Fond Du Lac County

Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin — key demographics (most recent Census Bureau data; rounded)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~104,700

Age

• Median age: ~40–41 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~49.7%
• Male: ~50.3%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White (alone): ~88–89%
• Black or African American (alone): ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0.7%
• Asian (alone): ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Number of households: ~41,900
• Persons per household: ~2.4
• Family households: ~64% of households (married-couple ~48%)
• Households with children <18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~71%
• Median household income: ~$70–72K
• Persons in poverty: ~8–9%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Population Estimates; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year.

Fond du Lac County, WI has ~104k residents. Using Pew Research email adoption (≈90%+ of online adults) and typical WI broadband adoption, estimated regular email users: ~75–85k residents.

Approximate user mix by age (share of email users):

• 18–34: ~25%
• 35–54: ~35%
• 55–64: ~18%
• 65+: ~20% (senior adoption rising via telehealth/e‑gov)

Gender split: roughly even (≈49% male, 51% female); no meaningful email gap by gender.

Digital access trends:

• Household broadband subscriptions are in the mid‑80% range; computer access around 90%+; smartphone‑only internet homes ~10–15%.
• Urban core (City of Fond du Lac/I‑41 corridor) has the fastest service (cable/fiber). Rural townships more often depend on DSL/fixed wireless/satellite, with lower speeds and higher latency.
• Public libraries, schools, and municipal Wi‑Fi remain important access points; remote work/learning since 2020 increased subscriptions and email reliance.

Local density/connectivity:

• Moderate population density (~135 people/sq mi).
• Connectivity strongest along the urban corridor; sparser coverage and more dead zones in western/northern rural areas, though incremental fiber builds and fixed‑wireless upgrades continue.

Here’s a concise, county-level picture of mobile phone usage in Fond du Lac County, WI, emphasizing how it differs from statewide patterns.

User estimates (orders of magnitude, 2023–2024)

• Total smartphone users: roughly 75,000–85,000 people.
  • Method: county population ~104k; about 76–78% are 18+; adult smartphone adoption typically ~88–90% (Pew, ACS-derived proxies). Including most teens pushes the total into the mid–high 70ks, possibly low 80ks.
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 29,000–32,000 households (≈70–76% of ~41–42k households).
• Cellular-only internet households (no cable/DSL/fiber subscription): about 3,700–5,000 households (≈9–12%).
  • Both figures align with ACS S2801 patterns for mixed urban–rural WI counties and are slightly more “cellular-reliant” than the Wisconsin average.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of usage)

• Age: The county’s age mix is similar to the state, but a touch older in some townships. That nudges overall smartphone adoption down a point or two versus the statewide rate, with the largest gap in the 65+ cohort (smartphone adoption in this group commonly 65–75%). College presence (Ripon/Marian) keeps adoption near state levels in the 18–29 cohort (very high, >95%).
• Income/affordability: Median household income is close to the state median, but slightly higher share of working-class/rural households correlates with:
  • More prepaid plans and device financing.
  • Higher likelihood of cellular-only internet (to avoid a second monthly bill), especially after the ACP subsidy’s wind-down in 2024.
• Rural vs. urban: A larger rural share than the state average drives:
  • More variability in signal quality and speeds.
  • Higher mobile-only internet reliance in outlying townships than in the City of Fond du Lac and along the I‑41 corridor.
• Education: A somewhat lower BA+ rate than the state average tends to correlate with slightly higher mobile-only internet adoption and more reliance on a single smartphone per household in parts of the county.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s on the ground)

• Carriers and 5G:
  • T‑Mobile: Broad low‑band 5G across most of the county; mid‑band (faster) concentrated in/near the City of Fond du Lac and along I‑41/US‑151.
  • Verizon: Strong along interstates/US highways; C‑band 5G Ultra Wideband focused on the city and major corridors; rural areas may drop to LTE or low‑band 5G with lower speeds.
  • AT&T: 5G present in population centers and corridors; rural performance varies by tower spacing.
  • UScellular: Notable rural footprint; important in farm and forest edge areas. Some sites still LTE‑first with 5G added selectively.
• Terrain effects: The Kettle Moraine (western/southwestern edge) and scattered glacial moraines/forest cover introduce pockets of weaker signal and greater carrier‑to‑carrier variability than typical statewide urban/suburban areas.
• Towers and backhaul:
  • Newer multi‑use towers added through county partnerships (e.g., Bug Tussel–style rural broadband projects) have improved fixed‑wireless and can host carrier upgrades; this has been more visible here than in many WI counties.
  • Backhaul is largely a mix of Charter/Spectrum cable in towns and microwave/fiber spurs on rural towers; where fiber backhaul is absent, peak speeds dip.
• Fixed broadband backdrop (affecting mobile reliance):
  • Spectrum covers most cities/villages; rural DSL (Frontier/TDS) remains in pockets; multiple WISPs operate countywide. Fiber builds are growing but still uneven in rural townships.
  • Result: more households lean on unlimited or high‑cap mobile plans for primary internet than in suburban counties.

How Fond du Lac County differs from Wisconsin overall

• Slightly higher cellular-only internet share: about 1–3 percentage points above the state average, driven by rural households and post‑ACP cost sensitivity.
• Greater carrier variability by location: performance gaps between carriers are more pronounced across short distances (forest edges, moraines), whereas statewide suburban areas see more uniform results.
• Earlier/visible rural tower initiatives: County‑partnered tower builds and WISP expansions have been more prominent locally than in many peer counties, incrementally improving rural coverage and capacity.
• Corridor concentration of fast 5G: Mid‑band 5G is notably clustered along I‑41/US‑151 and the City of Fond du Lac; the rural step‑down to low‑band 5G/LTE is sharper than in the Madison/Milwaukee suburbs.
• Slightly lower smartphone adoption among seniors: pulls down the countywide average a bit versus the state, despite very high adoption among younger adults.

Data notes and methods

• Household cellular and cellular‑only estimates are derived from ACS S2801 patterns for Wisconsin counties with similar rural/urban mix (2019–2023 5‑year), adjusted to Fond du Lac household counts.
• Smartphone adoption rates by age use Pew Research national/state analogs applied to county demographics; teen adoption included to reach a total user estimate.
• Coverage/5G assessments reflect FCC mobile availability filings, carrier buildouts through 2024, PSC WI mapping, and known corridor deployments; exact tower counts and block‑level coverage can vary by carrier and are best verified on current FCC/carrier maps.

Social media in Fond du Lac County, WI – short overview (2025)

How many people use it

• Population: ~105k; adults (18+): ~80–85k.
• Estimated social media users (all ages): 70–80k.
• Adult penetration: roughly 80–85% use at least one platform; teen penetration is >90%.
• Home broadband/internet access is high, so access is not a major limiter; usage skews slightly older than the U.S. average.

Age mix of users (estimated share of local social users)

• 13–17: 7–9%
• 18–29: 14–17%
• 30–49: 30–34%
• 50–64: 24–27%
• 65+: 18–22%

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: roughly balanced, ~51–53% female, ~47–49% male.
• Skews by platform: Pinterest and Facebook groups over-index female; Reddit, X (Twitter), YouTube tech/outdoors skew male; Instagram and TikTok lean slightly female.

Most-used platforms locally (adults, estimated reach)

• YouTube: 75–80% of adults
• Facebook: 62–66%
• Instagram: 38–45%
• Pinterest: 28–35%
• TikTok: 24–30%
• Snapchat: 20–26% (much higher among teens/early 20s)
• LinkedIn: 20–25%
• X (Twitter): 14–18%
• Reddit: 12–16%
• WhatsApp: 12–16%
• Nextdoor: 8–12%

Teens (13–17) platform notes (national teen patterns fit local schools)

• YouTube ~95%+
• TikTok ~65–75%
• Instagram ~60–70%
• Snapchat ~60–70%
• Facebook is low among teens except for groups/events tied to school or sports.

Behavioral trends on the ground

• Facebook is the community hub: buy/sell groups, school and youth sports updates, church/volunteer events, garage sales, county fair and festival info, lost-and-found pets, local news and weather alerts. Marketplace is heavily used.
• Short video is surging: Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels see strong engagement; many TikToks are cross-posted. Practical “how-to” and local stories perform best.
• YouTube is utility-first: DIY home/auto, hunting/fishing, small engine repair, ag and equipment content; local creators and tradespeople get traction with how-tos.
• Instagram is key for small businesses: eateries, boutiques, salons, fitness; stories and reels drive discovery; UGC and giveaways perform well.
• Snapchat dominates teen/college comms; streaks and private stories > public posting.
• LinkedIn use clusters around major employers and healthcare; effective for recruiting and professional events.
• X (Twitter) is niche: media, sports, road/weather updates; limited community discussion.
• Timing: Peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and early mornings; Sunday evening is strong for community updates and retail offers. Severe-weather days spike local news groups.
• Trust and conversion: Word-of-mouth via Facebook groups and recommendations heavily influences choices for home services, auto, and healthcare. Local photos, staff spotlights, and sponsorships of school/league activities outperform polished brand ads.

Notes and methodology

• Figures are modeled from recent national platform usage (Pew/industry) adjusted to Fond du Lac County’s older-than-average age mix and typical Midwest/rural-suburban behavior. Treat platform percentages as estimates, not exact measurements.