Clay County

Clay County, Minnesota — key demographics

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

• Population size: 65,318 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~33 years
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 18–24: ~16%
  • 25–44: ~27%
  • 45–64: ~20%
  • 65+: ~14%
• Gender: ~50% female, ~50% male
• Race/ethnicity (approx., ACS):
  • Non-Hispanic White: ~85%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~4%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Households (ACS):
  • Total households: ~25,500
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~60%
  • Households with children <18: ~31%
  • Homeownership rate: ~64%

Clay County, Minnesota – email usage (estimates)

• Population baseline: ~69,000 residents.
• Estimated email users: ~55,000–60,000 (≈80–87% of residents), extrapolating from adult internet/email adoption.
• Age pattern (share using email):
  • 13–17: 75–90% (school accounts drive use)
  • 18–29: 97–99%
  • 30–49: 96–98%
  • 50–64: 90–95%
  • 65+: 80–88%
• Gender split among adults: effectively even (men ~90–93%, women ~92–95%).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription: ~85–90% of households.
  • Smartphone-only internet: ~10–15% of households/individuals.
  • Urban Moorhead has extensive cable/fiber; rural townships rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, with satellite as fallback.
  • Continued state/federal investments are expanding fiber to unserved/underserved blocks.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Area ~1,045 sq mi; density ~65–70 people/sq mi.
  • Roughly two-thirds of residents live in Moorhead (adjacent to Fargo), where provider competition and speeds are highest; sparsely populated areas experience lower peak speeds and higher latency.

Notes: Figures are estimates derived from ACS household internet data, FCC broadband mapping, and Pew Research on U.S. internet/email adoption applied to local demographics.

Below is an analyst-style snapshot of mobile phone usage in Clay County, Minnesota, with estimates, demographic patterns, and infrastructure highlights. Emphasis is on ways the county differs from statewide patterns.

User estimates (orders of magnitude, not exact counts)

• Population base: roughly 65–70k residents, anchored by Moorhead and several small towns/rural townships.
• Unique mobile phone users: approximately 50–58k people carry a personal mobile line.
  • Adults: ~44–48k smartphone users (based on ~90% adult ownership).
  • Teens (13–17): ~4–5k, with very high smartphone penetration.
  • Children (6–12) with a personal mobile: low-to-moderate, concentrated in Moorhead/Dilworth.
• Active SIMs/connections: about 65–80k when including secondary lines (watches, tablets, hotspots), and dual-SIM usage among students and international residents.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age/student effect: The Moorhead colleges (MSU Moorhead, Concordia, and proximity to NDSU in Fargo) skew the county younger than Minnesota overall. This raises:
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance (mobile as primary broadband) above the statewide average.
  • Prepaid and month-to-month plan share, driven by students and renters.
  • App-based calling/messaging (WhatsApp, Telegram, FaceTime), especially among international students.
• Income and housing: A larger renter share and somewhat lower median household income than the state as a whole correlate with:
  • Higher reliance on unlimited 5G plans and mobile hotspots.
  • Greater plan-churn sensitivity to promotions and device financing.
• Urban–rural split: Moorhead/Dilworth show metro-like adoption and device refresh cycles; outlying townships and small towns have solid adoption but more budget devices and greater emphasis on coverage consistency over top-end speeds.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G footprint:
  • Mid-band 5G (T-Mobile n41; Verizon/AT&T C-band) is well built out in Moorhead/Dilworth and along I-94/US-10, benefiting from the Fargo metro build on the ND side. This brings metro-grade capacity into a non-Twin Cities county.
  • Low-band 5G and LTE provide broad coverage across rural townships; speeds taper with distance from the I-94/US-10 corridors and Moorhead.
• Capacity and indoor performance:
  • Strong capacity around campuses, hospitals, retail corridors, and interchanges; indoor coverage is generally good in Moorhead, with more variability in older buildings and in rural community facilities.
  • Peak-load events on the ND side (arena games, campus events) can spill load to sites serving Moorhead, but major congestion is episodic.
• Carrier dynamics:
  • T-Mobile tends to have a capacity and mid-band 5G edge in the Moorhead core; Verizon’s rural coverage reputation remains strong in outlying areas; AT&T is competitive in town and anchors public-safety needs via FirstNet (Band 14).
• Fixed wireless/home internet interplay:
  • 5G fixed wireless (especially T-Mobile Home Internet; selective Verizon 5G Home near the border) is widely available in and around Moorhead, substituting for wireline and reinforcing mobile-first behavior.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Regional fiber along I-94 and rail corridors supports dense cellular backhaul near the river; rural sectors depend more on microwave or longer fiber laterals, which can limit upgrade pace compared with urban cores.

How Clay County differs from Minnesota overall

• Higher mobile-only dependence: Due to the student/renter mix, smartphone-only or hotspot-based home internet is several points higher than the statewide rate.
• Earlier metro-grade 5G outside the Twin Cities: Proximity to Fargo’s buildout gives Moorhead/Dilworth mid-band 5G coverage and capacity that outperform many non-metro MN counties.
• More prepaid and flexible plans: A larger share of prepaid/month-to-month plans than the state average, tied to student turnover and international users.
• Cross-border network effects: Although subscribers are on national carriers, radio sites in Fargo/Cass County materially serve Moorhead users. This yields stronger capacity than typical for a Greater Minnesota county but also more variability at the urban fringe.
• Sharper urban–rural performance divide within the county: Moorhead performs like a metro pocket, while northern and far-southern townships see more 4G/low-band 5G reliance and slower median speeds than Minnesota’s suburban counties.

Notes on method

• Estimates combine national smartphone ownership rates and typical age distributions with Clay County’s known student/urban–rural profile and regional network build patterns. Figures are given as ranges to avoid false precision and should be refined with current carrier drive tests, FCC mobile coverage maps, and the latest ACS demographics.

Clay County, MN social media snapshot (2025, best-available estimates)

Topline user stats

• Population: ~66,000. Residents age 13+: ~56,000.
• Social media users (13+): ~47,000–49,000 (≈85–88% of 13+; ≈71–74% of total population).
• Access: Usage is predominantly mobile; broadband and smartphone access are high for a largely college-and-metro-adjacent county (Moorhead/Fargo area).

Age profile (share using any social platform)

• Teens (13–17): ~92–96% use at least one platform; very heavy YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram.
• 18–29: ~95%+ (college presence boosts this cohort).
• 30–49: ~82–88%.
• 50–64: ~70–75%.
• 65+: ~45–55%. Note: Because of MSUM/Concordia, 18–34s make up an outsized share of local social users.

Gender

• County population is roughly even. Among social users: female ~51–53%, male ~47–49%.
• Skews by platform: Pinterest, Instagram lean female; Reddit, X lean male; Snapchat/TikTok skew younger rather than by gender.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of 13+ who use monthly)

• YouTube: ~82–86%
• Facebook: ~63–68%
• Instagram: ~48–52%
• Snapchat: ~40–46% (strong among HS/college)
• TikTok: ~38–44%
• Pinterest: ~30–35% (notably women 25–44)
• LinkedIn: ~26–30% (college grads, regional employers)
• Reddit: ~20–25%
• X (Twitter): ~18–22%
• WhatsApp: ~15–20% (higher with international students/immigrant communities)
• Nextdoor: ~10–15% (primarily Moorhead neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community info flow is Facebook-first: city/county/schools, weather and flood updates, road closures, lost-and-found pets, and highly active buy/sell/trade and Marketplace use.
• Cross-border identity: Content and groups often span the Fargo–Moorhead metro; events, restaurant discovery, and local news circulate across both sides of the river.
• Short-form video is ascendant: Instagram Reels and TikTok for local dining, campus life, outdoor rec, and high school sports highlights; more creator activity tied to the colleges.
• Snapchat is the daily communications layer for teens/college students (DMs, Streaks, low public posting).
• YouTube serves how‑to content, local sports/church streams, and growing connected‑TV viewing at home.
• Instagram usage is Story/Reels-heavy; micro‑influencers and student‑athlete NIL content drive local engagement.
• LinkedIn is used for recruiting and networking (healthcare, education, manufacturing; internships/new grads).
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and around lunch; weather disruptions (blizzards/school closings) produce spikes.
• Trust and verification: Residents follow official city/county/school channels; local moderators keep neighborhood groups active; less reliance on X for official updates than in prior years.

Notes on method and confidence

• Figures are derived by applying recent Pew Research Center U.S. platform adoption rates (adults and teens) to Clay County’s age mix (ACS/Census), with adjustments for its younger, college‑influenced profile. Treat platform percentages as approximations (±3–5 percentage points).