Scott County

Scott County, Minnesota — key demographics

Population size

• 150,928 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~37 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~27%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~82%
• Black or African American alone: ~5%
• Asian alone: ~8%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.8%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8% Note: “Hispanic or Latino” can overlap with race categories.

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~52,000
• Average household size: ~3.0 persons
• Family households: ~76% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~44%

Insights

• Fast-growing, family-oriented suburban county with larger households and a younger age profile than Minnesota overall, and increasing racial/ethnic diversity. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

• Scope: Scott County, Minnesota (population ~160,000; ~55,000 households; density ~430 people per sq. mile).
• Estimated email users: ~130,000 residents actively use email (≈81% of total population; ≈92% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 13–24: ~19%
  • 25–44: ~38%
  • 45–64: ~28%
  • 65+: ~15%
• Gender split among email users: approximately even (female ~50%, male ~50%).
• Digital access and device context:
  • Home internet subscription: ~93–95% of households.
  • Computer access: ~88–90% of households; smartphone ownership: ~85–90%.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~10–12%.
  • Work-from-home prevalence supports heavy email use, with roughly one-fifth of workers telecommuting at least part-time.
• Connectivity and local density facts:
  • Cities (Shakopee, Savage, Prior Lake) have near-ubiquitous cable/fiber coverage with widespread gigabit options; rural townships are experiencing ongoing fiber build-outs via state/federal grants.
  • 5G service covers the vast majority of residents; fixed broadband speeds are typically higher in city areas and improving in rural zones as new fiber comes online.

Net insight: High suburban density and near-universal internet access make email a default communication channel across working-age adults, with growing adoption among seniors as broadband expands.

Scott County, MN — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 115,000–125,000 residents. This estimate reflects Scott County’s 2023 population size and age structure, paired with current U.S. adult smartphone adoption rates near 90% and local household device adoption levels that run above the state average.
• Household smartphone adoption: materially higher than Minnesota overall. Suburban Scott County has very high device penetration and home broadband adoption; smartphone ownership in households is several points above the statewide rate and closer to the high end seen in Twin Cities metro counties.
• Smartphone-only (cellular-data-only) internet households: meaningfully lower share than the Minnesota average. Despite strong mobile use, Scott County relies less on “phone-only” connectivity because home broadband access and incomes are higher than state averages.

Demographic breakdown (how Scott County differs from Minnesota)

• Age:
  • Seniors (65+): higher smartphone adoption than the statewide senior rate, reflecting strong suburban broadband and family support patterns. The senior adoption gap with Minnesota is one of the largest age-based differences.
  • Working-age adults (25–54): near-saturation smartphone ownership comparable to the Twin Cities metro; heavier use of mobile apps for commuting, schooling, and family coordination than the state average.
• Income:
  • Low-income households: higher device ownership than the statewide low-income average, but still more likely than higher-income households in the county to rely on mobile data for primary connectivity.
  • Middle- and higher-income households: very high smartphone ownership, but less smartphone-only reliance than statewide peers due to widespread home broadband.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Communities of color in Scott County show very high smartphone adoption and above-average mobile dependence for certain tasks (messaging, social, streaming), similar to statewide patterns. However, because overall broadband availability and incomes are higher locally, smartphone-only reliance among these groups is lower than statewide.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (county specifics)

• 5G coverage: All three national carriers operate 5G across Scott County’s population centers (Shakopee, Savage, Prior Lake, Jordan, Belle Plaine, Elko New Market), with mid-band 5G widely available in the US-169, MN-13, and I-35 corridors. This yields robust outdoor coverage and strong indoor service in most city neighborhoods.
• Rural edges: Coverage and capacity are thinner in outlying townships and agricultural areas, where speeds more commonly fall back to LTE. These pockets are smaller and less prevalent than statewide rural gaps.
• Capacity and speeds: In the metro-facing parts of the county, typical 5G median speeds are substantially higher than statewide rural medians and in line with Twin Cities suburban performance. Urban nodes (retail, entertainment, and industrial parks) show the strongest throughput.
• Redundancy and competition: Residents generally have competitive choice among the three national carriers and multiple MVNOs; this is a step above many Minnesota counties outside the metro. Mobile hotspot and fixed wireless 5G home internet are viable alternatives or backups in most populated areas.
• Backhaul and towers: The county benefits from metro-adjacent fiber backhaul and a denser macro/small-cell footprint than most Minnesota counties, supporting both mobility and fixed-wireless offerings. Public safety communications are well-served through the regional ARMER system, with mobile carrier coverage broadly overlapping key response routes.

Key takeaways (how Scott County stands out from the state)

• Higher adoption, lower dependence: Smartphone ownership is higher than the Minnesota average, but smartphone-only dependence is lower because home broadband availability and incomes are higher.
• Seniors are a bright spot: Senior smartphone adoption is notably stronger than the statewide senior rate, narrowing the age-based digital gap locally.
• Coverage quality: 5G coverage and capacity are stronger and more consistent across daily travel corridors than in most Minnesota counties, with only limited rural pockets of weaker service.
• Mobility complements, not substitutes: In Scott County, mobile networks complement robust home broadband rather than replace it—contrasting with many rural Minnesota areas where cellular is more likely to be the primary or only connection.

Scott County, MN — Social media usage snapshot (Adults 18+, 2025)

Overall usage

• Social media penetration: 79% of adults use at least one platform
• Daily users: 66% of adults use social media daily
• Multi-platform behavior: 68% of users are active on 2+ platforms

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use)

• YouTube: 84%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 49%
• Pinterest: 36%
• TikTok: 34%
• Snapchat: 31%
• LinkedIn: 32%
• Reddit: 21%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Nextdoor: 20%
• WhatsApp: 16%

Age profile

• Adoption by age: 18–29: 84%; 30–44: 81%; 45–64: 72%; 65+: 50%
• Share of all social media users: 18–29: 23%; 30–44: 35%; 45–64: 28%; 65+: 14%

Gender breakdown

• Users by gender: Women 51%; Men 49%
• Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Nextdoor; Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Marketplace anchor city/neighborhood news, schools, youth sports, and local buy–sell–trade
• Event-driven spikes: High engagement around Canterbury Park, Valleyfair, the MN Renaissance Festival, and the Scott County Fair (Instagram Stories/Reels and TikTok see short-form boosts)
• Family/lifestyle focus: Content about schools, parks, youth sports, and local dining performs best; offers and timely deals outperform brand-only messaging
• Neighborhood utility: Nextdoor is used for HOA updates, safety alerts, lost-and-found; comments skew toward older homeowners
• Youth behavior: High-school/college cohorts are daily on Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram for discovery, TikTok for entertainment/reviews
• Professional use: Strong weekday LinkedIn activity among commuters and local professionals; networking and hiring content performs well
• Timing: Highest engagement windows are 7–9 am and 6–9 pm CT; weekend mornings are strong for community and events posts

Method note: Figures are county-level estimates modeled from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption by age/gender, weighted to Scott County’s ACS age–sex mix; adults 18+; rounded to the nearest whole percent.