Marinette County

Marinette County, Wisconsin – key demographics

Population size

• 41,872 (2020 Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: 47.8 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and older: ~25%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; race alone unless noted)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~93%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Black/African American: ~0.5–1%
• Asian: ~0.4–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%

Household profile (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~19,000
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~60% of households; married-couple families ~45–50%
• Households with children under 18: ~23%
• One-person households: ~33% (about half of these are age 65+ living alone)
• Housing tenure: ~79% owner-occupied, ~21% renter-occupied

Insights

• Older-than-average population with roughly one in four residents 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but present Hispanic, Native American, and multiracial populations.
• Small household sizes and high homeownership consistent with a rural, aging county.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates).

• Estimated email users: ≈31,000 residents. Basis: population ~41,500; about 90–92% of adults use email, equating to ~75% of total residents.
• Age distribution (share of adult email users):
  • 18–29: ~15%
  • 30–49: ~28%
  • 50–64: ~30%
  • 65+: ~27%
• Gender split among users: roughly 51% women, 49% men, mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access and usage:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~80%
  • Smartphone-only internet at home: ~9%
  • No home internet: ~11–12%
  • Email is used daily by a majority of adults, with near-universal adoption among working-age adults and strong—but slightly lower—adoption among seniors.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ~30 people per square mile (large, rural geography ~1,400 sq mi land).
  • Highest fixed broadband capacity clusters around the City of Marinette, Peshtigo, and US‑41/US‑141 corridors (cable/fiber). Northern and forested towns rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite.
  • Ongoing state/federal investments since 2021 are expanding fiber to underserved areas, supporting continued growth in email and general internet use.

Mobile phone usage in Marinette County, WI — 2025 snapshot

Population base

• Residents: roughly 41,000–42,000 (2023 Census estimate). Adults (18+): about 33,000–34,000.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 28,500–30,000 (about 85–88% of adults). This is a few points below Wisconsin’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (around 89–91%), reflecting Marinette’s older age profile and more rural settlement.
• Households relying primarily or solely on cellular data for home internet: roughly 2,600–3,200 households (15–18% of the county’s ~18,000 households). This rate is higher than Wisconsin overall (about 11–13%), consistent with more limited fixed broadband options in parts of the county.
• Feature phone/basic phone users: about 2,500–3,500 adults (7–10% of adults), above the state share, concentrated among seniors and very price-sensitive households.

Demographic breakdown (how Marinette differs from the state)

• Age: Marinette County skews older (roughly a quarter of residents are 65+ versus ~18–19% statewide).
  • Estimated smartphone adoption by age (county): 18–34 ≈ 95–98%; 35–54 ≈ 92–95%; 55–64 ≈ 85–90%; 65+ ≈ 70–78%. The 65+ cohort is 8–12 points less likely to use smartphones than their statewide peers, accounting for most of the county–state gap.
• Income and affordability: Median household income is materially below the Wisconsin median, contributing to:
  • Higher prevalence of budget Android devices and prepaid plans than the state average.
  • Slightly higher multi-year device retention, slowing the shift to the newest 5G-only handsets relative to the state.
• Digital inclusion:
  • Higher share of mobile-only or mobile-first households than Wisconsin overall, especially in the northern and western parts of the county and among renters.
  • Text, messaging apps, and Facebook remain primary channels among older users; younger users mirror statewide patterns but represent a smaller share of the county’s population.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (county realities vs statewide)

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, plus regional Cellcom (Nsight). All provide broad 4G LTE; 5G is clustered where population is denser.
• Where 5G is strong: Along the US-41/141 corridor and in/around Marinette–Peshtigo–Porterfield and down toward the Brown/Oconto County line. T-Mobile’s mid-band (n41) is prevalent on the main corridors; AT&T and Verizon low-band (n5/n2/n66) cover towns and highways, with mid-band pockets.
• Where coverage lags: Northern townships (e.g., Goodman, Silver Cliff, Athelstane) and forested river/lake areas (Peshtigo River State Forest, High Falls/Caldrons Falls Flowages) see more LTE-only and occasional weak indoor service. This yields:
  • Lower 5G land-area coverage than the Wisconsin average, even though population coverage along corridors is comparable.
  • Greater reliance on low-band spectrum for reach, so median 5G speeds trail state medians; LTE remains the de facto baseline away from highways.
• Backhaul and capacity:
  • Fiber backbones run along primary highways and into the Marinette–Menominee urban cluster (Charter/Spectrum, Nsight, and other regional providers). North and west of the corridor, more cell sites depend on microwave backhaul, which can constrain peak capacity.
  • Seasonal strain: Summer weekends bring pronounced load spikes around lakes, campgrounds, and ATV trailheads; capacity is generally sized for weekday resident demand, not peak seasonal surges, so users see more throttling and cell-edge performance drops than in urban Wisconsin.
• Indoor experience:
  • Metal-sided buildings, large retail, and deep-wooded residences experience higher rates of indoor coverage challenges than the state average, making Wi‑Fi calling an important complement.

Behavioral and usage trends that stand out from Wisconsin norms

• More mobile-only households and more prepaid plans, reflecting affordability and patchy fixed broadband.
• Slower migration to premium 5G plans and devices among seniors; Android share higher than state average.
• Heavier reliance on LTE fallback and low-band 5G outside the main corridor, keeping typical real-world speeds and video bitrates below statewide medians.
• Pronounced weekday/weekend and summer/shoulder-season traffic swings due to tourism and second homes, a pattern less visible in urban counties.

What this means operationally

• Expect solid 5G along US-41/141 and in Marinette/Peshtigo; plan for LTE-first experiences north and west.
• For service delivery and outreach, SMS and Facebook remain particularly effective among older and rural users.
• Device/plan recommendations should emphasize Wi‑Fi calling, strong low-band support, and the option to toggle to LTE for reliability in fringe areas.
• Network investments that matter most locally: additional mid-band 5G sectors on recreation corridors, more fiber-fed backhaul north of Wausaukee, and in‑building solutions for public venues.

Social media in Marinette County, WI (2025 snapshot)

Overall usage

• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~26,000 (about 72% of residents 13+; county population ~41,000)
• Adult-heavy audience: median age skews older than U.S. average; most activity comes from 30+

Age mix of local social media users

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~17%
• 30–44: ~25%
• 45–64: ~30%
• 65+: ~19% Net effect: roughly half of users are 45+; teens are a small but high-frequency cohort.

Gender breakdown (share of local social users)

• Female ~53%
• Male ~47% Platform skews: Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lean female; YouTube, Reddit, X lean male.

Most-used platforms locally (share of local social media users; approximate)

• YouTube: 85% (22.1k users)
• Facebook: 70% (18.2k)
• Instagram: 40% (10.4k)
• Pinterest: 35% (9.1k)
• TikTok: 28% (7.3k)
• Snapchat: 25% (6.5k)
• X (Twitter): 21% (5.5k)
• LinkedIn: 16% (4.2k)
• Reddit: 14% (3.7k)
• WhatsApp: 15% (3.9k)
• Nextdoor: 8% (2.1k) Ranking reality: YouTube and Facebook dominate reach; Instagram and Pinterest are mid-tier; TikTok/Snapchat concentrate younger audiences; LinkedIn/X/Reddit are niche.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: high engagement in local groups (buy/sell, events, school sports, hunting/fishing, road and weather updates) and Marketplace. Best reach for 30+ and retirees.
• Video first: short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives above-average completion rates for outdoors, home improvement, local sports, and seasonal content (fishing opener, deer season, snowmobiling, Packers).
• Local commerce and service discovery: residents frequently use Facebook/Google/YouTube for home services, autos, and healthcare; Instagram for food/retail inspiration; Pinterest for DIY, recipes, crafts, cabin/home projects.
• Youth behavior: teens and 18–24s cluster on TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; messaging/Snap streaks and creator-led trends drive daily use; Instagram is secondary but important for school sports and friends.
• Cross-border spillover: content and groups often span Marinette, WI and Menominee, MI; regional pages outperform hyper-narrow ones.
• Trust and amplification: posts linked to known local institutions (schools, municipalities, churches, nonprofits, volunteer fire, local media) get stronger sharing and comments.
• Timing: engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–9 p.m.), with weekend surges around events and weather.
• Ads that work: Facebook/Instagram best for cost-effective reach to 30–64; TikTok/Snapchat excel for under-30 awareness; YouTube pre-roll drives how-to and product research. Static flyers underperform vs short video or photo carousels.
• Creative cues: pragmatic, place-specific visuals (local landmarks, river/lake scenes, outdoor work) and clear offers outperform generic stock; UGC-style clips outperform polished ads among under-35.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates using U.S. Census/ACS population for Marinette County and Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for an older, more rural audience profile. Estimates aim for ±3–5 percentage points accuracy at the platform level.