Rosebud County

Rosebud County, Montana — key demographics (latest Census Bureau data: 2019–2023 ACS 5-year; 2024 Population Estimates)

Population

• Total population: ~8,6xx to 8,9xx (2024 estimate; 2020 Census ~8.3k)

Age

• Median age: ~35 years
• Under 18: ~29–30%
• 18 to 64: ~56–57%
• 65 and over: ~14–15%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (race alone unless noted; Hispanic is of any race)

• White: ~52–55%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~40–42%
• Black: ~0.3–0.5%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.6%
• Two or more races: ~4–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~50–52%

Households

• Number of households: ~3,100–3,300
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~66–70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~42–46% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~33–37%
• Average family size: ~3.2–3.4

Notes

• Figures reflect the most recent ACS 5-year estimates for composition/households and Census Population Estimates for total population. For planning or compliance uses, cite: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2024 Population Estimates Program.

Rosebud County, MT email usage (2025 snapshot)

• Estimated email users: ~5,100 adult users. Basis: ~8,900 residents, ~6,500 adults; ≈92% of online adults use email and ~85% of adults go online, yielding ≈79% adult email penetration (≈57% of total population).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29: ~19%; 30–49: ~31%; 50–64: ~27%; 65+: ~23%. Older adults participate strongly but remain slightly less likely to use email than younger cohorts.
• Gender split: Approximately mirrors the population—about 51% male, 49% female among email users; no meaningful gender gap in usage intensity.
• Digital access trends: Roughly 65–70% of households maintain a broadband subscription, with an additional ~15–20% relying primarily on mobile data. Fiber and fixed wireless availability are expanding in population centers, improving speeds and reliability; adoption lags in remote and tribal areas.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ≈1.8 people per square mile across ~5,000 square miles. Best wireline coverage clusters along the I‑94 corridor (e.g., Forsyth, Colstrip). The Northern Cheyenne Reservation and outlying ranchlands show lower subscription rates and higher latency, making mobile and community Wi‑Fi (schools/libraries) important access points.

Mobile phone usage in Rosebud County, Montana — summary with estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how local trends diverge from statewide patterns

Snapshot and user estimates

• Population and households: Rosebud County counted 8,329 residents in the 2020 Census across roughly 5,010 square miles, with about 3,100 households (ACS 5‑year range).
• Estimated mobile users: 6,000–7,000 residents actively use mobile phones in a typical month. This estimate reflects rural/tribal adoption patterns and age structure (high adoption among adults and teens; lower among the oldest cohorts).

Demographic usage patterns (estimates informed by ACS, rural and tribal benchmarks)

• By age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (≈90–95%); heavy app and social use; high mobile data consumption.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈80–90%); strong use for work coordination, navigation, and messaging.
  • 65+: materially lower adoption (≈55–70%), with a meaningful feature‑phone segment; text/voice prioritized over high‑data apps.
• By income and housing:
  • Lower‑income and dispersed rural households show higher reliance on mobile data when fixed options are costly or unavailable.
  • “Smartphone‑only” internet access is notably common—roughly one quarter of households rely primarily on mobile data plans, higher than the statewide share.
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian households (a large share of the county, including communities in and around Lame Deer and Ashland) exhibit a dual pattern: slightly lower overall smartphone adoption among elders, but higher mobile‑only internet reliance in areas where fixed broadband options are limited or unaffordable.
• Plan mix:
  • Prepaid and budget MVNO plans make up a larger share of lines than statewide averages, reflecting price sensitivity and intermittent coverage that reduces the appeal of premium unlimited tiers.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • Strongest and most consistent service follows the I‑94 corridor (Forsyth) and population centers such as Colstrip.
  • The US‑212 corridor (Lame Deer–Ashland) and outlying ranchlands have spottier service and dead zones, especially indoors and in draws/valleys.
• Technology:
  • 4G LTE remains the primary layer countywide.
  • 5G is present only in limited low‑band pockets near larger towns; mid‑band (e.g., C‑band) availability common in Montana’s cities has not broadly reached Rosebud County.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the most reliable rural coverage; T‑Mobile’s footprint is improving but remains comparatively limited outside the I‑94 corridor.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) has coverage along major corridors and near the county seat; gaps persist on parts of US‑212 and remote areas.
• Typical user experience:
  • LTE speeds are highly variable by location: single‑digit Mbps in fringe areas up to tens of Mbps in town centers; uplink often constrained in fringe coverage.
  • In‑building coverage can be weak in metal‑roofed structures and manufactured housing unless Wi‑Fi calling is used.
• Backhaul and fixed‑line context:
  • Fiber and cable options exist in Forsyth/Colstrip and select pockets (served by regional co‑ops and incumbents), but DSL and fixed wireless predominate outside towns.
  • Where fiber is absent, households more often lean on mobile data as a primary or backup connection, reinforcing higher mobile‑only reliance.

How Rosebud County differs from Montana overall

• Higher mobile‑only reliance: A larger share of households depend primarily on smartphones for internet access than the state average, driven by price, availability, and distance from fiber.
• Lower 5G availability: Mid‑band 5G common in Montana’s metros (Billings, Bozeman, Missoula) is limited here; LTE remains the workhorse.
• Wider coverage gaps: Service discontinuities on US‑212 and in reservation and ranch areas are more pronounced than typical statewide, which concentrates coverage around interstates and larger cities.
• Greater prepaid share: Price‑sensitive prepaid/MVNO adoption is higher than the Montana average.
• Older‑adult adoption gap: The 65+ cohort in Rosebud is less likely to own smartphones and use high‑data apps compared with statewide peers, widening the age‑based digital divide.

Actionable insights

• Network build priorities: Additional macro and small cells along US‑212 and around Lame Deer/Ashland, plus targeted Band 14 and mid‑band 5G infill, would close the largest reliability gaps.
• Affordability and devices: Subsidy uptake (ACP/Lifeline) and device upgrade programs matter more here than in urban Montana; ensuring Wi‑Fi calling support improves in‑home reliability.
• Public/anchor offload: Libraries, schools, health clinics, and tribal facilities play an outsized role in offloading demand and providing consistent indoor connectivity, particularly during evening peaks.
• Resilience: Backup power and microwave/fiber redundancy at rural sites are critical given long distances between towers and weather‑related outages.

Note on figures: Population and geography are from the 2020 Census; usage and plan‑mix figures are county‑level estimates grounded in ACS 5‑year data patterns for rural/tribal counties, FCC coverage filings, and observed rural carrier deployments in eastern Montana.

Social media usage in Rosebud County, MT (2024–2025 snapshot)

How many people use social media

• Residents: 8,329 (2020 Census). Adults 18+: ≈6,300.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈72% of adults ≈4,500–4,700 users. This aligns with rural U.S. usage in 2024 and Montana’s rural adoption patterns.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 40%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 23%
• Pinterest: 34%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 19%
• LinkedIn: 18%
• Nextdoor: 12%

Age-group usage patterns (share of adults in each age band using at least one platform; top platforms in that band)

• 18–29: 90–95% any social; heavy on YouTube (95%), Instagram (76%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%); Facebook (~49%)
• 30–49: 85–90% any; YouTube (92%), Facebook (73%), Instagram (49%), TikTok (32%), Snapchat (~25%)
• 50–64: 70–80% any; Facebook (69%), YouTube (83%); Instagram (29%), TikTok (15%)
• 65+: 50–60% any; YouTube (60%), Facebook (45%); Instagram (15%), TikTok (8–10%)

Gender breakdown (platform share of adult men vs women)

• Facebook: women ~74%, men ~68%
• Instagram: women ~44%, men ~36%
• Pinterest: women ~46%, men ~16%
• YouTube: men ~86%, women ~81%
• Reddit: men ~29%, women ~12%
• X (Twitter): men ~26%, women ~19%
• TikTok: women ~31%, men ~26%

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Montana counties and reflected locally

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school updates, county road/closure notices, buy–sell–trade groups, church and 4‑H/FFA/rodeo pages. Marketplace is a primary classifieds channel.
• YouTube is used for practical content: ranch and farm equipment repair, DIY, hunting/fishing, auto, and how‑to videos; strong male skew.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels see steady use among under‑35s for entertainment, western lifestyle, rodeo, ag, and local creator content; usage spikes evenings and weekends.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are dominant for day‑to‑day messaging; SMS remains common. WhatsApp is niche and mostly for family ties outside the county.
• Business use: Local retailers, outfitters, food/service, and events rely on Facebook pages/groups and Instagram; most paid spend is on Facebook/Instagram with geo‑targeting around Forsyth, Colstrip, and along I‑94.
• News and information: Residents frequently encounter statewide news via Facebook shares from TV/radio outlets; trust is driven by known community pages and admins.
• Career networking remains low on LinkedIn; job discovery often occurs via Facebook groups, city pages, and Indeed cross‑posts.

Notes on method

• Figures reflect the 2020 Census population base for Rosebud County and 2024 Pew Research Center social platform adoption, adjusted to rural usage patterns typical in Montana. Percentages represent share of all adults; counts are modeled estimates to anchor scale locally.