Logan County

Logan County, North Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• 1,876 residents (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year estimates)

• Median age: ~49–50 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~52%
• 65 and over: ~26%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White (alone): ~97–98%
• American Indian and Alaska Native (alone): ~0.5–1%
• Black or African American (alone): ~0–0.5%
• Asian (alone): ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~850–900
• Average household size: ~2.1–2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–55% of households
• One-person households: ~30–35%
• Households with children under 18: ~25%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~80–85%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a median age around 50 and about one-quarter 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White
• High owner-occupancy and smaller household sizes typical of rural Great Plains counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (estimates subject to sampling error)

Logan County, ND — email usage snapshot (estimates, 2024)

• Population and density: 1,876 residents (2020 Census); ~1.9 persons per square mile across ~993 sq mi, with population clustered in and around Napoleon, Gackle, Lehr, and Fredonia.
• Estimated email users: ≈1,200 residents (≈65% of total; ≈82% of adults).
• Age mix of email users: 13–17 ≈6%; 18–34 ≈20%; 35–54 ≈32%; 55–64 ≈18%; 65+ ≈24%.
• Gender split among email users: ≈50% male, ≈50% female (mirrors county’s near-even sex balance).
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈75%.
  • Households with a computer: ≈80%.
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance: ≈10–15%.
  • Fixed broadband is strongest in/near towns (Napoleon, Gackle); farms and ranchlands often depend on fixed wireless or legacy DSL. Rural telecom co-ops are expanding fiber, improving speeds and reliability.
• Insights: Email is near-universal among connected adults (>90% utilization), with adoption gaps concentrated among seniors 65+ and households lacking dependable wired service. As fiber buildouts progress, email usage and frequency among older and remote residents should continue to rise.

Estimates derived from U.S. Census 2020 population, ACS rural–North Dakota computer/broadband benchmarks, and Pew Research email adoption rates applied to Logan County’s age structure.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Logan County, North Dakota (2024)

How many people use mobile phones

• Population baseline: 1,876 residents (U.S. Census 2020; county remains under 2,000 through 2023–2024).
• Estimated adult residents (18+): ~1,520–1,560, reflecting the county’s older age structure.
• Mobile phone users (all ages): ~1,500–1,600 people (about 80–85% of the total population), driven by near-universal adult adoption but lower uptake among the oldest seniors and young children.
• Smartphone users: ~1,200–1,300 people (about 65–70% of the total population; roughly 78–82% of adults).

Demographic breakdown of adoption (modeled from county age mix and 2023 rural ownership patterns)

• Ages 18–34: ~97% have a mobile phone; ~94–96% are smartphone users.
• Ages 35–64: ~96% have a mobile phone; ~88–92% are smartphone users.
• Ages 65+: ~90–93% have a mobile phone; ~65–72% are smartphone users.
• Teens (12–17): ~85–90% have a mobile phone; ~80–88% are smartphone users. What’s different from North Dakota overall
• Older population profile: Logan County skews older than the state, lowering the overall smartphone share by roughly 6–10 percentage points compared with the statewide average.
• More voice and text reliance: A higher share of basic/feature phones among residents 65+ and a greater reliance on voice/SMS than the state average.
• Fewer mobile-only homes: The share of “wireless-only internet” households is lower than the statewide rate, because rural fiber from cooperatives is relatively available; residents are more likely to keep fixed broadband and treat mobile as supplemental.
• Lower typical mobile data speeds than state median: Coverage depends more on low-band spectrum (better reach, lower capacity), with fewer mid-band 5G sectors than in metro ND, keeping median speeds below statewide figures.
• Higher seasonality: Network load and on-farm mobile data usage spike during planting and harvest more than in urban counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14 for public safety), and T-Mobile serve the county; UScellular does not have a significant footprint in ND.
• Spectrum and 5G profile:
  • Low-band anchors: 700 MHz (Verizon Band 13; AT&T Band 12/17) and 600 MHz (T-Mobile Band 71) provide the wide-area rural coverage residents typically see.
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band 5G (n5/n71/n12) across population centers and highways; limited to no mid-band 5G (C-band/2.5 GHz) sectors within the county itself, in contrast to larger ND cities.
• Tower grid: A sparse macro-cell layout with rural inter-site distances typically 10–20 miles. Coverage is generally stable in towns and along primary corridors; pockets of weak signal persist in low-lying areas, around shelterbelts, and inside metal-clad buildings where in-home boosters are common.
• Backhaul and fiber influence: Rural telco cooperatives (notably BEK and neighboring co-ops) have built substantial fiber plant in and around Logan County. Many cell sites near towns and highways are fiber-fed; the improved backhaul supports solid reliability but capacity remains limited by spectrum and the number of sectors in sparsely populated areas.
• Public-safety and emergency: AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 presence along main routes enhances coverage resilience relative to legacy AT&T LTE alone; E911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported countywide where commercial signal is available.

Usage patterns and market notes

• Device mix: Noticeably higher share of basic/feature phones among 65+ than statewide; eSIM and 5G handset penetration lags state averages by several points.
• Applications: Core use cases are weather and commodity apps, messaging, navigation, telehealth, banking, and school communications; heavy streaming on mobile is less common due to home fiber availability.
• Roaming and boosters: Farm/ranch operations frequently use vehicle boosters or high-gain antennas to stabilize signal in fringe areas; this is more prevalent than in urban ND.

Key figures at a glance (2024 modeled estimates)

• Mobile phone users: ~1,500–1,600 people (80–85% of residents)
• Smartphone users: ~1,200–1,300 people (65–70% of residents; ~78–82% of adults)
• Seniors (65+) smartphone adoption: ~65–72%
• Typical coverage: Low-band 4G LTE and low-band 5G; mid-band 5G limited or absent within the county
• Relative to ND overall: Lower smartphone penetration, fewer mobile-only households, lower median mobile speeds, higher voice/SMS reliance

Methodological note: Figures are synthesized from the county’s Census age mix, Pew Research rural device-ownership rates through 2023, and 2024 FCC/National Broadband Map carrier filings. They are intended to provide decision-grade local estimates that highlight divergences from the North Dakota state profile.

Social media usage in Logan County, North Dakota (2024 snapshot)

User stats

• Population: ~1,850 residents
• Active social media users (age 13+): ≈1,160 (about 73% of residents 13+, ~63% of total population)
• Multi-platform behavior: typical user engages with 2–3 platforms; Facebook and YouTube account for most daily activity

Age profile of users (share of total users)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–34: 23%
• 35–54: 33%
• 55–64: 16%
• 65+: 20%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: 54%
• Male: 46%

Most-used platforms among local users (share of active users; multi-platform totals exceed 100%)

• Facebook: 79%
• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook Messenger: 62%
• Instagram: 28%
• Pinterest: 27%
• TikTok: 23%
• Snapchat: 21%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• WhatsApp: 10%
• Reddit: 10%
• LinkedIn: 9%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook-first community: Local news, obituaries, school sports, church/civic announcements, buy/sell/trade groups, and Facebook Marketplace drive the highest reach and engagement.
• Video as utility: YouTube is used heavily for how-to content (equipment repair, home/farm projects) and local replay highlights; shorter clips on TikTok/Instagram Reels are growing among under-35s.
• Messaging hubs: Facebook Messenger is the default for families, church groups, and small businesses; Snapchat is concentrated among teens/younger adults for daily messaging and stories.
• Time-of-day peaks: Early morning check-ins (6–8 a.m.), lunch (noon–1 p.m.), and evening prime time (7–9 p.m.). Weekend engagement rises around local events and sports.
• Demographic pull: Older-weighted population sustains high Facebook usage and moderate Pinterest; younger cohorts drive TikTok/Snapchat but are a smaller share of county users.
• Local trust bias: Posts from known people, schools, churches, and county pages outperform national sources; concise posts with photos of familiar places or people get above-average shares.
• Practical commerce: Marketplace listings, service recommendations, and seasonal promotions (planting/harvest, hunting, holidays) convert well; comments and DMs often close the sale rather than external links.
• Bandwidth-aware behavior: Preference for shorter videos and photo posts; long live streams see lower completion rates compared with on-demand clips.

Notes on method

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates for Logan County derived from its population structure (U.S. Census/ACS), national and rural social media adoption rates (e.g., Pew Research Center 2023–2024), and platform demographics, adjusted for the county’s older age mix and rural usage patterns.