Jackson County

Key demographics for Jackson County, Arkansas (most recent ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates unless noted):

Population

• Total population: ~16,900
• Population density: ~29 per sq. mile

Age

• Median age: ~40.7 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~49%
• Male: ~51%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~72%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~20%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Other races (including American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander): ~1–2% combined

Households

• Total households: ~6,400
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~62%
• Married-couple families: ~42% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Nonfamily households: ~38% (about one-third are individuals living alone)
• Homeownership rate: ~65–67%
• Median household income: ~$45,000
• Households with broadband internet: ~80%

Notes

• Figures rounded for clarity; based on U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates and the 2020 Census for baseline population composition.

Jackson County, AR email landscape (estimates, 2025):

• Estimated users: ≈12,300 adult email users. Basis: ≈17,000 residents, ≈77% adults, and ≈92% of U.S. adults use email regularly.
• Age distribution of users: 18–34 ≈27%; 35–54 ≈33%; 55–64 ≈18%; 65+ ≈22%. Usage is near‑universal among 18–49, high for 50–64, and somewhat lower but widespread for 65+.
• Gender split: ≈51% female, 49% male among email users, reflecting near‑parity usage by gender.
• Digital access and habits:
  • Home broadband adoption ≈76–80% of households; ≈10–12% report no home internet.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users ≈15–20%.
  • Daily email checking is the norm for a large majority of users.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Low‑density rural county (≈27–30 people per sq. mile) with connectivity concentrated in and around Newport, Tuckerman, and Diaz.
  • Fiber builds are expanding in Newport/US‑67 corridors; many outer tracts still rely on legacy DSL/copper or fixed wireless, with satellite as a fallback. These gaps keep some areas below 100/20 Mbps and contribute to lower adoption outside population centers.

Overall: robust email penetration, with rural infrastructure shaping speeds and home access.

Mobile phone usage in Jackson County, Arkansas — 2024 snapshot

User estimates (people and households)

• Total mobile phone users (any type): approximately 12,800–13,700 residents, out of a county population just under 17,000
• Smartphone users: roughly 11,800–12,400 residents
• Smartphone-dependent/mobile-only home internet households (use a cellular plan at home and no fixed broadband): about 1,500–1,800 households (roughly 22–27% of households)

How these estimates were derived

• Counts are based on 2018–2022 ACS 5-year population and household totals for Jackson County, combined with current national/regional adoption rates by age (Pew and NHIS) and rural/rural-South adjustments. The “mobile-only” household share is inferred from ACS S2801 patterns for rural Arkansas counties with similar income and age profiles.

Demographic breakdown and patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone use (≈93–97%), driving high social/video and app-based usage.
  • 35–64: High adoption (≈85–90%); heavy reliance for work comms, navigation, and messaging.
  • 65+: Lower adoption (≈60–70%) but rising; many in this group use basic phones or rely on family plans. This older share is slightly larger than the state average, pulling overall county smartphone penetration a bit below Arkansas as a whole.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median incomes and higher poverty rates than the state average correlate with more prepaid and MVNO plans and a higher rate of smartphone-dependent households. Jackson County’s mobile-only share is several points higher than the Arkansas average (statewide is closer to the high teens).
• Race/ethnicity
  • Consistent with state patterns, Black and Hispanic residents are more likely than White residents to be smartphone-dependent for home internet access, reflecting price sensitivity and limited fixed-broadband options in specific neighborhoods.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE is broadly available across population centers and along US-67/US-167; signal quality drops in low-density agricultural areas and river bottoms near the White River.
  • 5G low-band covers the Newport area and major corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in and near Newport and along US-67, with rural interior zones still falling back to LTE.
• Performance expectations (typical, not peak)
  • LTE: roughly 5–35 Mbps down in rural zones; higher in town centers.
  • 5G mid-band (where available): often 100–300 Mbps near sites but attenuates quickly with distance/vegetation; indoor performance varies in older buildings.
• Competitive landscape
  • All three national carriers serve the county. AT&T and Verizon tend to offer the most consistent rural coverage; T-Mobile’s fastest 5G is strongest in town and along highways. Fixed-wireless home internet via 4G/5G is available in and around Newport and is a key option for households without cable/fiber.
• Resilience gaps
  • Single-pole power feeds and river-adjacent sites can prolong outage recovery after storms. Backup-power runtimes at rural cell sites limit connectivity during extended outages, increasing dependence on car charging and public charging points.

How Jackson County differs from Arkansas statewide

• Higher smartphone dependence for home internet: Jackson County’s mobile-only household share (≈22–27%) sits a few percentage points above the state average, reflecting fewer affordable fixed-broadband options in outlying areas.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: An older age profile and lower incomes depress countywide smartphone ownership by a couple of points versus Arkansas overall, despite near-universal adoption among younger adults.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO usage: Price sensitivity and intermittent employment lead to higher churn and more prepaid plans than the state average.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance gap: In-town 5G can be fast, but just a few miles out, users more often fall back to LTE with lower and more variable speeds than typical statewide medians.

Implications

• Mobile networks are the primary on-ramp to the internet for a substantial share of households, so capacity upgrades on corridors and additional rural sectors will deliver outsized benefits.
• Programs that pair low-cost plans/devices with digital literacy for older adults would meaningfully raise adoption.
• Fixed-wireless 5G and expanded mid-band coverage near clusters outside Newport can reduce the county’s mobile-only dependency and ease network congestion during peak hours.

Jackson County, Arkansas — Social Media Usage (2025 snapshot)

Scope note: There are no official, platform-reported metrics at the county level. Figures below are 2025 modeled local estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media data, county age/education/urbanicity mix from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2018–2022), and broadband availability/adoption patterns from FCC and ACS. They represent best-available point estimates for adults (18+).

Headline reach

• Adults using any social media: 69%
• Household broadband subscription: ~78%
• Adult smartphone ownership: ~82%

Most-used platforms (share of all adults, 18+)

• YouTube: 74%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 34%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 21%
• Pinterest: 20%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• LinkedIn: 11%
• Nextdoor: 5%

Age breakdown (share of each age group using any social media)

• 18–29: 92% (heavy YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook used but less posted to)
• 30–49: 84% (Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram/TikTok growing)
• 50–64: 63% (Facebook first; YouTube for how‑to, news, entertainment)
• 65+: 39% (Facebook primary; some YouTube; minimal on other platforms)

Gender breakdown (share of adults using any social media)

• Women: 72% (over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Men: 66% (over-index on YouTube, X)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community backbone: local news, school and church updates, civic and sports groups, and Marketplace dominate engagement.
• Video is the growth format: short-form clips via Reels and TikTok are increasingly cross-posted into Facebook Groups; YouTube watch time is rising on connected TVs.
• Messaging > public posting: high reliance on Messenger/Instagram DMs for local business inquiries, service quotes, and event coordination.
• Younger users fragment: 18–29s split time between Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; they consume Facebook passively, post less frequently, and prefer ephemeral or DM-first sharing.
• Older users consolidate: 50+ concentrate on Facebook; they follow local institutions and rely on group recommendations; lower adoption of new platforms.
• Commerce is local-first: Facebook Marketplace and “buy/sell/trade” groups see outsized activity relative to population, with weekend and evening peaks.
• Peak usage windows: weeknights 7–10 pm CT and weekend late mornings/early afternoons show the highest local activity and response rates.

Source and method summary

• Modeled from Pew Research Center social platform adoption (2023–2024), adjusted by Jackson County’s age/education/urbanicity mix (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022) and regional broadband/smartphone adoption (FCC and ACS). Percentages are point estimates for adults and may vary by ±3–5 percentage points in small-population cohorts.