Ramsey County

Ramsey County, North Dakota — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 11,456 (2023 estimate); 11,605 (2020 Census)
• 2020–2023 change: roughly -1%

Age

• Median age: 40.9 years
• Under 18: 23.3%
• 18 to 64: 57.8%
• 65 and over: 18.9%

Sex

• Male: 50.4%
• Female: 49.6%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White alone: 83.7%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 10.9%
• Black or African American alone: 1.1%
• Asian alone: 0.5%
• Two or more races: 3.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 3.8%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 81.1%

Households and housing

• Total households: 5,010
• Average household size: 2.25; average family size: 2.94
• Family households: 62.1% of households; married-couple: 47.2%
• Households with children under 18: 27.6%
• Nonfamily households: 37.9%; living alone: 33.0% (65+ living alone: 13.1%)
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 67.9%

Insights: Small, slightly declining population with a median age near 41; predominantly White with a notable American Indian presence; household sizes are modest and ownership predominates. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year; 2020 Census).

Ramsey County, ND snapshot

• Population and density: 11,605 residents (2020 Census) across ~1,300 sq mi, ≈9 people per sq mi. County seat Devils Lake has ~7,300 residents, concentrating most connections in town while rural townships are sparse.
• Estimated email users: ≈8,200 adult users. Method: ~8,800 adults (≈76% of population) × ~92% U.S. adult email adoption (Pew).
• Age distribution of email users (estimates):
  • 18–34: ~2,100 users (very high adoption, ~98%)
  • 35–64: 4,600 users (95% adoption)
  • 65+: 1,600 users (85% adoption)
• Gender split: Near parity (≈50% male, 50% female) with minimal difference in email adoption.
• Digital access trends and local connectivity:
  • Household broadband subscription is broadly high for a rural county (roughly low–mid-80% per recent ACS computer-and-internet indicators), with >90% of households having a computing device and an estimated 10–15% being smartphone‑only.
  • Connectivity clusters in Devils Lake (cable/fiber), with fixed wireless and DSL filling rural gaps; low population density raises last‑mile costs but North Dakota’s robust fiber backbones help maintain strong rural coverage.

Overall: Email use is widespread and mirrors national patterns, with slightly lower adoption among seniors and more mobile‑only access in outlying areas.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Ramsey County, North Dakota

Context (population and households)

• Population: approximately 11.6 thousand residents; about 5.0–5.2 thousand households (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates).
• Settlement pattern: the population is concentrated in Devils Lake, with sparse rural settlement elsewhere; overall population is older than the state average (larger 65+ share) and median household income is below the North Dakota average. These characteristics materially affect device ownership, plan types, and reliance on cellular for home internet.

User estimates and adoption

• Active mobile lines: about 12.5–13.5 thousand SIMs in service countywide. This estimate applies North Dakota’s state-level wireless subscription intensity to Ramsey County’s population, adjusted slightly downward for its older demographic mix.
• Unique mobile users: roughly 9–10 thousand residents use a mobile phone regularly (accounts for multi-line users and children without devices).
• Household smartphone access: approximately 88–92% of households have at least one smartphone (ACS 2019–2023 5-year device-access pattern for similar rural ND counties).
• Cellular data plans: roughly 70–80% of households pay for a cellular data plan (smartphone or other mobile device).
• Mobile-only internet households: estimated 17–22% of households rely primarily or exclusively on cellular for home internet, higher than the statewide share. This reflects both the county’s rural last-mile gaps and price-sensitivity among lower- and fixed-income households.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: highest mobile data consumption and mobile-only reliance, particularly in Devils Lake; high adoption of unlimited plans and hotspot use.
  • 35–64: near-universal smartphone adoption; many maintain both home broadband and mobile, but a noticeable minority in rural areas uses cellular as a backup or primary.
  • 65+: smartphone adoption lags the county average; greater prevalence of basic/entry plans, though telehealth and messaging usage are rising.
• Income and housing
  • Lower-income renters and households in the rural periphery are significantly more likely to be mobile-only and to use prepaid plans.
  • Owner-occupied households closer to fiber/cable plant tend to keep fixed broadband and use cellular as secondary.
• Urban–rural split
  • Devils Lake residents experience stronger 5G coverage, higher median mobile speeds, and fewer dead zones than outlying townships; rural users report more variability in signal quality indoors and in lake-adjacent terrain.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all provide 4G LTE countywide coverage footprints; 5G coverage is strongest in and around Devils Lake and along U.S. Route 2, with weaker or 4G-only coverage on secondary roads and in low-lying or lakeshore areas.
• Spectrum posture observed in rural ND counties:
  • Low-band 600/700 MHz underpins broad-area coverage (notably T-Mobile 600 MHz and 700 MHz holdings by multiple carriers).
  • Mid-band 5G (e.g., n41/n77 where available) is concentrated near Devils Lake and primary corridors; rural sectors more often run low-band 5G or LTE.
• Backhaul: fiber-fed macro sites are concentrated along U.S.-2 and into Devils Lake; microwave backhaul persists at outlying sites, contributing to capacity constraints during peak hours.
• Site density: macro tower spacing is typical of rural plains counties—good highway coverage with inter-site gaps that can yield spotty service in depressions, around tree lines, and near complex shoreline topography.

How Ramsey County differs from the North Dakota statewide picture

• Higher mobile-only reliance: a meaningfully larger share of households depends on cellular as their primary home internet compared with the state average, driven by rural last-mile build-out gaps and affordability considerations.
• Slightly lower per-capita line density than the statewide average: an older population mix and fewer enterprise/IoT lines than in the state’s oil and metro counties reduce the lines-per-100-residents metric.
• Coverage quality varies more with terrain and distance from corridors: lake-adjacent and low-lying rural areas see more midcall drops and rate throttling than typical urban ND environments.
• 5G availability is more corridor-centric: 5G mid-band capacity is concentrated in Devils Lake and along U.S.-2; elsewhere, users more often fall back to low-band 5G or LTE, yielding lower median speeds than the state’s metro-led averages.
• Price and plan mix skews toward prepaid and budget tiers: higher prevalence than statewide, especially among rural renters and fixed-income seniors, which influences average data usage per line.

Actionable implications

• Capacity hotspots are predictable (Devils Lake, US-2, event venues), suggesting continued carrier prioritization of mid-band 5G sectors and fiber backhaul there.
• Rural reliability programs (external antennas, in-home signal boosters, CPE-based fixed wireless) can materially improve service quality for mobile-only households.
• Targeted digital inclusion (subsidized plans/devices for seniors and low-income households) would have outsized impact given the county’s above-average mobile-only reliance.

Here’s a concise, planning-ready snapshot of social media usage relevant to Ramsey County, ND. County-level platform shares are not directly published by official sources; the percentages below use the most recent, authoritative U.S. adult benchmarks (Pew Research Center, 2024), which closely mirror rural Upper Midwest patterns seen in counties like Ramsey.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all U.S. adults; solid benchmark for Ramsey County)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21%
• Reddit: ~19%

Age-group usage patterns (benchmarks you can expect locally)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy on Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal outside family/teams.
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%+, Instagram ~75–80%, Snapchat ~60–65%, TikTok ~60%+, Facebook ~45–50%. Short-form video dominates; messaging via Snap/IG DMs.
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%+, Facebook ~70%+, Instagram ~50–60%, TikTok ~35–45%, LinkedIn ~35–40%. Multi-platform, video-forward, strong marketplace/event use.
• 50–64: Facebook ~65–70%, YouTube ~80%+, Instagram ~25–30%, TikTok ~20%+. Facebook groups and practical YouTube content lead.
• 65+: Facebook ~50–55%, YouTube ~55–60%; limited Instagram/TikTok. News, community groups, and family updates dominate.

Gender skews to expect

• Pinterest: Strong female skew (women ~2–3x men).
• Reddit: Strong male skew (men ~2x women).
• Snapchat and TikTok: Skew female among adults; balanced among teens.
• Facebook and YouTube: Broadly balanced by gender.
• LinkedIn: Mild male skew.

Behavioral trends specific to rural/micropolitan counties like Ramsey (what people actually do)

• Facebook is the community hub: Local news, school and sports updates, churches, civic info, volunteer drives, and especially Facebook Groups. Marketplace is a top driver for everyday use (vehicles, farm/ranch gear, outdoor equipment).
• Video is dominant: YouTube for how-to, home/auto repair, ag and outdoors content (fishing/hunting around Devils Lake), high school sports, and product research. Reels/Shorts cross-posts perform well.
• Private sharing > public posting among younger users: Snapchat (Stories/Chats) and Instagram DMs carry day-to-day social chatter; TikTok is for discovery and entertainment.
• Events and promotions: Facebook Events reliably mobilize attendance for fairs, tournaments, school activities, and local businesses; weekend engagement is strong.
• Trust and information: Local pages/groups outperform national outlets for perceived relevance; recommendations in groups drive service choices.
• Timing patterns: Peaks before work/school (roughly 6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend late-morning to afternoon is strong for Facebook and YouTube. Mobile-first consumption.
• Creative formats that work: Short vertical video (15–45s), before/after demos, seasonal/outdoor content, local faces, and straight-to-camera explainers. Photo carousels on Facebook/Instagram for listings and announcements.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are critical for quick coordination; businesses that respond fast in Messenger convert better locally.

User stats you can apply for planning in Ramsey County

• Expect Facebook and YouTube to reach the broadest cross-section of adults (roughly two-thirds to four-fifths of adults, respectively).
• Among adults under 35, plan for Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok to collectively match or exceed Facebook reach; for 50+, Facebook and YouTube carry the load.
• Pinterest is a high-value niche for women-driven categories (home, crafts, recipes, weddings); LinkedIn is useful for regional hiring and B2B in trades, healthcare, education, and public sector.
• X (Twitter) and Reddit are minority platforms locally; use them for specific niches (sports, tech, policy) rather than mass reach.

Source note

• Percentages reflect 2024 Pew Research Center national adult usage; rural/micropolitan Midwest counties like Ramsey typically track these closely, with Facebook slightly over-indexing and TikTok slightly under-indexing among older adults.