Woodruff County

Key demographics — Woodruff County, Arkansas Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year)

Population size

• Total population: 6,269 (2020 Census)
• Ongoing decline from 2010 to 2020; small further decline estimated through 2023

Age

• Median age: ~46 years
• Age distribution: ~20% under 18; ~58% 18–64; ~22% 65+

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White, non-Hispanic: ~69%
• Black or African American: ~27%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Other groups (including American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander): each <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~2,650
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Married-couple families: ~42% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~39%; living alone: ~34%; age 65+ living alone: ~16%
• Tenure: ~73% owner-occupied; ~27% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small, aging, and steadily declining population
• Predominantly White with a sizable Black population and a small Hispanic presence
• High homeownership and many single-person households, reflecting an older age profile

• County snapshot: Population 6,269 (2020); land area ~587 sq mi; density ~10.7 people per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: about 3,200 residents use email regularly.

Age distribution of email users

• 18–34: 21%
• 35–54: 31%
• 55–64: 19%
• 65+: 29%

Gender split of users

• Female: 51%
• Male: 49%

Digital access and connectivity

• Very low population density raises last‑mile costs; connectivity clusters around Augusta and McCrory, with sparser service in outlying areas.
• Home broadband take‑up is below urban Arkansas levels; smartphone‑only access is common among lower‑income households.
• Fixed broadband coverage and fiber passings are expanding via state rural‑broadband initiatives; subscriptions have been trending upward.
• 4G LTE covers most traveled corridors; 5G is present mainly in town centers and along highways.
• Public library and school Wi‑Fi are important access points; the 2024 lapse of ACP subsidies is pressuring affordability and may slow further adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Woodruff County, Arkansas — 2024 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Population baseline: ~6,200 residents; ~2,700 households.
• Estimated mobile phone users (unique individuals): ~4,900 (≈79% of residents), driven by high adult adoption and limited fixed broadband.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~4,400 (≈71% of residents; ≈88–90% of adults).
• Feature-phone users: ~400–500 (notably higher share than the state average due to older age structure and lower incomes).
• Households with a cellular data plan (smartphone/tablet) subscription: ~64–68% in the county vs ~77–80% statewide.
• “Smartphone-only”/mobile-only internet households (cellular data but no home fixed broadband): ~20–25% in the county vs ~12–15% statewide.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • Seniors (65+): ~24–26% of the county vs ~18% statewide. Smartphone adoption among seniors is 10–15 percentage points lower than among county adults overall; higher reliance on basic phones and Wi‑Fi calling.
  • Teens (13–17): smartphone adoption ~85–90%, comparable to statewide, but total teen cohort is smaller; effects are muted on overall county adoption.
• Income and affordability
  • Median household income is materially below the Arkansas median, translating to a higher prepaid share (≈40–45% of lines in Woodruff vs ≈25–30% statewide), longer device replacement cycles, and more data-capped plans.
• Race/ethnicity
  • A larger Black share than the state average correlates with higher smartphone-only internet reliance (cost-driven substitution away from home broadband), visible in higher mobile-only household rates.
• Education and work profile
  • Lower four-year degree attainment than the state; few large employers locally. BYOD enterprise usage is limited; device mix skews to consumer Android, with iOS share trailing the state by several points.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and radio access
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) operate 4G LTE; 5G NR coverage is present but patchy outside Augusta and McCrory.
  • 5G population coverage: roughly 60–70% of residents in the county vs 90%+ statewide; geographic 5G coverage is substantially lower due to sparse sites and bottomland terrain.
• Performance
  • Typical outdoor downlink: ~25–75 Mbps LTE/5G in towns; ~5–25 Mbps in fringe/rural tracts. Peak town-center 5G speeds can exceed 200 Mbps but are inconsistent. These figures trail statewide medians (commonly 100+ Mbps in metro corridors).
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro coverage anchored to a limited number of highway-aligned towers; in-building coverage can be weak in metal-roof structures and along low-lying river-adjacent areas.
  • Backhaul is a mix of microwave and limited fiber; microwave prevalence contributes to variable capacity during peak hours.
• Public safety and reliability
  • FirstNet (AT&T) upgrades have improved coverage for emergency services along primary routes; redundancy remains thinner than in metro counties, so weather-related outages have outsized impact.
• Fixed-broadband interplay
  • County household broadband subscription (all fixed types): mid-60s percent vs upper-70s statewide. Lower fixed adoption sustains higher mobile substitution, especially among lower-income and renter households.

Trends that diverge from Arkansas overall

• Higher mobile dependence: A notably larger share of households uses smartphones/cellular data as the primary or only internet connection, reflecting lower fixed-broadband availability and affordability.
• Older user base, more basic phones: The county’s older age profile depresses overall smartphone penetration and raises basic-phone usage relative to the state.
• More prepaid, tighter data budgets: Prepaid line share and data-cap sensitivity are higher than statewide norms, shaping usage patterns (more Wi‑Fi reliance, lower video bitrates).
• Slower and spottier 5G: 5G availability and median speeds lag state averages; LTE remains the workhorse outside town centers and highway corridors.
• Greater indoor-coverage variability: Construction types and sparse small‑cell density produce more frequent reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters than in urban Arkansas.

Method notes

• Figures synthesize the most recent Census/ACS household counts and computer/Internet subscription indicators, statewide wireless-only benchmarks, and carrier deployment patterns observed in rural Arkansas through 2024. County-level percentages are derived from those sources and adjusted to Woodruff County’s demographics (older median age, lower income, higher mobile-only reliance) to yield the user and household estimates above.

Social media usage in Woodruff County, Arkansas (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~6,200; adults (18+): ~4,800
• Adult social media users: ~3,350 (≈70% of adults)
• Device access: usage is predominantly mobile-first; Facebook Messenger is the most common DM channel

Demographic profile of users

• Gender among users: ~52% women, 48% men
• Age mix among users:
  • 18–34: ~30%
  • 35–54: ~36%
  • 55+: ~34%
• Implications: slightly older user base than the U.S. average, with a modest female skew in daily engagement (especially on Facebook, Pinterest)

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, monthly; people use multiple platforms)

• YouTube: ~76%
• Facebook: ~74%
• Instagram: ~33%
• TikTok: ~25%
• Pinterest: ~22%
• Snapchat: ~19%
• LinkedIn: ~12%
• X (Twitter): ~11%
• WhatsApp: ~10%
• Reddit: ~8%
• Nextdoor: ~6%

Behavioral trends and patterns

• Facebook-centric community life: heavy reliance on local Groups (churches, schools, youth sports, buy/sell/Marketplace) and county/town pages for news, weather, and events; comments and shares drive reach more than original posting volume
• Video-first consumption: YouTube used for how-to, farming/repair, hunting/outdoors, weather tracking; short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery among younger adults and is often cross-posted to Facebook
• Messaging and response: Facebook Messenger is the default for contacting local businesses, churches, and event organizers; SMS remains common for coordination; WhatsApp use is limited to families with out-of-country ties
• Posting vs lurking: high “lurker” ratio; most content is produced by a small set of page admins, local organizations, and younger users; older users engage via comments and shares
• Timing spikes: early morning (6–8 a.m.), midday breaks (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); sharp surges during severe weather, school announcements, local sports, and election cycles
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the top channel for buying/selling locally; Instagram is secondary for boutiques and crafts; short video + “message us” CTAs outperform link-outs due to limited local site browsing
• Trust and information: local pages, churches, and school district channels are perceived as most credible; external news links see lower click-through than native posts or screenshots

Method and sources

• Counts and platform shares are 2025 estimates for Woodruff County derived by applying Pew Research Center’s U.S. adult social media adoption rates (2023–2024) to the county’s age structure and rural profile from U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2020–2023). Platform penetration reflects rural/older skew (higher Facebook, slightly lower TikTok/Instagram than national averages).