Fillmore County

Here are concise, current baseline demographics for Fillmore County, Minnesota.

Population size

• 21,228 (2020 Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023, 5-year)

• Median age: ~43
• Under 18: ~23–24%
• 18–64: ~55–56%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Sex (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~95%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.4%
• Black or African American: ~0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~8,800–8,900
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~62%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Living alone: ~30% (about 13% age 65+ living alone)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Percentages rounded.

Here’s a county-level, data-informed estimate for Fillmore County, MN (pop. ~21K):

• Estimated email users: ~14K–16K residents (driven by adult share and high national email adoption).
• Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users):
  • 13–17: 6–8%
  • 18–29: 14–16%
  • 30–49: 28–30%
  • 50–64: 22–24%
  • 65+: 22–24% (lower adoption than younger groups, but sizable base)
• Gender split: roughly even; ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male among email users.
• Digital access trends:
  • About three-quarters of households report a home broadband subscription; fiber coverage is expanding via Minnesota’s Border-to-Border grants, lifting speeds and reliability.
  • Smartphone-only internet likely around 10–15% of households, higher in more remote areas.
  • Public/library Wi‑Fi and school hotspots remain important for those without home service.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Low population density (~25 people per sq. mile) and hilly rural terrain lead to patchy fixed and mobile coverage in some townships.
  • Service is strongest in and around towns like Spring Valley, Preston, and Lanesboro; some outlying areas still fall below 100/20 Mbps standards.

Notes: Figures are estimates extrapolated from Census demographics, rural Minnesota broadband metrics, and national email-usage patterns.

Below is a concise, county-specific snapshot that you can use for planning or briefing. Figures are best-available estimates based on 2020–2024 public data trends, carrier coverage disclosures, and regional demographics; note that local conditions can change faster than state averages.

Executive snapshot

• Population base: roughly 21,000–21,500 residents (stable to slightly declining since 2020).
• Estimated unique mobile users: 16,500–18,000 (about 80–86% of residents; lower than Minnesota’s ~90%+ adult smartphone adoption).
• Total active mobile lines (people + business/IoT): approximately 20,000–24,000.
• Why lower than state: older age profile, pockets of Plain/Amish communities around Harmony/Canton, and challenging karst/valley terrain that still creates coverage gaps.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age-driven adoption gap:
  • 18–34: near-saturation (≈95–98% have a mobile phone; smartphone-dominant).
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈88–93%).
  • 65+: notably lower than the state (≈72–78% vs MN’s ~80–85%), with more flip/basic-phone retention and shared plans.
• Household phone setup:
  • Wireless-only households estimated at 60–65% (vs Minnesota ≈70–75%). Many older households keep a landline or VoIP over fiber/coax.
• Cultural factors:
  • Amish/Plain communities (roughly 4–6% of the county) materially reduce countywide smartphone penetration and mobile data use relative to the state average.
• Work/commute patterns:
  • Daytime demand spikes on US-52 toward Rochester; recreational peaks along the Root River State Trail (Lanesboro/Preston) in summer.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Terrain effects:
  • Bluffs and river valleys (Root River corridor, Forestville/State Forest areas) still produce dead zones and indoor coverage challenges. This is a larger constraint than in most Minnesota counties.
• Carrier landscape (as commonly reported by coverage maps and user reports):
  • Verizon: typically the most consistent rural/valley coverage and voice reliability.
  • AT&T: solid in towns/along highways; FirstNet Band 14 has improved public-safety and fringe coverage.
  • T-Mobile: broad low-band 5G footprint along main corridors and in towns, but indoor/rural valley performance can be inconsistent away from highways; mid-band 5G capacity is spotty outside town centers.
  • mmWave 5G: not a factor; capacity is mainly LTE and low-/mid-band 5G.
• Fixed broadband interplay (affects mobile reliance):
  • Towns: mixture of fiber (co-ops like AcenTek/HBC and others), cable in Spring Valley and a few larger towns, and DSL legacy plant. Many town households prefer Wi‑Fi-first usage, which moderates mobile data consumption.
  • Rural: ongoing fiber buildouts via Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband grants and local co-ops; still patchy in outer townships, where fixed wireless (e.g., WISPs, T‑Mobile Home Internet) fills gaps.
  • Result: more heterogeneity than statewide—some pockets have gigabit fiber while neighboring valleys rely on LTE/5G fixed wireless.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet adds redundancy on key routes; however, backup power and backhaul constraints in remote sites can still limit service during storms compared with metro Minnesota.

What’s different from Minnesota overall

• Lower smartphone and wireless-only adoption, driven by:
  • Older median age and a meaningful Amish/Plain population presence.
  • More residents retaining landline/VoIP, especially where fiber bundles are available.
• Coverage quality is more topography-limited:
  • Minnesota’s statewide 5G looks strong on maps, but Fillmore has greater real-world indoor and valley dead zones, making device choice (HPUE-capable, better radios) and carrier selection more consequential.
• Capacity vs coverage trade-off:
  • Mid-band 5G capacity that’s common in metro Minnesota is much thinner here; users often see good signal bars but lower throughput in fringe areas.
• Greater reliance on fixed-wireless for home internet in pockets lacking fiber/coax, which can raise mobile network load at night/weekends compared with state metro patterns.

Practical implications for stakeholders

• Network planning: Prioritize valley floor and ridge-top sites, backup power at rural towers, and mid-band 5G overlays in towns with tourist peaks (Lanesboro/Preston/Harmony).
• Digital equity: Senior-focused device training and affordable plans can move the needle more here than statewide averages suggest.
• Business targeting: MVNO and budget plans, rugged/HPUE devices for farmers and field workers, and enhanced roaming/FirstNet for public safety have outsized value relative to metro MN.

Here’s a concise, best-available snapshot. Exact, platform-level figures aren’t published at the county level, so the numbers below are estimates based on recent U.S./Minnesota usage studies (Pew, DataReportal) adjusted for rural/age mix in Fillmore County (~21k residents).

Overall user base

• Estimated active social media users (13+): ~14,000–15,000 (about 78–82% of residents age 13+)
• Adults (18+) who use social media: ~11,000–12,500 (about 70–77% of adults)

Age mix among social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: 10–12%
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 28–32%
• 50–64: 22–26%
• 65+: 16–20% Notes: Skews older than state average; teens and 18–29s are heavy multi‑platform users, 50+ rely on fewer platforms.

Gender breakdown among users (approx.)

• Female: 52–55%
• Male: 45–48%
• Other/not stated: ~1% (small, not well measured in public data) Platform skews: Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram lean female; Reddit and X lean male; Facebook roughly balanced but slightly female.

Most‑used platforms among local social media users (estimated reach)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 70–78%
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70%
• Instagram: 38–48%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 28–36% overall; 70–85% among teens/college‑age
• Pinterest: 22–30% (mostly women 25–54)
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (lower than metro MN)
• Reddit: 10–15%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: Local news, school sports, church announcements, buy/sell groups, and county‑fair/event promotion see high engagement. Marketplace is a go‑to for farm/household gear.
• Video first, but practical: YouTube “how‑to,” agriculture/outdoors, local sports highlights; rising short‑form (Reels/TikTok) for events and promotions.
• Youth messaging over posting: Teens/20‑somethings rely on Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok (consumption/creation); Instagram for friends, teams, and seasonal work/tourism content.
• Local businesses lean Facebook + Instagram: Seasonal promos (Root River Trail tourism, dining, lodging), boosted posts over complex ad funnels; Messenger is the default customer‑service channel.
• Timing: Peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and early mornings (6–8 am); weekend spikes around local events and sports.
• Information trust is local: Highest engagement on posts from known institutions (schools, county/city pages, local radio/newspaper); Facebook Groups amplify hyperlocal alerts (weather, closures).
• Rural bandwidth pockets: Some constraints on live video and HD streaming outside town centers; creators favor shorter, compressed clips and photo carousels.
• Civility/visibility dynamics: Small‑town networks encourage cautious public posting; heavy use of private groups and DMs for sensitive topics.