Steele County

Steele County, North Dakota — key demographics (most recent Census Bureau data: 2020 Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year; 2023 population estimate)

Population

• Total population (2023 est.): ~1,885
• 2020 Census: ~1,875

Age

• Median age: ~46–47 years
• Under 5 years: ~5%
• Under 18 years: ~22–23%
• 65 years and over: ~23%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity

• White alone: ~95%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~2%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3–0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.3–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93%

Households

• Total households: ~870–930
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~55–60% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45–50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~20–25%
• Households with someone 65+ living alone: ~10–15%

Insights

• Very small, rural county with a predominantly White population.
• Older age profile with nearly one in four residents 65+, indicating aging/retirement dynamics.
• Small household sizes and a majority of family households, with a substantial share of married couples.

Steele County, ND — email usage snapshot

• Population and density: 1,900 residents across ~712 sq mi (2.7 people/sq mi); ~880 households.
• Estimated email users: ~1,460 residents (≈77% of the population).
• Age breakdown of email users (counts, share of users):
  • 18–34: ~350 (24%)
  • 35–64: ~686 (47%)
  • 65+: ~339 (23%)
  • Teens 13–17: ~87 (6%)
• Gender split among users: 51% male (745) / 49% female (~715).

Digital access and connectivity

• Broadband subscriptions: 82% of households (720) have a fixed broadband plan.
• Device access: 92% of households (810) have a computer or smartphone; 4% (35) are mobile-only internet.
• Local connectivity context: Very low population density increases last‑mile costs; fixed wireless and satellite serve outlying farms and ranches, while towns (e.g., Finley, Hope) are typically better served by wired broadband.
• Trend: Steady post‑2020 gains in subscriptions and email adoption, with the largest increases among older adults, narrowing the age gap in routine email use (work, telehealth, government services).

Steele County, ND — Mobile phone usage summary (2024)

Population context

• Rural, sparsely populated county with roughly 1.9K residents and about 800–850 households. An older age structure than the North Dakota average shapes device ownership and usage.

User estimates (all-ages, modeled 2024)

• Any mobile phone users: ~1,720 (±100)
• Smartphone users: ~1,570 (±120)
• Basic/feature-phone users: ~150
• Mobile-only home internet households (using smartphone hotspot or LTE router as primary home internet): ~140–160 (about 17–19% of households)

Demographic breakdown (ownership and use)

• Ages 18–64
  • Any mobile phone: ~95–98%
  • Smartphone: ~90–92%
  • Notes: Near-universal adoption; heavy reliance on LTE for field work and logistics in agriculture.
• Ages 65+
  • Any mobile phone: ~80–86%
  • Smartphone: ~65–70%
  • Notes: Lower smartphone uptake than state average, more basic phones and longer device replacement cycles.
• Under 18
  • Any mobile phone: ~75–82% (skewed to teens)
  • Smartphone: ~70–78%
  • Notes: School sports and travel drive messaging and mapping use; controls and shared plans are common.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage pattern: 4G LTE is the functional baseline countywide, with solid service in and around towns and along primary corridors (notably US-200 and ND-32). Coverage thins on low-traffic section roads and in farmstead pockets, leading to occasional dead zones.
• 5G availability: Present primarily as low-band “coverage” 5G in and near population centers and along key routes; mid-band capacity layers are limited, so real-world 5G speeds often resemble strong LTE. mmWave is absent.
• Spectrum and equipment: Networks rely heavily on low-band (600/700/850 MHz) for reach; booster use (e.g., in metal-clad shops and bins) is common. In-building calling often depends on Wi‑Fi calling.
• Carrier landscape: Verizon generally provides the most consistent rural footprint; AT&T coverage is bolstered by FirstNet buildouts along primary roads; T‑Mobile’s 600 MHz 5G has expanded but remains spottier off-corridor than in larger ND counties.
• Alternatives: Fixed wireless (including CBRS-based) and satellite fill gaps in wired broadband; a notable minority of households lean on LTE/5G routers or phone hotspots for primary internet.

How Steele County differs from North Dakota overall

• Older population, lower senior smartphone penetration: A larger 65+ share yields fewer smartphones per capita than the ND average and a higher share of basic phones.
• More prepaid/MVNO use and slower device turnover: Budget-conscious plans and older handsets are more common than statewide, contributing to slower 5G device penetration.
• Higher reliance on mobile for home internet: Mobile-only household internet use is meaningfully above the statewide rate, reflecting limited wired options away from towns.
• LTE-first reality: While ND’s metros benefit from mid-band 5G capacity, Steele County usage remains predominantly LTE with selective low-band 5G, so the performance gap versus urban ND is wider.
• Coverage asymmetry: Service is strong on primary corridors and in towns but more variable across section roads and in tree-sheltered farmyards, producing a higher incidence of booster use than the state average.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 1.6K smartphone users and 150 basic-phone users in a county of about 1.9K residents.
• Mobile connectivity is essential for agriculture and day-to-day logistics, but practical performance is anchored in LTE with limited mid-band 5G capacity.
• Compared with the state overall, Steele County shows lower senior smartphone adoption, higher mobile-only home internet reliance, and a stronger need for coverage workarounds (boosters, Wi‑Fi calling) due to sparser site density.

Steele County, North Dakota – social media usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Population and connectivity

• Population: ~1,900 residents (ACS 2019–2023). Adults (18+): ~1,450–1,550.
• Home internet: ~80–85% of households subscribe to broadband; smartphone access is widespread among adults (NTIA/FCC/ACS benchmarks for rural ND).

Overall social media user base

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70–75% of adults ≈ 1,050–1,150 people.
• Teens (13–17): ~90%+ use at least one platform (smaller absolute numbers but very high penetration).

Age-profile of use (penetration within each age band)

• 13–17: 90–95%
• 18–29: 88–92%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 70–75%
• 65+: 55–60%

Gender

• Overall adoption is similar by gender: Women ~72–77%, Men ~68–73%.
• Platform tendencies: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter). Messaging via Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous across genders; Snapchat is notably higher among teen/20s women.

Most-used platforms among adults in Steele County (estimated share of adults who use each at least occasionally)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~32–38%
• Snapchat: ~28–32% (much higher among teens/20s)
• TikTok: ~25–30%
• Pinterest: ~25–30% (majority women)
• LinkedIn: ~12–15%
• X (Twitter): ~12–15%
• WhatsApp: ~10–12%
• Reddit: ~10–12%
• Nextdoor: <5% (low presence in very small/rural counties)

Behavioral trends observed in rural ND counties of similar size (consistent with Steele County)

• Facebook is the coordination layer: heavy use of local Groups (schools, sports, churches, farm/ranch, buy–sell–trade) and Marketplace for local commerce; events and fundraisers perform well.
• Video is default learning/entertainment: strong YouTube use for how‑to, ag equipment repair, DIY, weather briefings, and high school sports highlights.
• Messaging first: Facebook Messenger for cross‑generational communication; Snapchat for teens and young adults; SMS remains common for older adults.
• Short‑form growth, but selective: TikTok usage is rising among 18–34 for entertainment and food/outdoor content; limited traction among 50+.
• Visual inspiration and local commerce: Pinterest and Facebook drive discovery for crafts, décor, recipes, and seasonal/market-day shopping.
• News and alerts are hyperlocal: residents follow county/city pages, schools, EMS, ND DOT/road conditions, and weather pages; trust is placed in familiar local sources over national brands.
• Posting cadence: lower average posting frequency than urban areas; engagement spikes around community events, sports, severe weather, harvest/planting, and holiday seasons.
• Device and access patterns: primarily mobile; bandwidth limits shape behavior (shorter videos, downloading over Wi‑Fi). Older adults rely more on desktops for Facebook.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are best-available local estimates derived by applying rural North Dakota and national platform adoption rates (Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Use and prior series) to Steele County’s age structure and broadband access (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023; NTIA/FCC). Small-population rounding applied.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 (Steele County, ND demographics; broadband subscription)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (latest platform adoption by age/gender, 2023–2024 updates)
• NTIA Internet Use Survey 2023; FCC broadband deployment data for rural ND