Perry County

Perry County, Alabama — key demographics

Population size

• 8,511 (2020 Census). Down from 10,591 in 2010 (−19.7%).

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2018–2022).
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; race alone unless noted)

• Black or African American: ~69%
• White: ~28%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• Two or more races and other: ~1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~3,300
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~66% (married-couple ~34%; female householder no spouse ~26%)
• Nonfamily households: ~34%; ~31% live alone; ~15% age 65+ living alone
• Housing units: ~4,100; owner-occupied ~74%; renter-occupied ~26%

Insights

• Majority-Black county with a shrinking population and an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Small household sizes and a relatively high share of female-headed family households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population, race/ethnicity) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, gender, households).

Perry County, Alabama — Email usage snapshot

• Population and density: 8,511 residents (2020 Census) across ~719 sq mi; ~12 people per sq mi (very low density).
• Estimated email users: ~5,300 residents (range 5,000–5,600), based on local internet adoption and typical U.S. email use among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users (share; approx. counts):
  • 13–17: 6% (~320)
  • 18–34: 24% (~1,270)
  • 35–54: 34% (~1,800)
  • 55–64: 18% (~950)
  • 65+: 18% (~960)
• Gender split among email users: 53% female (2,810) and 47% male (2,490), reflecting county demographics.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Broadband subscription: roughly 55–60% of households; about 20–25% are smartphone‑only for home internet; ~1 in 5 households lack any subscription.
  • Adoption is rising gradually (2020–2024), driven by mobile networks and incremental fixed‑line buildouts; affordability pressures increased after the ACP wind‑down in 2024.
  • Connectivity is strongest around Marion and Uniontown; large rural areas rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or mobile data. Low population density raises last‑mile costs and depresses fiber availability.
• Implications: Email reach is solid among adults and seniors but constrained by affordability and uneven fixed broadband; mobile‑centric access shapes usage frequency and reliability.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Perry County, Alabama

Overall usage and reliance

• Estimated adult smartphone users: 5,400–5,900 residents (roughly 83–88% of the ~6,400 adult population), in line with rural-U.S. adoption but achieved primarily through lower-cost plans and devices.
• Households with any internet subscription: about 60–65% in Perry County, materially below Alabama’s ~80–85%.
• Households relying on a cellular data plan as their only internet connection: approximately 25–30% in Perry County versus roughly 12–18% statewide. This “mobile-only” reliance is the single clearest departure from the Alabama average.
• Households with no internet subscription: roughly 30–35% in Perry County, much higher than the state level (about 15–20%). Where internet is present in these homes, it skews mobile-first.

Demographic patterns shaping mobile use

• Race: Perry County is majority Black (about two-thirds). Consistent with national patterns for Black, rural, and lower-income populations, mobile adoption is high but fixed broadband adoption is comparatively low, driving higher mobile-only reliance than the state norm.
• Age: Older adults (65+) show lower smartphone adoption and are overrepresented among households without an internet subscription. Younger adults and students cluster in and around Marion (home to Marion Military Institute), where mobile data and campus/public Wi‑Fi supplement service gaps.
• Income: With lower median household income and higher poverty rates than Alabama overall, Perry County users are more likely to use prepaid plans, budget Android devices, and mobile hotspots in place of home broadband. The sunset of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 has amplified this reliance on mobile data for cost reasons.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern: 4G LTE service is broadly available along primary corridors and population centers (Marion, Uniontown, State Routes 5, 14, and 183). Coverage degrades in heavily forested or low-lying areas, including portions of the Oakmulgee District, with notable indoor coverage challenges in older buildings.
• 5G availability: Low-band 5G from national carriers is present around the main towns and highways but is patchier and less consistent than in Alabama’s urban/suburban counties. Mid-band capacity is limited; there is effectively no mmWave. This contributes to modest real-world speed gains over LTE outside the core town areas.
• Fixed broadband context: Cable or fiber is largely confined to small pockets in Marion and Uniontown; many rural addresses are still on legacy DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Limited fixed options are a key driver of mobile-only internet use.
• Public connectivity: Libraries, schools, and the Marion Military Institute campus serve as important Wi‑Fi anchors. These locations effectively offload some mobile data demand, particularly for students and low-income residents.

How Perry County differs from the Alabama average

• Greater mobile-only dependence: A substantially higher share of households rely solely on cellular data for home internet than the statewide average.
• Lower fixed broadband adoption: Perry County lagging fixed coverage and affordability push residents to use smartphones and hotspots for essential connectivity.
• Slower 5G depth: While basic 5G signals exist, performance gains over LTE are less consistent than in metro Alabama due to sparser mid-band deployment and fewer upgraded sites.
• Higher prepaid and hotspot use: Plan mix tilts more toward prepaid and hotspot usage than the state overall, reflecting tighter household budgets and limited wired options.
• Wider indoor and fringe-area gaps: Building penetration and rural edge coverage issues are more common than in most Alabama counties, reinforcing dependence on public Wi‑Fi hubs.

Key implications

• Mobile networks are the de facto broadband for a sizable share of Perry County households; improvements to mid-band 5G and additional macro/small-cell sites would yield outsized benefits.
• Affordability remains as decisive as availability: without subsidies, residents substitute toward prepaid mobile and hotspots rather than subscribe to fixed service.
• Public anchor institutions and community Wi‑Fi materially mitigate access gaps and should be treated as core digital infrastructure alongside towers and fiber backhaul.

Perry County, AL — Social media usage (2024 modeled snapshot)

Overall usage

• Share of residents 13+ using at least one social platform monthly: 76%
• Share of adults 18+ using social media monthly: 73%

Platform mix among local social media users (share who use each at least monthly; multi-platform use means totals exceed 100%)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 34%
• TikTok: 31%
• Snapchat: 22%
• WhatsApp: 9%
• X (Twitter): 9%
• LinkedIn: 8%
• Reddit: 6%

Age profile of local social media users

• 13–17: 12%
• 18–29: 22%
• 30–44: 25%
• 45–64: 26%
• 65+: 15%

Gender breakdown of local social media users

• Female: 54%
• Male: 46%

Behavioral trends

• Platform by cohort: Facebook remains the default for 30+ and multi-generational family communication; Instagram and TikTok dominate under-30 engagement; Snapchat is concentrated among teens and early 20s; YouTube is broadly used across ages.
• Content that performs: Local news and announcements, high school sports, church programs, community events, public safety notices, local business promos, and short-form video (reels/shorts). Photo carousels and simple text posts with a single strong image perform best on Facebook.
• Community hubs: Facebook Groups (churches, booster clubs, school classes, buy/sell/trade, local government alerts) drive high repeat engagement and shares.
• Timing: Peak activity typically clusters around early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evening (7–10 p.m.), with Sunday afternoon and weeknight peaks around school- and church-related posts.
• Devices: Mobile-first consumption; Messenger is the primary private channel. Limited Nextdoor footprint; WhatsApp use is present but niche.
• Discovery and reach: Shares within Facebook Groups and cross-posting from church/school pages are the main organic reach drivers. Hashtags are modestly effective; geotags help on Instagram. Geo-targeted Facebook boosts (10–25 miles) are cost-effective for events, hiring, and retail offers.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates modeled from Pew Research U.S. platform usage, adjusted for Perry County’s rural profile and age structure using recent ACS demographics; they represent best-available, county-tailored benchmarks in the absence of a single official county-specific panel.