Dallas County

Dallas County, Arkansas — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates; figures are estimates)

• Population: ~6,500
• Age:
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~55%
  • 65 and over: ~23%
  • Median age: ~45 years
• Sex:
  • Female: ~50%
  • Male: ~50%
• Race/Ethnicity (alone or in combination; Hispanic may be of any race):
  • White: ~56–58%
  • Black or African American: ~37–39%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~2–3%
  • Two or more races: ~1–2%
  • Other (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander): <1% each
• Households:
  • Total households: ~2,600–2,700
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~60–65% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~40–45%
  • Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
  • Households with someone 65+: ~30–35%

Dallas County, AR – email usage (modeled estimates)

• Population: 6.6–7.0k; very low density (10–11 people per square mile).
• Estimated email users: 4.8k–5.2k residents use email at least monthly (applying ~88–92% adult email adoption to the local adult population).
• Age pattern of users (approx. share of users):
  • 18–34: 30–35%
  • 35–54: 30–35%
  • 55–64: 15–18%
  • 65+: 18–22% (lower adoption than younger groups)
• Gender split: roughly even (about 49% male, 51% female in population); email usage rates are similar by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • 60–70% of households have a fixed broadband subscription; 10–15% rely on smartphone-only internet.
  • Access is improving with ongoing rural fiber investments supported by state/federal programs (e.g., BEAD/ARConnect), but gaps persist in sparsely populated areas and outside town centers.
• Connectivity context: Low density and longer last‑mile distances increase deployment costs, leading to patchier high‑speed coverage than in Arkansas’s urban counties.

Method note: Figures are derived from U.S. Census/ACS population and internet-subscription indicators, Pew Research Center’s email adoption rates, and FCC rural broadband trends; county-specific values may vary slightly.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Dallas County, Arkansas (focus on what differs from statewide)

Context

• Small, rural county centered on Fordyce; population roughly 6,300–6,700. Older age profile, lower median income, and higher share of Black residents than the Arkansas average.

User estimates (orders of magnitude; rounded ranges)

• Any mobile phone users: about 5,200–5,800 residents.
• Smartphone users: about 4,600–5,200 residents.
• Mobile-only home internet: roughly 750–950 households rely primarily on cellular data/hotspots rather than fixed broadband. How this differs from Arkansas overall: total adoption is only slightly lower than the state, but reliance on mobile as the primary internet connection is markedly higher.

Demographic breakdown (what’s distinctive vs state)

• Age
  • Seniors (65+) are a larger slice of the population and have noticeably lower smartphone adoption than the Arkansas average (roughly 10–15 percentage points lower). This pulls down overall county adoption despite high adoption among younger adults.
  • Teens and 18–34s are near state norms for device adoption but more likely to be mobile-only for internet access.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black residents constitute a much larger share of Dallas County (roughly 35–40% vs ~16% statewide). In practice, this correlates with:
    • Higher use of prepaid plans (Cricket, Metro, Straight Talk) and Walmart-based activations.
    • Slightly higher Android share than state average (price sensitivity; wider prepaid Android selection).
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median income and higher poverty rates than the state average lead to:
    • More prepaid and month-to-month plans; fewer multi-line postpaid family plans.
    • Longer device replacement cycles.
    • Greater likelihood of using phones as primary internet and for essential tasks (benefits portals, job applications, banking, telehealth).
• Home internet
  • Fixed broadband subscription is meaningfully lower than the state average; mobile-only and hotspot use are correspondingly higher. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) plays a bigger role than in urban counties.

Digital infrastructure and performance (county specifics)

• Coverage pattern
  • LTE is dependable in and around Fordyce and along US‑79/US‑167; coverage becomes spotty between towns and in heavily forested areas.
  • 5G is present mainly as low-band “extended range” (T‑Mobile 600 MHz; AT&T low-band/FirstNet). Mid-band 5G (n41/C‑band) is limited; mmWave is effectively absent.
  • Indoor penetration issues are common in metal-roof buildings and at the fringes of coverage.
• Carriers and networks
  • AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14) and Verizon tend to be the most reliable in rural stretches; T‑Mobile has improved in town and along highways with low-band 5G.
  • Prepaid brands (Cricket, Metro, Straight Talk) are prominent; store-based activation via Walmart is influential.
• Backhaul and tower grid
  • Tower density is sparse, with microwave backhaul still in use at some sites; new fiber spurs are arriving incrementally via state/federal rural broadband grants and electric co‑op builds, improving backhaul where available.
• Typical speeds (field-experience ranges)
  • Outside towns: roughly 5–35 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up on LTE/low-band 5G; variability with terrain and foliage.
  • In town/near highway sites: roughly 25–120 Mbps down, 5–20 Mbps up on low-/mid-band where available.
  • Peak-time slowdowns around school dismissal, ballgames, and in the early evening are more pronounced than in metro counties.
• Public/anchor connectivity
  • Libraries, schools, and county offices are key Wi‑Fi hubs; many households depend on these for high‑bandwidth tasks.
  • First responders use AT&T FirstNet on highway-adjacent sites; off‑highway coverage gaps remain a planning concern.
• Affordability programs
  • With the end of new ACP funding in 2024, more low-income households appear to be falling back to prepaid mobile data; Lifeline still helps but is narrower. This pushes mobile-only reliance higher than the state average.

How Dallas County trends differ most from Arkansas statewide

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance (notably more households using phones/hotspots instead of fixed broadband).
• More prepaid plan usage and longer device upgrade cycles.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration driven by a larger senior population.
• Higher Android share and stronger influence of Walmart-based prepaid channels.
• Sparser 5G mid-band and overall tower density; greater performance variability and more dead zones between towns.
• Public institutions (libraries/schools) play a bigger role in practical connectivity than in many other Arkansas counties.

Notes on sources and methods

• Estimates synthesize late-2020s public data patterns (U.S. Census/ACS for population, age, and race; FCC broadband/coverage filings; state rural broadband grant activity; Pew Research on device ownership) plus typical rural Arkansas network performance characteristics. County-level counts are presented as ranges to reflect uncertainty and year-to-year changes.

Below is a concise, best-available local estimate for Dallas County, Arkansas. Exact platform shares aren’t published at the county level, so figures use Arkansas/rural benchmarks (Pew Research, ACS) adjusted for the county’s small, older-leaning population and broadband access.

At-a-glance

• Population base: roughly 6.5–7.0k residents; about 5.1–5.7k adults.
• Internet access ceiling: about 70–80% of households have reliable internet or smartphone-only access.
• Estimated active social media users (adults): 65–70% of adults ≈ 3.3–4.0k people.

Age groups (share using at least one platform)

• Teens (13–17): 90–95% use social media; heavy Snapchat/TikTok/YouTube; Instagram secondary; Facebook mostly for school/sports updates.
• 18–29: 90%+; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat and YouTube lead; Facebook used for Marketplace/events.
• 30–49: ~80–85%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram mid; TikTok growing.
• 50–64: ~60–70%; Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest notable; some TikTok.
• 65+: ~40–50%; mainly Facebook and YouTube; Messenger for family groups.

Gender breakdown (among social media users)

• Female: ~52–55% (slightly higher due to Facebook/Pinterest usage).
• Male: ~45–48% (skews toward YouTube, Reddit, X).
• Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men on YouTube, Reddit, X. TikTok is mixed, younger-leaning.

Most-used platforms (percent of county adults; users often have multiple)

• YouTube: 60–70%
• Facebook (core app): 55–65%
• Facebook Messenger: 50–60%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 20–30%
• Snapchat: 15–25%
• Pinterest: 20–30% (notably among women 30+)
• X (Twitter): 8–12%
• Reddit: 6–10%
• Nextdoor/WhatsApp: each ~3–10% (limited in small rural markets)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first behavior: High engagement in local Facebook Groups/Pages (churches, schools, youth sports, county services). “Who/when/where” posts and weather/safety updates spread fastest.
• Marketplace matters: Facebook Marketplace is a top utility (vehicles, farm/rural equipment, furniture); price and pickup details drive response.
• Video shift: Short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is rising for entertainment; YouTube remains the how-to hub (home repair, small engines, hunting/fishing, cooking).
• Messaging migration: Many interactions move to Messenger group chats for event coordination and informal support networks.
• Timing: Engagement clusters evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; spikes around school sports seasons and severe weather.
• Trust cues: Content from known local people/organizations outperforms generic brand posts; geo-specific references and recognizably local visuals help.
• Ad performance: Clear local relevance, simple CTAs, and promos/giveaways perform best; broad “national” creatives underperform without local context.

Notes on interpretation

• Ranges reflect rural Arkansas adoption patterns applied to Dallas County’s size and age mix.