Traill County

Traill County, North Dakota — key demographics

Source years noted for each metric. Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year).

Population size

• Total population: 7,997 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White alone (non-Hispanic and Hispanic): ~92–93%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3% (Note: Hispanic overlaps with race categories.)

Households

• Total households: ~3,400 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~59%
• Married-couple households: ~49%
• One-person households: ~33%
• Homeownership rate: ~75%
• Average family size: ~2.9

Insights

• Small, stable population with a relatively older age profile.
• Predominantly White with limited racial/ethnic diversity.
• Modest household sizes, high share of married-couple and owner-occupied households.

Traill County, ND snapshot (2024 est.)

• Population: ~8,100; adults (18+): ~6,300.
• Estimated email users: ~5,900 adults (≈92% of adults use email regularly).
• Age distribution of email users (approx.):
  • 18–34: ~1,850 users
  • 35–64: ~2,870 users
  • 65+: ~1,170 users (senior adoption ~80% and rising)
• Gender split: ~50.5% male, 49.5% female; email users ~2,980 men, ~2,920 women (usage essentially equal by gender).

Digital access and trends

• Households with a computer: ~92%.
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~84% (≈2,900–3,000 subscribing households).
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~9%.
• Trend: Broadband adoption and fiber availability have increased since 2018; seniors show the fastest gains in regular email use. Mobile 4G/5G coverage is strongest along the I‑29 corridor, supporting robust mobile email access.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Land area ~860 sq mi; population density ~9–10 people per sq mi (low-density, predominantly small towns and rural).
• Connectivity is strongest in and around Hillsboro and the Mayville–Portland area; fixed wireless and satellite commonly fill last‑mile gaps in outlying rural sections.

Traill County, ND mobile usage snapshot (2024)

Population and household baseline

• Population: ~8,100 residents (2023 estimate); ~3,500–3,600 households
• Settlement pattern: Small towns (Hillsboro, Mayville/Portland, Hatton, Buxton) plus farms/rural homesteads; Interstate 29 corridor bisects the county
• Unique local factor: Mayville State University materially lifts the 18–24 population share and campus-centered data use

User estimates

• Active mobile phone users (any mobile phone): 6,700–7,000 residents (≈83–86% of total population)
• Smartphone users: 5,600–5,900 residents
  • Adults 18+: ≈5,100–5,300
  • Teens 13–17: ≈450–550
• 5G-capable device penetration among smartphone users: ≈70–75% (statewide: ≈78–82%)
• Active SIMs per 100 residents (includes phones, tablets, IoT, telematics): ≈115–130, or roughly 9,300–10,500 active lines countywide
• Wireless-only households (no landline/VoIP): ≈64–68% of households (≈2,250–2,450 homes), a few points below the state average
• 4G/5G fixed wireless access (FWA) as primary home internet: ≈5–8% of households (≈180–290 homes), slightly above the statewide share in fringe and farm areas

Demographic drivers and usage patterns

• Age mix (county vs. ND overall)
  • 18–24 share is higher than average due to Mayville State; 65+ share also above state average
  • Practical effect: a bimodal device mix—very high smartphone adoption on/near campus; elevated feature‑phone and older‑device retention among seniors and some farm households
• Income and plan mix
  • Median household income trails the statewide median; prepaid and value postpaid plans modestly over‑indexed vs. metros
  • Longer upgrade cycles yield more LTE‑only devices in rural tracts than statewide
• Mobile‑only communications
  • Wireless‑only is common among students and renters; landline/VoIP retention is higher among older homeowners than the state average
• Data consumption
  • Per‑handset mobile data use is slightly below the statewide median
  • When including FWA lines and ag/IoT SIMs (grain bins, pivots, telemetry), total cellular data consumption per capita is comparable to the state average

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Public cellular networks: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet), and T‑Mobile all operate countywide
• 4G LTE: Near‑universal coverage of populated areas; typical downlink 10–60 Mbps in rural zones, higher near towns and I‑29
• 5G:
  • Low‑band 5G: Broad, largely countywide population coverage
  • Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/n77 or n41): Concentrated along the I‑29 corridor and in/around Hillsboro and Mayville/Portland; patchier in outlying farmsteads
  • Performance: Low‑band 20–80 Mbps; mid‑band commonly 100–300+ Mbps where available
• Sites and backhaul:
  • Macro cellular sites are on the order of 15–20 countywide, with denser placement along I‑29 and around town centers
  • Backhaul is predominantly fiber; microwave persists on a handful of rural hops
• Wireline and middle‑mile context (impacts mobile backhaul and FWA competitiveness)
  • Regional fiber/co‑op providers (e.g., Polar Communications, Halstad Telephone) and Midco have expanded fiber in and between towns; rural fiber builds accelerated via federal/state programs (RDOF/BEAD-era projects)
  • Result: solid fiber presence in town centers and along main corridors; ongoing infill to outlying farm clusters

How Traill County differs from the North Dakota average

• Device mix: Lower 5G‑capable share and longer handset refresh cycles in rural tracts; higher 5G‑capable share around the university—net effect is below‑state 5G penetration overall
• Household communications: Wireless‑only adoption slightly lower than state average due to older homeowners retaining landline/VoIP; student areas skew higher than average
• Coverage and performance: 4G parity with the state; 5G mid‑band footprint lags metro counties (Fargo/Grand Forks), producing wider speed variability across short distances
• FWA and IoT: FWA take‑up and ag/IoT SIM density run higher than statewide norms, raising lines per capita despite fewer smartphones per adult than in metros
• Network load geometry: Daytime and weekend load concentrates on I‑29 and in Hillsboro/Mayville; rural sectors remain lightly loaded but can be capacity‑limited where only one carrier has strong signal
• Digital equity: Students and commuters enjoy metro‑like performance near corridors; scattered farmsteads still experience coverage or capacity gaps pending ongoing fiber/FWA buildouts

Bottom line

• Traill County exhibits very high mobile adoption with 6.7k–7.0k mobile users and ~5.6k–5.9k smartphone users, but 5G device penetration and mid‑band 5G availability trail statewide urban centers.
• The county’s split profile—college‑driven youth usage and an older rural base—yields mixed adoption patterns, slightly lower wireless‑only household share, and heavier reliance on FWA and ag/IoT lines than the North Dakota average.

Traill County, ND – Social media usage snapshot (2024)

Important note on method: County-level platform-by-platform stats are not directly published. Figures below are modeled estimates for Traill County in 2024 by applying recent Pew Research Center usage rates for U.S. rural adults and teens to Traill County’s population and age structure from recent U.S. Census Bureau/ACS estimates. They provide a realistic, decision-ready baseline for local planning.

Population and reach

• Population: ~8,100
• Adults (18+): ~6,320
• Teens (13–17): ~490
• Adult social media penetration (use at least one platform): ~82% ≈ 5,180 adults
• Teen social media penetration: ~95% ≈ 460 teens

Most-used platforms (adults 18+) – percent of adults and estimated users

• YouTube: ~82% ≈ 5,180 users
• Facebook: ~72% ≈ 4,550 users
• Instagram: ~40% ≈ 2,530 users
• Pinterest: ~32% ≈ 2,020 users
• TikTok: ~26% ≈ 1,640 users
• Snapchat: ~24% ≈ 1,520 users
• Also used: LinkedIn 30% (1,900), X/Twitter 22% (1,390), Reddit 20% (1,260), Nextdoor 3% (190)

Age groups (population structure and usage patterns)

• 13–17 (490 people): Very high YouTube (90%+). TikTok (60%+) and Snapchat (60%+) dominate daily social use; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal.
• 18–29 (~1,140 adults): Heaviest multi-platform use. Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lead for social; YouTube near-universal; Facebook still used but less central than older cohorts.
• 30–49 (~2,020 adults): Broadest mix. Facebook and YouTube anchor; Instagram mainstream; TikTok adoption moderate; Snapchat present but lower than 18–29.
• 50–64 (~1,640 adults): Facebook + YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok limited but growing for short-form video.
• 65+ (~1,520 adults): Facebook and YouTube are primary; low Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat use.

Gender breakdown (adults; platform skews)

• Overall usage is similar by gender in rural areas, but:
  • Facebook and Instagram skew slightly female.
  • Pinterest skews strongly female (roughly 2–3x higher among women than men).
  • Reddit and X/Twitter skew male; YouTube skews male for heavier use.
  • TikTok and Snapchat are fairly balanced overall but skew younger.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Upper Midwest counties like Traill

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school and sports updates, buy/sell/marketplace, civic announcements, churches, and service clubs primarily use Facebook Pages and Groups.
• YouTube is the “how-to” and entertainment backbone: strong use for agriculture/mechanic repairs, DIY, outdoor/seasonal content, and local sports highlights; watch-time peaks evenings.
• Under-30 attention is story- and short-video–driven: Snapchat for messaging/stories and TikTok/Instagram Reels for discovery and trends; college-age presence in the county supports this pattern.
• Small business marketing: Facebook and Instagram deliver the most efficient local reach and event promotion; boosted posts and short vertical video perform best; TikTok is emerging for food/retail.
• Seasonality and timing: Engagement rises around school calendars, community events, and ag cycles (planting/harvest). Peak usage tends to be evenings and weekends.
• Device and format: Mobile-first consumption; short video and image carousels outperform long text; rural bandwidth variability favors concise clips and on-platform viewing over click-outs.

How to use this snapshot

• Plan reach: Expect ~5,200 reachable adult social users, with Facebook and YouTube providing the widest coverage and Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat concentrating younger audiences.
• Targeting:
  • 18–29: Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube.
  • 30–49: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; TikTok as a secondary.
  • 50–64 and 65+: Facebook and YouTube first, Instagram selective.
• Creative: Short vertical video, event-driven posts, and practical “how-to” content align with local behaviors.

Sources and estimation basis

• U.S. Census Bureau/ACS (latest available county population and age structure for Traill County).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption overall and by community type), and recent Pew teen social media surveys (13–17 usage).
• Modeled county figures apply rural U.S. adoption rates to Traill County’s population; small absolute numbers mean year-to-year variation of a few hundred users per platform is normal.