Bowman County

Here are concise, high-level demographics for Bowman County, North Dakota.

Population

• Total population: 2,993 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~93–94%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~1,300
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3
• Family households: ~57–59% of households
• Married-couple households: ~49% of all households
• Nonfamily households: ~41–43% (about one-third are people living alone)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).

Bowman County, ND — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Population/context: ~3,000 residents across ~1,160 sq mi; density ~2–3 people/sq mi. Most residents live in/near the City of Bowman; outlying areas are very rural.
• Estimated email users: ~2,300–2,600 people (roughly 75–85% of residents; ~85–95% of adults).
• Age adoption (share with an active email account):
  • Teens (13–17): ~65–75%
  • 18–34: ~90–97%
  • 35–54: ~92–97%
  • 55–64: ~85–92%
  • 65+: ~70–80%
• Gender split among users: roughly even; slight male tilt (~51% male, 49% female) consistent with rural ND demographics.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription: ~80–85% of households (mix of fiber/cable in town; DSL/fixed‑wireless in rural areas).
  • Smartphone ownership: ~85–90% of adults; growing “smartphone‑only” access among younger and lower‑income users.
  • Mobile coverage strongest along US‑12/US‑85 corridors; patchier in remote ranchland and badlands terrain.
  • Ongoing fiber buildouts by regional providers and co‑ops are improving speeds/reliability in the city and along main roads.
• Takeaway: Email penetration is high among working‑age adults; seniors and the most remote households are the main gaps, driven by coverage and device/broadband constraints.

Notes: Figures are synthesized from rural North Dakota and national adoption benchmarks; treat as directional.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Bowman County, North Dakota

Context and method

• Population baseline: roughly 3,000 residents, with an older age profile than the North Dakota average. Estimates below combine county age mix (ACS), rural-vs-urban adoption gaps (Pew Research Center), and national wireless connection trends (CTIA). They are ranges to reflect uncertainty at small geographies.

User estimates

• Unique mobile users (people with a mobile line): about 2,300–2,600 (roughly 75–85% of all residents, including teens).
• Smartphone users: about 1,900–2,300 (around 80–88% of mobile users). This is a few points lower than the statewide average due to older demographics and patchier 5G.
• Feature/basic phone primary users: roughly 300–500 (about 12–20% of mobile users), concentrated among seniors and some ranch operations needing ultra-long battery life and simple devices.
• Data-only lines (tablets, hotspots, IoT in ag/trucking): on the order of a few hundred countywide. Precision-ag telemetry, pumps, bins, and vehicle trackers make the machine-to-machine share higher than in metro ND, but absolute numbers remain small because the county is small.
• Smartphone-only home internet households: likely modest but present—estimate 6–10% of households, higher outside town limits where wired options thin out, and lower in Bowman city where fiber is available.

Demographic breakdown of adoption and use

• Age 12–24: 90–95%+ smartphone adoption; heavy use of messaging/video. School sports and travel drive hotspot use on corridors.
• Age 25–64: 90–95% smartphone adoption; many residents carry work and personal lines or rely on a booster at home or in ranch trucks.
• Age 65+: 55–70% smartphone adoption; 30–45% remain on feature phones. Telehealth and family communication are nudging gradual smartphone gains, but coverage consistency and device simplicity still matter.
• Occupation-driven patterns: Agriculture and energy-services workers show above-average use of ruggedized phones, push-to-talk, external antennas/boosters, and IoT trackers. Public safety leverages AT&T FirstNet; volunteer responders often keep multi-carrier redundancy.

Digital infrastructure notes (what residents experience)

• Coverage pattern: LTE is the workhorse. 5G is present primarily in/near Bowman, Scranton, Rhame and along US-85/ND-12; mid-band 5G is much sparser than in ND’s metros and Bakken core. Expect dead zones off the main corridors and in low draws or behind shelterbelts/metal buildings.
• Carrier differences: Verizon generally offers the broadest rural footprint; AT&T is solid on corridors and supports FirstNet; T-Mobile is improving in towns/along highways but remains spottier on section roads. Many households keep a second SIM or hotspot from a different carrier for failover.
• Backhaul: Mixed fiber and microwave. Fiber rings reach town centers; some remote sites backhaul over microwave, which can constrain peak speeds and resilience during storms.
• In-building service: Metal-clad homes/shops often need Wi‑Fi calling or consumer boosters. County facilities typically provision dedicated in-building solutions.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Town centers have strong wired options (often fiber). Outlying farms and ranches rely on fixed wireless, LEO satellite, or mobile hotspots—raising mobile data dependence outside towns.

How Bowman County differs from North Dakota overall

• Smartphone penetration a bit lower than statewide, mainly because the county is older and more rural.
• Feature-phone share meaningfully higher than the state average, especially among seniors.
• Heavier reliance on LTE and on highway-adjacent sites; mid-band 5G availability and median mobile speeds trail state metros (Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks) and the Bakken corridor.
• More multi-carrier and booster use for reliability; residents are likelier to switch carriers based on ranch/section-road coverage rather than price alone.
• Mobile-as-primary internet is more common outside town limits than in ND’s cities, but still moderated by relatively good small-town fiber availability.
• IoT/M2M share of lines is higher than in metros (ag/trucking), though absolute counts are small due to the county’s size.

Places and corridors that matter locally

• Best coverage and capacity: Bowman (city), Scranton, Rhame; along US‑85 (north–south) and ND‑12 (east–west).
• Watch-outs: Section roads away from US‑85/ND‑12, low-lying areas, and metal buildings without boosters.

Notes and sources you can use to refine locally

• ACS 5-year estimates for county population and age structure (U.S. Census).
• Pew Research Center device ownership by age and rural/urban cohort.
• CTIA annual wireless survey for line-per-capita and IoT trends.
• FCC mobile coverage maps and NTIA/FCC broadband availability dashboards for 4G/5G and wired backhaul footprints.
• State broadband office and BEAD project lists for planned upgrades.

Bowman County, ND social media snapshot (2025 est.)

How many users

• Population baseline: ≈3,000 residents; ≈2,300 adults.
• Social media users: 1,700–2,000 total unique users.
  • Adults: ~70–75% use social media (≈1,600–1,750).
  • Teens (13–17): ~90–95% use social media (≈220–250).

Age mix of users (share of all social users)

• 13–17: 10–12%
• 18–29: 16–18%
• 30–44: 24–26%
• 45–64: 28–30%
• 65+: 16–18%

Gender breakdown (among social media users)

• Female: ~50–54%
• Male: ~46–50% Notes: Women are slightly more likely to use Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men skew higher on YouTube and X.

Most-used platforms (adults, monthly; estimates for Bowman County’s rural/older profile)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 28–35%
• TikTok: 22–30%
• Snapchat: 20–27%
• Pinterest: 18–25% overall (≈35–45% of adult women)
• X (Twitter): 8–12%
• LinkedIn: 8–12%
• WhatsApp: 5–8%
• Nextdoor: <5% (coverage sparse)

Teens (directional, daily/weekly use)

• Snapchat: 75–85% daily
• TikTok: 70–80% daily
• Instagram: 60–70% weekly+
• YouTube: 90%+ weekly

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: High participation in local buy/sell/trade, school sports, county alerts (weather/roads), obituaries, events. Facebook Events reliably drive attendance.
• Video-first growth: Short vertical video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) outperforms; cross-posting TikTok to Facebook/Instagram Reels extends reach to older users.
• Local-first content: Faces kids know (schools, 4‑H/FFA, church, rodeo, hunting, ranch life) get outsized engagement. Photos of local teams and livestock perform well.
• Information utility: Spikes during winter storms, road closures, elections, and school announcements. YouTube used for how‑to (equipment repair, DIY), outdoor content, and occasional local livestreams.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates for adults; Snapchat is the teen backchannel. WhatsApp limited to family groups and a few work crews.
• Commerce: Classifieds and “ISO” posts on Facebook Groups outperform marketplace apps. Seasonal patterns (calving, planting/harvest, hunting season) shape interest.
• Trust dynamics: Strong reliance on word‑of‑mouth and closed groups; local admins/moderators shape narratives. Skepticism toward non-local ads.
• Best posting times: Evenings 7–10 pm most active; secondary peaks 6–8 am and weekend mid‑mornings. Avoid weekday mid‑afternoons for key announcements.

Implications for outreach

• Prioritize Facebook (Pages, Groups, Events) and short video across Facebook/Instagram; use YouTube for longer how‑tos.
• Geo-target ads within 25–50 miles; small boosts on timely posts outperform generic campaigns.
• Feature local people and practical value (weather, schedules, deals, results) to drive shares and comments.

Method note

• Figures are estimates derived from Pew Research Center 2024 US platform adoption, rural vs. urban differentials, and Bowman County’s older age profile and small-population dynamics. Use a quick local poll or page insights to calibrate these ranges for campaigns.