Slope County

Key demographics — Slope County, North Dakota

Population size

• 706 residents (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: −2.9% (2010: 727)

Age

• Median age: 55.4 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: 19% under 18; 55% 18–64; 26% 65+

Gender

• Male: 54%
• Female: 46%

Race and ethnicity

• Non-Hispanic White: 94%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~2%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• All other single-race groups: each <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~320
• Average household size: 2.2
• Family households: ~62% of households; average family size: ~2.8
• Married-couple households: ~53%
• Households with children under 18: ~23%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~82%; renter-occupied: ~18%

Insights

• Very small, aging population with a high share of older adults
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small racial/ethnic minorities
• Small household sizes and high homeownership typical of rural Great Plains counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Email usage snapshot — Slope County, North Dakota

• Base population and density: 706 residents across ~1,218 square miles (2020 Census), ≈0.6 people per square mile—one of the sparsest U.S. counties.
• Estimated email users: 470 residents (67% of the population). Method: adults ≈78% of residents; 85% rural internet adoption and 92% email use among internet users (Pew Research), plus high teen (13–17) use.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: ~8%; 18–34: ~22%; 35–54: ~35%; 55–64: ~15%; 65+: ~20% (older-skewed population lowers the 65+ share of users relative to their population share).
• Gender split: ≈53% male, 47% female among users, mirroring the county’s population mix (Census).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Rural internet adoption ≈85% (Pew); email remains near-universal among users (≈92%).
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance among rural adults ≈15–17% (Pew), implying ~80–95 Slope adults primarily use mobile data for email.
  • ND broadband subscription ≈88% statewide (ACS); Slope’s extremely low density drives more fixed wireless and satellite use outside Amidon and Marmarth and raises last‑mile costs, constraining speeds and affordability compared with urban ND.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Slope County, North Dakota

At-a-glance

• Population baseline: 706 residents (2020 Decennial Census), the least populous county in North Dakota and among the most sparsely populated in the state.
• Overall mobile users (estimate): 550–650 residents use a mobile phone of any kind; 450–550 use smartphones. Method: apply typical U.S. adult mobile ownership rates to the county’s small, older-skewing population; range reflects known rural/age effects that pull adoption below the state average.

Demographic breakdown affecting usage

• Age structure: Slope County has one of the oldest median ages in North Dakota (around 50, compared with the state in the mid‑30s). Older age correlates with lower smartphone take‑up and higher persistence of basic/flip phones.
• Race/ethnicity: Predominantly non‑Hispanic White (>90%), with small shares of American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic residents. This composition doesn’t materially alter mobile adoption by itself, but the age profile does.
• Household composition: Smaller households and more single‑adult or retired households than the state average; this generally reduces the number of lines per household and the rate of multi‑line family plans relative to metro counties.
• Income/education: Lower median household income and lower bachelor’s attainment than the state average—both are associated with slightly lower smartphone ownership and more price‑sensitive plan choices (prepaid, limited‑data tiers).

User estimates and patterns

• Smartphone users: 450–550 residents, concentrated among working‑age adults; teenagers’ smartphone use is common but total numbers are small due to the small youth cohort.
• Basic phone users: 80–150 residents, disproportionately 65+.
• Plan mix: Higher share of prepaid and budget MVNO lines than statewide; business lines exist but far fewer than in oil‑patch counties to the north.
• Usage behavior: Heavier reliance on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi offload at home; lower average monthly cellular data consumption than urban ND, but higher seasonal variability during travel or ranching seasons.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage: 4G LTE is the baseline; 5G is present in limited pockets near small towns and along primary corridors, but coverage gaps appear quickly off‑corridor due to terrain and tower spacing.
• Terrain/topography: Badlands breaks and buttes create signal shadows; coverage is strongest along US‑85 and ND‑21 and weaker in valleys and remote ranchlands.
• Carriers present: National carriers serve the county; AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 improves reliability for public safety; Verizon maintains broad rural LTE; T‑Mobile has extended low‑band coverage but remains spottier off highways than in metro ND.
• Sites/backhaul: Macro towers are widely spaced; backhaul is a mix of regional fiber (via Dakota Carrier Network member routes) and microwave hops where fiber laterals are absent.
• Emergency communications: Public safety relies on a combination of cellular, VHF/LMR, and FirstNet; cellular alone is not uniformly reliable county‑wide.
• Home broadband interplay: Fixed wireless and cooperative fiber where available provide Wi‑Fi that substitutes for mobile data at home, moderating cellular usage.

How Slope County differs from North Dakota overall

• Adoption level: Smartphone penetration is meaningfully lower than the state average because of the older age profile and sparse infrastructure; basic phone use is noticeably higher among seniors.
• Network experience: 5G availability (by both geography and population) trails the state’s metro counties by a wide margin; residents experience more dead zones and slower average speeds off‑corridor.
• Plan economics: A larger share of residents optimize for coverage reliability and price (e.g., prepaid, MVNOs, or legacy plans), whereas urban ND skews toward premium unlimited plans.
• Business/industrial demand: Unlike the Bakken counties, Slope has fewer industrial users that drive private LTE/5G deployments or dense tower builds, so network investment is thinner and slower to upgrade.
• Seasonal variability: Less boom‑and‑bust traffic than northern oil counties; usage patterns are steadier but lower, with modest peaks tied to travel and agricultural seasons.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 450–550 smartphone users out of 706 residents, with adoption constrained mainly by age distribution and patchy 5G.
• Coverage is serviceable along main roads but degrades quickly off‑corridor; Wi‑Fi at home and work plays an outsized role in daily connectivity.
• Compared with statewide trends, Slope County lags in 5G reach, premium plan uptake, and data consumption, and maintains a higher prevalence of basic phones among seniors.

Slope County, North Dakota — social media snapshot

County context

• Population: 706 (2020 Census), very rural and older-skewing population profile (median age ~56).
• Implication: Platform mix tilts toward Facebook and YouTube; visually oriented, youth-heavy apps have smaller but active niches.

Estimated social media user base

• Adults using at least one social platform: approximately 350–420 residents (modeled from current rural U.S. adoption rates applied to Slope County’s population and age profile).
• Overall penetration among adults: roughly 65–75%.

Age-group usage (share of adults in each group who use social media)

• 18–29: ~90%+
• 30–49: ~80–85%
• 50–64: ~70–75%
• 65+: ~45–50%
• Teens (13–17): very high usage, concentrated on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram

Gender breakdown among users

• Roughly balanced overall (near 50/50). Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and X (Twitter).

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

• Facebook: 70–80% (primary community hub; Groups and Messenger dominate)
• YouTube: 65–75% (how‑to, local events, ag/weather content)
• Instagram: 25–35% (younger adults; Reels cross‑posting)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (strong female skew; home, recipes, crafts)
• TikTok: 15–25% (teens/young adults; short‑form video)
• Snapchat: 12–20% (teens/young adults; private messaging)
• X (Twitter): 8–12% (news/sports niche)
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (small professional cohort)
• WhatsApp: 5–10% (family/close‑knit messaging; smaller footprint)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first use: Facebook Groups for county notices, school sports, churches, local buy/sell; high engagement on posts with names, faces, and clear local relevance.
• Messaging over public posting: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat drive daily touchpoints; group chats coordinate events and services.
• Video preference: YouTube for practical content (equipment, repairs, weather) and event recordings; short‑form video growth via Reels/TikTok among under‑40s.
• Event-driven spikes: Engagement peaks around school sports, fairs, hunting seasons, severe weather, and community fundraisers.
• Trust and privacy: Closed/Invite-only Groups outperform Pages; recommendations and word‑of‑mouth carry outsized weight.
• Connectivity-aware habits: Morning and late‑evening check‑ins are common; seasonal fieldwork shifts daytime activity.

Notes on methodology

• County-level platform metrics are not directly published due to the very small population. Figures above are best-available, model-based estimates using recent Pew Research Center rural adoption rates and age-skew adjustments applied to Slope County’s population profile; the population count is from the 2020 Census.