Izard County

Izard County, Arkansas — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• Total population: 13,9xx (2023 population estimate; U.S. Census Bureau)
• 2020 Census: 13,5xx

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: under 18 ~19%; 18–64 ~56%; 65+ ~25%

Gender

• Female ~51%; Male ~49% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and Hispanic origin (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~92%
• Black or African American alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~89%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Number of households: ~5.7k
• Average household size: ~2.25 persons
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple families: ~54% of households
• Households with people under 18: ~23%
• Households with people 65+: ~36%
• Living alone: ~30% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~78%

Insights

• Older age profile compared with Arkansas overall; about one-quarter of residents are 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White population with small but notable multiracial and Hispanic shares
• Small household sizes, high share of married-couple families, and high homeownership typical of rural counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (DP02, DP04, DP05) and 2023 Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Izard County, Arkansas overview

• Population and density: ≈13,500 residents; ~23 people per square mile (rural, dispersed settlement).
• Estimated email users: ~9,600 adults (range 9,200–10,100), based on rural Arkansas internet adoption and age mix.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: ~17%
  • 35–54: ~33%
  • 55+: ~50% Older residents make up a larger share of users than the U.S. average due to the county’s higher median age.
• Gender split of email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county demographics; usage rates are similar by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with any internet subscription: ~75%
  • Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) subscribers: ~65–70%
  • Smartphone‑only internet access: ~12–15%
  • No home internet: ~22–25% (skews older and lower‑income)
  • Connectivity concentrates around Melbourne, Calico Rock, and Horseshoe Bend; many outlying areas rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. 4G LTE covers main corridors; 5G is limited.
• Insights: Email is near‑universal among connected adults and is a primary channel for healthcare, schools, and government notifications. Growth in fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts is gradually reducing gaps, but low density and terrain keep access uneven, leaving a persistent offline segment among seniors.

Izard County, Arkansas: Mobile phone usage overview (with county-specific estimates and contrasts to Arkansas statewide patterns)

Key takeaways that differ from state-level

• Older population, lower income, and rugged terrain produce lower smartphone penetration than the Arkansas average, heavier reliance on basic/feature phones among seniors, and more prepaid usage.
• Coverage is predominantly LTE with patchy low-band 5G in towns and along main corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is far less common than the state’s urban corridors.
• Smartphone-only home internet is present but not dominant; local fiber buildouts (notably the North Arkansas Electric Cooperative’s NEXT fiber) curb the smartphone-only share compared with many rural peers.

User base and adoption (modeled from ACS 2018–2022 5-year demographics and device/Internet indicators for similar rural Arkansas counties, plus statewide mobile adoption research)

• Population and base: ~13.5K residents; adult (18+) population ~11–11.5K.
• Any mobile phone (cell or smartphone): roughly 88–92% of adults. Estimated users: about 9.7K–10.5K.
• Smartphone users: roughly 74–82% of adults. Estimated users: about 8.2K–9.3K.
• Smartphone-only home internet households (no fixed broadband): approximately 12–15% of households, lower than many rural AR counties due to active fiber deployments. Estimated households: roughly 700–900.
• Prepaid plans: meaningfully higher share than statewide; prepaid likely approaches one-half of consumer lines in the county, driven by income mix, credit constraints, and episodic coverage needs across carriers.
• Device mix: a notable minority of older adults retain basic/feature phones for voice/SMS; younger cohorts are near-saturation on smartphones.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age: The county skews older than Arkansas overall, with a substantially larger 65+ share. Consequences:
  • Lower smartphone penetration and app-centric usage among seniors.
  • Higher reliance on voice/SMS and larger-font, simplified Android devices; iOS share rises in younger and middle-aged cohorts.
• Income: Median household income trails the state average. Effects:
  • Greater adoption of prepaid/MVNO plans (Straight Talk, Cricket, Metro, etc.).
  • Price-sensitive device replacement cycles; used/refurbished handsets are common.
• Work and education:
  • Trades, healthcare, K‑12, and small retail dominate mobile workflows; heavy field use for scheduling, messaging, and navigation.
  • Students are highly mobile-first, but smartphone-only is partially offset by improving fiber access for homework/e-learning.

Digital infrastructure and coverage realities

• Terrain and propagation: Ozark hills and river valleys (notably around Calico Rock/White River) create shadowed areas and fast signal fade, making carrier diversity and Wi‑Fi Calling important for reliability indoors.
• Radio access:
  • 4G LTE is the coverage workhorse across the county for all major carriers.
  • 5G availability is primarily low-band in population centers and along main highways (e.g., Melbourne, Horseshoe Bend, Calico Rock, and primary corridors). Mid-band 5G capacity is sparse versus Arkansas urban areas.
• Carriers:
  • AT&T and Verizon generally provide the most continuous county coverage.
  • T‑Mobile has improved low-band 5G reach but still exhibits gaps off main roads and in hollows; performance is location-sensitive.
• Backhaul and fixed broadband:
  • NEXT, Powered by North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, has rolled out significant fiber-to-the-home/backhaul in parts of Izard County, improving tower backhaul and enabling reliable home Wi‑Fi Calling.
  • Legacy DSL remains in pockets; cable availability is limited and localized. Where fiber is present, smartphone-only dependence drops.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage focuses on highways, towns, and critical facilities; it reduces, but does not eliminate, rural dead zones.
  • Power and backhaul redundancy are improving with fiber builds; however, extended outages can still affect distant LTE sectors.

How Izard County differs from Arkansas overall

• Adoption: Smartphone penetration lags the state average by several percentage points because of the older age structure and income mix; basic/feature phone retention among seniors is notably higher than statewide.
• Plan mix: Prepaid/MVNO share is materially higher than the state average; family plans that mix postpaid parents with prepaid lines for dependents are common.
• Network experience: Median mobile download speeds are lower and more variable than statewide medians due to reliance on low-band spectrum, sparser sites, and terrain obstructions; performance improves markedly in towns with fiber-fed sites.
• Home internet substitution: Smartphone-only households exist but at a somewhat lower rate than many rural Arkansas counties where fiber has not yet arrived; fiber expansion is shifting usage toward Wi‑Fi offload at home.
• Usage behaviors: Voice and text are used proportionally more than in metro Arkansas, with heavier dependence on Wi‑Fi Calling indoors; app usage and streaming increase where fiber is available.

Implications

• Businesses and public agencies should assume carrier variability by location; publish multi-carrier contact numbers and encourage Wi‑Fi Calling at facilities.
• For consumer outreach and services, SMS remains highly effective countywide; app-first strategies should include low-bandwidth, offline-capable options.
• Infrastructure investments that add mid-band 5G carriers and infill sites (especially along river valleys and between towns) will yield outsized gains versus state averages because current performance is constrained by terrain and band mix.

Notes on estimation

• Figures above synthesize U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022 five-year county demographics and device/Internet indicators for rural Arkansas, statewide adoption research (e.g., Pew), FCC coverage datasets, and regional fiber build information. They are presented as county-specific estimates to make the insights actionable where direct counts by county are not published.

Izard County, AR — social media usage snapshot (2025, modeled from latest ACS population and Pew Research rural-usage benchmarks)

User stats

• Population: ~13.6k; adults (18+): ~11.1k
• Adults using social media monthly: 75% (~8.3k)
• Multi-platform behavior: average adult user actively uses 3–4 platforms/month

Age groups (share of adult social media users)

• 18–29: 19%
• 30–49: 34%
• 50–64: 28%
• 65+: 19%

Gender breakdown (adult social media users)

• Women: 52%
• Men: 48%
• Notable skews: Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest lean female; YouTube/Reddit/X lean male

Most‑used platforms among adults (percent of all adults in the county)

• YouTube: 70%
• Facebook: 66%
• Facebook Messenger: 58%
• Instagram: 36%
• Pinterest: 32%
• TikTok: 24%
• Snapchat: 22%
• WhatsApp: 18%
• X (Twitter): 15%
• Reddit: 12%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: heavy use of local groups, Marketplace, school/church updates, severe weather info, and event promotion; comments and shares drive reach more than link clicks.
• Video-first consumption: short, vertical video (Reels/TikTok) is the most efficient format for 18–34; YouTube long-form dominates DIY, hunting/fishing, auto repair, and church services.
• Commerce and inquiries happen in DMs: Facebook Messenger is the default for contacting local businesses; “Message” CTAs outperform web forms.
• Visual discovery: Instagram and Pinterest power tourism, home, quilting/crafts, recipes; Pinterest sends high‑intent traffic to local ecommerce.
• Youth patterns: TikTok/Snapchat are daily habits for teens and younger adults; cross-posted Reels expand reach beyond TikTok.
• Timing: engagement peaks 6–9 pm on weekdays and Sunday afternoons; weather events and high school sports spikes drive outsized reach.
• Trust dynamics: word‑of‑mouth in comment threads matters; local admins, coaches, pastors, and small business owners act as micro‑influencers.
• Platform gaps: WhatsApp/Nextdoor remain niche; Facebook Groups often substitute for neighborhood apps.

Notes on method and sources

• Population and age structure from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (latest available pre-2025).
• Platform usage rates from Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use (2024), adjusted for rural counties and Izard’s older age profile.
• Figures are county‑level modeled estimates; percentages refer to share of adult residents unless stated otherwise.