Cook County

Cook County, Minnesota — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year unless noted)

• Population: ~5,600 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~52
  • Under 18: ~18%
  • 18–64: ~54%
  • 65+: ~28%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%
• Race/ethnicity (alone unless noted; Hispanic is any race):
  • White: ~86–88%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~7–9%
  • Two or more races: ~4–5%
  • Asian: ~0.5–1%
  • Black/African American: ~0.2–0.5%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~2,650
  • Average household size: ~2.1
  • Family households: ~60–62% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~50% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~20–22%
  • Tenure: ~76–80% owner-occupied; ~20–24% renter-occupied

Notes: Figures rounded; totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, household metrics).

Cook County, MN overview

• Population: 5.6–5.8k; very sparse density (3–4 people/sq mi). Residents cluster along Hwy 61/North Shore and Grand Marais; inland/backcountry areas are remote.

Estimated email users

• 4,200–4,800 residents use email (based on rural internet adoption and near‑universal email use among internet users).

Age distribution of email users (approx.)

• 13–24: 12–15%
• 25–44: 24–28%
• 45–64: 28–34%
• 65+: 26–32% (usage remains high but less frequent among 75+)

Gender split

• Roughly even (≈49–51% either way).

Digital access and trends

• Access has improved with recent fiber builds and state/co‑op investments; highest-speed options concentrate in Grand Marais and along the North Shore corridor.
• Inland/forested areas have thinner coverage; many households rely on fixed wireless or satellite. Seasonal homes and rugged terrain increase last‑mile costs.
• Mobile data is strongest along Hwy 61 and town centers; coverage drops quickly off‑corridor and in Boundary Waters/backcountry.
• Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, civic buildings) supplements access for students, visitors, and residents where home broadband is limited.

Implications

• Email reach is broad but uneven by geography; campaigns should cache for offline viewing, be mobile‑friendly, and schedule around variable connectivity.

Cook County, Minnesota: mobile phone usage snapshot (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

Headline estimates (2024, rounded)

• Population and households: ~5,600 residents; ~2,700 households.
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): about 4,000–4,300 residents use a mobile phone regularly.
• Smartphone users: about 3,500–3,900 residents (roughly 75–82% of adults), below Minnesota’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (about mid/upper 80s%).
• Feature-phone or limited-use segment: roughly 8–12% of adults, higher than the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (what drives the gap vs state)

• Older skew: Cook County’s 65+ share is notably higher than Minnesota overall. Smartphone adoption among local seniors is materially lower (many retain basic phones or rely on tablets at home with Wi‑Fi), pulling down the countywide rate.
• Working-age adults (18–64): adoption is high (mid/upper 80s%+), but still a few points below the statewide average due to coverage gaps inland and price sensitivity among seasonal/low‑income service workers.
• Teens (13–17): high adoption (~90%+), but small absolute numbers; overall impact on county totals is limited.
• Income and housing: more households on fixed incomes and more seasonal/part‑time households than the state average. This produces:
  • Higher landline retention than the state (for reliability in dead zones).
  • Lower reliance on “cellular‑only” home internet plans than the state (residents prefer fiber/DSL where available or keep landlines/SAT for reliability).
• Tribal community: The Grand Portage area historically faced infrastructure gaps typical of rural/tribal lands; recent fiber and FirstNet upgrades have improved access, but adoption still trails the state.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s different on the ground)

• Terrain and tower density: Very low site density and challenging topography/forests. Coverage is strong along the Highway 61/Lake Superior corridor (Grand Marais, Lutsen, Grand Portage) and sparse to none across large inland areas (Gunflint Trail, Boundary Waters). This pattern is much more extreme than Minnesota overall.
• Carrier experience:
  • Verizon: traditionally the most reliable along the North Shore and in Grand Marais; inland still spotty.
  • AT&T: improved along the corridor with FirstNet upgrades; patchy inland. FirstNet has added resilience for public safety but consumer coverage still varies.
  • T‑Mobile: low‑band 5G covers segments of the shore corridor; inland coverage remains thin.
• 5G reality: Primarily low‑band (coverage‑first) 5G on/near the shore; little to no mid‑band and effectively no mmWave. Cook County lags metro and many Minnesota micropolitan counties on 5G capacity.
• Backhaul and fiber: Arrowhead Cooperative (True North Broadband) and other projects have extended fiber deep into rural areas. This improves home broadband and enables Wi‑Fi calling, softening the impact of weak cellular—an atypical mitigation compared with many rural counties.
• Public safety and redundancy: ARMER sites and FirstNet improve emergency comms, but wide backcountry zones still lack consumer cell. Residents and visitors show higher-than-average use of satellite messengers (e.g., inReach) and offline navigation apps—behaviors much less common in most of Minnesota.
• Seasonal strain and cross‑border effects: Tourism surges (summer/fall) can congest corridor cells on peak weekends. Proximity to Canada near Grand Portage introduces occasional roaming/edge‑coverage quirks—issues that are minor or absent in most of the state.

How Cook County trends differ from Minnesota statewide

• Lower smartphone adoption and higher basic‑phone retention, driven by age mix and coverage gaps.
• More reliance on landlines and Wi‑Fi calling; fewer cellular‑only home internet households than the state.
• Coverage is bimodal: good along the shore, very limited inland—far more pronounced than state patterns.
• Slower 5G capacity rollout (mid‑band) and fewer macro sites per square mile.
• Greater seasonal congestion and higher uptake of satellite texting/locators due to true no‑service zones.

Notes on method and confidence

• Figures are estimates synthesized from ACS 5‑year county profiles (computer/Internet indicators), Minnesota DEED county demographics, FCC coverage/FirstNet public updates, rural adoption research (Pew/NTIA), and carrier footprint patterns as of 2023–2024. Small-county sampling error is higher; ranges above reflect that uncertainty. If you need precise, citeable point estimates, I can compile the latest ACS S2801 county table, FCC Broadband Map layers, and carrier 5G overlays for a sourced appendix.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Cook County, Minnesota. True, audited social-media stats are rarely published at the county level; figures are estimates triangulated from the county’s age profile, rural adoption patterns, and recent U.S. platform usage (e.g., Pew Research 2024). Treat ranges as directional, not exact.

User base and reach

• Population ≈ 5,600; adults (18+) ≈ 4,500–4,700.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈ 75–80% → about 3,450–3,750 people.
• Weekly active users: ≈ 65–70% of adults → about 3,000–3,250.
• County skews older (median age ~50; roughly 30% 65+), which boosts Facebook and YouTube and dampens TikTok/Snapchat.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of all adults)

• YouTube: 65–75%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 20–30%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (heavier among women 25+)
• TikTok: 15–25% (concentrated in 18–34)
• Snapchat: 12–20% (teens/20s)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (smaller white-collar niche)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: <10% (pockets in/near Grand Marais; neighborhood-specific)

Age group patterns (directional)

• 18–29: Very high usage overall; Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok lead; Facebook for events/groups; YouTube nearly universal.
• 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; Facebook and YouTube strong; Instagram moderate; TikTok/Snapchat mixed.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest meaningful; Instagram smaller.
• 65+: Facebook still common; YouTube for how‑to/news; lighter Instagram/TikTok.

Gender differences (directional)

• Women: Higher likelihood of Facebook (≈70–80% of women), Pinterest (≈40–50%), and Instagram (≈30–40%).
• Men: Higher on YouTube (≈75–85%), Reddit/X (≈12–18% each), and slightly lower on Pinterest/Instagram.
• Overall county gender split is roughly even, so totals remain balanced.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook Groups are central for hyperlocal life: weather/road conditions, school/rec updates, public safety, events, buy/sell/trade.
• Seasonal spikes: Summer/fall tourism (North Shore, BWCA, Lutsen) drives more posting, local biz promos, event discovery; winter storms also trigger engagement surges.
• Visual-first: Scenic photos (aurora, fall colors, lake/forest) and short vertical video perform best; how‑to/outdoor gear content thrives on YouTube.
• Community tone: Comments/shares and word-of-mouth matter more than link clicks; trusted local voices (civic orgs, public safety, local radio/outfitters) carry outsized weight.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the de facto customer-service channel for small businesses; some seasonal/intl workers use WhatsApp.
• Connectivity reality: Patchy coverage inland/backcountry favors concise posts and shorter videos; evening and early‑morning peaks are common.

Notes and how to refine locally

• Because county-level data are sparse, validate by: polling local Facebook Groups, checking platform ad tools’ “potential reach” for Cook County ZIPs, and reviewing insights from WTIP/local org pages and major attractions.