Cullman County

Cullman County, Alabama – key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates; primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year, rounded)

• Population: ~91,000 (2023 est.); 2020 Census: 87,866
• Age:
  • Median age: ~41–42
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 65 and over: ~20%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~50.5–51%
  • Male: ~49–49.5%
• Race and Hispanic origin:
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~84–86%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8–9%
  • Black or African American: ~1–2%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.6–0.8%
  • Asian: ~0.4–0.6%
• Households:
  • Number of households: ~34,000–35,000
  • Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
  • Family households: ~65–70% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~50–55% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
  • One-person households: ~25–30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (5-year) and 2020 Decennial Census.

Cullman County, AL snapshot (estimates)

• Population baseline: ~90,000 residents; density ~120 per sq. mile (rural/micropolitan mix).
• Email users: ~72,000–76,000 residents use email at least occasionally, based on local broadband adoption and national usage patterns.

Age distribution of email users

• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–34: ~22%
• 35–64: ~45%
• 65+: ~16% (Assumes higher adoption among working-age adults and somewhat lower among seniors/teens.)

Gender split

• Roughly even: ~50% female, ~50% male among users (email usage shows minimal gender gaps).

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription: roughly 80–85% (ACS-style measures), up over the past few years.
• Mobile-only internet reliance: ~10–15% of households, higher in lower-income and rural tracts.
• Fiber expansion: Cullman Electric Cooperative’s Sprout Fiber and AT&T have expanded gigabit fiber in and around Cullman and along key corridors; Spectrum offers cable in denser areas.
• Coverage: Most addresses have ≥100/20 Mbps options near towns and the I‑65 corridor; the most rural pockets lag due to lower density and last‑mile costs.
• Public access: Schools, libraries, and Wallace State Community College provide free Wi‑Fi that supplements home access.

Below is a practical, county‑level snapshot built from recent public benchmarks (ACS demographics, Pew device adoption, FCC coverage) adjusted for Cullman’s rural/ exurban profile. Figures are estimates and shown as ranges where county‑specific measurements aren’t published.

Headline estimate

• Residents using smartphones: roughly 62,000–66,000 people in Cullman County.
  • Basis: population near 90k; adult share ~75–78%; smartphone adoption in rural South ~83–88% among adults; teens ~90%+.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age
  • Older skew vs Alabama overall: 65+ share roughly 19–21% (a bit higher than the state). Smartphone ownership among 65+ trails other ages (about 65–75%), so overall adoption is pulled down slightly vs the state.
  • Working‑age adults (25–54) show near‑universal smartphone access; heavy Facebook, YouTube, and SMS reliance remains common for coordination across schools, churches, and shift work.
• Income/plan type
  • Median household income is below the state average; prepaid penetration is higher: ~25–30% of lines (vs low‑20s statewide). Multi‑line postpaid remains strong among families along the I‑65 corridor.
• Platform and devices
  • Android has a modest edge (about 55–60%) compared with Alabama’s more even split; cost‑sensitive and prepaid users favor Android.
  • Feature phones persist slightly more than the state average among seniors and certain workforces (construction, agriculture).
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • County is predominantly White, with a growing Hispanic community (~7–9%). Spanish‑speaking households show higher use of WhatsApp and Facebook for messaging and community info than the county average.
• Connectivity patterns
  • “Cell‑only” households: about two‑thirds (higher than you’d expect for an older county), driven by price sensitivity and wide mobile coverage in towns.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users (no home broadband) are a bit more common than the state average outside Cullman/Hanceville/Good Hope.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Mobile networks
  • 4G LTE: Strong along I‑65, U.S. 31, and in/around Cullman, Hanceville, Good Hope, Dodge City, West Point, Holly Pond; patchier in hollows, wooded lake coves, and some northern/eastern rural roads.
  • 5G:
    • Low‑band 5G is broadly available outdoors.
    • Mid‑band (faster) 5G is concentrated around the City of Cullman and the I‑65 corridor; rural coverage is spottier than the Alabama average.
    • Millimeter‑wave is effectively absent.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) has a visible footprint for public safety; temporary capacity boosts are typical during large events.
• Backhaul and towers
  • Dozens of macro sites line I‑65 and population clusters; rural sectors rely on longer inter‑site distances, which contributes to capacity dips at peak times or in challenging terrain.
• Fixed broadband interplay (matters for mobile offload)
  • Rapid fiber build by the local electric cooperative (Sprout Fiber) and other providers is expanding in and around towns; this is improving Wi‑Fi offload and indoor calling.
  • Outside fiber footprints, fixed wireless (including T‑Mobile Home Internet and local WISPs) and satellite (notably Starlink at lake/remote homes) fill gaps; this raises reliance on mobile data relative to the state.
• Performance hotspots and pain points
  • Congestion spikes during regional events (e.g., Rock the South) and on summer weekends around Smith Lake.
  • Metal‑roof homes and valleys see indoor signal issues; Wi‑Fi calling is a common workaround.

How Cullman County differs from the Alabama statewide picture

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption due to an older age mix, but
  • Higher smartphone‑only internet dependence in rural tracts where cable/fiber are scarce.
• Higher prepaid share and stronger Android tilt than the state average, reflecting budget‑sensitive segments.
• 5G mid‑band coverage lags the state’s metro‑driven buildouts; low‑band 5G is present but delivers LTE‑like speeds in much of the county.
• Faster recent gains in fiber availability than many peer rural counties (thanks to the co‑op build), creating a split: town residents offload heavily to home Wi‑Fi, while outlying residents lean on mobile/fixed‑wireless for primary access.
• Pronounced weekday/daytime mobility on I‑65 between Birmingham and Huntsville produces corridor‑centric demand patterns less typical of many rural Alabama counties not straddling an interstate.

Working estimates (for planning)

• Total smartphone users: 62k–66k residents.
• Adults with smartphones: ~57k–60k; teens with smartphones: ~5k–6k.
• Prepaid lines: mid‑ to high‑20% share.
• Android share: roughly 55–60%.
• Cell‑only households: about two‑thirds; smartphone‑only internet users higher outside municipal areas.

Notes and sources behind the estimates

• Population and age structure from ACS/Census; device ownership benchmarks from Pew; coverage/technology mix inferred from FCC maps and carrier build patterns in North Alabama. For precise, current footprints or tower counts, consult the Alabama BEAD/ADECA maps, FCC National Broadband Map, and carrier RF engineers’ public filings.

Social media usage in Cullman County, Alabama (2025 estimates)

Snapshot

• Population: ~90,000; adults (18+): ~68,000–70,000
• Active social media users (monthly): ~45,000–55,000
  • Share of adults using social: ~65–75%
  • Daily users: ~35,000–40,000

Age mix of social users (share of users)

• 13–17: 8–10% (heavy Snapchat/TikTok; some Instagram)
• 18–24: 10–12% (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube)
• 25–34: 18–20% (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok; Marketplace)
• 35–44: 18–20% (Facebook/Groups, Instagram; YouTube)
• 45–54: 15–17% (Facebook/Groups; YouTube)
• 55–64: 12–14% (Facebook; YouTube)
• 65+: 10–12% (Facebook; YouTube; lower but growing)

Gender breakdown

• Female: ~52–55%
• Male: ~45–48%

Most-used platforms (share of adult social users using at least monthly)

• Facebook (incl. Groups): 70–80%
• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 22–30% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 20–30% (skews female)
• X/Twitter: 8–15%
• LinkedIn: 8–12%
• Reddit: 5–10%
• Nextdoor: 3–7% (Facebook Groups fill the “neighborhood” role)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (family/work groups; smaller than Messenger)

Behavioral trends

• Local-first engagement: school sports, church updates, severe weather, community events, lost/found pets, and buy/sell/trade drive comments and shares.
• Facebook Groups = community hub: yard sales, Marketplace, civic alerts, PTO and rec-league sports; admins/moderators have outsized influence.
• Video-forward consumption: short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) and YouTube how‑to, hunting/fishing, motorsports; live streams for church and high school sports.
• Shopping behavior: Facebook Marketplace is a top channel for vehicles, equipment, furniture; service businesses get DMs via Messenger more than calls.
• Timing: peaks 6–8 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; Friday nights (football season) and severe-weather windows spike; Sunday late morning dips.
• Trust signals: content from known local figures, schools, churches, and small businesses outperforms brand-generic posts; UGC photos with kids/teams perform strongly.
• Access constraints: patchy rural broadband—optimize for smaller video files and clear captions.
• Tone and topics: practical/helpful posts beat polished ads; issue and election content can surge but needs moderation.

Notes on method

• Figures are estimates derived from county population and age structure combined with Pew Research Center U.S. platform usage, rural/Southeast skews, and Alabama adoption patterns. Exact platform-level counts for Cullman County are not publicly released.