Sheridan County

Key demographics — Sheridan County, North Dakota

• Population:
  • 1,265 (2020 Census)
  • ~1.26–1.30k in 2023 estimates (Census Bureau intercensal/QuickFacts)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~56–57 years (ACS 2019–2023)
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18 to 64: ~49–50%
  • 65 and over: ~30–31%
• Gender:
  • Male: ~51–52%
  • Female: ~48–49%
• Race and ethnicity (shares; ACS/Decennial):
  • White alone: ~97–98%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1%
  • Black or African American: ~0–0.3%
  • Asian: ~0–0.3%
  • Two or more races: ~1–2%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~96–97%
• Households:
  • ~600–625 households (ACS 2019–2023)
  • Average household size: ~2.0–2.1
  • Family households: ~55–60% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~20–25%

Insights:

• Very small, aging population with one of the highest median ages in North Dakota.
• Racial/ethnic composition is overwhelmingly non-Hispanic White.
• Small household sizes and a modest share of family/child households are consistent with the older age structure.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DHC) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Census Bureau QuickFacts for Sheridan County, ND. Note: Small-population counties have larger sampling error in ACS; ranges reflect that uncertainty.

• Population and density: 1,265 residents (2020 Census), about 1.3 people per square mile across ~972 sq mi.
• Digital access: About 91% of households have a computer and ~78% have a broadband subscription; roughly 20% lack home internet (ACS 2018–2022).
• Estimated email users: 900 residents use email regularly (72% of the total population; ~86% of adults), based on local broadband take-up and national email adoption norms.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated): 13–17: ~5%; 18–34: ~16%; 35–64: ~47%; 65+: ~32%. High usage among working-age adults; seniors participate widely but at slightly lower rates than younger cohorts.
• Gender split: Email users mirror the county’s demographics at roughly 52% male and 48% female; any gender gap in email adoption is negligible.
• Connectivity insights: Access is strongest in and around population centers (e.g., McClusky, Goodrich), with outlying ranch/farm areas more reliant on fixed wireless or satellite. Low population density raises last‑mile costs, but overall device ownership and broadband subscription rates support broad email reach for government, healthcare, agriculture, and small‑business communications.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; ACS 2018–2022 5‑year); Pew Research Center benchmarks on email adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Sheridan County, North Dakota — summary with county-specific estimates and how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline takeaways

• Sheridan County is very small and older than North Dakota overall, which depresses smartphone adoption and increases reliance on voice/SMS compared with state averages.
• 4G LTE coverage is broadly available outdoors along primary corridors; 5G is present but mainly low-band and spotty. Capacity and indoor coverage are more constrained than in the state’s metros.
• Estimated adult mobile adoption is high but not universal; smartphone penetration among seniors is the main gap.

Population baseline (for sizing)

• Total population: 1,315 (2020 Census).
• Age structure (Census Bureau QuickFacts, 5-year ACS): roughly 17% under 18, about 38% age 65+, and about 45% age 18–64. That implies ~1,090 adults (18+) with roughly 500 of them 65+.

User estimates (phones and smartphones)

• Adults with any mobile phone: about 1,030 (≈94% of adults).
  • Rationale: adults 18–64 ~98% mobile; adults 65+ ~90% mobile, applied to local age counts using current national/rural benchmarks.
• Adult smartphone users: about 895 (≈82% of adults).
  • Rationale: 18–64 at ~92% smartphone; 65+ at ~70% smartphone, adjusted slightly downward for rural/older mix.
• Teen smartphone users (12–17): about 85 (≥90% of 12–17-year-olds; under-12s mostly without phones).
• Countywide smartphone users (all ages): roughly 980 (≈75% of total population).
• Feature-phone–only adults (no smartphone): about 135 (≈12% of adults), concentrated among 65+.
• Adults without any mobile phone: about 60 (≈6% of adults), again skewing older.

How Sheridan County differs from North Dakota overall

• Age-driven adoption gap: With ≈38% of residents 65+ versus 16% statewide, Sheridan’s adult smartphone penetration (82%) trails the statewide adult rate (around 90%).
• More voice/SMS reliance: Higher share of basic-phone users (≈12% of adults) than the state average, reflecting the county’s older profile.
• Lower effective 5G experience: 5G availability exists but is mostly low-band with limited mid-band reach, so typical speeds and indoor performance lag state urban/suburban areas where C-band/mid-band is widely deployed.
• Higher share of coverage “edges”: Outdoor handheld LTE is widely reported, but distance to towers and building materials make indoor calling/texting less reliable than in cities; Wi‑Fi calling is more frequently needed.

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Seniors (65+; ~500 people): about 90% have a mobile phone; roughly 70% use smartphones; 20% use basic phones; ~10% have no mobile. App use clusters around messaging, weather, agronomy/market info, and telehealth where available.
• Working-age adults (18–64; 590 people): near-universal mobile (98%); high smartphone adoption (~92%). Usage includes productivity, navigation, payments, and streaming but often constrained by coverage/speed indoors and in outlying sections.
• Youth (12–17; ≈90 people): very high smartphone access (≈95%), but the cohort is small in absolute numbers, so it doesn’t offset the senior-driven countywide averages.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14), Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate in/around the county.
• 4G/LTE: Reported by all three carriers across most populated roads and towns; dead zones persist in low-density sections and inside metal or concrete buildings.
• 5G: Predominantly low-band (T‑Mobile 600 MHz; AT&T/Verizon low-band/DSS) with spotty footprints. Mid-band 5G (C‑band or n41) is limited in and around Sheridan County compared with Bismarck–Mandan or Minot.
• Tower layout: Sparse macro sites with wide spacing (typical rural inter-site distances). This favors broad outdoor coverage over capacity; sector loading is low but spectral efficiency is constrained, so speeds vary widely.
• Backhaul and fiber: Rural telecom cooperatives connected via Dakota Carrier Network provide robust fiber backhaul regionally, but the limited number of radio sites and prioritization of coverage over capacity temper mobile performance upgrades.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage is present along major corridors and population centers; in-building penetration still benefits from boosters/Wi‑Fi calling at emergency facilities and farms.
• Practical user impact: Stable voice/SMS nearly everywhere people live and travel regularly; data performance is best outdoors or near towers; indoors and at field edges users often rely on Wi‑Fi calling or external antennas.

Implications

• Device mix: Higher share of basic phones and older devices than the state average; BYOD policies for local employers should plan for SMS-first outreach and offline-capable apps.
• Network planning: The biggest gains for users would come from additional mid-band 5G sectors on existing towers and targeted indoor coverage solutions (repeaters/CBRS small cells at clinics, schools, and co‑ops).
• Service design: For county services, prioritize text alerts and lightweight web/app experiences that tolerate variable throughput and latency.

Sources and methodology

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial; ACS 5-year for age shares).
• Adoption rates applied to local age counts: Pew Research Center 2023–2024 device ownership by age; rural adjustments informed by NTIA Internet Use Survey and Pew rural–urban splits.
• Coverage/infrastructure: FCC Broadband Data Collection (latest map vintages through 2024), carrier public coverage disclosures, and statewide fiber/backhaul context from Dakota Carrier Network and rural telco cooperatives.

Sheridan County, ND — social media usage snapshot (2024) Note: Figures are model-based estimates derived from Pew Research (2023–2024), U.S. Census/ACS, and rural Upper Midwest patterns, adjusted to Sheridan County’s age structure and connectivity. Expect small-population uncertainty of roughly ±5–10 percentage points.

Population and access

• Population: ~1,300 residents; adults (18+): ~1,050
• Households with home internet: ~84%
• Adult smartphone ownership: ~80%

Overall social media reach

• Estimated social media users (13+): ~840 people (≈64% of residents; ≈73% of adults)
• Usage frequency among users: ~72% daily; ~48% multiple times per day
• Average platforms used per person: ~2.2

Age-group adoption (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 92%
• 18–29: 84%
• 30–49: 78%
• 50–64: 67%
• 65+: 48%

Gender breakdown among users

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47%
• Notable skews: Pinterest and Facebook are more female-skewed; YouTube, Reddit slightly male-skewed; Snapchat heavily under-30.

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users)

• Facebook: 81%
• YouTube: 74%
• Facebook Messenger: 66%
• Instagram: 33%
• Pinterest: 31%
• Snapchat: 28%
• TikTok: 24%
• X (Twitter): 11%
• LinkedIn: 9%
• Reddit: 8%
• Nextdoor: <1%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook is the hub for local life: school/athletics, churches, county and emergency updates, weather/road conditions, community events, buy/sell/garage-sale groups, lost-and-found, obituaries.
• Marketplace and local buy/sell groups see high participation and fast response cycles; giveaways, photo contests, and local-deal posts perform best.
• Agriculture content is prominent: equipment troubleshooting, agronomy tips, auction notices, commodity news; YouTube is used for “how-to” and repair videos.
• Under-30s gravitate to Snapchat (messaging/Stories) and Instagram Reels; TikTok consumption is rising but creation remains modest.
• Content creation is light; sharing and commenting on local issues is common. Trust is highest for known local pages and people.
• Government and schools default to Facebook for closures, storm and wildfire updates; Messenger is widely used for coordinating volunteer, church, and sports activities; WhatsApp usage is minimal.
• Peak activity times: early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekend spikes around community events, high school sports, and church announcements.

Key takeaways

• Penetration is solid for a sparsely populated, older county, with Facebook as the primary channel and YouTube as the utility platform.
• Reaching younger residents requires Snapchat and Instagram; TikTok adds incremental reach but remains secondary.
• Practical, hyper-local, and service-oriented content outperforms polished brand creative; authenticity and local relevance drive engagement.