Pope County

Here are the latest official figures available for Pope County, Minnesota.

Population

• Total population: 11,308 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2022–2023 trend: essentially flat, around 11.3–11.5 thousand (Census estimates)

Age (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates)

• Median age: ~45–46 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~95–96%
• Black or African American alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93–94%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Number of households: ~4,900
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~64–66% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%
• Nonfamily households: ~34–36%; living alone: ~30–32%

Key insights

• Small, stable population with an older age profile than Minnesota and the U.S.
• Racial/ethnic composition is predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but present Hispanic/Latino and multiracial populations.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple and family households, but one-third are nonfamily and roughly one-third of households are individuals living alone.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Pope County, MN snapshot (population ~11,300; ~17 residents/sq. mi.)

• Estimated email users: ~9,200 residents (age 13+)

Age distribution of email users (estimated):

• 13–17: ~580 users (85% of ~680 youths)
• 18–34: ~1,950 users (96% of ~2,030)
• 35–54: ~2,790 users (95% of ~2,940)
• 55–64: ~1,370 users (93% of ~1,470)
• 65+: ~2,490 users (88% of ~2,830)

Gender split among email users (estimated):

• Female 51% (4,700)
• Male 49% (4,500)

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with an internet subscription: ~83% (≈4,000 of ~4,800 households), supporting high email adoption.
• No home internet: ~12–15% (mix of cost/coverage constraints); smartphone-only access ~10–12%, indicating many residents read email primarily on mobile.
• Rural density (~17/sq. mi.) and lake-rich terrain contribute to patchy last‑mile coverage, but recent Minnesota broadband grant activity has expanded fiber and upgraded fixed‑wireless, improving reliability and speeds countywide.
• Public access points (libraries, schools, community centers) and growing 4G/5G coverage mitigate remaining gaps, sustaining high email reach even in lower‑density townships.

Insights: Email penetration is effectively universal among working-age adults, strong among seniors, and evenly split by gender. Continued fiber buildouts and mobile coverage gains will nudge adoption and daily use higher, particularly for older and smartphone‑only households.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Pope County, Minnesota

Context and scale

• Population baseline: 11,308 residents (2020 Census), concentrated in and around Glenwood and Starbuck with a widely dispersed rural population across the rest of the county.
• Rural profile: Nonmetropolitan, lake-and-agriculture county with a sizable 65+ population share compared with Minnesota overall. This age and settlement pattern shapes device mix, plan type, and network performance.

User estimates (people, not lines)

• Any mobile phone (adults 18+): 9,800–10,400 users, or roughly 93–97% of adults. This is slightly below Minnesota’s near-saturation adult mobile phone ownership.
• Smartphone users (age 13+): 7,400–8,100 users, equal to about 80–86% of residents 13+. This under-indexes Minnesota by several points due to older age structure and more rural households.
• Basic/feature phone primary users (age 18+): 800–1,200 users, materially higher share than the state average, concentrated among 65+ and cost-sensitive segments.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): 55–62% of households, a few points below Minnesota’s statewide rate, reflecting the county’s older household mix; among under-50 households locally, wireless-only rates are close to state levels.

Demographic usage patterns (differences vs Minnesota)

• Age 18–34: Very high smartphone penetration (≈90–95%); usage patterns match state averages for social, video, and app-based services. Slightly greater use of prepaid and budget MVNOs than in metros.
• Age 35–64: High smartphone adoption (≈80–90%) but lower multi-line premium plan uptake than Twin Cities suburbs; higher incidence of “good enough” plans with capped data and hotspot add-ons.
• Age 65+: Smartphone adoption materially below the state average (≈55–65%), with a distinct cohort retaining basic phones. Safety, telehealth, and messaging are key use cases; video and high-data social apps are less prevalent.
• Income and plan mix: A larger share of cost-conscious plans (prepaid and MVNO) than statewide averages, driven by rural price sensitivity and fewer family-plan consolidations across dispersed households.
• Work and schooling: Above-average reliance on phone hotspots for remote work/school during peak periods compared with metro counties, reflecting fixed-broadband gaps.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: All three national MNOs (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) operate in the county; roaming is rare in populated corridors. MVNO service availability is broad but performance follows host-network coverage.
• 4G LTE: Broad outdoor coverage along primary corridors and towns; indoor performance varies in metal-clad farm structures and lake homes. LTE remains the reliability backbone countywide.
• 5G: Predominantly low-band 5G for wide-area coverage, with mid-band 5G appearing in and near towns/corridors. Typical rural speeds: LTE 10–40 Mbps; low-band 5G 20–100 Mbps; mid-band 5G (where present) 100–300+ Mbps. This lags the Twin Cities’ mid-band density and peak rates.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber backhaul is strongest into Glenwood/Starbuck and along state highways; capacity is thinner in outlying townships, which can lead to peak-time slowdowns during evenings and summer weekends.
• Seasonal load: Lake tourism and cabin use (notably around Lake Minnewaska and other lakes) create pronounced summer/weekend spikes in mobile traffic, more so than the statewide pattern, stressing sector capacity in recreation zones.
• Emergency and public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage prioritization is available in the area; agencies lean on LTE for reliability, with 5G adoption following backhaul upgrades.

How Pope County differs from Minnesota overall

• Adoption: Nearly universal mobile phone ownership, but smartphone penetration is a few points lower than the state average due to an older population profile and more basic-phone retention among seniors.
• Plan economics: Higher prevalence of prepaid/MVNO and capped-data plans relative to state averages, reflecting rural price sensitivity and mixed coverage quality at home.
• Access substitution: Greater reliance on phone hotspots and cellular-only internet among households lacking robust fixed broadband, compared with metro counties.
• Network experience: 5G mid-band density and peak performance trail metro standards; LTE remains the reliability baseline. Seasonal congestion swings are more pronounced around recreation areas than in most Minnesota counties.
• Digital equity: Age- and income-shaped gaps in advanced smartphone use (video telehealth, high-data apps) are wider than statewide, indicating continued need for device training and coverage/capacity investments.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 7.4–8.1 thousand smartphone users in Pope County, with total adult mobile phone users near 10 thousand.
• The county under-indexes Minnesota on smartphone penetration and mid-band 5G performance but over-indexes on prepaid usage and hotspot reliance.
• Targeted investments that add mid-band 5G capacity near towns and lakes, plus fiber backhaul extensions into rural sectors, would narrow the experience gap with statewide norms.

Pope County, MN social media snapshot (2024–2025)

User base

• Residents: ≈11,500; adults (18+): ≈9,000
• Active social media users (13+): ≈7,000 total
  • Adults: ≈6,300
  • Teens (13–17): ≈700

Age mix of users (share of social media users)

• 13–17: 10%
• 18–29: 18%
• 30–49: 35%
• 50–64: 25%
• 65+: 12%

Gender breakdown (share of social media users)

• Female: ≈53%
• Male: ≈47%
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram trend female; LinkedIn, Reddit, X trend male

Most-used platforms in Pope County (share of residents 13+ using at least monthly)

• YouTube: 72%
• Facebook: 63%
• Facebook Messenger: 58%
• Instagram: 32%
• Pinterest: 29%
• Snapchat: 28%
• TikTok: 24%
• WhatsApp: 14%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• X (Twitter): 11%
• Reddit: 10%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community hub: Facebook dominates local information flows—schools, churches, lake associations, youth sports, municipal updates; Marketplace is widely used for farm/outdoor gear and household items.
• Video habits: YouTube leads for how‑to, equipment repair, agriculture, and outdoor content; short‑form video (Facebook Reels/TikTok) is growing, concentrated among teens and young adults.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for family/community coordination; Snapchat is the daily chat app for teens and college‑age residents.
• Commerce and discovery: Local business discovery happens on Facebook/Instagram; boosted posts with clear offers and proximity cues drive foot traffic; Pinterest drives project intent (home, crafts, recipes).
• Engagement cadence: Peaks around 6–8 a.m., lunch hour, and 7–9 p.m.; weekend spikes align with community events, school sports, and church announcements.
• Content preferences: Place‑based storytelling and recognizable local faces outperform generic creative; utility posts (weather, closures, road conditions, school notices) get above‑average shares.
• Ad responsiveness: Geo‑targeted, locally produced creative with straightforward offers (sub‑$25 promos, event tickets, limited‑time deals) converts best; avoiding polarizing topics improves brand sentiment.
• Seasonality: Summer lake season and county fairs lift Facebook/Instagram engagement; back‑to‑school boosts group activity; October–November sees spikes in hunting and outdoor content.

Method note: Figures are county‑level estimates modeled from Minnesota/rural Upper Midwest benchmarks, platform ad‑reach tools, and 2024–2025 national usage studies; percentages are rounded to whole numbers and user counts to the nearest hundred.