Towner County

Key demographics – Towner County, North Dakota

Population

• Total population: 2,162 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~50 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~52%
• 65 and over: ~27%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; race alone unless noted)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~93%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• Black or African American: ~0.3%
• Asian: ~0.2%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,000
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50%+
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~40%; one-person households: ~35%
• Individuals living alone age 65+: ~18%

Insights

• Small, aging population with about one in four residents age 65+.
• Household sizes are modest and a sizable share are nonfamily/one-person households.
• Demographically homogeneous; predominantly non-Hispanic White with a small American Indian presence and very small shares of other groups.

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

Towner County, ND snapshot (population ≈2,160; density ≈2.1 residents/sq mi):

• Estimated email users: ≈1,700 total. Method: ≈1,750 adults x 92% email adoption ≈1,610, plus ≈100 teens (13–17) using email.
• Age distribution of email users (county skews older; median age ~49): ≈15% ages 18–29, 30% 30–49, 28% 50–64, 27% 65+. Adoption rates applied are near-universal for younger adults and high for seniors (Pew: ~99% 18–29, ~97% 30–49, ~94% 50–64, ~88% 65+).
• Gender split: Near parity; county population is roughly half male/female and email use is similar by gender (≈91–93% for both), yielding ~50/50 among users.
• Digital access and trends: About three-quarters of households maintain a broadband subscription (ACS 5‑year estimates), with most others relying on cellular-only service or satellite in more remote areas. Device access is high (computer or smartphone in ~9 in 10 households), and smartphone-only households are roughly one in eight. Lower population density and long last‑mile runs create pockets with slower fixed service; towns like Cando have fiber/coax options, while farms frequently depend on fixed wireless or mobile broadband. Overall, email remains a core channel for services, schools, and agriculture-related communications across all age groups.

Mobile phone usage in Towner County, North Dakota — 2024 snapshot

Core user estimates (derived from the 2020 Census population of 2,162 and current rural adoption patterns)

• Estimated mobile phone users (all ages): ~1,840 residents (≈85% of the total population)
• Adult mobile phone ownership (18+): ~1,656 users (≈93% of adults)
• Smartphone users (all ages): ~1,550 residents (≈72% of the total population; ≈86% of adult users)
• Feature/basic phone users (primarily older adults): ~260–300 residents (≈14% of adult users)

Demographic breakdown (population counts from 2020 Census; ownership/adoption rates reflect observed rural/older-county patterns)

• Age 13–17 (≈151 residents): ~139 have a mobile phone; ~125 use smartphones
• Age 18–34 (≈367 residents): ~360 have a mobile phone; ~349 use smartphones
• Age 35–54 (≈497 residents): ~477 have a mobile phone; ~444 use smartphones
• Age 55–64 (≈303 residents): ~285 have a mobile phone; ~242 use smartphones
• Age 65+ (≈607 residents): ~534 have a mobile phone; ~384 use smartphones Key demographic contrasts with North Dakota overall
• Older age profile drives lower smartphone penetration: roughly 72% of Towner County residents use smartphones versus a higher statewide share driven by younger metro populations (Fargo–West Fargo, Bismarck–Mandan, Grand Forks, Minot).
• A larger share of feature phones persists among seniors (≈14% of adult users), materially higher than the state norm.
• Device replacement cycles are slower; mid-range Android devices and older iPhones are common outside town centers, whereas metros see faster 5G device turnover.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE is the primary coverage layer countywide; reliable along ND-17, ND-1, in and around Cando, and other town sites.
  • 5G low-band (600/700/850 MHz) is present in/near towns and major corridors; mid-band 5G (e.g., n41/n77) is limited or absent, so 5G performance often resembles LTE.
  • Canadian border coordination north of Cando constrains transmit power and channel use, creating fringe/slow zones near the Manitoba line—an issue less pronounced in much of the state.
  • Indoor coverage outside town limits is inconsistent due to sparse macro-site spacing; many users rely on Wi‑Fi calling at home and work.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Rural telephone cooperatives and incumbents have deployed extensive fiber backhaul and FTTH in towns and many farmsteads, giving towers solid backhaul even where radio layers are thin. This underpins stable LTE performance but does not fully compensate for limited mid-band 5G spectrum.
• Carrier landscape
  • Verizon and AT&T deliver the broadest geographic coverage; AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 improves public-safety reliability along primary corridors and near community facilities.
  • T-Mobile’s low-band footprint reaches towns and main roads, but off-corridor coverage is more variable than state metro areas.
• Typical user experience
  • LTE and low-band 5G deliver consistent voice/SMS and moderate data speeds; towns see faster throughput than open country.
  • Mid-band 5G “city-grade” speeds common in Fargo/Bismarck/Grand Forks are uncommon in Towner County.

Behavioral usage patterns

• Higher reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and home broadband for indoor coverage than the state average, reflecting larger rural distances between towers.
• More conservative data-plan selection and longer device upgrade cycles compared with metro ND, influenced by age and income mix.
• Agriculture and public-safety use cases (dispatch, location sharing, weather/radar, PTT apps) are prominent; smartphone-only households exist but remain a smaller share than in urban counties.

How Towner County differs from the North Dakota state pattern

• Adoption: Lower overall smartphone penetration (~72% vs substantially higher statewide), driven by an older population and a meaningful feature‑phone cohort.
• Network: Coverage is wide but thinner at the edges, with fewer mid-band 5G sites; border-spectrum constraints create unique dead/slow spots not typical in the interior of the state.
• Usage: Greater dependence on Wi‑Fi calling and FTTH backhaul to compensate for sparse macro density; slower device turnover and more conservative plan choices than in metro corridors.

Bottom line

• About 1,840 residents in Towner County use mobile phones, with roughly 1,550 on smartphones. Coverage is dependable for voice and everyday data in towns and along main highways, but performance diverges from state metro norms due to limited mid-band 5G, older device mix, and border-related radio constraints. Extensive rural fiber backhaul helps stabilize the network, yet the county’s older demographics and sparse tower grid keep its mobile experience and adoption profile distinct from the North Dakota average.

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

What’s definite

• Population: 2,162 (2020 Census; county seat: Cando).
• User base size: Applying current rural U.S. adoption rates to Towner’s age mix, about 1,200–1,400 adult residents use at least one social platform (roughly 70–80% of adults), with very high uptake among teens.

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

• 13–17: ~90–95%
• 18–29: ~85–90%
• 30–49: ~80–85%
• 50–64: ~70–75%
• 65+: ~45–55%

Gender breakdown of users

• Overall users: roughly balanced male/female, mirroring the county’s population.
• Platform skew:
  • Women: higher share on Facebook and Pinterest.
  • Men: higher share on YouTube and X (Twitter).
  • Under-30 users (all genders): heavier on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.

Most-used platforms among adults in Towner County (estimated penetration)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–65%
• Instagram: 30–40% (higher among under 35)
• Snapchat: 25–35% (dominant among teens/under 25)
• TikTok: 25–35% (fast growth in under 35; moderate in 35–54)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (over-indexes among women 25–54)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (concentrated in educators, healthcare, and public-sector roles)
• Reddit/WhatsApp/Nextdoor: single-digit to low-teens combined; Nextdoor presence is minimal in most rural ND counties

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school sports, civic alerts, church and event announcements, buy–sell–trade, and Marketplace are primary drivers. Group activity is the stickiest behavior.
• Short-form video is mainstream: YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels see strong passive consumption; local clips (sports highlights, community events, weather) outperform generic content.
• Messaging is integral: Facebook Messenger for families, teams, and clubs; Snapchat for teens/young adults; SMS remains common for older residents.
• Time-of-day peaks: early morning (commute/school run), lunch hour, and late evening. Engagement spikes around local events (games, fairs, severe weather).
• Trust and locality matter: posts from known local people, businesses, schools, and agencies earn the highest engagement; overtly national or partisan content underperforms vs. hyperlocal updates.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local buying/selling; Instagram and TikTok drive discovery for boutiques, crafts, and seasonal ag/hunting gear.
• Multiplatform overlap: Many residents pair Facebook with YouTube; under-30s typically add Snapchat/TikTok; women 25–54 often add Pinterest; professionals add LinkedIn.

How these figures were derived

• Population is from the 2020 Census. Platform shares and age-specific adoption reflect Pew Research Center’s latest U.S. social media benchmarks (2023–2024) adjusted to rural patterns typically seen in Great Plains counties (Facebook slightly higher; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat a bit lower than urban; X and LinkedIn relatively low). Given Towner’s small, older-leaning population, ranges are provided to reflect realistic local variance.