Ramsey County Local Demographic Profile
Key demographics for Ramsey County, Minnesota (latest available Census Bureau data)
- Population size: ~552,000 (Census Population Estimates, July 1, 2023)
Age
- Median age: ~35.7 years
- Under 18: ~22%
- 18–64: ~64%
- 65 and over: ~14%
Gender
- Female: ~50–51%
- Male: ~49–50%
Racial/ethnic composition (shares of total population)
- White, non-Hispanic: ~56%
- Black or African American: ~13%
- Asian: ~16%
- Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
- Two or more races: ~5%
- American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <1%
Household data
- Households: ~225,000
- Average household size: ~2.4
- Family households: ~58% of households
- Households with own children under 18: ~27–28%
- Housing tenure: ~56% owner-occupied, ~44% renter-occupied
Insights
- Ramsey County is one of Minnesota’s most diverse counties; people of color comprise roughly 44% of residents.
- The age profile is relatively young for the region, yet the 65+ share is growing.
- A sizable renter share reflects its urban character centered on Saint Paul.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP, 2023) and American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year estimates.
Email Usage in Ramsey County
Ramsey County, MN snapshot (2024):
- Estimated email users: ≈480,000 residents (≈87% of the 2020 Census population of 552,352), applying national adult email-use prevalence to the county.
- Age profile (share of adults using email; estimates aligned with Pew national patterns): 18–29 ≈95%; 30–49 ≈94%; 50–64 ≈90%; 65+ ≈82%.
- Gender split among users: roughly mirrors county demographics—about 51% female, 49% male—with negligible usage gap by gender.
- Digital access and devices (ACS-based, county-level): ≈92% of households have a broadband subscription; ≈96% have a computer/smartphone. About 7–8% lack home internet; roughly 12–15% are smartphone-only connections, indicating reliance on mobile email.
- Connectivity and density: Ramsey County is Minnesota’s most densely populated county (≈3,600 residents per square mile), centered on Saint Paul. Dense urban infrastructure supports strong fixed broadband availability and multiple gigabit providers; extensive free public Wi‑Fi is offered across Saint Paul public libraries and civic facilities.
- Insight: High broadband and device access underpin near-universal email adoption among working-age adults; remaining gaps are concentrated among older and lower-income households, where smartphone-only access sustains email use but limits multi-device productivity.
Mobile Phone Usage in Ramsey County
Mobile phone usage in Ramsey County, MN — 2023–2024 snapshot
User base and penetration
- Smartphone access: Approximately 93% of households have at least one smartphone (ACS 2023). This is slightly higher than the Minnesota average (~92%).
- Cellular data plans: About 79% of households report a cellular data plan, versus roughly 74–75% statewide (ACS 2023).
- Smartphone-only internet: Roughly 10–12% of Ramsey County households rely on a smartphone with no fixed home broadband, compared with about 7–8% statewide (ACS 2023/PUMS-based estimates).
- No internet: About 6% of households report no internet subscription of any kind, versus about 4% statewide (ACS 2023).
Demographic patterns (mobile access and reliance)
- Age
- 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership (98%); highest smartphone-only internet reliance (16–20%).
- 35–49: Very high ownership (~96%); smartphone-only reliance ~12–14%.
- 50–64: High ownership (~90–92%); smartphone-only reliance ~8–10%.
- 65+: Ownership ~80–85%; smartphone-only reliance ~5–7%, but growing year over year (ACS + Pew patterns applied to county age mix).
- Income
- Under $35k: Smartphone ownership remains high (>90%) with smartphone-only reliance ~20–25%.
- $35k–$75k: Smartphone-only reliance ~10–14%.
- $75k+: Smartphone-only reliance ~4–6% (ACS microdata patterns).
- Housing tenure
- Renters: Smartphone-only reliance ~16–18%.
- Owners: ~5–7%.
- Race/ethnicity (device access is high across groups; reliance differs)
- Black and Hispanic/Latino households: Smartphone-only reliance ~18–24%.
- Asian households: ~12–15%.
- White, non-Hispanic households: ~7–9%.
- Language
- Households with limited English proficiency show roughly 2x the county-average likelihood of smartphone-only internet use. Note: Percentages are derived from ACS 2023 Computer and Internet Use tables and public-use microdata patterns, calibrated to Ramsey County’s demographic profile.
Digital infrastructure and performance
- Coverage
- 4G LTE: >99% of the population covered across AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the urban core (FCC coverage filings, 2024).
- 5G: Mid-band 5G (notably T-Mobile n41 and C-band from Verizon/AT&T) covers the vast majority of populated areas; practical population coverage is >95% within the county.
- Speeds and capacity
- Metro mobile performance in the Twin Cities regularly delivers median overall mobile downloads around 100–130 Mbps, with 5G medians frequently higher (150–300 Mbps) in dense corridors; uploads typically 10–20 Mbps (Ookla 2024 metro results).
- Dense small-cell and C-Band/mid-band deployments along I-94, I-35E, the Green Line LRT corridor (University Ave), downtown Saint Paul, and major venues improve peak-time capacity.
- Notable sites and neutral-host DAS
- Xcel Energy Center and Allianz Field have enhanced multi-carrier systems that stabilize performance during events.
- Gaps and signal challenges
- Performance soft spots can appear along river bluffs, in heavy-tree canopies (e.g., Como Park), and inside older, heavy-masonry buildings, where indoor penetration is weaker without in-building systems.
- Public access and resilience
- Extensive public Wi‑Fi at Saint Paul Public Library and Ramsey County Library branches, plus hotspot lending programs, mitigate connectivity gaps for mobile-first households.
- FirstNet (public-safety LTE) presence in the metro area adds resiliency for emergency services.
How Ramsey County differs from Minnesota overall
- More mobile-first: Ramsey County has a clearly higher share of smartphone-only households (about 3–4 percentage points above the state), reflecting an urban, renter-heavy, and lower-income mix in parts of Saint Paul.
- Slightly lower fixed-broadband take-up: Home broadband subscription rates trail the statewide average by a few points, even though device ownership is as high or higher.
- Higher cellular plan uptake: A larger share of households maintain a cellular data plan than the state average, aligning with greater mobile dependence and competitive urban wireless markets.
- Faster 5G adoption and capacity: Densification and mid-band 5G rollouts in Ramsey’s urban corridors yield higher typical mobile speeds than many outstate areas, particularly at peak times.
- Demographic drivers: Younger population shares, higher renter density, and more multilingual households translate into higher smartphone reliance and more prepaid/discount carrier usage than the state average.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2023, FCC Broadband Data Collection (2024), carrier coverage disclosures, and Ookla Speedtest Intelligence (2024), combined with standard demographic adjustments from Pew Research Center smartphone adoption findings.
Social Media Trends in Ramsey County
Ramsey County, MN social media snapshot (best-available local proxy)
- County context: Urban, diverse, and young-leaning (Saint Paul and multiple colleges). Local usage patterns closely mirror major U.S. metros. Percentages below use the latest U.S. adult usage rates (Pew Research Center, 2024) and are a reliable proxy at the county level.
Most-used platforms (share of adults who use each platform)
- YouTube: 83%
- Facebook: 68%
- Instagram: ~50%
- Pinterest: ~35%
- TikTok: ~33%
- LinkedIn: ~30%
- Snapchat: ~30%
- WhatsApp: ~26%
- X (Twitter): ~22%
- Reddit: ~22%
Age-group patterns in the county (mirrors U.S. metro behavior)
- 13–17: Heavy on TikTok and Snapchat; YouTube near-universal. Instagram strong; Facebook minimal.
- 18–29: YouTube near-universal; Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat dominate daily use. Facebook is secondary and used mainly for events, groups, and Marketplace.
- 30–49: Broad multi-platform use. Facebook and YouTube anchor; Instagram strong; TikTok adoption rising; LinkedIn notably active given the county’s government, nonprofit, health, and education workforce.
- 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest meaningful, Instagram moderate; TikTok selective (news/entertainment).
- 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; Pinterest and Instagram lighter; TikTok/X niche.
Gender breakdown (platform tendencies)
- Women over-index on: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (Pinterest’s audience is majority female).
- Men over-index on: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter).
- TikTok and Snapchat skew slightly female overall but are broadly used by younger segments of all genders.
- LinkedIn is near gender-balanced, with slight male skew in tech/engineering roles and female skew in education/health/government.
Behavioral trends observed locally
- Community and civic engagement: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are core for neighborhood alerts, school updates, lost-and-found, and local policy conversations; high engagement during weather events and elections.
- Events and local discovery: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive restaurant, festival, park, and venue discovery; Stories and Reels outperform static posts for reach.
- Youth and campus life: Strong Snapchat and TikTok usage around University of St. Thomas, Macalester, Hamline, St. Catherine, and Metro State; short-form vertical video is the default format.
- Multilingual and cultural communities: Facebook and YouTube are primary for Hmong, Karen, Somali, and Latino communities; WhatsApp is common in immigrant circles for family, church, and mutual-aid coordination.
- Employment and services: LinkedIn is effective for government, nonprofit, healthcare, and education recruiting; Facebook/Instagram perform well for frontline and event hiring; Marketplace is widely used.
- News and issue tracking: YouTube and Facebook for local news clips and city/county updates; X and Reddit (e.g., r/twincities) for breaking news, transit, and sports chatter.
- Messaging and groups over public posting: Private groups, DMs, and community chats are preferred for sensitive or neighborhood topics, raising engagement but lowering public comment volume.
- Daypart patterns: Mobile-first usage peaks early morning commute, lunch, and evenings; weekend late mornings/afternoons are strong for Instagram/TikTok; LinkedIn peaks Tue–Thu mornings.
Practical takeaways
- Anchor on Facebook + Instagram (broad reach) and YouTube (searchable, evergreen video); add TikTok for 18–34 reach and LinkedIn for professional/government audiences.
- Use Facebook Groups/Nextdoor for hyperlocal reach; short-form vertical video for discovery; multilingual posts to reach key communities.
- Expect higher engagement on video, carousels, and Stories/Reels vs. static images; prioritize clear local hooks (neighborhood names, landmarks, schools).
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Minnesota
- Aitkin
- Anoka
- Becker
- Beltrami
- Benton
- Big Stone
- Blue Earth
- Brown
- Carlton
- Carver
- Cass
- Chippewa
- Chisago
- Clay
- Clearwater
- Cook
- Cottonwood
- Crow Wing
- Dakota
- Dodge
- Douglas
- Faribault
- Fillmore
- Freeborn
- Goodhue
- Grant
- Hennepin
- Houston
- Hubbard
- Isanti
- Itasca
- Jackson
- Kanabec
- Kandiyohi
- Kittson
- Koochiching
- Lac Qui Parle
- Lake
- Lake Of The Woods
- Le Sueur
- Lincoln
- Lyon
- Mahnomen
- Marshall
- Martin
- Mcleod
- Meeker
- Mille Lacs
- Morrison
- Mower
- Murray
- Nicollet
- Nobles
- Norman
- Olmsted
- Otter Tail
- Pennington
- Pine
- Pipestone
- Polk
- Pope
- Red Lake
- Redwood
- Renville
- Rice
- Rock
- Roseau
- Saint Louis
- Scott
- Sherburne
- Sibley
- Stearns
- Steele
- Stevens
- Swift
- Todd
- Traverse
- Wabasha
- Wadena
- Waseca
- Washington
- Watonwan
- Wilkin
- Winona
- Wright
- Yellow Medicine