Nevada County

Key demographics – Nevada County, Arkansas

Population

• Total population: 8,310 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: approximately 7,700 (Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: about 44 years (ACS 5-year)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White: ~55%
• Black or African American: ~39–40%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, other races: ~1–2% combined
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%

Households (ACS 5-year)

• Number of households: roughly 3,300–3,500
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.5 persons
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Nonfamily households (including people living alone): ~35–40%

Insights

• The county is small and declining in population since 2020.
• Age structure skews older, with roughly one in five residents age 65+.
• Racial composition is majority White with a large Black population (around two-fifths).
• Household sizes are modest and a substantial share are nonfamily/individual households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (race and total population); American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, gender, household characteristics); Population Estimates Program (2023 estimate).

Nevada County, Arkansas snapshot (definitive context and reasoned estimates)

• Population and density: 8,310 residents (2020 Census) across ~618 sq mi; ~13 people/sq mi (very rural).
• Estimated email users: 5,600 adults. Method: ~6,400 adults (18+) multiplied by typical U.S. email adoption in rural areas (87–90%), adjusted for local connectivity.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated share):
  • 18–29: ~20%
  • 30–49: ~32%
  • 50–64: ~26%
  • 65+: ~22% Older adults participate strongly but at slightly lower rates than younger groups.
• Gender split: Roughly balanced; ~51% female, ~49% male among users, mirroring the county’s population structure.
• Digital access trends and local connectivity:
  • Broadband subscription is below the U.S. average; roughly two-thirds of households maintain a home broadband plan (ACS 2018–2022), with a meaningful mobile-only segment.
  • Access is concentrated in and around Prescott; sparsely populated roads and long last‑mile distances limit fixed cable/fiber buildout.
  • Smartphone dependence for email is high relative to urban Arkansas, and fixed-line speeds in rural tracts lag state averages.

Sources informing estimates: 2020 Census (population/density), ACS 2018–2022 (internet subscription), Pew Research (email adoption by age/gender).

Nevada County, Arkansas — mobile phone usage snapshot (context: 2024)

User estimates

• Population baseline: 8,310 residents (2020 Census; county seat Prescott 3,101). The county has continued a slight population decline since 2020.
• Estimated mobile phone users: 6,600–7,200 residents. This range reflects typical rural-Arkansas adoption levels (roughly 80–88% of residents using a mobile phone), skewed downward by an older age profile and lower incomes than the state overall.
• Mobile-first/phone-only internet reliance: about 25–35% of households rely primarily on smartphones for home internet. That translates to roughly 1,900–2,700 residents functionally “mobile-only” for broadband access—materially higher than Arkansas’s statewide share, which is closer to the high teens to low 20s.
• Prepaid share: higher than the state average. In rural, lower-income Arkansas counties, prepaid and MVNO lines commonly constitute a larger fraction of active lines than in metro counties; Nevada County follows that pattern.

Demographic breakdown and implications for usage

• Age: The county’s median age is higher than the Arkansas average, with a larger 65+ share. This depresses smartphone adoption and app usage relative to prime-age adults, and raises the share of voice/SMS-centric users versus data-heavy users.
• Income/affordability: Household incomes are below the Arkansas median, and poverty rates are higher. Before the Affordable Connectivity Program’s 2024 lapse, take-up in similarly situated rural Arkansas counties was above the state average; that pattern aligns with Nevada County. The affordability profile pushes users toward prepaid plans, refurbished devices, and slower device-replacement cycles, and increases mobile-only internet reliance.
• Race/ethnicity: Nevada County has a significantly higher share of Black residents than the state average. Nationally, Black adults report higher smartphone dependence for internet access than White adults; locally this contributes to the county’s above-average mobile-first usage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T-Mobile provide countywide LTE coverage along primary corridors; regional MVNOs ride these networks.
• 5G availability: Present mainly along the I-30 corridor and in/around Prescott; coverage thins rapidly off-corridor. Mid-band 5G capacity is far less prevalent than in Arkansas’s metro counties; low-band 5G and LTE predominate in rural tracts.
• Tower grid: Macro sites are concentrated along I-30, US 67, and AR 24. Large forested and low-lying areas experience weaker indoor signal and more variability in vehicle coverage away from these routes.
• Backhaul and fixed options: Cable/fiber is available in and near Prescott; most outlying areas lean on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Limited fixed-broadband reach outside the population centers directly elevates smartphone and hotspot usage for everyday connectivity.

How Nevada County differs from Arkansas statewide trends

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A notably larger share of households use smartphones as their primary internet connection than the state average, due to sparser fixed-broadband options and affordability constraints.
• Slower 5G transition: 5G device penetration and mid-band coverage are both lower than the state average; LTE remains the dominant experience outside the I-30/Prescott area.
• Plan mix and spend: Prepaid/MVNO penetration and budget plans are more common than statewide; average revenue per user is correspondingly lower, and data-capped plans are more prevalent.
• Quality-of-experience spread: Greater variance in indoor and off-corridor performance than the state overall. Drive-test and user-reported metrics in rural AR counties consistently show lower median speeds and higher latency jitter away from highways; Nevada County exhibits that pattern.
• Emergency and enterprise use: AT&T’s FirstNet presence along I-30 supports public safety and logistics, but coverage depth for rapid-response operations is thinner in remote tracts than in Arkansas’s urban counties, reinforcing continued reliance on LTE and land mobile radio backups.

Actionable insights

• Network investment with outsized impact: Additional macro or small cells along secondary roads (and improved backhaul) would meaningfully lift indoor reliability; targeted mid-band 5G sectors in Prescott and high-traffic I-30 nodes would relieve LTE congestion.
• Device and plan strategy: Financing, ACP-replacement discounts, and MVNO partnerships resonate more here than in metro Arkansas; Wi‑Fi calling enablement and in-home signal boosters materially improve user experience.
• Service design: Offer plans and support optimized for hotspotting and smartphone-only households, plus robust offline-capable app features for intermittent coverage zones.

Notes on figures

• Population counts are definitive (2020 Census). Mobile user counts and mobile-only shares are county-level estimates derived from recent ACS/Pew rural usage patterns and FCC coverage conditions; they are directionally reliable for Nevada County and align with observed differences from Arkansas statewide trends.

Nevada County, AR: Social media usage snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: approximately 8.1K (U.S. Census, 2020). Adults (18+) are the majority; the county skews older than the U.S. average with roughly one-fifth aged 65+. Gender split is close to even, slightly more female than male.

Estimated social media user base

• Total users: about 5.0K–5.8K residents (roughly 62–72% of the total population), combining adult and teen usage.
• Adult penetration: approximately 75–85% of adults use at least one social platform (modeled from Pew Research Center U.S. adoption rates).
• Teen penetration (13–17): approximately 90%+ use at least one platform (Pew teen benchmarks).

Age groups (usage rates; U.S. benchmarks applied locally)

• Teens (13–17): very high usage; platform mix dominated by YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram. Pew teen usage: YouTube ~93%, TikTok ~63%, Snapchat ~60%, Instagram ~62%, Facebook ~33%.
• 18–29: highest multi-platform adoption; 80%+ use multiple apps.
• 30–49: high adoption (around 80% use at least one platform), split between Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; TikTok meaningful.
• 50–64: solid majority on social (roughly 70%+), heavier on Facebook and YouTube; lighter on TikTok/Snapchat.
• 65+: about half use social; primarily Facebook and YouTube; minimal use of newer apps.

Gender breakdown

• County population is slightly majority female; the active social audience mirrors this (approximately 51–53% female, 47–49% male).
• Platform tendencies: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on Reddit and X. YouTube and Instagram are more gender-balanced.

Most-used platforms and indicative shares

• The local ranking mirrors U.S. adults (Pew, 2024). Indicative U.S. adoption percentages shown for context and typically align with rural Arkansas patterns:
  • YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults
  • Facebook: ~68%
  • Instagram: ~47%
  • Pinterest: ~35%
  • TikTok: ~33%
  • Snapchat: ~30%
  • LinkedIn: ~30% (often lower in rural, non-corporate labor markets)
  • WhatsApp: ~29%
  • X (Twitter): ~22%
  • Reddit: ~22%
• For Nevada County’s adult users specifically, expect Facebook and YouTube to be the top two by a wide margin, with Instagram third. TikTok is strong among under-35. Snapchat concentrates among teens/young adults. LinkedIn use is present but comparatively smaller.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Southern counties of similar size (applicable locally)

• Facebook is the community hub:
  • Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for local news, school districts, churches, civic clubs, first responders, and local businesses.
  • Facebook Marketplace is a primary local commerce channel for vehicles, equipment, furniture, and farm/outdoor goods.
• Video-first consumption:
  • YouTube for how-to, DIY, automotive, outdoor/hunting, and sermon content; short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) growing quickly among <35.
• Event- and season-driven engagement:
  • Spikes around high school sports, fairs, hunting seasons, and church/community events; public-service and weather alerts drive rapid sharing.
• Messaging-centric interactions:
  • Facebook Messenger is the default for business inquiries and peer coordination; SMS remains common. WhatsApp usage is modest compared with Messenger.
• Posting and response patterns:
  • Evenings (roughly 7–9 pm local time) and weekend mornings see higher engagement.
  • Local testimonials, giveaways, and “shop local” angles outperform generic brand content.
  • Short, captioned video and photo carousels outperform text-only posts; live video effective for events and sales.
• Ads and conversions:
  • Offers with clear, immediate value (discounts, limited-time promotions, community sponsorships) yield stronger click-through.
  • Geo-targeted boosts and lookalike audiences based on page engagers work well due to the small population base.

Notes on methodology

• County totals derived from Census population combined with Pew Research Center social media usage rates by age and platform to create localized estimates. Platform percentages cited are U.S. adult benchmarks from Pew (2024) and Pew teen benchmarks (2023), which closely reflect behavior in rural Arkansas communities of this size.