Mccook County

Key demographics — McCook County, South Dakota

Population

• 5,682 (2020 Census). Up slightly from 5,618 in 2010 (+1.1%).

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2018–2022).
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~94–95%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Black (non-Hispanic): <1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~2,270
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~67% (married-couple families ~58%)
• Nonfamily households: ~33%; individuals living alone ~28% (about half of these age 65+)
• Owner-occupied: ~80%+; renter-occupied: ~20%−

Notes: Population from 2020 Decennial Census; other indicators from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (figures rounded; ACS values have margins of error). Overall profile: small, aging, predominantly White rural county with high owner-occupancy and moderate household sizes.

McCook County, SD has 5,682 residents (2020 Census) across roughly 574 sq mi (≈10 people per sq mi). ACS 2018–2022 indicates about 92% of households have a computer and ~81% have a broadband internet subscription, enabling broad email use.

Estimated email users (age 13+): ~4,130.

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–17: ~310 (≈7%)
• 18–64: ~2,970 (≈72%)
• 65+: ~850 (≈21%)

Gender split: The population is roughly even by sex; email users are ≈50% female (2,065) and ≈50% male (2,065).

Digital access trends and local connectivity: High device ownership and solid broadband subscription rates for a rural county support heavy email use among working-age adults, with continued gains among seniors. Sparse settlement outside Salem, Canistota, and Montrose constrains wired options in some areas, while denser town centers have stronger fixed broadband.

Mobile phone usage in McCook County, South Dakota — 2024 snapshot

Context and user estimates

• Population and households: 5,682 residents (2020 Census); roughly 2,300 households.
• Household smartphone access: about 86–90% of households report having a smartphone (ACS 2018–2022), below the South Dakota statewide level (~91–93%).
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 3,800–4,200 residents use a smartphone (roughly 80–85% of adults), modestly below statewide adoption.
• Wireless-only (no landline) households: estimated 60–65% in McCook County versus about 70% statewide (CDC/NCHS state-level wireless substitution applied to county age mix).
• 5G-capable device share: approximately 55–65% of active smartphones, versus roughly 65–75% statewide.

Demographic breakdown (how McCook differs from the state)

• Age: Older profile than the state average (median age around 40–42 vs ~38 statewide). Smartphone adoption among residents 65+ is lower (roughly 70–75% vs ~78–80% statewide), pulling down overall adoption.
• Families with children: Near-universal smartphone access (>95%) among households with school-age children, consistent with statewide levels.
• Income: Among lower-income households (<$35k), smartphone access in McCook is a few points lower (80–85%) than statewide (85–88%), reflecting higher device-cost sensitivity.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is overwhelmingly White (well over 90%), so the racial adoption gaps visible in statewide figures (driven in part by larger Native American populations elsewhere in SD) are not pronounced locally.

Usage patterns

• Commute-driven mobility: A significant share of residents commute toward Sioux Falls (Minnehaha County). Daytime device presence and traffic concentrate along the I‑90 and SD‑38 corridors and in towns (Salem, Canistota, Montrose).
• Mobile as primary internet in pockets: In rural tracts where fixed broadband is limited or costly, households more often lean on mobile hotspots or phone tethering than in urban South Dakota, raising evening and weekend mobile data loads.
• Device mix: Older handset mix and slower upgrade cycles than the state average; fewer premium devices and slightly lower 5G handset penetration.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage baseline: Near-universal outdoor LTE from the national carriers across populated areas and major roads. 5G low‑band (nationwide/DSS) is broadly available. Coverage quality is corridor‑centric; off‑corridor farm and low‑lying areas see weaker indoor signal.
• Mid‑band 5G: Strongest along I‑90 and closer to the Sioux Falls edge of the county; thinner northwest of Salem. This results in larger urban–rural speed differentials than the state’s metro averages.
• Typical speeds:
  • 5G low‑band: about 30–100 Mbps down, 3–15 Mbps up.
  • 5G mid‑band (where available, notably along I‑90/east): roughly 150–300+ Mbps down, 15–40 Mbps up.
  • LTE fallback in remote spots: roughly 5–25 Mbps down, 1–5 Mbps up.
• Backhaul and fiber: SDN Communications’ regional backbone and Triotel Communications’ local fiber (headquartered in Salem) underpin cell site backhaul and enable carrier 5G upgrades in towns and along primary corridors.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage follows the interstate and municipalities; volunteer fire/EMS rely on commercial carrier coverage. Indoor coverage gaps are most common in metal buildings and basements away from corridors.

Key differences from state-level trends

• Adoption: McCook’s overall smartphone adoption and 65+ adoption are a few points lower than the statewide average because of its older age profile.
• Access equity: A slightly larger share of low‑income households lacks smartphones or postpones upgrades compared with statewide averages.
• Network experience: Mid‑band 5G is less ubiquitous away from I‑90 than in South Dakota’s metro counties, producing more variable speeds and reliability off‑corridor.
• Substitution: Reliance on mobile broadband as a substitute for fixed home internet is higher in rural pockets than the state average, particularly outside the Sioux Falls metro footprint.
• Market behavior: Slower device turnover and a tilt toward value plans/devices relative to Sioux Falls and Rapid City, though prepaid share is not markedly higher.

Data sources and methodology

• User and household adoption figures derive from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 county-level “Computer and Internet Use” indicators, scaled to 2020 Census households, with state comparisons to ACS statewide aggregates.
• Wireless-only household estimates leverage CDC/NCHS Wireless Substitution trends at the state level adjusted for McCook’s older age mix.
• Infrastructure and performance synthesize FCC mobile coverage maps (2024), carrier public 5G buildouts, and observed rural performance norms in eastern South Dakota. Numbers are rounded to reflect typical variability.

Social media usage in McCook County, South Dakota (2024–2025 snapshot)

Top-line usage

• Adult social media penetration: ~73% of adults use at least one platform.
• Daily use is routine; Facebook and Snapchat users are most likely to check multiple times per day.

Most-used platforms (share of adults using)

• YouTube: ~78–83%
• Facebook: ~67–70%
• Instagram: ~31–35%
• Pinterest: ~30–32%
• TikTok: ~20–22%
• Snapchat: ~20–22%
• X (Twitter): ~16–18%
• WhatsApp: ~16–18%
• Reddit: ~10–12% Notes: Shares reflect the latest Pew Research Center platform adoption rates for U.S. adults, with rural differentials applied; McCook’s older, rural profile closely matches these distributions.

Age-group patterns (share of adults in each age band using the platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~93%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~70%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~92%, Facebook ~75%, Instagram ~59%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~25%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~24%
• Ages 65+: YouTube ~60%, Facebook ~58%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10% Implication: Facebook and YouTube dominate 30+; under-30s split attention across YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Gender breakdown

• Overall: Women are slightly more likely than men to use social media in rural areas.
• Platform skews:
  • Pinterest: strong female skew (about 2x more women than men nationally; ~50% vs ~23%).
  • Reddit: strong male skew (men several times more likely than women).
  • X (Twitter): modest male skew.
  • Facebook and Instagram: small female lead.
  • TikTok: relatively balanced.

Behavioral trends in McCook County

• Community hub effect: Facebook is the default for local groups (schools, churches, youth sports), events, obituaries, and county announcements. Marketplace is heavily used for local buy/sell.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger for family/community; Snapchat is the day-to-day channel for teens and 20-somethings; WhatsApp shows niche use (travel or cross-border ties).
• Video consumption over creation: YouTube leads for how‑to, agriculture, hunting/outdoors, and local sports highlights. Short‑form (TikTok/Reels/Shorts) consumption is high, while posting rates are lower.
• Shopping and recommendations: Marketplace and local business Facebook/Instagram pages drive discovery; Pinterest is used for ideas that often convert via Facebook/Instagram rather than direct checkout.
• News and alerts: Local news primarily via Facebook Pages and shares; a small minority use X for breaking weather, state politics, and sports.
• Engagement timing: Peaks around 7–9 pm CT, with secondary peaks 6–8 am; weekend activity is elevated. Seasonal surges occur during school sports and hunting seasons.
• Participation mix: Many “lurkers”; most original posts come from parents, local organizations, and small businesses. Younger users favor Stories and disappearing content on Snapchat/Instagram.

Sources and method

• Based on Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use data (with rural/urban splits informed by prior Pew releases) applied to McCook County’s rural, older-leaning profile; exact county-level platform shares are not directly published, so figures reflect the best-available benchmarks for counties of this type.