Marshall County

Marshall County, Minnesota – key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, ACS 2019–2023 5-year; 2020 Census where noted)

Population

• Total population: ~9,200 (2023 ACS est.; 2020 Census: 9,040)
• Population density: ~7 people per sq. mile (very rural)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic origin of any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~88–90%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~6–8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Black/African American: ~0.5%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• Other race: ~0.2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~3,800
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~63% (married-couple families ~50%)
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Nonfamily households: ~37%; living alone: ~32% (age 65+ living alone: ~13%)
• Owner-occupied housing: ~79%; renter-occupied: ~21%

Notes

• Figures are rounded for clarity and reflect ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (best for small counties); counts may differ slightly from the 2020 Decennial Census. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year tables (DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04) and 2020 Census.

Marshall County, MN snapshot

• Population and density: ≈9,100 residents spread over ~1,800 sq mi (≈5 people/sq mi), making last‑mile broadband costly and coverage patchy outside towns like Warren, Argyle, and Stephen.
• Estimated email users: ≈7,000 residents (≈77% of the total population) use email.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated users, share of all users):
  • 13–17: ~460 (7%)
  • 18–29: ~1,040 (15%)
  • 30–49: ~1,990 (28%)
  • 50–64: ~2,090 (30%)
  • 65+: ~1,460 (21%)
• Gender split among email users: women 51% (3,570), men 49% (3,430); usage is near‑parity across genders.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home internet: roughly 4 in 5 households maintain a broadband subscription; computer access is near 9 in 10 households.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users: ~14% of adults rely mainly on mobile data, higher in remote townships.
  • Seniors (65+) show steady gains in email adoption, driven by telehealth, government services, and banking moving online; under‑50 adoption is effectively universal.
  • Fiber and fixed‑wireless builds are expanding, but low density and long driveways keep some farms on slower DSL or cellular hotspots. Public schools and libraries generally have fiber backbones, providing reliable access points.

Marshall County, Minnesota: mobile phone usage summary

Topline user estimates (2024, derived from Census/ACS population structure and current U.S. rural adoption rates)

• Total population baseline: 9,040 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ≈6,870; youth (<18): ≈2,170.
• Adult smartphone users: ≈5,700 (about 83% of adults, consistent with recent Pew Research findings for rural adults being several points below the U.S. average).
• Including teens (13–17): total unique smartphone users ≈6,200.
• Active mobile subscriptions/SIMs (phones, tablets, IoT): ≈9,700–10,000, using a conservative rural multiplier of ~1.07–1.10 subscriptions per resident (CTIA national benchmarks adjusted modestly downward for rural counties).

How Marshall County differs from Minnesota overall

• Penetration gap: Adult smartphone penetration in the county (~83%) trails Minnesota’s mostly urban/suburban profile (≈89–91%) by roughly 6–8 percentage points.
• Older age structure: A larger share of residents are 65+ than the state average, which pulls down overall smartphone penetration and 5G device uptake compared with Minnesota’s metro-centric population.
• Device mix and plan types: Higher prevalence of budget and prepaid plans than the state average, reflecting rural income/price sensitivity and coverage-driven carrier choice; multi-carrier households and line switching are more common to solve coverage gaps.
• Usage pattern: More reliance on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi calling due to patchy mid-band 5G and indoor signal challenges; heavy Wi‑Fi offload at home/work where fiber or fixed wireless is available. Minnesota’s metros skew to mobile-first data usage with consistently higher median speeds.

Demographic breakdown (ownership/usage skews that matter locally)

• Age:
  • 18–29: very high smartphone take-up (>95%); smaller share of county population than state average, muting overall penetration.
  • 30–49: ~95% ownership; key driver of app/data use when coverage is strong.
  • 50–64: ~80–85% ownership; solid but below prime working-age cohorts.
  • 65+: ~60–65% ownership; significantly below state average due to larger older cohort and rural tech adoption patterns.
• Income and employment: A higher share of agricultural and trades workers than statewide; practical coverage (on fields/backroads) often outweighs headline speed in carrier selection and device upgrades.
• Race/ethnicity: The county skews more non-Hispanic White than Minnesota overall; racial/ethnic gaps are a smaller factor locally than age, income, and coverage.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage profile:
  • 4G LTE: Broad multi-carrier coverage across towns and primary corridors; dead zones persist in sparsely populated townships and low-lying areas.
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band 5G from at least one national carrier around town centers and main routes; limited mid-band (2.5 GHz/C-band) footprint relative to Minnesota’s metro counties, constraining real-world 5G speeds and capacity.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Typical rural performance: 4G/low-band 5G delivering tens of Mbps with variability by carrier and terrain; peak mid-band speeds common in metro Minnesota are less frequent here.
  • Indoor service: Older construction and distance to sites lead many households to rely on Wi‑Fi calling or signal boosters; fixed broadband availability directly improves mobile experience via offload.
• Backhaul and sites:
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than metro counties; upgrades prioritize corridor coverage and community anchors (schools, clinics, co‑op facilities) over contiguous township blankets.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Continued fiber-to-the-premise buildouts by regional providers and co‑ops in and around population centers are boosting household Wi‑Fi quality; this reduces daytime cellular data load but increases expectations for seamless Wi‑Fi calling and app reliability.

Implications and actionable insights

• Carrier choice is driven by coverage continuity more than peak speed; households often select plans based on who works best on farm roads and between small towns, not just in town centers.
• The county’s older age profile caps immediate 5G device penetration; programmatic device upgrade support and signal boosters/Wi‑Fi calling education move the needle more than marketing top‑end 5G speeds.
• Mid-band 5G infill along secondary roads and around grain elevators/co‑op hubs would unlock outsized quality gains vs. raw new-site counts.
• Public safety and ag-tech users benefit from prioritizing coverage resiliency (backup power at sites, overlapping sectors) over headline speed, a different emphasis than Minnesota’s urban counties.

Notes on methodology

• Population and age structure from U.S. Census/ACS; smartphone ownership rates by age/rurality from recent Pew Research Center studies; subscription-per-capita multipliers from CTIA national reporting adjusted for rural counties. Estimates are rounded to emphasize signal over spurious precision.

Marshall County, MN social media snapshot (modeled 2024)

Scope and base

• Population base: residents age 13+.
• Figures are modeled local estimates using the county’s age structure (ACS 2019–2023, 5-year) combined with Pew Research Center’s 2024 adult and 2023 teen platform adoption rates to yield county-level percentages. Percentages are rounded.

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+ using each platform)

• YouTube: 84%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 51%
• TikTok: 35%
• Pinterest: 34%
• Snapchat: 32%
• WhatsApp: 28%
• LinkedIn: 28%
• X (Twitter): 27%
• Reddit: 22%

User stats and age groups

• Overall social reach (any major platform): roughly 8 in 10 residents 13+.
• Age-pattern highlights
  • Teens (13–17): Near-universal on YouTube; high on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; Facebook is present but secondary.
  • Young adults (18–29): Heavy multi‑platform use; Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok lead; Facebook used mainly for groups and events.
  • Adults 30–49: Broadest mix; Facebook and YouTube anchor usage; Instagram strong; Pinterest notable among parents/homeowners.
  • Adults 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest meaningful; limited TikTok/Snapchat.
  • 65+: Facebook is the primary social network; YouTube used for news/how‑to; other platforms minimal.

Gender breakdown

• Overall local social audience: approximately male 51%, female 49% (mirrors county population structure).
• Platform skews to expect locally (based on national user composition, applied locally):
  • Pinterest: majority female.
  • Reddit and X: majority male.
  • Facebook, YouTube, Instagram: near gender‑balanced.
  • Snapchat and TikTok: slight female skew.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Minnesota counties (applies to Marshall County)

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school and church announcements, high‑school sports, county/city pages, buy‑sell‑trade groups, road/weather updates, and event coordination.
• Groups > pages for engagement: neighborhood, agriculture/farm exchange, outdoors/hunting/fishing, parent and booster groups drive comments and shares.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels used for behind‑the‑scenes farm/ranch life, local business promos, crafts/DIY, and sports highlights.
• YouTube is practical: how‑to repairs, equipment demos, home projects, and local sports streams; longer watch sessions on evenings/weekends.
• Messaging and ephemerals among youth: Snapchat for daily communication and private stories; Instagram DMs for coordination; limited public posting.
• Commerce behavior: Facebook Marketplace is the primary local resale channel; seasonal spikes around planting/harvest, hunting season, and pre‑winter equipment turnover.
• News consumption: Facebook and YouTube clips from regional outlets and public safety pages; trust built via recognizable local institutions and faces.
• Posting cadence and timing: engagement clusters early morning (before work/school) and evenings; weekend posts tied to events and sports perform well.

Notes on sources and method

• Age/sex structure: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5‑year for Marshall County, MN.
• Platform adoption: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults) and Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (ages 13–17).
• Local percentages reflect Pew adoption rates weighted by Marshall County’s age mix; platform skews by gender reflect national user composition applied to the local population.