Fulton County

Fulton County, Arkansas — key demographics (latest available: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year; 2023 population estimate)

• Population: ~12,300 (2023 est.)
• Age: median ~50; under 18 ~20%; 18–64 ~52%; 65+ ~28%
• Gender: female ~50.5%; male ~49.5%
• Race/ethnicity:
  • White alone ~94%
  • Black or African American ~0.4%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native ~0.7%
  • Asian ~0.2%
  • Two or more races ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race) ~3% Note: Hispanic is an ethnicity and may overlap with race categories.
• Households:
  • ~5,200 households; persons per household ~2.3
  • Family households ~65%
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate ~81%

Fulton County, AR is rural (≈12,000 residents; under 25 people per sq. mile). Estimated email users: 6,000–8,000 (about 65–75% of adults). Age mix of email users: 18–34 ≈20–25%; 35–64 ≈45–55%; 65+ ≈25–30% (senior usage roughly 60–75% and rising). Gender split among users is roughly even, about 49% male and 51% female, mirroring the population.

Digital access trends:

• About 60–70% of households subscribe to home broadband in rural Arkansas counties; an additional 15–20% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Fiber is expanding through state/federal programs (e.g., ARConnect, BEAD). Kinetic/Windstream and electric‑co‑op builds (NEXT by NAEC) serve parts of north‑central Arkansas, boosting speeds in and near towns.
• Ozark terrain contributes to spotty mobile coverage outside population centers; libraries and schools provide key Wi‑Fi/computer access points.

Bottom line: Email usage is widespread but moderated by rural density and mixed last‑mile options; growth is fastest among older adults as fiber and mobile coverage improve. Estimates reflect county size plus statewide/rural adoption benchmarks.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Fulton County, Arkansas

Overview

• Small, very rural county in the Ozark Highlands with an older population and lower household incomes than the Arkansas average. These structural factors shape mobile adoption, plan types, and reliance on cellular for home connectivity.

User estimates (2025, order‑of‑magnitude)

• Population: ~12–13k residents.
• Adults (18+): ~9.5–10k.
• Mobile phone users (any handset): ~9–10k residents.
• Smartphone users: ~8–9k residents.
• Households using mobile hotspots or LTE/5G fixed wireless as primary home internet: meaningfully higher share than the state average due to patchy cable/DSL; visible uptake of Verizon/T‑Mobile home internet and Starlink in the most remote areas.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age:
  • Large 65+ segment (well above state average). Smartphone adoption among seniors trails younger adults; voice/SMS remains important. Seniors increasingly use telehealth and messaging apps, but upgrade cycles are long and many keep LTE devices.
  • Teens/young adults have near‑universal smartphone use but consume less data than peers in metro Arkansas because of limited 5G capacity and home broadband constraints.
• Income/plan mix:
  • Lower median incomes drive a higher share of prepaid and single‑line plans, more budget Android devices, and slower device replacement.
• Geography:
  • Daily travel along US‑62/412, AR‑9, and AR‑395 shapes network experience: good service on corridors, dead zones in hollows/valleys; Wi‑Fi calling at home is common.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Predominantly White, with small but growing Hispanic population; multilingual support needs are present but smaller scale than state urban areas.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and carriers:
  • AT&T and Verizon generally provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile has expanded low‑band 5G but remains variable outside towns.
  • 5G is mostly low‑band for broad coverage; mid‑band capacity is limited and mmWave is effectively absent. Many users are still on LTE.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Outdoor coverage in Salem, Mammoth Spring, and along major routes is solid; indoor coverage degrades in older metal‑roof homes and in valleys.
• Backhaul and towers:
  • Terrain (forested hills, deep draws) creates shadowed areas; tower spacing is wider than in urban Arkansas, so capacity per user is lower at peak times.
• Fiber and wired options:
  • Electric‑co‑op fiber builds (e.g., NAEC’s NEXT) and regional telcos are expanding fiber to pockets of the county, improving backhaul and enabling Wi‑Fi offload, but coverage is still discontinuous compared with Arkansas’s cities.
• Home internet substitutes:
  • LTE/5G fixed‑wireless (Verizon/T‑Mobile) and satellite (Starlink) fill gaps where DSL/cable are absent or slow; this increases household dependence on mobile networks for work and school.

How Fulton County differs from Arkansas overall

• Older users, lower upgrade velocity:
  • County has a larger senior share than the state, with lower smartphone adoption and longer device retention. Statewide smartphone penetration is higher and devices skew newer in metro areas.
• More prepaid and budget devices:
  • Prepaid penetration and single‑line accounts are higher than the state average; iPhone share is somewhat lower than in urban Arkansas.
• Heavier reliance on mobile for home connectivity:
  • A larger proportion of households use mobile hotspots or LTE/5G home internet in place of cable/FTTH, whereas many Arkansas metro households have wired broadband.
• Coverage over capacity:
  • Networks prioritize broad low‑band coverage; mid‑band 5G capacity and peak speeds lag state urban norms. Users report more dead zones and greater reliance on Wi‑Fi calling.
• Retail and support access:
  • Fewer carrier retail locations and repair options than the state average; residents often travel to Mountain Home, Ash Flat, or West Plains (MO). This contributes to slower device replacement and lower accessory uptake.
• Usage patterns:
  • Voice and SMS remain more central to daily communication than in cities; data‑heavy applications (cloud gaming, UHD streaming on mobile) are less common due to coverage and capacity constraints.

Implications

• Operators: Low‑band 5G/VoLTE coverage, in‑building solutions, and selective mid‑band upgrades on key corridors will yield outsized benefits. Expand fixed‑wireless capacity where fiber isn’t imminent.
• Public sector/ISPs: Continue fiber co‑op buildouts and public Wi‑Fi in town centers; promote digital literacy for seniors.
• Retail/affordability: Prepaid‑friendly plans, ACP/low‑income alternatives (or successors) and durable mid‑range devices fit local needs.

Fulton County, AR social media snapshot (estimates; directional, not precise)

At-a-glance user base

• Population: ~12,000 residents; older-than-average age profile (ACS).
• Active social media users:
  • Adults (18+): ~7,000–7,800 (about 75–85% of adults).
  • Including teens (13–17): ~8,000–9,000 total users (about 60–65% of the total population).
  • Method: Applied Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adoption rates by age to Fulton County’s age mix.

Age mix of users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: 12–14% (very high daily use; Snapchat/TikTok heavy).
• 18–29: 16–18% (near-universal use; video-first).
• 30–49: 32–35% (broad, multi-platform use; Facebook/YouTube core).
• 50–64: 26–28% (Facebook and YouTube dominant).
• 65+: 20–24% (Facebook for community/news; YouTube for how‑to/faith).

Gender breakdown

• County skews slightly female; expect users ≈52–55% women, 45–48% men.
• Platform skews: Pinterest (mostly women), Reddit/X (mostly men), Facebook/YouTube near parity but Facebook tilts female among older adults.

Most-used platforms among adult social users (estimated share using each)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 70–80%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (strong female skew)
• TikTok: 25–30% (much higher under 35)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (teens/20s)
• WhatsApp: 15–20% (messaging niche; Messenger more common)
• X (Twitter): 15–18%
• Reddit: 12–16%
• Nextdoor: 5–8% (limited neighborhood coverage; Facebook Groups fill the gap)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community hub: Facebook Pages/Groups function as the public square (city/county notices, schools, churches, volunteer fire, yard sales, lost-and-found, obituaries). Messenger is a primary contact channel.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace dominates local classifieds (autos, equipment, furniture). Many small businesses sell via Facebook/Instagram; bookings via Messenger.
• Video habits: YouTube is the go-to for DIY, repair, farming/outdoors. Short‑form video via Facebook Reels and TikTok is rising; cross-posting is common.
• Youth patterns: Teens/20s use Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok daily; Instagram for school/teams. Facebook mainly for events/family.
• Older adults: Heavy Facebook use for community/news; YouTube for how‑to and faith content; lower TikTok/Snapchat adoption.
• Engagement rhythms: Evenings/weekends perform best; weather events and school announcements spike traffic.
• Trust dynamics: Word‑of‑mouth in local Facebook Groups drives discovery; group admins/moderators have outsized influence.

Sources and method notes

• Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024) for platform adoption by age, gender, and community type; DataReportal Digital 2024 for national context.
• U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) for Fulton County population and age structure.
• Figures are modeled estimates (no platform publishes county‑level usage); use for planning directionally rather than as hard counts.