Hennepin County

Hennepin County, Minnesota — key demographics (latest available U.S. Census Bureau estimates, primarily 2023 ACS 1-year; 2020 Census for baseline):

Population

• Total population: ~1.30 million (around 24% of Minnesota’s population)
• 2020 Census: 1,281,565 (modest growth since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~36 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~63%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Sex

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity

• Non-Hispanic White: ~64%
• Black or African American: ~14%
• Asian: ~9%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~550,000
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~56% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~35%
• Homeownership rate: ~62%

Insights

• Most populous and one of the most diverse counties in Minnesota, with a younger median age than the state overall and a large share of single-person and renter households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year and 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial Census. Estimates rounded for clarity; totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding and census race/ethnicity definitions.

• Estimated email users: ~930,000 adults in Hennepin County use email regularly, based on ~1.28M residents, ~78% ages 18+, and ~92–94% adult email adoption.
• Age distribution (usage rates): 18–29: ~99%; 30–49: ~98%; 50–64: ~94%; 65+: ~88%. Younger cohorts are essentially universal; older adults show high but slightly lower usage.
• Gender split: Near parity; email users are roughly 51% women and 49% men, mirroring the county’s adult population composition.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~92% of households have a broadband internet subscription; ~95–96% have a computer (ACS).
  • Roughly 10–12% of households are smartphone‑primary/only for internet access, indicating mobile‑centric email use among some residents.
  • Multiple ISPs offer cable/fiber with widespread gigabit availability in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul urban core; 5G coverage is countywide from major carriers.
  • Extensive free public Wi‑Fi via 41 Hennepin County Library locations supports access for lower‑income and transient users.
• Local density/connectivity context: Population ~1.28 million with ~2,300 residents per square mile, supporting high network investment and near‑ubiquitous connectivity that sustains very high email penetration and daily use.

Mobile phone usage in Hennepin County, Minnesota — snapshot and trends

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 900,000–950,000 adults in Hennepin County use smartphones as of 2023–2024. This estimate applies recent U.S. adult smartphone ownership rates (~90%) to Hennepin’s adult population (roughly 1.0–1.05 million adults based on recent ACS counts), which is reasonable given Hennepin’s urban, higher‑income profile.
• Household smartphone access: More than 9 in 10 households in Hennepin County report having a smartphone, consistently a few percentage points higher than the statewide average in recent American Community Survey (ACS) “Computer and Internet Use” releases. Household smartphone access in Hennepin is among the highest in Minnesota.
• Smartphone‑only internet users: Hennepin has a notable but concentrated smartphone‑only segment in lower‑income ZIP codes and among younger renters. Countywide, the share of “smartphone‑only” households is lower than in many urban counties nationally because fixed home broadband adoption is comparatively strong; however, it remains higher than the Minnesota statewide average, reflecting the county’s urban demographics.

Demographic breakdown (distinct from statewide patterns)

• Age: Near‑universal adoption among adults under 50 and a smaller senior gap than the state overall. Urban seniors in Hennepin are more likely to own and actively use smartphones than seniors in outstate Minnesota, driven by access to health systems, transit, and digital services concentrated in the metro.
• Income and housing: Smartphone ownership is high across incomes, but reliance is stratified. Lower‑income and renter households in Minneapolis and first‑ring suburbs are more smartphone‑dependent (using phones as primary internet), while higher‑income suburbs show strong multi‑device households with both fiber/cable broadband and 5G phones. This creates greater within‑county variance than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity and immigration: Black, Latino, East African, and other immigrant communities in Hennepin show very high smartphone adoption and above‑average smartphone dependence for banking, messaging, and language access. This dependence is more pronounced than statewide because these communities are more concentrated in Hennepin.
• Education and employment: College‑educated professionals in the county exhibit faster upgrade cycles and higher 5G device penetration than the statewide average, supported by employer device stipends and dense 5G availability in job centers.

Digital infrastructure points

• 5G coverage and capacity: All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE with extensive mid‑band 5G across Minneapolis–Saint Paul and inner suburbs. Hennepin has materially denser 5G mid‑band deployments than most of Minnesota, with mmWave/“UWB” nodes concentrated in downtown corridors and major venues (e.g., U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Center, and high‑traffic districts).
• Backhaul and fiber: Dense fiber backhaul underpins superior mobile capacity, with multiple providers (including municipal/competitive fiber in Minneapolis) enabling high‑capacity small‑cell and macro sites. This density is significantly higher than the state average and directly supports better median 5G speeds and lower latency.
• In‑building and venue coverage: Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and small‑cell solutions are common in large buildings, hospitals, the University of Minnesota campus, MSP International Airport, and stadiums, improving reliability relative to statewide norms.
• Transit and corridors: Major transportation corridors (I‑35W, I‑94, I‑394, I‑494) and light‑rail stations have targeted capacity upgrades. Coverage continuity is notably stronger than rural Minnesota highways, reducing dead zones for commuters.
• Public safety networks: FirstNet (AT&T) public‑safety coverage is comprehensive across the urban core, with priority and preemption features leveraged by county and city agencies. Interoperability infrastructure is more mature than in many greater Minnesota jurisdictions.

How Hennepin County differs from the Minnesota statewide picture

• Higher adoption and usage intensity: Smartphone ownership and 5G device penetration run higher than statewide, with faster upgrade cycles and greater use of data‑heavy applications (multimodal navigation, telehealth, real‑time transit, mobile payments).
• Better speeds and capacity: Median 5G speeds are consistently higher in Hennepin than the Minnesota average due to denser mid‑band spectrum deployments, more small cells, and richer fiber backhaul.
• Smaller senior and rural gaps: The age‑based adoption gap is narrower in Hennepin, and the county lacks the rural coverage constraints that depress statewide mobile performance metrics.
• Dual‑connectivity patterns: Hennepin shows a dual pattern—more smartphone‑only reliance in specific urban neighborhoods than the state overall, but also higher overall home broadband penetration in suburbs and the core city, reducing countywide smartphone‑only rates versus national urban peers.
• Enterprise and eSIM uptake: Higher concentration of employers and universities correlates with above‑average eSIM and corporate/MVNO plan usage compared with the state at large.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 0.9–0.95 million adult smartphone users in Hennepin County, with ownership exceeding statewide levels.
• The county’s infrastructure—dense mid‑band 5G, robust fiber backhaul, and extensive in‑building systems—supports higher speeds and reliability than the state average.
• Usage patterns are bifurcated: strong multi‑device households in higher‑income areas and elevated smartphone dependence in select lower‑income, immigrant, and renter communities.
• Policy and planning implications include sustaining small‑cell densification, expanding affordable device and plan programs in high‑dependence neighborhoods, and maintaining in‑building coverage and airport/venue DAS as demand grows.

Hennepin County, MN — social media usage (2024 snapshot)

Population and access

• Population: ~1.29 million; 13+ population ~1.11 million (ACS 2023).
• Internet adoption: ~93% of households have an internet subscription (ACS 2023).
• Active social media users (13+): ~870,000 (≈78% of 13+; ≈67% of total population).

Age profile of active users (estimated share of county social media users)

• 13–17: ~10% (heavy daily use; video-first behaviors).
• 18–29: ~26% (near-universal adoption; highest time-on-platform).
• 30–49: ~34% (broad multi-platform use; strong Facebook/Instagram/YouTube).
• 50–64: ~20% (Facebook/YouTube dominate; growing TikTok/Instagram).
• 65+: ~9% (Facebook and YouTube lead; lower overall adoption).

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: ~53% women, ~47% men (women slightly higher adoption).
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram skew female; Reddit, YouTube, and X (Twitter) skew male; Snapchat and TikTok lean female among younger cohorts.

Most-used platforms (adult residents; estimated local penetration and approximate reach)

• YouTube: 83% (840k adults)
• Facebook: 68% (690k)
• Instagram: 50% (505k)
• LinkedIn: 35% (355k) — higher than national average due to a large professional base
• TikTok: 35% (355k)
• Pinterest: 35% (355k)
• Snapchat: 30% (305k)
• Reddit: 23% (230k)
• WhatsApp: 23% (230k)
• X (Twitter): 20% (200k)
• Nextdoor: 20% (200k) — strong for neighborhood updates and local services

Behavioral trends

• Multi-platform routine: Typical adult uses 3–4 platforms; YouTube + Facebook form the base, with Instagram/TikTok for discovery and entertainment, and LinkedIn for professional updates.
• Private sharing > public posts: Heavy use of DMs (Instagram, Messenger, Snapchat) and Stories for day-to-day sharing; public posting is more event-driven.
• Local community flow: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor anchor neighborhood info (snow emergencies, parking, school updates, local services). Facebook Marketplace is a major channel for moving/resale in renter-dense areas.
• Events and culture: Instagram/TikTok drive discovery for dining, arts, and festivals; spikes around local sports and city events are visible on X and Reddit (local subs).
• Short-form video dominance: Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are the primary formats for reach across under-40 audiences; cross-posting is common.
• Professional networking: LinkedIn engagement is notably strong (corporate HQs, healthcare, tech, higher ed), with above-average usage for job search and thought leadership.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm CT) and weekends; weekday micro-peaks around commute/lunch. Severe weather and winter months amplify local information-seeking.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates for Hennepin County derived by applying recent Pew Research Center platform-adoption rates to the county’s age structure and internet adoption (ACS 2023), with urban/professional adjustments where warranted (e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram, Nextdoor). Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023; Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024).