Renville County

Key demographics — Renville County, Minnesota

• Population

  • 14,723 (2020 Census)
  • ~14,600 (2023 Census estimate), modest decline since 2020

• Age

  • Median age: ~43
  • Under 18: ~23–24%
  • 65 and over: ~22–23%

• Gender

  • Female: ~49.5–50%
  • Male: ~50–50.5%

• Race and ethnicity (race alone unless noted; ACS 5-year)

  • White: ~89%
  • Black or African American: ~0.6%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: ~0.8–1%
  • Asian: ~0.5–0.6%
  • Two or more races: ~9%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~9–10%
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~81–82%

• Households (ACS 5-year)

  • ~6,000 households
  • Average household size: ~2.4
  • Family households: ~64–66% of all households
  • Owner-occupied share (context for households): ~80%

Insights

• Small, rural county with slow population decline and an older age profile (roughly one in five residents 65+).
• Predominantly White, with a meaningful Hispanic/Latino community approaching one in ten residents.
• Household structure skews toward family and owner-occupied households, typical of rural Minnesota.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program, 2023; American Community Survey 5-year estimates, most recent).

• Scope: Renville County, Minnesota — 2020 Census population 14,723; land area ~983 sq mi; population density ~15 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~11,600 residents (≈79% of population), reflecting near‑universal email use among internet users applied to local connectivity levels.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: 18%
  • 30–49: 32%
  • 50–64: 28%
  • 65+: 22% Email usage is highest among working‑age adults and remains strong among seniors due to telehealth, banking, and agriculture/business communications.
• Gender split of email users: Female 51%, Male 49% (mirrors county demographics; email adoption is effectively uniform by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~81% of households subscribe to broadband; ~89% have a computer device (ACS‑aligned rural MN profile).
  • Fixed broadband availability covers the vast majority of addresses at 25/3 Mbps, with growing 100/20 Mbps and fiber coverage driven by Minnesota’s Border‑to‑Border Broadband investments and provider buildouts.
  • Smartphone adoption is widespread, supporting on‑the‑go email; LTE/5G service is strongest along U.S. Highways 71 and 212 and in towns such as Olivia, Renville, and Fairfax; more remote townships rely on co‑op fiber and fixed wireless.
• Insight: As fiber expands and mobile coverage densifies, senior and farm‑sector email usage continues to climb, narrowing the rural digital gap.

Mobile phone usage in Renville County, Minnesota — summary and how it differs from statewide patterns

Timeframe and method: Estimates reflect 2023–2024 conditions derived from American Community Survey device/subscription patterns (household-level), Pew Research smartphone adoption by age, and Minnesota rural infrastructure trends, weighted by Renville County’s older age structure. Where county-level measurements are not directly published, ranges are shown to make the estimates explicit.

Key user estimates

• Adult smartphone users: about 9,000–9,800 adults (roughly 80–86% of adults), lower than Minnesota’s ~90%+ adult smartphone adoption.
• Adults using a basic/feature phone or without a mobile phone: about 1,600–2,200 adults (roughly 14–20%), higher than the statewide ~8–10%.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): about 3,900–4,300 households (approximately 62–68%), below the statewide ~70–75%.
• Households with any broadband internet: about 5,200–5,600 households (approximately 82–86%), lower than the statewide ~89–91%.
• Households relying on cellular data as their primary home internet (cellular-only subscription): about 580–760 households (roughly 9–12%), above the statewide ~6–8%.

Demographic breakdown and implications for mobile use

• Older population share: About one in four residents is 65+, higher than Minnesota overall. Seniors’ smartphone adoption (typically ~60% in national surveys) pulls down the county’s overall smartphone rate and sustains some landline retention.
• Working-age adults (18–64): Adoption is high (generally ~85–92%), but modestly below metro Minnesota due to income, coverage, and device-upgrade cadence.
• Youth (under 18): Device access is widespread but more often shared within the household; cellular-only home internet is more common than statewide, which can constrain speeds and data for homework and streaming.
• Race/ethnicity and income: A smaller but growing Hispanic/Latino community and a higher share of lower-income households than the state average correlate with more prepaid plans and cellular-only home internet solutions, raising sensitivity to data caps and coverage quality.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage profile: All national carriers provide LTE across towns and primary corridors; 5G is present in population centers but remains patchier across townships and farmsteads. Indoor coverage gaps persist in more remote areas where only low-band spectrum is available.
• Fiber and wired options: A local fiber cooperative (RS Fiber) and incumbent providers have deployed fiber in several small cities, while cable internet is available in the larger towns. Outside these footprints, many locations still depend on DSL or fixed wireless. This uneven fixed infrastructure pushes some households to rely on cellular-only service.
• Capacity and backhaul: Backhaul and middle-mile fiber have improved via Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband grants, but tower density and sector capacity outside towns can limit peak-hour mobile speeds compared with metro Minnesota.

How Renville County differs from statewide trends

• Lower smartphone penetration: Adult smartphone adoption is roughly 5–10 percentage points lower than Minnesota overall, largely due to the older age profile.
• More feature-phone and mixed-device households: A noticeably higher share of adults use basic phones or maintain a mixed setup (e.g., mobile plus legacy landline) than the statewide average.
• Lower wireless-only share: Households are somewhat less likely to drop landlines entirely compared with the state, reflecting senior households and farm operations that retain a wired line.
• More cellular-only home internet: Reliance on mobile networks for primary home internet is higher than the state average, particularly outside fiber/cable footprints.
• Patchier 5G experience: 5G access and capacity are improving in towns but remain inconsistent across rural areas compared with the more uniformly strong 5G experience in Minnesota’s metros.
• Slower device refresh cycles: Households upgrade handsets less frequently than the state average, which can limit use of mid-band 5G and newer network features.

What this means for planning and service delivery

• Network investments that matter most locally: mid-band 5G coverage outside town centers, additional sectors on existing towers to raise capacity, and expanded fiber backhaul to limit congestion.
• Demand signals: Continued interest in affordable, data-rich prepaid and postpaid plans; strong take-up for fixed-wireless and fiber where offered; and programs that discount devices/service for seniors and low-income households.
• Equity focus: Targeted expansion of non-cellular broadband (fiber or cable) reduces the county’s higher-than-average cellular-only dependence, improving reliability, speeds, and affordability for students and seniors.

Social media in Renville County, MN (2025 snapshot)

Scope and method note: County-level platform splits are not directly surveyed. Figures below are best-available estimates modeled from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 (county population/age/sex) and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 social media usage patterns, adjusted for rural/older demographics typical of Renville County. Percentages for platforms are shares of adults (18+) in the county; multiple-platform use is common, so totals exceed 100%.

Population context

• Total population: ~14,700; adults (18+): ~11,200–11,500
• Gender: ~50% male, ~50% female
• Age mix (approx.): under 18 (23%), 18–24 (7%), 25–44 (22%), 45–64 (26%), 65+ (21%)

Estimated social media user base (adults 18+)

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~7,800 (≈69% of adults)
• Mobile-first use: majority; video is the dominant content format consumed

Most-used platforms in Renville County (adult reach; estimated)

• YouTube: 78% of adults (~8,900)
• Facebook: 70% (~8,000)
• Instagram: 36% (~4,100)
• Pinterest: 32% (~3,600)
• TikTok: 24% (~2,700)
• Snapchat: 22% (~2,500)
• X (Twitter): 16% (~1,800)
• LinkedIn: 14% (~1,600)
• WhatsApp: 13% (~1,500)
• Reddit: 12% (~1,350)
• Nextdoor: 6% (~700)

Age-group usage profile (share of adults in each cohort using social media; estimated)

• 18–24: ~90% use social; heavier on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube nearly universal
• 25–44: ~82% use social; strong on Facebook, YouTube; Instagram widely used; TikTok moderate
• 45–64: ~73% use social; Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest meaningful among women
• 65+: ~45% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; limited Instagram/TikTok

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ~51% women, ~49% men (reflects slightly higher adoption among women)
• Platform skews:
  • More women than men: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Snapchat
  • More men than women: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter)
  • Near parity: WhatsApp, LinkedIn

Behavioral trends (local/rural patterns)

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement with local groups (schools, sports, churches, 4‑H/FFA, buy‑sell/Marketplace, city/county notices), event promotion, and weather/road updates
• Short video drives discovery: YouTube and Reels/Shorts used for ag tips, DIY/home, small-engine repair, hunting/fishing, and local sports highlights
• Youth communication is ephemeral/messaging-first: Snapchat and Instagram DMs for daily chat; public posting less frequent than private stories/messages
• Commerce is hyperlocal: Facebook Marketplace and group posts outperform formal e‑commerce for used equipment, vehicles, furniture, and seasonal items
• Timing and seasonality: Peaks before work (5:30–7:30 a.m.) and evenings (8–10 p.m.); ag seasons (planting/harvest) boost YouTube and Facebook group activity related to equipment and field conditions
• Trust and creators: Higher engagement with known local voices (coaches, pastors, county/EMS pages, agronomists) versus national influencers; user comments/recommendations heavily sway decisions
• Access constraints shape content: Coverage/bandwidth variation favors shorter videos and image posts; many users save or watch longer how‑to content over Wi‑Fi at home

Sources and method: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 (Renville County demographics); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023–2024 (platform reach and age/gender patterns). County figures are modeled estimates applying Pew usage rates to Renville County’s age/gender structure, with rural adjustments consistent with Pew rural/urban differentials.