Desha County

Do you have a preferred data vintage/source? I can provide countywide figures from:

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts), or
• Latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023; most current, with margins of error).

Also confirm if you want just countywide totals or breakdowns for places (e.g., Dumas, McGehee).

Desha County, AR (pop. 11.4k; ~4.6k households) is rural Delta country with low density (15 people/sq mi).

Estimated email users

• 6,000–7,500 residents use email (about 55–65% of total; roughly 75–85% of adults). Based on 2020 Census population, local broadband/smartphone access, and typical U.S. email adoption among internet users.

Age distribution (of email users; approximate)

• 18–34: 25–30%
• 35–64: 50–55%
• 65+: 15–20% (lower adoption but growing, especially via smartphones)

Gender split

• ~52% female, 48% male (mirrors county population; email use is similar by gender).

Digital access and trends

• 70–75% of households have a home internet subscription; 15–20% are smartphone‑only.
• Fixed broadband is strongest in and around McGehee and along US‑65/US‑278; coverage thins in outlying farm and river‑bottom tracts.
• Mobile LTE/5G is the primary access option for many outside towns; average speeds lag state metros.
• Public libraries and schools provide key Wi‑Fi access points; uptake of online government, health portals, and school communication drives regular email use.

Notes: Figures are modeled from 2020 Census/ACS patterns and national email usage norms (Pew), adjusted for rural Arkansas connectivity.

Below is a concise, decision‑oriented snapshot of mobile phone usage in Desha County, Arkansas, with emphasis on how local patterns differ from statewide norms. Figures are best‑available estimates synthesized from ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns (5‑year), FCC broadband/mobile coverage filings, carrier coverage claims, and rural‑Delta benchmarks as of 2024. Use these as planning ballparks rather than point estimates.

Quick profile

• Population and households: ≈11–12k residents; ≈4.5–5.0k households.
• Settlement pattern: Small towns (Dumas, McGehee) plus dispersed rural areas along the Mississippi/Arkansas Rivers and farm corridors.

User estimates (people and households)

• Adults with a mobile phone: ≈8–9k (roughly 90–95% of adults), slightly below the Arkansas statewide share in very old age groups.
• Smartphone users: ≈7–8k adults (about 80–85% of adults). Adoption is near state levels among under‑50s but trails among 65+.
• Smartphone‑dependent (“mobile‑only”) internet households: ≈900–1,200 (about 20–25% of households), meaning they rely on a smartphone/cellular plan and lack a fixed home broadband subscription. This rate is materially higher than Arkansas statewide (typically mid‑teens percent).
• Prepaid share: Higher than the state average, reflecting Lifeline/ACP participation and income constraints; translates into more plan churn and tighter data caps.

Demographic breakdown and how it differs from statewide

• Age:
  • Under 35: Smartphone ownership and heavy app use comparable to statewide; higher propensity to be mobile‑only due to cost and rental housing.
  • 65+: Noticeably lower smartphone ownership than state average; more voice/text‑centric usage and basic phones persist.
• Income:
  • Low‑income households are over‑represented relative to the state; they show higher smartphone dependency and lower in‑home broadband adoption. Expect more prepaid plans and data budgeting behavior.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county has a higher share of Black residents than Arkansas overall. Consistent with national/Delta patterns, Black households here are more likely than white households to be smartphone‑dependent for home internet, widening the gap with state averages.
• Education:
  • Lower post‑secondary attainment than statewide correlates with lower fixed broadband adoption and greater reliance on mobile data plans for everyday connectivity (job search, benefits, schooling).

Digital infrastructure highlights (and gaps)

• Coverage pattern:
  • 4G LTE is broadly available along main corridors (e.g., US‑65/US‑278) and in town centers; off‑corridor farm roads and river bottoms see weaker signal and more dead spots than statewide averages.
  • 5G: Low‑band 5G is present primarily along highways and in towns; mid‑band 5G capacity is sparse compared with metro Arkansas. Expect 5G to behave like “good LTE” in many locations.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • In‑town typical: LTE/low‑band 5G in the ~10–50 Mbps range; peak higher but variable.
  • Rural edges: Single‑digit Mbps and higher latency are common; indoor penetration is a pain point in metal‑roof structures and bottomland areas.
• Towers and backhaul:
  • Macro sites cluster near Dumas, McGehee, levees, and highways; site spacing is wider than in urban Arkansas, limiting capacity and indoor coverage. Backhaul often depends on long fiber runs along state routes or microwave hops; fewer fiber laterals than state average.
• Emergency and public assets:
  • AT&T FirstNet buildouts improve public‑safety coverage on primary routes. Schools/libraries anchor most reliable public Wi‑Fi; outside these, community Wi‑Fi density is thin.
• Substitution with fixed broadband:
  • Fiber‑to‑the‑home and cable footprints are limited relative to state averages; DSL is legacy. This scarcity is a key driver of higher mobile‑only household rates.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) is available in parts of the county but with variable performance; where present, it reduces smartphone‑only reliance.

What’s notably different from Arkansas statewide

• Higher smartphone‑only dependence: 20–25% of households vs mid‑teens statewide.
• Larger prepaid/Lifeline footprint and more data‑cap management behavior.
• Older residents lag more on smartphones and app usage than statewide peers, widening the intra‑county digital divide.
• Coverage quality is more corridor‑centric; off‑corridor reliability and indoor signal are weaker than the state average.
• 5G is more “coverage” than “capacity”: fewer mid‑band sites and lower median speeds than metro/state levels.
• Fixed broadband alternatives are slimmer, so mobile networks shoulder more of the county’s everyday internet load.

Implications for planning

• Demand: Strong for reliable LTE/low‑band 5G in towns and along farm/logistics routes; real need for better indoor coverage and off‑corridor fill‑in.
• Equity: Interventions that reduce the total cost of connectivity (device subsidies, affordable plans, ACP replacements) will disproportionately help here.
• Infrastructure: Additional macro/small‑cell sites near population pockets, fiber backhaul extensions, and targeted mid‑band 5G sectors would materially improve capacity.
• Public access: Expanding library/school/community Wi‑Fi and fixed wireless options can directly reduce smartphone‑only dependence.

Notes on data quality

• County‑level mobile usage is not directly enumerated; figures above are derived from ACS device/subscription patterns, FCC coverage filings, carrier maps, and rural‑Delta benchmarks as of 2024. For a precise local baseline, pair a brief resident/anchor‑institution survey with drive‑tests and an ACS S2801/BDP pull.

Desha County, AR – social media snapshot (estimates)

Headline numbers

• Population: about 11.3k residents; roughly 8.8–9.1k adults.
• Estimated social media users: 6.7–7.3k total (about 66–72% of adults plus most teens 13–17).
• Internet/device profile: predominantly mobile-first; broadband gaps outside towns mean heavy use of Facebook/YouTube apps over desktop.

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

• 13–17: 9–12%
• 18–29: 14–18%
• 30–49: 30–35%
• 50–64: 25–28%
• 65+: 12–16%

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: approximately 52–54% women, 46–48% men.
• Platform skew: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most-used platforms locally (share of local social media users)

• Facebook: 75–85% (Groups and Marketplace are core)
• YouTube: 70–80%
• Instagram: 28–35%
• TikTok: 22–30% overall; 60–70% among under-30
• Snapchat: 18–25% overall; 50–60% of teens
• Pinterest: 20–30% overall; 35–45% of women
• Secondary/ niche: WhatsApp 8–12%, X (Twitter) 8–12%, Reddit 8–12%, LinkedIn 7–10%, Nextdoor 2–5%

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups for local news, churches, schools, high school sports, obituaries, lost-and-found, severe weather updates; local officials’ pages matter.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the de facto classifieds; local service providers rely on FB Pages and Messenger for inquiries.
• Video habits: short, vertical clips (Reels/TikTok) spike evenings; YouTube used for how‑to, equipment repair, hunting/fishing, DIY.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates; SMS still common; WhatsApp limited.
• Timing: peak engagement 6–9 pm; secondary bump early mornings (commute/coffee).
• Content that works: plain-language posts, faces from the community, event reminders, deals/coupons, school calendars, seasonal (planting/harvest, hunting seasons, storms).
• Trust cues: posts from known locals, churches, schools, and county offices outperform “polished” brand content.
• Targeting tips: keep geotargeting tight (15–25 miles), optimize for mobile, use lightweight media for spotty connections, and include phone/text contact options.

Notes on method

• Figures are estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center social media adoption rates (with rural/older adjustments) to ACS population for Desha County, plus teen usage norms. Platform shares reflect national usage patterns adjusted for rural, older-skewing counties in Arkansas. Exact, survey-grade county-level data are limited, so ranges are shown to reflect uncertainty.