Johnson County

Johnson County, Arkansas — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates unless noted)

Population

• Total population: ~25,700 (2020 Decennial Census: 25,749)

Age

• Median age: ~39
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Sex

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~69%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~20%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5–6%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households

• Total households: ~9,700
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~67% of households (married-couple families ~49%)
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%; living alone ~27% (65+ living alone ~12%)
• Tenure: ~72% owner-occupied, ~28% renter-occupied

Insights

• The county is majority White non-Hispanic with a comparatively large Hispanic population for Arkansas (~1 in 5 residents).
• Age structure is close to national norms, with a modestly larger 65+ share typical of rural counties.
• Household composition skews toward owner-occupied, married-couple family households, with roughly one-third nonfamily households.

Johnson County, AR has about 25,600 residents across roughly 680 sq mi (≈38 people/sq mi). Estimated email users: ≈21,000 residents (≈82%); among adults, penetration is ≈90%.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 18–34: ≈29%
• 35–54: ≈33%
• 55–64: ≈18%
• 65+: ≈20%

Gender split among users is effectively even: ≈51% female, ≈49% male.

Digital access and connectivity:

• Approximately 75–80% of households subscribe to a home broadband service; about 10–15% are smartphone‑only for internet.
• Coverage and speeds are strongest in and around Clarksville and the I‑40 corridor, with thinner, slower options in outlying rural terrain; libraries and schools provide key public Wi‑Fi.
• Fiber buildouts and state/federal investments are expanding last‑mile availability, but affordability pressures following the 2024 wind‑down of ACP have slowed some adoption.

Insight: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults and solid among connected seniors; the main ceiling on usage is infrastructure and affordability in lower‑density areas rather than user interest.

Johnson County, Arkansas — Mobile phone usage snapshot (best-available 2023–2024 public data and modeled county estimates)

Overall user estimates

• Adult smartphone users: 18,000–19,000 residents (about 88–90% of adults), translating to roughly 70–73% of the total population.
• Wireless-only households (no landline voice): about 78–82% of households, several points higher than the Arkansas average (~74–77%).
• Households with a cellular data plan: roughly 6,800–7,400 (about 70–76% of households).
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed broadband): about 19–23% of households, higher than the statewide share (~15–18%).
• Prepaid vs. postpaid: prepaid plans are used by an estimated 35–40% of adult subscribers in the county, a higher share than the state average, reflecting price sensitivity and patchy credit access in rural areas.

Demographic breakdown (usage and reliance)

• Age
  • 18–34: 95–98% smartphone adoption; ~30% are smartphone-only for home internet.
  • 35–64: 90–94% adoption; ~18–22% smartphone-only.
  • 65+: 68–75% adoption; ~10–14% smartphone-only. Johnson County’s older age mix modestly drags overall adoption vs. Arkansas urban counties.
• Income
  • Under $35k: 84–90% adoption; 30–40% smartphone-only internet reliance.
  • $35k–$75k: 90–94% adoption; 15–20% smartphone-only.
  • $75k+: 95–98% adoption; 6–10% smartphone-only. Lower median household income than the state average corresponds with higher mobile-only dependence.
• Race/ethnicity
  • White (majority): high adoption but lower mobile speeds in northern rural tracts increase smartphone-only reliance.
  • Hispanic (notably growing share locally): adoption near or above county average; above-average smartphone-only reliance due to cost and rental housing patterns.
  • Black and other groups (small shares of population): adoption near state averages; outcomes driven more by income and geography than by race in this county.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE is broadly available along the I‑40 corridor (Clarksville–Lamar–Knoxville–Coal Hill) and state highways; coverage thins in the Ozark National Forest and the county’s north and northeast due to terrain and tower spacing.
  • 5G availability is concentrated near Clarksville and along I‑40. Extended-range 5G (low-band) is present across more of the corridor; mid-band 5G capacity is limited and spotty compared with Arkansas metros.
• Carriers and networks
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all serve the county. AT&T FirstNet Band 14 is present on select sites along I‑40, improving emergency coverage. T‑Mobile’s 600 MHz 5G (n71) improves reach into hilly areas; Verizon’s mid-band 5G capacity is limited outside the interstate corridor.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest along I‑40 and in Clarksville. Electric co‑op and municipal fiber buildouts (e.g., regional co‑op networks and the statewide Diamond State Networks middle‑mile) have expanded fiber presence that carriers can tap for 4G/5G backhaul.
  • Away from the corridor, many cell sites still rely on microwave backhaul, constraining capacity and peak speeds.
• Performance and reliability
  • Typical mobile speeds are lower than state averages: median downloads in populated parts of Johnson County commonly fall in the 28–40 Mbps range (uploads ~4–10 Mbps), versus materially higher medians in Arkansas metros.
  • Known weak/variable signal pockets: Oark, Hagarville, Bullfrog Valley/Deer headwaters, and Big Piney Creek areas; signal improves at ridge lines and degrades in hollows.
  • During storms, microwave-fed sites in the highlands are more prone to extended outages than fiber-fed interstate sites.

How Johnson County differs from Arkansas overall

• Higher mobile dependence
  • Wireless-only households are several points higher than the state average, and smartphone-only internet households are roughly 3–6 percentage points higher. Residents are more likely to use mobile as their primary or only at-home connection.
• Slower typical mobile speeds
  • Median download speeds trail the Arkansas average by roughly 25–40%, reflecting limited mid-band 5G, longer inter-site distances, and non-fiber backhaul on rural towers.
• Bigger geography-driven gaps
  • The interstate corridor vs. upland forests divide is sharper than in much of the state; residents north of Clarksville experience more dead zones and variability.
• More prepaid usage
  • A larger share of prepaid mobile subscriptions than the state average, consistent with lower incomes and credit access, increases churn and can reduce access to premium network features.
• 5G that is broad but thin
  • 5G “coverage” reaches key highways and town centers, but capacity (mid-band) is limited relative to Arkansas’s urban counties; this constrains high-traffic apps and hotspot use during peak times.

Implications

• Public safety and healthcare benefit from FirstNet and low-band 5G along I‑40, but redundancy in the highlands remains a gap.
• Education and workforce programs should account for higher smartphone-only reliance; content and services optimized for mobile and offline use will see better outcomes.
• Carrier upgrades that add fiber backhaul and mid-band 5G to non‑interstate sites would close the largest performance gap with the rest of Arkansas.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Figures synthesize U.S. Census Bureau ACS (Computer and Internet Use), CDC/NCHS wireless‑only trends, FCC mobile coverage data, and third‑party speed/coverage datasets, adjusted to Johnson County’s age/income mix and geography as of 2023–2024. Where exact county microdata are limited, values are presented as bounded estimates to reflect the best-available evidence.

Johnson County, AR — social media snapshot (2025)

User base

• Population: ~26,000; adults (18+): ~20,000 (U.S. Census Bureau estimates)
• Active social media users: approximately 16,000–18,000 adults (about 80–90% of adults; directionally consistent with Pew Research Center national usage)

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults using each platform at least monthly)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• TikTok: 28–33%
• Snapchat: 25–30% (concentrated under 30)
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 10–15%
• WhatsApp: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 5–8%

Age groups and gender

• Age structure: Slightly older than the U.S. overall. Roughly one-quarter of residents are under 18, about one-fifth are 65+, with the remainder spread across 18–64.
• Gender: Near-even split (approximately 50/50).
• Age-driven platform patterns:
  • Teens/18–29: Very heavy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; Facebook used mainly for groups/events.
  • 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram and TikTok used for entertainment, shopping discovery, and local updates.
  • 50–64: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are primary; YouTube for how-to and news; modest Instagram usage.
  • 65+: Facebook for community and family; YouTube for news/how-to; limited TikTok/Instagram.
• Gender tendencies: Women over-index on Facebook Groups and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube. Instagram skews female; X skews male.

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first use: Facebook Groups (neighborhoods, schools, churches, youth sports, civic alerts) and Marketplace are central to daily activity. Local service discovery (contractors, lawn care, childcare) happens via recommendations in Groups.
• Video-forward consumption: YouTube is the go-to for DIY, farm/ranch, outdoor recreation (hunting/fishing), small engine repair, and product research. Short-form video (TikTok/Reels) is rising for local events, restaurants, and creators.
• Youth engagement hubs: Snapchat and Instagram are primary for high-school and college-aged users (University of the Ozarks presence boosts this). TikTok is a key channel for music, sports highlights, and trend-driven content.
• Shopping and discovery: Facebook/Instagram drive most social commerce exposure; Pinterest influences recipes, home projects, and seasonal décor. TikTok increasingly affects impulse food/retail visits in Clarksville and nearby towns.
• Information flow: Severe weather and high school/college sports updates distribute via Facebook Pages/Groups and X; YouTube and Facebook carry longer-form recaps.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for local coordination; WhatsApp usage is present but modest and more common among multilingual/immigrant communities.

Notes on method and sources

• Platform percentages are county-level estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s most recent U.S. adult platform-usage rates (with rural adjustments) to Johnson County’s age mix from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Figures are rounded to practical planning ranges and reflect monthly usage.