Clark County

Clark County, Arkansas — key demographics (latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; rounded)

Population

• Total population: ~21,700
• Median age: ~33–34

Age distribution

• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–24: ~17%
• 25–44: ~24%
• 45–64: ~22%
• 65+: ~16%

Sex

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race/ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~65%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~26%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~8,900
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~60% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~41%
  • Female householder, no spouse: ~15%
• Households with children <18: ~27%
• Householders living alone: ~32% (about 12% age 65+ living alone)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~64% (renters ~36%)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Estimates are rounded; margins of error apply.

Clark County, AR — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Population baseline: ~22–23k residents. Estimated email users: 16k–19k (roughly 75–85% of residents; higher among adults). Assumes national/regional adoption rates adjusted for a large student presence.
• Age pattern:
  • 18–24: very high usage (≈95%+), boosted by Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist universities.
  • 25–44: ≈90–95%.
  • 45–64: ≈85–90%.
  • 65+: ≈60–75% (gap driven by lower internet adoption).
• Gender split: County population is roughly 50/50 with a slight female majority; email usage is effectively parity by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household internet subscription estimated at ~70–80%; smartphone‑only internet households ~15–20%.
  • Strongest wired options (cable/fiber) in Arkadelphia; surrounding rural areas rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • 4G LTE is common; 5G primarily in/near Arkadelphia and along major corridors; coverage thins in sparsely populated areas.
  • Ongoing state/federal rural broadband programs are expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless reach.
• Local density/connectivity context: Low population density (~25–30 people per sq. mile) makes last‑mile buildouts costly; the Arkadelphia hub (college campuses, libraries, businesses) has higher connectivity than outlying communities.

Notes: Figures are reasoned estimates using census demographics and typical US adoption rates for similar rural counties.

Below is a planning-grade snapshot of mobile phone usage in Clark County, Arkansas, with estimates and qualitative findings tailored to what most differs from statewide patterns. Figures reflect 2023–2024 public benchmarks (Pew/NCHS/FCC/state broadband planning) blended with local context; use as directional, not regulatory-grade.

Headline differences from Arkansas overall

• Strong student influence in Arkadelphia (Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist) pushes smartphone and app adoption among 18–24 above the state average, while rural areas of the county lag—producing a “two-speed” market not as pronounced statewide.
• Higher reliance on mobile networks for primary home internet outside Arkadelphia than the Arkansas average, driven by patchy wired options; 5G fixed wireless is playing a larger stopgap role.
• Network investment is concentrated along I‑30 and the Arkadelphia urban core; the county interior sees more coverage/indoor-signal gaps than typical in Arkansas’s more urban counties.
• Prepaid/MVNO usage and longer device replacement cycles are more common than the state average, reflecting lower incomes and student budgets.

User estimates

• Population context: ~21–22k residents; ~8.2–8.5k households; adults ~16.5–17k.
• Adults with any mobile phone: 90–93% (≈15.0k–15.8k adults). Similar to or slightly above Arkansas overall because of the student population.
• Adults with a smartphone: 82–86% (≈13.5k–14.5k adults). Higher than the state average among 18–24; lower among 65+ in rural parts.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): 68–75% (≈5.6k–6.4k households). Arkansas is already high on wireless-only; Clark County is comparable overall but more bimodal (very high in Arkadelphia renters/student housing, lower in older rural households).
• Households primarily using mobile data/FWA for home internet: 15–22% countywide (≈1.2k–1.8k households), notably above Arkansas’s typical 10–15%, with 25–30% common in the most rural parts of the county.

Demographic breakdown (what stands out locally)

• Age
  • 18–24 (students): near-universal smartphone ownership (>95%); heavy app usage, mobile banking, campus Wi‑Fi dependence; iPhone share higher than county average.
  • 25–44: high smartphone ownership; cost-sensitive plan choices; frequent hotspot use when wired service is weak.
  • 65+: smartphone ownership likely 55–65%, a bit below Arkansas’s senior average; more voice/SMS-centric usage and reliance on Wi‑Fi calling for indoor coverage.
• Income/plan mix
  • Lower median household income than state average drives above-average prepaid/MVNO adoption and longer device life cycles. Expect a higher share of data-capped plans and BYOD.
  • Android share likely higher countywide than Arkansas’s metro counties; iPhone share spikes in Arkadelphia’s student segment.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black residents (~1 in 5) and a small but growing Hispanic community show strong mobile-first behaviors seen statewide, with above-average use of OTT messaging (e.g., WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger) where family networks are multi-state or international.
• Housing/tenure
  • Renters (students) exhibit very high wireless-only and mobile-primary internet use; homeowners outside Arkadelphia are more mixed, with some reliance on signal boosters or external antennas.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and capacity
  • 4G LTE covers most populated corridors; terrain/forestry create dead zones in parts of the county interior.
  • 5G availability is strongest along I‑30 and in/near Arkadelphia; outside these areas it’s patchier and often low-band. Mid-band 5G capacity is improving along the interstate but is limited elsewhere.
  • Indoor coverage issues are more common in metal-roofed rural homes; Wi‑Fi calling and boosters are widely used.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • 5G FWA offerings from major carriers are present in Arkadelphia and along I‑30 and are a meaningful substitute where cable/fiber is missing—more so than the Arkansas average.
• Backhaul and fiber anchors
  • Universities (Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist), hospitals, schools, and the county complex act as fiber-fed anchors.
  • Electric-coop fiber (e.g., South Central Connect) and the state research network (ARE‑ON) provide regional backhaul that carriers co‑locate on where available, but reach thins outside core corridors.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet build-outs concentrate around Arkadelphia, major roads, and emergency facilities.
  • Storm-related outages (wind/ice/tornado) periodically expose single‑path power/backhaul dependencies away from I‑30.
• Public/communal connectivity
  • Libraries, school campuses, and university networks extend outdoor Wi‑Fi; students and lower-income households lean on these for heavy data tasks.

Usage and behavior trends to watch

• Higher-than-average mobile-as-primary internet in rural tracts is sustaining demand for larger data buckets and FWA, even as cable/fiber slowly expands.
• Traffic loads spike with the academic calendar (move-ins, game days, graduation) in Arkadelphia; interstate travel on I‑30 also drives peak capacity investments not mirrored in many other Arkansas counties.
• Messaging, short-form video, and mobile payments are near student‑city levels in Arkadelphia, contrasting with more voice/SMS‑centric patterns in outlying communities.

Notes on uncertainty and validation

• County-level mobile metrics are rarely surveyed directly. The figures above triangulate state/national adoption rates, local demographics, FCC coverage filings, carrier expansion patterns, and Arkansas broadband planning documents. For project-grade accuracy, validate with: carrier propagation and crowd‑sourced speed tests in your target blocks; school/university IT on Wi‑Fi utilization; and the Arkansas Broadband Office’s most recent fabric/map updates.

Below is a compact, county-level snapshot built from Census population estimates and Pew/industry platform-usage benchmarks, adjusted for Clark County’s profile (college-heavy via Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, largely rural outside Arkadelphia). Figures are estimates, shown as share of residents age 13+ unless noted.

At a glance

• Population: ~21,000
• Residents age 13+: ~18,000
• Active social media users (monthly): ~14,000–16,000 (≈78–88% of 13+)

Most‑used platforms (estimated monthly reach, 13+)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 68–72%
• Instagram: 38–45%
• TikTok: 35–42%
• Snapchat: 30–36%
• Pinterest: 20–27%
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 10–14%

Age mix (who uses what)

• Teens (13–17): Near‑universal YouTube; heavy Snapchat (75–85%) and TikTok (70–80%); Instagram 55–65%; Facebook mostly for school/sports updates.
• 18–24 (college): Very high Instagram (70–85%), Snapchat (65–75%), TikTok (60–70%), YouTube ~90%+; Facebook 35–50% for campus/community groups.
• 25–34: Facebook 60–70%, Instagram 50–60%, TikTok 40–50%, YouTube 85%+.
• 35–54: Facebook 70–80% (Groups, Marketplace); YouTube 80%+; Instagram 30–40%; TikTok 20–30%; Pinterest strong among women.
• 55+: Facebook 60–70% and YouTube 65–75% dominate; Instagram 15–25%; TikTok 10–20% and growing.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall social media users: ~53% female (in line with county demographics).
• Skews by platform: Pinterest and Snapchat skew female; TikTok slight female majority; Facebook slight female majority; YouTube and X skew male; Instagram near even.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local hub: high engagement in community Groups (schools, high‑school and college sports, churches, yard‑sale/buy–sell–trade, weather alerts). Marketplace is a major local commerce channel.
• Video rules: Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) for sports highlights, local events, small‑business promos; YouTube for how‑to, sermons, and recorded community meetings.
• Campus effect: 18–24 cohort drives Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok; Group chats (Snap, GroupMe) organize classes, Greek life, and teams.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is cross‑generational; Snapchat messaging dominates under 25. WhatsApp usage is limited.
• Timing: Peaks around 7–9 a.m., lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and 7–10 p.m.; weekend spikes around games, festivals, and church activities; weather events drive surges.
• Content norms: Local pride and practical info outperform polished ads. Posts with people, sports, churches, hunting/fishing, and school news see strong shares. Cross‑posting FB/IG is common; TikTok content is more creator‑driven.
• Digital access: Outside Arkadelphia, usage is smartphone‑first; patchier broadband can depress long livestreams outside town centers.

Notes on method

• Counts are derived from approximate 2023 population for Clark County and typical U.S. social‑media penetration by age, with rural–South adjustments and a college‑age uplift. Platform percentages represent estimated monthly reach among residents 13+. For campaigns, validate with platform ad‑tools geotargeted to Clark County for current reach.