Yellow Medicine County

Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota — Key demographics

Population size

• 9,528 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; people may identify with more than one race)

• White alone, not Hispanic: ~87%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: <1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~4,000
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~63% of households; average family size ~2.9
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Householders living alone: ~31% (about 14% age 65+)

Insights

• The county is small and aging, with roughly equal shares of children and older adults.
• Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White with a notable American Indian presence (Upper Sioux Community).

Yellow Medicine County, MN snapshot

• Population and density: 9,528 residents (2020 Census) across ≈759 sq mi; ≈12.6 people/sq mi (very rural).
• Estimated email users: ≈7,400 residents (≈78% of total; ≈92% of adults), derived from Pew U.S. email adoption applied to local age structure.
• Age distribution of email users (est. counts): • 13–17: ≈500 (7%) • 18–34: ≈1,600 (22%) • 35–54: ≈2,350 (32%) • 55–64: ≈1,250 (17%) • 65+: ≈1,700 (23%)
• Gender split among users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male (email adoption is effectively even by gender nationally, and county sex ratio is near parity).
• Digital access and trends: • ≈81% of households have a broadband subscription; ≈90% have a computer/smartphone (ACS-based rural MN benchmarks). • Home internet adoption has risen roughly 5–8 percentage points since 2018, tracking statewide gains. • Connectivity is strongest along the US‑212 and MN‑23 corridors and in towns (Granite Falls, Canby, Clarkfield), with expanding fiber from regional co‑ops and fixed‑wireless coverage improving farm/acreage access. Insight: Despite very low population density, broadband adoption is now high enough that email reaches roughly four in five residents, with particularly strong penetration in working‑age and younger‑senior cohorts.

Mobile phone usage in Yellow Medicine County, MN — 2024 snapshot

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users: approximately 6,900–7,100 residents, or about 92–95% of adults. Of these, an estimated 6,100–6,400 are smartphone users and 500–800 use basic/feature phones.
• Smartphone-only internet households: roughly 370–500 households (about 9–12% of households) rely on a cellular data plan as their primary home internet. This is meaningfully higher than the Minnesota average (about 6–8%).
• Households with a cellular data plan (any device): about 72–76% of households have a mobile data subscription, versus a higher share at the state level.
• Households with no internet subscription: about 11–15% of households remain offline, a higher rate than statewide.

Demographic breakdown and what it means for mobile adoption

• Population and age: The county is small and older than Minnesota overall. Adults 65+ make up a noticeably larger share of the population than the state average. That age structure pulls down smartphone penetration compared with Minnesota overall.
• Estimated smartphone adoption by age group:
  • Ages 18–34: ~95%+ use smartphones; estimated 1,400–1,600 users.
  • Ages 35–64: ~85–90%; estimated 2,200–2,600 users.
  • Ages 65+: ~55–65%; estimated 1,000–1,200 users, with a higher retention of basic/feature phones than the state average.
• Income and plans: Median household income is below the Minnesota average, contributing to a somewhat higher mix of prepaid and budget plans and longer handset replacement cycles than in metro counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Fixed broadband availability: Access to 100/20 Mbps wireline service is lower than the state average, with about 10–20% of locations still unserved or underserved. Fiber is largely concentrated in towns; many rural addresses rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or mobile hotspots.
• Mobile network coverage: 4G LTE is broadly available outdoors from major carriers; 5G coverage is concentrated in and between towns (e.g., along US‑212 and MN‑23 corridors). Indoor coverage remains variable in older farmsteads and river valleys, and there are persistent dead zones on low‑traffic rural roads.
• Performance: Typical rural mobile downlink speeds are lower and more variable than in Minnesota’s metro areas, especially away from highway corridors and town centers. Congestion is episodic during events and harvest.

How Yellow Medicine County differs from the Minnesota statewide picture

• Lower smartphone penetration: Overall smartphone adoption is estimated to be 5–7 percentage points below the state average due to older age structure, rural settlement patterns, and lower incomes.
• More basic/feature phone users: A larger share of older adults keeps basic phones than statewide.
• Higher smartphone-only dependence: Reliance on mobile data as the primary home connection is several points higher than the Minnesota average, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband.
• Infrastructure gap: A higher share of addresses lack 100/20 Mbps fixed service; 5G coverage is more corridor‑centric than in metro counties.
• Usage patterns: Voice/SMS usage and conservative data plans are more prevalent than in metro Minnesota; app‑heavy and video‑centric use lags, particularly among seniors.

Implications

• Customer acquisition and retention hinge on rural coverage quality (indoor signal solutions, highway and farm‑field reliability) and affordable plan tiers.
• Digital inclusion efforts that target seniors and fixed‑broadband gaps will materially reduce the county’s higher‑than‑average smartphone‑only dependence.
• As fiber expands into rural clusters, expect gradual shifts from hotspot reliance to home broadband, moderating mobile data growth but increasing demand for seamless Wi‑Fi calling and carrier aggregation in fringe areas.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates derived from the 2020 Census population base, typical rural Minnesota patterns in ACS device/subscription data, and recent national/rural smartphone adoption benchmarks. Ranges reflect margin‑of‑error and rural variability at the census‑tract level.

Social media usage in Yellow Medicine County, MN (2025 snapshot)

Context and base:

• Population: 9,528 (2020 U.S. Census). Adult population ≈ 7,400.
• Note: County-specific platform data is not directly published. Figures below are county-level estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media usage (with rural adjustments) applied to the county’s size and age structure.

Key user stats (adults 18+)

• Adults using at least one social platform: 81% (≈6,000 users)
• Daily social media users: ~65% of adults
• Smartphone-dependent users (primarily mobile social access): ~75% of social users

Age-group adoption (share using any social platform)

• 13–17: ~95%
• 18–29: ~93%
• 30–49: ~88%
• 50–64: ~82%
• 65+: ~65%

Gender breakdown (overall adoption and platform skews)

• Overall adoption: Women ~84%, Men ~80%
• Platform skews:
  • Women higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • Men higher on YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter)
  • Snapchat and TikTok skew younger rather than by gender

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled county estimates)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 42%
• TikTok: 30%
• Snapchat: 30%
• Pinterest: 33%
• LinkedIn: 18%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• WhatsApp: 14%
• Reddit: 14%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy engagement with local groups (town pages, school activities, youth sports, county fair, buy/sell/Trade, lost-and-found, road conditions). Facebook remains the default “public square” and customer-service channel for local businesses and county offices.
• Video leads attention: YouTube dominates for how-to, ag equipment/repair, local church services, hunting/fishing, and home projects. Short-form clips (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) have strong entertainment pull.
• Youth communications split: Teens and 20s lean on Snapchat for messaging and TikTok/Instagram for discovery and trends; Facebook is used primarily for events/groups rather than posting.
• Marketplace utility: Facebook Marketplace is a high-frequency destination for vehicles, farm/ranch items, lawn/garden, furniture, and seasonal gear.
• Trust and credibility: Messenger/DMs and local group admins carry more perceived trust than brand pages; posts from schools, county sheriff/emergency management, and chambers draw high engagement.
• Posting cadence and peaks: Engagement is strongest around early morning (before work/school), lunch, and early evening. Weekdays see consistent utility-driven engagement; weekends favor events, sports, and sales.
• Ads that work: Facebook/Instagram deliver efficient local reach; short YouTube prerolls capture attention for services and events; Snapchat/TikTok perform best for youth-oriented campaigns and school-linked activities; LinkedIn has limited utility beyond recruitment for healthcare/education/government roles.

Sources: U.S. Census 2020 (population base); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (national platform adoption by age/gender; rural adjustments applied to produce county-level estimates).