Saline County

Saline County, Arkansas — Key demographics

Population size

• 123,416 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~132,000–134,000 (2023 Census Bureau estimate range; county continues to grow)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 65 and over: ~16–17%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White alone: ~83%
• Black or African American alone: ~6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.7%
• Asian alone: ~1–1.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6%

Household data

• Households: ~46,000–47,000
• Persons per household: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70% of households; married-couple families ~55–60%
• Homeownership rate: ~75–80%

Notes

• Figures draw from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates, and 2023 Population Estimates). These provide the most recent official, county-level statistics and reflect continued suburban growth in the Little Rock metro.

• Scope and size: Saline County has roughly 127,000 residents (2023), with an estimated density of ~175 people per square mile—about three times the Arkansas average—supporting stronger connectivity along the I‑30 corridor (Benton, Bryant).
• Email users: ~89,000 adult email users (applying ~92% U.S. adult email adoption to ~96,500 adults). Including teens 13–17 adds ~7,000–7,500 users, bringing the county total near 96,000.
• Age distribution of adult email users (share of adult users; approximate counts):
  • 18–29: 18% (16.3k)
  • 30–49: 35% (31.1k)
  • 50–64: 25% (22.2k)
  • 65+: 22% (19.4k)
• Gender split: Essentially even; email adoption among men and women is near parity, yielding ~50/50 among users.
• Digital access trends:
  • Broadband adoption in Saline County is above the Arkansas average due to its suburban profile; cable and fiber are common in Benton/Bryant, while western/rural areas rely more on DSL and fixed wireless.
  • Smartphone ownership is widespread; a meaningful minority of households are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, municipal facilities) supplements access, but speed and reliability drop outside the I‑30/US‑70 corridors.

Notes: Estimates combine U.S. Census Bureau population structure with Pew Research Center email adoption rates and ACS/FCC connectivity patterns for suburban Arkansas counties.

Mobile phone usage in Saline County, Arkansas — 2025 snapshot

Population base

• Residents: ~130,000
• Households: ~50,000
• Adults (18+): ~100,000

User estimates (adults)

• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~97,000 (≈97% of adults)
• Smartphone users: ~89,000–90,000 (≈89–90% of adults)
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~44,000 (≈88% of households)
• Cellular-only internet households (no wired broadband): ~5,000 (≈10% of households)

How Saline County differs from Arkansas overall

• Higher smartphone penetration: ~89–90% of adults vs roughly mid‑80s statewide.
• Lower reliance on mobile-only internet: ~10% of households vs ~15–18% statewide, reflecting stronger wired broadband take‑up in the county’s suburban core (Benton, Bryant).
• Higher home broadband adoption: mid‑80% of households vs high‑70s statewide, reducing “smartphone‑as-primary” dependence.
• Better 5G availability and performance: mid‑band 5G widely present along the I‑30 corridor with consistent suburban coverage; rural Arkansas counties see more LTE‑only pockets and lower median speeds.
• More postpaid, family‑plan usage typical of suburban markets; prepaid share and basic‑phone usage are lower than the state average.

Demographic breakdown of smartphone usage (estimates)

• By age (share of total population in parentheses; adoption rates aligned with recent national survey patterns)

  • 18–29 (~11%): ~14,000 adults; ~97% smartphone adoption ⇒ ~13,900 users
  • 30–49 (~24%): ~31,000 adults; ~95% adoption ⇒ ~29,500 users
  • 50–64 (~22%): ~29,000 adults; ~90% adoption ⇒ ~26,000 users
  • 65+ (~19%): ~25,000 adults; ~78% adoption ⇒ ~19,500 users
  • Net effect vs state: higher mid‑age share with higher incomes supports slightly higher smartphone and 5G uptake; older‑adult adoption is solid but still trails younger cohorts, mirroring statewide patterns yet at a somewhat higher level.

• By income

  • Median household income is higher than the Arkansas average, supporting higher smartphone and 5G device penetration.
  • Mobile‑only internet: ~6–8% among households ≥$75k vs ~12–14% among households <$35k. County income mix skews toward the former, pulling the overall cellular‑only share below the state average.

• By race/ethnicity (composition is predominantly White non‑Hispanic with smaller Black and Hispanic communities)

  • Smartphone ownership is broadly high across groups; the larger gap is in home broadband versus mobile‑only reliance.
  • Black and Hispanic households are more likely than White households to be mobile‑only, but the gap is narrower than statewide because wired and 5G options are stronger in Saline County’s suburban areas.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Cellular networks: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide 4G LTE with broad 5G coverage in incorporated areas.

  • Mid‑band 5G capacity is strongest along I‑30 (Benton–Bryant–Alexander) and primary arterials (AR‑5/183), supporting typical outdoor speeds well above LTE and enabling viable fixed‑wireless home internet.
  • Rural fringes (western and southeastern edges) see more LTE and occasional low‑band 5G, with lower indoor performance relative to the suburban core.

• Home internet interplay

  • Wired: Cable and fiber are widely available in Benton and Bryant, supporting higher home‑broadband adoption and lowering mobile‑only reliance.
  • Fixed wireless: 5G home internet from national carriers is broadly available in the incorporated corridor, expanding options and improving price/performance versus rural parts of the state.

Operational implications

• Marketing and service mix: Emphasize 5G device upgrades, multi‑line postpaid plans, and home‑internet bundles in the I‑30 corridor; target LTE/low‑band 5G coverage improvements and CPE placement support in rural pockets.
• Digital inclusion: Seniors and lower‑income households remain the most mobile‑dependent segments; targeted subsidies, device financing, and digital‑literacy support can narrow remaining gaps despite overall stronger county infrastructure.

Method note: Counts are estimates derived from county population and household sizes combined with recent national adoption rates and Arkansas household internet subscription patterns; differences versus state reflect Saline County’s higher income, suburban settlement, and stronger wired/5G coverage.

Saline County, AR social media snapshot (2025)

Most-used platforms (adult usage benchmarks; Saline County’s suburban profile closely tracks these)

• YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults use it; locally, it is the top platform for news clips, how‑to, and school/sports video.
• Facebook: ~68%; dominant locally for community groups, school/booster updates, churches, civic info, Marketplace.
• Instagram: ~47%; strong among under‑40s, local food/retail discovery, events.
• Pinterest: ~35%; project/home, décor, crafts; heavily female.
• TikTok: ~33%; fastest growth under 35, local eats/attractions, sports highlights.
• Snapchat: ~30%; high school/college day-to-day comms; local sports/game‑day content.
• LinkedIn: ~30%; white‑collar and healthcare corridor; used for hiring and networking.
• X (Twitter): ~23%; niche for state politics, prep/college sports, weather alerts.
• Reddit: ~22%; tech/gaming/outdoors; less community‑specific.
• WhatsApp: ~21%; small but steady for family and international comms. Note: Percentages are Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult usage and are a reliable proxy for Saline County; local penetration typically falls within ±3–5 percentage points of these figures. Facebook and YouTube are clearly the top two locally.

Age-group patterns (local behavior)

• Teens (13–17): Snapchat and TikTok first; YouTube always-on; Instagram for highlights; Facebook only for school/team and family.
• 18–29: Instagram + TikTok daily; YouTube long‑form; Snapchat for close friends; Facebook mostly for Marketplace, events, groups.
• 30–49: Facebook groups/Marketplace central to family logistics; Instagram Reels; YouTube for DIY/fitness; TikTok growing for entertainment and local food recs.
• 50–64: Facebook primary for community/church/civic; YouTube learning/streaming; Pinterest for projects; rising Instagram adoption.
• 65+: Facebook for staying connected and local information; YouTube for tutorials/news; Pinterest for hobbies.

Gender breakdown (tendencies)

• Women: Over‑index on Facebook (groups, Marketplace), Instagram (stories/reels), Pinterest (home/crafts/recipes).
• Men: Over‑index on YouTube (sports, DIY, auto), Reddit (tech/gaming), X (sports/politics).
• Engagement drivers: Women more active in school/booster, church, and neighborhood groups; men more in sports, outdoors, and local buy/sell/trade gear.

Behavioral trends observed in comparable Arkansas suburbs (and evident in Saline County)

• Community-centric Facebook: Hyperlocal groups (city-specific, school PTO/booster, youth sports, church) drive daily check-ins and high comment volume.
• Marketplace-first commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local resale; posts often outperform Craigslist or Nextdoor in speed of response.
• Short-form video shift: Reels/TikTok clips featuring local restaurants, sports highlights, and events get outsized reach versus static posts.
• Event discovery: Instagram and Facebook events power attendance for festivals, school plays, booster fundraisers, and youth sports sign-ups.
• Trust in local voices: Posts from city departments, school districts, coaches, pastors, and well-known admins/mods carry more weight than brand pages.
• “Weather + Sports” spikes: Severe weather and high school football/basketball seasons drive peak cross‑platform attention (Facebook and X for alerts; YouTube for replays).
• Messaging > comments for conversion: DMs (Facebook/Instagram) convert better than public comments for local services and small businesses.
• Nextdoor pockets: Used in certain subdivisions/HOAs for safety, lost/found, and contractor referrals; overall reach smaller than Facebook groups.

Quick takeaways

• Reach: Facebook and YouTube provide the broadest adult coverage; Instagram and TikTok are critical to reach under‑40s.
• Community: Facebook groups are the county’s de facto public square; optimize for group sharing and admin relationships.
• Creative: Short-form vertical video outperforms static posts for local discovery; pair with clear location tags and event details.
• Timing: Evenings (after 7 p.m.) and weekend mornings see reliable engagement for family-centric content; game days and weather events create real-time surges.

Sources and basis

• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024). These U.S. adult figures are applied as a local proxy; Saline County’s suburban, family-heavy profile aligns closely with these national patterns.