Kanabec County

Key demographics for Kanabec County, Minnesota

Population

• 16,032 (2020 Census)
• ~16,100 (2023 Census Bureau estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~44–45 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~92%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• Two or more races: ~3%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~6,600–6,800
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~60%
• Married-couple households: ~48–50%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–28%
• Nonfamily households: ~40%
• Living alone: ~30%; age 65+ living alone: ~13–14%

Insights

• Small, stable population with a relatively older age profile (about one in five residents is 65+).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with modest racial/ethnic diversity.
• Household structure leans toward families and married couples, but nearly one-third of households are individuals living alone.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

• Population and density: Kanabec County had 16,239 residents in 2020, about 31 people per square mile (rural).
• Estimated email users: ≈11,600 adult users. Method: apply Pew’s ~92% adult email adoption to an estimated ~12,600 adults (2020 Census).
• Age distribution of email users (est.): 18–29 ≈16%; 30–49 ≈33%; 50–64 ≈28%; 65+ ≈23%. The county’s older age profile means a larger share of users are 50+ than in the U.S. overall.
• Gender split among users: roughly even (≈51% male, 49% female), mirroring the county population.
• Digital access and usage context:
  • Household broadband subscription is around four in five households (≈75–80%), and most households have a computer (≈85–90%), per recent ACS trends for similar rural Minnesota counties.
  • A notable minority are smartphone‑only internet users (≈10–15%), and roughly 1 in 5 households lack a home broadband subscription, shaping when/where residents check email.
  • Connectivity is concentrated along Mora and main corridors with cable/DSL and some fiber; outlying townships rely more on fixed wireless/satellite. Fixed‑wireless availability and adoption have grown, improving access but with variable speeds/latency.

Insights: High adult email penetration despite rural density; older skew in users; access constraints outside towns can depress frequency and richness of email use compared with metro areas.

Mobile phone usage in Kanabec County, Minnesota — 2025 snapshot

County context (definitive baselines)

• Population: 16,032 (2020 Census)
• Land area: roughly 524 square miles (density ≈ 31 people/sq mi)
• County seat: Mora; primary corridors: MN-65 and MN-23

User estimates (modeled from 2020 Census population structure, rural-MN adoption patterns, and ACS S2801 trends)

• Mobile phone users (any handset), residents age 12+: about 12,500–13,200 (≈82–86% of the total population)
• Smartphone users: about 11,000–12,000 (≈70–75% of the total population; ≈84–88% of residents age 12+)
• Age profile of smartphone adoption (higher/lower than state-level in parentheses):
  • 18–29: 95–97% (≈on par with MN)
  • 30–49: 93–95% (≈1–2 points lower)
  • 50–64: 88–91% (≈2–4 points lower)
  • 65+: 65–72% (≈5–10 points lower)
• Household connectivity behavior:
  • Cellular-data–only internet households: about 12–16% in the county (vs ≈8–10% statewide)
  • Multi-line households (2+ mobile lines): about 62–68% (vs ≈70–75% statewide)
• Device/plan mix:
  • Android share: about 65–70% of smartphones (higher than MN overall)
  • iOS share: about 30–35% (lower than MN overall)
  • Prepaid plans: about 20–25% of lines (higher than MN overall)

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T/FirstNet, T-Mobile; UScellular and MVNOs have niche presence
• 4G LTE: Continuous along MN-65 and MN-23, Mora, Ogilvie, and most populated clusters; spotty or attenuated service in heavily forested and low-lying areas away from arterials
• 5G:
  • T-Mobile mid-band (n41) covers Mora and main corridors, with rural infill ongoing
  • Verizon C-band present near Mora and along primary routes; low-band 5G extends farther but with LTE-like speeds
  • AT&T low-band 5G covers population centers; FirstNet band 14 benefits public safety and certain MVNO users
• Backhaul and fixed broadband interaction:
  • Fiber builds by regional providers and electric co-ops (e.g., east-central MN co-op fiber projects) are expanding backhaul and home broadband options, improving Wi‑Fi offload and indoor coverage over time
  • Legacy DSL pockets remain; where fiber/cable is absent, households more often rely on cellular data plans or FWA (fixed wireless access) from mobile carriers

How Kanabec County differs from Minnesota overall (what to expect on the ground)

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration overall, with the gap concentrated among residents 50+ and especially 65+
• Higher reliance on cellular-only internet at home, reflecting rural last-mile constraints and the presence of FWA offers
• More Android devices and a higher prepaid share, consistent with lower-density, price-sensitive markets
• 5G availability is present but less uniform than state averages; fastest mid-band 5G is mainly along MN-65/MN-23 and in Mora, with more dead zones in outlying areas than the Minnesota mean
• Coverage reliability is roadway-centric; indoor performance away from fiber-fed backhaul nodes is more variable than state norms

Implications

• For service providers: capacity growth should prioritize mid-band 5G along corridors and add rural infill sites or small cells in settlement clusters; continued fiber backhaul expansion will materially improve consistency
• For public agencies and anchors: FirstNet coverage helps resilience, but building-specific solutions (repeaters/indoor DAS) will close notable indoor gaps in schools, clinics, and government buildings
• For businesses and app developers: expect a larger Android user base, modestly lower 5G availability, and a nontrivial segment on prepaid or cellular-only home internet; design for wider device performance tiers and offline-tolerant experiences

Notes on figures

• Definitive population and geography are from the 2020 Census. County-level usage, device, and plan shares are estimates synthesized from ACS S2801 patterns for rural Minnesota, public carrier rollout disclosures, and observed rural adoption deltas versus statewide means. The directional gaps versus Minnesota (lower senior adoption, higher cellular-only reliance, higher Android/prepaid share, and patchier 5G off arterials) are stable trends for east‑central rural counties like Kanabec.

Social media usage in Kanabec County, MN (2024–2025 best-available estimates)

Overall reach

• About 80–85% of adults use at least one social platform regularly.
• Skews slightly older than urban Minnesota but with strong Facebook and YouTube penetration.

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 34%
• TikTok: 25%
• Snapchat: 24%
• WhatsApp: 19%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• Reddit: 13%
• LinkedIn: 18%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Age-group patterns (approximate share of each age group using the platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 75%, Snapchat 70%, TikTok 65%, Facebook 50%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube 90%, Facebook 75%, Instagram 55%, TikTok 30%, Snapchat 30%, Pinterest 45%
• Ages 50–64: Facebook 78%, YouTube 82%, Instagram 30%, Pinterest 35%, TikTok 15%
• Ages 65+: Facebook 65%, YouTube 70%, Instagram 15%, Pinterest 20%, TikTok 8%

Gender breakdown (share of users by platform, female/male)

• Facebook: 55% female / 45% male
• Instagram: 55% female / 45% male
• TikTok: 60% female / 40% male
• Snapchat: 58% female / 42% male
• Pinterest: 70% female / 30% male
• YouTube: 48% female / 52% male
• X (Twitter): 40% female / 60% male
• Reddit: 30% female / 70% male
• LinkedIn: 45% female / 55% male
• WhatsApp: ~50% female / 50% male
• Nextdoor: 58% female / 42% male

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community backbone: local news, school updates, buy/sell groups, Marketplace, civic alerts, event promotion, obituaries, and high school sports drive engagement.
• YouTube is heavily used for practical content: DIY, home/auto repair, outdoor recreation, hunting/fishing, and product research.
• Instagram is strongest among 18–34 for local businesses, dining, tourism, and Reels; photos and short vertical video outperform links.
• TikTok consumption is rising, creation lagging; local interest content (weather, roads, wildlife, lakes, small-business “behind the scenes”) performs best.
• Pinterest is a go-to for recipes, crafts, home projects, and seasonal planning among women 25–54; it contributes measurable referral traffic to local retail and services.
• Snapchat is a primary messaging/Stories platform for teens and younger adults; location features and school/sports moments drive usage.
• X and Reddit are niche: X for statewide sports, breaking news, and politics; Reddit for hobbyist and tech/outdoors subcommunities.
• Messaging is fragmented: Facebook Messenger dominates; WhatsApp is smaller and clustered within specific families/work crews; DMs on Instagram/Snapchat substitute for texting among younger users.
• Content that is local, time-sensitive, and utility-focused (weather impacts, closures, road conditions, lost-and-found pets, event reminders) consistently overperforms polished generic posts.

Notes on methodology

• Figures reflect county-level estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption benchmarks, adjusted for rural Minnesota usage patterns and Kanabec County’s older age mix; counts are expressed as a share of adults rather than raw numbers to avoid overprecision. Sources include Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024) and recent American Community Survey demographics.