Martin County

Martin County, Minnesota — key demographics (latest available)

Population

• 19,6xx (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate); 20,025 (2020 Census)
• Trend: modest decline since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Sex

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Race and Hispanic origin (ACS; race alone unless noted)

• White: ~92–93%
• Black or African American: ~0.7–0.8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.4–0.5%
• Asian: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Some other race: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~86–87%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8.6k
• Average household size: ~2.20
• Family households: ~59% of households; married-couple ~45%
• Households with children under 18: ~26%
• Households with someone age 65+: ~36%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates and 2020 Decennial Census. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

• Population and density: Martin County, MN has about 19,600 residents across roughly 710–715 square miles (~27 people per sq. mile), centered on Fairmont.
• Estimated email users: ≈14,100 adult users. Method: 78% of residents are 18+ (15,300 adults); applying Pew’s ~92% email-use rate among U.S. adults yields ~14.1k local adult email users.
• Age distribution of adult email users (estimated):
  • 18–29: 15% (2.1k)
  • 30–49: 32% (4.5k)
  • 50–64: 26% (3.7k)
  • 65+: 27% (3.8k) Martin County’s older age structure raises the 65+ share of email users versus the U.S. average.
• Gender split: Approximately even; email adoption is similar by gender, implying 50% female (7.1k) and 50% male (7.0k) among adult users.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Computer access: ~92% of households have a computer.
  • Home broadband subscription: 83% of households (ACS), below the Minnesota average (89–90%), reflecting rural gaps.
  • Trend: Steady improvement driven by Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband grants and cable/fiber buildouts around Fairmont; remaining gaps persist in low-density townships, where fixed wireless/DSL are more common.

Overall: Email is near-universal among connected adults, with usage strongest in working-age groups and substantial among seniors, constrained mainly by rural broadband availability rather than willingness to use email.

Mobile phone usage in Martin County, Minnesota — 2025 snapshot

Population context

• Population: ≈20,000 residents; ≈8,600 households (ACS 2019–2023).
• Older age structure: ~23–25% age 65+ in Martin County vs ~17% statewide, a key driver of device mix and plan choice.

Usage and user estimates

• Households with a smartphone: ~84–88% in Martin County vs ~91–93% statewide (ACS S2801, 5‑year). That equates to roughly 7,200–7,600 local households with at least one smartphone.
• Cellular data plan (any device): ~70–75% of households in Martin County vs ~80–85% statewide (ACS S2801). This points to greater reliance on non-cellular home broadband among those with internet, and to a nontrivial share without any subscription.
• Adult smartphone users: ~12,500–13,500 (based on adult population and rural adoption rates), with total smartphone users including teens ~14,000–15,000.
• Basic/feature phone retention: higher than the state average, concentrated among 65+; expect ~8–12% of adults using a non‑smartphone locally vs low single digits in the metro.

Demographic patterns (how Martin County differs from Minnesota overall)

• Age: The larger 65+ share depresses smartphone penetration and raises the share of voice‑only or basic devices; smartphone adoption among 65+ trails the state by several points.
• Income and plan type: Lower median household income than the Minnesota average corresponds with a higher mix of prepaid and shared data plans, longer device replacement cycles, and more single‑line accounts.
• Household composition: More single‑adult and older‑adult households lead to fewer multi‑device bundles per address than in metro counties, despite similar per‑user usage once on smartphones.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: 4G LTE is effectively universal across populated areas; 5G low‑band is countywide from the national carriers. Mid‑band 5G (higher capacity) is concentrated in and around Fairmont and along the I‑90/US‑169 corridors; rural townships rely more on low‑band 5G/LTE.
• Speeds: Typical mid‑band 5G in Fairmont delivers 150–400 Mbps down; low‑band 5G/LTE across rural areas commonly ranges 10–60 Mbps with higher variability indoors, especially in metal‑sided homes and around lakes.
• Home internet via mobile: T‑Mobile fixed‑wireless is widely offered in and near Fairmont and along highways; Verizon 5G Home is present in pockets; AT&T fixed wireless and legacy LTE home internet serve scattered rural addresses. Starlink is a common alternative for outlying farms.
• Network resiliency: Fewer redundant macro sites than metro counties; weather and foliage can more noticeably impact rural sector loads and indoor signal. Public‑safety Band 14/FirstNet coverage has improved highway corridors but doesn’t fully eliminate indoor dead zones in older structures.

Notable trends diverging from the state

• Adoption gap: A 3–7 point lower share of households with smartphones and cellular data plans than the Minnesota average, driven chiefly by age and rural settlement.
• Device mix: Higher persistence of basic phones and voice‑only lines among older adults; fewer wearables and secondary cellular devices per household than in metro areas.
• Mobile as primary internet: A larger slice of households rely on mobile or fixed‑wireless as their primary home connection compared with the statewide average, reflecting patchier fiber/cable build‑out outside Fairmont.
• Usage patterns: Similar app and messaging behavior among smartphone users, but lower average monthly data per line outside the Fairmont area due to coverage/capacity constraints and more conservative plan selections.

Bottom line Martin County’s mobile landscape is solid on coverage and improving on capacity around population centers, but it lags the Minnesota average on smartphone and cellular‑data adoption by several points because of its older, more rural profile. Expect continued mid‑band 5G infill near Fairmont and along major routes, gradual uplift in rural speeds, and a steady (but slower than state) migration from basic phones to smartphones among residents 65+.

Social media in Martin County, Minnesota (2024 snapshot)

Headline numbers

• Residents: ~19,600
• Residents age 13+: ~16,900
• Social media users (13+): ~12,300 (≈73% of 13+, ≈63% of total residents)

Age profile of users (penetration by age; share of total users)

• 13–17: 88% use; ≈1.0k users (≈8%)
• 18–24: 93% use; ≈1.5k (≈12%)
• 25–34: 86% use; ≈1.9k (≈15%)
• 35–49: 80% use; ≈2.8k (≈23%)
• 50–64: 70% use; ≈3.0k (≈24%)
• 65+: 52% use; ≈2.1k (≈17%)

Gender breakdown (of social media users)

• Female: ~54% (skews toward Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok)
• Male: ~46% (skews toward YouTube, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Marketplace)

Most-used platforms (monthly reach among residents 13+; overlap expected)

• YouTube: ~66% (≈11.1k)
• Facebook: ~57% (≈9.6k)
• Facebook Messenger: ~52% (≈8.8k)
• Instagram: ~33% (≈5.6k)
• TikTok: ~29% (≈4.9k)
• Pinterest: ~27% (≈4.6k)
• Snapchat: ~24% (≈4.0k)
• X/Twitter: ~12% (≈2.0k)
• LinkedIn: ~10% (≈1.7k)
• Nextdoor: ~6% (≈1.0k)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the utility platform: heavy use of local groups, buy/sell (Marketplace), school/booster clubs, churches, municipal and county updates, weather/road notices. Events and urgent notices see the highest reach.
• Video-first habits: YouTube dominates for how‑to/DIY, small engine and ag equipment repair, hunting/fishing, high‑school sports highlights, and local government meetings when posted.
• Youth split: Teens/early 20s cluster on Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok (short‑form entertainment); Instagram is the secondary visual platform. Facebook has limited teen reach but grows quickly after life transitions (jobs, parenting).
• Commerce and jobs: Local retailers, service providers, farms, and manufacturers see the best response from Facebook/Instagram ads and Facebook Groups posts; job postings perform well in community groups.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for cross‑age communication; WhatsApp usage is modest; Snapchat is dominant among teens.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 p.m.) and early mornings; weekend spikes around community events, sports, and faith gatherings. Seasonal lift during school sports, fairs, and weather events.
• Content formats: Short native videos and photo carousels outperform text‑only posts; posts with clear locality (named towns, schools, landmarks) and practical utility (closings, lost & found, road alerts) get outsized sharing.

Notes

• Figures are modeled 2024 estimates for Martin County by applying recent ACS county demographics to Pew Research platform adoption by age and rural usage patterns; counts are rounded to the nearest hundred and platforms overlap (multi‑platform use).