Mower County Local Demographic Profile

Mower County, Minnesota — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

  • Total population: 40,029 (2020 Census)

Age

  • Median age: 39.4 years (ACS 2019–2023)
  • Under 18: 24.0%
  • 18 to 64: 58.7%
  • 65 and over: 17.3%

Gender

  • Male: 50.3%
  • Female: 49.7% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; Hispanic is of any race)

  • White, non-Hispanic: 72.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino: 17.9%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 3.2%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: 3.9%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0.4%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 1.6% (ACS 2019–2023)

Households

  • Total households: 16,000
  • Average household size: 2.47
  • Family households: 63% of households
  • Married-couple families: 46% of households
  • Households with children under 18: 28%
  • Householders living alone: 27% (including 65+ living alone: 12%)
  • Average family size: 3.05 (ACS 2019–2023)

Insights

  • Population is stable with modest growth since 2010 and a median age near 40, indicating a balanced age structure.
  • The county is notably diverse for Greater Minnesota, with nearly 18% Hispanic/Latino and growing Asian and Black populations.
  • About two-thirds of households are family households, with moderate household and family sizes typical of regional norms.

Email Usage in Mower County

Email usage in Mower County, MN (estimates grounded in 2020 Census demographics and U.S. email adoption rates)

  • Population and density: ~40,000 residents; ~56 people per sq. mile; ~26,000 live in Austin (county seat), concentrating connectivity and access.
  • Estimated email users: ~30,000 residents.
  • Age split of email users (approximate counts and share of users):
    • 13–17: ~2,000 (7%)
    • 18–29: ~4,900 (16%)
    • 30–49: ~9,800 (33%)
    • 50–64: ~7,400 (25%)
    • 65+: ~5,400 (18%)
  • Gender split: ~50% female, ~50% male among users (email adoption is essentially parity by gender).
  • Digital access and trends:
    • ~86% of households have a home broadband subscription; another ~10–15% are smartphone‑only.
    • Fixed broadband at ≥100/20 Mbps is available to roughly ~95% of locations; adoption is strongest in and around Austin and lags in rural townships.
    • Fiber availability is expanding near population centers and along major corridors; fixed wireless fills many rural gaps.
    • Older adult usage is rising as telehealth, banking, and government services continue to digitize, further normalizing email across age groups.

These figures reflect local population structure combined with near‑universal U.S. adult email adoption (high 80s to 90s%) to produce county‑specific estimates.

Mobile Phone Usage in Mower County

Mobile phone usage in Mower County, Minnesota: a concise profile focused on how the county differs from statewide patterns

County snapshot

  • Population: about 40,000 residents (2020 Census baseline; minimal net change since).
  • Households: roughly 16,000–17,000.
  • Settlement pattern: Austin (urban core along I‑90) plus predominantly rural townships, which shapes coverage and adoption patterns.

User estimates

  • Smartphone users: approximately 28,000–30,000 residents use a smartphone (derived from age structure and American Community Survey [ACS] device/adoption rates).
  • Households with a smartphone: about 88–90% of households (ACS S2801, 5‑year estimates), slightly below the Minnesota average (~91–93%).
  • Households with a cellular data plan (smartphone/tablet/other mobile device): roughly 77–80% (ACS S2801), a bit lower than Minnesota overall (~81–84%).
  • Cellular-only internet households (mobile data but no fixed home broadband): approximately 11–14% in Mower vs ~8–10% statewide. This “mobile-only” reliance is a key divergence from state-level patterns.

Demographic breakdown and differences vs Minnesota

  • Age
    • 18–34: near-universal smartphone adoption, comparable to statewide.
    • 35–64: high adoption, but Mower trails Minnesota by about 1–2 percentage points.
    • 65+: noticeably lower smartphone adoption than the state (roughly mid‑70s percent in Mower vs low‑80s percent statewide). This age gap contributes most to the county’s slightly lower overall penetration.
  • Income
    • Lower-income households (<$35k) in Mower are more likely to be cellular-only by an estimated 3–6 percentage points compared with Minnesota as a whole. Cost sensitivity and patchy rural fixed-broadband options drive this.
  • Race/ethnicity and household composition
    • Mower’s more diverse profile than typical rural Minnesota—especially a larger Hispanic/Latino community centered in Austin—correlates with higher smartphone reliance and above-average mobile-only internet use within renter and multi-adult households. This contrasts with statewide patterns where fixed broadband is more prevalent among similar groups.

Digital infrastructure and performance

  • Coverage
    • 4G LTE: Countywide outdoor coverage from the national carriers is strong along I‑90, US‑218, and in Austin; indoor coverage can be inconsistent in outlying townships.
    • 5G: Mid-band 5G has expanded along the I‑90 corridor and in/around Austin since 2022, with more limited reach in the far rural south and northeast of the county.
  • Speeds (typical)
    • Austin/I‑90 corridor: mid-band 5G frequently 150–300 Mbps down; low-band 5G/LTE commonly 40–100 Mbps.
    • Rural townships: LTE often 10–60 Mbps, with occasional sub‑10 Mbps pockets indoors.
  • Infrastructure drivers
    • Tower siting and backhaul are concentrated along transport corridors and in Austin, producing a corridor‑centric performance pattern not as pronounced statewide.
    • Fixed broadband: Fiber is prevalent in Austin, while rural areas remain a patchwork of fiber builds, cable, DSL, and fixed wireless. This uneven fixed footprint explains the higher cellular-only share in Mower compared with Minnesota overall.

Trends different from state-level

  • Higher reliance on mobile data as a primary internet connection (cellular-only households +3 to +5 percentage points vs Minnesota).
  • Slightly lower household smartphone penetration (−2 to −4 percentage points vs Minnesota), driven mainly by older-adult adoption.
  • Faster recent gains in practical 5G speeds along I‑90 than in the county’s rural interior, widening an intra-county digital divide that is less pronounced at the state scale.
  • Device dependence skews more heavily to smartphones among renters and lower-income households in Mower than statewide, reflecting local cost and infrastructure constraints.

Key takeaways

  • Mobile connectivity is widely available and improving, but Mower County depends on cellular for home internet more than the Minnesota average, especially outside Austin.
  • Adoption among older adults trails the state, pulling down the county’s overall smartphone penetration even as younger cohorts are on par with statewide usage.
  • Continued mid-band 5G buildouts and rural fiber projects will be pivotal in reducing the county’s above-average mobile-only reliance and narrowing urban–rural performance gaps.

Social Media Trends in Mower County

Social media usage in Mower County, MN (2024–2025)

Headline stats

  • Population: ~40,000
  • Residents 13+ using social media: ~28,500 (about 71% of total population; ~83% of 13+)
  • Adults (18+) using social media: ~79%
  • Daily users among social users: ~72%

Age-group usage (share using at least one platform)

  • 13–17: 93%
  • 18–29: 92%
  • 30–49: 83%
  • 50–64: 72%
  • 65+: 51%

Gender breakdown (among social users)

  • Female: 53%
  • Male: 47%

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ who use each)

  • YouTube: 82%
  • Facebook: 74%
  • Instagram: 44%
  • TikTok: 37%
  • Snapchat: 34%
  • Pinterest: 31%
  • WhatsApp: 20%
  • X (Twitter): 16%
  • LinkedIn: 19%

Behavioral trends and local nuances

  • Facebook remains the county’s hub for local life: city/county updates, school sports, community groups, and especially Marketplace drive the highest engagement.
  • Short‑form video is the growth engine: TikTok and Instagram Reels usage is rising across under‑40s; 40–64 increasingly consume YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels rather than post.
  • Messaging is fragmented by age: under‑30s lean on Snapchat (and Instagram DMs) for daily communication; 30+ rely on Facebook Messenger. WhatsApp usage is notable in Spanish‑speaking households around Austin for family and group coordination.
  • Commerce and jobs: local restaurants, retail, and manufacturers get strong response to deal posts, promos, and hiring ads on Facebook; geo‑targeting within ~15–30 miles converts best.
  • Trust and information: residents prefer hyperlocal pages/groups and weather alerts over national news accounts; user comments and shares heavily influence reach.
  • Posting patterns: peak engagement evenings (6–9 pm) and lunch hours; weekends outperform weekdays for community and events content. Severe-weather days and the school year drive spikes.
  • Content that overperforms: school and youth sports, city services updates, coupons/weekly specials, outdoors/seasonal activities, and human‑interest stories with recognizable local faces.
  • Device behavior: social use is overwhelmingly mobile-first (>90% of interactions), so vertical video and text-light creative perform best; links to off-platform sites see higher drop-off unless paired with strong local value.

Note on figures: Statistics are 2024 modeled estimates for Mower County derived from U.S. Census/ACS demographics and Pew Research platform-adoption rates, adjusted for rural Minnesota patterns.