Kittson County Local Demographic Profile

Kittson County, Minnesota – key demographics

Population size

  • 2020 Census: 4,207
  • 2023 estimate (U.S. Census Bureau): about 4,200

Age

  • Median age: ~47 years
  • Age distribution: under 18: ~21%; 18–64: ~58%; 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

  • White alone, non-Hispanic: ~93%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
  • Black or African American alone: <1%
  • Asian alone: <1%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Total households: ~1,950–2,000
  • Average household size: ~2.1 persons
  • Family households: ~60% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~50% of households
  • One-person households: ~28–30%
  • Households with children under 18: ~25%

Insights

  • Small, rural county with a relatively older age profile, near-balanced sex ratio, predominantly non-Hispanic White population, and smaller household sizes with a high share of one-person and married-couple households.

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

Email Usage in Kittson County

Kittson County, Minnesota has about 4,200 residents spread across roughly 1,100 square miles—about 4 people per square mile, making it among the state’s least-dense counties.

Estimated email users: ≈3,100 residents (about 74% of the population), derived by applying national email-adoption rates to the county’s older-leaning demographic profile.

Age distribution of email use (estimated adoption within each group):

  • Teens (13–17): ~85%
  • Adults 18–34: ~95%
  • Adults 35–64: ~92%
  • Adults 65+: ~80%

Gender split among users: essentially even (≈49% male, 51% female), reflecting negligible gender gaps in email adoption.

Digital access and trends:

  • Rurality and long distances lower home-broadband subscription compared with the Minnesota average, but recent fiber buildouts by regional providers have improved speeds in towns like Hallock and Karlstad; fixed wireless and satellite remain important between towns.
  • Smartphone-driven access is common; libraries and schools provide key supplemental connectivity and email access points.
  • Sparse settlement raises last‑mile costs, so affordability programs and continued fiber expansion are pivotal to closing remaining gaps.

These figures synthesize U.S. email-adoption norms with Kittson’s population size, age structure, and rural connectivity context.

Mobile Phone Usage in Kittson County

Summary of mobile phone usage in Kittson County, Minnesota (focus on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Key figures and user estimates

  • Population and households (2023): ≈4,200 residents; ≈1,900 households; ≈3,300 adults (18+).
  • Adult smartphone users: ≈2,750–2,850 (about 82–85% of adults), below Minnesota’s ~89%.
  • Feature‑phone–only users: ≈150–220 adults (about 5–7%), notably higher than the state’s ~2–3%.
  • Adults without a mobile phone: ≈160–200 (about 5–6%), above the Minnesota average of ~2–3%.
  • Households using only a cellular data plan for home internet: ≈250–300 (about 13–16% of households), roughly double the statewide share (~7–9%).
  • Households with no home internet at all: ≈170–220 (about 9–12%), higher than the state (~5–7%).

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

  • By age cohort (share using a smartphone; local estimates vs statewide):
    • 18–34: ~95% in Kittson (near statewide parity). ≈640 users.
    • 35–64: ~88–92% in Kittson (a few points below state). ≈1,300+ users.
    • 65+: ~70–75% in Kittson (well below state seniors at ~80–83%). ≈800+ users.
  • Implications:
    • The county’s older age structure (seniors likely ≈25–28% of the population vs ~16–17% statewide) pulls down overall smartphone penetration and raises the share of feature phones.
    • Mobile-only home internet is disproportionately common among working-age households outside town centers and among lower-income seniors who forgo wired plans.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

  • Carrier footprint:
    • Verizon and AT&T provide the broadest rural low-band LTE/5G coverage; Verizon tends to be the default choice for the most remote farms and along highways (US‑59, MN‑11, MN‑1, MN‑175).
    • T‑Mobile’s 600 MHz “Extended Range” 5G covers the main towns and corridors and is expanding; capacity can be lower between towns due to wide tower spacing, but in‑town performance is often strong.
    • FirstNet (AT&T) is the primary public-safety network; coverage is generally reliable on primary roads and in towns.
  • 5G availability and performance:
    • 5G is present along primary routes and in/near towns, but is predominantly low‑band spectrum. Mid‑band capacity (e.g., C‑band/2.5 GHz) is sparser than in metro Minnesota, so real‑world speeds skew lower and are more variable than statewide averages.
  • Terrain and tower spacing:
    • Flat terrain helps signal reach, but wide inter‑site distances create fringe zones between towns; signal can degrade in low‑lying areas near rivers and around Lake Bronson State Park.
  • Border effects:
    • Proximity to Manitoba/Saskatchewan introduces incidental cross‑border roaming near the Red River and along MN‑11; users may favor plans with Canada roaming or keep roaming controls enabled near the border.
  • Wireline and fixed wireless context (shapes reliance on mobile):
    • Wiktel (Wikstrom Telephone Co.) has built extensive fiber-to-the-home in town centers (e.g., Hallock, Karlstad, Kennedy, Lake Bronson, Lancaster), which reduces mobile‑only reliance in those areas.
    • Outside fiber footprints, fixed wireless and satellite (e.g., Starlink) fill gaps; where those are absent or costly, households lean on smartphone hotspots, raising the county’s mobile‑only home internet rate.

How Kittson differs from Minnesota overall

  • Lower smartphone adoption overall (−4 to −7 percentage points), driven by a larger senior share and more feature‑phone retention among older residents.
  • Higher reliance on mobile as the primary or sole home internet (+6 to +8 points), especially beyond town limits and among price‑sensitive households.
  • Coverage is broad but thinner between towers; 5G is more often low‑band, so average speeds and in‑building signal are less robust than in metro areas where mid‑band 5G is dense.
  • Carrier mix tilts more strongly to Verizon/AT&T for deep rural coverage and to AT&T for public safety (FirstNet), while T‑Mobile gains share in towns with good 600 MHz 5G.
  • Digital divide indicators (no home internet, mobile‑only dependency) are meaningfully higher than the state, though fiber build‑outs in towns have narrowed the gap locally.

Trends and recent shifts

  • Senior adoption is rising each year, but the county’s aging profile keeps overall smartphone penetration below the state average.
  • Fiber expansion in towns is gradually reducing mobile‑only home internet there, while mobile‑only reliance persists or increases in outlying areas without fiber and as federal affordability support (ACP) lapses.
  • Carrier 5G upgrades have improved corridor coverage, but capacity remains constrained relative to urban Minnesota because mid‑band deployments are limited in rural Kittson.

Notes on sources and method

  • Figures are 2023–2024 estimates synthesized from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5‑year data (computer and internet subscription tables), Minnesota statewide benchmarks (ACS/Pew), FCC broadband/mobile deployment data, Minnesota DEED broadband updates, and carrier public coverage maps. County‑level estimates include rounding and typical ACS margins of error due to small population size.

Social Media Trends in Kittson County

Social media usage in Kittson County, Minnesota (2025 snapshot)

Population base

  • Residents: ≈4.2K
  • Adults (18+): ≈3.3K

Adoption and usage

  • Internet users (18+ who go online): ≈85% of adults (≈2.8K)
  • Social media users (any platform, monthly): ≈70% of adults (≈2.3K)
  • Daily social media users: ≈55% of adults (≈1.8K)

Age profile of social media users (share of county’s social media audience)

  • 18–29: 22%
  • 30–49: 33%
  • 50–64: 26%
  • 65+: 19%

Gender breakdown of social media users

  • Women: 53%
  • Men: 47%

Most-used platforms among adults (monthly reach; multi-platform usage means totals exceed 100%)

  • YouTube: ~60%
  • Facebook: ~58% (Groups and Messenger heavily used)
  • Instagram: ~22%
  • Pinterest: ~20%
  • Snapchat: ~16%
  • TikTok: ~15%
  • X (Twitter): ~11%
  • LinkedIn: ~9%
  • Reddit: ~8%
  • WhatsApp: ~8%
  • Nextdoor: ~4%

Behavioral trends

  • Facebook is the default community hub: school, church, county updates, buy/sell/trade, obituaries, and local events drive the highest engagement; Groups outperform Pages for comments/shares.
  • Video consumption is strong but practical: YouTube for how‑to, farming/repair, local sports clips, weather; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) is growing but remains concentrated among under‑35s.
  • Participation skews passive: roughly three‑quarters mostly view/like; about a quarter comment/share; fewer than one in ten create original posts weekly.
  • Messaging is central to coordination: Facebook Messenger is the most common; Snapchat dominates among teens/young adults; WhatsApp is niche (family and a few ag/commodity circles).
  • Platform by age:
    • Under 30: Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok lead for daily use; Facebook mainly for family and community notices.
    • 30–49: Heavy Facebook + YouTube; Instagram for local businesses/kids’ activities.
    • 50–64: Facebook first; YouTube second; Pinterest notable among women.
    • 65+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; minimal TikTok/Snapchat use.
  • Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (after 7 p.m. CT) and weekends, with noticeable spikes around community events, weather incidents, and school sports.
  • Trust and influence: Local admins, school districts, county agencies, and known community members drive outsized reach; recommendations from friends/neighbors influence purchasing and event attendance more than brand pages.
  • Advertising/readiness: Boosted Facebook posts by local businesses (auto, ag services, hardware, cafes) perform well when tied to timely needs (weather, harvest, school seasons). Short captions plus a clear call to action outperform long text.

Data notes

  • Figures are best‑available county estimates for 2025, derived by weighting Minnesota rural benchmarks and recent U.S. platform usage by the county’s age/sex profile (Census/ACS). County‑level platform microdata are not directly published; expect ±3–5 percentage‑point variance by platform.