Richland County

Richland County, North Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 16,529 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 5-year estimates)

• White alone: ~91%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~3–4%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~86–88%

Households and housing (ACS 5-year estimates)

• Households: ~6,800–7,000
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~60%
• Married-couple households: ~45–50%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–28%
• Nonfamily households: ~35–40%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70% (renter-occupied ~30%)

Insights

• Population is stable and predominantly White, with a notable American Indian presence and small but meaningful Hispanic population.
• Age structure skews middle-aged with nearly one-fifth 65+, implying steady senior service needs.
• Household sizes are modest and homeownership is the majority, consistent with small-city/rural North Dakota profiles.

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

• Scope: Richland County, ND (2020 population 16,529; land area ~1,436 sq mi; density ~11.5 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~11,400 adults (≈90% of ~12,700 adults), reflecting high U.S. email adoption and strong local internet access.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–34: ~3,100 (27%)
  • 35–54: ~3,700 (32%)
  • 55–64: ~2,000 (17%)
  • 65+: ~2,600 (23%)
• Gender split: Approximately 51% male and 49% female among users, mirroring the county’s overall sex ratio; adoption differences by gender are negligible.
• Digital access and trends (estimated):
  • ~83% of households have a broadband subscription; ~90% have a computer or smartphone.
  • Fiber/cable are common in Wahpeton and other towns; fixed wireless serves many rural addresses, sustaining high email penetration countywide.
  • Smartphone-only internet households are a minority (~7%), but growing slowly, supporting mobile email use.
• Local connectivity facts: Population is dispersed but anchored by Wahpeton (home to NDSCS), which concentrates gigabit-class options and public access points, helping keep countywide email usage high relative to many rural Great Plains counties.

Mobile phone usage in Richland County, North Dakota — summary and contrasts with statewide patterns

Scope and latest available data used: U.S. Census/ACS 2018–2022, 2020 Census, and 2024 industry coverage mapping and national adoption benchmarks.

User estimates

• Population baseline: about 16.5K residents (2020 Census).
• Estimated individual smartphone users: roughly 12.5K–14.0K residents (about 75–85% of the total population), reflecting lower uptake among older adults and slightly lower adoption than the North Dakota average.
• Household-level access: approximately mid-80s percent of households have at least one smartphone in the home, a few points below the statewide figure (which is near 90%).
• Internet via cellular data plan at home: about 10–15% of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet, higher than the statewide share. This reflects more cellular-only households and fixed‑wireless substitution in rural parts of the county.

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Age structure: Richland County skews older than the state average, with a larger 65+ share. Smartphone adoption is highest among adults under 50 and materially lower among residents 65+, pulling down the countywide adoption rate relative to North Dakota overall.
• Income and education: Median household income is modestly below the statewide median, and smartphone‑only (no home broadband) reliance is more common among lower‑income households. This increases the prevalence of mobile‑centric access for essential online services in the county compared with the state.
• Family/children: Households with school‑age children show high smartphone access and frequent use of mobile data as a supplement to fixed connections, but they remain a smaller share of the population than in faster‑growing ND counties, limiting the upward effect on overall adoption.
• Rurality: Lower population density outside Wahpeton increases dependence on wide‑area coverage bands and fixed‑wireless options. This leads to greater variability in mobile performance and a higher share of cellular‑only households than the statewide norm.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Mobile networks: All three national carriers serve the county. 5G is available in and around Wahpeton and along primary corridors, while many rural townships are still predominantly on 4G LTE with 5G filling in progressively. Mid‑band 5G capacity is most consistent near the population center; low‑band 5G and LTE bands carry most rural traffic.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Wahpeton is covered by cable/fiber providers, while rural areas are served by a regional telecom cooperative that has expanded fiber and fixed‑wireless. This mixed footprint produces a higher‑than‑average role for mobile hotspots and cellular home internet outside the city.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber backhaul is strongest along county corridors and into Wahpeton, supporting denser cell‑site capacity there. Wider spacing between rural towers means more contention and lower peak throughput compared to urban ND markets.
• Emergency and public safety: First responder networks (e.g., FirstNet) are present on major sites, with coverage strongest near towns and highways.

Trends that differ from North Dakota statewide

• Adoption level: Smartphone adoption in Richland County trails the statewide average by several points, primarily due to its older age profile and lower median income.
• Access pattern: A higher proportion of cellular‑only and mobile‑first households than the ND average, driven by rural geography and cost/availability tradeoffs for fixed service.
• Coverage mix: 5G availability is spottier outside the county seat compared with statewide population‑weighted coverage; rural residents rely more on low‑band 5G/LTE than mid‑band capacity.
• Usage behavior: Heavier use of mobile data as a substitute for fixed broadband in rural tracts and among lower‑income households than is typical statewide, with corresponding sensitivity to network congestion and signal quality.
• Closing gap: Continued fiber builds by local providers and ongoing 5G expansion are narrowing, but have not eliminated, the adoption and performance gap with the North Dakota average.

Key takeaways

• Expect overall smartphone use in the 75–85% range of residents, several points below the state average.
• Older age structure and rural settlement patterns are the main drivers of lower adoption and greater reliance on cellular‑only access compared with North Dakota as a whole.
• Infrastructure is strongest in and around Wahpeton; outside it, coverage breadth is good but capacity is thinner, reinforcing mobile‑centric behavior and variability in user experience.

Social media usage in Richland County, ND (2025 snapshot)

Note on method: Direct, platform-published county-level data aren’t available. Figures below synthesize 2024 Pew Research Center U.S. (rural) social-media adoption rates with recent U.S. Census/ACS demographics for Richland County to produce best-available local estimates.

Topline user stats

• Population: ~16.7k residents; adults (18+): ~12.7k
• Adult social-media users: ~10.3k (≈81% of adults)
• Daily adult users: ~7.1k (≈56% of adults; ≈69% of users)
• Teens (13–17): 1.1k; social-media users ≈95% (1.0–1.1k), predominantly daily
• Median platforms per adult user: 3

Most-used platforms among adult residents (estimated share of adults who use)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~43%
• Pinterest: ~32%
• TikTok: ~29%
• Snapchat: ~28%
• WhatsApp: ~20%
• LinkedIn: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• Reddit: ~16% Note: Facebook and YouTube lead across all ages; Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok skew younger; Pinterest skews female; LinkedIn skews toward college/white-collar segments.

Age-group breakdown (share of adults using any social media; local pattern mirrors rural U.S.)

• 18–29: ~95% (heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook used for events/marketplace)
• 30–49: ~88% (Facebook, YouTube core; Instagram rising; TikTok moderate)
• 50–64: ~76% (Facebook, YouTube dominant; Pinterest meaningful; Instagram modest)
• 65+: ~50% (Facebook, YouTube primary; limited Instagram/TikTok)

Gender breakdown

• County population is roughly 51% male, 49% female; among social-media users, women are slightly overrepresented (≈52% women, 48% men) due to higher Facebook/Pinterest use.
• Platform lean:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • More male: YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit, LinkedIn

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural North Dakota counties and reflected locally

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages are the hub for local news, school/athletics, events, weather/road/emergency updates, and buy/sell/marketplace activity.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery; YouTube remains the go-to for how-to, repairs, ag, hunting/fishing, and local sports highlights.
• Private sharing: Heavy reliance on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat for one-to-one and small-group coordination; DMs often outperform public posts for response.
• Commerce and promotions: Facebook Events and boosted posts produce outsized reach for local businesses, fundraisers, and seasonal promotions; Instagram Reels effective for food/retail; TikTok rising for under-35 discovery.
• Timing: Engagement clusters around 6:30–8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., and 8:00–10:00 p.m.; weekend midday spikes for events and sports.
• Cross-border audience: Content routinely reaches neighboring Breckenridge, MN and nearby townships; geotargeting across the river increases effective reach for local campaigns.
• Youth patterns: High school and NDSCS student presence elevates Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok usage; Stories, ephemeral posts, and short vertical video lead among under-30.
• Trust signals: Locally run pages/groups and creator voices outperform national pages; posts featuring recognizable landmarks, teams, or community members see higher save/share rates.

Sources: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024, U.S. adults; rural subsample patterns); U.S. Census Bureau/ACS (latest available county demographics). Estimates reflect local adaptation of those benchmarks to Richland County’s population profile.