Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Arkansas — key demographics

Population size

• 64,300 (2023 Census estimate), down roughly 17% since 2010

Age

• Median age: 41.4 years
• Under 18: 22.1%
• 18–64: 58.3%
• 65 and over: 19.6%

Gender

• Female: 52.6%
• Male: 47.4%

Race and ethnicity

• Black or African American (alone): 55.3%
• White (alone): 37.9%
• Two or more races: 4.8%
• Asian (alone): 0.6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): 0.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (alone): 0.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 4.1%

Households and housing

• Households: 27,100
• Average household size: 2.40
• Family households: 61%
• Married-couple households: 34%
• Female householder, no spouse present: 21%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 58%
• Average family size: 3.01

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year) and 2023 Population Estimates Program.

• Estimated email users: ≈43,000 adults in Jefferson County (out of ≈51,000 adults; population ≈65,500). This applies national email adoption to local demographics and connectivity.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–29 ≈21% (9,000); 30–49 ≈31% (13,200); 50–64 ≈27% (11,400); 65+ ≈21% (9,100). Email remains near-universal among under-50 adults and strong among seniors.
• Gender split: Roughly 51% female, 49% male among email users, mirroring the county’s slight female majority and minimal gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access trends: About 4 in 5 households subscribe to home broadband; roughly 1 in 10 lack home internet. Smartphone‑only access is a notable slice of connections, so a large share of email is read on mobile. Broadband adoption is growing but trails the U.S. average; affordability and device constraints are primary barriers.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density ≈75 residents per square mile, with service strongest in and around Pine Bluff and thinner in outlying rural tracts. Public libraries, schools, and community hotspots play an outsized role in bridging access gaps. Overall, email reach is high but usage intensity correlates with broadband availability and mobile data reliability.

Jefferson County, Arkansas — mobile phone usage snapshot and how it differs from the state

User estimates (2023–2024)

• Estimated adult smartphone users: 43,000–46,000 residents
  • Basis: ~52–54k adults (18+) and age-adjusted smartphone ownership rates consistent with recent Pew/NTIA patterns (mid‑80s percent overall; very high among 18–64; lower, but rising, among 65+).
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~19,000–20,000 (about 74–78% of ~25–26k households)
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): ~4,600–5,500 (about 18–22% of households)
• Fixed broadband (cable, fiber, or DSL) at home: ~15,500–17,000 households (about 60–66%)

How Jefferson County differs from Arkansas overall

• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet: roughly 3–6 percentage points above the Arkansas average (county ~18–22% vs state ~14–16%)
• Slightly lower fixed broadband adoption: roughly 4–8 points below the statewide rate (county ~60–66% vs state ~66–72%)
• Cellular-plan adoption is modestly higher than the state average, reflecting substitution for home broadband (county ~74–78% vs state ~70–75%)
• Net effect: The share of residents whose primary connection is a smartphone is meaningfully higher than the state average, and the county’s total smartphone user base skews more toward mobile data as a primary internet pathway

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone ownership (mid‑ to high‑90s percent), heavy video/social usage, highest 5G uptake
  • 35–64: very high ownership (low‑ to mid‑90s percent), strong use for work, navigation, and commerce
  • 65+: ownership materially lower but rising (roughly 70–80%); this segment pulls down the county’s overall adoption slightly vs a younger county
• Income and affordability
  • Jefferson County’s lower median income than the state average correlates with higher prepaid usage and mobile-only internet dependence, as households trade fixed broadband for unlimited or high-cap mobile plans
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county is majority Black; consistent with national patterns, Black and Hispanic residents are more likely to rely on smartphones as their only or primary internet access, which helps explain the county’s higher mobile-only share relative to the state

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and carriers
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all provide 4G LTE across population centers and 5G along the I‑530/US‑65 corridor and in/around Pine Bluff
  • 5G mid‑band capacity is concentrated in Pine Bluff and adjacent communities; rural bottomland and river-adjacent areas see more band‑12/13/71 LTE fallback and occasional coverage gaps indoors
• Network capacity and backhaul
  • Pine Bluff has the county’s densest cell-site grid and fiber backhaul, underpinning better median 5G performance in town than in outlying areas
  • AT&T FirstNet (Band 14) presence improves public‑safety coverage and provides additional capacity for AT&T consumer users during normal operation
  • T‑Mobile’s 2.5 GHz mid‑band and Verizon C‑band deployments are present in the urban core; performance attenuates with distance, making indoor coverage more variable outside town centers
• Device and plan mix
  • Above‑average share of prepaid and budget plans relative to the state’s urban counties; hotspot add‑ons and phone‑as‑home‑internet use are common among mobile‑only households
• Build‑out trends
  • Recent upgrades prioritize mid‑band 5G sectors in Pine Bluff and along primary transportation corridors; infill and rural capacity expansion are improving but trail the urban core
  • Fixed broadband investment is increasing (fiber and DOCSIS upgrades), but uptake lags, sustaining higher mobile substitution than the Arkansas mean

What this means for service design and outreach

• Expect heavier mobile data reliance for everyday tasks (banking, telehealth, job applications), so mobile-optimized services matter more here than in the average Arkansas county
• Affordability programs (ACP successor offerings, prepaid discounts, and bundled mobile–home internet) have outsized impact on connectivity in Jefferson County
• Coverage and indoor performance improve markedly within Pine Bluff; plan recommendations should consider carrier-by-neighborhood differences and building materials for in-home use

Notes on methodology

• Counts are estimates derived from 2023 ACS population/household baselines combined with recent state/national adoption patterns (Pew, NTIA, ACS S2801/S2802). County vs state deltas are expressed in percentage-point gaps using the same framework to keep comparisons consistent.

Social media usage in Jefferson County, AR (2024 snapshot)

User stats

• Population base: ~65,000 residents; ~51,000 adults (18+)
• Adult social media users: ~42,000 (≈83% of adults)

Age groups (share of adult social media users)

• 18–29: ~23%
• 30–49: ~38%
• 50–64: ~24%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender breakdown (share of adult social media users)

• Female: ~54%
• Male: ~46%

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults; local user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 82–84% (~41k–43k)
• Facebook: 66–70% (~34k–36k)
• Instagram: 48–52% (~24k–27k)
• TikTok: 31–35% (~16k–18k)
• Snapchat: 28–32% (~14k–16k)
• Pinterest: 28–32% (~14k–16k; majority female)
• LinkedIn: 28–32% (~14k–16k; concentrated among professionals)
• WhatsApp: 27–30% (~14k–15k)
• X (Twitter): 20–24% (~10k–12k)
• Reddit: 20–24% (~10k–12k)
• Nextdoor: 18–22% (~9k–11k; neighborhood-dependent) Note: Multi-platform use means percentages sum to more than 100%.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups and Marketplace drive most local interactions (schools, churches, neighborhood watch, buy/sell/trade); municipal, weather, and public-safety updates get above-average engagement.
• Short‑form video is the discovery engine: TikTok and Instagram Reels shape choices for dining, events, and small businesses; cross‑posting to Facebook extends reach to 35+.
• YouTube underpins research and DIY: Strong for how‑to, repairs, product reviews, and local interest content; skews slightly male.
• Messaging-first interactions: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are preferred for inquiries and bookings; click‑to‑message ad formats often outperform link‑outs for local services.
• Peak engagement windows: Weekday evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings; activity patterns follow school calendars and high school sports seasons.
• Trust is local: Content from local media, schools, churches, and known group admins outperforms generic brand posts; authentic user-generated photos/videos beat stock creatives.
• Platform roles: Facebook for mass reach and community; Instagram for visuals among 18–34; TikTok for rapid awareness under 35; X for breaking news/sports; LinkedIn for hiring (healthcare, government, logistics); Pinterest for home, crafts, and food planning.

Methodological note: Figures are modeled for Jefferson County by applying 2023–2024 Pew Research U.S. platform adoption rates to the county’s adult population from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.