Marshall County

Marshall County, Alabama — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data; primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates; 2020 Census noted where relevant)

Population size

• 100,600 (ACS 2019–2023 estimate)
• 97,612 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~82%
• Black or African American alone: ~2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Some other race: ~9%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~16% of total population
• Non-Hispanic White: roughly two-thirds to seven-tenths of the population

Households and housing

• Households: ~37,700
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70% of households; average family size ~3.1
• Married-couple families: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74–76%

Notes and insights

• The county has grown modestly since 2020 and notably since 2010.
• Hispanic/Latino share is high relative to Alabama statewide averages.
• Age structure is balanced, with roughly one in six residents age 65+.

• Estimated email users: ~75,000 residents in Marshall County use email at least monthly (modeled from 2020 Census population ≈97,600 and national adoption rates).
• Age distribution of email users (share; count):
  • 13–17: 6% (~4,500)
  • 18–34: 24% (~18,000)
  • 35–54: 35% (~26,000)
  • 55–64: 16% (~12,000)
  • 65+: 19% (~14,500)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (38,000) and 49% male (37,000), mirroring the county’s population mix.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~78% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2022), with uptake strongest in and around Albertville, Boaz, Arab, and Guntersville; remaining households rely on mobile-only access or have no home internet.
  • ~12% of households are smartphone‑only internet users; older and rural residents are overrepresented in this group.
  • Email use is near-universal among working-age adults and growing among seniors as telehealth, banking, and government services digitize.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density is roughly 170 people per square mile.
  • Terrain around Lake Guntersville and the Appalachian foothills contributes to pockets of weaker fixed-broadband availability; fixed wireless and cellular networks help close gaps, supporting high email reach despite uneven wireline coverage.

Mobile phone usage in Marshall County, Alabama — 2024 summary

Core user estimates

• Population baseline: 97,612 (2020 Census). Adults 18+ ≈ 74–76% of population (about 72,000–75,000 adults).
• Adults with a mobile phone: 95–96% of adults, or roughly 69,000–72,000 users (aligned with national and Southern-region NHIS/Pew levels).
• Adult smartphone users: 80–84% of adults, or roughly 58,000–63,000 users. This sits a touch below Alabama’s statewide rate due to a slightly older age mix locally.
• Wireless-only (no landline) households: 75–77% in Marshall County, versus about 72–74% statewide (CDC NHIS, 2022–2023). Expect Marshall County to be a point or two higher than Alabama overall.
• Mobile-only home internet reliance (households that rely on cellular data and lack a fixed broadband subscription): estimated 18–22% in Marshall County versus roughly 15–17% statewide (ACS internet-subscription indicators and FCC BDC patterns for rural counties). In Marshall, that translates to roughly 6,500–8,000 households.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–29: very high smartphone ownership (~95–97%).
  • 30–49: similarly high (~92–95%).
  • 50–64: solid but lower (~84–88%).
  • 65+: materially lower (~66–71%) but rising each year.
  • Marshall County skews slightly older than Alabama overall, which nudges total smartphone penetration down 1–2 percentage points locally compared with the state.
• Income and education
  • Median household income in Marshall County trails the state median. Lower-income households are more likely to be mobile-only for home internet and to use prepaid plans, pushing the county’s mobile-only reliance above the state average.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Hispanic/Latino share in Marshall County is significantly higher than the Alabama average (Marshall ~15% vs state ~5%). Hispanic households in Alabama typically show above-average mobile reliance, contributing to the county’s elevated mobile-only home internet share. Overall smartphone ownership among Hispanic adults is strong and in line with or slightly above the county average.
• Urban–rural mix
  • Albertville, Boaz, Arab, and Guntersville anchor higher-capacity 5G service; outlying rural areas see more LTE fallback and signal variability. This mix creates a wider gap between “town” and “outlying” performance than seen in more urban Alabama counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier footprint
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide countywide LTE with 5G NR along primary corridors (US‑431, US‑278, AL‑75) and in population centers.
  • Mid‑band 5G (2.5 GHz on T‑Mobile, C‑band on Verizon; AT&T C‑band in limited pockets) is live in and around Albertville, Boaz, Guntersville, and Arab, delivering typical outdoor median speeds in the 150–300 Mbps range where mid‑band is available. Low‑band 5G/LTE dominate between towns.
• Terrain impacts
  • Lake Guntersville and surrounding ridgelines introduce line‑of‑sight challenges; shoreline and hollows can experience weaker indoor coverage and more frequent LTE fallback, particularly away from highways.
• Backhaul and capacity
  • Most town‑center macro sites are fiber‑fed; some rural sectors still rely on microwave backhaul, which can limit peak capacity. Evening and weekend congestion spikes appear around recreation areas and event venues.
• Emergency and public safety
  • Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and E911 Phase II are supported countywide; FirstNet (AT&T) coverage overlays public-safety operations, with Band 14 present on select sites.

How Marshall County differs from Alabama overall

• Higher wireless-only households: about 1–3 percentage points above the state average, reflecting lower fixed-broadband subscription rates in some census tracts and a larger share of cost‑conscious users.
• Higher mobile-only home internet reliance: roughly 2–5 percentage points above the Alabama average, driven by rural last‑mile gaps and a larger Hispanic population with strong mobile-first adoption.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: around 1–2 percentage points below the state rate because of an older age mix and rural segments with lower upgrade cadence.
• More pronounced performance gap between towns and outlying areas: mid‑band 5G is strong along the main corridors and in cities, while rural pockets rely more on LTE/low‑band 5G than the state’s urban counties.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census; ACS 5‑year internet-subscription indicators (latest available through 2019–2023).
• CDC National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 2022–2023, wireless‑only households by state.
• Pew Research Center, 2023, smartphone adoption by age and income.
• FCC Broadband Data Collection (mobile availability and technology), 2023–2024.
• Carrier public deployment disclosures for mid‑band 5G in Alabama, 2022–2024.

Figures shown for Marshall County are 2024 modeled estimates anchored to these sources and the county’s demographic mix.

Marshall County, Alabama — social media snapshot (2025, localized estimates)

Population context

• Residents: ~100,000; adults (18+): ~77%
• Smartphone ownership (18+): ~87% of adults
• Social media users: ~78% of adults; ~82% of residents aged 13+

User stats and behavior

• Daily use among social users: 74% (58% check multiple times per day)
• Median time on social per adult user: ~1.8 hours/day
• Average platforms used per person: ~3
• Primary device: smartphone (≈93% of sessions)
• Peak activity: evenings 7–10 pm; secondary peak 12–1 pm weekdays
• Content behaviors: heavy use of Facebook Groups for schools, churches, youth sports, yard sales, and civic updates; frequent use of Marketplace; short-form video consumption rising (YouTube Shorts/TikTok/Reels); local news and weather are high-engagement staples
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp common among Hispanic households; Snapchat concentrated among teens/young adults
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace dominates casual buying/selling; Instagram shopping/tags used by boutiques; TikTok Shop present but niche

Age-group penetration (share using social media)

• 13–17: 92%
• 18–29: 94%
• 30–49: 85%
• 50–64: 72%
• 65+: 48%

Gender breakdown (of social media users)

• Women: 52%; men: 48%
• Notable skews: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit

Most-used platforms (share of adult residents using monthly)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 27%
• Pinterest: 28%
• Snapchat: 20%
• LinkedIn: 17%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• WhatsApp: 14%
• Reddit: 13%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Localized insights

• Facebook is the community backbone: Groups, events, and Marketplace drive daily habit
• Video leads reach: YouTube for how‑to, local sports, and entertainment; short-form video drives discovery among under‑40
• Youth split attention: Instagram + Snapchat + TikTok; cross-posting Reels/Stories improves coverage
• Bilingual opportunity: Spanish/English content performs in neighborhoods with larger Hispanic populations
• Trust and participation: content tied to schools, churches, weather alerts, and local businesses earns the highest engagement

Notes: Figures are 2025 localized estimates synthesized from U.S. Census Bureau demographics, Pew Research Center 2024 social-platform adoption by age and community type, and platform audience tools, adjusted for Marshall County’s rural/suburban profile. Expected margin of error ±3–5 percentage points by platform.