Coosa County

• Population: ~10.7k (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~44 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 65 and over: ~21%
• Gender:
  • Male: ~53%
  • Female: ~47%
• Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive):
  • Non-Hispanic White: ~64%
  • Non-Hispanic Black: ~30%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • All other groups: <1% each
• Households:
  • Total households: ~4.2k
  • Average household size: ~2.4
  • Family households: ~66% of households
  • Owner-occupied rate: ~82% (renters ~18%)

Coosa County, AL snapshot (estimates)

• Population: 10.7k; very rural (16 people/sq. mile).
• Estimated email users: 7,000–9,000 residents. Assumes high adoption among adults (roughly 85–90%), lower among the oldest and some with limited internet access.
• Age mix of email users (approx. share of users):
  • 13–17: 6%
  • 18–34: 22%
  • 35–54: 34%
  • 55–64: 18%
  • 65+: 20%
• Gender split among users: roughly even (about 49% men, 51% women).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription likely in the mid‑60s to low‑70s percent range (ACS/FCC patterns for rural Alabama).
  • Notable smartphone‑only dependence (about 20–25% of adults), reflecting cost and limited wired options.
  • Connectivity is uneven: cable/DSL in town centers, with sizable unserved/underserved areas in dispersed, wooded terrain; cellular coverage has gaps off main corridors.
  • Ongoing state/federal investments (ADECA/BEAD) are expanding fiber in rural Alabama, including parts of Coosa County.
• Implications: Email use is widespread but constrained by patchy fixed broadband and device affordability; public Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries, community centers) remains important access for some residents.

Notes: Figures are reasoned estimates based on county size, rural density, and recent Alabama/rural U.S. adoption benchmarks.

Coosa County, AL: mobile phone usage snapshot (with county-vs-state contrasts)

Topline estimates

• Population base: roughly 10.7–11.0k residents; about 8.6–8.9k adults (18+).
• Adults with a mobile phone (any type): about 7.9–8.2k (≈90%±2% of adults). Slightly below Alabama’s overall adult mobile ownership (≈92–94%).
• Adults with a smartphone: about 6.9–7.5k (≈80–85% of adults). This trails the state average by a few points (AL generally mid-to-high 80s).
• Households relying mostly or entirely on cellular for home internet (“mobile-only”): about 1.2–1.5k households, or ≈27–34% of households. That’s meaningfully higher than the Alabama average (≈18–22%).

Demographic patterns behind usage

• Older population share is higher than the state’s: Coosa has a larger 65+ cohort, which lowers overall smartphone penetration.
  • Estimated smartphone adoption by age:
    • 18–34: ≈95% (near state levels)
    • 35–64: ≈85–90% (a touch below state)
    • 65+: ≈60–70% (well below state, which is typically in the low-to-mid 70s)
• Income and plan type: Median household income is below the state median. That correlates with:
  • Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans (e.g., Cricket, Straight Talk, Boost) and budget Android/older iPhone models.
  • Higher “mobile-only” connectivity for schoolwork/streaming, especially where fixed broadband is limited or costly.
• Race and digital reliance: Black residents make up roughly a quarter to a third of the county. Consistent with national/rural patterns, Black and lower-income households are more likely than white and higher-income households to be mobile-only when wireline broadband isn’t available or affordable.
• Work patterns: Travel along US-231/AL-22 corridors shapes usage; commuting and service-area overlap near adjacent larger towns (e.g., Alexander City, Sylacauga, Wetumpka) improve coverage for some residents compared with interior rural areas.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network mix: Coverage is dominated by macro towers with wide cells; very few small cells. 4G LTE is the workhorse. 5G is present but largely low-band (good reach, modest speeds); mid-band 5G is limited compared to urban Alabama counties.
• Where coverage is strongest: Around Rockford and along US-231 and AL-22; at town centers like Rockford, Goodwater, and Kellyton; and near county borders that abut larger population hubs.
• Gaps: Interior forested, hilly areas and homes with metal roofs see indoor signal issues. Residents frequently use Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters. Coverage along minor rural roads can be inconsistent.
• Performance: Typical speeds are serviceable for messaging/social/video at standard resolutions but trail state medians—especially indoors or off-corridor. Congestion during evening hours is more noticeable where one carrier dominates.
• Carrier mix: AT&T and Verizon tend to have the most consistent rural coverage footprints; T‑Mobile’s 600 MHz reach has improved but building penetration can lag. Public-safety FirstNet (AT&T) supports coverage on main corridors.
• Public access: Libraries, schools, and municipal sites provide key Wi‑Fi offload points due to the share of mobile‑only households; availability is sparser than in metro counties.

How Coosa County differs from Alabama overall

• More mobile-only households: About one-third vs roughly one-fifth statewide.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration: Particularly among seniors, pulling the overall county percentage a few points below the state.
• Heavier prepaid/MVNO usage: Price sensitivity and credit hurdles tilt the market toward prepaid plans more than the Alabama average.
• Less 5G depth: Coverage relies more on low‑band 5G and LTE; mid‑band capacity is less common than in Birmingham/Huntsville/Mobile metros.
• Larger indoor coverage gaps: Terrain, construction, and sparser tower density lead to more reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and boosters than in most Alabama counties.
• ACP wind‑down effects: The 2024 lapse of the Affordable Connectivity Program hit rural, lower‑income users hard; Coosa shows more plan downgrades and hotspot trade‑offs than state urban centers, where fixed options are more plentiful.

Notes on method and sources

• Estimates synthesize: U.S. Census/ACS for population/age/race; Pew Research and NTIA Internet Use Survey for device adoption and mobile-only patterns; FCC mobile coverage filings for 4G/5G availability; and typical rural Alabama market characteristics. County-specific mobile adoption isn’t directly published; figures above reflect rural-AL benchmarks adjusted to Coosa County’s older age structure, income profile, and settlement pattern.

Below is a concise, county‑sized snapshot built from Pew Research platform usage, rural U.S./Alabama patterns, and Coosa County’s population/age profile. Treat figures as best‑fit estimates rather than official counts.

Population context

• Residents: ~10.6–10.8k; older-than-average age mix for Alabama; rural broadband/cell coverage varies by area.

How many use social media

• Active social media users (age 13+): ~6,000–8,000 people, roughly 65–75% of residents 13+.
• Daily users: ~55–60% of residents 13+ (most daily activity on Facebook and YouTube).

Age mix of users (share of social media users)

• 13–17: 7–10%
• 18–29: 20–25%
• 30–49: 35–40% (largest cohort online)
• 50–64: 20–25%
• 65+: 10–15%

Gender breakdown (among users)

• Slight female skew overall: ~51–54% women, ~46–49% men.
• Women over‑index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most‑used platforms in Coosa County (share of local social media users; monthly)

• YouTube: 80–85% (heavy how‑to, local sports clips, music, hunting/fishing content)
• Facebook (incl. Groups/Marketplace): 70–80% (most daily)
• Instagram: 25–35% (higher among under‑35)
• TikTok: 20–30% overall; 50–60% among under‑30
• Snapchat: 15–20% overall; 40–50% among teens/20s
• X (Twitter): 10–15% (sports, statewide news, weather chasers)
• Pinterest: 18–25% (women 25–54)
• Reddit: 8–12% (tech, gaming, college football subs)
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (smaller white‑collar segment)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited neighborhood coverage in rural areas)

Behavioral trends

• Community‑centric: Facebook Groups dominate for school updates, high‑school sports, churches, local events, lost/found pets, yard sales, and Buy/Sell/Trade.
• Marketplace first: Strong use of Facebook Marketplace for equipment, vehicles, and household items; posts with clear photos and prices perform best.
• Weather and safety: Spikes in engagement during severe weather, road closures, power outages; sharing from local meteorologists and EMA pages.
• Local news gap‑filling: Users rely on community pages and word‑of‑mouth for county news more than formal outlets.
• Content formats: Static photos, simple flyers, and short phone‑shot videos outperform long videos due to patchy bandwidth; YouTube used for longer how‑to and outdoor content.
• Timing: Peaks evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; secondary bump at lunch hours.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the de facto DM channel for local businesses and peer‑to‑peer coordination.
• Seasonal lift: August–November (football), spring festivals, and hunting season drive noticeable activity; election cycles raise news/politics engagement.

Notes on method and limits

• No public, platform‑verified counts exist at the county level. Figures are derived by scaling state/rural usage patterns (Pew Research Center and similar studies) to Coosa County’s size and age profile, then adjusting for rural platform preferences and connectivity.