Dunn County

Here are key demographics for Dunn County, Wisconsin (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates; figures rounded):

• Population: ~47,000
• Age:
  • Median age: ~35
  • Under 18: ~19%
  • 18–24: ~17%
  • 25–44: ~25%
  • 45–64: ~23%
  • 65+: ~16%
• Gender: ~50% male, ~50% female
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Non-Hispanic White: ~88.7%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3.0%
  • Asian: ~4.1%
  • Black/African American: ~1.2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~2.6%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~18,500
  • Average household size: ~2.46
  • Family households: ~60% (married-couple families ~45%)
  • Households with children under 18: ~26%
  • Nonfamily households: ~40% (one-person households ~28%)
  • Housing tenure: ~69% owner-occupied, ~31% renter-occupied

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S1101, DP02, DP04). Figures may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Dunn County, WI snapshot (population ≈46,000; ~54 people/sq mi; hub: Menomonie/UW–Stout)

Estimated email users

• 30,000–35,000 residents use email regularly. Method: adults (~36k) × local internet adoption (≈80–88%) × email usage among internet users (≈90%+).

Age distribution of email users (approx.)

• 18–24: 18–22% (college-heavy; very high adoption)
• 25–44: 30–34%
• 45–64: 28–32%
• 65+: 16–20% (growing but still lower than younger cohorts)

Gender split

• Roughly even, ~49–51% male/female among users; differences are minimal and mirror the general population.

Digital access trends and connectivity

• Household broadband subscription is in the mid‑80% range (ACS-style estimates), higher in Menomonie, lower in rural townships.
• Cable and growing fiber in/near Menomonie and along the I‑94/US‑12 corridor; rural areas increasingly served by fiber from regional co‑ops and by 5G fixed wireless (T‑Mobile/Verizon) filling gaps.
• Smartphone‑only internet households likely ~10–15%, supporting mobile email usage.
• Student presence boosts email intensity and weekday daytime usage.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population is dispersed; lower-density western/northern townships face longer last‑mile builds, while the Menomonie urban area concentrates addresses and higher speeds.

Mobile phone usage in Dunn County, Wisconsin — summary focused on what differs from the state

Quick take

• High mobile adoption overall, with a notable “smartphone‑only” segment driven by UW–Stout students and rural gaps in wireline broadband.
• Coverage and speeds are strong along I‑94 and in Menomonie; outer townships skew to LTE or low‑band 5G with more indoor/valley dead spots than the statewide average.
• Carrier mix leans more toward prepaid/MVNO and 5G fixed‑wireless home internet in and around Menomonie than in many Wisconsin counties of similar size.

User estimates (ballpark)

• Population base: ~46,500 residents.
• Adult smartphone users: 31,000–34,000 (assumes ~85–90% adult smartphone adoption; rural adults slightly lower, college‑age adults higher).
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): ~2,500–3,000.
• Total unique smartphone users: roughly 35,000–39,000.
• Active mobile lines (phones, tablets, hotspots, wearables): commonly exceeds population; a reasonable working range is 45,000–60,000 lines given student devices and hotspot use. Notes on method: combines Census/ACS population, Pew smartphone adoption benchmarks, and rural/college‑town adjustments; intended as planning ranges, not precise counts.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age mix and college effect: UW–Stout concentrates 18–24 year‑olds in Menomonie, pushing smartphone adoption and per‑user data consumption above the state average for that age band. iOS share and use of campus apps, video, and social platforms track higher than statewide norms.
• Seniors: The 65+ share outside Menomonie is sizeable and more rural; smartphone adoption among seniors trails the state average slightly, with more basic and LTE‑only devices in outlying townships.
• Income and housing: More renters and students in Menomonie and more lower‑density, lower‑income households in rural areas together produce:
  • A higher share of prepaid/MVNO plans than the statewide average.
  • A higher share of “smartphone‑only” or “mobile‑plus‑hotspot” households. A practical planning range is 15–20% in Dunn County versus roughly low‑to‑mid teens statewide.
• Work patterns: Agriculture, manufacturing, and logistics are a larger slice of employment than in metro counties, reinforcing reliance on mobile voice/text in the field and along highways.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Where service is strongest:
  • Menomonie and the I‑94 corridor: multi‑carrier 5G with mid‑band in core areas; dense LTE, generally good indoor coverage in newer buildings, and the best speeds in the county.
  • Campus and downtown zones likely benefit from added capacity (sectors, small cells/DAS where present) to handle student peaks.
• Rural coverage realities:
  • Outside the I‑94 spine and Menomonie, many areas rely on LTE or low‑band 5G. Terrain (river valleys, forested areas) and longer inter‑site distances create more indoor coverage holes than the statewide average.
  • Co‑location on a limited number of macro sites is common; new greenfield towers are infrequent and sited along main corridors first.
• 5G fixed‑wireless home internet:
  • Available in and near Menomonie from national carriers; less consistently offered in outer townships due to signal and capacity constraints. This creates a town/rural split in mobile‑as‑home‑internet adoption.
• Carrier mix:
  • All three national carriers cover the county; T‑Mobile’s low‑band spectrum helps fill rural gaps; Verizon and AT&T provide mid‑band/C‑band capacity along I‑94 and in Menomonie. Budget/MVNO brands see strong uptake among students and cost‑sensitive households.
• Public Wi‑Fi and offload:
  • More offload capacity in Menomonie (campus, libraries, businesses), but far fewer options in rural areas, so rural users lean more on cellular data than comparable users in Wisconsin metros.

How Dunn County differs from statewide trends

• Higher “smartphone‑only” and hotspot‑dependent households due to the college population and pockets of limited wireline broadband.
• More pronounced corridor effect: performance drops more quickly once you leave I‑94 and Menomonie than in many Wisconsin counties, with rural indoor coverage gaps more common.
• Plan and device mix skews more prepaid/MVNO and budget devices than statewide, paired with an above‑average share of high‑end student devices in Menomonie.
• Seasonal/academic usage swings are sharper than the state norm, with peak loads during the academic year and major campus events.
• 5G fixed‑wireless is a meaningful home‑internet substitute in and around Menomonie, but its footprint falls off faster in rural townships than the statewide marketing suggests.

Below is a concise, evidence‑based snapshot for Dunn County, Wisconsin. Figures are best‑estimate ranges derived from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media benchmarks, Pew’s teen survey, and Dunn County’s age mix (notably the UW–Stout student population in Menomonie), adjusted for a rural Midwestern context.

Headline user stats

• Population: ~46,000. Residents 13+ ≈ 38,000–40,000.
• Social media users (13+): ~33,000–36,000 use at least one platform monthly.

Most‑used platforms (estimated share of Dunn County residents 13+ who use each at least monthly)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 60–70% (dominant for 35+, local news, groups, Marketplace)
• Instagram: 45–55% (strong 18–34, businesses, events)
• Snapchat: 35–45% (very high among high‑school and UW–Stout students)
• TikTok: 35–45% (strong 13–24; short‑form local content)
• Pinterest: 30–40% (skews female 25–54; crafts, recipes, home)
• LinkedIn: 10–20% (hiring, internships; lower overall in rural mix)
• X (Twitter): 18–25% (news, sports)
• Reddit: 18–25% (skews male under 35; hobbies, tech, outdoors)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% (lower than national average)
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (mostly in Menomonie; limited rural coverage)

Age group patterns

• Teens (13–17): Near‑universal YouTube; heavy Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram; light Facebook.
• 18–24 (UW–Stout effect): Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lead; YouTube ubiquitous; Facebook mainly for groups/Marketplace and family.
• 25–44: Mixed stack; Facebook and Instagram core; TikTok rising; Pinterest strong among women.
• 45–64: Facebook + YouTube primary; Instagram moderate; Pinterest steady.
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube for how‑tos, church/school videos; limited use of newer apps.

Gender tendencies (directional)

• Women: Higher Pinterest, Facebook groups (schools, PTOs, buy/sell), Instagram, TikTok shopping.
• Men: Higher YouTube, Reddit, X; Facebook for Marketplace, sports, outdoors.

Local behavioral trends

• Community and commerce: Facebook Groups/Marketplace drive local news, garage sales, rentals, farm and outdoor gear. Peer recommendations matter.
• Student‑driven content: Snapchat and Instagram Stories dominate campus life; late‑evening peaks (around 9 pm–midnight).
• Video first: Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) outperforms static posts for events, food, and local attractions (e.g., Lake Menomin, Red Cedar State Trail, high‑school/UW–Stout sports).
• What people engage with: Weather/school closures, road/work zone updates, hunting/fishing seasons, county fair and farmers markets, local business promos, sports highlights, obituaries, and “shop local” features.
• Timing: Best overall engagement 7–9 pm weekdays; weekend mornings for family/outdoors; midday works for 55+.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger for small business inquiries; Snapchat DMs for student/community chatter.
• Advertising notes:
  • 18–24: Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok within 5–10 miles of Menomonie.
  • 25–44: Facebook + Instagram, use Reels and local interest targeting.
  • 45+: Facebook news feed + Groups; event‑based boosts.
  • Hiring: Facebook + LinkedIn (target UW–Stout juniors/seniors and local manufacturing/trades).

Method and sources

• Baselines: Pew Research Center (2023 teen social media; 2024 adult platform use).
• Localization: Adjusted for UW–Stout’s large 18–24 share and rural platform norms; Dunn County population from recent ACS/Census estimates.
• Note: County‑level platform shares aren’t directly surveyed; ranges are modeled estimates aligned to comparable Midwestern counties.