Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Arkansas — key demographics

Population size

• 8,484 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~50 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and over: ~28%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50% of population
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (share of total population)

• White alone: ~90%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~2%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~86–88%

Households

• Households: ~3,400–3,500
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3 persons
• Family households: roughly two-thirds of all households
• Households with children under 18: about one-fifth

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures rounded for clarity.

Montgomery County, AR (pop. 8,484; ~11 people per square mile) is sparsely populated, which shapes digital access and email use.

Estimated email users: 6,050 adult residents. Method: ~80% of residents are adults (6,780); applying observed U.S. email adoption by age yields ~89% adult email usage.

Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):

• 18–29: ~940
• 30–49: ~1,740
• 50–64: ~1,380
• 65+: ~2,000 This reflects the county’s older age profile; adoption is near‑universal among under‑50 adults and slightly lower among seniors.

Gender split among email users: roughly even (≈51% female, 49% male), mirroring county demographics.

Digital access trends:

• Household broadband subscription is modest for the U.S. (roughly low‑70% of households), with overall home internet around the high‑70% range and computer/device access in the mid‑80% range. This trails state and national averages, consistent with rural Arkansas patterns.
• Reliance on mobile data and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) is higher than in urban areas.
• Connectivity clusters along the US‑270/AR‑27 corridors and town centers (e.g., Mount Ida), with more limited fixed options in remote areas.

Implication: High email adoption among connected adults, but coverage gaps and an older population temper overall usage growth.

Mobile phone usage in Montgomery County, Arkansas — 2024 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: 8,484 residents (2020 Census); roughly 3,700 households.
• Estimated smartphone users: 6,000–6,200 residents use a smartphone (about 82–86% of the population, including teens).
• Households with smartphones: about 3,150 (≈85% of households).
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 2,700–2,800 (≈72–76%).
• Mobile-only households (cellular data but no fixed home broadband): roughly 820–950 (≈22–26%). This is markedly higher than the Arkansas statewide share (≈12–15%).

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Older population: About 27–29% of residents are 65+ (vs ≈18% statewide). Senior smartphone adoption therefore trails the state average (roughly low-60% adoption locally vs ≈75% among Arkansas seniors), pulling down overall adoption despite high uptake among under-35s.
• Income and plan mix: Median household income is materially below the state median (roughly low-$40k vs ≈$55k statewide). This correlates with heavier use of prepaid plans, budget Android devices, shared family data plans, and stronger sensitivity to plan price changes (especially after the 2024 sunset of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program).
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly non-Hispanic White (≈90%+). While Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native residents are a small share locally, their households tend to show higher smartphone dependence where present, consistent with state and national patterns.
• Device access for students: Households with children are more likely to be smartphone- and hotspot-reliant for homework and streaming, due to patchy fixed broadband options outside Mount Ida and other small population centers.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage profile: 4G LTE from the national carriers is present along major corridors (e.g., US-270 and AR-27), with limited 5G primarily near population clusters. Large interior areas remain LTE-only, and indoor coverage can be weak in valleys and heavily forested terrain.
• Capacity and seasonality: Recreation traffic (Lake Ouachita and Ouachita National Forest) causes weekend/holiday congestion spikes, producing noticeable slowdowns in popular lake access areas and trailheads.
• Backhaul and anchors: Fiber backhaul reaches key community anchors (schools, library, county facilities) and the Mount Ida area. Outside these anchors, residents often rely on LTE hotspots, fixed wireless, or satellite (LEO) for home connectivity.
• Public safety: FirstNet-oriented upgrades have improved corridor reliability, but off-corridor dead zones persist because of topography and tower spacing.
• Typical user experience: LTE download speeds commonly vary from low double-digits (10–25 Mbps) in much of the county to higher bursts near towers; 5G speeds are inconsistent and largely confined to pockets. Wi‑Fi calling and external antennas are frequently used to bolster in‑home coverage.

How Montgomery County differs from Arkansas overall

• Higher mobile dependence: Mobile-only households are roughly 8–12 percentage points higher than the state average, reflecting fewer wireline options and longer last-mile runs.
• Older age structure depresses overall smartphone penetration vs. Arkansas, even as adoption among younger adults is similar to the state.
• More prepaid and value-tier device usage than the state average, tied to income and coverage variability.
• Slower and more variable mobile speeds than metro Arkansas; larger LTE-only footprint and more indoor dead zones.
• Stronger seasonality in network load due to tourism, a pattern less pronounced statewide.

Implications

• Carriers: New or upgraded sites on ridgelines, more low-band 5G for reach, and added mid-band sectors in Mount Ida and recreation corridors would yield outsized gains. Seasonal capacity planning (temporary cells or additional carriers at busy sites) would mitigate congestion.
• Community and policy: Continued middle-mile buildout and tower co-location opportunities, plus public Wi‑Fi expansion at anchors, would reduce the county’s mobile-only burden.
• Residents and businesses: External LTE/5G antennas, signal boosters, and Wi‑Fi calling materially improve reliability for homes and small enterprises outside tower line-of-sight.

Sources and methods

• Estimates synthesized from U.S. Census (2020), ACS 2018–2022 device and subscription indicators, FCC/National Broadband Map carrier footprints, Arkansas broadband planning materials, and industry performance datasets current through 2024. Figures labeled “estimated” reflect county-level ACS patterns for rural Arkansas and are benchmarked against Arkansas statewide indicators to highlight local differences.

Social media in Montgomery County, Arkansas (population 8,484; 2020 Census) — 2024 snapshot and modeled estimates based on Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media adoption rates applied to a rural, older-skewing population profile.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~80% of adults
• Daily social media users: ~67% of adults
• Predominantly mobile access; evening and weekend usage peaks are most pronounced

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~69%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~29%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~16%
• Reddit: ~11%
• Nextdoor: ~6–8% (lower in rural areas)

Age-group usage (share within each age group using any social platform)

• 18–29: ~95%
• 30–49: ~88%
• 50–64: ~74%
• 65+: ~50%

Gender breakdown (share within gender using any social platform)

• Women: ~82%
• Men: ~78%

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Arkansas communities and consistent with platform mix

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for local news, schools/athletics, churches, civic notices, buy/sell/trade, and event coordination; Marketplace is a key local commerce channel
• YouTube dominates video and “how-to” content (home, auto, outdoor, small-engine repair, fishing/hunting, sermons); completion rates are higher on shorter, practical content
• Younger users split attention between Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; TikTok drives short-form discovery, with local relevance and creator-style content outperforming polished ads
• Messaging is integral (Facebook Messenger, Snapchat), supporting quick inquiries to local businesses and peer referrals
• Engagement timing skews to evenings (6–10 pm) and weekends; weekday mid-day lulls are common
• Mobile-first behavior: vertical video, concise captions, click-to-call, and map actions outperform long-form text; slower fixed broadband in some areas increases reliance on mobile networks
• Trust and word-of-mouth matter: content featuring real local people, community sponsorships, and visible owner/operators gets higher interaction; reviews and recommendations in Groups influence purchasing
• Events and seasonality drive spikes: school sports, hunting/fishing seasons, festivals, and holidays produce notable surges in local reach and shareability

Notes on methodology

• County-specific platform user totals are not directly published; percentages above are best-available modeled estimates using Pew Research Center 2024 adoption rates by platform and age, adjusted to a rural, older-skewing profile consistent with Montgomery County’s demographics (U.S. Census) and known rural usage patterns.