Rolette County

Rolette County, North Dakota — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 12,187 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~12,600 (Census Bureau Population Estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~29 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~33%
• 65 and over: ~12%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity (shares; race alone unless noted)

• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~78%
• White: ~19%
• Black or African American: ~0.3–0.4%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Households

• Number of households: ~3,900–4,000 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~3.3 persons
• Family households: ~75–80% of households
• Married-couple households: ~35–40%
• Households with children under 18: ~45–50%
• Nonfamily households: ~20–25%

Insights

• The county has a predominantly American Indian population (roughly four in five residents).
• Age structure is notably young compared with national averages, with about one-third under 18.
• Households are larger than the U.S. average and are more often family households with children.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates; 2023 Vintage Population Estimates.

Rolette County, ND overview

• Population: 12,187 (2020 Census); rural density ≈13 residents per sq. mile. Includes the Turtle Mountain Reservation (largest population centers: Belcourt, Rolla).

Estimated email users

• Adults (18+): ~8,165; estimated regular email users: ~7,400 (≈90% of ages 18–64; ≈75% of 65+).
• Age mix of email users: 18–34 ≈42%, 35–64 ≈43%, 65+ ≈15%.
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male (mirrors population).

Digital access and trends

• Household connectivity (ACS-style estimates): ~77% have a fixed broadband subscription; ~13% are smartphone‑only at home; ~10% report no home internet subscription.
• Access is strongest in and near Belcourt/Rolla; outlying areas have sparser fixed options, increasing reliance on mobile data.
• State and Tribal Broadband Connectivity investments are expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage; improvements should lift email adoption among older and lower‑income residents.

Key insight

• Email use is near‑universal among working‑age adults; the limiting factors are infrastructure and affordability rather than willingness or skills.

Rolette County, ND mobile phone usage — key takeaways different from statewide patterns:

• Heavier smartphone dependence in place of home broadband, driven by lower incomes and rural infrastructure gaps
• More prepaid/Lifeline histories and plan churn than the ND average
• Slower and patchier 5G (especially mid‑band) than most of North Dakota, with persistent LTE-only pockets in the Turtle Mountains and along the border
• Younger, majority–Native American population produces higher daily mobile engagement but lower multi‑device ownership

Population and demographics relevant to mobile adoption

• Population: about 12,200 (2020 Census)
• Age: materially younger than North Dakota overall (median age in the high 20s vs low–mid 30s statewide), which lifts smartphone usage but also increases mobile-only reliance among students and young adults
• Race/ethnicity: majority American Indian/Alaska Native (roughly three-quarters of residents), with digital access patterns that nationally correlate to higher smartphone-only internet use
• Income/poverty: poverty rate roughly triple the state average, which tilts the market toward prepaid plans, entry-level devices, subsidy programs, and public/anchor Wi‑Fi use

User estimates and usage patterns

• Active smartphone users: approximately 7,000–8,000 residents use a smartphone daily (a higher share among ages 15–44, and a lower share among seniors), but overall adult ownership trails the ND average by several points due to affordability and coverage gaps
• Mobile‑only internet households: meaningfully higher than the ND average; roughly one in four households rely primarily on a smartphone/cellular data for home internet (vs about one in eight statewide)
• Plan mix: prepaid and value MVNOs represent a larger share of lines than in most ND counties; Lifeline participation has historically been above state norms; the 2024 wind‑down of ACP assistance led to plan downgrades and intermittent disconnections, disproportionately affecting Rolette County relative to more affluent ND counties
• Device turnover: older handsets remain in circulation longer than the state average, keeping a sizable base on LTE and limiting real‑world 5G benefits

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: near-universal in towns (Belcourt, Rolla, Dunseith, St. John, Rolette) and along US‑281/ND‑5, with dead zones in the Turtle Mountain uplands, forested areas, and some coulees. Countywide LTE population coverage is a few points lower than North Dakota’s typical 99%+
• 5G: low‑band 5G is present on most macro sites serving populated areas, but mid‑band 5G capacity is spotty and largely confined to corridors and community centers. Estimated 5G population coverage in the county trails the ND average by 20–30 percentage points
• Capacity: evening congestion is more common than elsewhere in ND because a larger share of households stream over cellular; speeds can fall sharply at peak in Belcourt/Rolla sectors
• Carriers: Verizon and AT&T have the broadest rural LTE footprints; T‑Mobile’s reach has improved with low‑band and limited mid‑band 2.5 GHz overlays but remains inconsistent outside town centers. FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is present on select sites that support tribal/public safety
• Border effects: proximity to Manitoba/Saskatchewan creates power‑management and roaming constraints near the International Peace Garden and northern ridge lines; devices can camp on Canadian networks in fringe areas, which is a more frequent issue here than elsewhere in ND
• Backhaul/fiber: primary fiber routes track ND‑5 and connect anchor institutions in Belcourt and Rolla. Projects funded since 2021 (state and tribal federal programs) are extending last‑mile fiber and fixed wireless, but many outlying homes still depend on LTE, fixed wireless, or satellite
• Tribal spectrum and networks: tribal entities have leveraged 2.5 GHz (EBS) spectrum and federal broadband programs to stand up or expand fixed wireless in and around the Turtle Mountain Reservation, providing important offload/backup where commercial 5G is thin

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Age: 18–34 cohort shows near‑universal smartphone use and high video/social throughput; 65+ ownership and mobile data use lag the state average due to both coverage and cost
• Income: low‑income households more often use prepaid, share family plans, and rely on public/anchor Wi‑Fi; mobile‑only is common among students and single‑parent households
• Race/ethnicity: majority–Native communities show higher smartphone‑only reliance than white households in the county, reflecting national AI/AN access patterns and fewer wired options on tribal lands
• Geography: best performance along ND‑5, within Belcourt and Rolla, and at schools/clinics; weakest in wooded/undulating terrain northeast and northwest of Belcourt and near the border

How Rolette County differs from North Dakota overall

• Lower home broadband subscription rates and higher smartphone‑only dependence
• Higher prevalence of prepaid/Lifeline histories and greater exposure to ACP funding changes
• Less consistent mid‑band 5G availability and lower average mobile speeds at peak
• Younger population drives heavier mobile social/video use but with fewer multi‑device homes
• More frequent cross‑border coverage anomalies and rural dead zones than typical ND counties

Implications

• Capacity relief (mid‑band 5G and additional sectors) in Belcourt/Rolla would yield outsized benefits compared with similar-sized ND communities, due to mobile‑only load
• Affordability measures and device upgrade programs translate directly into better effective coverage because older LTE‑only phones are still common
• Continued fiber-to-anchor and tribal fixed‑wireless builds are critical complements to commercial mobile networks, reducing peak congestion and improving resiliency across the Turtle Mountain area

Social media usage in Rolette County, ND (2025 snapshot, modeled)

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~82%
• Daily social media users (any platform): ~68%
• Multi-platform users (3+ platforms): ~55%

Most-used platforms among adults (use at least monthly)

• YouTube: 84%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 50%
• TikTok: 38%
• Snapchat: 35%
• Pinterest: 32%
• Reddit: 22%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• LinkedIn: 18%
• WhatsApp: 15%
• Nextdoor: 3%

Age-group patterns (share using the platform)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube 95%, Snapchat 70%, TikTok 65%, Instagram 60%, Facebook 35%
• Adults 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 78%, Snapchat 65%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 70%
• Adults 30–49: YouTube 92%, Facebook 77%, Instagram 52%, TikTok 39%, Snapchat 25%
• Adults 50–64: YouTube 83%, Facebook 73%, Instagram 29%, TikTok 17%
• Adults 65+: YouTube 60%, Facebook 55%, Instagram 15%, TikTok 9%

Gender breakdown among adults (share using the platform)

• Women: Facebook 76%, Instagram 52%, Pinterest 48%, TikTok 39%, Snapchat 36%, YouTube 82%
• Men: YouTube 86%, Facebook 68%, Instagram 47%, TikTok 36%, Snapchat 33%, Reddit 30%, X 21%, LinkedIn 21%, Pinterest 15%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community backbone: heavy reliance on Groups and Pages for local news, school and sports updates, tribal communications, weather, and buy-sell-trade via Marketplace.
• Messaging-first habits: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are preferred for coordination over public posting, especially among younger users.
• Short-form video dominance: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery; the same clips are often cross-posted to YouTube Shorts.
• Engagement peaks: weekday evenings (roughly 7–9 pm) and weekend mid-mornings/evenings; event-driven spikes around powwows, school sports, and weather alerts.
• Trust in local voices: posts from local admins, coaches, and tribal departments outperform brand posts; community verification happens in comments and shares.
• Ad performance patterns: best ROI on Facebook/Instagram with 15–30 mile radius targeting; short vertical video (<15 seconds) and event tie-ins outperform static creatives.
• Privacy-aware youth: higher use of Stories, private groups, and Snapchat for day-to-day sharing; less frequent public posting on Facebook profiles.

Notes on method

• Figures are 2025 county-level estimates derived from 2024–2025 Pew Research Center data on U.S. social media adoption (with rural adjustments) and the county’s younger-than-average demographic profile. Platform shares represent the percentage of adults in Rolette County using each service; teen figures reflect national teen survey benchmarks. Allow a ±3–5 percentage-point margin for local variation.