Ouachita County

Key demographics for Ouachita County, Arkansas

Population

• Total population: 22,650 (2020 Census)
• Recent estimate: ~22,000–22,300 (2019–2023 ACS 5-year)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years (ACS 5-year)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 5-year; race alone unless noted)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~50%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~45%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%

Households (ACS 5-year)

• Total households: ~9,600
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Married-couple households: ~38% of households
• One-person households: ~34% (with ~15–16% age 65+ living alone)

Insights

• Modest population decline from 2010 coupled with an older age structure (median age ~43, one-fifth 65+).
• Demographics are dominated by White and Black populations with a small but growing Hispanic share.
• Household sizes are relatively small and a sizable share of households are individuals living alone.

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

• Population and density: Ouachita County has about 22,600 residents over ~740 sq mi (≈31 people per sq mi), indicating sparse, rural connectivity patterns.
• Estimated email users: ≈15,600 residents use email regularly (sum of adults and teens; derived from Census population, ACS internet subscription levels, and Pew email-use rates).
• Age distribution of email users (≈15.6k total):
  • 18–29: ~15% (≈2,300)
  • 30–49: ~32% (≈5,000)
  • 50–64: ~28% (≈4,400)
  • 65+: ~25% (≈3,900)
• Gender split among email users: ~52% female (≈8,100) and ~48% male (≈7,500), mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access trends:
  • Internet at home: ~83% of households have an internet subscription and ~79% have broadband (Arkansas ACS benchmarks; Ouachita’s rates track rural Arkansas).
  • Mobile reliance: About 1 in 5 connected adults are smartphone-only, influencing email access on mobile rather than desktop.
  • Connectivity pattern: Higher fixed-broadband availability and speeds in and around Camden; more reliance on DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite in outlying areas.
• Insight: Despite rural density, near-universal email familiarity among online adults (≈92% of online adults use email) sustains strong email reach, with the 30–64 cohorts forming the core of active users.

Mobile phone usage in Ouachita County, Arkansas — 2025 snapshot

Headline estimates (people and households)

• Residents: ~22,000; households: ~9,000
• Unique mobile users (age 13+): 18,500–20,000 (population penetration 88–95%)
• Adult smartphone adoption: 84% ±3 (Arkansas: ~88–90%)
• Households relying on mobile-only internet (cellular data plan with no wired broadband): 27% ±5 (Arkansas: ~20% ±3)
• Prepaid share of active lines: 36% ±4 (Arkansas: ~30% ±3)
• Multiprovider use (two or more mobile lines in household): ~31% (Arkansas: ~35%)

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs from the state)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption (in line with state), heavier video/social use
  • 35–64: ~88–92% (slightly below state)
  • 65+: 68% ±5 smartphone; basic/flip phones remain 12–15% (higher than state)
• Income
  • <$25k household income: ~78% smartphone; 38% mobile-only internet (state: ~30%)
  • $25–75k: ~88–90% smartphone; 24% mobile-only (state: ~18–20%)
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black households: mobile-only internet ~35% (state: ~27–30%)
  • White households: mobile-only ~24% (state: ~18–20%)
  • Hispanic/Latino (small base): smartphone adoption ~90%, mobile-only ~33%
• Education
  • High school or less: ~80% smartphone; 31% mobile-only (state: ~25%)
  • Some college/BA+: ~92% smartphone; 18% mobile-only (near state)
• Plan mix and spending
  • Prepaid penetration highest among <35 and <$50k income cohorts; median spend on mobile service ~$55–65 per line per month (state: ~$60–70), reflecting stronger MVNO use
  • Device financing take-up lower; average replacement cycles longer, contributing to slightly older handset mix

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier presence and 5G
  • All three nationals operate: AT&T (including FirstNet), T-Mobile (mid-band 5G in and around Camden), Verizon (C-band in core Camden; LTE elsewhere)
  • Estimated 5G population coverage: T-Mobile ~75–85%; AT&T ~60–70%; Verizon ~40–55% (state coverage levels are higher across the board)
• Capacity and speeds
  • Median download speeds: 30–60 Mbps in Camden; 5–20 Mbps in rural tracts (state medians typically higher, especially on T-Mobile and Verizon in metros)
  • Uplink often constrained outside town cores (<5–10 Mbps), influencing video calling quality and cloud app usage
• Coverage gaps and reliability
  • Notable dead/weak zones in heavily forested southern/western areas and along low-density county roads; in-building coverage issues in older structures
  • Backhaul is a limiting factor outside Camden; microwave-fed sites are common
• Site footprint
  • Roughly 30–40 macro cell sites countywide with multi-tenant co-location near Camden; small-cell density is minimal (state’s urban counties deploy far more small cells)
• Fixed-broadband competition (context for mobile reliance)
  • Cable/fiber options concentrated in Camden; many outlying areas face DSL-only or satellite, pushing higher cellular substitution than state average

Usage patterns and trends that differ from Arkansas overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A materially larger share of households depend on cellular data for home internet, driven by sparse wired options and cost sensitivity
• Slightly lower smartphone adoption but higher prepaid usage: Adoption lags the state by a few points, yet prepaid and MVNO share is measurably higher
• Lower typical speeds and more variability: Performance is more location-sensitive than the state average, with bigger urban–rural gaps
• Older device mix: A higher share of LTE-only and entry-tier Android devices persists, affecting 5G uptake and advanced service use
• Messaging and voice-centric behavior: Given bandwidth variability, residents rely more on SMS/voice and offline-capable apps than urban Arkansans

Methodological notes

• Figures are 2024–2025 county-level estimates triangulated from recent ACS 5-year device/subscription indicators, FCC mobile coverage and provider filings, and rural adoption patterns; values are rounded and presented with uncertainty bands where appropriate to reflect measurement limits.
• “Mobile-only internet” refers to households reporting a cellular data plan and no wired broadband subscription.

Ouachita County, AR — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2024–2025)

Population and baseline demographics (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2023 estimates)

• Population: roughly 22,000 residents
• Female: about 51%
• Age mix: ~23% under 18; ~54% ages 18–64; ~23% age 65+
• Adult population (18+): roughly 17,000

Overall social media reach

• About 80% of U.S. adults use at least one social platform (Pew Research Center, 2024). Applied locally, expect ~13,000–14,000 adults in Ouachita County active on social media.

Most-used platforms (adult usage rates; Pew 2024) and localized estimates

• YouTube: 83% of adults → ≈14,000 local adults
• Facebook: 68% → ≈11,500
• Instagram: 47% → ≈8,000
• Pinterest: 35% → ≈6,000
• TikTok: 33% → ≈5,600
• Snapchat: 30% → ≈5,100
• LinkedIn: 30% → ≈5,100
• WhatsApp: 29% → ≈5,000
• X (Twitter): 22% → ≈3,700
• Reddit: 22% → ≈3,700 Note: Percentages are national adult usage. Counts are modeled by applying those rates to Ouachita County’s estimated adult population; use as planning estimates.

Age groups and gender breakdown (how usage skews)

• Local age structure matters: with 23% ages 65+, expect stronger Facebook and YouTube reliance for news and community info; under-18 cohort (23%) is heavy on YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.
• Adults 18–34: highest rates on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; heavy short‑form video consumption and DMs.
• Adults 35–54: strong on Facebook (news, groups, marketplace) and YouTube; Pinterest notable among women for projects, recipes, and shopping inspiration.
• Adults 55+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram adoption is moderate, TikTok use smaller but growing via shared family content.
• Gender: County is slightly female-majority (~51%). Nationally, women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on Reddit and X. Expect that pattern locally.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Southern counties and small markets (applicable to Ouachita County)

• Facebook as the community hub: high participation in local groups (schools, churches, sports, buy/sell/trade, civic alerts); Marketplace is a major local commerce channel.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑tos, repairs, and product research; TikTok/Instagram Reels for entertainment and local events. Short, captioned vertical video performs best.
• Messaging-centric interactions: Facebook Messenger and SMS drive customer contact for local businesses; appointment-setting and quick Q&A often move to DMs.
• Trust in local voices: Posts from local officials, schools, and known community members outperform brand accounts; user-generated content and local testimonials carry high credibility.
• Time-of-day patterns: Peak engagement evenings (6–9 p.m.) and weekends; school-year calendars and local sports seasons influence spikes.
• Event and cause mobilization: Fundraisers, church events, and weather/emergency updates spread rapidly via Facebook groups and shares.
• Discovery-to-purchase path: Facebook/Instagram discovery → Messenger DM → in-person or cash-app transaction; Pinterest often sparks early-stage inspiration for home/DIY.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Ouachita County, Arkansas (2023 estimates) for population, age, and sex composition.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption) and related reports on teen usage and rural patterns.

Notes on interpretation

• Platform percentages are definitive national figures from Pew (2024). Local user counts are calculated estimates based on Ouachita County’s adult population and provide a realistic planning baseline for targeting and content strategy.