Freeborn County Digital Equity Profile – ranked 52

Every year, the Blandin on Broadband blog does County Broadband Profiles (and will do again when the new maps come out) but given federal opportunities are making it possible to get funding for access and adoption, I thought I’d try to present information for counties to assess their digital equity standing (see table below) and give options for who to contact locally for more information.

Summary

Freeborn County ranks 52 out of 87 counties for digital equity. Looking at the different demographic tracts below, it looks like educational attainment ranks lower in Freeborn with high school diploma ranking 80 and bachelor’s ranking 69. This might be an opportunity for the county to create opportunities for potential students to learn remotely or otherwise take advantage of technology to get degrees. That might make a compelling case to funders and engage local residents.

Scroll down for details and suggested resources for more information.

Blandin Foundation is using the Microsoft Digital Equity Tool to determine needs by county and make high level recommendations for next steps to consider based on the data. (With special thanks to Carter Grupp, Broadband Coordinator Broadband Coordinator at American Connection Project for Otter Tail County.) Visit the tool if you want to look up more statistics on your community.

Demographic Data and Ranking (out of 87)

Freeborn County	Ranking
Access to 100/20	60
No bachelors	69
No HS degree	80
Below 150% poverty (last 12 months)	69
Below poverty (last 12 months)	51
Disability	51
No computer	65
No broadband access	2
No subscription	53
Overall average	52

The map below shows digital inequity by census tract. The bluer the better; yellow and orange colors indicate more inequity. This map can be helpful in figuring out which parts of your county need the most help.