Roosevelt County

Roosevelt County, Montana — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; primarily 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: about 11,300 (2020 Census ≈11.3k; recent ACS estimate ≈11.4k)

Age

• Median age: ~29–30 years
• Under 18: ~34%
• 65 and over: ~10%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~60%
• White: ~35%
• Two or more races: ~7%
• Black: ~0.3%
• Asian: ~0.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5% Note: Hispanic origin overlaps with race categories.

Households and housing

• Households: ~3,500
• Average household size: ~3.1
• Family households: ~75% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~45%
• Householder living alone: ~20%
• Housing units: ~4,100; occupied ~85%, vacant ~15%
• Tenure: owner-occupied ~54%, renter-occupied ~46%

Key insights

• Majority American Indian and Alaska Native population, reflecting the Fort Peck Reservation.
• Younger age profile and larger household sizes than Montana overall.
• Higher share of renter households than the state average.

Roosevelt County, MT email usage snapshot (modeled from recent ACS/FCC/Pew data)

• Population and density: ≈11,300 residents across ~2,350 sq mi (≈4.8 people/sq mi); main towns Wolf Point and Poplar anchor connectivity.
• Estimated email users: ≈6,300 residents use email at least monthly.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 11%; 18–29: 22%; 30–49: 33%; 50–64: 22%; 65+: 12%.
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirrors population; no material adoption gap by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 72% of households have a broadband subscription (includes cellular data plans).
  • Roughly 19% of households lack any home internet; about 28% are mobile-only.
  • Home broadband adoption has risen ~7–9 percentage points since 2016, driven by expanded fiber/backhaul along the US‑2 corridor and improving fixed wireless/5G; gaps persist in outlying areas.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, tribal facilities) remains an important access channel for residents without home service.

Interpretation: Email usage is widespread but constrained by rural density and patchy fixed broadband; reliance on smartphones and community access points is higher than the US average, keeping overall email adoption solid but below urban counties.

Roosevelt County, MT — mobile usage snapshot with county-specific differences from statewide patterns

Headline numbers

• Population: roughly 11.3k residents (2023 Census estimate), spread across about 2,370 square miles; primary population centers are Wolf Point and Poplar within the Fort Peck Reservation.
• Estimated unique mobile users: about 7.7k residents use a mobile phone (includes both smartphones and basic phones).
• Estimated smartphone users: about 7.1–7.3k residents use a smartphone. Method notes (for transparency): Estimates derive from the county’s population, its younger-than-average age profile, and rural/tribal ownership rates observed in national and rural datasets; adult smartphone adoption in similar rural/tribal counties typically runs in the mid-80% range, with very high teen adoption.

Demographic context and usage patterns (where Roosevelt County differs from Montana overall)

• Age: The county skews younger than Montana overall (state median age is over 40). Roosevelt County has a substantially larger share of under-18 residents, which lifts teen smartphone penetration and raises mobile-first behaviors (messaging, social video) compared with the state average.
• Race/ethnicity: A majority of residents are American Indian/Alaska Native (Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux), versus a small statewide share. On-reservation households show higher mobile dependence for everyday internet access than Montana overall, driven by more limited wired broadband options and lower average household income.
• Income and plan mix: Median household income trails the state average; as a result, prepaid plans and budget MVNOs have a larger footprint than statewide. Device replacement cycles tend to be longer, and there is a slightly higher share of basic/feature phones among elders than in Montana overall.
• Household structure: Larger households and multigenerational living are more common than the statewide average, which concentrates usage on a smaller number of shared connections and increases evening peak loads on local cellular sectors.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: National carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) serve the county, alongside Nemont (the regional cooperative provider) with local retail presence and network/backhaul assets.
• Radio access: 4G LTE is the baseline across towns and along U.S. Highway 2 and key corridors. 5G coverage is concentrated in and around Wolf Point and Poplar and along primary routes; much of the outlying area remains LTE-only. Low-band spectrum underpins wide-area rural coverage; capacity drops quickly outside town cores.
• Backhaul and fiber: Nemont and other regional providers operate key middle-mile fiber along the Highway 2 corridor and into community anchors (schools, clinics, government). Remote cell sites still rely on microwave backhaul, which constrains peak throughput and uplink performance relative to Montana’s larger cities.
• Tower siting: Macro towers are clustered near towns, highway junctions, and high points on the plains; coverage thins on secondary and unpaved roads and at reservation edges. Compared with Montana’s urban counties, there are fewer sites per subscriber, so sectors are more sensitive to event-driven spikes (school games, powwows, fairs).
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage (AT&T) is available on primary corridors and in towns; roaming/interoperability is relied upon in more remote areas.

Usage trends versus Montana overall

• More mobile-first internet: A larger share of households rely on mobile data as their primary or only internet, versus Montana statewide, due to affordability and limited wired options beyond town centers.
• Higher prepaid share: Prepaid and MVNO lines are meaningfully more common than the state average, reflecting income and credit dynamics; postpaid family plans still anchor many multi-line households.
• Coverage quality gap outside towns: Day-to-day experience diverges more quickly from “map coverage” once off U.S. 2 and MT-13; dead zones and low SINR pockets are more frequent than in Montana’s more populated counties.
• 5G availability and speed: 5G is present but less continuous than in Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, or Missoula. Typical speeds in Roosevelt County lean lower and more variable, especially at cell edges and during evening peaks.
• Device mix: Youth smartphone penetration is very high and comparable to statewide levels; elders are less likely to carry smartphones than elders statewide, sustaining a small but notable base of basic-phone users.

What the numbers imply locally

• Roughly 7 in 10 residents carry a smartphone, and about 2 in 3 residents rely on a mobile connection day-to-day in some capacity.
• Capacity, not just coverage, is the binding constraint outside town centers; operators that add sectors, modernize backhaul, and deploy more mid-band 5G in Wolf Point/Poplar will see the clearest service gains.
• Community anchors connected to regional fiber (schools, clinics, tribal offices) play an outsized role in offloading mobile traffic and providing dependable Wi‑Fi, a pattern that is less pronounced in Montana’s larger cities.

Roosevelt County, MT — social media snapshot (modeled 2024 local estimates using Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform adoption by age/gender applied to the county’s age mix; adult figures unless noted)

Most-used platforms (adults)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 49%
• TikTok: 36%
• Snapchat: 30%
• Pinterest: 33%
• WhatsApp: 24%
• X (Twitter): 21%
• Reddit: 20%
• LinkedIn: 24%

Age-group usage (best-available rates; local patterns mirror these)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 95%, TikTok 67%, Instagram 62%, Snapchat 60%, Facebook 33%
• 18–29: YouTube 93%, Instagram 78%, Snapchat 65%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 67%
• 30–49: YouTube 92%, Facebook 75%, Instagram 52%, TikTok 39%, Snapchat 30%
• 50–64: Facebook 73%, YouTube 83%, Instagram 29%, TikTok 15%
• 65+: Facebook 62%, YouTube 49%, Instagram 15%, TikTok 10%

Gender breakdown (directional differences consistent with Pew)

• Women over-index on Facebook (+10 points vs men), Instagram (+5), and Pinterest (women ≈3x men)
• Men over-index on YouTube (+5), Reddit (+12), and X/Twitter (+~8)

Behavioral trends in Roosevelt County

• Facebook as the civic hub: Groups and local Pages drive school updates, community events, fundraisers, missing-person alerts, and buy/sell activity; Messenger is a default coordination tool
• Youth attention: Snapchat for close-friend messaging/streaks; TikTok for short-form entertainment; Instagram for stories/reels and local sports highlights
• YouTube for utility and long-form: how-to/DIY, outdoor/hunting/fishing content, sports replays, and local livestreams (e.g., high school games, public meetings)
• Mobile-first usage: smartphone-only access is common; image and short-form video outperform where bandwidth is constrained; longer video is consumed when Wi‑Fi is available
• Trust is local: posts from known individuals, schools, tribal and county offices, and local news pages outperform national sources
• Posting windows: highest engagement after school/work and in evenings; cross-posting Reels across Facebook/Instagram/TikTok is standard among local creators

Practical takeaways

• For broad adult reach, prioritize Facebook and YouTube
• For under-35 reach, lead with Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Snapchat
• Use Facebook Groups + Messenger for community coordination; use YouTube for tutorials and official announcements
• Favor vertical video, concise captions, and locally relevant visuals; schedule posts for early evening hours