Rock County Local Demographic Profile
Rock County, Minnesota — key demographics (latest available, U.S. Census Bureau)
Population size
- Total population: ~9,600 (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate)
Age
- Median age: ~41.5 years
- Under 18: ~24%
- 18 to 64: ~55%
- 65 and over: ~21%
Gender
- Female: ~50%
- Male: ~50%
Racial and ethnic composition
- White alone (non-Hispanic): ~91%
- White alone (any ethnicity): ~94%
- Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%
- Two or more races: ~3–4%
- Black or African American alone: ~1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.5%
- Asian alone: ~0.4–0.6%
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0%
Households and families
- Total households: ~3,900
- Average household size: ~2.4
- Average family size: ~3.0
- Family households: ~64% of households
- Married-couple households: ~53%
- Nonfamily households: ~36%
- Households with children under 18: ~28%
- Households with someone age 65+: ~32%
- Housing tenure: ~77% owner-occupied, ~23% renter-occupied
Insights
- Population is small and stable, with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
- The county is predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small but present Hispanic and multiracial populations.
- Household structure skews toward married-couple families and high owner-occupancy, typical of rural Minnesota counties.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (DP05, DP02, DP04) and related county profiles.
Email Usage in Rock County
Rock County, MN snapshot (pop ≈9.5k; density ≈20 people/mi²)
Estimated email users: ≈7,100 residents use email at least monthly.
Age mix of email users:
- 13–17: 3%
- 18–29: 14%
- 30–49: 30%
- 50–64: 26%
- 65+: 27%
Gender split: ≈50% female, 50% male, mirroring the county’s population.
Digital access and trends:
- ≈82% of households have a broadband subscription; ≈90% have a computer.
- ≈80% of adults use smartphones; 8–10% of households are smartphone‑only for home internet.
- Fixed broadband (cable/fiber/DSL) is strongest in Luverne and along I‑90/US‑75; rural townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with lower speeds and higher latency.
- 4G LTE coverage is countywide; 5G is present in/near Luverne and along major corridors.
- Broadband subscription and senior internet use have risen over the past five years, narrowing the rural digital gap but leaving last‑mile pockets.
Local density/connectivity context:
- A single population hub (Luverne, ~5k) and dispersed farms increase per‑premise build costs, shaping fiber rollout patterns.
- Public institutions (schools/library) supplement access with free Wi‑Fi and devices, supporting high email reliance for government, healthcare, and billing.
Mobile Phone Usage in Rock County
Summary of mobile phone usage in Rock County, Minnesota (2024)
Headline estimates
- Total residents with a mobile phone (any type): approximately 8,250 people, about 85% of the county’s 9,704 residents (2020 Census base, adjusted to 2024 usage rates).
- Smartphone users: approximately 6,730 people, about 69–70% of total population; about 76–77% among adults 18+.
- Compared with Minnesota statewide patterns, Rock County’s adult smartphone penetration is lower by roughly 7–10 percentage points, reflecting its older age profile and rural settlement pattern.
Demographic breakdown (modeled from Census age structure and current US/rural adoption rates)
- Ages 0–12: 1,550 residents; about 30% have a mobile phone (466), 25% have a smartphone (388).
- Ages 13–17: 580 residents; ~95% have a smartphone (553).
- Ages 18–64: 5,430 residents; ~97% have a mobile phone (5,270), 83% have a smartphone (4,510).
- Ages 65+: 2,135 residents; ~92% have a mobile phone (1,960), 60% have a smartphone (1,280). Key contrasts with Minnesota overall:
- Older population share drives lower smartphone adoption among seniors (roughly 60% in Rock County vs notably higher in metro Minnesota).
- Near-universal teen smartphone ownership mirrors statewide, but the smaller teen cohort means less pull toward app‑centric, high‑bandwidth mobile use countywide.
Usage patterns and behavior
- More voice/SMS and coverage-first priorities than in urban Minnesota, driven by agriculture, outdoor work, and longer rural drives.
- Higher reliance on mobile data and fixed‑wireless for home connectivity in outlying areas where wired broadband is limited or slow; hotspot usage is noticeably more common than in metro counties.
- Cross‑border mobility is significant: many users traverse into South Dakota and Iowa for work/shopping, so carrier choice often favors networks with stronger coverage toward Sioux Falls and along I‑90/US‑75.
Digital infrastructure highlights
- Coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide 4G LTE across primary roads and towns; 5G low‑band covers the I‑90/US‑75 corridor and population centers (Luverne, Hills, Beaver Creek), with 4G/LTE fallback in sparsely populated farm areas. Mid‑band 5G capacity (e.g., C‑band/2.5 GHz) is concentrated in/near Luverne and along I‑90; mmWave is not a factor.
- Capacity and speeds: In‑town 5G commonly delivers tens to low‑hundreds of Mbps downlink, while open‑country LTE often ranges ~10–40 Mbps with higher variability and weaker indoor penetration in steel/metal buildings and basements.
- Site topology: Macro towers dominate (highway corridors, near small towns, and on water towers/silos). Small‑cell density is low compared with Minnesota’s metro counties, so capacity growth hinges on mid‑band overlays on existing macros rather than dense infill.
- Backhaul: Fiber backhaul is strongest along I‑90 and into Luverne; off‑corridor sites may rely on longer fiber laterals or microwave, which constrains peak capacity relative to metro Minnesota.
- Home broadband alternatives: 5G fixed‑wireless (T‑Mobile, Verizon) is available in and around towns and along corridors and is increasingly used as a primary home connection in areas where legacy DSL/coax underperform. This reliance on cellular/fixed‑wireless is noticeably higher than in the Twin Cities and large regional centers where FTTH/cable is more pervasive.
- Public safety: AT&T FirstNet coverage is established along primary corridors and town centers; public safety still relies on LMR for mission‑critical voice with cellular data as a supplement.
How Rock County differs from state-level trends
- Adoption: Adult smartphone penetration is lower (by roughly 7–10 points), primarily due to a larger 65+ share and rural adoption patterns.
- Network build: Coverage is broad but capacity is thinner than in Minnesota’s metro areas; mid‑band 5G is more corridor‑ and town‑focused, with fewer small cells.
- Access mix: A higher share of households leans on mobile/fixed‑wireless for primary internet, compared with the state’s urban counties where wired broadband dominates.
- Mobility patterns: Cross‑state usage (toward Sioux Falls) plays a larger role in plan/carrier selection than it does for most Minnesotans.
Method notes
- Population base: 2020 Census for Rock County (9,704). Age‑group counts derived from the county’s older‑than‑state age profile typical of rural southwest Minnesota.
- Ownership/adoption rates: Applied national and rural‑area rates from recent surveys (e.g., Pew Research Center and NTIA/FCC reporting through 2023–2024): adults with any mobile phone (97%); adult smartphone adoption ~85% nationally, adjusted to ~83% for rural adults; seniors’ smartphone adoption ~60%; teens ~95%; children’s phone/smartphone adoption estimated at ~30%/25%, respectively. Aggregating these by age groups yields the county totals above.
These figures and infrastructure notes capture the practical reality on the ground: Rock County emphasizes broad outdoor coverage and practical connectivity, shows modestly lower smartphone adoption than the Minnesota average, and exhibits a higher dependence on mobile and fixed‑wireless access where wired broadband is sparse.
Social Media Trends in Rock County
Rock County, MN social media snapshot (modeled to 2024–2025)
How this was built
- Based on Rock County’s population (~9.7K; 2020 Census) and age profile (ACS), combined with 2023–2024 Pew Research Center U.S. social-media adoption by age and gender, weighted to the county’s older-leaning demographics. Figures are for residents age 13+ unless noted.
User base
- Estimated social media users: ~5,900–6,000 (about 71% of residents 13+; ~60% of total population)
- User mix by age (share of all users): 13–17: 9% | 18–29: 18% | 30–49: 34% | 50–64: 23% | 65+: 16%
- Gender among users: ~53% women, ~47% men
Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ who use each)
- YouTube: 67%
- Facebook: 64%
- Instagram: 41%
- TikTok: 33%
- Pinterest: 30%
- Snapchat: 28%
- LinkedIn: 23%
- WhatsApp: 22%
- X (Twitter): 19%
- Reddit: 17%
Age-group highlights (platform reach within each age band)
- Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~67%, Snapchat ~60%, Instagram ~62%, Facebook ~32%
- 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~67%
- 30–49: YouTube ~91%, Facebook ~77%, Instagram ~47%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~31%
- 50–64: Facebook ~73%, YouTube ~83%, Instagram ~29%, Pinterest ~30%, TikTok ~21%
- 65+: Facebook ~50%, YouTube ~49%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10%, Pinterest ~19%
Gender patterns (local composition among users of each platform)
- More women than men: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest
- More men than women: YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn
- Rough skews: Pinterest is the most female-skewed; Reddit and X the most male-skewed
Behavioral trends observed in small, rural MN counties (applicable to Rock County)
- Facebook is the community backbone: Local news, school/sports updates, buy–sell groups, event promotion, and public notices concentrate in Facebook Pages/Groups; Messenger is a common customer-service channel for local businesses.
- Short-form video growth: Reels and TikTok are rising for sports highlights, hunting/outdoor content, and small-business promotion; viewership outpaces local content creation.
- Youth messaging-first: Teens and young adults favor Snapchat for daily communication; Instagram DMs and Stories are secondary; Facebook is used for events and family ties, not daily posting.
- Older adults are “Facebook-first”: High daily check-in rates, heavy engagement with local organizations and churches; YouTube used for how‑to and entertainment.
- Shopping and services: Facebook + Instagram drive most local discovery; farm, home, and service businesses see strongest response to photo/video posts with clear local cues (faces, landmarks, school colors).
- Timing: Evenings and weekends yield the highest engagement; during planting/harvest seasons, early morning and late evening spikes are common.
- Information quality: Local groups spread urgent updates quickly; they also require active moderation to manage rumor/misinformation, especially around public safety and regional politics.
Notes
- These are best-fit local estimates derived from Pew’s national platform adoption by age and gender, weighted to Rock County’s older demographic structure. Actual local figures can vary by several points, but the platform ranking, age skews, and behavior patterns are consistent with rural Minnesota counties. Sources: U.S. Census/ACS; Pew Research Center social media use (2023–2024).
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
- Ramsey
- Red Lake
- Redwood
- Renville
- Rice
- Roseau
- Saint Louis
- Scott
- Sherburne
- Sibley
- Stearns
- Steele
- Stevens
- Swift
- Todd
- Traverse
- Wabasha
- Wadena
- Waseca
- Washington
- Watonwan
- Wilkin
- Winona
- Wright
- Yellow Medicine