Roseau County

Key demographics of Roseau County, Minnesota

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: 15,300 (2020 Census); approximately 15,500 (2019–2023 ACS)

Age

• Median age: about 40 years (ACS)
• Age distribution (ACS):
  • Under 18: ~25%
  • 18 to 64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (ACS)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (non-Hispanic): ~91–93%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Black or African American: ~0.5–1%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3% (2020 Census race; ACS ethnicity)

Households (ACS unless noted)

• Total households: ~6,100
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~60–63% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• One-person households: ~28–30%; living alone age 65+: ~12–13%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80%

Insights

• Small, stable population with a modestly aging profile.
• Household structure is predominantly family- and owner-occupied, consistent with rural northern Minnesota.
• Racial/ethnic composition is largely non-Hispanic White with small but present Hispanic/Latino and American Indian populations.

Roseau County, MN email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ≈11,000 residents (≈90% of adults), based on county population ~15.5k and typical rural email adoption.
• Age adoption (share of each age group using email): 18–29 ≈95%; 30–49 ≈96%; 50–64 ≈91%; 65+ ≈78%. Seniors are the primary non-users.
• Gender split among users: ≈51% male, 49% female, mirroring the county’s population profile.
• Digital access:
  • ≈82% of households have a broadband subscription; ≈90% have a computer.
  • ≈87% of adults own a smartphone; ≈13% of households are smartphone‑only for internet.
  • Daily use: ~70% of adults check email daily; mobile is the dominant access method.
• Trends and local context:
  • Population density ≈9 people per sq. mile across ~1,670 sq. miles, creating rural last‑mile challenges.
  • ≥25/3 Mbps service available to ≈96% of populated locations; ≥100/20 Mbps to ~85%, driven by fiber builds in and around Roseau and Warroad (notably by regional providers/co‑ops such as Wiktel), with fixed wireless and satellite filling gaps.
  • Public Wi‑Fi and device access are available via local libraries and schools, supporting residents without reliable home service.

Net insight: High email penetration among working‑age adults; improving fiber access is narrowing rural gaps, but older and remote households remain less connected.

Mobile phone usage in Roseau County, Minnesota (2024 snapshot)

Headline estimates

• Population and adult base: Population ~15,300; adults (18+) ~11,800.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile phone): 10,700–11,100 adults (≈90–93% of adults).
• Smartphone users: 9,400–10,000 adults (≈80–85% of adults).
• Households with a cellular data plan: 75–82% of households.
• Smartphone-only internet households (cellular data plan but no wireline broadband): 8–12% of households, higher than Minnesota’s ~5–7%.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–29: very high smartphone adoption (≈93–96%), similar to statewide.
  • 30–49: high adoption (≈88–92%), slightly below statewide due to coverage gaps outside towns.
  • 50–64: solid adoption (≈78–85%), a few points below statewide.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈58–68%), notably below statewide, with more basic phones still in use for voice/SMS.
• Income and education
  • Lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet, reflecting limited or costly wireline options outside Roseau and Warroad.
  • Households with lower formal education exhibit higher reliance on prepaid and budget MVNO plans than the state average.
• Urban–rural within the county
  • Roseau, Warroad, Greenbush, and Badger show near-state smartphone adoption and 5G availability.
  • Outlying townships rely more on LTE, with a higher share of voice-first or text-first usage and fixed wireless for home internet.
• Occupational/sector usage
  • Agriculture, outdoor trades, and manufacturing (notably around Roseau/Warroad) drive demand for reliable LTE in fields, along section roads, and at plant sites; fleet telematics and push-to-talk over LTE are common.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier presence: All three national MNOs (AT&T including FirstNet, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide county coverage; Verizon generally strongest in remote areas, AT&T robust along highways and public safety grids, T‑Mobile strongest in towns with 600 MHz low‑band coverage extending outward.
• 5G footprint
  • Low‑band 5G: Broad along MN‑11, MN‑89, and within towns; mainly coverage-focused with modest speed uplift over LTE.
  • Mid‑band 5G: Concentrated in Roseau and Warroad cores and along main corridors; limited reach into forested and low-density areas.
• Performance pattern
  • In-town typical downlink speeds are strong on mid‑band 5G; just outside towns many users fall back to LTE, where speeds and capacity can degrade at peak times.
  • Indoor coverage varies in metal buildings and basements; external antennas or Wi‑Fi calling remain common mitigations.
• Wireline and backhaul
  • Fiber and cable are present in the population centers; beyond them, DSL and fixed wireless are still in service.
  • Regional fiber/backhaul provided by northern Minnesota providers (including Wiktel/Wikstrom Telephone in parts of the county and Midco footprints), which underpin macro cell sites and anchor institutions.
• Coverage constraints and border effects
  • Heavily forested areas and lake shorelines near Warroad/Lake of the Woods have micro‑dead zones and terrain/foliage attenuation.
  • Proximity to the Canadian border introduces cross‑border roaming and spectrum coordination; residents commonly disable roaming near the border to avoid incidental charges.

How Roseau County differs from Minnesota overall

• Adoption and device mix
  • Overall mobile and smartphone adoption are high but sit a few points below statewide because of older age structure and rural geography.
  • A larger share of basic/feature phones persists among seniors compared with the state average.
• Access and dependency
  • Smartphone-only internet dependence is materially higher than statewide, reflecting patchier wireline broadband beyond town centers.
  • Prepaid and budget MVNO usage is higher than the state average, tied to income mix and coverage variability across carriers.
• Network experience
  • 5G mid‑band coverage is less ubiquitous; LTE remains the workhorse outside towns, so average mobile speeds are lower and more variable than statewide urban/suburban areas.
  • Greater reliance on fixed wireless (LTE/5G FWA) for home internet outside the cable/fiber footprints than is typical statewide.
• Unique local factors
  • Cross‑border roaming risk and spectrum coordination near Manitoba is a bigger factor than for most Minnesota counties.
  • Agricultural and outdoor work patterns drive above‑average use of rugged devices, external antennas, and push‑to‑talk over cellular.

Implications and near‑term outlook

• Expect continued 5G densification in Roseau and Warroad and along major corridors, with incremental infill to reduce LTE-only pockets.
• Fixed wireless access will remain an important substitute for wireline in low‑density areas until fiber builds extend further from towns.
• Targeted improvements that matter most locally include in‑building solutions for metal structures, small cells/repeaters at community hubs, and improved coverage on farm and forest roads.

Sources and method

• Estimates synthesized from 2020 Census population, 2022–2023 American Community Survey S2801 (cellular data subscription and broadband types), Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks by community type, and 2023–2024 FCC mobile/broadband coverage filings for northern Minnesota. Figures shown as ranges reflect county‑level sampling error and rural variability.

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

Topline user stats

• Population: ~15,500 residents; ~13,330 residents age 13+
• Active social media users (13+): ~10,200 (≈77% of residents 13+; ≈66% of total population)

Age mix of active users (share of all users)

• 13–17: ~10%
• 18–29: ~19%
• 30–49: ~33%
• 50–64: ~23%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender breakdown of active users

• Female: ~50–52%
• Male: ~48–50%
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Facebook lean female; Reddit and X (Twitter) lean male; Instagram and TikTok are near even

Most-used platforms among local social media users (share of active users, 13+)

• YouTube: ~86%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Facebook Messenger: ~63%
• Instagram: ~40%
• TikTok: ~36%
• Snapchat: ~33%
• Pinterest: ~26%
• X (Twitter): ~17%
• LinkedIn: ~14%
• Reddit: ~13%
• Nextdoor: ~5%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook is the community backbone: local news, school updates, community groups, events, Marketplace, and small-business promotions dominate. Engagement spikes around school sports, the county fair, and weather events.
• Short-form video is rising: TikTok and Instagram Reels usage is growing across 18–34; many local businesses and organizations repurpose short videos to Facebook for reach.
• Youth messaging first: Teens and young adults rely on Snapchat for day-to-day communication and group coordination; Instagram is preferred for sports highlights and social identity; TikTok drives trends and discovery.
• Practical YouTube use: Strong for DIY, home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, and local sports streams; adults 30–64 are heavy viewers.
• Older adults cluster on Facebook: Ages 50+ rely on Facebook pages and Messenger; Instagram/TikTok adoption is increasing but still secondary.
• Commerce and classifieds: Facebook Marketplace is the primary venue for buy/sell/trade (vehicles, farm equipment, outdoor gear). Limited use of Craigslist or Nextdoor relative to Facebook.
• Time-of-day engagement: Peaks before work/school (6:30–8:30 a.m.) and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekend mid-mornings are strong for community and retail posts.
• Seasonal dynamics: Winter indoor months lift overall screen time and video viewing; summer field/work seasons reduce daytime usage; sports seasons (especially hockey) drive recurring spikes.
• Low “influencer” presence: Local reach is driven by school, civic, faith, and small-business accounts rather than individual creators. Cross-posting the same content to Facebook and Instagram is common.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Roseau County built from U.S. platform adoption rates (Pew Research Center 2023–2024) calibrated to the county’s age/sex profile (U.S. Census Bureau ACS/2023). They reflect best-available estimates rather than a county-specific survey.