Bayfield County

Key demographics – Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Population size

  • 16,220 (2020 Census)
  • ~16,100 (2023 Census Bureau population estimate)

• Age

  • Median age: ~52
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 65 and over: ~27%

• Gender

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023, percentages rounded)

  • White (non-Hispanic): ~79%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~13%
  • Two or more races: ~5%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
  • Black/African American: ~0.4%
  • Asian: ~0.5%

• Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Households: ~7,200
  • Average household size: ~2.1
  • Family households: ~59% of households
  • Nonfamily households: ~41%

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

Bayfield County, WI – email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated email users: 9,500–12,000 residents. Basis: population ~16K; adult internet adoption in rural areas ~80–85%; ~90% of internet users use email.
• Age pattern:
  • 18–34: near‑universal email use among those online.
  • 35–64: very high use; likely the largest share of total users.
  • 65+: lower but rising use as broadband and smartphones improve; many use email for healthcare, government, and family communication.
• Gender split: roughly even; no consistent male/female gap in email use.
• Digital access trends:
  • Gradual expansion of fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage; adoption growing but remains below the U.S. average in the most rural areas.
  • Town centers tend to have better wired options; outlying areas rely more on fixed wireless, LTE/5G, or satellite.
  • Public libraries and schools provide important Wi‑Fi access points.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Very low population density (about 10–12 people per square mile) and extensive forested/water areas increase network build‑out costs and create coverage gaps.
  • Connectivity is strongest along main corridors and communities; inland and remote locales see slower speeds and more reliance on non‑wired options.

Notes: Figures are approximations using Census/Pew rural adoption benchmarks applied to Bayfield County’s population.

Bayfield County, WI: mobile phone usage summary (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

Context

• Rural, sparsely populated county on Lake Superior (roughly 16–17k residents, plus large summer tourism swings). Older age profile, extensive forested interior, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribal lands. Terrain and protected areas complicate tower siting and backhaul.

Estimated mobile user counts (method: county population x rural and age-adjusted adoption rates; rounded ranges)

• Residents with any mobile phone: about 13–15 thousand.
• Smartphone users (all ages): about 11–13 thousand.
• Adults (18+) with smartphones: roughly 9.5–11.5 thousand, reflecting lower take-up among seniors. How this differs from Wisconsin overall: smartphone penetration appears 5–10 percentage points lower than the statewide average, mainly due to an older age mix and patchier coverage in the interior.

Demographic patterns that stand out from state-level

• Age: A larger share of residents are 65+. Smartphone adoption and heavy app use in this group lag the Wisconsin average, and basic/flip phones remain more common. Many seniors rely on Wi‑Fi at home plus limited mobile data, or keep a landline as backup because of spotty indoor cellular.
• Seasonal population: Summer visitors and seasonal homeowners cause sharp, time‑bound spikes in device counts and data traffic around Bayfield, Washburn, Cornucopia, and the marinas—much more pronounced seasonality than the state overall. Networks can feel congested on peak weekends; off‑season traffic is light.
• Geography within the county: Coastal towns and the US‑2/WI‑13 corridors have usage patterns closer to statewide norms (near‑universal smartphones, mobile payments, navigation, and streaming). The forested interior and scattered lake communities show lower daily mobile data use, more Wi‑Fi calling, and more reliance on boosters.
• Tribal communities: Coverage and affordability gaps are more visible on and around Red Cliff tribal lands than in most Wisconsin counties. Digital equity programs and public Wi‑Fi at community centers play an outsized role.
• Work and income mix: More outdoor, seasonal, and self‑employed work leads to pragmatic device/plan choices (prepaid and MVNO plans, hotspot sharing in summer, satellite at remote homes) compared with urban Wisconsin.
• Safety/outdoors use: Above-average reliance on weather, marine, navigation, and emergency apps; residents and visitors still carry radios on the water and in backcountry because cellular is unreliable in pockets—less common statewide.

Digital infrastructure notes (mobile-focused)

• Coverage footprint:
  • 4G LTE is solid along US‑2, WI‑13, and in towns (Bayfield, Washburn, Iron River). Significant dead zones persist in the forested interior, valleys, and on/near the Apostle Islands; shoreline propagation is variable.
  • 5G is present but mostly low‑band/DSS. Mid‑band 5G (the faster kind) is limited and spotty compared with metro Wisconsin; you’ll see it chiefly along main corridors and town centers.
• Carrier dynamics:
  • Verizon generally offers the broadest rural coverage and the most reliable voice/SMS in remote stretches.
  • AT&T coverage is competitive in towns and corridors and strengthened by FirstNet upgrades for public safety, but interior gaps remain.
  • T‑Mobile performs well where it has mid‑band 5G along highways/towns but falls off faster in the backcountry; indoor coverage can be weaker away from populated areas.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Recent and ongoing fiber builds by regional providers have improved backhaul to some towers and public facilities, enabling 5G upgrades in populated areas. Remote sites still depend on microwave backhaul, limiting capacity.
• Tower siting constraints:
  • Viewshed protections along Lake Superior, federal lands, and permitting in the National Lakeshore area slow new macro‑tower deployment; carriers lean on small infill upgrades in towns instead.
• Public Wi‑Fi and offload:
  • Libraries, schools, marinas, and tribal/community centers provide widely used Wi‑Fi that offloads mobile traffic, especially for residents with weak indoor cellular or limited data plans. This offload role is more critical here than in most Wisconsin counties.
• Emergency communications:
  • Agencies blend land‑mobile radio with FirstNet. Wireless Emergency Alerts generally work along corridors and in towns but can be missed in known dead zones; marine VHF remains standard on the lake.
• Affordability:
  • The lapse of the federal ACP subsidy in 2024 has had a visible impact in rural and tribal households; more users are shifting to lower‑cost/prepaid plans or leaning on public Wi‑Fi—effects that are more pronounced than in higher‑income urban counties.

Usage trends vs. statewide

• Slightly fewer smartphone users per capita, but heavier seasonal peaks in active devices and data.
• Greater reliance on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and offline/downloaded content for travel/outdoors.
• More households using satellite or new fiber at home and keeping smaller mobile data plans, versus urban Wisconsin where mobile‑only broadband is more common.
• Slower, patchier rollout of mid‑band 5G; performance gains concentrate in towns rather than being broadly distributed.

Notes on uncertainty

• Figures above are estimates derived from county population and rural/age-adjusted adoption rates. For planning, validate with the latest ACS demographics, carrier coverage maps and drive tests, PSC broadband grant records, and tribal/community surveys.

Here’s a concise, best-available snapshot of social media use in Bayfield County, WI. Because county-level platform data isn’t directly reported, figures are estimates derived from 2020 Census demographics plus recent Pew Research U.S. platform usage, adjusted for an older, rural profile.

Headline user stats

• Population: ~16,200; adults (18+): ~13,000–13,500
• Estimated social media users: ~8,500–10,000 adults (about 65–75% of adults)

Age mix among users (share of local social users)

• 18–29: ~15–20% (near-universal adoption within the cohort; smaller cohort size locally)
• 30–49: ~25–30%
• 50–64: ~25–30%
• 65+: ~20–25% (usage growing; still below younger cohorts)

Gender breakdown

• Overall user split: roughly even, ~50–52% women / ~48–50% men
• Platform skews: Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest trend female; YouTube/Reddit/X trend male

Most-used platforms (estimated share of all adults in Bayfield County)

• YouTube: ~70–80%
• Facebook: ~60–70%
• Instagram: ~25–35%
• TikTok: ~20–30%
• Snapchat: ~15–25%
• Pinterest: ~20–30% (heavier among women, home/crafts/travel)
• X (Twitter): ~10–20%
• LinkedIn: ~10–20% (professionals, seasonal hiring)
• Reddit: ~10–15%
• Nextdoor: ~5–10% (Facebook groups often substitute in rural areas)

Local behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: local news, buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found, road and weather updates, school/government notices, Red Cliff Band and NPS Apostle Islands updates, Ferry/ice-road chatter.
• Strong seasonality: sharp social spikes tied to Applefest (Oct), summer tourism (Apostle Islands, charter fishing, sailing), snowmobile/ski conditions (Mt. Ashwabay), and ice features when accessible.
• Business usage patterns: small businesses lean on Facebook Pages/Events, Messenger, and Instagram posts/Reels for hours, menus, and last-minute lodging; boosted posts aimed at drive markets (Duluth–Superior, Twin Cities, Madison).
• Content that performs: scenic short-form video (sunsets, shoreline, trails), timely service info (ferry times, closures), event reminders, “what’s open now,” and hyper-local stories. Authentic local voices and UGC outperform polished ads.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs are primary for inquiries; WhatsApp is limited; SMS remains common for confirmations.
• Timing: Engagement clusters in early morning and evening; summer weekends show elevated traveler-driven activity.
• Older-audience nuances: Clear, informational posts and Facebook Events outperform trend-heavy content; Marketplace is widely used.

Notes

• Figures are estimates, not a direct local survey. They reflect national usage adapted to an older, rural county profile.