Stearns County Local Demographic Profile
Stearns County, Minnesota — Key demographics
Population size
- 163,000 (2023 Census population estimate)
- 158,292 (2020 Census)
Age (ACS 2018–2022)
- Median age: ~35 years
- Under 18: ~23%
- 65 and over: ~16%
Gender (ACS 2018–2022)
- Female: ~49.5%
- Male: ~50.5%
Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)
- White alone: ~87%
- Black or African American alone: ~6–7%
- Asian alone: ~2–3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
- Two or more races: ~3–4%
- Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~83–84%
Households (ACS 2018–2022)
- Total households: ~61,000
- Average household size: ~2.55
- Family households: ~62% of households
- Average family size: ~3.1
- Households with children under 18: ~30%
- One-person households: ~29% (about 11% are 65+ living alone)
Insights
- Younger than Minnesota overall (median age ~35 vs. ~39 statewide), reflecting the St. Cloud student population.
- Increasing diversity over the past decade, with growth concentrated among Black/African and Hispanic/Latino residents.
- Household structure is majority family-based, but nearly 3 in 10 households are individuals living alone, consistent with a college-influenced community.
Email Usage in Stearns County
Stearns County, MN overview
- Population and density: 158,292 residents; ~118 people per sq. mile (2020 Census).
- Connectivity: ~89% of households have a broadband subscription and ~95% have a computer/smartphone (ACS 2022, S2801). Access is strongest in and around St. Cloud; rural townships lag but are improving via state broadband buildouts.
Estimated email users
- Adults (18+): 121,900. Applying Pew U.S. email adoption rates by age yields ~115,600 adult email users (95% of adults).
- By age (users): 18–24 ≈ 18,600; 25–44 ≈ 40,300; 45–64 ≈ 36,500; 65+ ≈ 20,200. Seniors account for most non-users despite strong growth in adoption.
- Youth: Under-18 population ~36,400; many teens use email, but adult figures are shown for comparability.
Gender split
- Population is roughly even by gender (≈51% female). Email adoption shows near parity; estimated adult email users are ~58,500 female and ~57,100 male.
Digital access trends and insights
- High home-broadband and device ownership support near-universal email use among working-age adults.
- Remaining gaps are concentrated among 65+ and in lower-density, western rural areas, where fixed-wireless and DSL are more common than fiber, moderating email engagement compared with St. Cloud and suburban tracts.
Mobile Phone Usage in Stearns County
Summary of mobile phone usage in Stearns County, Minnesota (latest publicly reported data windows, 2022–2024)
Headline estimates
- Mobile phone users: 125,000–135,000 residents use a mobile phone on a regular basis in Stearns County, equivalent to about 85–90% of the total population. Of these, an estimated 115,000–125,000 are smartphone users. Basis: county population and household device subscription data from recent ACS Computer & Internet Use releases combined with age-specific smartphone adoption rates from national surveys.
- Household smartphone access: Approximately 90–93% of households report having a smartphone in the home. Cellular data plans are present in roughly 72–80% of households. Share of cellular-only home internet (households with a cellular data plan and no wireline broadband) is in the high single digits to low double digits, centered around 9–12%.
- Network performance: In and around St. Cloud/Sartell/Waite Park, mid-band 5G (3–4 GHz) is widely available with typical median download speeds in the 150–300 Mbps range. Outside the urban core, 5G coverage leans low-band with typical medians 30–100 Mbps, and LTE remains the primary layer in western and northern townships.
Demographic breakdown of usage
- Age:
- 18–34: Near-saturation smartphone adoption (≈96–99%), boosted by the student population (St. Cloud State University and other campuses). Higher likelihood of mobile-only media consumption and mobile payments.
- 35–64: High adoption (≈92–96%); highest share of multi-line family plans and 5G device penetration.
- 65+: Adoption materially lower than younger cohorts but still robust (≈70–85%), with above-average use of voice/SMS and telehealth apps; a nontrivial segment relies on LTE home internet in rural areas.
- Urban vs rural within county:
- Urban core (St. Cloud/Sartell/Waite Park): Higher 5G device penetration, higher average data use per line, and more unlimited plans. Wi‑Fi offload is common due to widespread apartment and campus broadband.
- Rural townships (western/northern Stearns): Slightly lower smartphone adoption and higher reliance on cellular for home connectivity. Data caps and deprioritization on fixed wireless plans influence usage patterns.
- Income: Lower-income households exhibit higher rates of mobile-dependence (cellular-only home internet) and greater use of prepaid or ACP/LIHWAP-supported plans when available.
- Work and student dynamics: A larger-than-state-average student share elevates BYOD, mobile ID, and app-based campus services usage. Manufacturing, health care, and logistics jobs drive strong daytime mobility and use of push-to-talk and fleet telematics.
Digital infrastructure and coverage
- Carrier presence: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all operate macro and small-cell sites in the St. Cloud urban area, with mid-band 5G concentrated along I‑94, US‑10, and major corridors; coverage thins with distance from these routes.
- 5G footprint: Population coverage is high across the urbanized east but notably more fragmented across western rural townships where low-band 5G and LTE dominate. Mid-band 5G availability by land area is meaningfully lower than Minnesota’s statewide average.
- Capacity and performance:
- Urban nodes: Dense sectorization and small cells around commercial corridors and the university support high median speeds and lower latency. Event-driven congestion is episodic but manageable.
- Rural: Fewer sectors per site and longer inter-site distance lead to slower median speeds and greater variance during peak evening hours, particularly where fixed-wireless subscribers share capacity with mobile users.
- Fixed-wireless substitution: LTE/5G home internet products are common on the fringe of legacy DSL/satellite footprints, increasing cellular load in evenings.
- Emergency and public safety: FirstNet and Band 14 overlays support coverage for public safety; rural in-building penetration can still be challenging in metal-clad agricultural and industrial structures.
How Stearns County differs from Minnesota overall
- Higher mobile-only reliance outside the metro core: The county’s rural west shows a larger share of cellular-only home internet than the statewide average, reflecting patchier wireline options compared with the Twin Cities suburbs and larger regional centers.
- More pronounced urban–rural performance gap: The speed and latency delta between the St. Cloud area and outlying townships is wider than Minnesota’s average gap, because state figures are buoyed by extensive metro mid-band 5G builds.
- Student-driven usage mix: Stearns County’s student concentration raises mobile app usage, eSIM adoption, and unlimited data plan penetration relative to the state average, especially in the urban core.
- Tower density and mid-band reach: On a per-square-mile basis, macro/small-cell density and mid-band 5G coverage area lag the statewide mean, though population coverage in the St. Cloud area is competitive with state norms.
- Prepaid and budget plans: A slightly higher share of prepaid and discount MVNO lines is observed compared with the statewide mix, tied to student and lower-income segments.
Key statistics at a glance
- Smartphone households: ≈90–93% (MN statewide typically low‑90s)
- Households with a cellular data plan: ≈72–80% (MN statewide typically mid‑ to upper‑70s)
- Cellular-only home internet households: ≈9–12% (MN statewide typically ≈6–9%)
- Estimated individual smartphone users: 115,000–125,000
- Typical urban 5G median download: 150–300 Mbps; rural: 30–100 Mbps
- Coverage pattern: Near-universal LTE outdoors; mid-band 5G concentrated in St. Cloud/Sartell/Waite Park and along major corridors, with low-band 5G/LTE prevailing elsewhere
Implications
- Consumer experience is excellent in the urban core and corridor-adjacent areas, but rural users face higher variability, encourage network-aware app design and offline-first features.
- Continued buildout of mid-band 5G in rural sectors and additional backhaul to existing sites would narrow the county’s urban–rural gap relative to statewide performance.
- Programs targeting mobile-only households (device subsidies, digital skills, and content compression) will have above-average impact in western townships compared with typical Minnesota counties.
Social Media Trends in Stearns County
Stearns County, MN — social media usage snapshot
What the numbers support (best-available, U.S.-benchmarked)
- Overall adoption: U.S. adult social media adoption has plateaued around 7-in-10 adults; use in Minnesota counties with similar urban/rural mix tracks closely with this national level (Pew Research Center, 2024).
- Most-used platforms among U.S. adults (strong proxy for Stearns County):
- YouTube: ~83%
- Facebook: ~68%
- Instagram: ~47%
- Pinterest: ~35%
- TikTok: ~33%
- LinkedIn: ~30%
- Snapchat: ~27%
- X (Twitter): ~22%
- Reddit: ~22% These shares reflect “ever use” among U.S. adults (Pew, 2024) and are the best available local proxy; county-level platform splits are not directly published.
Age-group patterns (how usage skews locally)
- 18–24 (St. Cloud college effect): Heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; YouTube is near-universal. Facebook is used but not central for daily posting; Groups/Marketplace still matter for housing, textbooks, and jobs.
- 25–34: Active across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook; TikTok growing for entertainment and local eats/nightlife; Snapchat remains sticky for messaging.
- 35–54: Facebook (including Groups and Marketplace) and YouTube dominate; Instagram used for family/lifestyle; Pinterest strong for home, food, and DIY.
- 55+: Facebook first, YouTube second; limited but rising Instagram use; Pinterest used for hobbies; TikTok usage exists but remains niche.
Gender breakdown (platform skews that apply in similar counties)
- Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (shopping, recipes, school/community updates).
- Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (sports, tech, news); LinkedIn skew slightly male in use and activity.
- Messaging: Snapchat (younger), Facebook Messenger (broad, cross-age), WhatsApp pockets in multilingual communities.
Behavioral trends specific to a Stearns County profile
- Facebook Groups and Marketplace are core utilities for local news, school/sports, yard sales, farm/ranch, and seasonal services; engagement peaks evenings and weekends.
- Video-first consumption is surging: YouTube long-form and Shorts; Facebook/Instagram Reels are the fastest-growing formats for local businesses and events.
- Campus-to-community bridge: Student-heavy neighborhoods push higher Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram activity around the academic calendar (move-in, homecoming, graduation).
- Rural/edge-township usage: Facebook remains the organizing hub; weather, road closures, hunting/fishing, and high-school sports drive spikes.
- Trust and word-of-mouth: Reviews, recommendations in local Groups, and creator-style local pages strongly influence service choices (auto, healthcare, trades).
- Events and cause marketing perform best when paired with hyperlocal visuals, school tie-ins, and cross-posting to community Groups.
Actionable implications
- To reach the broadest adult audience: prioritize Facebook + YouTube; add Instagram for under-45 reach and creative.
- To reach 18–34: Instagram + TikTok + Snapchat, with short video and creator partnerships; time posts around campus rhythms.
- For commerce and lead-gen: Facebook/Instagram Reels + Stories; Pinterest for home/DIY; LinkedIn for healthcare/education/manufacturing hiring.
- Post timing: Evenings (7–9 p.m.) and weekend mornings see consistent engagement across platforms in Central Time.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult usage rates by platform, age, and demographic).
- Platform ad-reach reports and Minnesota county comparatives indicate similar patterns for mixed urban–rural counties like Stearns when local demographics are controlled.
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
- Rock
- Roseau
- Saint Louis
- Scott
- Sherburne
- Sibley
- Steele
- Stevens
- Swift
- Todd
- Traverse
- Wabasha
- Wadena
- Waseca
- Washington
- Watonwan
- Wilkin
- Winona
- Wright
- Yellow Medicine