Arkansas County

Do you want these figures from the 2020 Decennial Census or from the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates? I can provide a concise bullet summary (population, age distribution, sex, race/ethnicity, households, average household size, and median household income) once you confirm the preferred dataset.

Arkansas County, AR snapshot (estimates)

• Population: ~16.8–17.2k; adult share ~75–78%. Estimated active email users: ~11.5–12.5k (based on rural broadband adoption and typical U.S. adult email usage).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ~20%
  • 30–49: ~33%
  • 50–64: ~27%
  • 65+: ~20% Older skew means a larger share of users are 50+ than in urban counties.
• Gender split among users: roughly even, ~51% female / 49% male.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly mid‑70s percent; adoption higher in town centers (Stuttgart, DeWitt) and lower in dispersed farm areas.
  • 15–20% of households are smartphone‑only internet users, so mobile email is common.
  • Fixed wireless and fiber availability are expanding, but affordability and coverage gaps persist outside towns; public libraries and schools remain key access points.
• Local density/connectivity context: Very rural (~16–17 people per square mile across ~1,000 sq. mi.). Lower density correlates with patchier last‑mile service and more reliance on mobile networks.

Notes: Figures synthesized from recent county population estimates, ACS broadband subscription patterns for rural Arkansas, and national email usage by age.

Below is a county-focused snapshot built from state and national mobile adoption benchmarks, adjusted for Arkansas County’s rural profile, age mix, income levels, and known coverage patterns in the Grand Prairie (Stuttgart/DeWitt) area. Figures are estimates and ranges to reflect uncertainty in sub-county data.

Quick profile

• Population baseline: roughly 17,000 residents; older and more rural than Arkansas overall, with most people in and around Stuttgart and DeWitt.
• Market context: all three national carriers operate here; coverage is broad outdoors but capacity and mid-band 5G depth are limited outside the two town centers and highway corridors.

User estimates

• Total mobile phone users (any cellphone): about 13,000–14,500.
• Smartphone users: about 12,000–13,000 (lower share than statewide due to older age and lower incomes).
• Device mix: Android 55–65%; iPhone 35–45% (more Android than statewide).
• Prepaid vs postpaid: prepaid 45–55% of lines (higher than statewide); strong presence for Cricket, Metro, Straight Talk, Boost, and TracFone.
• Mobile-only internet users (people who rely primarily on a smartphone hotspot/plan for home internet): 22–30% of households (several points higher than statewide).
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): roughly three-quarters of households, slightly above statewide.

Demographic patterns

• Age:
  • 18–44: high smartphone adoption (90%+), heavy app/social/video usage.
  • 45–64: high but slightly lower adoption (80–90%); more emphasis on messaging, Facebook, weather, ag/market apps.
  • 65+: noticeably lower smartphone adoption (55–70%); larger basic/feature phone share and more voice/text reliance.
• Income:
  • Lower-income residents drive higher prepaid usage, multi-line discount plans, and data-capped offerings; more frequent plan switching to chase promos.
  • Smartphone-only internet dependence is elevated among lower-income and single-adult households.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black and Hispanic residents are more likely than White residents to be smartphone-only for internet, mirroring state/national patterns.
• Youth:
  • Teen smartphone penetration is very high (90%+), with usage concentrated on social, short-form video, and school communications; hotspot sharing is common where home broadband is absent.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage layers:
  • 4G/LTE is broadly available; indoor coverage can drop in metal buildings and along waterways and refuge areas.
  • Low-band 5G covers much of the county, but mid-band 5G (capacity/speed) is spotty and largely limited to Stuttgart, DeWitt, and key highway corridors (e.g., US‑79/US‑165). Expect fewer small cells than in metro counties.
• Speeds (typical, not peak):
  • In-town: 50–150 Mbps on 5G-capable carriers where mid-band exists; 20–60 Mbps on LTE/low-band 5G.
  • Rural roads/fields: 5–30 Mbps typical; drops below 5 Mbps in fringe areas and inside metal buildings unless Wi‑Fi calling is used.
• Tower/backhaul:
  • Macro towers are clustered near the two towns, highways, and grain/processing sites; tower spacing is wider than state average, so edge-of-sector performance is common.
  • Fiber backhaul is present in/near Stuttgart and DeWitt; rural backhaul is more limited, which constrains mid-band 5G rollout and small-cell density.
• Public safety and reliability:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence improves coverage for emergency services; roaming and Wi‑Fi calling are important in bottomland/refuge areas.
  • Seasonal load spikes during harvest and duck season can congest sectors near lodges, boat ramps, and processing facilities.
• Devices and use cases:
  • Agriculture uses LTE/4G for telemetry, pump controls, and equipment tracking; some farms use private CBRS/LoRa in fields. These traffic patterns don’t mirror typical consumer peaks.

How Arkansas County differs from the Arkansas state picture

• Adoption level: smartphone adoption is a few points lower than statewide due to an older age profile.
• Access pattern: a larger share of residents are smartphone-only or mobile-first for home internet; fixed broadband adoption is lower than the state average.
• Plan mix: prepaid share is higher, reflecting price sensitivity and the presence of reseller/MVNO brands.
• Network depth: 5G mid-band capacity is less available than statewide urban/suburban norms; speeds are more variable and more dependent on proximity to towns/highways.
• Infrastructure density: fewer small cells and wider macro site spacing than the state’s metro counties; capacity constraints are more visible during seasonal surges.
• Device mix: Android share is higher and iPhone share lower than the statewide average.

Implications for outreach and service design

• Prioritize SMS and low-bandwidth apps for alerts (weather, school, health) given variable speeds and coverage gaps.
• Encourage Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters in metal buildings and fringe areas.
• Offer plans with flexible hotspot data for mobile-only households; consider device financing alternatives for price-sensitive users.
• Time-sensitive communications should avoid peak agricultural and weekend evening windows when sectors congest.

Notes on method

• Population baselines drawn from recent Census/ACS estimates for Arkansas County.
• Adoption and device-mix ranges derived from Pew Research and CDC wireless-only trends, adjusted for rural age/income effects.
• Coverage and speed expectations reflect FCC carrier maps, statewide speed-test medians, and rural deployment patterns; county values are presented as ranges due to site-to-site variability.
• For validation or local planning, check the FCC National Broadband Map, carrier coverage tools, and crowdsource apps (Ookla, RootMetrics, OpenSignal) around Stuttgart, DeWitt, the White River NWR margins, and along US‑79/US‑165.

Arkansas County, AR — social media snapshot (best-available estimates for 2025)

Headline stats

• Population: ≈16.7k (2023 est.); adults 18+: ≈13k
• Estimated social media users (13+): 10–12k (about 70–80% of residents 13+)

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

• 13–17: ~11%
• 18–24: ~12%
• 25–34: ~17%
• 35–44: ~16%
• 45–54: ~16%
• 55–64: ~14%
• 65+: ~14%

Gender breakdown (share of local social media users)

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47%
• Note: nonbinary/other not reliably measurable in available datasets

Most-used platforms among local users (at least monthly; share of social media users)

• Facebook: 78–85%
• YouTube: 75–82%
• Instagram: 28–35%
• TikTok: 22–30%
• Snapchat: 20–27% (heaviest among 13–24)
• Pinterest: 20–26% (skews female 25–54)
• X/Twitter: 10–15%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• LinkedIn: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 3–5%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for Stuttgart/DeWitt buy–sell–trade, church and school updates, local sports, weather/road alerts, and event coordination (e.g., duck season, Wings Over the Prairie Festival).
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger dominates adult messaging; Snapchat is the default for teens/college-age. WhatsApp usage is low.
• Video habits: YouTube for farm/DIY, gear reviews, church streams, and local sports highlights; Facebook Live for local events. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) growing among 18–34.
• Commerce: Small businesses lean on Facebook Pages, Groups, and Marketplace; Instagram is used by boutiques/salons for product drops; Pinterest drives seasonal/home projects.
• Engagement cadence: Peaks evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; spikes around severe weather, school sports, hunting/harvest seasons, and county-level news.
• Demographic tilt: Older age profile keeps Facebook share high; TikTok/Snapchat growth is concentrated in towns and among younger households.
• Trust/moderation: Residents rely on a few well-known local group admins; rumors/misinformation can travel fast around crime and weather topics.

Notes on method

• County-level social media data aren’t directly published. Figures are derived from: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (population/age/sex for Arkansas County) and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 social media adoption by platform, with adjustments for rural/older demographics typical of Arkansas County. Treat percentages as directional ranges.