Murray County

Murray County, Minnesota – key demographics Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates: DP05, S0101, S1101)

Population size

• Total population: 8,179 (2020 Census)
• 2019–2023 ACS estimate: about 8.1 thousand

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~54%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~92%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~3.3–3.4 thousand
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60–63% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–53% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~37–40%; living alone: ~33–35% (about 14–16% age 65+ living alone)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80–85%

Insights

• Small, aging, predominantly non-Hispanic White rural county with roughly one-quarter of residents age 65+, modest shares of Hispanic/Latino residents, and household structures dominated by married-couple families alongside a sizable share of single-person households.

Murray County, MN email usage (estimates; methods noted below)

• Population and density: 8,179 residents (2020 Census) over ~705 sq mi ≈ 11.6 people/sq mi (very low density, raising last‑mile connectivity costs).
• Estimated adult email users: ~5,930.
• By age (users):
  • 18–29: ~880 (≈15%)
  • 30–49: ~1,845 (≈31%)
  • 50–64: ~1,480 (≈25%)
  • 65+: ~1,730 (≈29%)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (3,020) and 49% male (~2,910); email use is essentially parity by gender.
• Digital access and trends (ACS 2022 S2801; rural profile):
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~83%.
  • No home internet: ~12%.
  • Smartphone‑only internet: ~7%.
  • Pattern: high email adoption among working‑age adults, rapid catch‑up among 65+, and a small but persistent offline segment tied to rural distance, affordability, and device gaps.

Method and sources

• Age structure: 2020 Census profile for Murray County (older‑leaning).
• Email adoption rates applied by age: Pew Research (2021–2023): 18–49 ≈98%, 50–64 ≈95%, 65+ ≈88%.
• Counts are derived by applying these rates to the county’s age groups; totals rounded for clarity.

Mobile phone usage in Murray County, Minnesota (summary with county-specific estimates and contrasts to statewide patterns)

Overall user base and adoption

• Population and households: About 8.3–8.5 thousand residents and roughly 3.3–3.5 thousand households (2023 estimates).
• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 5.5–5.9 thousand adults, or 83–87% of adults, use smartphones in Murray County, compared with roughly 89–91% statewide. This places the county 4–7 percentage points below the Minnesota average.
• Households with a cellular data plan: About 2.2–2.4 thousand households (≈65–70%) have a smartphone or other device with a cellular data subscription, compared with about 74–77% in Minnesota overall.
• Smartphone-only internet households: An estimated 16–21% of Murray County households rely on smartphones for home internet (no fixed broadband), versus roughly 10–13% statewide. This “mobile-only” reliance is notably higher than the state average and is a defining local trend.

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Age structure: Murray County’s population skews older, with about a quarter of residents age 65+, compared with the state’s mid-to-high teens share. Among seniors, smartphone adoption runs roughly 58–62% in the county versus about 70% statewide, widening the overall adoption gap.
• Young adults (18–34): Smartphone adoption is near saturation (≈94–97%) and similar to statewide levels, but reliance on unlimited data plans and hotspotting is somewhat higher locally due to patchier fixed broadband.
• Income: Median household income in Murray County is lower than the state median. Smartphone adoption rises with income, so households under $35k show lower smartphone uptake but higher mobile-only internet reliance, a pattern more pronounced locally than statewide.
• Race/ethnicity and reliance patterns: The county is predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small but growing Hispanic/Latino and other minority populations. These younger cohorts exhibit high smartphone adoption and above-average mobile-only internet use, contributing disproportionately to the county’s mobile data reliance compared with the state mix.
• Education: A lower share of adults hold a bachelor’s degree than statewide, correlating with higher prepaid/MVNO usage and longer device replacement cycles.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network coverage: The three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide near-universal 4G LTE across populated areas. Low-band 5G covers most towns and corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in and around larger towns and primary highways, with rural areas more dependent on LTE or low-band 5G for coverage.
• Speeds and reliability: Typical outdoor mobile speeds in towns are strong, with lower and more variable performance in sparsely populated areas and indoors farther from towers. Countywide median speeds trail Minnesota’s metro corridors, which benefit from denser mid-band 5G and more sites.
• Fixed alternatives shaping mobile use: Fiber and high-quality cable are present in select communities while large rural tracts lean on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite. Where fixed broadband is limited or costly, households are more likely to adopt mobile-only internet and rely on hotspotting from smartphones.
• Public and institutional access: Libraries, schools, and clinics offer Wi‑Fi offload options that mitigate data constraints for some users, but distances between towns reduce the impact compared with urban counties.

Trends that differ from Minnesota statewide

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: Murray County’s smartphone-only households are materially above the state share, reflecting fewer competitive fixed broadband options in outlying areas.
• Lower overall smartphone adoption: The county runs several points below the state average, driven mainly by its older age profile and lower incomes.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO penetration and longer upgrade cycles: Cost sensitivity and coverage pragmatism raise prepaid share and extend device lifespans relative to the state as a whole.
• Coverage-capacity tradeoff: Breadth of coverage is solid, but capacity (mid-band 5G density and indoor performance) lags metro Minnesota, leading to more time on LTE or low-band 5G and lower median speeds.
• Heavier hotspotting and data-plan dependence among working-age residents in areas without robust fixed broadband, a pattern less pronounced statewide.

Key takeaways

• Expect slightly lower adult smartphone penetration than the Minnesota average but significantly higher dependence on mobile data as a primary home connection.
• Infrastructure investments that expand mid-band 5G and fixed broadband competition in rural tracts would most directly narrow the county’s gap with statewide usage patterns.
• Outreach and device/plan affordability for seniors and lower-income households would yield outsized improvements in county-level adoption relative to Minnesota overall.

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

Population baseline

• Total residents: ≈8,100
• Adults (18+): ≈6,300

Most‑used platforms among adults (18+) and estimated local users

• YouTube: 83% (~5,230 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~4,280)
• Instagram: 50% (~3,150)
• Pinterest: 35% (~2,200)
• TikTok: 33% (~2,080)
• Snapchat: 30% (~1,890)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~1,890)
• WhatsApp: 29% (~1,830)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~1,390)
• Reddit: 22% (~1,390)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): Heavy Snapchat and TikTok use; Instagram strong; Facebook light except for school/sports updates.
• 18–29: Very high YouTube and Instagram; Snapchat and TikTok are core daily apps; Facebook mostly for events/groups.
• 30–49: Multi‑platform; Facebook (Groups, Marketplace) and YouTube lead; Instagram growing; TikTok moderate; Snapchat used among parents with teens.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest meaningful; TikTok/Instagram lower but rising via Reels/shorts.
• 65+: Facebook is primary, YouTube second; limited use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown (directional skews typical for the area)

• Women: Higher use of Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest; strong engagement with community pages, school updates, recipes, DIY, and local shopping.
• Men: Higher use of YouTube, Reddit, and X; strong interest in how‑to videos, agriculture/outdoors, sports, and equipment content.
• Overall social media audience skews slightly female due to Facebook and Pinterest uptake in older cohorts.

Behavioral trends in Murray County

• Platforms with the most local utility: Facebook (Groups, Events, Marketplace) and YouTube (how‑to, local church/school streams, farm/outdoor content).
• Community participation: High engagement in local Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, county/city updates, buy‑sell‑trade). Event posts and weather/road updates perform consistently well.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for vehicles, farm equipment, tools, furniture; strong peer‑to‑peer trust in small‑community transactions.
• Video habits: Short‑form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) has broad reach under 50; long‑form YouTube for tutorials, repairs, and ag practices across all ages.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous across adults; Snapchat is the de facto messenger for teens/young adults; WhatsApp niche.
• Timing: Peak engagement evenings (6–9 pm) and early mornings (6–8 am); mid‑day spikes around lunch on workdays; Sunday evening posts perform well for community and church‑related content.
• Content tone: Practical, local, and service‑oriented posts outperform national/topic‑driven content; names, faces, and recognizably local places increase interaction.

Notes on figures

• Percentages reflect current U.S. adult platform adoption (Pew Research Center, 2024) applied to Murray County’s adult population to produce locally scaled user counts. Rural age mix in Murray County tends to slightly boost Facebook/Pinterest and slightly reduce TikTok/Snapchat versus national averages, but the listed percentages are the most reliable baselines.