
• 50–64: YouTube ~80%; Facebook 70–75%; Instagram 25–35%; TikTok 20–25%; Pinterest 30–35%
• 65+: Facebook 50–55%; YouTube 60–65%; Instagram 15–20%; TikTok 10–15%; Nextdoor ~10% in suburban pockets

Gender breakdown (tendencies)

• Women: Slightly higher overall social use; over-index on Facebook Groups, Instagram, Pinterest (45–55% of women), and TikTok engagement; strong participation in local buy/sell and school/community pages
• Men: Over-index on YouTube (85–90%), Reddit (25–30%), X (20–25%); heavier engagement with sports, outdoors, tools/vehicles; Marketplace browsing for equipment

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups anchor neighborhood updates, school announcements, storm/road alerts, and buy-sell-trade. County and city pages (e.g., sheriff/emergency management) see high trust and engagement.
• Marketplace is big: Seasonal spikes for lawn/snow equipment, campers/ATVs, kids’ gear; evening and weekend browsing common.
• Events run on Facebook: Fairs, festivals, church and school events rely on FB Events; RSVPs/shares drive reach in Sauk Rapids, Foley, Rice, and nearby.
• Short-form video growth: Reels and TikTok for local highlights (prep sports, youth activities, small-business promos); vertical video outperforms static posts.
• Messaging is default service: Messenger for customer questions and appointment-setting; under-30s prefer Snapchat DMs.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 7–9 pm CT; secondary peaks at lunch hour and weekend mornings. Severe weather or closures create surges.
• Cross-county spillover: Audiences overlap with St. Cloud metro; geo-targeted ads within 10–20 miles perform well. Older buyers convert on Facebook; younger on TikTok/Snap.

Notes on method and confidence

• Percentages are localized estimates from national usage patterns (Pew 2024) adjusted for a small metro/rural-mix county profile and ACS age structure. Treat ranges as directional for planning; validate with platform ad tools (geo 56304/56379/56329 and 10–20 mi radii) for campaign-specific counts.