Lincoln County

Key demographics for Lincoln County, Minnesota (latest available U.S. Census Bureau data)

Population

• 5,640 (2020 Census)
• 5,546 (2023 Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: 46.9 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: 20.7%
• 18 to 64: 57.6%
• 65 and over: 21.7%

Sex

• Male: 50.2%
• Female: 49.8%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: 94.7%
• Black or African American alone: 0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.3%
• Asian alone: 0.5%
• Two or more races: 3.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 2.7%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: 2,420
• Average household size: 2.25
• Family households: 62% of households; married-couple households: 51%
• Households with children under 18: 25%
• Nonfamily households: 38%; living alone: 33% (65+ living alone: 15%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 81%

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population since 2010.
• Older age profile relative to the state, with about one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly White, with a small but present Hispanic/Latino population.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple and owner-occupied homes, with smaller household sizes.

Lincoln County, MN snapshot

• Population and density: ~5,600 residents; ~10–11 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: ~4,000 residents (age 13+). Adults: ~3,700 email users (≈85% of 18+ residents).
• Age mix of adult email users: 18–34 ≈21%; 35–64 ≈49%; 65+ ≈30% (reflecting the county’s older age profile).
• Gender split among users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male (email adoption is essentially even by gender).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~84% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS-style “broadband of any type”).
  • ~10–15% of adults are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Email is accessed primarily via smartphones and home broadband; older adults increasingly use webmail on tablets.
• Connectivity and locality:
  • Most fixed broadband (≥100/20 Mbps) is concentrated in and around Tyler, Lake Benton, Hendricks, and Ivanhoe, with patchier options in outlying farm areas where fixed wireless and satellite remain common.
  • Low settlement density raises last‑mile costs, but Minnesota’s ongoing Border‑to‑Border/BEAD‑supported rural fiber buildouts in southwest MN are expanding coverage and improving reliability.

Overall: email usage is near‑universal among connected adults, with the largest user group aged 35–64 and strong parity by gender.

Mobile phone usage in Lincoln County, Minnesota — 2024 snapshot

Headline user estimates

• Population and base: About 5,700 residents, roughly 4,500 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: 3,400–3,800 (about 79–86% of adults), below Minnesota’s adult average (≈88–90%).
• Basic/feature-phone users: 300–500 adults (≈7–11%).
• Adults without a mobile phone: 300–450 (≈7–10%).
• Smartphone-only internet households (smartphone but no fixed home broadband): about 18–24% of households, above the statewide share (≈13–16%).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone take-up (≈92–96%), near state levels.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈86–91%), modestly below state.
  • 65+: markedly lower (≈60–70%), well below the state’s senior adoption, reflecting the county’s older age structure.
• Income/education:
  • Lower-income and lower-educational-attainment households show a higher reliance on prepaid plans and smartphone-only internet access than the Minnesota average.
• Geography within the county:
  • Town centers have adoption and app usage closer to state norms; dispersed farmsteads and lake homes show higher use of voice/text, Wi‑Fi calling, and device signal boosters.
• Multi-line plans and devices:
  • Longer device replacement cycles than state average; Android share higher than in metro Minnesota, driven by price sensitivity and retail availability.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Cellular coverage:
  • 4G LTE: near-universal along primary roads and town centers; indoor coverage is uneven in metal-roofed structures and at the fringes between towns.
  • 5G:
    • Extended-range (low-band) 5G covers much of the county outdoors, but delivers LTE-like speeds in many areas.
    • Mid-band 5G (faster) is concentrated in or near towns; countywide 5G capacity coverage is materially below state averages, particularly compared to the Twin Cities corridor.
• Performance:
  • Typical cellular download speeds in towns: roughly 40–120 Mbps; in rural stretches: 10–40 Mbps, with occasional dead zones. Median speeds are well below Minnesota’s metro counties.
  • Uplink performance and latency are limiting factors for live video and telehealth in outlying areas.
• Tower/small-cell footprint:
  • Macro towers spaced for highway and town coverage; very few small cells. Coverage gaps persist in low-lying terrain and around woodlots and hills.
• Backhaul and reliability:
  • Fiber backhaul reaches town cores and some towers; several rural sites still rely on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak capacity versus state urban norms.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile reliance):
  • A higher share of locations remain below 100/20 Mbps wired service than the Minnesota average, sustaining above-average smartphone-only household internet and Wi‑Fi calling use.

How Lincoln County differs from Minnesota overall

• Lower overall smartphone adoption, driven primarily by a higher share of seniors and more dispersed housing.
• Higher smartphone-only household internet reliance, reflecting patchier fixed broadband and cost sensitivity.
• Slower, less consistent 5G capacity coverage; more dependence on LTE and extended-range 5G than in metro and larger regional centers.
• Longer device upgrade cycles and higher prepaid participation than the state average.
• Greater use of signal boosters, Wi‑Fi calling, and offline-first apps to cope with indoor and fringe-area coverage.

Implications and actionable insights

• Public services and healthcare should keep SMS/voice-first outreach and low-bandwidth telehealth options alongside app-based channels.
• Retail and banking should maintain SMS authentication and mobile-web experiences optimized for lower bandwidth.
• Network improvements with the highest impact: mid-band 5G overlays on existing towers, added fiber backhaul to rural sites, and targeted in‑building coverage solutions for clinics, schools, and ag/co‑op facilities.
• Digital inclusion efforts that pair low-cost home broadband with device and skills support would reduce the county’s smartphone-only dependence and narrow the usage gap with the state.

Sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesized from recent Census/ACS computer and internet subscription indicators (2019–2023), FCC mobile coverage and broadband availability data, Minnesota statewide adoption benchmarks, and rural usage patterns. Figures are rounded and presented as county-level ranges where exact point estimates are not published.

Below is a concise, county-weighted snapshot of social media use in Lincoln County, Minnesota. Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for residents age 13+ (platform adoption) and 18+ (overall penetration), derived by combining Lincoln County’s age/sex profile (U.S. Census/ACS) with the latest Pew Research Center platform-by-age adoption rates and rural usage patterns.

Overall usage (18+)

• Social media penetration: 74% of adults
• Smartphone access among adults: 86%
• Typical daily use: 1.3–1.8 hours; 60% check multiple times per day; ~20% of users create most local content (Pareto pattern)

Most-used platforms (share of residents, 13+, using each platform at least monthly)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 28%
• TikTok: 25%
• Snapchat: 20%
• LinkedIn: 18%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• WhatsApp: 12%
• Reddit: 10%
• Nextdoor: 8%

Age-group breakdown (share of each age group using any social platform; top platforms in order)

• Ages 13–17: 93% use social; YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram
• Ages 18–29: 95% use social; YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook
• Ages 30–49: 88% use social; YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
• Ages 50–64: 73% use social; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
• Ages 65+: 58% use social; Facebook, YouTube

Gender breakdown among social media users

• Overall: 53% female, 47% male
• Platform skew:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn

Behavioral trends in Lincoln County

• Community-first Facebook: High engagement with local schools, churches, volunteer groups, events, and Marketplace; group posts outperform Page posts for reach and comments.
• Video as default: YouTube dominates how‑to, farm/DIY, hunting/outdoors, local sports highlights; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is rising among under‑40s.
• Messaging and ephemerals: Snapchat is the day-to-day messenger for teens/20s; Instagram Stories used more than feed posts for casual updates.
• Marketplace-minded: Strong buy/sell activity on Facebook; local-service discovery often begins in groups and referrals rather than search.
• Posting rhythm: Peak engagement evenings (7–9 pm) and weekend mornings; weekday lunch checks are common but lighter on comments.
• Trust signals: Local faces, recognizable venues, and practical value (deals, school notices, road/weather updates) drive shares; overtly national or polarizing content underperforms.
• Cross-posting: Small businesses often cross-post Facebook→Instagram; YouTube links circulated in Facebook groups for longer content.

Notes on method and sources

• County totals are weighted from Lincoln County’s age and sex structure (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023/2024) applied to Pew Research Center’s 2024 platform adoption by age, with rural adjustments observed in Pew’s urban–suburban–rural splits. Figures represent modeled local estimates rather than a countywide survey.