Grant County

Grant County, Arkansas — key demographics

Population size

• 18,026 (2020 Census)
• Population density: ~37 people per square mile (2020)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~49.7%
• Male: ~50.3%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone (not Hispanic/Latino): ~91–93%
• Black or African American alone: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–0.7%
• Asian alone: ~0.2–0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Household data

• Households: ~6,700–6,900 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7 persons
• Family households: ~72–76% of households; majority are married-couple families
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~82–85%

Notes

• Population count is decennial (2020). Other indicators are ACS 5-year estimates, which smooth small-area sampling error.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year); Census QuickFacts for Grant County, AR.

Grant County, Arkansas snapshot:

• Population ≈18,000 (2020 Census) across ~632 sq mi; density ≈28–29 residents/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈11,900 adults. Method: adult population multiplied by overall email adoption (~86% of adults; Pew Research shows ~93% of adults use the internet and ~92% of internet users use email).
• Age distribution of email users (modeled from Arkansas age mix and national adoption): 18–34 ≈28%, 35–54 ≈36%, 55–64 ≈15%, 65+ ≈21%.
• Gender split among users: roughly even (≈50% female, 50% male); research shows negligible gender differences in email adoption.
• Digital access: ~82% of Arkansas households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2022); about 15% are smartphone‑only (cellular data without home broadband). Mobile coverage is near‑universal 4G LTE statewide (FCC), while wired options are denser around Sheridan/US‑167 and sparser in outlying rural areas, leading to greater reliance on mobile and satellite in low‑density tracts.
• Trends and insights: Email remains the dominant digital identity channel across all ages, with continued gains among seniors narrowing the gap. Low population density and income constraints are the primary barriers to fixed‑line adoption; strong mobile access sustains high email usage despite uneven wired infrastructure.

Grant County, Arkansas: Mobile phone usage summary (latest public data through 2022–2024; estimates derived from U.S. Census/ACS, Pew Research, and FCC Broadband Data Collection)

Headline estimates

• Residents and households: ≈18–19 thousand residents; ≈6.6–7.0 thousand households
• Adult mobile users: ≈13–14 thousand adults use a mobile phone of any kind (about 92–95% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ≈12–13 thousand adults use a smartphone (about 85–90% of adults)
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband, rely on cellular data): ≈1.3–1.6 thousand households (about 19–23% of households)

How these differ from Arkansas overall

• Mobile-only households: Several points higher than the statewide share. Expect roughly +3 to +6 percentage points above Arkansas overall, reflecting more fixed-broadband gaps outside Sheridan and along rural roads
• 5G capacity coverage: Low-band 5G is broadly available, but mid-band 5G (higher-capacity) is spottier than the state average outside the main US‑167 corridor and Sheridan, leading to more variable speeds
• Dependence on mobile for primary internet: Measurably higher than the state average, which elevates per-line data consumption and evening congestion relative to typical Arkansas suburban areas
• Urban–rural split: Usage patterns skew toward corridor-centric coverage and peak loads on commuter routes into Pulaski/Saline counties, a stronger corridor effect than in the state overall

Demographic breakdown (usage tendencies)

• Age
  • 18–34: Very high smartphone adoption (≈95–98%); heavy app, video, and social usage; above state average share of mobile-only internet within renters and young families
  • 35–64: High adoption (≈88–92%); strong mobile work/commuting usage concentrated along US‑167; similar to statewide but with heavier weekday peak hours tied to commuting
  • 65+: Lower but rising adoption (≈65–75%); heavier use of voice/SMS and messaging apps; slightly more reliance on cellular voice/text in areas with weaker in-home broadband than statewide
• Income and housing
  • Owner-occupied, single-family homes dominate; outside town centers, fewer fixed options increase the probability of cellular-only internet plans compared with the state as a whole
  • Mid-income households are more likely to substitute unlimited mobile data for home broadband than similar income cohorts statewide
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county is less diverse than Arkansas overall; when controlling for income and age, smartphone adoption across groups is broadly comparable to state patterns, but the county’s composition slightly raises the overall smartphone-ownership average relative to similarly rural Arkansas counties

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: All three national operators (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide 4G LTE coverage across populated areas; 5G low-band covers most populated locations, with mid-band 5G capacity concentrated in and near Sheridan and along US‑167
• Coverage shape: Strongest service along US‑167, AR‑35, and in Sheridan; signal variability increases in low-density, wooded areas and around water features, typical of rural topography
• Backhaul and redundancy: Fiber backhaul is present along primary corridors; off-corridor sites more often depend on microwave or lower-capacity fiber, which constrains peak speeds compared with metro Arkansas
• Public-safety and resilience: Priority/LMR-to-LTE interoperability and FirstNet buildouts cover key corridors and town centers, but off-corridor capacity and in-building penetration remain the limiting factors during incidents or weather-related spikes

Usage implications for Grant County

• Data demand is more “mobile-centric” than the Arkansas average, with a larger share of households relying on cellular for home internet
• Residents experience a wider gap between corridor speeds and off-corridor performance than typical statewide averages due to the mid-band 5G footprint and backhaul placement
• Commuter flows toward Pulaski/Saline counties drive weekday AM/PM congestion on primary routes more than in many Arkansas counties

Notes on methods

• Population/households: U.S. Census Bureau/ACS 5‑year small-area figures
• Device ownership: Pew Research smartphone adoption baselines adjusted to local age mix
• Mobile-only households: ACS S2801 “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” cellular‑only profiles applied to county household counts and rural adjustment
• Coverage/infrastructure: FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) provider filings and statewide operator deployment patterns mapped to local geography

These figures provide a defensible, county-specific estimate: Grant County’s smartphone adoption is broadly in line with Arkansas, but its reliance on mobile data as a primary home connection and its corridor-centric 5G capacity coverage are both more pronounced than the state overall.

Grant County, AR — social media usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Population context

• Total population: 18,265 (2020 Census). Approx. adults (18+): ~14,100.

Most-used platforms among adults (apply Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. usage rates to Grant County’s adult population for local reach)

• YouTube: 83% of adults (~11.7k users)
• Facebook: 68% (~9.6k)
• Instagram: 50% (~7.0k)
• Pinterest: 35% (~4.9k)
• TikTok: 33% (~4.6k)
• WhatsApp: 29% (~4.1k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~4.2k)
• Snapchat: 27% (~3.8k)
• Reddit: 23% (~3.2k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~3.1k)
• Nextdoor: 19% (~2.7k)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): YouTube is near-universal; TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram dominate day-to-day use; Facebook is secondary.
• 18–29: Heavy Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat use; Facebook used but not primary for content discovery.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram strong; TikTok growing for entertainment and how-to content.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest useful for projects/recipes; modest Instagram/TikTok adoption.
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube for news, music, tutorials; limited use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown (usage tendencies)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; strong Instagram participation; active in local groups, buy–sell–trade, school/church/community pages.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube and Reddit; higher presence on X; strong consumption of how-to, automotive, outdoors, and sports content on YouTube/Facebook.

Behavioral trends in Grant County

• Community-centric engagement: High activity in Facebook Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, civic updates, local events) and Facebook Marketplace; local news/weather/road conditions posts drive rapid engagement and shares.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) performs best for local businesses and events; how-to and product demos do well on YouTube and Facebook.
• Peak times: Evenings and weekends show the highest interaction; school-year calendars and local sports seasons create predictable engagement spikes.
• Trust pathways: Word-of-mouth via shares in closed groups and Messenger drives conversions more than public comments; recommendations from known community members outperform ads without local context.
• Commerce behavior: Price-sensitive, local-first buying; event tickets, services (home/auto/outdoors), and seasonal promotions gain traction when paired with clear calls-to-action and location cues.
• Cross-posting norms: The same content is commonly cross-posted between Facebook and Instagram; younger cohorts mirror content between Instagram and TikTok/Snapchat.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger frequently used for business inquiries and confirmations; WhatsApp presence exists but is smaller than Messenger/SMS.

Notes on method and sources

• County population: U.S. Census Bureau (2020). Adult user counts are estimates created by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult platform usage percentages to Grant County’s adult population. Teen usage patterns reflect Pew’s national teen findings.