Randolph County

Randolph County, Arkansas – key demographics (latest Census/ACS data)

Population

• Total population: ~17.9k (2023 estimate). 2020 Census count ≈17.8k.

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~92–93%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.8–1%
• Asian alone: ~0.3–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Some other race: ~0.3–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~3% (included across the race categories above)

Households and families

• Households: ~7.2k
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~65% of households; average family size ~3.0
• Married-couple families: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~27–29% (≈13% age 65+ living alone)
• Housing tenure: ~72–75% owner-occupied; ~25–28% renter-occupied

Insights

• Stable, small population with a relatively older age profile.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with modest racial/ethnic diversity.
• High homeownership and a majority of households are family-based, typical of rural Arkansas counties.

Randolph County, Arkansas snapshot (estimates derived from ACS 2018–2022 and national email-use rates):

• Population ~18,100; adults (18+) ~14,100; density ≈28 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated adult email users: ~12,200 (≈86% of adults).

Age distribution of email users

• 18–34: ~2,900 (≈24%)
• 35–54: ~4,100 (≈34%)
• 55–64: ~1,900 (≈16%)
• 65+: ~3,300 (≈27%) Adoption is near-universal among working-age adults and steadily rising among seniors.

Gender split

• Email users ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s population.

Digital access and connectivity

• Households ~7,300; about 70–75% have a broadband subscription; ~80–85% have a computer or tablet at home.
• Cellular-only internet likely around 10–15%, reflecting rural reliance on mobile connections.
• Fixed broadband is strongest in and around Pocahontas; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, contributing to lower speeds and higher latency.
• Local trend: gradual expansion of fiber and 100+ Mbps service since 2021, narrowing the urban–rural gap, with public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) supplementing access.

Overall, email usage is mature and work‑critical among ages 18–64, with growth among 65+ tied to improving broadband coverage and device access.

Randolph County, Arkansas — mobile phone usage profile

Headline takeaways

• Estimated active mobile users: about 12,400 people use a smartphone daily in Randolph County (roughly four in five residents age 10+), driven by near-universal adoption among working-age adults and teens but tempered by an older population share.
• Smartphone access is widespread but skews more “smartphone-only” than the Arkansas average, reflecting lower fixed-broadband availability and incomes.
• 5G is present but largely low-band; LTE remains the workhorse outside Pocahontas and highway corridors.

User estimates

• Population and households: ≈17,900 residents; ≈7,400 households.
• Adult base: ≈13,900 adults (18+). Applying typical rural adoption rates, about 11,300–11,800 adults own a smartphone.
• Teens (13–17): ≈1,000; adoption in this group is very high, adding ≈900–950 smartphone users.
• Resulting county total: ≈12,400 active smartphone users across ≈6,400–6,700 smartphone-using households.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age structure: Randolph County has a larger 65+ share than Arkansas overall. This lowers top-line smartphone adoption slightly versus the state but raises voice/SMS reliance and lowers app intensity among seniors. Working-age (25–54) adoption and multi-device ownership mirror state norms; teens track national high adoption.
• Income: A higher share of lower-income households than the Arkansas average correlates with higher “smartphone-only” internet use (cellular data plan but no home fixed broadband). This group relies heavily on mobile data for banking, education portals, and social media, with tighter data budgets and more prepaid subscriptions.
• Education and employment: Lower bachelor’s-degree attainment than the state aligns with fewer multi-line family plans and fewer connected peripherals (watches, tablets) per household, but does not materially reduce baseline smartphone ownership.
• Urban/rural mix: Concentration in and around Pocahontas drives markedly higher app and video usage there. Outside town, residents exhibit more conservative data use and higher offline usage, reflecting variable signal quality.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access: LTE coverage is effectively ubiquitous in and around Pocahontas and along US‑67/62/412; gaps persist along river bottoms and in low-density areas where terrain and tree cover create shadowing. 5G low-band (e.g., 600/700/850 MHz) is available on major carriers across population centers; mid-band 5G is present primarily in/near Pocahontas and along main corridors.
• Carrier presence: All national carriers operate, with AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 improving reliability for public safety and spillover capacity for subscribers. T-Mobile’s low-band spectrum underpins broad outdoor 5G reach; Verizon’s C-band is more limited geographically, with LTE fallback common outside town limits.
• Backhaul and capacity: Microwave backhaul remains common at rural sites; fiber-fed nodes are concentrated in town. This yields solid urban-downlink performance and more variable rural performance, especially at peak hours and during weather events.
• Interaction with fixed broadband: Fixed-broadband availability (notably cable and fiber) is below the state average, making mobile the primary or backup connection in more households than statewide. This increases mobile network load in the evenings and during school terms.

How Randolph County differs from the Arkansas state pattern

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration (driven by older age mix), but
• Higher smartphone-only dependence: a larger share of households rely exclusively on a cellular data plan instead of home wired broadband.
• Higher share of prepaid and single-line plans, reflecting income distribution and rural plan preferences.
• Greater LTE reliance outside the county seat; 5G benefits are more localized than in Arkansas’s metros.
• More pronounced evening congestion at rural sectors due to mobile being a substitute for home broadband.
• Coverage variability tied to terrain/vegetation is a bigger day-to-day factor than in flatter, more urbanized Arkansas counties.

Practical implications

• Service planning: Capacity upgrades on rural LTE sectors and targeted mid-band 5G infill near schools, healthcare, and large employers will generate outsized benefits.
• Digital equity: Programs that pair subsidized fixed broadband with low-cost unlimited mobile plans would reduce the high smartphone-only reliance that differentiates Randolph County from the state.
• Emergency communications: Maintaining Band 14/low-band redundancy is critical given river-valley shadow zones and storm-driven outages.

Randolph County, Arkansas — Social Media Snapshot (2025)

How many people use social media

• Population baseline: ~18K residents; ages 13+ ≈ 15K (ACS-based demographic structure for similar-sized rural AR counties)
• Internet access: ~75–80% of households have a broadband subscription; smartphone-only users are common in lower-density blocks
• Estimated social media users (ages 13+): ~10–12K (≈ 70–80% of 13+ population)
• Activity cadence: ~55–65% of users engage daily; ~80–85% weekly

Most-used platforms (share of local online adults)

• YouTube: 80–85% (heavy use for news/weather, DIY, sports highlights, music)
• Facebook: 70–75% (primary local network; highest daily use; Groups and Marketplace dominate)
• Instagram: 35–40% (younger adults and parents; Stories/Reels growing)
• TikTok: 28–32% (strong among teens/20s; older adoption rising via cross-posted content)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (over-indexes among women; recipes, crafts, home projects)
• Snapchat: 22–26% (teens/younger 20s; messaging-first)
• X (Twitter): 17–20% (news, sports; skew male/younger)
• LinkedIn: 14–18% (small professional cohort; healthcare/education/public sector)
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (coverage concentrated in Pocahontas and nearby neighborhoods)

Age patterns (share using at least one platform; strongest platforms)

• Teens (13–17): 90–95%; TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Instagram secondary
• 18–29: 90–95%; Instagram, YouTube, TikTok; Facebook used for family/school ties
• 30–49: 85–90%; Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram and Pinterest meaningful
• 50–64: 70–75%; Facebook first, YouTube second; Pinterest notable among women
• 65+: 50–60%; Facebook primary for community/family; YouTube for news/how‑to

Gender breakdown and tendencies

• Overall user split roughly mirrors population: ~52% women, ~48% men
• Women over-index on Facebook Groups, Pinterest, local event content, school updates
• Men over-index on YouTube, X (Twitter), sports and outdoors content
• TikTok and Instagram near gender parity; Snapchat leans female; LinkedIn leans male

Behavioral trends (what people actually do)

• Community-first Facebook: Local Groups (buy/sell/trade, school sports, church, weather, road conditions) drive the highest engagement; Marketplace is a core shopping channel for used goods and services
• Video-forward consumption: YouTube for longer-form “how-to,” severe weather coverage, and local sports; Reels/Shorts/TikTok for quick entertainment and local happenings
• Messaging ecosystems: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary private channels; SMS remains common among older adults
• Local commerce: High intent on Facebook Marketplace and Group posts; service providers (HVAC, lawn care, auto) perform well with before/after visuals and recommendations
• Information sourcing: High trust in posts from local institutions (schools, county/city pages, churches, extension offices) and recognizable community figures
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–9 p.m.); weekend late morning also strong; weather events produce sharp surges
• Content that works: Straightforward visuals, short videos, local faces, school/athletics, event reminders, and practical tips; live streams for games, meetings, and church services sustain strong watch time

Notes on data and confidence

• Figures are modeled local estimates for Randolph County using 2023–2024 ACS demographics and Pew Research Center’s 2024 platform adoption rates, adjusted for rural Arkansas usage patterns (higher Facebook/Pinterest, slightly lower Instagram/LinkedIn/X) and known small-county behaviors. County-level platform publishers do not release direct user counts; ranges reflect conservative bounds consistent with rural U.S. benchmarks.