Miner County

Miner County, South Dakota — key demographics

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 2,298

Age

• Median age: about 45 years
• Under 18: roughly 22%
• 18 to 64: roughly 55%
• 65 and over: roughly 23%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White alone: ~95%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1%
• Black or African American: <1%
• Asian: <1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~1,000
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~60% of households
• One-person households: ~35–40%; about one-fifth are individuals 65+ living alone
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%; renter-occupied: ~20–25%

Notes

• Figures combine 2020 Decennial Census counts (for population and race/Hispanic) with ACS 5-year estimates (for age distribution and household characteristics) appropriate for a small county; small-area estimates carry sampling error but reflect the best available official statistics.

Miner County, SD snapshot

• Population and density: 2,298 residents across 570 square miles (4 people per sq. mile; 2020 Census), largely rural with the town of Howard as the hub.
• Estimated email users: ~1,750 residents age 15+ use email at least monthly, reflecting rural South Dakota internet and email adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34 ≈20% (350 users); 35–64 ≈55% (960); 65+ ≈25% (~440). Growth is strongest among 65+.
• Gender split among users: ~51% male, ~49% female, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and devices: Roughly 75–80% of households maintain a home broadband subscription; fixed wireless and DSL dominate outside Howard, with more fiber availability in town. 4G and spotty 5G cover main corridors (e.g., US‑81/SD‑34) with farm‑area gaps; public Wi‑Fi at the Howard library and schools supplements access. Smartphone-first access is common; multi‑device households cluster in town.
• Trends and local connectivity: Adoption is stable to slowly rising; older cohorts are catching up. Low population density and long copper loops limit DSL speeds; fixed wireless and satellite fill coverage gaps. Agriculture and small businesses increasingly rely on email for invoicing, ordering, and coordination.

Miner County, SD mobile phone usage summary (focus on differences from South Dakota overall)

User estimates

• Total mobile phone users: approximately 1,860 residents (about 81% of the 2020 population of 2,298), based on near-universal mobile adoption among adults under 65 and ~85–90% adoption among seniors.
• Smartphone users: approximately 1,630 residents.
  • By age:
    • 18–34: ~375 smartphone users (≈96% adoption within this group).
    • 35–64: ~840 smartphone users (≈89%).
    • 65+: ~280 smartphone users (≈61%).
    • Teens 13–17: ~135 smartphone users (≈95%).
  • Compared to SD statewide, Miner County’s overall smartphone penetration is lower by roughly 7–10 percentage points, primarily due to its older age structure.

Demographic breakdown and device/connection profile (household-level, latest ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates and derived county/state contrasts)

• Households with a smartphone
  • Miner County: ~84%
  • South Dakota: ~90–91%
  • Gap: −7 to −8 points in Miner County
• Households with any broadband internet subscription (wireline or cellular)
  • Miner County: ~78%
  • South Dakota: ~86%
  • Gap: −8 points
• Households with a cellular data plan (for home internet, with or without wireline)
  • Miner County: ~61%
  • South Dakota: ~69%
  • Gap: −8 points
• Cellular-only internet households (cellular data plan but no wireline subscription)
  • Miner County: ~19%
  • South Dakota: ~12%
  • Difference: +7 points in Miner County (greater reliance on mobile data for home connectivity)
• No internet subscription
  • Miner County: ~18–20%
  • South Dakota: ~12–13%
  • Gap: +6–8 points
• Device mix
  • Desktop/laptop ownership
    • Miner County: ~72%
    • South Dakota: ~79%
    • Gap: −7 points
  • Smartphone-only (smartphone present but no desktop/laptop)
    • Miner County: ~14%
    • South Dakota: ~9–10%
    • Difference: +4–5 points (more single-device households)

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technologies
  • 4G LTE: Countywide outdoor coverage from national carriers is effectively universal in towns and along SD-34 and SD-25, with sporadic weak signal in more distant farmsteads.
  • 5G:
    • Low-band (T-Mobile 600 MHz, AT&T low-band): broadly present across the county; strongest in and around Howard and along main corridors.
    • Mid-band (e.g., T-Mobile 2.5 GHz): concentrated in/near Howard; limited reach in outlying areas.
    • Verizon 5G Nationwide is present near population centers; mid-band (C-band) capacity is limited outside town.
• Site density
  • Macro cellular sites: on the order of 10–12 macro sites across ~570 square miles (roughly 1 site per 45–60 square miles), sufficient for coverage but capacity constrained versus urban SD.
• Backhaul and fixed networks
  • Fiber backbones traverse main corridors; local cooperatives (e.g., TrioTel Communications) have deployed fiber-to-the-home in and around Howard, while more remote areas still mix DSL and fixed wireless.
  • Fixed wireless home internet (notably T-Mobile 5G Home) is available to a larger share of addresses than cable/fiber in rural tracts; Verizon 5G Home is more limited.
• Typical user experience (rural outdoor/indoor mix, 4G + low-band 5G)
  • Download: ~20–80 Mbps
  • Upload: ~4–15 Mbps
  • Latency: ~30–60 ms
  • These figures trail South Dakota’s statewide medians, which are elevated by faster urban/mid-band 5G markets.

Trends that differ from the state level

• Lower smartphone and broadband adoption:
  • Miner County households trail the state by ~7–10 points for smartphone presence and ~8 points for any broadband subscription.
• Higher reliance on mobile data for home internet:
  • Cellular-only internet households are ~7 points higher than the SD average, reflecting sparse wireline options outside town limits and the appeal of fixed-wireless offers.
• More single-device households:
  • A higher share of smartphone-only households (about +4–5 points vs SD), concentrated among lower-income and older residents.
• Capacity, not coverage, is the constraint:
  • Coverage is extensive, but fewer mid-band 5G sectors and lower site density mean slower median speeds and more variability than SD’s urban counties.
• Age-driven usage pattern:
  • A larger senior share pulls down overall smartphone penetration and data-intensive app usage relative to the state.

Key takeaways

• Estimated 1,630 smartphone users and 1,860 total mobile phone users in Miner County, with adoption meaningfully below South Dakota averages due to age mix and infrastructure capacity.
• Households are more likely than the state to rely on cellular-only internet and to be smartphone-only, highlighting the role of mobile networks as primary broadband for rural residents.
• 5G low-band coverage is broad, but limited mid-band capacity and fewer macrosites keep typical speeds below statewide norms; fiber is strong in town, while fixed wireless bridges gaps in rural areas.

Sources and basis: U.S. Census 2020 (population, households), American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year (S2801 Computer and Internet Use, household device and subscription metrics), Pew Research Center 2023 (smartphone ownership by age, used to allocate county-level user estimates), FCC and carrier 5G/LTE public coverage disclosures (2023–2024) and aggregated rural SD speed measurements through 2024. Figures shown for Miner County are the latest available estimates and county-to-state contrasts derived from those sources.

Miner County, SD – social media snapshot (2025)

At-a-glance user stats

• Population: 2,298 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ≈1,800.
• Estimated social-media-using adults: ≈1,300 (applying the long-running U.S. adult “any social media” rate of ~72% to the local adult population; Pew Research Center).

Most-used platforms (percentages are U.S. adult usage rates; counts are Miner County-sized estimates applying those rates to ≈1,800 adults)

• YouTube: 83% → ≈1,490 local adults
• Facebook: 68% → ≈1,220
• Instagram: 47% → ≈840
• TikTok: 33% → ≈590
• Snapchat: 27% → ≈490
• X (Twitter): 22% → ≈400
• Reddit: 22% → ≈400
• LinkedIn: 33% → ≈590 Notes: In rural counties, Facebook and YouTube tend to over-index; LinkedIn and Reddit typically under-index relative to national averages.

Age-group patterns (share using any social media; U.S. norms applied locally)

• 18–29: ~90%+ use at least one platform. Heaviest on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube nearly universal.
• 30–49: ~80–85%. Facebook + YouTube dominate; Instagram growing; TikTok moderate.
• 50–64: ~70–75%. Facebook primary; YouTube strong for news/how‑to; Instagram modest.
• 65+: ~50–55%. Facebook first; YouTube for entertainment/how‑to; limited Instagram/TikTok.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social-media user mix (estimated from county sex balance): ≈51% female, 49% male.
• Platform tendencies (Pew): Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram and TikTok are fairly balanced, with a slight female tilt.

Behavioral trends observed in rural counties like Miner (applicable locally)

• Community-first usage: High engagement with Facebook Groups/pages for county government, schools, churches, youth sports, county fair, buy/sell/trade, lost & found, and weather/safety updates.
• Practical content: Strong YouTube consumption for DIY, farming/ranching, equipment repair, home projects, and local sports highlights.
• Messaging over posting: Heavy reliance on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat for day‑to‑day coordination; fewer public posts per user than suburban/urban peers.
• Event-driven spikes: Noticeable surges around school activities, severe weather, hunting seasons, local elections, and county events.
• Time-of-day: Engagement concentrates evenings (6–9 p.m.) and midday breaks; weekends see peaks tied to local events and sports.
• Creator vs. lurker split: Higher share of “lurkers” who consume and react vs. publish; posts that feature familiar people/places outperform generic content.
• Discovery: Local businesses reach audiences most effectively via Facebook posts boosted to ZIP-level radii; Instagram Reels and short TikTok clips work for under‑40 reach; YouTube pre-roll effective for broad awareness.
• Trust cues: Content from known local institutions and people (schools, coaches, pastors, first responders, ag co-ops) outperforms brand-first messaging.

Sources and method

• Population base: U.S. Census (2020) for Miner County.
• Platform adoption and demographics: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Percentages shown are national adult rates; local counts are Miner County-sized estimates derived by applying those rates to the county’s adult population.