Yell County

Yell County, Arkansas — key demographics (latest available: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: ~20,800 (2023 est.)
• 2020 Census: ~21,200 (down from ~22,200 in 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~38
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~68%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~22%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5%

Household data

• Households: ~7,800
• Average household size: ~2.7 persons
• Family households: ~68% (married-couple families ~50%)
• One-person households: ~25–26%
• With children under 18: ~33–35%
• Owner-occupied: ~70–75% (renter-occupied ~25–30%)

Insights

• Modest population decline since 2010
• Notable Hispanic/Latino presence relative to rural Arkansas peers
• Older age structure and high homeownership typical of rural counties

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures rounded for readability.

Yell County, AR overview

• Population and density: ≈20,900 residents (2023 est.); ≈22 people per square mile across ~950 sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈14,400 adults. Method: ~16,500 adults (≈79% of population) x ~87% adult email usage consistent with local internet access levels.
• Age distribution of email users (approx. counts): 18–34: ~4,200 (29%); 35–54: ~5,200 (36%); 55–64: ~2,300 (16%); 65+: ~2,700 (19%).
• Gender split: ~50% female, ~50% male, mirroring the county’s demographic balance.

Digital access and trends

• Access: ~86% of households have a computer and ~72% have a broadband subscription (ACS 5‑year). The remainder commonly rely on mobile data or public/Wi‑Fi access points for email.
• Trend: Subscription and device access have been rising, with the sharpest gains among adults 65+, driven by incremental fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts.
• Local connectivity context: Two county seats (Dardanelle and Danville) anchor service availability; low population density and rural terrain create pockets with weaker fixed broadband. Where fiber has reached, typical speeds are 100–1,000 Mbps; outlying areas more often see 25–100 Mbps via cable/DSL or fixed wireless.
• Implication: Despite rural constraints, email usage is widespread and increasingly mobile-first in less‑served areas.

Mobile phone usage profile — Yell County, Arkansas (distinct from statewide patterns)

Bottom line

• Estimated smartphone users: about 15,500 countywide, driven by roughly 14,100 adult users plus ~1,400 teen users.
• Coverage: solid 4G LTE along towns and highways; materially more dead zones and “one‑bar” valleys than state averages; 5G is present but mostly in and around Dardanelle–Danville and along primary corridors.
• Reliance: higher dependence on prepaid plans and mobile‑only internet than the Arkansas average, tied to income, terrain, and limited wireline options.

How the user estimate was built

• Total population: 21,341 (2020 Decennial Census).
• Adults (18+): ≈16,400 (using Arkansas’s adult share of the population).
• Adult smartphone adoption in rural areas: ≈86% (Pew Research Center, 2023) → ≈14,100 adult users.
• Teens (13–17): ≈1,500; smartphone access ≈95% (Pew, 2023) → ≈1,400 teen users.
• Total estimated smartphone users: ≈15,500 (out of ~21,300 residents).

Demographic context that shapes usage (and how it differs from Arkansas overall)

• Rural profile: Nonmetro, small‑town county with two hubs (Dardanelle, Danville). Terrain includes forested uplands and river valleys, which impairs radio propagation more than in much of the state’s flatter regions.
• Income: Median household income is lower than the Arkansas median, contributing to heavier use of prepaid and budget carriers and more shared family lines. This tends to increase “mobile‑only” internet reliance relative to statewide rates.
• Language and ethnicity: A notably larger Hispanic/Latino share than the state average leads to strong uptake of app‑based calling/messaging (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger) and international calling add‑ons; device mix skews toward Android in value tiers.
• Education and age mix: A somewhat smaller share of residents with 4‑year degrees than the state average; older rural households are more likely to keep basic phones or limited‑data plans, widening the within‑county gap between town centers and remote areas.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T‑Mobile all report 4G LTE across populated corridors; 5G service is concentrated in and near Dardanelle and Danville, with spillover along major routes. Mid‑band 5G (higher capacity) is far less prevalent than in Little Rock, NWA, and other Arkansas metros.
• Coverage pattern:
  • Strongest along AR‑7/AR‑27, US‑10, and around Dardanelle–Danville.
  • Noticeably weaker or absent in wooded uplands, around Blue Mountain Lake, and sparsely populated hollows—gaps that are more common here than the statewide average.
• Typical user experience:
  • Town centers: consistent 4G and low‑band 5G with everyday app performance; peak speeds and capacity are lower than in Arkansas metros due to limited mid‑band deployments.
  • Outlying areas: frequent drops to 3G/No‑service in folds of terrain; many households lean on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, or fixed‑location hotspots for reliability.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet coverage tracks AT&T’s macro grid on primary corridors; mutual aid and school campuses commonly depend on carrier aggregation and Wi‑Fi backstops because of single‑carrier dead spots—again, more acute than the state average.

Behavioral and market trends unique to Yell County vs. Arkansas overall

• Higher prepaid share: Budget MVNOs and prepaid plans (monthly or pay‑as‑you‑go) capture a larger slice of the market than in statewide urban areas, reflecting income sensitivity and patchy 5G value.
• More mobile‑only households: A larger fraction of households rely on cellular hotspots or phone tethering as their primary home internet compared with the Arkansas average, because DSL and cable footprints thin out quickly outside town limits.
• Messaging first: Cross‑border family ties and bilingual households amplify use of data‑based messaging/calling platforms over traditional voice minutes.
• Device replacement cycles: Longer on average than statewide, with many users keeping handsets 3–4 years; this slows 5G feature uptake relative to metropolitan Arkansas.
• Network add‑ons: External antennas, boosters, and Wi‑Fi calling are disproportionately common solutions in fringe coverage areas compared with statewide usage.

Implications

• For carriers: Targeted infill (especially mid‑band 5G on existing towers) around valleys and school/bus routes would yield outsized reliability gains; roaming and MVNO support remain important.
• For public services and businesses: Design for “download first, sync later” and offline‑tolerant apps; publish Wi‑Fi locations; keep SMS fallbacks for alerts.
• For residents: Best results come from testing SIMs across carriers before committing, enabling Wi‑Fi calling at home, and using external antennas/boosters in shadowed locations.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population base).
• Pew Research Center, 2023 (smartphone adoption for rural adults; teen access).
• Carrier coverage disclosures (AT&T/FirstNet, Verizon, T‑Mobile) and FCC mobile coverage filings as of 2024–2025 for qualitative 4G/5G footprint patterns.
• ACS and state rural profiles for income/education context informing plan types and mobile‑only reliance.

Note: Where county‑specific subscription data are not publicly reported, estimates are derived transparently from Census population and nationally reported rural adoption rates, and the infrastructure assessment reflects documented carrier footprints and terrain constraints observed in Yell County.

Yell County, AR — Social media snapshot (planning-grade estimates)

Overall usage

• Active social media users (13+): ~12,000–14,000 residents use at least one platform monthly
• Daily users: ~8,500–10,000
• Access: Majority are mobile-first; broadband gaps persist outside Dardanelle/Danville, so short, lightweight video and images outperform long links

Age mix of users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: 10–12%
• 18–29: 22–25%
• 30–49: 35–38% (largest cohort; parents, working-age)
• 50–64: 20–23%
• 65+: 12–14%

Gender split among users

• Female: 51–53%
• Male: 47–49%

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+, rounded)

• YouTube: 70–76% use; daily viewers ~55–60%
• Facebook: 62–68% use; daily users ~50–55%; strongest local reach via Groups/Marketplace
• Facebook Messenger: 40–45% use; default local messaging app
• Instagram: 25–30% use; strongest among 18–34
• TikTok: 23–28% use; daily short-form video; over-index among teens/20s and bilingual households
• Pinterest: 20–25% use; skew to women 25–54 (recipes, crafts, home)
• WhatsApp: 15–20% use; elevated within Spanish-speaking families for group comms
• Snapchat: 12–16% use; teens/younger 20s
• X (Twitter): 9–12% use; mostly news/sports watchers, low posting
• LinkedIn: 7–9% use; lowest penetration (rural/industrial job mix)
• Nextdoor: <5%; limited neighborhood coverage

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first engagement: Facebook Groups dominate for school athletics, church events, youth sports, buy/sell, and county emergency updates; Marketplace is a top discovery channel for local services and used goods
• Video-forward consumption: Short how‑tos, hunting/fishing, small engine repair, farm/yard maintenance, local sports highlights, and “what’s happening this weekend” content perform best; Reels/TikTok cross-posts extend reach
• Language and messaging: Notable Hispanic community drives above-average WhatsApp usage; bilingual (EN/ES) creative lifts response; many families coordinate via Messenger group chats
• Timing: Highest engagement evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; seasonal spikes around school year, football season, holidays, and severe weather
• Creative that works: Person-in-frame photos, before/after visuals, price and phone-number in image, clear local landmarks; concise captions; ES/EN variants; offers aligned to biweekly paycheck cycles
• Geo hotspots: Dardanelle, Danville, and corridors along AR‑7/AR‑27 see the most check-ins and event interest; rural outskirts rely more on mobile data, favoring lighter media

Notes on figures

• County-level platform user counts are not formally published; above percentages synthesize 2020 Census/ACS demographics for Yell County with 2024 Pew U.S. social media adoption and rural-usage skews. Treat as practical planning estimates suitable for targeting and content strategy.