Butler County

Here’s a concise demographic profile of Butler County, Alabama. Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year estimates); values rounded.

Population

• Total: ~19,100 (2023 estimate); 19,051 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race/ethnicity

• Black or African American: ~54%
• White: ~43%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Other groups (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, etc.): each <1%

Households

• Total households: ~7,400–7,800
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~63–65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~40–42%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–28%

Here are best-available estimates for Butler County, Alabama (population ~19K, rural density ~25 people/sq. mile):

• Estimated email users: ~14,000 residents use email at least occasionally (about 70–75% of all residents; roughly 85–90% of adults).
• Age mix of email users (approximate share of users):
  • 13–24: ~17%
  • 25–44: ~29%
  • 45–64: ~31%
  • 65+: ~23%
• Gender split among users: ~52% female, ~48% male (mirrors county demographics; U.S. gender gap in email use is minimal).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with any internet subscription: ~75–80%.
  • Fixed/wireline broadband (cable/DSL/fiber): ~65–70%.
  • Cellular-only internet at home: ~10–15%.
  • No home internet subscription: ~20% (libraries, schools, and public Wi‑Fi help fill gaps).
• Connectivity context:
  • Service is strongest in/near Greenville and along the I‑65 corridor; access drops in outlying rural areas, affecting older and lower-income residents disproportionately.
  • Low population density raises last‑mile costs, slowing fiber build‑outs but recent state/federal programs are targeting rural expansions.

Notes: Figures synthesize U.S. Census/ACS internet subscription data, Pew Research on email adoption, and rural Alabama patterns; treat as directional estimates.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Butler County, Alabama (focus on county vs. state trends)

Headline differences from Alabama overall

• Adoption is slightly lower, dependence is higher: Butler County likely trails the state in overall smartphone ownership by a few points, but a larger share of households rely on a smartphone as their only internet connection.
• Rural network reality: 5G is present mainly along I-65 and in/around Greenville; LTE remains the day-to-day workhorse off-corridor. Coverage quality varies more by location than in metro Alabama.
• Budget/prepaid tilt: A higher share of users are on prepaid or budget MVNO plans and Android devices vs. the statewide mix, reflecting the county’s income profile.
• Wireline alternatives are thinner: With less fiber/cable availability than in urban Alabama, residents more often lean on mobile hotspots or fixed wireless for home connectivity.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, 2024)

• Population: ~19,000–20,000; adults ~15,000–16,000.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile, adults): ~14,000–15,500 (about 93–96% of adults).
• Smartphone users (adults + teens): ~13,000–15,000.
• Smartphone-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): ~1,400–1,800 households (roughly 18–24% of households), a few points higher than the statewide share.

Demographic patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone ownership (≈95%+), similar to state.
  • 35–64: high ownership (≈90%+), slightly below state in the most rural tracts.
  • 65+: lower smartphone ownership (≈60–70%), trailing Alabama’s senior adoption.
• Income:
  • Under ~$35k: solid phone ownership but more prepaid, data-capped plans, and “smartphone-only” internet reliance (substantially higher than county average).
• Race/ethnicity:
  • With a sizable Black population, overall smartphone ownership is comparable across racial groups, but smartphone-only internet dependence is higher among Black and lower-income residents than the county average.

Digital infrastructure points

• Cellular networks:
  • Carriers: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, and T‑Mobile all serve the county; MVNOs ride these networks.
  • 5G footprint: Extended-range 5G along I‑65 and around Greenville; mid-band 5G capacity is spottier and largely tied to the interstate corridor and town center. Many rural areas operate primarily on LTE.
  • Performance pattern: Fast, more consistent speeds along I‑65; mixed results on county roads and in forested/low-lying areas; indoor coverage can be weaker in metal-roof homes.
• Home internet context (drives mobile reliance):
  • Fiber is limited outside select pockets; cable is mostly confined to Greenville; legacy DSL persists; fixed wireless (including carrier FWA and local WISPs) fills gaps; satellite (e.g., Starlink) adoption is modest but growing in the most remote areas.
  • Public/anchor connectivity: Schools and libraries provide important Wi‑Fi access points that supplement mobile data for students and job seekers.
• Resilience and public safety:
  • FirstNet/AT&T buildouts and macro sites along I‑65 improve corridor reliability for first responders, with spillover benefits to consumers. Off-corridor redundancy is thinner than in metro areas.

How Butler County differs from statewide trends

• More smartphone-only households and heavier hotspot use due to sparser fiber/cable.
• Slightly lower senior adoption and more pronounced urban–rural performance gaps.
• Greater share on prepaid/budget plans; device mix skews more Android than the state average.
• 5G availability exists but is less capacity-rich away from the interstate, so many users still experience LTE-class performance day to day.

Method and sources (brief)

• Estimates triangulate 2023–2024 county population and age structure (ACS), national and Southern-rural smartphone adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research), and Alabama rural infrastructure patterns (FCC broadband/coverage reporting and carrier public maps). Figures are presented as ranges to reflect local variability and reporting lags.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate for Butler County, Alabama. County-level social media data aren’t directly published, so figures are extrapolated from Pew Research, Alabama/rural-South benchmarks, and ACS demographics; treat as directional.

Headline usage

• Residents using social media: roughly 12–14k people (about 60–70% of total residents; ~70–78% of adults).
• Access: 75–80% of households have broadband or smartphone-only internet; 80–85% of adults own a smartphone.

Age mix (share who use social media, est.)

• Teens (13–17): 85–90%; heavy on Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram; light on Facebook.
• 18–29: 90%+; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat lead; Facebook secondary.
• 30–49: 80–88%; Facebook dominant; Instagram/YouTube growing; some TikTok.
• 50–64: 70–80%; Facebook and YouTube heavy; Instagram modest.
• 65+: 55–65%; mainly Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown (among social media users, est.)

• Female: 54–58%
• Male: 42–46%
• Platform skews: Facebook/Instagram/TikTok lean female; YouTube and X (Twitter) lean slightly male.

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, est.)

• Facebook: 80–85% (Groups, Pages, Marketplace extremely active)
• YouTube: 75–80% (how‑tos, local church/school streams)
• Instagram: 38–45% (younger adults; Reels growing)
• TikTok: 30–38% (under 35s; local creators, trends)
• Snapchat: 22–28% overall, but 60–70% of under‑25s
• X (Twitter): 12–16% (news/sports); LinkedIn: 8–12% (professional roles)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (family, small businesses); Nextdoor: under 10% (spotty availability)

Behavioral trends (what resonates)

• Facebook is the community hub: school updates, youth sports, church events, obituaries, yard sales, lost/found, road and weather alerts. Marketplace and buy/sell/trade Groups drive daily visits.
• Video first: short vertical clips and simple live streams perform best; game highlights, local celebrations, “how to” content, and storm coverage get strong shares.
• Posting windows: spikes around 6:30–8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., and 7:00–9:00 p.m.; weekend mornings also solid.
• Messaging culture: Many inquiries move to Facebook Messenger or text; phone numbers often posted in comments.
• Trust dynamic: Content from known local voices (schools, churches, coaches, volunteer groups, county EMA) earns higher engagement than generic brand pages.
• Ads and promotions: Small “boosts” ($20–$100) with a 15–25 mile radius around Greenville/Georgiana/McKenzie work well for events and offers; creative featuring recognizable people/places outperforms polished stock.
• Cross‑posting: Facebook Reels often repurposed to Instagram and TikTok; simple, captioned videos beat long posts.

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