Sharp County

Sharp County, Arkansas — key demographics

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 17,271

Age

• Median age: ~50.6 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~28%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~90–91%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or More Races: ~6–7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~87–88%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~7,500–7,600
• Persons per household (average): ~2.3
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~77%

Insights

• Older age structure (median age ~51; nearly 3 in 10 residents are 65+), indicating a sizable retiree presence.
• Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White with small racial/ethnic minority shares.
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy are typical of rural counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (DP02/DP05); Census QuickFacts.

Sharp County, AR email landscape (estimates modeled from Census, Pew, and Arkansas rural broadband benchmarks)

• Population and density: ≈17,300 residents; ~28 people per sq. mile (rural Ozarks).
• Estimated email users: ≈12,800 residents use email regularly (about 90% of adults; ~74% of total population).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29: 12%; 30–49: 27%; 50–64: 30%; 65+: 31% (older-skewed county raises the 65+ share).
• Gender split among users: Female 52%, Male 48% (reflects slightly older-female-heavy demographics).
• Digital access and usage:
  • Home internet subscription: ~73% of households.
  • Smartphone-only home internet: ~16% of households; mobile is the primary email access for many.
  • No home internet: ~7%; pockets of limited connectivity persist outside town centers.
  • Typical fixed-broadband availability and speeds are stronger in and around Ash Flat, Cherokee Village, Hardy, and Highland (US‑62/412 corridor), with spottier service in sparsely populated valleys and ridge areas.
• Trends: Stable-to-rising email adoption among 50+; high daily checking on smartphones; lower adoption tied to low-income and very remote households; gradual fiber and 5G buildouts improving access but unevenly across the county.

Sharp County, Arkansas: Mobile phone usage summary (2024)

Topline user estimates

• Population and base: Sharp County has roughly 17–18 thousand residents and about 7–8 thousand households, with an older-than-average age profile.
• Adult mobile users: 12,500–13,500 adults use a mobile phone of any kind.
• Smartphone users: 10,000–11,500 adults use a smartphone.
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home internet, using smartphones/hotspots instead): 20–25% of households (about 1,400–2,000 households).

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age:
  • 18–34: Very high smartphone adoption (≈93–97%). This group is a smaller share of the county than statewide, so it contributes less to the countywide average than in Arkansas overall.
  • 35–64: High adoption (≈85–92%), with notable prepaid-plan usage among lower- and moderate-income segments.
  • 65+: Lower adoption than the state average, estimated 60–70% smartphone use and a larger flip/feature-phone cohort (≈10–15%). Seniors make up a higher share of the county than statewide, pulling down overall smartphone penetration.
• Income and plan type:
  • Prepaid share is meaningfully higher than the Arkansas average, estimated at 35–45% of lines (statewide often nearer 30–35%), reflecting income constraints and credit aversion.
  • Mobile-only reliance is stronger among lower-income and senior households where fixed broadband is unavailable or unaffordable.
• Household composition:
  • Single-line and two-line households are more common than multi-line family plans compared with metro Arkansas, tracking the county’s older, smaller household sizes.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G/LTE: Broad roadside coverage along US‑62/412 and US‑63 and in/around Ash Flat, Hardy, Highland, and Cherokee Village. LTE is the workhorse technology for voice/data and remains the dominant experience countywide.
• 5G: Low-band 5G covers portions of the main corridors and population centers; mid-band (C-band/2.5 GHz) is spotty or limited to select sites. As a result, 5G availability and speeds trail state averages, especially away from towns.
• Speeds and reliability: Typical LTE speeds range 10–40 Mbps in towns and along highways, falling well below that in valleys and wooded areas; 5G can deliver 20–100+ Mbps where mid-band exists. Indoor coverage degrades in hollows and low-density areas due to terrain and sparse tower density.
• Fixed broadband context: Fewer fiber/cable-served blocks than the state average; many locations rely on legacy DSL, WISPs, or satellite. This gap directly lifts mobile hotspot and mobile-only usage.
• Public safety: FirstNet buildouts have improved coverage on primary corridors, but off-corridor dead zones persist—emergency communications rely on carrier diversity and radio backstops.

How Sharp County differs from Arkansas overall

• Lower overall smartphone penetration: Countywide smartphone adoption is several points below the Arkansas average because seniors form a larger share of the population and have lower adoption.
• Greater mobile dependence: A higher proportion of households are mobile-only for home internet than the state average, driven by limited fiber/cable availability and budget constraints.
• More prepaid, fewer multi-line family plans: Prepaid penetration and churn are higher; postpaid family-plan penetration is lower than in metro and suburban Arkansas.
• Slower 5G transition: 5G availability and mid-band deployment lag the state average, so residents remain more reliant on LTE for everyday connectivity.
• Wider urban–rural performance gap: Town centers and highways see acceptable performance; off-corridor areas show larger drops in signal quality and speeds compared with statewide norms.

Implications

• For carriers: Network gains will come most from targeted mid-band 5G and additional LTE sectorization along US‑62/412 and community centers, plus in-building solutions for clinics, schools, and government buildings.
• For public agencies and providers: Programs that pair discounted plans with basic Android devices for seniors, along with digital literacy and telehealth support, will move adoption the most.
• For residents and enterprises: Dual-carrier redundancy (work and personal lines on different networks) improves uptime for fieldwork, logistics, and emergency preparedness given pocket dead zones.

Notes on estimation

• Figures synthesize county demographics (Census/ACS patterns for rural Arkansas), statewide device adoption benchmarks, and FCC-reported coverage patterns as of 2022–2024. Ranges are provided to reflect known rural variance across tracts while keeping county-level estimates decision-useful.

Sharp County, AR social media usage — 2025 snapshot

How this was built

• Modeled 2025 estimates for Sharp County adults (18+) using the county’s population profile from recent ACS/Census releases and platform adoption rates for rural U.S. adults from Pew Research Center 2023–2024. Figures are expressed as share of adults and estimated user counts.

Population context

• Adult population (18+): ≈13.8K
• Gender: ≈51% female, 49% male
• Rural, older-leaning profile; high Facebook and YouTube reliance, with lighter uptake on newer networks than urban areas

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; estimated users)

• YouTube: 81% (11.2K)
• Facebook: 72% (9.9K)
• Instagram: 35% (4.8K)
• Pinterest: 31% (4.3K)
• TikTok: 26% (3.6K)
• Snapchat: 23% (3.2K)
• WhatsApp: 21% (2.9K)
• X (Twitter): 19% (2.6K)
• LinkedIn: 16% (2.2K)
• Reddit: 11% (1.5K)

Age-group profile and behavior

• Teens (13–17): Heavy YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram common; Facebook minimal except for school sports/event updates via parents
• 18–34: YouTube plus Instagram/TikTok for entertainment, creators, shopping discovery; Snapchat for messaging; Facebook used for local groups/marketplace more than posting
• 35–54: Facebook is the daily hub (local news, groups, marketplace, school/sports, churches); YouTube for how‑tos, product research; Pinterest popular among women for home, food, crafts; Instagram secondary
• 55+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; growing passive TikTok viewing; use platforms for community info, health, weather, and family updates

Gender breakdown (usage skews)

• Facebook: slight female skew; strong engagement with local groups, churches, schools, marketplace
• Instagram and TikTok: modest female skew; commerce and creator content more influential for women 18–44
• Pinterest: heavily female
• YouTube: slight male skew overall; strong DIY, outdoor, auto, repair, and local church/service video consumption across genders
• Reddit and X: male‑skewed; news, sports, tech, markets; smaller reach locally
• LinkedIn: limited overall; concentrated among healthcare, education, government, and business owners

Local behavioral trends and habits

• Community-first: Facebook Groups are the backbone for local news, events, yard sales, missing pets, church/school updates; Marketplace is a key channel for P2P commerce
• Video as default: YouTube for tutorials, product research, sermons, weather; short‑form via Facebook Reels and TikTok for entertainment and local promotions
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the primary private channel; Snapchat prevalent among younger users; WhatsApp use exists but is niche
• Shopping influence: Facebook and Instagram drive local retail and service discovery; Pinterest influences home/garden/DIY purchases among women 25–54
• Timing: Highest engagement evenings and weekends; retirees add midday usage spikes; weather events drive real‑time surges on Facebook/X
• Device behavior: Mobile‑first consumption; shorter videos and vertical formats perform best; links to phone calls and Messenger outperform web forms for small businesses

Notes

• Percentages represent estimated adult reach in Sharp County based on rural U.S. adoption rates (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024) applied to the county’s adult population. Counts are rounded.