Door County

Door County, Wisconsin – Key demographics

Population size

• 30,300 (2023 estimate); 30,066 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~53 years
• Under 18: ~17–18%
• 65 and over: ~32–33%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race/ethnicity

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~93–95%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• Black or African American: ~0.3–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%

Households

• Total households: ~13.5k
• Average household size: ~2.1 persons

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates/QuickFacts).

Door County, WI snapshot (estimates)

• Population: ~30,000; land area ~482 sq mi; density ~62 people/sq mi. Highly rural with population clustered around Sturgeon Bay and along Hwy 42/57.
• Email users: ~21,000–23,000 residents use email regularly (driven by high adult adoption but moderated by older age mix).
• Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users):
  • 18–34: ~22%
  • 35–54: ~30%
  • 55–64: ~17%
  • 65+: ~32%
• Gender split: Roughly even; slight female majority (~51%) due to the county’s older population.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription is likely in the mid‑70s to low‑80s percent of households, with gaps in remote townships and on/near islands.
  • Fastest, most reliable service clusters in Sturgeon Bay and along main corridors; more variable service in wooded/northern peninsula areas.
  • Ongoing fiber builds and expanded fixed‑wireless/5G are improving speeds and availability; some households remain mobile‑only.
• Local context affecting usage:
  • Seasonal influx of visitors and second‑home owners boosts temporary network demand.
  • Older median age means slightly lower email adoption among seniors, but email remains a primary digital channel for health, government, and community services.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Door County, Wisconsin (what’s distinctive vs. statewide)

Topline user estimates

• Year‑round population: about 30–31k residents.
• Estimated resident mobile users (any cellphone): ~26k–28k. Method: adult share ~83% of population; cellphone ownership among adults ~95–97%, plus teens with very high smartphone ownership.
• Estimated resident smartphone users: ~23k–25k. Lower than Wisconsin’s urban counties because of Door County’s older age profile.
• Seasonal surge: On peak summer weekends, active devices on local networks can easily double the resident base (roughly 60k–100k devices), driven by tourism, seasonal workers, second‑home owners, and multi‑device use (phones + hotspots).

Demographic breakdown (and how Door County differs from Wisconsin overall)

• Older population mix:
  • Door County: roughly 30–33% age 65+ (vs Wisconsin ~18–20%).
  • Result: higher share of basic/feature‑phone users and lower smartphone penetration among seniors.
  • Estimated smartphone ownership by age in the county:
    • 18–34: ~95%+
    • 35–64: ~90–93%
    • 65+: ~75–80% (several points lower than state average for this cohort)
• Household types and second homes:
  • Large share of retirees and second‑home owners leads to more dual‑carrier households (keeping two SIMs/plans to manage dead zones) and frequent use of in‑home signal boosters—patterns less common statewide.
• Work and travel patterns:
  • Tourism‑heavy employment and seasonal residents raise mobile hotspot and tethering use (esp. where fixed broadband is weak), and create pronounced weekday/weekend and in‑season/off‑season traffic swings. Statewide traffic is more even.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (local specifics vs statewide)

• Carriers present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), T‑Mobile, UScellular, and regional provider Cellcom/Nsight—regional carriers have a larger footprint and loyalty here than in metro Wisconsin.
• 4G LTE: Broad coverage along Hwy 42/57 corridors and population centers (Sturgeon Bay, Sister Bay, Fish Creek, Ephraim), but notable weak/patchy areas:
  • Northern peninsula (Ellison Bay northward), interior forests, shoreline bluffs, Peninsula State Park pockets.
  • Washington Island: coverage exists but with interior dead zones and ferry‑route gaps; maritime coverage on Green Bay/Lake Michigan is variable.
• 5G:
  • Low‑band 5G now common near Sturgeon Bay and along main corridors; mid‑band 5G is spotty and concentrated in towns; mmWave is not typical.
  • Compared with Wisconsin’s urban counties (Milwaukee, Dane, Brown), Door County has a smaller mid‑band 5G footprint and more frequent capacity constraints during summer peaks.
• Capacity and backhaul:
  • Fewer macro sites serve large, wooded areas; some towers rely on microwave backhaul. Congestion is noticeable on summer afternoons/evenings in village centers and parks—this seasonal stress is more acute than statewide norms.
• Fixed access interplay:
  • Cable/fiber are available in towns (e.g., Sturgeon Bay), but many rural homes still rely on DSL, WISPs, or mobile hotspots; Starlink adoption is visibly higher than the state average in fringe areas. This drives higher mobile data reliance for home connectivity than in urban Wisconsin.
• Public and community connectivity:
  • Libraries, marinas, and downtowns offer Wi‑Fi offload that materially affects mobile network load during tourist season—again, a stronger seasonal dynamic than seen statewide.

What’s most different from the Wisconsin state picture

• Lower overall smartphone penetration and higher feature‑phone retention due to a much older resident base.
• Far larger seasonal swings in device counts and traffic, producing recurring congestion in summer tourist hubs.
• Greater importance of regional carriers (UScellular, Cellcom) and dual‑carrier strategies.
• More coverage gaps (terrain/trees/coastline) and smaller mid‑band 5G footprint; average speeds lag urban counties.
• Higher reliance on mobile hotspots, fixed wireless, and satellite in rural zones; more widespread use of signal boosters.
• Planning and investment focus leans toward filling rural gaps, hardening backhaul, and adding seasonal capacity—priorities that differ from the densification and mid‑band 5G buildouts typical in Wisconsin’s metros.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Counts are estimates based on recent population figures, national/rural adoption rates (Pew and similar), and Door County’s age mix and seasonality. Exact user/device counts are not published locally; on‑the‑ground measurements (carrier drive tests, crowdsourced apps, and FCC BDC challenges) would refine these figures for planning.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot of social media use in Door County, WI. Figures are estimates modeled from Pew Research (2023–2024) U.S. usage rates, Wisconsin/rural patterns, and Door County’s older-skewing demography; they are not a direct local survey.

Population and overall usage

• Residents: ~30,000; adults ~24,000–25,000.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~16,500–18,000 (about 65–75% of adults).
• Smartphone access among adults: roughly 80–85%.
• Seasonal effect: May–October tourism substantially boosts non-resident audiences (especially from Milwaukee/Chicago), increasing Instagram/TikTok reach and Facebook Event activity.

Age mix of social media users (share of local user base, est.)

• 13–17: 6–8%
• 18–34: 18–22%
• 35–54: 30–35% (largest cohort)
• 55–64: 17–20%
• 65+: 20–24% Note: Door County’s older population means more 55+ users than typical, but with lower per-person platform diversity.

Gender breakdown (share of local user base, est.)

• Female: 52–55%
• Male: 45–48%
• Nonbinary/other: small but present; platform data are limited. Typical skews: Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest lean more female; Reddit/X lean more male.

Most-used platforms among adults in Door County (share of adults who use, est.)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 70–75% (highest daily use among locals)
• Instagram: 35–42%
• Pinterest: 32–38%
• TikTok: 18–25%
• Snapchat: 15–20%
• WhatsApp: 18–24%
• LinkedIn: 18–24%
• X (Twitter): 15–18%
• Reddit: 12–16%
• Nextdoor: 8–12% Notes:
• Facebook and YouTube dominate due to the county’s older median age.
• Instagram/TikTok rise noticeably in-season with visitors and younger seasonal workers.
• Nextdoor presence is modest compared with suburban metros.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community and events run through Facebook: Local groups, buy/sell/trade, school/sports updates, public services, and Facebook Events (festivals, markets, live music).
• Visual discovery for travel on Instagram and TikTok: Scenic spots, lighthouses, state parks, cherries/orchards, wineries, supper clubs, fish boils, fall colors. Reels/shorts outperform static posts; geotags and location hashtags drive discovery.
• Reviews/messaging are conversion levers: Facebook Reviews and Messenger are common first-contact points for small businesses; Instagram DMs for reservations/questions; Google Maps reviews often linked from social posts.
• Seasonal cadence:
  • Spring (Mar–May): job postings, housing swaps, pre-season promos.
  • Peak (Jun–Aug): daily posting cadence rises; short-form video about food/activities performs best; evening and weekend engagement peaks.
  • Fall (Sep–Oct): foliage content surges; event RSVPs via Facebook.
  • Off-season (Nov–Feb): locals-focused updates, gift cards, indoor activities; longer-form YouTube and informational posts do better.
• Content that performs: Sunsets/waterfronts, behind-the-scenes at restaurants/bakeries, orchard updates, trail/fishing reports, “what’s open now,” live music calendars, giveaways tied to local experiences.
• Timing patterns: Evenings (7–9 pm) and weekends dominate; weather-driven spikes on rainy days (planning indoor activities).
• Younger users: Snapchat and TikTok for friends and quick recommendations; Instagram for trip highlights; Facebook usage among teens is limited but they interact via parents’ shares and community pages.