Morton County

Morton County, North Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 33,291 (2020 Census)
• Growth: +21% since 2010 (27,471 → 33,291)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (2020 Census)

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census)

• White alone: ~91%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~4–5%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023 unless noted)

• Households: ~13,900
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~66% of households; married-couple families ~50–55%
• Homeownership rate: ~75–78%
• Housing units: ~14,800; vacancy ~6–7%
• Median household income: low-to-mid $80,000s
• Per capita income: low-$40,000s
• Poverty rate: ~6%

Insights

• Fast-growing suburban county anchored by Mandan, adjacent to Bismarck.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a notable American Indian population share.
• Higher-than-state-average homeownership and incomes; family-oriented household mix with moderate median age.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171, DHC) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Morton County, ND snapshot (population ≈34,000; density ≈17 people/sq mi; majority clustered in Mandan along the I-94 corridor).

Estimated email users: ~26,000 residents (≈92% of those age 13+).

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~7%
• 18–34: ~28%
• 35–54: ~34%
• 55–64: ~16%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender split among users: roughly even (≈50% female, 50% male), mirroring county demographics and the minimal gender gap in email adoption.

Digital access and trends:

• Household broadband subscription rate: high (≈90%), consistent with North Dakota’s leading rural broadband penetration.
• Widespread smartphone access (≈90% of adults), supporting near-universal email reach.
• Mobile-only internet users form a minority (~10–15%), higher in rural tracts west of the Mandan urban core.
• Fiber expansion by regional providers continues to lift fixed speeds and reliability; usage is densest in Mandan and along the Missouri River/I‑94 corridor, with sparser coverage in western townships.
• Remote work and online services adoption are moderate and rising, reinforcing email as a default channel for government, healthcare, and schools.

Overall: High connectivity and a predominantly adult population yield strong email penetration countywide, with minor rural access gaps.

Morton County, ND: mobile phone usage, demographics, and infrastructure (with county-specific differences vs state-level)

Overall user base (best-available estimate)

• Mobile phone users (any mobile phone): approximately 27,000 residents
• Smartphone users: approximately 25,000 residents
• Basis: Morton County population ~33–35k; adoption rates applied by age cohort using recent Pew Research adoption figures and county age mix; includes teens 13–17 with very high smartphone adoption and adults 65+ with lower adoption but notable basic-phone use

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Urban/suburban vs rural
  • About 7 in 10 county residents live in and around Mandan (the county’s population center), concentrating mobile usage along the I‑94 corridor and river valley. This urban/suburban tilt (for a North Dakota county) yields higher 5G availability and faster median speeds than many rural ND counties.
  • Rural western and southern census blocks have sparser population and more terrain-driven dead zones; usage there leans more toward voice/SMS reliability and signal-boosting solutions.
• Age-driven patterns
  • Teens (13–17): near-saturation smartphone use; heavy app/social/video usage and high per‑user data consumption.
  • 18–49: saturation-level smartphone ownership; heaviest share of multi-line family and employer-paid plans.
  • 50–64: strong smartphone adoption but slightly below younger cohorts; more mixed use of mobile hotspotting for occasional home backup.
  • 65+: the widest gap with the state’s metro centers; smartphone adoption materially lower, with a meaningful minority using basic/feature phones. This pulls countywide smartphone penetration a few points below the state average despite strong coverage.
• Income and housing
  • Proximity to Bismarck–Mandan employers and the presence of cable/fiber in Mandan correlate with lower “cellular-only” household dependence vs the statewide average; more households bundle fixed broadband with mobile.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology
  • All three national MNOs (Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile) operate in the county. 4G LTE coverage is effectively universal along the I‑94/US‑85/ND‑25 corridors and in Mandan and incorporated towns.
  • 5G: County residents see broad low-band 5G, with mid-band 5G concentrated in the Mandan–Bismarck metro area and along I‑94. This differs from many rural ND counties where 5G is primarily low-band and patchier away from highways.
• Capacity and performance
  • Mandan and the I‑94 corridor benefit from denser macro sites and upgraded sectors (carrier aggregation, mid‑band 5G where deployed), yielding higher median speeds and better indoor reliability than most of rural ND.
  • Western and southern rural areas experience capacity constraints during peak events and agricultural seasons; fixed wireless access (FWA) and external antennas are common mitigations.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Strong middle‑mile/fiber presence via Dakota Carrier Network and regional providers; Mandan has cable (e.g., Midco) and fiber footprints that reduce reliance on cellular for home internet relative to many ND counties.
• Public safety and resiliency
  • Next Generation 911 is implemented statewide, with Phase II wireless E911 location supported. The metro adjacency improves site redundancy and recovery times compared with remote western ND counties.

How Morton County differs from North Dakota overall

• More urban/suburban usage profile: A much larger share of residents live in a single population center (Mandan), so coverage quality and 5G capacity are closer to metro ND norms than to rural-state averages.
• Faster 5G uptake: Mid-band 5G availability in the Mandan–Bismarck area accelerates device and plan upgrades, pushing county mobile speeds above many rural ND counties.
• Lower cellular-only household dependence: Because cable/fiber broadband is widely available in Mandan, a smaller share of households rely solely on mobile data for home internet than the statewide rate seen in more remote counties.
• Older skew at the margins: A relatively larger 65+ population share than in the state’s biggest metros slightly depresses smartphone penetration overall, even though coverage is strong.
• Commute-driven demand: Daytime device density along I‑94 and in Mandan creates a pronounced peak-load pattern compared with smaller, dispersed ND counties.

What the numbers imply for usage

• Penetration is high and still rising among all adult cohorts, with the largest remaining growth headroom in 65+.
• Network investments in Mandan (especially mid‑band 5G and additional sectors) are the main driver of county performance; incremental rural infill and small cells will matter most for the remaining gaps.
• Mobile is a complement, not a substitute, for home broadband for most households in the county, unlike in parts of rural ND where mobile or FWA often substitutes for wireline service.

Social media usage snapshot: Morton County, North Dakota

Context and methodology

• Morton County has roughly mid-30,000s residents and skews suburban-rural (Bismarck–Mandan metro). County-level social media surveys are limited; figures below use the latest Pew Research Center (2024 adults; 2023 teens) platform adoption rates and rural/metro patterns applied to Morton County’s age mix. Where a local deviation is likely (e.g., Facebook’s strong role in rural community life), it is noted.

Most-used platforms (share of adults using each platform; Pew 2024 benchmarks, which closely reflect local usage)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68% (Morton County likely at the high end of this range given strong community-group usage)
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35% (higher among women and parents)
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30% (concentrated among college-educated professionals)
• WhatsApp: ~26%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~18–20% (Facebook Groups often substitute for neighborhood apps locally)

Age-group patterns (platforms with the highest uptake)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube (95%), TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), Instagram (59%); Facebook usage is much lower (~33%). Local teens mirror these national patterns.
• 18–29: Very high YouTube (>90%); Instagram (75–80%), Snapchat (60–65%), TikTok (60%); Facebook remains widely used (65–70%) largely for local events and groups.
• 30–49: YouTube (≈90%), Facebook (≈75–80%) dominate; Instagram (50%), Pinterest (40%), TikTok (35–40%), LinkedIn (35%).
• 50–64: Facebook (70–75%) and YouTube (80%); Instagram (25–30%), Pinterest (35–40%), TikTok (~20–25%).
• 65+: Facebook (50%+) and YouTube (60%); other platforms <20%.

Gender breakdown (share of users by gender; national patterns that hold locally)

• Facebook: slight female majority (~54% women)
• Instagram: slight female majority (~52% women)
• TikTok and Snapchat: female-leaning (~55% women)
• Pinterest: strongly female (~70–75% women)
• YouTube: slight male tilt (~54% men)
• Reddit and X: male-leaning (roughly ~65% men on Reddit; ~60% men on X)
• LinkedIn: modest male tilt; usage tied to education and white-collar roles

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural–suburban counties and reflected locally

• Facebook Groups anchor community life: school activities, youth sports, churches, volunteer organizations, local government, and road/weather updates. Marketplace is a top channel for local buying/selling.
• Event-driven spikes: county fair, hunting/fishing seasons, weather advisories, school calendars, and construction/road closures reliably raise reach and engagement.
• Short-form video growth: Reels/Shorts/TikToks drive discovery for local businesses (restaurants, trades, real estate, health/fitness). Authentic, face-to-camera clips outperform polished ads.
• Practical content wins on YouTube: how‑to, home/auto repair, agriculture/ranching, outdoor and equipment reviews see strong watch time.
• Visual platforms for lifestyle: Instagram and Pinterest perform for home, DIY, weddings, outdoor recreation, and local tourism; Instagram Stories are key for day-of updates and promotions.
• Younger demographics split attention: teens and 18–29s spend more time on Snapchat and TikTok for messaging and entertainment, with Instagram as a secondary hub; Facebook is used primarily for groups and events.
• Trust and verification: Residents rely on official county/city pages and well-moderated community groups for timely information; posts with clear sourcing and actionable details see higher shares.
• Ad targeting that works: geofencing Mandan/Bismarck corridors, interest targeting around hunting, farming, construction trades, youth sports, and home improvement; boosting event posts 3–5 days prior maximizes turnout.

Key takeaways for Morton County

• Facebook remains the highest-utility platform for reach plus action (groups, events, Marketplace), with YouTube the broadest overall audience.
• To reach under‑30s, prioritize short‑form video on TikTok/Reels and messaging-centric placements on Snapchat.
• For women-led household decisions and DIY/home, Pinterest and Instagram outperform.
• Use YouTube for education and trust-building; use Facebook for activation and community participation.