Traverse County

Traverse County, Minnesota — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• 3,360 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~3.3K in 2023 population estimates (continued gradual decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~49–50 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–24: ~6%
• 25–44: ~19%
• 45–64: ~27%
• 65+: ~26%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; ACS 2019–2023)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~91%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~1%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: <1%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more/Other: ~3%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~1,550–1,600
• Average household size: ~2.1
• Family households: ~60% (about half are married-couple families)
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~40%; living alone: ~35%; 65+ living alone: ~16%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~80%; renter-occupied: ~20%

Insights

• Very small, aging population with a high share of older adults relative to the state.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but present Hispanic/Latino and American Indian populations.
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy typical of rural counties.

• Scope: Traverse County, Minnesota (2020 population 3,360; land area ~574 sq mi; density ~5.9 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~2,400 residents (derived by applying Pew Research’s ~92% adult email adoption to the county’s adult population).
• Age distribution among email users (estimate, reflecting the county’s older profile): 18–34: ~18%; 35–54: ~27%; 55–64: ~20%; 65+: ~35%. Usage remains high even among seniors, though frequency is lower than younger cohorts.
• Gender split: ~50% female, ~50% male among users, mirroring the population; no meaningful gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Internet access is widespread but below urban Minnesota. ACS 2018–2022 indicates the large majority of households have an internet subscription, with broadband adoption around the low- to mid-80% range; computer access is higher than broadband subscription.
  • Smartphone-only internet households are a notable minority, typical for rural areas, and correlate with lower-income and senior households.
  • Connectivity reflects rural dispersion: low population density increases last‑mile costs; fixed wireless and DSL remain important where fiber/cable are absent. State Border‑to‑Border grant activity is gradually expanding fiber availability.
• Insight: Email is effectively universal among working‑age adults; overall adoption is tempered mainly by broadband gaps and a relatively large 65+ population, affecting intensity rather than presence of email use.

Mobile phone usage in Traverse County, Minnesota — 2024 snapshot

User estimates (adults)

• Population base: 3,360 residents (U.S. Decennial Census 2020). Adults 18+: 78.4% ≈ 2,636 (ACS 2018–2022).
• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ≈ 2,500 (95% of adults, applying Pew Research Center’s 2023 national cellphone ownership rate).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈ 2,090 (≈79% of adults). This is an age-adjusted estimate applying national smartphone ownership by age (high 80s–mid 90s% for 18–64; ~60% for 65+) to Traverse County’s older age profile (≈29% age 65+, ACS 2018–2022).
• Adult feature/flip-phone users: ≈ 410 (about 16% of adults), reflecting an older population mix and rural device preferences.

Household-level mobile indicators

• Households: ≈1,580 (derived from ACS 2018–2022 persons-per-household).
• Households with a smartphone: ≈1,330 (≈84%). Rural counties in Minnesota typically trail the statewide household smartphone rate by 6–8 percentage points; Traverse County’s profile aligns with that pattern (ACS S2801, 2018–2022).
• Households relying on cellular data as their only home internet: ≈170 (≈11%), notably higher than Minnesota’s statewide share (~6–7%) in ACS S2801. This reflects substitution where wired broadband is slower or costlier.

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• Age: 65+ share ≈29% (ACS 2018–2022) vs a much lower statewide share, pulling down smartphone adoption and raising the persistence of basic phones.
• Income: Median household income in Traverse County is well below the Minnesota median (ACS 2018–2022), which correlates with higher price sensitivity, more prepaid plans, and greater use of cellular-only internet in rural counties.
• Density and settlement: Very low population density (≈6 people per square mile) increases per-user network costs and spreads macro sites farther apart, affecting capacity and indoor coverage at the fringes.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Networks present: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon operate throughout the county; 4G LTE is the baseline in nearly all populated areas, with 5G present in and around towns and along primary corridors (e.g., US 75, MN 27) and more limited across open farmland.
• 5G mix: Low-band 5G (good reach, modest speeds) is more common than mid-band 5G (higher capacity) in much of Traverse County. Where mid-band (e.g., 2.5 GHz on T-Mobile) is available, users typically see 100–300 Mbps; elsewhere, 4G/low-band 5G yields more variable 5–50 Mbps.
• Backhaul and spillover: Rural fiber backhaul from regional cooperatives and neighboring-county builds underpins many macro sites, but sparse fiber laterals and long inter-site distances constrain how much capacity carriers can light up countywide.
• Coverage quality pattern: Strongest around Wheaton, Browns Valley, and along highways; more variability around Lake Traverse, river bottoms, and deep rural sections where tower spacing is widest and foliage/topography introduce attenuation.

How Traverse County differs from Minnesota overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: Adults ≈79% in Traverse County vs ≈85–87% typical statewide, driven by older age structure and rural income mix.
• Higher feature-phone persistence: ≈16% of adults on basic/feature phones locally vs roughly 8–10% in Minnesota overall.
• Greater cellular-only home internet reliance: ≈11% of households (Traverse) vs ~6–7% statewide, indicating mobile substitution where wired broadband is weaker or pricier.
• Narrower 5G mid-band footprint: More reliance on low-band 5G/4G outside town centers than is typical in Minnesota’s metro and regional hub counties, resulting in lower median mobile speeds and a greater share of “good-enough” rather than high-capacity mobile connections.

Key implications

• Plan mix skews toward affordability and coverage: Older users and wider coverage needs favor plans emphasizing reliability and voice/text, with selective adoption of premium 5G capacity tiers where mid-band exists.
• Mobile as a broadband fallback: A meaningful minority of households use cellular as primary home internet, reflecting both progress in mobile coverage and remaining gaps in wired broadband quality.
• Capacity upgrades matter most along corridors and town centers: Additional mid-band 5G sectors and fiberized backhaul in these nodes would lift peak and busy-hour performance for the majority of county users.

Primary data anchors: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial; ACS 2018–2022), Pew Research Center (2023 device ownership), and Minnesota broadband mapping context for rural availability. Estimates above apply national-by-age adoption rates to Traverse County’s demographic structure to quantify county-specific mobile usage.

Traverse County, MN — social media usage (modeled 2024 snapshot)

How this was built

• County-level platform data aren’t directly published. Figures below are modeled local estimates using the county’s rural/older age profile from ACS 5‑year data and Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age, gender, and rurality. Percentages refer to share of adults (18+) unless noted.

User stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~77% of adults
• Multi-platform behavior: ~62% of adult users use 3+ platforms; ~28% use 5+ platforms
• Daily users (any platform): ~63% of adults
• Primary device: ~88% mobile-first; ~52% also use desktop/laptop for Facebook/YouTube

Most-used platforms (share of all adults)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~63%
• Instagram: ~36%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• TikTok: ~22%
• Snapchat: ~12%
• LinkedIn: ~17%
• X (Twitter): ~16%
• WhatsApp: ~14%
• Reddit: 12% Top platforms by daily use: Facebook (49% daily), YouTube (46% daily), Instagram (26% daily), TikTok (~17% daily)

Age-group usage (share using each platform within age band)

• 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~76%, Snapchat ~67%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~45%
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%, Facebook ~69%, Instagram ~49%, TikTok ~30%, Pinterest ~34%
• 50–64: Facebook ~73%, YouTube ~70%, Pinterest ~32%, Instagram ~27%, TikTok ~14%
• 65+: Facebook ~45%, YouTube ~49%, Pinterest ~23%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~7%

Gender breakdown (within-gender usage)

• Women: Facebook ~70%, YouTube ~74%, Instagram ~41%, Pinterest ~47%, TikTok ~24%, Snapchat ~13%, LinkedIn ~15%, X ~14%, Reddit ~7%
• Men: YouTube ~82%, Facebook ~57%, Instagram ~34%, TikTok ~20%, Reddit ~18%, X ~22%, Pinterest ~13%, LinkedIn ~19%, Snapchat ~12%

Behavioral trends observed in rural Minnesota counties of similar profile (applies to Traverse)

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement with local groups (schools, churches, 4‑H, county/city pages, sheriff’s office), Marketplace, and event posts. Organic reach outperforms other platforms for civic and local business updates.
• Video is ascendant but skews older on YouTube: short how‑to, farm/DIY, local sports highlights, and church/commencement streams perform well. TikTok/Reels growth is tempered by the county’s older age mix.
• Messaging consolidates around Facebook Messenger; WhatsApp use is niche and community‑specific.
• Shopping behavior: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups dominate discovery; Pinterest drives planning/ideas (home, crafts), with conversions occurring via Facebook or direct search.
• News and weather: Heavy reliance on Facebook Pages/Groups for hyperlocal alerts (road closures, storm impacts) and on YouTube for extended weather explainers.
• Posting vs lurking: A minority of users create most content; the majority are viewers/reactors. Photo galleries and short local videos earn the most reactions; links to external sites underperform unless tied to urgent local info.
• Timing: Evening (7–10 pm) and early morning (6–8 am) windows see highest engagement; midday peaks align with school and ag schedules.

Notes and sources

• Modeled from Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform-by-age/gender and rural/urban splits) and ACS 5‑year demographic structure for Traverse County. Use these figures as planning-grade estimates for the county’s older, rural profile.