Perry County

Key demographics for Perry County, Arkansas

Population

• Total population: 10,019 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~10,100 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~49%
• Male: ~51%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~89–90%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~4,000
• Persons per household: ~2.5
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80–83%
• Median household income: ~$50,000–$55,000
• Per capita income: ~$27,000–$29,000
• Poverty rate: ~13–15%
• Median value of owner-occupied housing units: ~$120,000–$140,000

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program)

Perry County, AR snapshot

• Population and density: ≈10,200 residents across ≈550 sq mi (≈18 people/mi²).
• Estimated email users: ≈7,800 residents use email (≈76% of all residents; ≈92% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 7%; 18–29: 16%; 30–49: 32%; 50–64: 27%; 65+: 18%.
• Gender split among users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male.

Digital access and connectivity

• Households with internet subscriptions: ≈78%; with broadband (cable/DSL/fiber/fixed wireless): ≈75–80%.
• Computer access at home: ≈85% of households; smartphone‑only internet households: ≈14%.
• Coverage context: Rural terrain and low density create service gaps outside Perryville/AR‑10 corridor. Most occupied addresses have at least 25/3 Mbps fixed internet available; roughly three‑quarters have 100/20 Mbps or better. LTE mobile coverage reaches the vast majority of residents, with dead zones in forested and hilly tracts.
• Trend: Fiber and fixed‑wireless availability have expanded since 2022 via state (Arkansas Rural Connect) and federal investments, nudging adoption upward annually.

Insight: Email reach is strong across working‑age adults; seniors lag but are catching up. Email is reliable for countywide outreach, supplemented by SMS where home broadband is sparse.

Perry County, Arkansas — mobile usage snapshot and how it differs from statewide patterns

Population base and user estimates

• Residents: ≈10,300 (ACS 2019–2023 five-year estimate), ≈79% adults → about 8,100 adults
• Adult mobile phone users (any cell phone): ≈7,700 (≈95% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ≈6,500–6,700 (≈80–83% of adults), below the Arkansas average (≈85–87%)
• Households: ≈4,100; mobile-only internet households: ≈1,050 (≈26%), notably higher than the statewide share (≈19–21%)

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• Age: Older profile than the state. About 22% of residents are 65+ (state ≈18%). Smartphone adoption among 65+ is ≈60–67% here vs ≈70–75% statewide; this drags down overall county smartphone penetration.
• Income: Median household income trails the state by a few thousand dollars. Cost sensitivity drives higher use of prepaid and discounted plans; ≈35–40% of mobile lines are likely prepaid vs ≈28–32% statewide.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly White (≈90%+), with smaller Black and Hispanic populations than the state average. Usage differences by race are less determinative here than age and income.
• Households with children: High smartphone penetration (≈90%+ among adults in these households), on par with the state, and more likely to rely on mobile service as the primary home connection.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• LTE coverage: Near-universal outdoor LTE coverage from major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) along primary corridors (AR-9, AR-10, AR-60) and in/around Perryville, Bigelow, Houston, Oppelo-facing areas.
• 5G availability: Population coverage ≈60% in the county (concentrated near the eastern and town-center corridors), materially below Arkansas overall (≈85–90%). Large interior and western tracts remain LTE-only.
• Speeds and performance: Typical outdoor LTE/5G downloads in the county run ≈25–50 Mbps in populated corridors, below statewide mobile medians (≈45–75 Mbps). Performance drops in hollows and forested areas, with uplink often the bottleneck.
• Dead zones and terrain effects: Rolling terrain, river valleys (e.g., Fourche La Fave), and forest canopy create shadowing. Expect spotty service in and around Winona Wildlife Management Area and sparsely populated ridge/valley pockets west of Perryville.
• Backhaul and tower density: Macro sites are concentrated along highways and town centers; backhaul is a mix of fiber on main routes and microwave in rural spans. Limited backhaul capacity contributes to peak-time congestion compared with urban Arkansas.
• Home broadband interplay: Last‑mile fiber is limited and cable footprints are sparse; many households still face DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite as primary wireline options. This scarcity elevates reliance on mobile data plans and hotspotting.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G/4G home internet (T‑Mobile, Verizon) is available in select 5G and strong‑LTE zones; adoption is higher than the state average in qualifying areas due to limited cable/fiber options.
• Public/critical connectivity: Libraries, schools, and city facilities provide key Wi‑Fi offload points. FirstNet coverage is present along main corridors for public safety, with overall resiliency tempered by single‑path backhaul in rural spans.

How Perry County’s trends differ from Arkansas overall

• Lower smartphone penetration, driven by a larger 65+ share and lower incomes
• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet at home (≈26% vs ≈19–21% statewide)
• Greater prevalence of prepaid plans and data‑capped usage, reflecting cost management
• More LTE‑only areas and smaller 5G footprint; speeds and uplink performance lag state medians
• More pronounced terrain‑related dead zones; higher use of signal boosters and Wi‑Fi offload
• Daytime mobility pattern: significant commuter flow toward Pulaski County shifts network load eastward on weekdays; weekend surges around recreation areas (e.g., Harris Brake Lake)

Practical implications

• Capacity upgrades on highway-adjacent macro sites and added mid‑band 5G sectors would yield outsized benefits versus current demand patterns.
• Extending fiber backhaul deeper into rural spans would stabilize peak performance and support additional small cells.
• Because mobile substitutes for home broadband for roughly one in four households, plan affordability and FWA availability materially affect digital inclusion in the county, especially after the ACP wind‑down in 2024.

Perry County, Arkansas — social media snapshot (2025, modeled from best-available public data)

User stats

• Population: ~10,600 residents; 13+ population ~9,200
• Social networking users (excludes YouTube): ~6,200 people, 67% of 13+
• YouTube users (video/social): ~7,200 people, 78% of 13+
• Gender among social networking users: Women ~52%, Men ~48%

Age breakdown of social networking users (share of users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–49: ~34%
• 50–64: ~23%
• 65+: ~16%

Most-used platforms in Perry County (share of 13+ using each at least monthly; overlaps expected)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~63%
• Instagram: ~31%
• TikTok: ~29%
• Pinterest: ~25%
• Snapchat: ~21%
• X (Twitter): ~11%
• LinkedIn: ~9%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the day-to-day hub for local life: school and community updates, church and civic groups, local sports, and Marketplace buy/sell/trade. Facebook Groups drive the highest grassroots engagement.
• Video is routine, not occasional. Short vertical clips (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) outperform static posts; how‑to, outdoors, family, and hyperlocal topics earn the most shares.
• Younger users cluster on TikTok/Snapchat; they message and consume more than they follow pages. Geofilters and creator-style short videos work better than polished brand posts.
• Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest for shopping ideas, events, and local recommendations; men over-index on YouTube and X for news, sports, equipment/outdoors content.
• Messaging (Facebook Messenger, Snapchat) is an essential response channel; many residents prefer DM or call-to-action buttons over web forms.
• Timing: engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekends show strong mid‑day activity, especially for events and Marketplace.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024–2025 modeled estimates for Perry County using recent U.S. Census/ACS demographics, Pew Research platform adoption by age/rural status, and rural-market adjustments. Percentages refer to residents aged 13+ and are intended for planning and targeting decisions.