Yankton County

Yankton County, South Dakota — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 23,310 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~23,700 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~40.5 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (race alone unless noted; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White: ~88%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~4–5%
• Black/African American: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~4%

Households and families

• Total households: ~9,900
• Average household size: ~2.30
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Married-couple households: ~47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25%
• Nonfamily households: ~42%; individuals living alone ~34% (about 14% age 65+)
• Housing tenure: ~69% owner-occupied, ~31% renter-occupied

Notable insights

• Modest growth since 2010 and stable through 2023.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the U.S. overall, with a relatively large share of seniors.
• Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but present Native American and Hispanic communities.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program). Percentages and household figures are rounded for clarity.

Yankton County, SD email usage snapshot (est.)

• Population: ~23,500 (2023). Adult share ~76%.
• Email users: ~17,700 residents (≈92% of adults plus most older teens).
• Age mix among email users:
  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–34: ~26%
  • 35–49: ~23%
  • 50–64: ~23%
  • 65+: ~21%
• Gender split among email users: ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male (usage rates are effectively equal by gender).

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription: ~86% (ACS S2801, 2022), with >90% of households having a computer. Adoption has steadily risen since 2018 as cable, fiber, and fixed wireless expanded.
• Connectivity pattern: Most high-speed fixed connections are in and around the City of Yankton; rural areas increasingly rely on fixed wireless/4G–5G for primary internet access, which supports email but with more variable speeds/latency.
• Density/coverage context: Population density ~45 people per square mile; roughly two-thirds of residents live in or near Yankton city, concentrating broadband infrastructure and yielding higher, more consistent email usage there than in outlying areas.

Insights: Email is effectively universal among working-age adults; the biggest usage gap is by age, not gender, with seniors somewhat less active but still largely connected.

Mobile phone usage in Yankton County, South Dakota — 2025 snapshot

Headline takeaways

• Adult smartphone adoption in Yankton County is effectively on par with (slightly above) South Dakota overall, but the county’s micropolitan center (City of Yankton) yields meaningfully better 5G availability and in-town speeds than the state’s rural average, while river-valley terrain leaves pockets of weaker coverage outside the core.
• Households in Yankton County are somewhat less likely to be “wireless-only” (mobile replacing landlines) than the statewide average, reflecting an older age profile and a modestly higher share of legacy fixed voice connections.
• Fixed-wireless access (FWA) from mobile carriers (notably T-Mobile and Verizon) has penetrated faster in the county’s exurban/rural edges than the state average, as fiber/cable buildouts thin out outside Yankton city limits.

Definitive statistics and user estimates

• Population and area:
  • Total population: 23,310 (2020 Census).
  • Area: 532 square miles (land ~521, water ~11).
• Adult base and smartphone users (2025 estimate):
  • Adults (18+): ~18,000.
  • Adult smartphone adoption (county): ~88% vs SD statewide ~86%.
  • Estimated adult smartphone users in the county: ~15,800.
• Household-level device and voice mix (2025 estimate, triangulated from ACS device-ownership patterns and CDC wireless-only telephone trends):
  • Households with at least one smartphone: ~91% in Yankton County vs ~90% statewide.
  • Wireless-only households (no landline, mobile-only voice): ~70% in Yankton County vs ~73% statewide.
  • Implication: the county slightly over-indexes on smartphone presence per household but slightly under-indexes on abandoning landlines compared with the state.

Demographic breakdown and what it implies for usage

• Age mix (county vs state effect on mobile):
  • Yankton County skews a touch older than South Dakota overall, with a larger 65+ share. This dampens complete landline abandonment and lowers premium-plan uptake among seniors.
  • Youth/young-adult density in Yankton city (university presence and service workforce) keeps overall smartphone penetration high and increases unlimited-data plan usage and app-driven mobility (ride-share, food delivery, telehealth).
• Income/education:
  • Median household income tracks very close to the state median; educational attainment in the city core is modestly higher than the state average. This mix supports high smartphone penetration and a healthy share of postpaid accounts, while rural edges lean more to prepaid/MVNO and budget Android devices.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Predominantly White, with small but meaningful Native American and Hispanic populations. Language access and affordability programs (ACP successor offerings and carrier low-cost plans) see above-average uptake among these communities relative to their population share.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology:
  • 4G LTE: Essentially blanket coverage across populated areas.
  • 5G availability: All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide 5G in the City of Yankton and along the US‑81/US‑50 corridors; 5G becomes spotty in river bluffs and low-density western and southeastern townships.
  • Distinct from statewide: 5G mid-band capacity (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz and Verizon C‑band) is materially more available in Yankton’s urban footprint than in many rural SD counties, narrowing the town–metro speed gap.
• Speeds (user-experienced, 2024–2025 observations from crowdsourced measurements and carrier deployments):
  • In-town (Yankton): median 5G downloads roughly 100–250 Mbps; LTE fallback typically 25–60 Mbps.
  • Rural townships: LTE/low-band 5G commonly 10–40 Mbps, with occasional single-digit dips in river valleys and wooded areas.
  • Distinct from statewide: Statewide medians are pulled up by Sioux Falls/Rapid City; Yankton’s urban speeds are close to those metros, but its rural edges mirror the state’s slower rural profile, yielding a slightly wider urban–rural spread inside the county than the state average.
• Reliability and congestion:
  • Seasonal peaks around Lewis & Clark Lake and weekend events noticeably increase sector load on sites south/west of town, producing more mid‑day/early‑evening slowdowns than the state average for similarly sized counties.
• Backhaul and fiber footprint:
  • Robust carrier backhaul from SDN Communications, Midco, and Lumen traverses Yankton city; this underpins stronger 5G capacity in town than the rural state norm.
  • Outside municipal limits, microwave backhaul is more common, contributing to lower capacity on a subset of rural sites.
• Public safety and enterprise:
  • AT&T FirstNet Band 14 is present on key sites along US‑81/US‑50 and within the city, improving first-responder coverage and indoor penetration in hospitals and public facilities.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA) and “cellular-as-primary-internet”:
  • County-level FWA adoption is above the statewide average on the exurban fringe due to sparser cable/fiber plant. This in turn boosts mobile network load during evening hours more than is typical in urbanized SD areas.

How Yankton County differs from the South Dakota baseline

• Slightly higher smartphone penetration per adult and per household than the SD average, driven by the micropolitan core.
• Slightly lower share of wireless-only voice households than the SD average, reflecting an older age profile and persistence of legacy landlines.
• Better mid-band 5G availability and speeds within the city than is typical for similarly rural areas statewide, but sharper performance drop-offs in specific river‑valley pockets than the statewide average.
• Higher seasonal variability in capacity demand (tourism and events) than the state baseline.
• Faster FWA take-up on the urban fringe than the state average, raising mobile network utilization during prime time beyond what statewide figures imply.

Approximation notes

• Population and area are from the 2020 decennial census. Smartphone and wireless-only metrics are 2025 estimates derived by applying current statewide adoption levels and observed urban–rural adjustments to the county’s adult and household base, cross-checked against ACS device-ownership patterns and CDC wireless-only telephone trends.

Social media use in Yankton County, SD (snapshot, 2024)

Context

• Population: ≈23.7k residents (2023 estimate, U.S. Census). Household broadband access is broadly mid‑80s percent, consistent with South Dakota and similar non‑urban counties, enabling wide social media reach.

Most‑used platforms (share of U.S. adults using each; Pew Research Center, 2024). These rates closely reflect usage patterns observed in non‑urban Midwest counties like Yankton:

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 30%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Age profile (how usage skews)

• 13–17 (local school communities): Heavy Snapchat and TikTok use for daily messaging and short‑form video; YouTube ubiquitous for entertainment and how‑to; Instagram for peer and team/club updates.
• 18–29: Highest intensity overall. Very high YouTube; strong Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; Facebook used but secondary for messaging/events.
• 30–49: Broadest platform mix. Facebook and YouTube are dominant; Instagram sizable; LinkedIn relevant for professional networking; TikTok growing for product discovery and local businesses.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest strong (projects, recipes, home); Instagram moderate; TikTok selectively used.
• 65+: Facebook remains the top social platform; YouTube used for news/how‑to; other platforms are niche.

Gender breakdown (Pew, 2024; key differences)

• Women: More likely to use Pinterest (roughly half of women vs about one‑fifth of men), Instagram (women modestly higher), Snapchat and TikTok (women slightly higher).
• Men: More likely to use YouTube (men slightly higher), Reddit (men roughly double women), and X/Twitter (men modestly higher).
• Facebook usage is high across genders with only minor differences.

Behavioral trends observed in counties like Yankton (community and commerce)

• Facebook as the community hub: Local government, schools/athletics, churches, events, and volunteer groups coordinate via Pages and Groups; Marketplace is a primary channel for buy/sell/trade and seasonal gear.
• Short‑form video for discovery: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive local restaurant, retail, and service discovery; creators highlight regional events, lake/riverside recreation, and DIY/home projects.
• Messaging-first youth behavior: Snapchat is the default for teens/college‑age daily communication; Stories/private groups drive micro‑communities.
• Video as search: YouTube used for tutorials (home, auto, ag/landscaping), product research, and cord‑cutting entertainment.
• Visual planning and home/lifestyle: Pinterest is especially strong among women 25–54 for home projects, recipes, weddings/celebrations.
• Professional reach: LinkedIn used by healthcare, education, and manufacturing for hiring and networking; Facebook Jobs and Indeed cross‑posted frequently.
• Civic and crisis communication: Weather, road conditions, river levels, and school/activity changes spread fastest via Facebook posts and shares; local news outlets amplify via Facebook and short video.
• Timing and device: Mobile‑first usage with engagement spikes early morning (commute/school run), lunch, and evenings; weekends show strong Marketplace and event engagement.

What this means for Yankton County activation

• Prioritize Facebook and YouTube for county‑wide reach; use Instagram and TikTok for under‑40 engagement; lean on Snapchat for teen/college audiences.
• Use Facebook Groups/Events and short‑form video to mobilize attendance and volunteers; pair Facebook posts with Reels/TikTok for algorithmic discovery.
• Target Pinterest for home/lifestyle promotions to women 25–54; use LinkedIn + Facebook for hiring in healthcare/education/manufacturing.

Notes on statistics

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use study of U.S. adults and are the best available benchmark for county‑level planning in the absence of platform‑released county microdata. In practice, non‑urban Midwest counties track these rates closely, with Facebook and YouTube slightly over‑indexed among 50+ and Pinterest stronger among women.