Houston County

Houston County, Alabama — key demographics

Population size

• 108,400 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: 39.7 years
• Under 18: 23.3%
• 65 and over: 18.5%

Gender

• Female: 51.9%
• Male: 48.1%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: 69.0%
• Black or African American alone: 26.0%
• Asian alone: 1.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: 0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1%
• Two or more races: 3.0%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 4.4%

Household data

• Households: 42,900 (ACS 2018–2022)
• People per household: 2.53
• Family households: 66% of households
• Married-couple households: 47% of households
• Households with children under 18: 29%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 69% (renter-occupied: 31%)

Insights

• The county skews slightly older than the U.S. overall, is majority White with a sizable Black population, and has a comparatively high homeownership rate.

Houston County, AL (2025 snapshot)

• Population: ~108,000; adults ~84,000.
• Estimated email users: ~79,600 adults (≈94% of adults; ≈74% of total population).

Email users by age (approximate counts; share of users):

• 18–29: ~16,600 (21%)
• 30–49: ~26,300 (33%)
• 50–64: ~21,000 (26%)
• 65+: ~15,700 (20%)

Gender split

• Email use is effectively even by gender; ≈51% female and 49% male among users, mirroring the county’s demographic balance.

Digital access and trends

• Households with a broadband subscription: ~85%.
• Households with a computer or smartphone: ~92–95%.
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ~18%.
• No home internet: ~12–14%.
• Trend: Fiber and 5G coverage are expanding in and around Dothan, while outer rural tracts rely more on fixed wireless or satellite, with lower provider choice and lower subscription rates than the urban core.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Land area ~580 sq mi; population density ~185–190 per sq mi.
• Most residents are concentrated in and around Dothan, where multi‑provider overlap supports higher speeds and reliability; sparsely populated edges of the county have noticeably weaker fixed broadband options.

Notes: Estimates combine 2023 Census population, ACS S2801-style subscription benchmarks, and Pew U.S. email adoption rates by age.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Houston County, Alabama (2023–2024 best-available estimates)

Overall penetration and user base

• Population base: ~108,000 residents; ~84,000 adults (18+); ~43,000 households.
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~80,000 adults, reflecting ~95% adult mobile adoption typical of the South.
• Smartphone users: ~69,000 adults, reflecting ~82–85% adult smartphone adoption.
• Smartphone-only internet households (use cellular data but no home wired broadband): ~6,500–7,500 households (roughly 15–17% of households).
• Households with no home internet of any kind: ~4,500–5,000 (about 10–12% of households), with most still using smartphones for basic connectivity.
• Wireless-only voice (no landline): roughly 4 in 5 households, consistent with Southern and rural-leaning markets.

Demographic patterns linked to usage

• Age: A relatively larger 65+ share than the Alabama average translates into slightly lower overall smartphone penetration but higher basic cellphone ownership. Estimated smartphone adoption by age: 18–34 ~95%+, 35–64 ~90%, 65+ ~70–75%.
• Income and plan mix: Lower‑to‑moderate median household incomes and a sizable service‑sector workforce support a high share of prepaid and budget MVNO plans, above the Alabama average in urban centers but below rural Black Belt counties.
• Race/ethnicity: A diverse base (majority White, a significant Black population, and a smaller but growing Hispanic population) aligns with high messaging/app-based communications and elevated mobile-dependence among lower‑income households. Spanish‑language mobile usage is rising off a small base, concentrated in and around Dothan job centers.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE is effectively countywide; 5G covers Dothan and major corridors (US‑231, US‑84) with the fastest mid‑band capacity in and near the city. Rural tracts trend toward low‑band 5G or LTE with lower median speeds.
• Capacity hotspots: Dothan’s retail/medical clusters and beach‑bound seasonal traffic on US‑231 drive peak loads; carriers focus upgrades there first.
• Wireline backstop: Cable broadband is widespread in Dothan; fiber-to-the-home is available in select neighborhoods and expanding along main spines. Rural areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite, reinforcing smartphone-only reliance outside the city.
• Reliability: Storm‑season resilience has improved (battery hardening and portable cell sites), but short‑duration rural outages still occur faster than in metro Alabama markets when commercial power is lost.

How Houston County differs from Alabama statewide

• Slightly lower smartphone-only household share than Alabama’s overall rate, thanks to stronger cable/fiber availability in Dothan compared with many rural counties. Outside the city, smartphone-only dependence climbs and can exceed the state average in the most sparsely served tracts.
• Coverage quality is more bimodal: urban Dothan has above‑average 5G capacity and indoor performance for a mid‑size market, but the rural periphery falls off more sharply than in Alabama’s larger metros.
• Seasonal and corridor-driven demand (especially along US‑231) is a more pronounced factor than in many Alabama counties, shaping where carriers prioritize 5G capacity upgrades.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the state average, which nudges overall smartphone penetration down a few points countywide despite very high adoption among working‑age adults.

Key takeaways

• About 80,000 adults in Houston County use mobile phones, with roughly 69,000 using smartphones.
• Mobile is the primary or only internet on-ramp for roughly one in six households, concentrated outside Dothan.
• Investment has created a “strong core, weaker edge” pattern: excellent 5G capacity in Dothan and on main roads, with slower LTE/low‑band 5G in rural areas.
• Compared with Alabama overall, Houston County sees better urban mobile capacity and wireline options than many rural counties, but sharper urban–rural performance contrasts within the county itself.

Houston County, AL social media snapshot (estimated 2025, derived by applying current U.S. platform adoption rates to Houston County’s age/sex profile from recent ACS data)

User stats

• Population: ~107,000
• Monthly social media users (ages 13+): 68,000 (75% of residents 13+)
• Adult users (18+): 61,000 (73% of adults)
• Device context: High smartphone-led usage; video and messaging apps dominate time spent

Age profile of local social users (share of ~68,000 users)

• 13–17: ~7,000 (10%)
• 18–24: ~8,000 (12%)
• 25–34: ~13,000 (19%)
• 35–44: ~12,000 (18%)
• 45–54: ~10,000 (15%)
• 55–64: ~9,000 (13%)
• 65+: ~9,000 (13%)

Gender breakdown (of social media users)

• Female: 54% (36,700 users)
• Male: 46% (31,300 users) Notes on skews: Pinterest and Instagram lean female; Reddit and X (Twitter) lean male; Facebook close to even but over-indexes among women 35+

Most-used platforms locally (share of social media users; multi-platform use is common)

• Facebook: 84% (57,000)
• YouTube: 80% (54,000)
• Instagram: 46% (31,000)
• TikTok: 37% (25,000)
• Snapchat: 32% (22,000)
• Pinterest: 31% (21,000)
• LinkedIn: 22% (15,000)
• X (Twitter): 20% (14,000)
• WhatsApp: 16% (11,000)
• Reddit: 14% (10,000)
• Nextdoor: 10% (7,000)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: Heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, buy/sell, youth sports), Marketplace browsing, local news and weather updates, and event discovery. Engagement peaks around early evening; weekend mornings see strong group activity.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, church services, local sports and outdoor content; Facebook video and Instagram Reels see strong shares; TikTok growing for local food, boutiques, and event discovery among 18–34.
• Messaging-centric among younger users: Snapchat and Instagram DMs are primary communication for teens and college-age; Stories used for daily life updates.
• Shopping and planning: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups drive deal-seeking; Pinterest over-indexes among women 25–44 for home, crafts, recipes; TikTok/Instagram influence dining out and boutique visits.
• Civic and weather use: Facebook and X are key during severe weather and school closings; high comment volumes on posts from local media, schools, and public agencies.
• Professional pockets: LinkedIn usage concentrated in healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics around Dothan; used for hiring and local networking.

Method in brief

• Figures are localized estimates for 2025 created by applying current U.S. platform adoption by age and gender (e.g., Pew Research) to Houston County’s demographic mix (recent ACS). Counts are rounded for clarity.