Lowndes County

Lowndes County, Alabama — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 10,311
• 2010 Census: 11,299 (−8.7% over the decade)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~20–21%

Gender

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Racial/ethnic composition (race alone; Hispanic can be of any race)

• Black or African American: ~74%
• White: ~24%
• Two or more races and other: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%

Households

• Total households: ~3,800
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66%
• Nonfamily households: ~34%

Insights

• Small, rural, majority-Black county with an aging population and a sustained population decline since 2010.

Email usage snapshot — Lowndes County, Alabama (2024 est.)

• Estimated email users: ≈6,200 residents use email at least monthly. Basis: 2020 population ≈10,300; adult share ≈77%; local internet subscription rates below state average; email adoption among connected adults is high.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • Teens (13–17): 9%
  • 18–29: 17%
  • 30–49: 32%
  • 50–64: 22%
  • 65+: 20%
• Gender split among users: ≈52% female, 48% male (female adoption slightly higher in older cohorts).
• Digital access and usage trends:
  • Household internet subscription is modest for Alabama (roughly low-60s percent), with meaningful smartphone‑only reliance (≈15–20% of households), which supports frequent email checking but limits multi‑account/work usage.
  • Fixed broadband access is strongest along the I‑65 corridor and around Hayneville; western rural areas remain patchier, tempering heavy email use among seniors and low‑income households.
  • Public anchors (schools, libraries, county offices) and mobile carriers fill gaps; fiber build‑outs are slowly improving reliability and speeds.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈14 people per square mile across ~700+ square miles, raising last‑mile costs and slowing fixed broadband adoption—key determinants of email usage intensity.

Mobile phone usage in Lowndes County, Alabama (2024 snapshot)

Baseline

• Population: 10,311 (2020 Census); ≈9,800 (2023 estimate). About 3,800–3,900 households.
• Demographics: ≈73–74% Black/African American; ≈24% White; median household income low- to mid-$30k; poverty ≈27–30%. Entirely rural; no large urban centers. These factors drive heavier reliance on mobile connectivity than Alabama overall.

User estimates (people and households)

• Adult smartphone users: ≈6,600–6,900 adults (derived from adult share of population and observed rural smartphone adoption).
• Cellular-only internet households (no cable/DSL/fiber at home, rely on a cellular data plan): ≈1,150–1,250 households, equating to roughly 2,800–3,200 residents living in mobile-only internet households.

Adoption and usage metrics (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year, S2801; household-level)

• Smartphone in household: Lowndes ≈85–88% vs Alabama ≈90–93%.
• Any internet subscription: Lowndes ≈72–76% vs Alabama ≈82–85%.
• Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) at home: Lowndes ≈54–58% vs Alabama ≈70–74%.
• Cellular data plan in household: Lowndes ≈63–68% vs Alabama ≈60–66%.
• Cellular-only (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): Lowndes ≈30–34% vs Alabama ≈12–16%.
• No internet subscription: Lowndes ≈22–26% vs Alabama ≈11–15%.

What’s different from the state-level

• Much higher mobile dependence: Cellular-only households are roughly 2x the statewide rate, indicating residents use smartphones and hotspotting as their primary home internet.
• Lower fixed broadband take-up: Fixed subscriptions trail the state by 12–18 percentage points, pushing more daily communications, schoolwork, and streaming onto mobile networks.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration at the household level than Alabama overall, but with a larger share of households treating mobile as the main connection.
• Affordability sensitivity: With lower incomes and the sunset of ACP subsidies in 2024, Lowndes shows higher churn to prepaid plans and data-capped tiers compared with state averages.

Demographic contours of mobile use

• Race and income: A majority-Black, lower-income county with a higher share of mobile-only households than Alabama overall. This aligns with national patterns where Black and lower-income households are more smartphone- and cellular-dependent.
• Age: Younger adults (18–34) are the heaviest mobile-data users; older residents are overrepresented among the ≈22–26% with no subscription, widening intra-county digital gaps compared with Alabama averages.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and generations: All three national MNOs (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide countywide 4G LTE on primary corridors; 5G low-band covers most populated stretches, with mid-band 5G concentrated along I‑65 (Fort Deposit area) and the US‑80 corridor toward Montgomery/Selma.
• Capacity and gaps: Macrocell spacing is wide outside the interstates; interior farm/forest areas and Alabama River bottomlands experience weaker signal and slower uplink, especially indoors—conditions less common in Alabama’s metros.
• Public-safety builds: AT&T FirstNet additions since 2019 improved rural LTE coverage and resilience on major routes; benefits are notable in Lowndes given limited fixed alternatives.
• Fixed–wireless substitution: T‑Mobile 5G Home and pockets of Verizon 5G/LTE Home are available along main corridors, used as primary home internet by some households—another marker of above-average reliance on mobile infrastructure versus the statewide mix.
• Fiber expansion outlook: Alabama’s BEAD/ARPA-funded builds target Black Belt counties (including Lowndes) for 2025–2028; until new fiber reaches dispersed homes, mobile networks will continue to shoulder a larger share of home connectivity than the state norm.

Key takeaways

• Lowndes County’s defining trend is high mobile dependence: roughly one in three households rely solely on cellular data at home—about double the Alabama average—because fixed broadband availability, affordability, and adoption lag.
• The county’s mobile networks function as both personal and primary household internet far more than elsewhere in Alabama, making coverage and capacity upgrades along and beyond I‑65/US‑80 disproportionately impactful for daily life, education, and work.

Lowndes County, AL — Social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈9,700
• Adults (18+): ≈7,600

Estimated adult social media audience

• Active social media users: ≈6,000 adults (≈61% of total population; ≈79% of adults)
• Gender mix (users): ≈55% women (≈3,300), ≈45% men (≈2,700)

Age mix of users

• 18–29: ≈20% (≈1,200)
• 30–49: ≈33% (≈2,000)
• 50–64: ≈27% (≈1,600)
• 65+: ≈20% (≈1,200)

Most-used platforms (adult reach; estimates)

• YouTube: ≈83% of adults (≈6,300)
• Facebook: ≈68% of adults (≈5,200)
• Instagram: ≈47% of adults (≈3,600)
• TikTok: ≈33% of adults (≈2,500)
• Snapchat: ≈27% of adults (≈2,100)
• X (Twitter): ≈22% of adults (≈1,700)
• Pinterest: ≈35% of adults (≈2,700)
• LinkedIn: ≈30% of adults (≈2,300)
• WhatsApp: ≈21% of adults (≈1,600)
• Nextdoor: ≈19% of adults (≈1,400) Note: Individuals often use multiple platforms; counts overlap.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local hub: Community news, school athletics, churches, county services, and buy/sell activity revolve around Facebook Pages and especially Groups. Messenger is the default for inquiries and transactions.
• Video drives attention: Short vertical video (TikTok and Instagram Reels, also reposted to Facebook) outperforms static posts; YouTube remains strong for longer local content (church services, tutorials, local sports recaps).
• Older audiences skew Facebook/YouTube; younger skew Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat: Under 35s concentrate on Instagram Stories/Reels and TikTok; 50+ rely on Facebook for day-to-day updates and Groups.
• Local proof wins: Posts featuring recognizable people, places, or events and practical info (weather impacts, school schedules, road closures, local opportunities) earn the highest engagement.
• Mobile-first consumption: Smartphone-only access is common, so captions, large text, and sound-off-friendly video matter. Links out of platform underperform versus native posts and DMs.
• Nextdoor has a minor footprint; Facebook Groups fill the neighborhood role, especially for lost-and-found, recommendations, and hyperlocal alerts.
• Messaging over forms: Residents prefer direct messages or call/text over web forms; include phone numbers and Messenger CTAs.

Method notes and sources

• Population and age/gender base: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS, latest estimates available).
• Platform reach: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Percentages applied to the county’s adult population to produce local counts; figures rounded to avoid false precision.