Union County

Union County, South Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• 16,811 (2020 Census). Up from 14,399 in 2010 (+16.7%).
• Note: Subsequent Census Bureau estimates indicate continued growth post-2020.

Age

• Median age: ~39.5 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~91%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2%
• Asian: ~2–3%
• Black or African American: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3% (ACS 2018–2022 and 2020 Census patterns)

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~6,700
• Average household size: ~2.55
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Married-couple households: ~58% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–77%
• Households with children under 18: ~30%

Insights

• Fast-growing county by South Dakota standards since 2010, with continued post-2020 gains.
• Age structure is balanced, with roughly one-quarter under 18 and about one-sixth 65+.
• Predominantly White with modest but growing racial/ethnic diversity.
• Household profile skews toward owner-occupied, married-couple family households with typical household size.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program.

Union County, SD snapshot (2020 pop 16,811; ≈36 people per sq. mile; Sioux City MSA)

Estimated email users

• Adults using email: ≈12,000 (modeled from Union County’s adult population and U.S. adult email adoption >90%)
• Gender split among users: ~50% female, ~50% male
• Age distribution of email users (share of local users): 18–29: ~18%; 30–49: ~34%; 50–64: ~27%; 65+: ~21%

Digital access and trends

• Broadband adoption: ≈90% of households subscribe to broadband, indicating strong home internet access relative to state averages (ACS 2022).
• Mobile access: Widespread LTE/5G coverage along the I‑29/I‑129 corridors supports high email use on smartphones; mobile-only access remains a minority but growing segment.
• Work connectivity: Proximity to Sioux City employment centers and a sizable professional/managerial workforce supports heavy weekday email use and multiple-account usage (work + personal).
• Continuity: Email usage is effectively universal among working-age adults and strong among seniors; growth is driven more by frequency (mobile checks) than by new adopters.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Low overall density but strong metro adjacency; multiple ISPs serve Dakota Dunes/North Sioux City areas, contributing to above-average speeds and reliability for a rural county.

Union County, South Dakota — mobile usage snapshot (latest available public data and defensible estimates)

Headline takeaways vs South Dakota overall

• Union County users are more connected than the state average: higher smartphone access and broadband subscriptions, fewer households without internet, and fewer “smartphone‑only” households. This reflects the county’s suburban/metro orientation (Sioux City MSA) and higher incomes/education relative to much of South Dakota.
• Mobile network capacity and 5G availability are strongest along the I‑29/North Sioux City–Dakota Dunes corridor; rural edges see more variability but still generally outperform similarly rural parts of the state due to proximity to metro infrastructure.

User estimates

• Population base: 16,811 (2020 Census).
• Estimated smartphone users: ~12,600 residents.
  • Method: Apply Pew Research Center’s 2023 adult smartphone ownership (≈90%) to Union County’s adult population (≈77% of residents), plus high teen adoption. This yields ≈12.6k regular smartphone users, or roughly 75% of all residents.
• Estimated total mobile phone users (smartphone or feature phone): ~14,000–14,500 residents (about 83–86% of the population), reflecting near‑universal adoption among working‑age adults and high teen uptake.

Device access and internet subscriptions (ACS proxy, 2018–2022, Table S2801)

• Union County households with a smartphone: low‑to‑mid‑90% (higher than the South Dakota average, which is around 90%).
• Households with a cellular data plan: mid‑80% (above state average in the low‑80s).
• Households with broadband (any technology): low‑to‑mid‑90% (state average is high‑80s).
• Households with no internet subscription: about 5% (state ≈9%).
• Smartphone‑only households (smartphone but no laptop/desktop): mid‑single digits (state ≈low double digits). What this means: Union County residents are more likely to have both smartphones and in‑home broadband, and less likely to rely on a phone as their only computing device—consistent with higher income and education levels.

Demographic usage patterns (local characteristics benchmarked to statewide trends)

• Age: Adoption is effectively universal among 18–44. Seniors (65+) in Union County are more likely to own smartphones than seniors statewide (local rate ≈80–85% vs statewide closer to the 70s), narrowing the age gap in mobile use.
• Income/education: Higher median incomes and bachelor’s attainment support multi‑device households and bundled postpaid family plans; data plans skew to high‑capacity/unlimited tiers compared with rural SD counties.
• Workforce and cross‑border dynamics: A large share of residents commute into the Sioux City, IA‑NE‑SD metro. Daytime mobile demand concentrates near I‑29 and employment centers in North Sioux City/Dakota Dunes, a pattern less pronounced in many SD counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), T‑Mobile, Verizon; UScellular and regional partners augment coverage in fringe rural areas. All three national carriers offer 5G; T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G coverage and Verizon/AT&T low‑band 5G are established along I‑29 and population centers.
• Performance geography:
  • I‑29 corridor (Dakota Dunes–North Sioux City–Elk Point): strongest capacity and 5G availability; typical mid‑band 5G speeds are markedly higher than South Dakota’s rural median.
  • Rural river bottoms and low‑lying areas along the Big Sioux and Missouri Rivers: more variable signal quality due to terrain and vegetation; still generally better than similarly rural parts of the state because of proximity to the Sioux City metro and interstate fiber routes.
• Backhaul/fiber: Robust along I‑29 with metro‑grade fiber from regional providers (e.g., Midco) and national carriers; this underpins denser 5G deployments than in many SD counties.
• Resiliency/public safety: FirstNet footprint covers key population areas and transport corridors; cross‑border roaming into IA/NE networks adds redundancy not available to many interior SD counties.

How Union County differs from the South Dakota baseline

• Higher multi‑device, broadband‑plus‑mobile households; fewer connectivity gaps.
• Less reliance on smartphone‑only access; more postpaid family plans and business lines tied to the Sioux City labor market.
• Denser site grid and 5G capacity near I‑29 than is typical for SD counties of similar size, translating to better median speeds and in‑building performance in populated zones.
• Smaller digital divide by age: seniors are closer to the county average for smartphone ownership than seniors statewide.

Notes on sources and methods

• Population: U.S. Census 2020 decennial.
• Household device and subscription metrics: American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022, Table S2801, used as the most recent stable county‑level proxy for smartphone presence and cellular/broadband subscriptions.
• Smartphone user estimates: Derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2023 adult smartphone ownership rate to Union County’s adult population, with conservative adjustments for teen adoption. These provide defensible order‑of‑magnitude user counts aligned with observed ACS device and subscription patterns.

Union County, SD — social media usage snapshot (2025)

How many people use social media

• Adults using at least one social platform: 82% (modeled local estimate)
• Daily users (among adults): 72%

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult residents)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• LinkedIn: 29%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 21%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• Nextdoor: 12%

Age-group profile (share within each age band)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube 95%, TikTok 67%, Instagram 62%, Snapchat 60%, Facebook 33%
• 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 76%, Snapchat 65%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 54%, X 30%, Reddit 29%, LinkedIn 28%
• 30–49: YouTube 90%, Facebook 77%, Instagram 49%, TikTok 43%, Snapchat 31%, LinkedIn 35%, Pinterest 28%, X 24%
• 50–64: YouTube 83%, Facebook 73%, Instagram 29%, TikTok 20%, Pinterest 22%, LinkedIn 21%, X 15%
• 65+: YouTube 60%, Facebook 50%, Instagram 18%, TikTok 10%, Pinterest 20%, LinkedIn 12%

Gender breakdown (adult usage by platform)

• Women: Facebook 73%, Instagram 52%, Pinterest 49%, TikTok 36%, Snapchat 32%, YouTube 81%, LinkedIn 27%, X 19%, Reddit 14%
• Men: YouTube 86%, Facebook 66%, Instagram 42%, TikTok 30%, Snapchat 27%, LinkedIn 31%, X 25%, Reddit 27%, Pinterest 21%

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (schools, youth sports, neighborhood watch), Events, and Marketplace for buy/sell.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, local sports highlights; short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives discovery and shares.
• Youth attention is on Snapchat and TikTok; DMs and Stories are primary touchpoints rather than public posts.
• Weeknight and Sunday evening engagement spikes; morning slots (6–8 a.m.) perform well for local news, weather, and commute updates.
• Cross-border influence: content and ads referencing Sioux City and the I‑29 corridor see broader reach; effective geo-targeting spans ~20–30 miles.
• Creative that features local landmarks, school mascots, seasonal events, and severe-weather updates outperforms generic messaging.
• Messenger is the default for one-to-one; WhatsApp is niche but useful for international ties; Nextdoor is present for HOA and neighborhood alerts, more with 50+ homeowners.
• B2B and hiring: LinkedIn usage is above the South Dakota average in professional enclaves (e.g., Dakota Dunes), effective for recruitment and industry outreach.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled local estimates for 2025 using Union County’s age/sex mix from recent Census data and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for a suburban/rural Great Plains market. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers.