Emmons County

Which reference year/source would you like? I can provide:

• Latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023) for detailed age, sex, race/ethnicity, and households, or
• 2020 Decennial Census counts (best for total population), plus ACS for the rest.

Also let me know if you want margins of error included.

Emmons County snapshot (population ~3,300; density ~2.2 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users

• 2,700–2,900 residents (about 82–88%) use email.

By age (approximate share of residents → email adoption)

• <18: ~20% → 55–70% use email (teens high, younger kids lower).
• 18–34: ~15% → 95–99%.
• 35–54: ~24% → 92–96%.
• 55–64: ~13% → 85–92%.
• 65+: ~28% → 75–85%. This skews total usage slightly lower than urban areas due to an older population.

Gender split

• Roughly even among email users (about 49% male, 51% female), with women slightly overrepresented in older cohorts.

Digital access and connectivity

• Household broadband subscription is roughly 75–85%; 10–15% are smartphone‑only users.
• Towns such as Linton and Strasburg have strong wired options, including extensive fiber from regional cooperatives; outside towns, access often shifts to fixed wireless or legacy DSL.
• Mobile coverage is generally good along main corridors, with patchier service in sparsely populated or river‑break areas.
• Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) supplements access for residents without reliable home service.

Trend

• Gradual growth in fiber footprints and speeds; usage moving steadily to mobile and cloud email, with older adults’ adoption rising as telehealth and e‑services expand.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Emmons County, North Dakota (how it differs from statewide patterns)

Population context

• Population base: roughly 3,200–3,350 residents, with an older age profile than the state average (around 30–33% age 65+; county seat: Linton).
• Rural, low-density settlement; agriculture is the dominant land use.

User estimates

• Mobile phone owners (any kind): about 2,600–2,800 residents carry a mobile phone.
• Smartphone users: about 2,150–2,350 users.
  • Method note: derived from age mix typical of Emmons County, applying national ownership rates (higher among 18–64, lower among 65+) and teen adoption rates.
• Mobile-only internet households: estimated 120–190 (roughly 8–12% of households), likely lower than the state average due to good rural fiber availability.
• Average mobile data use per smartphone likely below state urban averages, with heavier reliance on home Wi‑Fi where fiber is available and more voice/SMS use among seniors.

Demographic and behavioral patterns (vs. North Dakota overall)

• Higher share of seniors leads to:
  • Lower smartphone penetration and slower upgrade cycles than ND’s metro counties (Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot).
  • More basic/flip phones in use and greater use of voice/SMS relative to app-heavy usage.
• Younger cohorts mirror statewide habits (social/video apps), but their smaller share of the population dampens countywide data consumption compared with ND overall.
• Mobile-only broadband reliance is lower than statewide because many households can get cooperative fiber, reducing pressure to use cellular as a primary home connection.

Carrier landscape and market share (inferred from coverage and retail presence)

• Verizon: likely the dominant carrier (approx. 55–65% of local subscribers), strongest highway and farm coverage.
• AT&T/FirstNet: substantial secondary footprint (approx. 25–35%), favored by public safety and some farm/ranch users.
• T-Mobile: materially smaller share (approx. 5–10%) than in ND’s cities, due to patchier rural coverage.
• MVNOs track the above, with better experiences on Verizon- and AT&T-based offerings.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Cellular
  • Macro sites: on the order of 8–12 macro towers countywide, concentrated near towns and along corridors (US‑83, ND‑13 into Linton, ND‑1804 along the Missouri River). Sparse small-cell deployment.
  • 4G LTE: generally available in towns and along main roads; dead zones persist in river breaks, lowlands, and some farmsteads.
  • 5G: predominantly low-band coverage near Linton and along US‑83; mid-band 5G (e.g., C-band) presence is limited compared with ND’s metro areas; no mmWave.
  • Indoor service: many homes rely on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters because of metal buildings and distance from towers.
  • Public safety: Band 14 (FirstNet) present on key sites; coverage prioritized around the county seat and major routes.
• Backhaul and broadband (key difference from many rural areas)
  • Fiber: BEK Communications Cooperative has extensive fiber-to-the-home/business in Emmons County, including many rural lines; fiber also feeds cellular backhaul.
  • Fixed wireless: used at the fringes; satellite (Starlink, others) fills remaining gaps.
  • Community anchors (schools, clinics, libraries) generally on fiber, which reduces dependence on cellular for critical services.

Notable trends that diverge from state-level

• Coverage quality and 5G: Emmons has materially less mid-band 5G and more coverage gaps than state urban corridors; average mobile speeds and 5G availability lag state averages.
• Carrier competition: Verizon’s lead and T‑Mobile’s smaller footprint are more pronounced than statewide.
• Usage mix: Lower smartphone share and lower per-line data use than state averages, with more voice/SMS and stronger Wi‑Fi offload due to cooperative fiber.
• Adoption/upgrade cycle: Older age structure slows device and plan upgrades vs. the state’s metro-driven averages.
• Seasonal patterns: Noticeable traffic spikes during harvest and hunting seasons along highways and near recreation areas; otherwise light, stable loads.

Implications

• For residents: Best overall reliability typically on Verizon or AT&T/FirstNet; plan for boosters/Wi‑Fi calling in metal buildings or valleys.
• For providers: Greatest impact from adding mid-band 5G carriers on existing towers, infill along Missouri River breaks, and continued fiber-fed backhaul.
• For policymakers: Emmons’ cooperative fiber success reduces digital divide at home, but mobile coverage gaps remain a distinct, non-fiber problem compared with ND’s urban counties.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate. County-level social media data aren’t directly published; figures are modeled from Emmons County’s age mix (U.S. Census/ACS) and Pew Research 2023–2024 usage rates, adjusted for rural/older populations.

Population baseline

• Residents: ~3,200
• Adults (18+): ~2,500–2,700
• Internet/smartphone access (adults): ~80–90%
• Social media users (adults): ~60–65% → roughly 1,500–1,700 people

Age mix among social media users (share of users)

• 18–29: 15–20%
• 30–49: 30–35%
• 50–64: 25–30%
• 65+: 20–25%

Gender among social media users

• Roughly even, with slight female tilt: ~52–55% female, ~45–48% male
• Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men slightly more on YouTube, Reddit/X

Most-used platforms in Emmons County (estimated percent of all adults)

• YouTube: 65–75%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–65%
• Instagram: 25–30%
• Pinterest: 20–25% (mostly women)
• TikTok: 15–20%
• Snapchat: 12–18% (mostly under 30)
• X/Twitter: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: <5% (Facebook Groups fill the “neighbor app” role)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: county/city pages, local news and weather alerts, school closures/activities, church events, obituaries, buy–sell–trade, farm/ranch classifieds.
• YouTube is used for how‑to content, ag equipment repair, calving/animal health, hunting/fishing, church service streams, and product reviews.
• Younger users (teens/20s) favor Snapchat for messaging and Instagram/TikTok for short local clips (school sports highlights, fair/rodeo, small‑business promos).
• Engagement spikes around storms, harvest, school sports seasons, and fairs; most activity occurs early morning (5–7 a.m.), lunch, and evenings (7–10 p.m.).
• Private/closed Facebook Groups are important for trust; older adults share/reshare links and announcements, while younger users prefer Stories/Reels.
• Twitter/X and LinkedIn are niche; Nextdoor penetration is minimal—residents rely on Facebook Groups for neighborhood coordination.

Note: Figures are estimates, not measured counts, and reflect Emmons County’s older, rural profile relative to national averages.