Chisago County Local Demographic Profile
Here are recent, high-level demographics for Chisago County, Minnesota.
Population
- 56,6xx (2020 Census); about 58k (2023 estimate)
Age
- Median age: ~41 years
- Under 18: ~24%
- 65 and over: ~17%
Gender
- Female: ~49–50% (male: ~50–51%)
Race/ethnicity (shares of total population)
- White alone: ~92–94%
- Black or African American alone: ~1%
- American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–1%
- Asian alone: ~0.5–1%
- Two or more races: ~3–4%
- Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
Households
- Number of households: ~22,000
- Average household size: ~2.7
- Average family size: ~3.1
- Households with children under 18: ~30%
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program, July 1, 2023).
Email Usage in Chisago County
Chisago County, MN (pop. ≈58,000) — email usage snapshot
- Estimated email users: 44,000–50,000.
- Roughly 75–85% of residents; 90–95% of adults use email. Teens (13–17) ~85–90% adoption.
- Age mix among users (approx. share):
- 13–24: 18–22%
- 25–44: 32–35%
- 45–64: 28–32%
- 65+: 15–18% (lower daily-use rates than younger groups)
- Gender split: ~50/50 overall (slight female tilt in daily use typical of national patterns).
- Digital access and trends:
- About 9 in 10 households have a broadband subscription (in line with MN averages). Cable/fiber is strongest in I‑35 corridor towns (e.g., North Branch, Wyoming, Chisago City/Lindström); more rural lake/forest areas see greater reliance on DSL or fixed wireless.
- 5G home internet is expanding along major corridors; smartphone-based email is prevalent among younger users, while older adults favor desktops/laptops.
- Public Wi‑Fi via libraries and schools supplements access for some households.
- Local density/connectivity facts:
- Population density ~135–140 people per sq. mile; exurban character tied to the Twin Cities means higher speeds in commuter centers and more coverage gaps toward the St. Croix River.
- Minnesota’s Border-to‑Border Broadband program continues to support fiber buildouts in the region.
Mobile Phone Usage in Chisago County
Summary: Mobile phone usage in Chisago County, Minnesota
Overall user base (estimates)
- Population baseline: ~58,000 residents.
- Estimated smartphone users: 42,000–45,000 people (mix of adults at high-80s to ~90% adoption and teens at >90%).
- Households with an active cellular data plan (phone or hotspot): likely a few points higher than the Minnesota average; estimate 12–16% rely primarily on cellular or fixed‑wireless for home internet versus roughly high‑single‑digits statewide.
- “Smartphone‑only” internet households (no wired home broadband): estimated 9–12%, above the statewide rate.
Demographic patterns that shape usage
- Age: The county skews slightly older than Minnesota overall. Senior (65+) share is a bit higher than the state, which pulls down overall smartphone adoption and raises the share of basic/voice‑centric plans compared with the metro average. Younger commuter families offset this in the southern/western parts of the county.
- Families with children: Above‑average presence of school‑age households supports high teen smartphone penetration and heavy app‑based coordination (school portals, messaging), similar to metro patterns.
- Income/education: Median incomes are close to state levels, but rural pockets have fewer wired options; cost‑sensitive users are more likely to pick prepaid/MVNO plans or to use mobile/fixed‑wireless in lieu of cable/fiber. This “mobile‑as-primary” reliance is higher than Minnesota overall.
- Work/commute: A substantial share of residents commute toward the Twin Cities, which concentrates peak mobile data and navigation use along I‑35 and the county’s larger corridors—more so than in farther‑out rural counties.
Digital infrastructure and coverage
- Carrier presence: All three national carriers serve the county. 5G is broadly available in and between population centers, especially along I‑35 (Wyoming–Stacy–North Branch–Rush City). Rural edges and river‑valley terrain see more LTE fallback and variability.
- Performance pattern: Median mobile speeds are competitive near towns but trail state medians in forested, lake‑dotted, and bluff areas (e.g., around the St. Croix River and parklands). Coverage gaps and weaker indoor signal are more common than statewide averages outside the I‑35 and US‑8 corridors.
- Fixed‑wireless/home internet: T‑Mobile and Verizon home 5G/LTE offerings have notable take‑up in neighborhoods lacking cable or fiber. This is a key difference from the state overall and helps explain the higher cellular‑primary household share.
- Wired context: Cable and fiber are present in town centers and newer subdivisions, but availability thins out quickly in exurban and rural stretches. Ongoing Minnesota Border‑to‑Border Broadband projects are expanding fiber; as these complete, reliance on mobile‑only for home internet should taper over the next 2–3 years.
- Resilience and public safety: AT&T FirstNet and state ARMER radio coexist; public‑safety 5G/LTE coverage has improved on major corridors, but some river‑adjacent and heavily wooded zones still experience weak commercial signal—more pronounced than the state average.
Key ways Chisago County differs from Minnesota overall
- Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration due to an older age profile.
- Higher share of households relying on cellular or fixed‑wireless as primary home internet, driven by patchier wired broadband outside towns.
- Greater performance variability: near‑metro speeds in the south/west and along I‑35, but more dead zones and LTE fallback in the north/east than typical statewide.
- Commute‑driven demand spikes and corridor‑centric coverage patterns are more pronounced than the state average.
- The wind‑down of the federal ACP in 2024 likely had a larger local impact on mobile‑only and budget‑constrained households than in well‑wired metro areas.
Implications
- Network investments that densify towers and add mid‑band 5G away from I‑35 would close the largest experience gap with the state.
- As fiber builds land in rural blocks, expect a gradual shift from mobile‑only to hybrid (wired + mobile) usage, with mobile remaining vital for commute, backup connectivity, and multi‑device households.
Social Media Trends in Chisago County
Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot. Because county‑level platform data aren’t published, figures are modeled from Pew Research Center (2023–2024), DataReportal (USA 2024), and ACS demographics for a suburban–rural Minnesota county like Chisago. Treat as directional estimates.
Headline numbers (2025 est.)
- Population: ~58,000; age 13+ ≈ 50,000
- Social media users (13+): ~40,000–43,000 (80–85% penetration)
- Gender of overall users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county population)
Most‑used platforms (share of 13+ who use monthly; rounded)
- YouTube: 80–85%
- Facebook: 65–70%
- Instagram: 45–55%
- Snapchat: 30–40%
- TikTok: 30–40%
- Pinterest: 25–35%
- LinkedIn: 18–25%
- X (Twitter): 15–20%
- Nextdoor: 10–15%
- Reddit: 10–15%
Age patterns (adoption and typical platform mix)
- 13–17: 90–95% on at least one platform; heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Instagram common; Facebook minimal.
- 18–29: 90–95%; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat strong; YouTube universal; Facebook used for events/groups, less for posting.
- 30–49: 85–90%; Facebook + YouTube dominant; Instagram steady; Pinterest common among parents; TikTok growing.
- 50–64: 70–75%; Facebook primary; YouTube for how‑to/news; Pinterest moderate.
- 65+: 45–55%; Facebook and YouTube principally; limited Instagram/TikTok.
Gender skews by platform (local mix tends to mirror national)
- Facebook: slightly female‑skewed (~55–60% female)
- Instagram: slight female (~52–55% female)
- TikTok: slight female (~55–60% female)
- Snapchat: slight female (~54–58% female)
- Pinterest: heavily female (~70–75% female)
- YouTube: near even to slight male (~50–55% male)
- LinkedIn: slight male (~52–55% male)
- Reddit: male‑skewed (~65–70% male)
- Nextdoor: slight female participation skew
Behavioral trends seen in similar MN suburban–rural counties and observed locally
- Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central: city/town groups (e.g., Lindström, Chisago City, North Branch, Wyoming), school/booster and youth‑sports groups, buy–sell–trade, garage sales, local events.
- Local information utility: storm and road updates, school closings, lake/ice conditions, city and county announcements outperform generic content.
- Visual/short‑form: Instagram and TikTok used for youth sports highlights, outdoor recreation (lakes, fishing, boating, trail riding), and small‑business reels; Snapchat used for day‑to‑day peer communication among teens/young adults.
- Seasonal patterns: summer lake life and festivals drive spikes; winter weather posts and school updates drive bursts of engagement.
- Nextdoor usage clusters in subdivisions for contractor recommendations, lost/found pets, safety alerts.
- YouTube is strong for DIY, outdoors, local church/school performances, and local business how‑tos.
- Peak engagement times: weekday evenings and early mornings during weather events; weekend mid‑mornings for community/marketplace content.
Notes on method
- Estimates apply national/state platform adoption to Chisago’s age mix and suburban–rural profile; precise county‑level platform shares are not directly published. Sources: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024), DataReportal USA (2024), U.S. Census Bureau ACS (most recent).
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Minnesota
- Aitkin
- Anoka
- Becker
- Beltrami
- Benton
- Big Stone
- Blue Earth
- Brown
- Carlton
- Carver
- Cass
- Chippewa
- Clay
- Clearwater
- Cook
- Cottonwood
- Crow Wing
- Dakota
- Dodge
- Douglas
- Faribault
- Fillmore
- Freeborn
- Goodhue
- Grant
- Hennepin
- Houston
- Hubbard
- Isanti
- Itasca
- Jackson
- Kanabec
- Kandiyohi
- Kittson
- Koochiching
- Lac Qui Parle
- Lake
- Lake Of The Woods
- Le Sueur
- Lincoln
- Lyon
- Mahnomen
- Marshall
- Martin
- Mcleod
- Meeker
- Mille Lacs
- Morrison
- Mower
- Murray
- Nicollet
- Nobles
- Norman
- Olmsted
- Otter Tail
- Pennington
- Pine
- Pipestone
- Polk
- Pope
- Ramsey
- Red Lake
- Redwood
- Renville
- Rice
- Rock
- Roseau
- Saint Louis
- Scott
- Sherburne
- Sibley
- Stearns
- Steele
- Stevens
- Swift
- Todd
- Traverse
- Wabasha
- Wadena
- Waseca
- Washington
- Watonwan
- Wilkin
- Winona
- Wright
- Yellow Medicine