Brown County

Key demographics — Brown County, Wisconsin (most recent ACS estimates; rounded)

• Population: ~271,000
• Age:
  • Median age: ~37.5 years
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 18–64: ~61%
  • 65 and over: ~16%
• Sex:
  • Female: ~50%
  • Male: ~50%
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Non-Hispanic White: ~79–80%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10–11%
  • Black or African American: ~3%
  • Asian: ~4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: ~3%
  • Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~108,000
  • Average household size: ~2.45
  • Family households: ~63% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~47% of households

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (1-year).

Brown County, WI email usage snapshot

• Estimated users: 200–210k residents. Method: apply national email adoption (≈90% of adults; ≈80% of teens) to local population (271k; ~78% adults).
• Age mix of users (est. share of users):
  • 18–49: ~55–60%; near‑universal use.
  • 50–64: ~20%; high use.
  • 65+: ~15%; slightly lower than younger adults.
  • 13–17: ~7%; most have email.
• Gender split: roughly even (county population ≈50/50; Pew shows minimal gender differences in email use).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~88–90% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS). Higher in the Green Bay urban area; lower in rural townships.
  • Mobile broadband is widespread; fixed‑wireless commonly fills rural gaps. Public libraries and schools provide free Wi‑Fi/device access.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population ~271k; density ≈500 people per square mile.
  • Most residents live in/near Green Bay, where multiple wired options and expanding fiber are typical; rural edges have fewer choices and lower speeds, nudging more mobile‑first access.

Notes: Estimates combine U.S. Census/ACS county demographics with Pew Research Center’s national email/internet adoption rates applied to the local age profile.

Below is a concise, decision-oriented snapshot of mobile phone usage in Brown County, Wisconsin, with emphasis on how local patterns differ from statewide trends. Figures are best-available estimates synthesized from recent national adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew), state/county demographics (ACS), carrier public coverage information, and industry norms as of 2024–2025.

Topline user estimates (Brown County)

• Population baseline: ~272,000 residents; ~78% adults ⇒ ~212,000 adults.
• Adult smartphone owners: ~92% ±2 pp (urban/suburban skew, student presence) ⇒ ~195,000 ±10,000 users. This is marginally higher than Wisconsin’s statewide average.
• Active handset lines: ~210,000–230,000 (excludes IoT/wearables). Including wearables/IoT, total cellular lines likely exceed 300,000.
• Wireless-only voice (no landline): ~70–75% of households (in line with, or slightly above, WI).
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on cellular data/hotspots): estimated ~18–22%, likely a few points above statewide average due to younger renters, student population, and higher Hispanic share.

Demographic usage patterns that differ from Wisconsin overall

• Younger, urban/suburban tilt: With UW–Green Bay, a sizable service workforce, and fewer very-rural tracts than much of the state, Brown County skews slightly younger. Result: near-universal smartphone adoption under 50, heavier video/social use, and greater mobile payments/app usage than state averages.
• Hispanic and Native communities: Brown County’s Hispanic share is above the Wisconsin average, and parts of the Oneida Nation fall within the county. Hispanic households nationally show higher rates of mobile-only internet; that tendency likely lifts Brown County’s mobile-only share versus the state. Native households may face localized coverage and affordability constraints; targeted subsidy and coverage improvements matter more here than for WI overall.
• Seniors catching up: 65+ smartphone adoption is growing (roughly 75–85%), aided by simplified plans and larger-screen devices; indoor coverage quality in multi-dwelling and assisted-living facilities is a meaningful determinant of usage—more so in metro Green Bay than rural Wisconsin communities.
• Plan mix: A somewhat higher share of prepaid and cable-MVNO lines (e.g., Spectrum Mobile) than some Wisconsin regions, driven by Spectrum’s strong cable footprint, renters/students, and price sensitivity. Conversely, the presence and brand loyalty to regional carriers (Cellcom, UScellular) is stronger here than in southern WI metros.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carrier landscape: All three national MNOs (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) plus UScellular and regional carrier Cellcom operate robustly in Brown County; Cellcom’s footprint and brand presence are notably stronger here than statewide, due to local roots.
• 5G availability:
  • Metro Green Bay/De Pere/Allouez: Broad mid-band 5G from T-Mobile and Verizon; AT&T mid-band is present but more targeted. UScellular and Cellcom provide 5G (low-band with growing mid-band in select sectors). Net result: faster median 5G speeds and earlier mid-band availability than many Wisconsin rural counties.
  • Rural edges (northwest townships, shorelines, low-lying/forested pockets): Coverage can dip to low-band LTE/5G; indoor signal may be inconsistent in metal buildings and farm structures.
• Event-driven capacity: Lambeau Field has a multi-carrier DAS and added small cells around the stadium and entertainment district. Game-day surges and large events have directly driven sector splits, small-cell densification, and backhaul upgrades—this event-driven investment is more pronounced here than in most WI counties.
• Transport/backhaul: I-41/US-41, WIS-29, US-141, and WIS-172 corridors anchor macro sites and fiber routes. Nsight (Cellcom’s affiliate) and Spectrum provide significant local fiber; this local backhaul depth supports quicker 5G upgrades and enterprise connectivity than many WI counties.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G Home/Internet from Verizon and T-Mobile covers much of the metro; adoption appears higher than statewide in similarly sized counties due to early availability and competitive pricing versus cable. This contributes to the elevated mobile-only or mobile-primary internet usage noted above.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage is solid across the urban core with mutual-aid spillover; tribal and rural edges still rely on LMR augmentation and indoor coverage solutions for reliability.

How Brown County’s trends diverge from the state-level picture

• Slightly higher smartphone penetration and daily data intensity due to urbanization and student/renter mix.
• Higher reliance on regional carriers (Cellcom, UScellular) and cable-MVNOs (Spectrum Mobile) than many parts of Wisconsin; carrier market share is more diversified.
• Earlier and denser mid-band 5G deployment in the Green Bay metro than typical outside the Madison/Milwaukee corridors; better median 5G speeds than much of rural WI.
• More pronounced event-driven capacity investments (Lambeau Field), producing atypically strong small-cell/DAS density for a county of this size.
• Mobile-only internet share likely a few points above the statewide rate, shaped by affordability, renters, and Hispanic households; the sunset of federal ACP benefits in 2024–2025 may further nudge low-income users toward mobile-centric connectivity.
• Coverage gaps are fewer and smaller than in truly rural WI counties, but targeted indoor solutions (schools, warehouses, senior living, tribal facilities) matter more than wide-area macro fill-in.

Planning implications

• Prioritize indoor coverage solutions and mid-band densification over pure macro expansion in the urban core; target rural fringe sectors with mid-band overlays where backhaul exists.
• Support multilingual outreach and device/plan assistance in Hispanic and tribal communities; watch post-ACP affordability shifts.
• Leverage strong local fiber (Nsight/Spectrum) and existing DAS to add C-band/3.45 GHz capacity; coordinate with venue/event calendars.
• Expect FWA to keep chipping at cable in select neighborhoods; competition will further push mobile usage and home offload patterns above state averages.

Notes on methodology and confidence

• Estimates combine ACS population/household counts, national smartphone ownership benchmarks (~90–92%), wireless-only and mobile-only norms, and publicly available carrier coverage trends as of 2024–2025. Where county-specific measurements are scarce, ranges reflect plausible local deviation from state averages based on demographics and infrastructure.

Social media usage in Brown County, WI (estimates, 2025)

Snapshot

• Population: ~272,000. People 13+: ~235,000.
• Monthly active social media users (13+): ~170,000–190,000 (≈65–70% of total population; ≈75–80% of 13+).
• Daily users: roughly 55–60% of adults.

Age

• Usage rate by age (share using at least one platform):
  • 13–17: ~95%
  • 18–29: 90%+
  • 30–49: ~80–85%
  • 50–64: ~70–75%
  • 65+: ~45–55%
• Approximate share of local social audience:
  • 13–17: 8–10%
  • 18–24: 14–16%
  • 25–34: 20–22%
  • 35–44: 17–19%
  • 45–54: 14–16%
  • 55–64: 12–14%
  • 65+: 10–12%

Gender

• Overall active users: ~53% female, ~47% male (nonbinary users underreported in available data).
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest (Pinterest heavily female)
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), LinkedIn

Most‑used platforms (monthly reach among local social users; approximate)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 30–35% (especially 13–29)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (strong among women 25–54)
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (professionals, higher education)
• WhatsApp: 20–25%
• X (Twitter): 18–22%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% of adults (higher in homeowner neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends

• Local-first content wins: Packers/NFL, high school sports, community events (Green Bay/Titletown, De Pere, Ashwaubenon), local news/weather.
• Facebook Groups and Marketplace are highly active for buy/sell/trade, neighborhood updates, and school/parent groups.
• Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) drives the most engagement; live video for events performs well.
• Messaging is central: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are default channels for coordination and sharing.
• Peak activity times: weekday 6–8 a.m. and 7–9 p.m. CT; Sunday afternoons see spikes during football season; weather events boost news engagement.
• Seasonal shifts: back-to-school and fall sports surge; winter storms drive local updates; spring/summer events and festivals push weekend engagement.

Notes and method

• Figures are directional estimates derived from Pew Research U.S. usage patterns (2023–2024), Wisconsin demographics, and typical platform reach in midwestern suburban/urban counties comparable to Brown County (Green Bay area). Local platform ad tools generally align with these ranges. Use for planning, not as audited counts.