Little River County

Little River County, Arkansas — key demographics

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DHC); 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.

Population size

• Total population: 12,026 (2020 Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; shares sum to ~100%)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~68%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~23%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~5,000
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~67% of households
• Owner-occupied housing: ~74% of occupied units
• Households with children under 18: ~26%

Insights

• Small, stable rural population centered around ~12k residents.
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall (median age ~43; about one in five residents are 65+).
• Majority White with a sizable Black population and a modest Hispanic share.
• Predominantly owner-occupied, family households with smaller household sizes typical of rural Arkansas.

• Population and density: Little River County has about 12,000 residents (2020 Census) over roughly 530 square miles, ≈23 people per square mile (rural, high last‑mile costs).
• Digital access: Roughly 4 in 5 households have an internet subscription and about 7 in 10 have fixed broadband; computer ownership is high, with a notable minority relying on smartphone‑only access. Adoption trails urban Arkansas but is improving as fiber and 5G expand around Ashdown; connectivity thins in outlying areas.
• Estimated email users: 8,500–9,500 residents use email, driven by high adoption among adults and growing smartphone access.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated share of total email users):
  • 18–29: 19%
  • 30–49: 33%
  • 50–64: 27%
  • 65+: 21% Email use is near‑universal among younger and middle‑aged adults, strong among 50–64, and lower but substantial among 65+.
• Gender split: Approximately even among users (≈49% male, 51% female), mirroring the population.
• Trends and insights: Email remains a default channel for services, work, and government interactions. Growth is strongest via mobile devices and new fiber passings near population centers, while low density and longer distances keep adoption and speeds uneven in rural tracts. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) remains an important supplement for some households.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Little River County, Arkansas (2024–2025)

Context and method

• Base population: about 12,000 residents, with roughly 9,000–9,500 adults (ACS 2023 county estimate range). Estimates below combine federal survey benchmarks (Pew, CDC NHIS), FCC coverage data, and county demographic adjustments for age, income, and rurality.

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile): 8,400–8,900 adults (about 92–95% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: 6,900–7,500 adults (about 75–80% of adults), modestly below Arkansas overall (about 80–83%).
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband at home, rely on cellular data/phone hotspots): 900–1,200 households (about 18–24% of households), higher than the Arkansas average (about 12–15%).
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): 3,100–3,400 households (about 64–69%), slightly below the Arkansas average (about 72–75%), reflecting an older age profile and persistent coverage gaps.
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: roughly 35–40%, above the Arkansas average (about 28–33%), consistent with lower median incomes and credit constraints.
• Device platform mix (among smartphones): Android about 68–75%; iPhone about 25–32%, more Android-skewed than the state overall.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 65+ share is above the state average; smartphone adoption among seniors is consequently lower (about 60–68% vs 70%+ statewide), and basic-phone retention is higher.
  • Younger adults (18–34) show high smartphone adoption (>90%) but more prepaid and MVNO usage than state peers.
• Income and education
  • Higher poverty and lower bachelor’s attainment than statewide averages correlate with higher prepaid usage, more budget Android devices, and greater reliance on phone hotspots for home connectivity.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Black residents make up a larger share than the Arkansas average. Consistent with statewide and national patterns, Black and lower-income households here show above-average mobile-only internet reliance.
• Household structure
  • Multi-line family plans are common in towns; single-line prepaid dominates in dispersed rural areas where credit checks and long-term contracts are barriers.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • AT&T and Verizon provide broad LTE and low-band 5G coverage across population centers and primary corridors (e.g., US-71, AR-32), with patchier service in river bottoms, timberland, and low-density areas.
  • T-Mobile’s low-band 5G is present around towns; mid-band “Ultra Capacity”/C-band capacity is mostly town-centered and along main highways, with limited reach into the countryside.
• Capacity and speeds (typical user experience)
  • Town centers: 5G mid-band or C-band where available delivers roughly 100–300 Mbps down; low-band 5G/LTE commonly 20–80 Mbps.
  • Rural fringes: LTE/low-band 5G often 5–25 Mbps, with occasional sub-5 Mbps dips and pockets of “no service” in low-lying or heavily forested areas.
• Sites and backhaul
  • The county relies on a small number of macro towers along highways and near towns; few small cells exist outside school or civic facilities. Microwave backhaul remains in use on several rural sites, constraining peak capacity versus fiber-fed sites.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Cable or fiber is available in parts of Ashdown and select neighborhoods; DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite dominate elsewhere. These gaps directly drive the county’s higher-than-average mobile-only internet use and frequent hotspotting behavior.

Trends that differ from the Arkansas state picture

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration, driven by an older age profile and coverage variability.
• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet for home connectivity because fixed broadband is sparser outside town centers.
• Greater prepaid share and stronger Android tilt, reflecting income and credit dynamics.
• Wireless-only voice households are somewhat less prevalent than statewide due to seniors retaining landlines and some households keeping copper or VoIP as backup where cellular is marginal.
• 5G mid-band capacity is more concentrated in town centers; rural capacity upgrades trail state averages, producing more pronounced town–country performance gaps.

Operational insights

• Growth in data consumption is concentrated in evening video streaming on mobile in households without robust fixed broadband; managing deprioritization and MVNO performance is salient.
• Targeted new macro sites or sector upgrades along river bottoms and forested corridors would materially reduce dead zones; fiber backhaul to rural sites would yield outsized improvements versus additional low-band spectrum alone.
• Community anchor deployments (schools, libraries) and fixed wireless/fiber buildouts would likely reduce the county’s above-average dependence on phone hotspots over the next 2–3 years.

Little River County, AR social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~12,000 (2020 Census: 12,026)
• Adults (18+): ~9,300
• Teens (13–17): ~840

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~72% of adults ≈ 6,700 users (Pew Research Center, 2024/2021 “any social” rate applied to county adults)
• Teens (13–17) using social: ~95% ≈ 800 users (Pew, 2023)
• Total social users 13+: ≈ 7,500

Age mix of the adult social audience (modeled from county age structure and Pew age-specific adoption)

• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–49: ~38% (largest slice)
• 50–64: ~28%
• 65+: ~16%
• Teens add ~10% of the total 13+ social audience on top of the adult figures above

Gender breakdown

• Residents: ~51% female, ~49% male (ACS)
• Among social users: ~52% female, ~48% male (women use social slightly more often than men in Pew data)

Most-used platforms (percent of adults; Pew Research Center, 2024; applied as the expected pattern locally)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68% (locally the most engaged platform; Groups/Marketplace are dominant)
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• Snapchat: 30%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• LinkedIn: 30% (likely lower locally due to occupation mix)
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22% Note: Rural counties like Little River typically lean a few points higher on Facebook and a few points lower on LinkedIn/X/Reddit than the national averages above.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Arkansas counties and evidenced by platform features/usage

• Community-first Facebook: High reliance on Facebook Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, local government, buy/sell/trade). Facebook Marketplace is a primary local commerce channel.
• Video-heavy consumption: YouTube for how‑to/DIY, small engine repair, hunting/fishing, music; Facebook Reels and TikTok for short-form entertainment and local happenings.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for many; SMS remains common. WhatsApp use is modest and concentrated in households with international ties.
• Younger cohorts: Teens/younger adults gravitate to Snapchat (daily communication), Instagram (stories/reels), and TikTok (trends, humor, music). Cross-posting between Instagram Reels and TikTok is typical.
• Older cohorts: Facebook dominates for news, weather alerts, community updates, church streams, and event information; YouTube for tutorials and local church/school content.
• Timing and access: Mobile-first usage; evening and weekend peaks; strong engagement around school calendars, athletics, hunting seasons, festivals, severe-weather events.
• Content that performs: Local faces and places, school/team shoutouts (e.g., Ashdown/Foreman), service updates, giveaways, and short videos with captions. Earned reach via active local Groups is significant.

Method notes

• Counts are derived from U.S. Census Bureau population figures for Little River County combined with Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption rates (including age-specific rates), applied to the county’s population structure. Platform percentages listed are Pew’s U.S. adult usage rates; local deviations follow well-documented rural usage patterns.