Dunn County

Here are current, high-level demographics for Dunn County, North Dakota.

Population

• 2020 Census count: 4,095
• 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate: roughly 4.6K

Age

• Median age: ~36 years
• Under 18: ~27%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Male: ~54%
• Female: ~46%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~85%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~10–11%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–4%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Number of households: ~1,700
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70% (majority married-couple)
• Households with children under 18: ~35%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Figures are rounded; sampling error can be higher for small counties.

Summary for Dunn County, North Dakota

• Estimated email users: About 3,500–4,200 residents use email regularly, based on county population around 4–5k and typical U.S. adult email adoption (≈90%+; Pew).
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 18–34: 20–25%; 35–64: 55–60% (highest usage); 65+: 15–20% (usage lower than younger groups but still common).
• Gender split: Roughly even; slight male tilt likely, reflecting the county’s male-skewed workforce mix.
• Digital access trends: 80–88% of households likely have an internet subscription (ACS-style rural ND rates). Town centers (e.g., Killdeer) commonly have cable/fiber; outlying ranch and energy sites rely more on fixed wireless or satellite. Smartphone-only access is notable (≈8–12%) and rising. 4G/5G coverage is strongest along US-85 and ND-200 corridors; speeds drop in sparsely populated areas.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Very low population density (~2–3 people per square mile across ~2,000 sq mi) increases last-mile costs and affects service consistency. Ongoing rural fiber builds by regional providers and federal/state funds (e.g., BEAD/RDOF-era projects) are expanding high-speed availability, improving reliability for email and cloud services.

Below is a practical, decision-focused snapshot of mobile phone usage in Dunn County, ND, with estimates and infrastructure notes, emphasizing how it differs from statewide patterns. Where precise local data are not publicly broken out, figures are stated as ranges and assumptions are noted.

Context

• Population baseline: roughly 4,500–5,000 residents in recent Census vintages; daytime population rises with oilfield activity and traffic along ND-22/ND-200.
• Settlement pattern: very rural, small towns (Killdeer, Halliday, Dunn Center) plus scattered ranching and energy sites, and portions of the Fort Berthold Reservation.

Estimated mobile users and lines

• Resident mobile phone users: about 3,200–4,000 people (assumes adult share ~75–80% of population and rural smartphone adoption ~80–90%).
• Smartphone users (subset): about 2,800–3,600.
• Total active lines present on a typical weekday (people, hotspots, tablets, fleet/IoT): meaningfully above resident count due to oilfield workers, company-issued devices, vehicle modems, sensors, and cameras. Expect a higher “lines per 100 residents” ratio than ND’s statewide average because of fleet/IoT density; exact counts vary by drilling/completions cycles.

Demographic factors shaping usage

• Workforce skew: Energy, construction, trucking, and public safety are overrepresented versus state average. That correlates with more employer-paid lines, hotspots, push-to-talk, and rugged devices.
• Residency mix: More temporary/seasonal and non-family housing than the ND average, boosting reliance on mobile data and fixed wireless home internet.
• Tribal lands: Portions of the MHA Nation within the county introduce distinct coverage priorities, FirstNet adoption for public safety, and community anchor sites that differ from non-tribal rural areas.
• Age profile: Rural counties tend to skew older, but Dunn’s energy workforce offsets that with a younger working-age share compared with many rural ND counties—supporting high smartphone penetration but also heavy voice/dispatch usage.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage patterns:
  • Strongest along ND-22 and ND-200 corridors and in/near Killdeer; weaker in the Badlands/Little Missouri breaks and remote ranchland.
  • More “no service” or marginal-signal pockets than the ND average (which is lifted by metro corridors I-29 and I-94).
• Carriers:
  • Verizon typically has the most reliable rural footprint locally; AT&T coverage has improved with FirstNet Band 14 buildouts; T-Mobile coverage is present on main roads/towns but remains spottier off-highway compared with the east and major ND metros.
  • 5G: low-band 5G is present on main corridors; mid-band 5G is limited and tied to a few town sites; mmWave is effectively absent.
• Backhaul and tower siting:
  • Mix of fiber-fed and microwave-fed rural sites; fiber tends to follow highways and utility corridors. Terrain shielding in breaks/badlands causes localized dead zones even near towers.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and WISPs:
  • Higher-than-average uptake of Verizon/AT&T FWA and local WISP offerings where wireline options are limited; common as a household substitute or job-site backhaul.
• Private/industrial networks:
  • Notable use of CBRS/private LTE, mesh, and telematics across well pads, midstream sites, and fleets—more prevalent than the ND average due to oilfield operations.
• Public safety:
  • FirstNet adoption by agencies operating on and around tribal and oilfield areas is a visible differentiator; LMR (P25) remains primary for mission-critical voice with LTE data augmenting.

How Dunn County differs from North Dakota overall

• Coverage reliability: More gaps and terrain-driven dead zones than the statewide picture dominated by Fargo–Grand Forks–Bismarck corridors.
• Lines per person: Higher, driven by employer-issued phones, hotspots, vehicle gateways, and IoT/telematics on energy assets.
• Device/plan mix: Greater share of rugged devices, push-to-talk, and corporate postpaid plans; above-average use of signal boosters and satellite messengers (e.g., in remote work areas).
• Home connectivity: Heavier reliance on FWA/WISPs than the state average; wireline broadband choices thin out quickly outside towns.
• Carrier balance: Verizon and FirstNet/AT&T tend to be favored for off-pavement reliability; T-Mobile’s relative position improves in towns/corridors but lags off-road compared with its statewide marketing footprint.
• Mobility patterns: More transient/rotational workers lead to higher churn and periodic surges in data demand around drilling and construction cycles.

Notes and validation tips

• Treat the user counts as modeled estimates; validate locally with:
  • FCC Broadband Data Collection mobile maps (for claimed coverage), plus on-the-ground drive tests.
  • Carrier business reps for tower additions (especially FirstNet) and FWA availability.
  • Local 911/public safety for known dead zones and Band 14 usage.
  • WISPs and regional fiber providers for backhaul reach.

Below is a concise, county-level snapshot built from 2020–2024 Pew/state/rural benchmarks and Dunn County’s known demographics. Exact county-by-county platform data isn’t publicly reported; figures are best-guess ranges calibrated to rural ND and the county’s male-leaning, energy/ag mix.

Population and users

• Population: ~4,300–4,700
• Internet access (adults): ~88–92%
• Social-media-active residents (13+): ~2,600–3,100 people (roughly 75–80% of those online)

Age mix of social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 12–14%
• 25–34: 20–22%
• 35–49: 26–28% (largest slice)
• 50–64: 20–22%
• 65+: 10–12%

Gender split of users

• Male: ~52–55% (county skews male due to energy sector)
• Female: ~45–48%

Most-used platforms among active users (share of active users; ranges reflect rural/age effects)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Facebook Messenger: 65–70%
• Snapchat: 35–40% (very high among teens/20s)
• Instagram: 30–35%
• TikTok: 30–35% (fast growth under 35)
• Pinterest: 20–25% (mainly women 25–64)
• X/Twitter: 15–20% (follow state agencies, weather, sports)
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (oilfield/professional roles)
• Reddit: 10–15% (hunting, homesteading, ND subs)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited neighborhood footprint)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school sports, county fair/rodeo updates, storm/road closures, buy-sell-trade, ranching and hunting groups. Private groups and Messenger dominate coordination.
• YouTube is utility-first: equipment repair, diesel/ag maintenance, hunting/fishing, weather explainers; also used for youth sports streams.
• Under-35 messaging is Snapchat-first; Stories/Maps used for quick coordination across shifts and towns.
• TikTok and Instagram drive short-form entertainment and local lifestyle (oilfield, rodeo, Western wear, farm hacks); TikTok discovery is rising for local businesses/events.
• Women 25–64 are heavy on Facebook + Pinterest (recipes, home/craft, garden, 4-H/FFA).
• X/Twitter is niche but useful during severe weather and highway updates; individual posting is low.
• Usage spikes: early mornings (before shifts/school), lunch, 8–10 pm; weather events and school sports nights cause sharp local surges.
• Trust flows through local pages/groups, schools, county/ND agencies, and word-of-mouth; official posts often get re-shared into private groups for reach.

Notes on interpretation

• Percentages above are shares of active social media users, not total population.
• Rural ND skews a bit older on Facebook, younger on Snapchat; Dunn County’s male-heavy workforce nudges usage toward YouTube and practical content.