Buffalo County

Here are key demographics for Buffalo County, Wisconsin.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates).

• Population: ~13,100 (ACS 2019–2023); 13,317 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~46 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 18 to 64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~21%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%
• Race/ethnicity (ACS, shares may not sum to 100 due to rounding):
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~94–95%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
  • Two or more races: ~2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–1%
  • Asian: ~0.3–0.6%
  • Black or African American: ~0.2–0.5%
• Households and housing:
  • Households: ~5,500
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~62% of households; married-couple ~50%
  • Nonfamily households: ~38%
  • Housing units: ~6,600
  • Owner-occupied rate: ~78–80%

• Context: Buffalo County, Wisconsin has 13.3K residents and very low density (19 people/sq mi). Largest places: Mondovi, Alma (county seat), Fountain City. Hilly bluff/valley terrain and dispersed farms complicate wireless coverage.

• Estimated email users: 9,000–10,000 residents use email regularly. Basis: adult share of population (~78–80%) and high email adoption among adults in the U.S., with slightly lower usage among rural seniors.

• Age profile of email use (approximate adoption rates):

  • Teens (13–17): 75–85%
  • 18–34: 90–96%
  • 35–64: 85–92%
  • 65+: 65–75% (lower where home broadband is lacking)

• Gender split: Roughly even (near 50/50). Any usage gap is small; women often show marginally higher communication app use, but differences are not material locally.

• Digital access and trends:

  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~78–82% (below Wisconsin average).
  • Smartphone-only internet: ~6–10% of households.
  • No home internet: ~12–15%.
  • Connectivity is strongest in/near towns and along major corridors (e.g., WI-35/Mississippi River). Interior bluff country sees patchier mobile and fixed wireless service.
  • Ongoing fiber/co-op builds and state/federal grants are gradually improving last-mile coverage, but terrain and low density keep costs high.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Buffalo County, Wisconsin (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

Baseline context

• Rural, sparsely populated county (~13K residents), older-than-average age profile, hilly river–bluff terrain, small towns (e.g., Alma, Mondovi) separated by long stretches of farmland and forest. Terrain and low tower density drive coverage variability.

User estimates

• Total mobile phone users: roughly 10,500–11,500 people.
  • Basis: adult population share plus teens, applying rural/older adoption rates (overall mobile-phone ownership in the mid‑90% range for adults; lower for the oldest cohorts).
• Smartphone users: about 8,500–9,500 users.
  • Rural and 65+ ownership lags suburban/urban Wisconsin; higher use of basic or older smartphones persists among 65+.
• Adults in wireless‑only (no landline) households: approximately 55–60% of adults, a few points below the statewide share (low 60s).
  • Older age mix depresses wireless‑only compared with Wisconsin overall.
• Households relying primarily on mobile broadband for home internet: estimated 12–18%, higher than statewide (roughly low teens), reflecting limited fixed broadband options outside town centers.

Demographic patterns affecting usage

• Age: Larger 65+ share than Wisconsin overall. This group shows:
  • Lower smartphone adoption and lower use of app‑centric services.
  • Greater persistence of landlines or VoIP, reducing the wireless‑only share relative to the state.
• Income: Median household income below state average.
  • Higher prevalence of prepaid/MVNO plans and longer device replacement cycles.
  • More hotspot sharing within households where fixed broadband is unavailable or costly.
• Occupation/commute: Agriculture, trades, and cross‑river travel along the Mississippi create pockets of day‑time concentration and frequent transitions between coverage zones; residents are more likely to choose carriers based on specific road/valley performance than price alone.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage mix
  • 4G LTE is the workhorse. Coverage is strong in towns and along state highways but breaks down in valleys, wooded hollows, and ridge shadows—more so than in most Wisconsin counties.
  • 5G is present mainly as low‑band “coverage 5G” along major corridors and in towns; mid‑band 5G capacity is limited and spotty; mmWave is effectively absent.
• Carrier landscape
  • UScellular retains an outsized role compared with statewide share, thanks to low‑band spectrum and rural footprint.
  • Verizon and AT&T cover primary corridors reliably; T‑Mobile’s low‑band 600 MHz has improved reach, but in‑building and valley coverage can still trail the others outside towns.
  • Residents and small businesses are more likely to multi‑home (e.g., keep a secondary SIM, hotspot, or alternate carrier phone) than the state average.
• Backhaul and capacity
  • More towers rely on microwave backhaul; fiber to towers is less ubiquitous than in metro counties, constraining 5G capacity and peak speeds.
  • Peak‑time slowdowns and uplink weakness are more common than Wisconsin averages.
• Tower siting and terrain
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile; topographic shielding by bluffs causes dead zones even near highways.
  • Signal “spill” from towers across the Mississippi in Minnesota serves some river towns, creating cross‑state dependency for coverage.
• Public safety and reliability
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage focuses on highways and town centers; volunteer fire/EMS areas still report dead spots where radios and paging remain primary.
  • Residents rely heavily on Wi‑Fi calling in metal‑roof buildings and valleys; external antennas/boosters are used more than average.

How Buffalo County differs from Wisconsin overall

• Lower 5G availability and capacity; LTE remains dominant longer than statewide.
• More variable coverage because of terrain and tower spacing; higher reliance on Wi‑Fi calling, vehicle boosters, and external antennas.
• Higher share of UScellular users and multi‑carrier strategies; statewide, Verizon/T‑Mobile are more dominant.
• Lower wireless‑only share among adults due to an older age structure, but paradoxically higher household reliance on mobile broadband where fixed service is weak.
• Slower device upgrade cycles and higher prepaid/MVNO use linked to income and coverage considerations.
• Median mobile speeds are lower and less consistent than state medians, especially uplink and at peak times.

Notes on method and sources

• Estimates draw from recent Census/ACS population structure, Pew Research smartphone adoption by age/rurality, CDC NHIS wireless‑only trends, FCC mobile coverage filings, Wisconsin PSC broadband reporting, and carrier rural deployment patterns through 2024. County‑specific figures are modeled from those sources plus local geography; exact adoption varies by town and valley. For planning, validate with recent drive tests, carrier coverage tools, and PSC/FCC maps updated for your specific addresses and road segments.

Buffalo County, WI social media snapshot (2025, modeled)

Baseline and user stats

• Population: ~13.2k residents; adults 18+: ~10.4k.
• Estimated monthly social-media users (all ages): ~8.5k–9.5k.
• Adult social-media penetration: ~75–80% of adults; teen penetration (13–17): ~85–90%.

Most‑used platforms locally (estimated share of adults using monthly)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~65%
• Instagram: ~42%
• Pinterest: ~34%
• TikTok: ~29%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• LinkedIn: ~25%
• X/Twitter: ~24%
• WhatsApp: ~23%
• Reddit: ~19%
• Nextdoor: ~13%

Age patterns

• Teens (13–17): Very heavy on YouTube; Snapchat and TikTok each ~60%; Instagram ~55%; Facebook ~30%.
• 18–29: YouTube 90%+; Instagram and Snapchat 60–75%; TikTok ~60%; Facebook ~65%.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram ~50%; TikTok and Snapchat ~35–40%.
• 50–64: Facebook ~70% and YouTube ~80% are primary; others limited.
• 65+: Facebook ~55–60% and YouTube ~60%; minimal use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown

• Social-media users overall: roughly 52% women, 48% men.
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram skew female; Facebook slight female tilt; YouTube slight male tilt; Reddit and X skew male.

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages for school updates, high‑school sports, road closures, severe weather, local government, volunteer drives, and community events.
• Marketplace culture: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups are highly active for farm/outdoor gear, autos, and household items.
• Video habits: Short, captioned clips perform best; YouTube used for DIY, small‑engine repair, ag practices, hunting/fishing, and church streams.
• Youth behavior: Snapchat is the default for messaging; TikTok for entertainment/news snippets; Instagram for peers and sports.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–8am), lunch (11:30–1), and evenings (7–10pm); winter weather events drive spikes.
• Rural connectivity: Patchy broadband means mobile‑friendly, short videos and image posts get more completion than long HD streams.
• Cross‑border following: Many users track pages in nearby Eau Claire, Winona/Wabasha, Pepin/Trempealeau; regional content travels well.
• Trust and tone: Local faces, school/team ties, and practical information outperform polished corporate content; deal/coupon posts get quick engagement.

Notes on methodology

• County‑level platform stats aren’t directly published; figures are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age/gender with a modest rural adjustment, applied to Buffalo County’s population structure (ACS). Treat numbers as directional estimates, not exact counts.