Barbour County

Key demographics for Barbour County, Alabama (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year; rounded)

• Population: ~24,700
• Age:
  • Median age: ~38
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 65 and over: ~15%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~54%
  • Female: ~46%
  • Note: Male share is elevated due to state correctional facilities in the county.
• Race/ethnicity (alone or in combination; Hispanic is any race):
  • Black or African American: ~47%
  • White: ~46%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~4%
  • Two or more races: ~2%
  • Asian: ~0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~8,700
  • Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
  • Family households: ~66%
  • Households with children under 18: ~29%
  • One-person households: ~28–30%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Figures are estimates and rounded for clarity.

Barbour County, AL email usage (estimates)

• User count: ≈16,000–19,000 residents use email regularly (about 65–75% of ≈25,000 people), based on rural AL internet subscription rates and the fact that most internet users maintain an email account.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–24: ~18%
  • 25–44: ~33%
  • 45–64: ~32%
  • 65+: ~17% Younger adults are near‑universal users; adoption dips among 65+ but is rising.
• Gender split: Roughly even (≈49% male, 51% female). Usage differences by gender are minimal.
• Digital access trends:
  • Many households subscribe to mobile data and a notable share are smartphone‑only, especially outside town centers.
  • Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) is concentrated in Eufaula and Clayton; rural areas rely more on fixed‑wireless and satellite. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) remains important.
  • Device access skews toward smartphones; computer ownership is lower than state and U.S. averages in similar rural counties.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Low population density (~28 people per square mile) increases last‑mile costs and slows fiber build‑out.
  • Connectivity is stronger along main corridors (e.g., around Eufaula/US‑431); coverage and speeds drop in outlying areas.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Barbour County, Alabama (2024 estimate)

Baseline and method

• Population context: Barbour County has roughly 24–26k residents, with about 18–20k adults. Figures below are estimates derived from state and national adoption rates (Pew, ACS), adjusted for Barbour’s older age profile, lower incomes, and rural settlement, plus FCC/NTIA broadband indicators for infrastructure constraints.

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users (any cell phone): ~16–18k adults (about 85–92% of adults), a few points below typical Alabama rates.
• Adult smartphone users: ~13–15k adults (about 70–80% of adults), likely 5–10 points below statewide averages due to age, income, and coverage constraints.
• Smartphone-only internet households: roughly 18–25% of households rely primarily on mobile data (higher than the statewide share), reflecting limited or costly wired options outside Eufaula and town centers.
• Plan mix: Prepaid participation appears higher than the statewide norm, with more price-sensitive users and multi-line family plans; postpaid penetration is strongest in and around Eufaula.

Demographic breakdown (usage tendencies)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (≈90–95%); heavy app/social/video use when in strong-signal areas.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈80–90%); greater reliance on hotspotting for work/school where fixed broadband is weak.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈55–65%); higher share of basic/flip phones; many use smartphones primarily for messaging/telehealth when available.
• Race/ethnicity and income
  • Black and lower-income households show above-average “smartphone-only” reliance for home internet compared with county average, driven by limited wired choices and affordability.
  • White households in rural western/northern parts see more coverage gaps, leading to mixed device ownership (one smartphone plus legacy phones) and frequent Wi‑Fi offload in town.
• Household context
  • Multi-line family prepaid plans and device financing via big-box/independent dealers are more common than in metro Alabama.
  • The county’s institutional population (state facility near Clayton) inflates adult counts but does not translate to consumer device usage, making headline ownership rates appear lower than lived experience in the community.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE is reliable along US‑431 and in/around Eufaula; coverage thins in low-density areas between Clayton and the county’s western/northern edges.
  • 5G availability is spotty: present in Eufaula and along primary corridors; limited reach on county backroads. Mid-band 5G (fast) is mainly near town; low-band 5G (wide but slower) covers more area but doesn’t always outperform LTE.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Median mobile speeds trail statewide medians, with noticeable evening/weekend congestion. Capacity constraints are most evident where towers still rely on microwave backhaul.
  • Seasonal surges around Lake Eufaula (tourism, fishing events) create short-term congestion spikes not seen uniformly across the state.
• Towers and backhaul
  • Tower density per square mile is below the Alabama average; many sites are co-located on water towers or shared structures, limiting sectorization options.
  • Fiber-fed sites concentrate in Eufaula and along major roads; microwave-fed sites persist in outlying areas, constraining 5G capacity upgrades.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile dependence)
  • Cable and fiber options are largely confined to Eufaula and select pockets; many rural addresses face DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite as primary wired options.
  • Recent state/federal grants are funding incremental fiber builds, but countywide coverage will lag urban Alabama in the near term, sustaining higher mobile-only reliance.

How Barbour County differs from Alabama overall

• Lower smartphone ownership and overall mobile adoption by several percentage points, driven by older demographics, lower median incomes, and rural coverage gaps.
• Higher share of smartphone-only households using mobile as primary home internet, due to limited wired competition and affordability pressures.
• More variable coverage and lower median speeds, with notable dead zones off main corridors; 5G expansion lags metro counties.
• Greater prepaid plan usage and price sensitivity; heavier reliance on public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) and phone hotspotting.
• Unique seasonal congestion around Lake Eufaula and a data-skewing institutionalized population—factors less impactful at the state level.

Notes and data caveats

• Figures are modeled estimates based on ACS demographics, Pew device ownership trends, FCC/NTIA broadband indicators, and rural carrier deployment patterns as of 2024. Exact adoption and coverage vary by neighborhood and carrier. For a sharper, carrier-specific view (coverage, speeds, tower locations), pair this baseline with current FCC Broadband Map tiles, carrier coverage maps, and recent crowd-sourced speed data.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Barbour County, AL. Precise county-level social platform data aren’t published; figures use U.S./Alabama rural benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024, ACS/NTIA) adjusted for a rural, older-leaning county. Treat platform percentages as estimates of the share of adult residents using each.

Overall user base (estimates)

• Population: ~24–25k residents; adults ~18–20k.
• Social media penetration (adults): ~65–70% use at least one platform (lower than national due to age/rural mix).
• Access pattern: Higher smartphone‑reliance than U.S. average; ~25–35% likely “smartphone‑only” internet users. Home broadband subscription rate likely ~65–75% of households.

Most‑used platforms in Barbour County (estimated % of adults)

• YouTube: ~70–80%
• Facebook: ~60–70%
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~25–35%
• Snapchat: ~20–30% (concentrated among teens/20s)
• Pinterest: ~25–30% (skews female)
• WhatsApp: ~10–15% (Messenger usage is higher via Facebook)
• X (Twitter): ~15–20% (news/sports followers)
• LinkedIn: ~10–15% (lower in rural labor markets)
• Nextdoor: ~5–10% (less coverage vs suburbs)

Age group patterns (localized from U.S. trends)

• 13–17: Heavy YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Instagram strong; Facebook minimal.
• 18–29: Instagram (high), Snapchat and TikTok strong; Facebook moderate; YouTube near‑universal.
• 30–49: Facebook very strong; YouTube high; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing.
• 50–64: Facebook dominant; YouTube high; Instagram modest; TikTok limited.
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube moderate; others minimal.

Gender tendencies (from U.S. usage patterns; similar locally)

• More women: Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), TikTok (moderate), Pinterest (strong).
• More men: YouTube (slight), Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate).
• Snapchat: leans female in younger cohorts.

Behavioral trends to expect in Barbour County

• Facebook as the community hub: Local groups, school/church updates, high‑school sports, civic info, lost & found, obituaries, and Facebook Marketplace (heavy buy/sell, jobs, services).
• Video behavior: Short, mobile‑first clips; local faces/topics outperform generic content. Church services, local government updates, fishing/hunting, farming, lake/recreation videos do well.
• Utility content wins: Weather alerts, road closures, event reminders, hours/menus, “what’s happening this weekend.” Clear calls to call/text are important.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger widespread for coordination (teams, churches, small businesses). Group chats often drive turnout more than public posts.
• Timing: Peaks early morning (6–8a), lunch (11a–1p), and evenings (7–10p); weekends strong for community/events.
• Trust and voice: Posts from familiar local people, organizations, and small businesses outperform national/anonymous sources; photos of staff/customers and recognizable locations help.
• Commerce: Marketplace and local service referrals are primary. Simple creatives (flyers, photos, phone numbers) and easy contact methods outperform complex funnels due to bandwidth and smartphone‑only users.
• Seasonality: Back‑to‑school and sports seasons, hunting/fishing seasons, holidays, and lake tourism periods drive spikes.

Notes on data

• Platform percentages are derived from recent Pew Research Center U.S. usage by platform, adjusted to a rural/older county profile; exact county‑level platform shares are not directly published.
• Access and adoption ranges reflect ACS/NTIA patterns for rural Alabama counties.