Daniels County

To make sure the figures match what you need, which dataset/year should I use?

• 2020 Decennial Census (exact counts; best for population and race/ethnicity)
• Latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023 or 2018–2022; best for age and household characteristics but with margins of error)

If no preference, I’ll report: 2020 Census for population and race/ethnicity, plus the latest ACS 5-year for age, sex, and household data.

Daniels County, MT (pop. ~1,660, 2020 Census)

• Estimated email users: ~1,100–1,300. Assumes a high adult share and typical rural U.S. email adoption among adults (roughly 80–90%), with somewhat lower usage among teens.
• Age distribution and usage: The county skews older (roughly 25–30% are 65+). Expect a larger share of active email users to be 45+, with seniors increasingly using email for health, banking, and family communication; teens rely more on messaging apps and school accounts.
• Gender split: Roughly even; no meaningful gender gap in email adoption is expected.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Connectivity is improving but lags urban Montana. In-town fiber exists and is expanding; outlying areas often use DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • Nemont (based in Scobey) is a key local provider; fiber buildouts are gradually reaching more premises, while farms/ranches still depend on wireless/satellite.
  • Smartphone-only internet households are common; mobile coverage is strongest along main corridors and patchier in remote areas.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) remains important for those without reliable home broadband.
• Density/connectivity context: Extremely sparse—about 1–2 residents per square mile—raising last‑mile costs and contributing to uneven speeds and data caps.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Daniels County, Montana (focus on differences vs statewide)

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~1,700 residents; ~1,350–1,450 adults.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ~1,300–1,500 people (about 88–92% of adults; includes some teens).
• Smartphone users: ~950–1,150 people (about 70–78% of adults). This trails Montana’s urban counties by 7–12 percentage points, driven by the county’s older age profile and patchier 5G.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): estimated 50–60%, notably below the statewide norm (roughly mid-60s to 70s) because many households keep legacy landlines from the local telco.
• Carriers used (directional): Verizon/Nemont dominant (≈60–70% of lines), AT&T secondary (≈20–30%), T-Mobile limited (≈5–10%). Choice is narrower than in metro Montana.

Demographic breakdown (directional)

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ~85–90%; heavy app/social usage; hotspot use for travel/work.
  • 35–64: smartphone ~75–85%; high reliance on messaging, navigation, weather, ag and logistics apps.
  • 65+: smartphone ~55–65%; above-average share of basic/flip phones; voice/SMS-first usage.
• Geography
  • In and near Scobey: higher smartphone and data-plan adoption; better in-building LTE due to proximity to fiber-fed sites.
  • Outlying ranchlands: more mixed device set, more signal boosters/external antennas; hotspot use as backup where fixed broadband is weak.
• Household/occupational patterns
  • Agriculture-heavy households blend mobile with VHF/LMR for operations; mobile apps used for markets, mapping, and weather but data demand is constrained by coverage in the field.
  • Cross-border proximity (Saskatchewan) leads to more roaming-management behavior (manual network lock, roaming blocks) than typical elsewhere in Montana.

Digital infrastructure points

• Access networks
  • LTE is the workhorse; low-band 5G may appear along primary corridors, but mid-band 5G is largely absent. This contrasts with MT’s larger cities where C-band/NR mid-band is available.
  • Verizon coverage is generally the most complete, supported by local partner infrastructure; AT&T is present along highways and town centers; T-Mobile remains spotty outside corridors.
• Local providers and backhaul
  • The local cooperative (Nemont, based in Scobey) operates extensive fiber plant that backhauls regional cell sites and delivers FTTH in and around towns. This local fiber presence is stronger (per capita) than many rural MT counties, but outside town footprints coverage gaps persist.
• Tower density and terrain
  • Sparse tower grid focused on Scobey, border crossing areas, and state routes (MT-13/MT-248). Rolling terrain creates coulee dead zones; external antennas/boosters are common.
• Public safety
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) has coverage on main routes and town sites but remains uneven in remote sections; county agencies still rely primarily on VHF with cellular as secondary.
• Border effects
  • Near the Canada line, power/height constraints and interference coordination reduce usable coverage compared with interior sites; accidental international roaming is a recurring issue.

How Daniels County differs from Montana overall

• Lower smartphone adoption and lower wireless-only household rate due to older demographics and the persistence of cooperative landline service.
• Heavier reliance on Verizon/Nemont and fewer viable carrier choices; T-Mobile presence is materially weaker than in larger MT metros and along Interstates.
• 5G availability and use lag the state’s urban centers; LTE remains the dominant experience, limiting average downlink speeds and reducing incentives for high-data plans.
• More equipment-based workarounds (signal boosters, high-gain antennas, Wi-Fi calling) and more hotspot-as-backup behavior in ranch areas.
• Cross-border coverage and roaming management are everyday considerations, unlike most of the state.
• Data consumption per line likely below metro MT averages, but a higher share of lines are used for tethering/backup where fixed options are thin outside town footprints.

Assumptions and method notes

• Population and age structure based on recent Census/ACS patterns for Daniels County (small, older, rural).
• Ownership/adoption benchmarks adapted from Pew and rural U.S. trends, adjusted downward for age mix and limited 5G.
• Carrier presence and infrastructure reflect FCC coverage maps, FirstNet buildout patterns, and the longstanding role of Nemont in NE Montana; specific market-share figures are directional estimates.
• Ranges provided to reflect uncertainty typical of small-population counties.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot. Exact county-level social metrics aren’t directly published, so figures are estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s rural U.S. social media use, combined with Daniels County’s age profile from recent ACS/Census data.

County snapshot

• Population ~1,650; adults (18+) ~1,250–1,300; median age ~49–50
• Gender: roughly even (about 50/50)

User stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~65–70% → roughly 830–900 people
• Daily social users: ~50–60% of adults → roughly 630–760
• Smartphone-led usage; Facebook Messenger and SMS are the default messengers

Most-used platforms (share of adults, estimated)

• YouTube: ~65–75%
• Facebook: ~60–70%
• Instagram: ~25–35%
• TikTok: ~20–30%
• Snapchat: ~15–25%
• Pinterest: ~20–30% (higher among women)
• X/Twitter: ~10–15%
• LinkedIn: ~8–12%
• Reddit: ~5–8%
• Nextdoor: <5% (coverage is sparse in very rural areas)

Age groups (patterns you can expect)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube dominant; heavy Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram moderate; Facebook minimal
• 18–29: YouTube + Instagram core; Snapchat and TikTok strong; Facebook for groups/events
• 30–49: Facebook is the daily hub (Groups, Marketplace); YouTube for how‑to; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising
• 50–64: Facebook + YouTube dominate; Pinterest some; low Snapchat/TikTok
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube second; little use of other platforms

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Facebook and Instagram skew slightly female; Pinterest strongly female
• YouTube skews slightly male; X/Reddit skew male
• Overall user base remains near 50/50 given county demographics

Behavioral trends (what people actually do)

• Community-first: Heavy use of Facebook Groups for local news, school and sports updates, county fair/4‑H, church, buy–sell–trade
• Marketplace reliance: Vehicles, farm/ranch equipment, tools, furniture transact via Facebook Marketplace
• Video use: YouTube for how‑to, equipment repair, hunting/outdoors, and local sports highlights; short-form (Reels/TikTok) growing for humor and quick tips
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger for adults; Snapchat DMs for teens/young adults
• Trust dynamics: Content from known local people, schools, churches, and businesses performs best; skepticism toward unfamiliar accounts/ads
• Seasonality and timing: Lower activity during planting/harvest days; peaks early morning and late evening; winter sees more mid‑day engagement
• Creative that works: People-centric photos, event reminders, road/weather updates, giveaways, and practical tips; concise captions; avoid large file sizes due to variable connectivity
• Ads/playbook: Boosted Facebook posts with tight geo-radius, event RSVPs, and Marketplace listings outperform brand-only ads; pair with local radio/newspaper pages for reach

Notes on data quality

• Percentages are county-specific estimates based on rural U.S./Montana usage patterns (Pew Research Center 2023–2024) applied to Daniels County’s demographics (ACS/Census).