Cottonwood County

Here’s a concise demographic snapshot of Cottonwood County, Minnesota. Figures are the most recent available from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates and 2023 population estimates); margins of error apply.

Population

• Total population (2023 est.): ~11,470

Age

• Median age: ~43
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~54%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~83%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10%
• Asian: ~3%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households

• Total households: ~4,860
• Average household size: ~2.33
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~52%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Nonfamily households: ~35%
• Householders living alone (65+): ~14%

Email usage snapshot: Cottonwood County, MN

• Estimated users: 8,000–9,000 residents use email regularly (about 70–78% of the population; roughly 85–90% of adults).
• Age mix of users (approx.): 13–17: 5–7%; 18–34: 22–26%; 35–54: 30–35%; 55–64: 15–18%; 65+: 18–22%. Older adults participate widely but at slightly lower rates than mid‑life groups.
• Gender split: ~51% female, 49% male among users; usage rates are largely similar by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband adoption is likely around 70–80% of households, with 10–15% relying mainly on smartphones.
  • Email remains the default channel for schools, healthcare, government notices, and many employers (ag, manufacturing, healthcare).
  • Public Wi‑Fi and devices available via libraries and schools help bridge gaps.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Population 11.5k; low density (18 people/sq mi) makes last‑mile builds costly.
  • Windom has municipal fiber (WindomNet) with expanding fiber in and around town; cable/DSL common in towns; fixed wireless serves outlying townships.
  • Most areas have solid 4G; 5G is concentrated near Windom/Mountain Lake.
  • State Border‑to‑Border grants continue to extend 100/20 Mbps and fiber coverage, improving reliability and email access in rural areas.

Mobile phone usage in Cottonwood County, Minnesota — 2025 snapshot

How many users (estimates)

• Population baseline: roughly 11.3–11.7k residents (2020 Census with recent ACS trend).
• Unique mobile phone users (residents age 12+ who carry a mobile phone): about 9.1k–9.6k. Method: apply rural/rate-adjusted ownership of 88–92% to the 12+ population.
• Smartphone users: about 7.5k–8.4k. Method: apply 80–86% smartphone adoption to adults, lower than Minnesota’s statewide ~90% due to older age mix and rural factors.
• Wireless‑only households (no landline): about 60–65% of households, below the Minnesota statewide share (roughly low 70s). Seniors and legacy farm/office lines keep landline use slightly higher here.
• Primary‑mobile internet users (people whose only or main internet is via a mobile handset or a mobile hotspot/FWA): materially higher outside the fiber‑served towns; expect township areas to be several points above the statewide rate.

What’s different from state‑level

• Lower smartphone penetration: driven by an older population share and more feature‑phone retention among seniors; smartphone ownership lags the statewide average by several points.
• Device/platform mix: Android skews higher than the statewide average (cost sensitivity and prepaid plans), while iOS share is correspondingly lower.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO usage: prepaid lines are more common than the Minnesota average, reflecting price sensitivity and seasonal/shift work patterns.
• Greater reliance on mobile as primary internet outside towns: in rural townships, mobile hotspots and 5G fixed‑wireless substitutes for home broadband more often than statewide; inside Windom, where fiber is widely available, reliance on mobile as primary internet is lower.
• More LTE‑only pockets and variable speeds: mid‑band 5G is present but spottier than statewide averages; capacity can dip during peak events or at the edges of coverage.
• Affordability pressure post‑ACP: with the Affordable Connectivity Program ending in 2024, plan downgrades, prepaid shifts, and shared‑device patterns likely rose more here than in metro Minnesota.

Demographic breakdown of usage (drivers and patterns)

• Age
  • 13–24: near‑universal smartphone adoption; heavy app/social use; hotspot use for school/work common where home broadband is weak.
  • 25–64: high adoption; cost‑conscious plans; work use spans ag/logistics apps, messaging, and navigation.
  • 65+: noticeably lower smartphone adoption (many still on flip/feature phones); text/voice first; growing but uneven use of telehealth and banking apps.
• Income and plans
  • Lower‑income households show higher mobile‑only internet reliance, more prepaid/MVNO plans, and data caps that shape usage (video throttling, off‑peak downloads).
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Cottonwood’s Latino/immigrant communities (concentrated in and around Windom/Mountain Lake) tend to favor mobile‑first communication (WhatsApp, Messenger), with higher prepaid take‑up than county average. Population shifts after 2023 plant changes may have moderately reduced absolute counts but patterns persist.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Carrier presence and radio layers
  • All three nationals operate countywide. Low‑band 5G (600/700/850 MHz) underpins wide‑area coverage; LTE remains the fallback in outer townships.
  • Mid‑band 5G capacity (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C‑band where deployed) is strongest in and along the Windom–Mountain Lake/US‑60 corridor and around other towns; less consistent in far‑rural sections.
• Performance (typical, not guaranteed)
  • Mid‑band 5G: roughly 150–400 Mbps down in town cores and near major corridors when signal is strong.
  • LTE or low‑band 5G at the fringe: often 5–30 Mbps down; single‑digit Mbps and higher latency in some field/valley pockets or inside metal buildings.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Windom has robust municipal fiber (WindomNet), which reduces reliance on mobile‑only internet in town.
  • Outside fiber footprints, DSL and legacy coax are inconsistent; this has driven higher adoption of 5G fixed‑wireless (T‑Mobile/Verizon) than the statewide average in rural townships.
• Backhaul and towers
  • Most highway‑corridor and town‑adjacent sites appear fiber‑fed; farther‑out sites rely more on microwave backhaul, which can limit capacity during peaks.
  • Coverage gaps are most noticeable at county edges, in sparse sections between towns, and indoors in metal‑clad ag/industrial buildings; Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters are common mitigations.
• Public safety
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is present on primary corridors and in towns; indoor penetration in large metal structures can still be challenging without in‑building systems.

Implications and quick takeaways

• Planning for services in Cottonwood should assume slightly fewer smartphones per capita than Minnesota overall, a higher share of prepaid/MVNO lines, and more users depending on mobile or FWA as their main internet outside Windom/Mountain Lake.
• Network experience will feel more “metro‑like” in town cores and along US‑60 where mid‑band 5G is concentrated, and more variable elsewhere (especially indoors on farms and industrial sites).
• Outreach and service design should account for seniors on basic phones, bilingual mobile‑first communication in immigrant communities, and budget‑conscious plans post‑ACP.

Notes on method and data confidence

• Counts are estimates synthesized from 2020 Census/ACS population, Pew Research mobile adoption rates (adjusted for rural age/income), CDC wireless‑only trends, and carrier/FCC coverage patterns as of 2024–2025.

Below is a concise, county-scaled estimate built from Pew Research Center social media adoption benchmarks (2023–2024), rural user patterns, and Cottonwood County’s age mix. Exact county-level platform stats aren’t directly published, so figures are modeled ranges.

Quick snapshot

• Population: ~11.5k; adults (18+): ~8.8–9.1k
• Adult social media users: ~6.0–6.6k (about 68–74% of adults)
• Internet/smartphone access is high enough to support broad usage, but age skews older vs. state average, which tempers adoption.

Age profile and adoption (adults)

• 18–29: 88–95% use any social media. Heaviest on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok.
• 30–49: 80–88%. Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram growing; Messenger/WhatsApp for family ties.
• 50–64: 65–75%. Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest notable among women.
• 65+: 45–55%. Facebook is the anchor; YouTube for how‑to, church, local content.

Gender breakdown (among adult social media users)

• Women: ~52–55%
• Men: ~45–48% Platform skews: women over‑index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter). Instagram is fairly balanced; Snapchat and TikTok lean slightly female.

Most-used platforms (share of adult residents who use at least monthly — estimated)

• YouTube: 72–80%
• Facebook: 62–70%
• Instagram: 26–34%
• TikTok: 18–24%
• Snapchat: 16–22% (but ~60–70% among ages 18–29)
• Pinterest: 20–28% (women ~35–45%)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (higher among Hispanic residents and for family ties)
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• LinkedIn: 8–12%
• Reddit: 9–13%
• Nextdoor: 3–8% (limited footprint; Facebook Groups fill this role)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first use: Facebook Groups/Pages for schools, churches, youth sports, county/city notices, lost-and-found, and event promotion; Marketplace is heavily used for buy/sell/swap.
• Video rising: YouTube for how‑to, farm/DIY, local sports highlights, church services; Facebook Reels/Instagram Reels see growing engagement, especially under 40.
• Local information hub: Many get local news via Facebook posts/shares; trust skews to known community sources.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger for most adults; Snapchat for younger users; WhatsApp pockets in bilingual/extended-family networks.
• Content creation vs. consumption: Most are lurkers/sharers; a small core creates local event, sports, and church content.
• Timing: Engagement clusters in early morning and evening; event weeks (school activities, county fair, planting/harvest) drive spikes.
• Low X/Reddit penetration for day-to-day local life; they’re niche for sports, politics, or hobbies.

Notes

• Ranges reflect county age/rural adjustments to national data. For precision (e.g., campaign planning), pair this with a short local survey, Facebook Group insights, or platform ad-reach tools.