Douglas County

Douglas County, Wisconsin — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

• Population: ~44,100
• Age:
  • Median age: ~41 years
  • Under 18: ~19–20%
  • 65 and over: ~18–19%
• Sex:
  • Female: ~50%
  • Male: ~50%
• Race/ethnicity (percent of total population):
  • White alone: ~90%
  • Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~3–4%
  • Asian alone: ~0.5–1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0–0.2%
  • Some other race alone: ~0.5–1%
  • Two or more races: ~4–5%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
  • Non-Hispanic White: ~87–88%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~19,000–19,500
  • Average household size: ~2.2–2.3 persons
  • Family households: ~56–58% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~36–38%
  • Households with children under 18: ~26–28%

Douglas County, WI snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated email users: 30,000–35,000 adults. Basis: county pop ~44k, adult share ~79%, and ~90%+ of U.S. adults use email (Pew).
• Age distribution among adults:
  • 18–29: ~95–99% use email
  • 30–49: ~95–99%
  • 50–64: ~90–95%
  • 65+: ~70–85% and rising each year
• Gender split: Roughly even (male ≈ female), with only minor differences observed nationally.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household internet/broadband subscription likely in the 80–90% range; 10–15% are smartphone‑only users.
  • Urban core (City of Superior) has the most reliable cable/fiber; rural townships rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, with satellite and 5G FWA filling gaps.
  • Public libraries, schools, and UW–Superior provide free Wi‑Fi and device access that supports email adoption.
  • Ongoing state/federal broadband grants are expanding fiber into underserved areas; affordability programs drive uptake among lower‑income and senior households.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population 44k across a large land area yields low density (30–35 people/sq mi). Superior holds a majority of residents and enjoys higher provider competition; coverage becomes spottier in forested northern and eastern stretches and outside US‑2/US‑53 corridors.

Notes: Figures are county‑level extrapolations from Wisconsin/U.S. benchmarks.

Douglas County, WI mobile phone usage — 2025 snapshot

Quick estimates (orders of magnitude, not exact counts)

• Residents: ~44–45k; households: ~19k; about 60% live in/near the City of Superior.
• Adult smartphone users: ~31k–34k (roughly 82–88% of adults).
• Total smartphone users including teens: ~34k–37k.
• Mobile-only internet households (use cellular data but no fixed home broadband): roughly 18–24% in the county vs about 12–16% statewide.

Demographic patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership (>95%), heavy app/social/video use; boosted by UW–Superior and technical college students concentrated in Superior.
  • 35–64: High ownership (roughly 90%+); common use of hotspotting for backup internet during outages.
  • 65+: Noticeably lower smartphone adoption and more basic/feature-phone use than the state average; larger senior share in the county magnifies this gap.
• Income
  • Lower-income households show higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only internet than the state as a whole. The lapse of ACP subsidies in 2024 appears to have shifted some homes from fixed broadband to mobile-only service.
• Geography
  • Urban (Superior, corridors along US-2/US-53): Stronger 5G availability and higher median speeds.
  • Rural townships (e.g., south/east of Superior, forested areas): More LTE-only coverage, larger dead zones indoors, and bigger performance swings by season and time of day.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and performance
  • Mid-band 5G from major carriers is broadly available in Superior and along primary highways; outside those areas, service frequently drops to low-band 5G/LTE with much slower speeds.
  • Typical speeds: mid-band 5G in Superior often supports 150–300+ Mbps down; rural LTE commonly ranges 5–25 Mbps with variable latency. Indoor coverage can be challenging in older buildings and heavily wooded areas.
• Towers and spectrum
  • Sites cluster along US-2/US-53 and around the port/industrial zones; rural spacing is wider, so low-band spectrum (700/850 MHz) does much of the coverage work away from Superior.
  • Verizon and T-Mobile fixed wireless home internet options are marketed in/near Superior; eligibility drops off quickly in rural census blocks due to weaker signal quality.
• Public safety and anchors
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is prioritized along highways and in the city; rural in‑building coverage gaps persist for some fire/EMS stations.
  • Libraries, schools, and campus facilities in Superior act as key “bandwidth refuges” with Wi‑Fi that supplements spotty mobile service for students and low‑income residents.
• Cross‑border dynamics
  • As part of the Twin Ports, Douglas County users frequently connect to/benefit from Duluth-side network densification; traffic loads and optimizations don’t always match patterns seen elsewhere in Wisconsin.

How Douglas County differs from Wisconsin overall

• More mobile-only households: Reliance on cellular as a primary home connection is several points higher than the state average, reflecting rural last‑mile challenges and post‑ACP affordability pressures.
• Larger rural performance gap: The step‑down from city to countryside is sharper than for many Wisconsin counties; a smaller share of residents has access to mid‑band 5G where they live.
• Older population tilt: Lower senior smartphone adoption weighs more heavily on the county’s overall rate than in the state aggregate.
• Greater seasonal swing: Tourism and cabin/weekend traffic create pronounced summer and weekend slowdowns on rural sectors, a pattern stronger than typical statewide averages.
• Cross‑state network effects: Proximity to Duluth means roaming/hand‑off behavior and capacity planning can diverge from Wisconsin‑centric trends.

Notes on methodology and uncertainty

• Counts are derived by applying recent Pew smartphone adoption rates to ACS population/age structure for Douglas County, then adjusting for rural context; figures are presented as ranges to reflect uncertainty.
• Infrastructure and performance points synthesize FCC mobile coverage maps, public carrier announcements, third‑party speedtest aggregators, and known Northwoods deployment patterns as of 2024–2025.
• For planning, validate with latest ACS table S2801 (Devices/Internet), FCC Broadband Data Collection maps, and carrier coverage/tool updates specific to your addresses of interest.

Douglas County, WI social media snapshot (short)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~44,000 (approx. 2023–24)
• Adults (18+): ~34,000
• Adults who use social media: ~26,000–29,000 (≈75–85% of adults)

Most‑used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults using)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~68–72%
• Instagram: ~40–45%
• Pinterest: ~30–35% (skews female)
• TikTok: ~28–33% (skews <35)
• Snapchat: ~25–30% (heavy 13–29)
• LinkedIn: ~20–25% (skews 25–44, college/white‑collar)
• X (Twitter): ~15–20% Notes: Shares reflect Pew U.S. adoption rates (2024) adjusted to Douglas County’s older‑than‑average age mix; actual local usage varies by town and neighborhood.

Age profile of adult social media users (share of users)

• 18–29: ~20–22% of users; near‑universal use; TikTok/Snap/IG heavy; Reels/Shorts consumption very high
• 30–49: ~33–36% of users; Facebook + Instagram + YouTube core; strong Marketplace and Stories/Reels usage
• 50–64: ~28–31% of users; Facebook and YouTube dominant; Pinterest for projects/recipes; growing comfort with Reels
• 65+: ~12–15% of users; primarily Facebook and YouTube; lower on TikTok/IG but rising via shared family content

Gender breakdown (overall users)

• Approx. 52% female, 48% male
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram more female; Reddit/X more male; Facebook close to even but slightly female‑leaning

Behavioral trends to know

• Community first: Facebook Groups drive local information—school updates, high‑school/UW‑Superior sports, city/county notices, snow/road and severe weather alerts, lost‑and‑found pets.
• Marketplace matters: High engagement for vehicles, outdoor gear, home/apt rentals; strong weekend and evening browsing.
• Cross‑border “Twin Ports” effect: Many follow Duluth MN outlets and events; regional pages often outperform hyper‑local pages for reach.
• Video is winning: Short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts; best topics—local food/drink, events/festivals, harbor shipping, fishing/ice conditions, snowmobile/trail updates.
• Local news substitution: Heavy reliance on Facebook pages of TV stations and regional papers; rumors can spread fast—authoritative posts perform well.
• Seasonality: Summer spikes in event discovery and outdoor content; winter spikes in closures, indoor activities, and storm coverage.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat for teens/college; WhatsApp pockets among certain workplaces/families.
• Timing: Peaks around lunch and 7–9 pm; weather events/closings drive surges; weekend mornings strong for Marketplace and events.

Method notes

• Estimates combine: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2024), U.S. Census/ACS population for Douglas County, and ad‑platform audience benchmarks. Local percentages are modeled, not from a county‑specific survey.