Dallas County

Here are key demographics for Dallas County, Alabama.

Population size

• 35.6k (2023 Population Estimates Program)
• 36.1k (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~54%
• Male: ~46%

Race/ethnicity (alone or in combination; Hispanic may be of any race)

• Black or African American: ~70%
• White: ~27–28%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%

Households

• Total households: ~14.6k
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Average family size: ~3.1
• Household type:
  • Family households: ~63%
    • Married-couple families: ~30%
    • Female householder, no spouse present: ~27%
  • Nonfamily households: ~37%
  • Households with children under 18: ~26%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates Program for total population; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics). Estimates rounded.

Dallas County, AL snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: ~36,000 residents; ~37 people per square mile. About 27,000 are adults (18+).
• Email users: 21,000–24,000 adult email users (roughly 80–88% of adults), reflecting slightly lower adoption than national averages due to lower broadband access.
• Age distribution of email use (share of adults in each group who use email):
  • 18–29: ~90–93%
  • 30–49: ~90–95%
  • 50–64: ~85–90%
  • 65+: ~70–80%
• Gender split among email users: roughly mirrors population (about 53% female, 47% male); usage rates are similar by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription: roughly 65–72% of households; 15–20% have no home internet.
  • Smartphone‑only internet: about 18–25% of households rely mainly on mobile data.
  • Reliance on public/third‑place Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, civic centers) is notable in and around Selma.
• Connectivity and local density facts:
  • Fixed broadband is strongest in Selma; rural areas often depend on DSL or fixed wireless.
  • 4G/LTE covers most of the county; 5G is concentrated near Selma.
  • Lower population density and higher poverty rates correlate with below‑average home broadband adoption.

Sources: ACS Computer & Internet Use (S2801), FCC/NTIA broadband availability, and Pew Research email/online adoption rates.

Here’s a concise, decision-ready view of mobile phone usage in Dallas County, Alabama, emphasizing how local patterns diverge from statewide trends.

Executive summary

• Dallas County is majority-Black, lower-income, and largely rural with a small urban core (Selma). Mobile phones are the primary on-ramp to the internet for many households.
• Smartphone adoption is slightly lower than the Alabama average, but dependence on mobile data (vs. fixed broadband) is higher. 5G exists mainly around Selma; rural areas are still LTE-first with capacity and coverage gaps.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, 2024 context)

• Population baseline: roughly 35–37k residents; adults ~26–29k.
• Unique smartphone users: approximately 24–27k residents (adults plus teens), reflecting lower adoption than state averages but near-universal usage among younger cohorts.
• Mobile-only (smartphone as primary/only internet): an estimated 25–35% of households, notably higher than the statewide share, driven by lower fixed-broadband availability and affordability.
• Multiple lines per user are less common than in metro Alabama; prepaid and discount plans represent a larger share of lines than statewide.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age: Near-universal smartphone use among teens and 18–34; sizable but below-state adoption among 65+. Older adult uptake is limited by device cost and digital skills.
• Race/ethnicity: The county’s majority-Black population shows higher mobile-only reliance than White residents, reflecting affordability gaps and less wireline availability in neighborhoods outside Selma.
• Income: Lower-income households are more likely to be mobile-first, to use prepaid, and to rely on public Wi‑Fi for offloading. The 2024 wind-down of ACP benefits disproportionately reduced affordability locally compared with the state average.
• Education/occupation: Service, hourly, and gig workers skew toward mobile-only plans and hotspotting for work tasks; students often depend on school/E‑Rate Wi‑Fi and library access after school hours.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • Selma and the US‑80 corridor have multi-carrier 5G (sub‑6 GHz); mmWave is not a factor.
  • Large rural tracts remain LTE-focused with patchy 5G availability and occasional dead zones in low-lying/river-adjacent areas.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Urban nodes meet typical app/video needs; rural sectors experience evening congestion and lower median speeds than Alabama’s statewide medians.
  • Uplink performance in rural cells can be a constraint for telehealth and video calls.
• Carriers and networks:
  • All three nationals (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) serve the county. AT&T’s FirstNet build has improved public-safety coverage in and around Selma; T‑Mobile’s mid-band 5G is mainly in town; Verizon C‑band availability is concentrated near population centers.
  • Little small‑cell density; macro towers dominate. Backhaul limitations outside Selma affect consistency.
• Wireline/broadband context:
  • Fixed broadband adoption is below state average; cable/fiber options are concentrated in Selma, with DSL or legacy copper common in outlying areas.
  • Because home broadband is less available/affordable, households lean on cellular data and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, churches) to fill gaps.

How Dallas County differs from Alabama overall

• Adoption: Slightly lower smartphone ownership overall than statewide, but higher dependence on smartphones as the primary internet connection.
• Affordability: Greater sensitivity to device and plan cost; higher prevalence of prepaid and discount plans than the state average.
• Infrastructure: More pronounced rural coverage gaps and fewer mid-band 5G sectors per capita; capacity constraints outside the urban core are more common than statewide.
• Performance: Typical speeds and reliability in Selma; noticeably lower and more variable performance outside town compared with state medians.
• Program impact: The ACP wind-down in 2024 had an outsized impact locally due to higher poverty rates and fewer wireline alternatives.

Data notes and confidence

• Estimates are synthesized from county population/demographics, Pew-style adoption rates by age/income/rurality, FCC coverage patterns, and known carrier deployments through 2024. Exact subscriber and tower counts at the county level are not publicly enumerated.
• For planning or investment, validate addresses/towers with the FCC National Broadband Map, carrier 5G/LTE maps, Ookla/MLab speed tests, and local anchor institutions (schools, hospitals, libraries).

Dallas County, Alabama — social media snapshot (modeled 2024–2025)

Overall usage

• Population: ~36–37K; adults (18+): ~27–28K.
• Internet access: ~68–72% of households with broadband; smartphone access ~80–85% of adults.
• Social media penetration: 65–72% of adults use at least one platform (18–20K people). Teens (13–17): ~1.8–2.2K, high usage (85%+).

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adult residents; ranges reflect county demographics layered on national/rural patterns)

• YouTube: 60–70%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 20–28%
• Pinterest: 18–25% (skews female)
• Snapchat: 15–22% (mostly under 35)
• X/Twitter: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (lower due to local industry mix)
• WhatsApp: 5–10% (niche)
• Nextdoor: 3–6% (limited footprint; Facebook Groups fill the gap)

Age mix of social media users (share of social users)

• 13–17: ~9–11% (heavy on TikTok/Snapchat/IG; YouTube near‑universal)
• 18–24: ~12–14% (TikTok/IG/Snapchat dominant; Facebook secondary)
• 25–34: ~15–17% (IG/TikTok strong; Facebook/YouTube for groups and how‑tos)
• 35–44: ~16–18% (Facebook/YouTube core; IG growing)
• 45–54: ~15–17% (Facebook/YouTube; Pinterest for women)
• 55–64: ~13–15% (Facebook/YouTube)
• 65+: ~13–16% (Facebook/YouTube; minimal TikTok/IG)

Gender breakdown

• Overall social audience: ~56–58% women, ~42–44% men.
• Platform tendencies: Facebook and Pinterest skew female; YouTube and X skew male; Instagram near even with slight female tilt; Snapchat/TikTok skew female among teens/young adults.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: local news, schools and sports, churches, civic updates, Marketplace/yard‑sale groups; high engagement in county/city and neighborhood groups.
• Video first: short‑form Reels/TikTok for under‑35; how‑to, sermons, and long‑form local content on YouTube for 35+.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is primary; SMS second; WhatsApp limited but used in some family/faith circles.
• Peak times: morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), evening (7–10 p.m.); spikes during severe weather and elections.
• Content that performs: weather and road conditions, high‑school sports highlights, church/community events, small‑business promos, jobs, and public‑service notices.
• Ads/organic: Best paid reach via Facebook/Instagram; TikTok efficient for 18–34; YouTube pre‑roll for broad awareness; rely on Facebook Groups for organic distribution.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Figures are modeled from ACS county demographics and Pew Research social‑platform adoption (2024), adjusted for rural Alabama patterns; platform ad‑reach tools typically corroborate these ranges. For campaign planning, validate with live ad‑platform reach estimates by geotargeting Dallas County.