Todd County

Todd County, Minnesota — Key demographics

Population size

• 25,262 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 41.8 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: 24.8%
• 18–64: 55.0%
• 65 and over: 20.2%

Gender

• Male: 50.6%
• Female: 49.4%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic can be of any race; ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: 86.8%
• Hispanic/Latino: 7.7%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 2.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 1.0%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 0.8%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: 0.4%
• Other, non-Hispanic: 0.8%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~9,900
• Average household size: 2.61
• Family households: 66% (average family size: 3.12)
• Married-couple households: 54%
• Households with children under 18: 30%
• One-person households: 28%

Insights

• Older-than-average population with 1 in 5 residents 65+.
• Predominantly White non-Hispanic, with a notable Hispanic/Latino community (nearly 8%).
• Household structure is family-oriented, with over half married-couple households and an average household size above 2.6.

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

Todd County, Minnesota snapshot (estimates; sources include 2020 Census, ACS S2801 2018–2022, and Pew Research applied to local demographics):

• Population: 25,262; land area ~945 sq mi; density ~27 people/sq mi (rural).
• Email users: ~18,800 adults use email regularly (roughly 90% of adults), reflecting high U.S. email adoption applied to Todd County’s age mix.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34 ≈ 26%; 35–64 ≈ 50%; 65+ ≈ 24% (older share slightly higher than urban counties, but still strong email use among seniors).
• Gender split among email users: ~50% female, ~50% male; usage rates are essentially even by gender nationally, so local split tracks population.
• Digital access:
  • ~79% of households have a broadband subscription.
  • ~90% of households have a computer.
  • ~7–10% are smartphone-only for home internet.
  • ~12–15% of households lack any home internet subscription.
• Trends and connectivity insights: Fixed broadband availability is widespread in towns (e.g., Long Prairie, Staples) with slower, spottier last‑mile options in outlying areas. Adoption continues to rise via cable/fiber and mobile broadband, but rural distance and lower density keep subscription gaps above metro averages. Public institutions (schools/libraries) remain important access points.

Todd County, Minnesota — mobile usage snapshot (2023–2024)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~25,800 (ACS 2023 estimate), with ~77–78% adults (≈20,000).
• Older age mix: 23% age 65+, notably higher than Minnesota overall (17%), which influences smartphone adoption and plan choices.

Estimated mobile users

• Adult smartphone users: ≈16,800–17,200 (about 82–86% of adults, using Pew’s rural smartphone adoption benchmark).
• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile device): ≈18,700–19,100 (roughly 93–95% of adults).
• Total smartphone users including teens: ≈18,000–18,500 (teen adoption is very high; the county’s older age profile keeps the overall rate slightly below the statewide average).

Demographic and usage nuances versus Minnesota

• Age-driven adoption gap: Smartphone take-up among 65+ in Todd County is materially lower (roughly low-60s percent) than the statewide rate for seniors (low-70s), widening the county–state adoption gap despite high adoption among younger adults.
• Prepaid/MVNO reliance: A larger share of lines are on prepaid or value MVNOs than the state average, reflecting lower median household income (Todd County roughly low-$60,000s vs Minnesota mid-$80,000s) and older device retention cycles.
• Home internet substitution: More households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet than the Minnesota average.
  • Households with fixed broadband subscription: ≈74–78% in Todd County vs ≈86–89% statewide.
  • Cellular-data-only households (no fixed broadband): ≈10–12% in Todd County vs ≈7–9% statewide.
  • Households with no internet subscription: ≈14–16% in Todd County vs ≈8–9% statewide.
• Language and work patterns: A modest but notable Hispanic/Latino population (roughly mid–single-digit percent countywide, concentrated in and around Long Prairie) contributes to above-average use of messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp) and budget plans; agricultural and manufacturing shift work elevates evening and early-morning mobile data loads.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Mobile networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T‑Mobile all operate countywide; MVNOs ride these networks.
• 4G LTE: Near-ubiquitous outdoor coverage across towns and major corridors (Long Prairie, Browerville, Staples area, US‑71/MN‑27), with some indoor and valley/lakeshore dead zones typical of heavily wooded/rural terrain.
• 5G:
  • Low-band 5G is broadly available where 4G exists and supports wide-area coverage.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity is spotty and primarily clustered around population centers and main highways; large rural tracts still lean on LTE or low-band 5G. This puts Todd County behind urban/suburban Minnesota on median 5G speeds and capacity.
• Fixed broadband footprint:
  • Fiber-to-the-home exists in pockets (select town centers and cooperative build areas), while many rural addresses rely on cable only in town, DSL in legacy telco territory, or fixed wireless.
  • 5G/LTE home internet offers (T‑Mobile, Verizon) are available in and around towns and along corridors; adoption is rising where fiber/cable aren’t available or are unaffordable.
• Performance patterns: Evening LTE/5G sector congestion appears more often than in metro counties due to fixed‑wireless substitution and fewer mid-band 5G sites per capita. Public‑safety coverage via AT&T FirstNet is generally strong along primary routes but, like commercial service, still subject to rural terrain challenges.

Distinct trends vs Minnesota statewide

• Lower overall smartphone penetration (by roughly 4–7 percentage points) driven by the county’s older age structure.
• Higher share of cellular‑only home internet and higher share of households without any internet subscription.
• Slower 5G capacity rollout (fewer mid-band 5G sectors per resident), leading to more time on LTE and lower median mobile speeds than urban/suburban counties.
• Greater prevalence of prepaid/MVNO lines and longer device replacement cycles, reflecting local income and age profiles.
• Coverage gaps are more tied to terrain and lakes/wooded areas than in metro counties, with noticeable indoor coverage variability outside town cores.

Key takeaways

• About 18,000–18,500 Todd County residents use smartphones, but the county trails Minnesota’s overall adoption due to a larger 65+ population.
• Digital infrastructure is improving but remains capacity‑constrained away from towns; fixed fiber/cable is patchy outside cores, pushing higher reliance on mobile data for home use.
• The combination of age, income, and infrastructure places Todd County below the state on smartphone adoption and 5G capacity, and above the state on cellular‑only home internet dependence.

Todd County, MN social media snapshot (2025)

Population context

• Total population: ~25,600 (ACS 2023 est.)
• Adults (18+): ~20,000
• Rural county with an older-than-average age mix

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: 80% (16,000 adults)

Platform reach among adults (modeled to Todd County’s age mix using Pew Research 2024; adults can use multiple platforms)

• YouTube: 81% (16,200)
• Facebook: 72% (14,400)
• Instagram: 37% (7,400)
• Pinterest: 32% (6,400)
• Snapchat: 26% (5,200)
• TikTok: 25% (5,000)
• LinkedIn: 20% (4,000)
• X/Twitter: 17% (3,400)
• WhatsApp: 16% (3,200)

Age breakdown of the adult user base

• 18–29: ~17% of local social media users
• 30–49: ~30%
• 50–64: ~29%
• 65+: ~24% Interpretation: Despite strong youth adoption, Todd County’s older age structure makes 50–64 and 65+ a combined ~53% of adult social users.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base is roughly even: ~49% men, ~51% women
• Notable skews by platform:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit/X
  • Roughly even: Snapchat, TikTok (tilts younger rather than by gender)

Behavioral trends observed in rural Minnesota counties applied to Todd County

• Facebook is the daily hub: local groups (schools, churches, township/city pages), events, school sports, obituaries, and Facebook Marketplace for vehicles, farm/yard equipment, and rentals.
• Community-first content outperforms: photos of local events, lost/found, weather and road updates, and charitable drives earn high engagement.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is dominant; SMS remains common; WhatsApp is used but niche.
• Video consumption: YouTube for DIY, ag and small-engine repair, home projects, hunting/fishing, and local business “how-to” explainers.
• Youth behavior: Snapchat for day-to-day messaging and Stories; TikTok and Reels for entertainment and trends; sharing shifts toward ephemeral/private channels rather than public posts.
• Instagram usage concentrates around local boutiques, food trucks, high school teams, and tourism/outdoors; Stories see higher reach than grid posts.
• Pinterest is strong among women 25–54 for recipes, crafts, home, weddings; effective for retail and seasonal content.
• X/Twitter has low local penetration and limited community relevance; best used for state/national news rather than local reach.
• Timing: Evenings and weekends drive the most engagement; weather incidents and school announcements can create sharp, short-lived spikes.
• Ads: The most efficient paid reach comes from Facebook/Instagram boosts with tight geo-targeting (county + 10–25 miles), event reminders, and offer-based creatives; video and creator-style clips outperform static images.

Notes on methodology and reliability

• Percentages are localized estimates derived by weighting Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by Todd County’s age structure (ACS 2023). Rural-adjusted patterns (higher Facebook/YouTube, lower X/LinkedIn/TikTok vs urban cores) are reflected.
• Figures represent adult reach; youth adoption is higher than average but smaller in absolute numbers due to the county’s age mix.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption by age and demographics)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year estimates for population and age composition