Steele County

Steele County, Minnesota — key demographics

Population size

• 37,406 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 37,3xx–37,4xx (2018–2022 ACS 5-year estimate range; county population has been essentially stable since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 5: ~6%
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is of any race)

• White alone (not Hispanic): ~77%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~10–11%
• White alone (including Hispanic): ~85%
• Black or African American alone: ~3–4%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–0.6%
• Two or more races: ~4%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~14,400
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~62%
• Married-couple families: ~49%
• Nonfamily households: ~38%
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• People living alone (65+): ~11–12% of households

Insights

• Population is stable with a modestly aging profile (nearly one in five residents is 65+).
• The county is predominantly White non-Hispanic but has meaningful diversity; Hispanic/Latino residents are the largest minority group at around 10–11%.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates. Figures shown are rounded.

• Scope: Steele County, Minnesota (pop. ≈37,400; 2020 Census). Adults ≈29,000.
• Estimated email users: ≈26,700 adult users (≈92% of adults, consistent with recent U.S./MN adoption rates).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated share of users, applying age-specific adoption rates to a typical MN county mix): 18–29: ~19%; 30–49: ~34%; 50–64: ~26%; 65+: ~21%.
• Gender split: Essentially even; men and women use email at near-identical rates (difference <2 percentage points in recent surveys), yielding ~50/50 among users.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~94% of households have a computer and ~90% subscribe to broadband (ACS 2018–2022 patterns for similar MN counties).
  • Fixed 100/20 Mbps service available to ≈95%+ of locations; fiber is strongest in Owatonna and along the I‑35 corridor, with slower options in rural townships (FCC 2024 availability).
  • ~9–12% of households are smartphone‑only for home internet, which can constrain email-heavy tasks (NTIA/MN averages).
  • Robust public Wi‑Fi via libraries/schools; 5G covers Owatonna/I‑35 with patchier rural coverage.
• Local density/connectivity: Land area ≈430 sq mi; population density ≈87/sq mi. Connectivity is densest in Owatonna; outer areas show higher latency and fewer wired choices.

Mobile phone usage in Steele County, Minnesota — summary and county-specific insights

Context and base population

• Population baseline: 37,406 residents (2020 Census), anchored by Owatonna with smaller cities (Blooming Prairie, Medford) and rural townships. The county is predominantly rural with an interstate corridor (I-35) and US-14 shaping mobility and network investment.

User estimates (people using mobile phones and smartphones)

• Adults (18+): approximately 28,800 based on the 2020 age structure (about 77% of residents).
• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile phone): ~27,900 (≈97% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~25,300 (≈88% of adults).
• Teens (12–17): ~2,800; teen smartphone users ~2,700 (≈95% adoption).
• Total smartphone users (all ages): on the order of 28,000, or roughly 74–76% of the total county population.

How Steele County differs from Minnesota overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration than metro-led statewide averages: county adult smartphone adoption runs about 2–4 percentage points below Minnesota’s metro counties, reflecting older age mix and rural residence.
• More mobile-only internet reliance: a higher share of households rely primarily on cellular data (mobile hotspot/phone tethering) for home internet compared with the state average. Steele is best characterized in the low-teens percent of households versus single-digit to low-teens statewide, with the gap most evident outside Owatonna.
• Prepaid and value segment usage skews higher than the Minnesota average, consistent with rural markets and mixed-income profiles.
• Performance is more bimodal than the state: very fast mid-band 5G along I-35/Owatonna and more variable speeds in rural interior areas where low-band 5G/LTE dominate; the Twin Cities and larger regional centers lift statewide averages beyond what Steele’s rural tracts see day-to-day.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-saturation smartphone ownership (≈95–98%); heavy app, video, and social usage.
  • 35–64: high smartphone ownership (≈90–94%); strong BYOD use in manufacturing/logistics sectors common locally.
  • 65+: materially lower but majority smartphone ownership (≈68–72%), higher prevalence of basic/entry devices and larger share of voice/text-first usage than state metro peers.
• Geography
  • Owatonna and along I-35: highest 5G availability and fastest speeds; dense retail and industrial sites drive capacity builds.
  • Rural townships: slightly lower smartphone adoption and more households relying on mobile-only connectivity; indoor coverage variability in metal buildings and farmsteads is a common constraint.
• Household internet modality
  • Mobile-only primary internet: estimated low-teens share countywide, higher than Minnesota’s metro-heavy average; strongest in rental and lower-density tracts where fixed broadband options are limited or cost-sensitive.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carriers and technology: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all operate LTE and 5G. Mid-band 5G (e.g., n41/n77) is prevalent in Owatonna and along I-35/US-14, supporting “metro-like” speeds in those corridors; low-band 5G and LTE carry much of the load in rural areas, prioritizing coverage over capacity.
• Coverage pattern: near-ubiquitous LTE and broad low-band 5G in populated areas; service becomes sparser inside large metal buildings and at some rural fringe locations, where external antennas/boosters are commonly used.
• Backhaul and siting: fiber backhaul concentrates along interstate and state routes, with a few dozen macro cell sites countywide and small-cell infill focused on commercial zones in Owatonna.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet/Band 14 and similar priority services are present on primary corridors and community centers; rural resilience relies on macro-site redundancy and generator-backed sites.
• Device mix and affordability: the county exhibits a higher share of budget Android devices and MVNO subscriptions than Minnesota’s metro areas, tied to price sensitivity and coverage-driven carrier selection.

Practical implications for the county

• Capacity investments follow highways and employment centers, producing a noticeable town-and-corridor advantage relative to rural interiors.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration and higher mobile-only dependence mean county programs and services should remain mobile-friendly but bandwidth-efficient, with offline-capable options for rural residents.
• For businesses and agencies, ensure mid-band 5G coverage at facilities near Owatonna/I-35 is leveraged, while planning LTE/low-band fallbacks and signal enhancement for metal structures in rural sites.

Notes on estimation

• Counts and percentages are derived from the 2020 Census population base combined with recent national/state adoption benchmarks by age and urbanicity. Figures are presented as county-specific estimates to reflect Steele County’s rural-urban mix and are designed to highlight differences from Minnesota’s statewide, metro-weighted averages.

Steele County, MN — social media usage (2025 modeled local snapshot)

Population baseline

• Total residents: 37,406 (U.S. Census 2020)
• Modeled social media users: ~27,000 (roughly 70–75% of total residents; ~82–88% of residents age 13+)

Most-used platforms (share of residents age 13+ using monthly; approximate local counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 83% (~26,000)
• Facebook: 66–70% (~21,000–22,000)
• Instagram: 43–47% (~13,500–14,800)
• TikTok: 36–42% (~11,300–13,200)
• Snapchat: 32–36% (~10,100–11,300)
• Pinterest: 26–30% (~8,200–9,400)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (~4,800–6,300)
• X (Twitter): 16–20% (~5,000–6,300)
• Reddit: 14–18% (~4,400–5,700)
• Nextdoor: 7–10% (~2,200–3,100)

User profile

• Age mix of local social users
  • 13–17: ~9%
  • 18–24: ~12%
  • 25–34: ~18%
  • 35–44: ~19%
  • 45–54: ~16%
  • 55–64: ~14%
  • 65+: ~12%
• Gender breakdown of local social users
  • Women: ~53%
  • Men: ~46%
  • Nonbinary/other: ~1%
• Platform skews
  • Facebook, Pinterest: more women; strongest 35–64
  • Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat: concentrated under 35 (teens and young adults)
  • YouTube: universal, slight male tilt
  • Reddit, X: more male; LinkedIn more professional/college-educated segments

Behavioral trends in Steele County

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for school updates, youth sports, farm/trade gear, yard sales, church and event notices. Engagement spikes around lunch (12–1 pm) and evenings (7–9 pm), midweek; weekend mornings are strong for buy/sell posts.
• Local information is king: weather alerts, road closures, school announcements, and county fair/sports posts drive rapid sharing and comments; posts with place names (Owatonna, Blooming Prairie, Ellendale, Medford) perform better.
• Short video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels power discovery for food spots, local boutiques, youth sports highlights, home projects, and trades; 6–20 second clips with captions/subtitles perform best.
• Snapchat is the teen coordination channel: high schoolers use it for day-to-day communication, event coordination, and location features.
• YouTube for practical content: strong consumption of how‑tos (home/auto repair, farm equipment), hunting/fishing, and local interest; skippable pre‑roll ads and 60–180s explainer videos see solid completion in this market.
• Pinterest influences household buying: recipes, home decor, crafts, seasonal projects among women 25–54.
• X and Reddit are niche but timely: used during storms, major sports, and statewide news; users follow NWS Twin Cities, Minnesota meteorologists, and regional outlets.
• Trust and word‑of‑mouth: recommendations in Facebook Groups and comments heavily sway local purchasing; DMs for appointments/quotes are common for services (HVAC, auto, lawn, roofing).

Notes on methodology and sources

• Figures are 2025 modeled local estimates combining U.S. Census Bureau Steele County population (2020), county age structure from ACS, and platform adoption rates by age and gender from Pew Research Center (2023–2024), adjusted for Midwestern/rural usage patterns. Platform percentages reflect residents age 13+ using the platform at least monthly. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; ACS), Pew Research Center “Social Media Use” (2023–2024), Pew “Teens, Social Media and Technology” (2023).