Sanborn County

Sanborn County, South Dakota — key demographics

Population

• 2,330 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: about 42 years (ACS 5-year)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18 to 64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 5-year; race alone unless noted; Hispanic may be of any race)

• White: ~95%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2%
• Black: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%

Households and housing (ACS 5-year)

• Households: ~970–1,000
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Owner-occupied housing: ~75–85%
• Renter-occupied housing: ~15–25%

Key insights

• Very small, predominantly White rural county with a median age in the low 40s.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high owner-occupancy, consistent with rural South Dakota patterns.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (latest available). Figures are estimates and may include margins of error.

Sanborn County, SD (2020 Census pop. 2,330; 570 sq mi) has very low density (4.1 residents/sq mi). Estimated email users: ≈1,500 residents (≈65% of all residents; ≈87% of adults).

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–17: 8% (~120)
• 18–34: 22% (~330)
• 35–64: 50% (~750)
• 65+: 20% (~300)

Gender split among email users mirrors the population: 51% female (765), 49% male (735).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Fiber-to-the-home has expanded via the local cooperative (Santel, based in Woonsocket), bringing gigabit service to town and many rural addresses; where fiber arrives, email use and daily connectivity rise.
• Mobile 4G covers most of the county; 5G is present along primary corridors, with remote sections remaining LTE-only or signal-limited.
• The end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 increased monthly costs for low-income households, pressuring adoption in the most remote areas.
• Overall home broadband adoption remains below the state urban average but is trending upward with ongoing fiber builds; mobile-only internet households remain common on farms and ranches.

Estimates combine 2020 county demographics with national rural email/internet adoption benchmarks.

Sanborn County, SD — Mobile phone usage summary (2024)

Scale and user estimates

• Population base: ~2,400 residents; ~1,824 adults (18+)
• Adult smartphone users: ~1,460 (≈80% of adults)
• Adult basic/feature‑phone users: ~240 (≈13% of adults); adults with no mobile line: ~120 (≈7% of adults)
• Youth mobile users (under 18): ~200 (primarily ages 12–17)
• Total active mobile lines (phones, tablets, hotspots, IoT): ~3,600 (≈150 lines per 100 residents)
  • Smartphones: ~1,700 lines
  • Basic phones: ~250 lines
  • Tablets/hotspots/other consumer data devices: ~450 lines
  • IoT/M2M (farm telematics, sensors, fleet): ~1,200 lines

Demographic breakdown of adoption (adults)

• 18–49: ~92–94% smartphone adoption; broadly in line with state levels
• 50–64: ~80% smartphone adoption (≈5 percentage points lower than statewide)
• 65+: ~62% smartphone adoption (≈8 percentage points lower than statewide)
• Wireless‑only households: ~60% of ~980 households (statewide ≈66%); landline/VoIP persistence is higher among seniors and farmsteads
• 5G‑capable handsets among smartphone users: ~68% (statewide ≈76%); upgrade cycles are slower in older and farm households

Carrier mix and usage patterns

• Subscriber share (phones and data devices): Verizon ~58%, AT&T ~28%, T‑Mobile ~12%, other ~2%; Verizon’s share is notably higher than statewide due to rural coverage reliability
• IoT/M2M share of total lines is elevated (≈33%) versus state averages, reflecting farm equipment telematics, bin/pivot monitoring, and fleet trackers
• Traffic mix: majority on LTE and low‑band 5G; mid‑band 5G usage is limited outside highway corridors and town centers

Digital infrastructure

• Coverage: All three national carriers provide LTE and low‑band 5G across populated areas; off‑corridor ranch/farm sections have spotty service and lower indoor signal quality
• 5G: Predominantly low‑band. Mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile n41; Verizon/AT&T mid‑band) is present mainly along SD‑34 and near Woonsocket; mmWave is not a factor
• Macro sites: ~6 county macro towers (≈1.0 per 100 sq mi), plus sectorized antennas serving SD‑34; observed weak zones along the James River bottoms and some south‑central townships
• Backhaul: Fiber‑fed sites on primary corridors; microwave backhaul persists on edge sites. Local cooperative fiber (e.g., Santel Communications) underpins most tower fiber runs
• Fixed broadband interplay: Fiber‑to‑the‑home is available to a large share of addresses in and around Woonsocket and along key roads; where fiber is absent, households often combine satellite or fixed wireless with mobile hotspots

Trends that differ from South Dakota statewide

• Adoption by age: Overall adult smartphone adoption is a few points lower than the state, driven by substantially lower uptake among 65+
• Device mix: Higher basic‑phone retention and a lower share of 5G‑capable handsets than statewide averages
• Carrier choice: Verizon is more dominant than at the state level; T‑Mobile share is lower, reflecting coverage off main corridors
• Network use: Heavier reliance on LTE/low‑band 5G; mid‑band 5G contributes a smaller share of traffic than statewide
• IoT intensity: More IoT/M2M lines per capita than the state, tied to agriculture and equipment telematics
• Access pattern: Slightly fewer wireless‑only households than statewide due to VoIP/fiber availability in co‑op footprints and landline retention among seniors

Key takeaways

• Around 1,460 adult smartphone users and 3,600 total active mobile lines indicate high connectivity per capita, with a distinctive tilt toward agricultural IoT
• Senior adoption lags the state notably, pulling down overall smartphone penetration and 5G device share
• Coverage and performance are strong on corridors but variable in river valleys and remote sections; fiber co‑op buildouts stabilize backhaul and support consistent LTE/low‑band 5G, while mid‑band 5G remains limited outside towns and highways

Sanborn County, SD social media snapshot (2024)

Topline user stats

• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~1,450, about 61% of total residents and ~72% of those 13+
• Daily active social users: ~1,130 (≈78% of social users)
• Average platforms used per person: ~3

Age mix of social users

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–29: 18%
• 30–49: 35%
• 50–64: 23%
• 65+: 16%

Gender breakdown of social users

• Female: 52%
• Male: 48%

Most-used platforms among adults (18+) in the county

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 36%
• Pinterest: 31%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 26%
• WhatsApp: 18%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• LinkedIn: 16%
• Reddit: 14%

Behavioral trends

• Community-first on Facebook: Heavy use of Groups and Pages for schools, churches, county offices, EMS/volunteer fire, sports boosters, and the county fair. Marketplace is a top activity for local buy/sell and farm/ranch gear.
• Video is the default: YouTube dominates for how‑to, weather, hunting/outdoors, equipment repair, and local sports highlights; TikTok/Reels are popular for short-form consumption, with limited but growing local creation.
• Youth messaging over posting: Teens and 18–24s favor Snapchat for messaging and Stories and Instagram DMs; public posting is lighter than viewing.
• News and alerts: Facebook is the primary gateway for local news, obituaries, school updates, and severe-weather information; engagement spikes during storms, road closures, and school-related announcements.
• Timing: Peak activity 7–9 p.m.; secondary peaks at lunch and during late‑afternoon school/sports windows; weekend peaks around local events and post‑service Sundays.
• Seasonality: Planting/harvest cycles drive surges in weather, market, and equipment content; mid‑summer spikes around county‑fair content; winter storms increase real‑time engagement.
• Ad/commerce patterns: Local businesses lean on boosted Facebook posts within a 25–40‑mile radius; event promotions, limited‑time offers, and before/after visuals outperform generic messaging. Instagram cross‑posting to Facebook is common.
• Platform skews:
  • Facebook is broad (especially 30+), with women slightly more active on sharing and Groups.
  • Instagram and TikTok index higher under 35.
  • Pinterest is heavily female (projects, recipes, classroom ideas).
  • Reddit and X skew male and younger, with niche interest communities rather than local focus.
• Device habits: Predominantly mobile; older users more likely to read/reshare than post; younger users favor vertical video and ephemeral content.

Method Modeled 2024 county-level estimates using U.S. Census/ACS population and age structure for Sanborn County and Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption by age/gender. Figures rounded; small-population margins of error approximately ±5–8 percentage points.