Marion County

Marion County, Arkansas — key demographics

Population size

• 16,826 (2020 Census)
• ~17,000 (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~53 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~50%
• 65 and over: ~31%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.8%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~92%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~7,500
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married-couple families: ~56% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~34%
• One-person households: ~29%
• Average family size: ~2.7

Insights

• Small, aging population with roughly one-third 65+, skewing older than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White population with limited racial/ethnic diversity.
• Household structure is weighted toward married-couple and small households.

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

Marion County, Arkansas snapshot (2025):

• Estimated email users: ≈13,000 residents (≈78% of the 16.7k population).
• Age distribution of email users: under 18: 11%; 18–34: 21%; 35–64: 44%; 65+: 24%. Usage is near-universal among 18–64, with strong but lower adoption among seniors.
• Gender split among email users: female 51%, male 49% (aligned with the county’s slight female majority).

Digital access and trends:

• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈73% (about 5,700 of ~7,800 households).
• No home internet: ≈16% of households; cellular-only access accounts for much of the remainder.
• Device access: Most households have a computer; smartphone-based email is common in outlying areas.
• Connectivity is denser in and around Yellville, Flippin, and Bull Shoals (cable/fiber present), while rural hollows rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Population density is low (≈28 people per square mile), contributing to patchy last‑mile wired coverage; 4G/LTE covers primary corridors, with 5G largely limited to town centers.
• Trend: steady gains in fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage since 2022, shrinking the share of households without broadband and lifting email reliability and frequency.

Mobile phone usage in Marion County, Arkansas (2024 snapshot)

Baseline

• Population: ≈16,800 (ACS 2023 est.)
• Adults (18+): ≈13,800
• Households: ≈7,300

User estimates (individuals)

• Any mobile phone (cellphone) users, adults: ≈13,000 (≈94% of adults)
• Smartphone users, adults: 11,200–11,600 (≈81–84% of adults; ≈67–69% of total population)
• Teen smartphone users add a small increment; total smartphone users countywide are just under 12,000

Household device and subscription profile (ACS S2801 2018–2022 5‑year; county vs state)

• Households with a smartphone: Marion ≈82% (≈6,000 households) vs Arkansas ≈88%
• Households with any broadband subscription: Marion ≈74% vs Arkansas ≈81%
• Households with no internet subscription: Marion ≈23% (≈1,700 households) vs Arkansas ≈16%
• Households relying on a cellular data plan as their only internet: Marion ≈15% (≈1,100 households) vs Arkansas ≈11%

Demographic breakdown (modeled from ACS age mix and Pew age-specific ownership)

• Age
  • 18–64 (≈8,500 people): smartphone ownership ≈90–93% → 7,700–7,900 users
  • 65+ (≈5,300 people): smartphone ownership ≈65–70% → 3,500–3,700 users
  • Impact: Marion’s older population share (≈31% 65+) materially lowers overall smartphone penetration relative to the state (Arkansas ≈18% 65+)
• Income and education
  • Median household income is lower than the state (≈$49k vs ≈$55k), and a larger share of households is under $50k (≈58% vs ≈49% statewide)
  • Adult bachelor’s+ attainment is lower (≈18% vs ≈25% statewide)
  • Both factors correlate with a higher share of basic phones, prepaid plans, and cellular-only home internet use
• Geography and work patterns
  • Dispersed, rural settlement and outdoor/seasonal work increase reliance on mobile voice/text and hotspot use, especially away from towns

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage pattern
  • 4G LTE is broadly available along primary corridors (US‑62/412, AR‑14, AR‑125) and in towns (Yellville, Flippin, Bull Shoals); coverage gaps persist around lake shorelines, valleys, and ridge-shadowed areas
  • Low-band 5G is present in population centers and along main roads; mid-band 5G capacity is limited outside towns, so many users operate on LTE outside cores
• Site density and terrain
  • The county has on the order of a few dozen registered macro towers (FCC ASR), reflecting a coverage-first, not capacity-first, grid; rugged topography reduces effective reach and contributes to dead zones relative to flatter parts of Arkansas
• Backhaul and offload
  • Cable/fixed-broadband options are concentrated in town centers; in outlying areas, weaker fixed options lead to above-average use of cellular hotspots and phone-based tethering for home access

How Marion County differs from Arkansas overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: Fewer smartphone households (≈82% vs 88%) and fewer adult smartphone users proportionally, driven by a much older age profile and lower income/education levels
• Higher offline rate: A larger share of households with no internet subscription (≈23% vs 16%), amplifying the role of basic mobile voice/SMS for connectivity
• Greater cellular-only dependence: Higher reliance on cellular data as the only internet (≈15% vs 11%)
• Slower 5G diffusion and more LTE reliance: 5G is less ubiquitous outside town centers due to terrain and sparser site density; users more often fall back to LTE than the statewide norm

Method note: Figures combine ACS 2018–2022 5‑year indicators for Marion County and Arkansas (device and subscription rates, age/income/education mix), Pew Research smartphone adoption by age applied to Marion County’s age structure (to estimate individual users), and FCC coverage characterizations for rural north Arkansas to describe infrastructure patterns.

Social media in Marion County, Arkansas — snapshot (2025)

County context

• Population: ~16,800 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate). Skews older; roughly 3 in 10 are 65+.
• Internet access: Rural profile; smartphone-reliant users are common. Facebook/Messenger and YouTube dominate day-to-day use.

How many people use social media here

• Estimated active social media users: ~10,000–11,500 residents (about 60–70% of the total population; roughly 70% of residents age 13+).
• Gender split among social media users: ~53% female, ~47% male (women slightly more active on Facebook and Pinterest).
• Age mix among users (share of all social media users):
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–29: ~16%
  • 30–49: ~28–30%
  • 50–64: ~24–26%
  • 65+: ~20–22%

Most-used platforms in Marion County (estimated share of residents age 13+ who use each platform; multi-platform usage is common)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~65%
• Instagram: ~37%
• Pinterest: ~29% (skews female; roughly 40–45% of women vs ~12–20% of men)
• TikTok: ~25%
• Snapchat: ~21% (dominant among teens; relatively low among 50+)
• X (Twitter): ~17%
• LinkedIn: ~17% (small, professional niche)
• Reddit: ~15%
• Nextdoor: low single digits (limited neighborhood density)

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: daily check-ins for local news, school and church updates, city/county notices, high-engagement swap-and-shop groups, and Facebook Marketplace buying/selling. Facebook Messenger is a primary communications channel.
• YouTube is leaned on for how‑to content, outdoor/recreation (Bull Shoals/White River), home repair, automotive, and “TV-like” viewing on smart TVs in the evening.
• Short‑form video: TikTok and Instagram Reels are growing among 18–34; cross-posted short videos from local businesses see better reach than static posts.
• Visual discovery: Pinterest usage is strong among women 25–64 for recipes, home projects, crafts, and seasonal/hunting content.
• Teen behavior: Snapchat for messaging and stories; YouTube and TikTok for entertainment; limited Facebook usage outside family/groups.
• Posting cadence and timing: Highest activity mornings (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around local events and sports. Weather alerts and emergent local issues drive exceptional engagement.
• Trust and voice: Content from local institutions (schools, public safety, local government) and familiar community members outperforms national sources. User comments are a key signal of what spreads.
• Advertising effectiveness: Facebook/Instagram deliver the best cost-effective local reach with tight geo-targeting (10–25 miles around towns like Yellville, Flippin, Bull Shoals). Seasonal peaks: spring–summer tourism and fall hunting.
• Customer actions: Click-to-call, Messenger DMs, and event RSVPs are common conversions; many small businesses prefer messages over website forms.

Gender nuances

• Women: More active in Facebook Groups and Marketplace; higher Pinterest and Instagram use; strong engagement with local events, schools, and shopping.
• Men: Heavier YouTube consumption (outdoors, trades, sports); comparatively higher Reddit and X use; strong interest in gear/equipment content.

Notes on data

• County-level platform usage is not directly published. Figures here are modeled from 2024 Pew Research Center platform adoption by age, plus the county’s older age profile (U.S. Census Bureau), and typical rural adoption patterns. Estimates are rounded to reflect uncertainty while preserving the local ranking and relative magnitudes.