Grant County

Grant County, North Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• 2,301 residents (2020 Decennial Census)
• Population has remained around 2.3k over the past decade

Age

• Median age: about 52 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~28%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~95%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Black or African American alone: <1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,020
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~61% (majority married-couple)
• Nonfamily households: ~39%
• Households with someone age 65+: ~35%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~84%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a high share of seniors
• Predominantly White, with small American Indian and Hispanic populations
• High homeownership and smaller household sizes typical of rural counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Grant County, ND snapshot (2020 Census pop. 2,301; density ≈1.4 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users: ~1,800 residents (about 78–82% of the total population). Method: applied current U.S. email adoption by age to the county’s older-leaning population profile.

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 18–34: ~18%
• 35–64: ~54%
• 65+: ~28%

Gender split among email users (est.): ~52% male, ~48% female, mirroring the county’s slightly male‑skewed population.

Digital access and trends:

• Home internet: ≈80% of households subscribe to broadband (rural ACS benchmarks applied to Grant County), with most non‑subscribers concentrated among seniors and lower‑income households.
• Mobile-only access: ~10% of households rely primarily on smartphones for internet/email.
• Connectivity context: Extremely low population density and long last‑mile distances shape service economics; regional fiber buildouts and fixed wireless have expanded availability, but subscription lags availability among older residents.
• Usage pattern: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults; adoption among 65+ is high but still trails younger cohorts, accounting for most non‑users.

Insight: Expect modest growth in email users driven by ongoing broadband adoption among seniors and increased smartphone reliance, rather than population growth.

Grant County, North Dakota — mobile phone usage snapshot (2023–2024), with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline estimates

• Population and households: about 2,250–2,350 residents, ~1,000–1,050 households, with a relatively high share of older adults compared with North Dakota overall.
• Smartphone adoption (adults 18+): roughly 75–80% in Grant County vs about 88–90% statewide. That translates to approximately 1,350–1,520 adult smartphone users countywide.
• Basic/feature phones: about 10–12% of adults rely on non‑smartphones (vs ~6–8% statewide).
• Adults with no mobile phone: around 8–12% (disproportionately age 65+), higher than the state average (~4–6%).
• Mobile-only internet households (use cellular data as primary home internet): about 12–18% in Grant County vs ~8–10% statewide.

Demographic breakdown of smartphone use (estimates reflect county age mix and rural adoption gaps)

• Age 13–24: very high penetration (about 93–97%); roughly 250–300 users.
• Age 25–44: high penetration (about 90–94%); roughly 320–380 users.
• Age 45–64: moderate penetration (about 75–80%); roughly 360–420 users.
• Age 65+: lower penetration (about 50–60%); roughly 320–380 users.
• Income and education effects: adoption is notably lower among lower‑income and lower‑education households than the state average, with a visibly higher share of prepaid plans and shared family plans to manage costs.
• Race/ethnicity: the county is overwhelmingly White non‑Hispanic; there are no large race‑based disparities evident at the population scale, but older age structure is the dominant driver of lower adoption.

Digital infrastructure and service characteristics

• Coverage profile:
  • 4G LTE population coverage: broadly high (about 96–99% of residents have usable LTE in town centers and along primary corridors), but land‑area coverage is much lower (roughly 65–80%), with drop‑offs in coulees, river bottoms, and far‑rural sections.
  • 5G availability: materially behind the state. Low‑band 5G covers many town centers and highway stretches; mid‑band 5G is sparse. Estimated population coverage ~35–55% in Grant County vs ~75–85% statewide.
• Providers and competitiveness:
  • Verizon generally offers the most consistent rural coverage footprint; AT&T is competitive in towns and along highways (and supports FirstNet for public safety); T‑Mobile coverage is improving but remains the most variable outside towns.
  • Residents are more likely than the state average to select a carrier based on coverage reliability rather than price or speed.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Typical LTE speeds range 5–25 Mbps in rural areas, faster in town centers; low‑band 5G often delivers ~20–80 Mbps where available. Mid‑band 5G (100–300+ Mbps) appears in a few spots near upgraded sites but is not widespread.
  • Peak‑hour slowdowns are more pronounced than the state average because capacity upgrades lag demand where site density is low.
• Tower grid and backhaul:
  • Sparse macro‑tower spacing (often 10–20+ miles between sites) with large coverage footprints per site; small‑cell deployments are rare.
  • Backhaul is a mix of microwave and fiber; fiber is concentrated along primary corridors and into towns (e.g., Elgin/Carson/New Leipzig), with more microwave‑fed rural sites than in urban North Dakota.
• Reliability and public safety:
  • E911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported; Band‑14/FirstNet coverage is present on select AT&T sites in/near towns and major routes but is not ubiquitous countywide.
  • More frequent “dead zones” and weather‑related fades than statewide averages, especially in low‑lying terrain.

How Grant County differs from North Dakota overall

• Lower smartphone penetration, driven by an older age structure and higher share of cost‑sensitive households; more basic‑phone and no‑phone users than the state average.
• Higher proportion of mobile‑only internet households, reflecting limited wired options in some areas and reliance on cellular hotspots.
• Meaningfully less 5G (especially mid‑band) and fewer capacity layers; users depend on LTE and low‑band 5G more than the state average.
• Greater coverage variability with distance from towns and highways; residents prioritize carrier coverage over price/features more than elsewhere in ND.
• Upgrade pattern emphasizes adding 5G on existing towers rather than building new sites; progress is steady but lags the pace seen in metro North Dakota.

Practical implications

• Digital inclusion: seniors and low‑income residents are the core groups at risk of being mobile‑disconnected; targeted device affordability and digital skills efforts would yield outsized gains.
• Service planning: investments that add mid‑band 5G sectors and increase backhaul capacity on existing towers can significantly improve peak‑time performance without requiring dense new builds.
• Public services: telehealth, precision agriculture, and distance learning rely on stable LTE/low‑band 5G; coverage infill on a handful of known shadow areas would produce benefits disproportionate to cost.

Social media usage in Grant County, North Dakota (2025 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Adults (18+): ≈1,900
• Adult social media users: ≈1,390 (about 73% of adults)

Age mix of adult users

• 18–29: ~20% of users (≈280)
• 30–49: ~33% of users (≈460)
• 50–64: ~27% of users (≈370)
• 65+: ~21% of users (≈290)

Gender breakdown of adult users

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Most-used platforms among adults

• YouTube: ~64% of adults (≈88% of local social users)
• Facebook: ~59% of adults (≈81% of local social users)
• Instagram: ~28% of adults (≈38% of local social users)
• Pinterest: ~26% of adults (≈36% of local social users; skews female)
• TikTok: ~22% of adults (≈30% of local social users; skews younger)
• Snapchat: ~20% of adults (≈27% of local social users; concentrated under 30)
• X (Twitter): ~12% of adults (≈16% of local social users; skews male)
• LinkedIn: ~10% of adults (≈14% of local social users)

Behavioral trends to know

• Multi-platform habits: The typical adult uses multiple platforms, with YouTube and Facebook as the backbone, then one or two secondary apps (Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, or TikTok) based on age and interest.
• Community-first use: Facebook Groups and Messenger operate as the county’s de facto digital town square for local news, school activities, buy/sell, event coordination, and urgent notices. Local businesses and organizations see outsized reach via Groups and community shares.
• Video is the engagement driver: Short-form video (Reels, TikTok) performs best for quick updates, events, and promotions; YouTube works for how‑to content, product/equipment reviews, and longer community stories.
• Younger vs. older patterns:
  • Under 30: Heaviest on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok for daily messaging, stories, and short video; YouTube used for entertainment and tutorials.
  • 30–49: Broadest mix; Facebook for community, Instagram for visual updates, YouTube for how‑to and product research.
  • 50+: Facebook is the anchor for community news, churches, clubs, and local businesses; YouTube for tutorials and local interest; Pinterest for projects and recipes.
• Ad and content tactics that work locally: Plain-language posts, short videos (15–30 seconds), and single-image promotions with clear calls to message/call; local faces, schools, agriculture, outdoors, and service-oriented topics outperform generic creative.

Method note

• Figures are modeled for Grant County using the county’s adult age/gender mix from recent ACS estimates and Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. and rural adult platform-adoption rates. Percentages are rounded to reflect county-scale confidence.