Brule County

Here are key, recent demographics for Brule County, South Dakota (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census and ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates; figures rounded):

Population

• Total: ~5,250 (2020 Census); ~5,300 (2023 estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~80%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~14%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Black: <1%
• Asian: <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~2,150
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~60% (married-couple families ~50%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%
• Median household income: about $63,000
• Persons in poverty: ~12%

Brule County, SD snapshot (estimates)

• Population/density: ~5,300 residents; roughly 6–7 people per sq. mile. Most residents live along I‑90 (Chamberlain, Kimball), where wired broadband is concentrated.

• Email users: ~4,100–4,600 people (about 75–85% of residents). Based on state/county internet subscription rates (ACS) and national email adoption (Pew).

• Age distribution of email users:

  • 13–24: ~16–18%
  • 25–44: ~28–30%
  • 45–64: ~30–32%
  • 65+: ~20–24% Usage is near‑universal for adults under 65; slightly lower among seniors.

• Gender split: Approximately even (about 50% female, 50% male); email usage shows minimal gender difference.

• Digital access trends:

  • Household broadband subscription around the mid‑ to high‑70% range; remaining homes rely on mobile data or have no subscription.
  • Growing fixed‑wireless availability; cable/fiber common in towns, limited in outlying areas.
  • Mobile networks provide countywide 4G; 5G primarily near I‑90.
  • Public Wi‑Fi via libraries, schools, and community centers supplements access.
  • Low population density raises last‑mile costs, leaving some farms/ranches with slower DSL or wireless links.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS (household internet), FCC broadband map (availability), Pew Research (email adoption). Figures are county‑level estimates derived from these benchmarks.

Mobile phone usage in Brule County, South Dakota — summary with county-focused differences from state-level averages

Quick snapshot (best-available estimates)

• Population baseline: ~5,200–5,400 residents; ~4,000–4,200 adults (18+).
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~3,600–3,900 (about 90–94% of adults; a touch below statewide averages due to older age mix).
• Adult smartphone users: ~3,300–3,700 (roughly 82–88% of adults; below statewide rates for the same reason).
• Wireless-only telephone households (no landline): ~1,500–1,700 out of ~2,200–2,400 households (about 65–75%, on par with or slightly above SD overall).
• Households relying on cellular data for home internet (mobile-only internet): estimated 15–25% (materially higher than the SD average, reflecting limited wireline options outside town centers). Notes: These are reasoned estimates derived from county population/age structure (ACS), rural adoption patterns (Pew/CDC), and observed rural broadband substitution trends. Use local ACS 5‑year tables and FCC maps for point verification.

Demographic context that shapes mobile use

• Older age structure: Brule County skews older than South Dakota overall. Seniors (65+) form a larger share of the population, which typically lowers smartphone penetration, increases basic/feature phone retention, and reduces app-heavy usage versus state averages.
• Income and affordability: Median household income is below the statewide median. This tends to increase prepaid adoption, plan downgrading, and mobile-only internet substitution when fixed broadband is expensive or unavailable.
• Race/ethnicity: The county has a meaningful Native American population share (above zero and visible in local institutions), which, along with lower-income households, historically shows higher uptake of discounted programs (e.g., Lifeline) and prepaid plans. With ACP funding exhausted in 2024, price sensitivity has risen further.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns

• Corridor-centric build: Coverage and capacity are strongest along I‑90 (Chamberlain–Oacoma crossing of the Missouri River, Pukwana, Kimball). Mid-band 5G is typically available on the corridor, supporting both mobile and fixed wireless (5G home internet) offers.
• Off-corridor variability: Moving north/south off I‑90 into river breaks, bluffs, and low-density farmland, service shifts to low-band 5G/LTE with pockets of weak indoor coverage and occasional dead zones in low-lying terrain. This urban–rural gradient is steeper than the SD average.
• Backhaul: Fiber rings follow I‑90 and reach town hubs; outside these, carriers often depend on microwave or longer fiber laterals, which constrains rural sector capacity and uplink speeds.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is deployed on the interstate corridor and town sites, improving resilience for local responders relative to legacy LTE-only sites.
• Fixed alternatives: In-town addresses (Chamberlain, Kimball) have better access to cable/fiber or high-quality fixed wireless, but many rural addresses still rely on legacy DSL or WISPs. That gap drives above-average mobile-only internet use.
• Seasonal load: Summer tourism on I‑90 and at the Missouri River crossing produces pronounced, time-of-day congestion spikes; the seasonal swing is larger than the statewide pattern.

How Brule County differs from South Dakota overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration and app-centric usage, driven by an older population mix.
• Higher share of households using mobile as their primary/only internet, due to sparser, lower-quality wireline options outside town centers.
• Greater reliance on prepaid and discount programs; ACP sunset has a more visible impact on plan choices than in metro SD counties.
• Coverage disparity is sharper: excellent 5G capacity on I‑90; noticeably weaker indoor service off-corridor in rugged or very low-density areas.
• Larger seasonal variability in network load from interstate tourism and river recreation than the state average.
• Fixed wireless (5G home internet) adoption is climbing faster relative to wireline in/near towns, substituting for DSL—again, a stronger shift than statewide.

Implications and watch items

• Capacity hotspots: Plan for peak-season augmentation on I‑90 sectors near Chamberlain/Oacoma and rest areas.
• Rural fill-in: Targeted macro infill or small cells in river breaks and farm clusters would yield outsized reliability gains versus state-average ROI assumptions.
• Affordability: Prepaid, entry-tier postpaid, and fixed wireless bundles are likely to over-index in Brule compared to SD overall.
• Public safety: Continued Band 14 densification off-corridor would narrow the reliability gap for responders in low-lying terrain.

Sources to validate/refresh figures

• U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5‑year (population, age, household counts; internet subscription types).
• Pew/CDC for rural smartphone and wireless-only telephone benchmarks.
• FCC Mobile Coverage and Broadband Availability maps for 4G/5G footprints and provider presence.
• State backbone/co-op providers and carrier public coverage updates for recent 5G deployments.

Below is a compact, best-available snapshot for Brule County, SD. Because platform reporting at the county level is scarce, figures are modeled from recent Pew Research Center data (2023–2024), rural-urban usage gaps, and the county’s age profile. Treat numbers as reasonable local estimates, not exact counts.

Headline user stats

• Population baseline: ~5,300 residents; adults (18+) ~4,000.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70–78% (≈2,800–3,100 adults).
• Average platforms per adult user: 3–5.
• Primary device: smartphone; most activity in Facebook app, YouTube mobile, and Messenger.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of adults using monthly)

• YouTube: 70–76%
• Facebook: 60–68% (plus high use of Facebook Messenger)
• Instagram: 30–38%
• Pinterest: 28–35% (skews female, home/lifestyle, recipes)
• Snapchat: 22–30% (skews teens/20s)
• TikTok: 22–30% (strong among under-35; lower among 50+)
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (lower given local industry mix)
• X/Twitter: 12–18% (state news, sports, weather)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% (family, work groups; some farm/market chat)
• Reddit: 10–14% (lurking for hobby/gear info)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited coverage in small towns)

Age-group patterns (share within each group using the platform)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 90%+, Snapchat ~65–75%, TikTok ~60–70%, Instagram ~55–65%, Facebook ~25–35%.
• 18–29: Instagram ~70–80%, Snapchat ~60–70%, TikTok ~55–65%, YouTube 90%+, Facebook ~45–55%.
• 30–49: Facebook ~70–80%, YouTube ~85–90%, Instagram ~40–55%, TikTok ~30–40%, Pinterest ~35–45%.
• 50–64: Facebook ~70–78%, YouTube ~70–80%, Pinterest ~25–35%, Instagram/TikTok ~15–25%.
• 65+: Facebook ~60–70%, YouTube ~55–65%; other platforms ≤15%.

Gender breakdown (among local social media users)

• Overall users: roughly balanced by population, but women likely overrepresented (≈52–55% of active users).
• Women: comparatively higher on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram; more local-group participation and event sharing.
• Men: comparatively higher on YouTube, Reddit, X; more long-form and hobby/DIY viewing.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub:
  • Heavy use of local Groups: buy/sell/swap, school sports, county fair, church and fundraiser announcements.
  • Facebook Events are the default for promoting local happenings; RSVPs and reminders drive turnout.
  • Local news, obituaries, weather alerts, road conditions often circulate via local media pages and community groups.
• Messaging gravity:
  • Facebook Messenger is the default for many; group chats for teams, clubs, and family. SMS remains common.
• Video-first consumption:
  • YouTube dominates for how-to, farm/ranch equipment, hunting/fishing, home repair, small-engine fixes, and product reviews.
  • Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is widely consumed; creation is concentrated in younger users, but cross-posting to Facebook increases reach.
• Posting vs. lurking:
  • Many adults 35+ are “lurkers” (view, react, share links) rather than frequent original posters.
  • Younger users post ephemeral content (Stories/Snap) and short-form video; they often auto-share Instagram posts to Facebook to reach family.
• Timing:
  • Peaks: weeknights 7–10 p.m.; morning check-ins 6–8 a.m.; Sunday afternoons. School-year cycles drive spikes tied to sports and events.
• Ads and outreach:
  • Local businesses see the best ROI from Facebook/Instagram posts + boosted events; geotargeting within 15–30 miles works well.
  • Video (15–30s) outperforms static for promotions; clear calls to visit in-store or message on FB drive action.
• Platform gaps:
  • LinkedIn and Nextdoor play minor roles locally.
  • X usage is mostly for state news, weather, and sports rather than community organizing.

Notes on method and confidence

• Figures are county-level estimates derived from Pew’s 2023–2024 platform adoption by age, adjusted for rural usage patterns and Brule County’s older-leaning profile. Expect ±5–8 percentage points variance by platform. For planning, validate with page insights, local ad-platform reach estimates, and school/community group metrics.