Shawano County

Shawano County, Wisconsin — key demographics

Population size

• 40,881 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: approximately 41,100 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: about 44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~49.8%
• Male: ~50.2%

Racial/ethnic composition (shares of total population)

• White alone: ~84%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~10–11%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.6%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~81%

Households

• Total households: ~17,200 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons

Insights

• Stable, modest population with an older age profile relative to the U.S. average.
• Predominantly White with a notably large American Indian population share for Wisconsin.
• Household sizes are typical for rural Wisconsin, with a balanced gender mix.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

Shawano County, WI email usage (estimates, 2025)

• Estimated email users: ≈28,000 adults (about 86% of the adult population), driven by high internet adoption and near‑universal email use among internet users.
• Gender split among email users: ≈49% male, 51% female (aligned with county demographics).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ~13%
  • 30–49: ~29%
  • 50–64: ~31%
  • 65+: ~27%
• Digital access trends:
  • ~90% of households have a computer.
  • ~84% of households subscribe to fixed broadband; ~9% are smartphone‑only.
  • Senior email adoption has risen notably since 2020; lowest adoption persists in low‑income and remote households after ACP wind‑down.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population ≈41,000; density ≈45 people per square mile, making last‑mile builds costlier.
  • Strongest fixed broadband and fiber presence in and around the City of Shawano and along the US‑29 corridor; northern/western townships rely more on DSL and fixed‑wireless with lower tiers.
  • Ongoing fiber/co‑op expansions are raising gigabit availability, but coverage remains uneven in sparsely populated areas.

Notes: Figures modeled from recent ACS county population and internet‑subscription data, FCC broadband mapping, and Pew email adoption benchmarks localized to Shawano County.

Mobile phone usage in Shawano County, WI — 2025 snapshot

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: 40,881 (2020 Census). Roughly 16,700–17,100 households; land area ~900 sq mi with predominantly rural settlement.
• Estimated smartphone users: about 31,000 county residents use a smartphone regularly in 2025.
• Adult smartphone ownership: about 86% of adults, slightly below the statewide rate due to an older age profile and more rural households.
• Feature-phone/no-phone adults: roughly 10–12% of adults (about 3,000–4,000 people), above the statewide share.
• Smartphone-only internet households: about 1,800–2,000 households rely on a cellular data plan as their primary or only home internet connection, a higher share than Wisconsin overall.

Demographic breakdown of use

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (~95%+), comparable to the state.
  • 35–49: high adoption (~92–95%), near the state average.
  • 50–64: strong but below urban Wisconsin (~88–90%), with more mixed device tenure and some feature-phone retention.
  • 65+: notably lower ownership (~75–80%), several points below the state average because seniors make up a larger share of Shawano County’s population.
• Income and education
  • Lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet, and more likely to use prepaid plans; this pattern is more pronounced than at the state level because fixed broadband options are thinner outside the City of Shawano and a few villages.
• Race/ethnicity and geography
  • The county’s Native American population (notably around the Stockbridge–Munsee Community area) shows high smartphone adoption but faces localized coverage and speed constraints; this divergence from statewide urban experience is tied to terrain, vegetation, and tower spacing in rural townships.
  • Rural townships exhibit higher rates of phone-based internet substitution and device sharing than Wisconsin’s metro counties.

Digital infrastructure and service landscape

• Carrier presence
  • National carriers: Verizon, AT&T (FirstNet-capable for public safety), and T-Mobile operate countywide. UScellular and regional Cellcom/Nsight are also active and remain competitive in rural coverage.
• Coverage pattern
  • 4G LTE: reliable along primary corridors (Hwy 29, 47, 45, 55) and in population centers (City of Shawano, Bonduel, Wittenberg, Pulaski fringe).
  • 5G: predominantly low-band 5G covers the City of Shawano and the Hwy 29 corridor; mid-band capacity appears in and near towns and along major routes. Ultra‑high‑band 5G is not a factor. Indoor coverage can degrade in older farmhouses/metal buildings; external antennas and signal boosters see above-average use compared with the state.
  • Gaps: forested and hilly areas (northwest and some central townships) and sparsely populated stretches show more dead zones and lower uplink performance than state averages.
• Capacity and performance
  • Typical rural 5G/4G speeds are adequate for messaging, maps, and streaming audio; multi-user video streaming and high-quality telehealth can be inconsistent outside towns, especially at peak times.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Cable/fiber is solid in the City of Shawano and select villages; availability drops quickly in outlying areas. WISPs and satellite (Starlink) fill gaps, contributing to higher smartphone-only reliance than the Wisconsin average.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet coverage is available via AT&T; emergency services commonly carry multi-carrier devices/routers to mitigate single-carrier dead spots. Power/ice-storm resilience planning often includes mobile hotspots and quick-deploy antennas, reflecting greater rural dependence on cellular for continuity.

How Shawano County differs from Wisconsin overall

• Higher mobile dependence: A larger share of households rely on smartphones as their primary internet connection than the state average, driven by sparser cable/fiber availability outside towns.
• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration: Countywide adoption is a few points under the statewide rate because seniors are a larger share of the population and have lower ownership.
• More prepaid/regional mix: Prepaid plans and regional carriers (UScellular, Cellcom) hold a higher share than in Wisconsin’s metro counties where the Big 3 dominate.
• Coverage variability: More pronounced indoor and fringe-area gaps than state averages; road‑corridor coverage is strong, but off‑corridor reliability drops faster than in urban/suburban Wisconsin.
• 5G reality: 5G is present but mostly low‑band; mid‑band capacity and consistent 5G performance are more town‑centric than the state average, where metro areas enjoy broader mid‑band builds.
• Device and accessory usage: Higher utilization of external antennas, boosters, and multi‑carrier hotspots than the statewide norm, reflecting rural signal challenges.

Method notes (for transparency)

• Population and household counts from the 2020 Census; age structure and rurality inform adoption differences versus Wisconsin.
• Smartphone adoption rates align with 2023–2024 Pew Research Center adult ownership benchmarks, adjusted for the county’s older age profile.
• Household internet patterns reflect ACS “Computer and Internet Use” trends for rural Wisconsin counties and FCC Broadband DATA coverage patterns (2023–2024) indicating sparser fixed broadband outside towns.
• Carrier/coverage characterizations reflect statewide buildouts through 2024 and known rural network behaviors in northeast/central Wisconsin.

These figures provide a practical, decision-ready picture: around 31,000 residents use smartphones, adult ownership is in the mid‑80s percent, smartphone‑only internet reliance is materially above the state, and mobile networks are dependable on main corridors but drop off faster off‑corridor than in urban Wisconsin.

Social media usage in Shawano County, Wisconsin (2025 snapshot)

Population base and overall use

• Population: ~40,900 residents (2023 ACS estimate)
• Social media users (13+): ~25,000 people, about 62% of residents (≈71% of adults 18+)
• Urban–rural effect: Usage is a few points lower than large-metro WI averages, but Facebook and YouTube are near-parity with statewide norms

Age groups (share using at least one platform; local estimates based on rural WI and Pew Research patterns)

• 13–17: ~95%
• 18–29: ~88–90%
• 30–49: ~78–82%
• 50–64: ~65–70%
• 65+: ~45–50%

Gender breakdown

• County population: ~50% female, ~50% male
• Among social media users: ~54% female, ~46% male
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter)

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users; multi-platform use is common)

• YouTube: ~78% (≈19.5k users)
• Facebook: ~74% (≈18.5k)
• Instagram: ~38% (≈9.5k)
• TikTok: ~34% (≈8.5k)
• Snapchat: ~31% (≈7.8k; dominant among teens/18–24)
• Pinterest: ~29% (≈7.3k)
• LinkedIn: ~18% (≈4.5k; lower in rural, non-corporate labor markets)
• X (Twitter): ~17% (≈4.2k)
• Reddit: ~13% (≈3.3k)
• Nextdoor: ~5% (≈1.3k; coverage limited in rural ZIPs)

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Community-first Facebook: High engagement with local news, school sports, church and civic updates, buy/sell/trade groups, county services, and event pages (e.g., fairs, festivals, lake/outdoor activities)
• Video is the hook: YouTube for how-to/DIY, outdoor and equipment content; Facebook Live for meetings and services; short-form Reels/TikTok growing among under-35
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat for youth communication and Stories
• Timing: Peaks on weekday evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings; strong spikes during storms, school announcements, road closures, and emergency alerts
• Seasonality: Fall hunting and school sports drive surges; summer lake/ATV/boating content; winter indoor months see higher scrolling time
• Ad responsiveness:
  • 30+ audiences respond to boosted Facebook posts/events and local testimonials
  • 18–34 respond to Instagram Reels/TikTok creative and Snapchat geofilters
  • Hyperlocal creative (town names, landmarks, school teams) materially lifts CTR/engagement
• Cultural anchors: Strong pull toward family, schools, outdoors, and heritage content; tribal community pages and cultural events also contribute to local reach

Method note: Figures are 2025 estimates blending Shawano County demographics (U.S. Census/ACS) with recent U.S. platform adoption benchmarks (Pew Research Center/DataReportal) adjusted for rural usage patterns; percentages are rounded.