Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Florida — key demographics

Population size

• 14,246 (2020 Census)
• ~14,300 (2023 Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~49 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~18–19%
• 65 and over: ~26–27%

Gender

• Female: ~46% (male ~54%) (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White alone: ~55–56%
• Black or African American alone: ~38–39%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.4–0.6%
• Asian alone: ~0.6%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~52–53%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~5,600
• Persons per household: ~2.46
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79%
• Median household income (in 2022 dollars): ~$55–57K
• Persons in poverty: ~15–16%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program). Figures rounded for clarity.

Jefferson County, FL email usage snapshot

• Population baseline: 14,246 (2020 Census); ≈11,300 adults (18+).
• Estimated adult email users: ≈10,500 (applying Pew’s 2023 U.S. adult email adoption ~92%).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated, applying Pew adoption by age to the county’s older-skewing profile):
  • 18–29: ≈1.9k (≈18%)
  • 30–49: ≈3.4k (≈32%)
  • 50–64: ≈2.5k (≈24%)
  • 65+: ≈2.7k (≈25%)
• Gender split: Near parity. County population is roughly half female/half male; email adoption is similar by gender nationally, so email users are ≈50/50.
• Digital access and trends (ACS 2018–2022 style metrics applied locally):
  • Households with a computer: ~85–90%.
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~75–80% (about 1 in 5 households lacks home broadband).
  • Smartphone-only internet households: roughly low-to-mid teens percent, indicating mobile-dependent access for a notable minority.
• Local density/connectivity context: Sparse and rural—about 24 people per square mile (≈14.2k people across ~600 square miles). Lower density typically correlates with fewer fixed-broadband options and greater reliance on cellular data, shaping email access patterns toward mobile use outside the I‑10/Monticello population centers.

Jefferson County, FL mobile phone usage summary (latest available public estimates, 2019–2024)

User estimates

• Population and households: About 14–15 thousand residents and roughly 5,500–6,000 households. Adult share is higher than the state average due to an older age profile.
• Smartphone presence by household: Approximately 83–86% of households have at least one smartphone, several points below Florida overall (about 89–92%).
• Internet via cellular data plan: Roughly 62–67% of households have a cellular data plan (often alongside home broadband), versus about 70–75% statewide.
• Broadband at home: Approximately 72–76% of households have a wired or fixed broadband subscription, below Florida’s roughly 84–87%. This gap contributes to heavier day‑to‑day reliance on mobile data in the county.
• Mobile-only access: About 10–13% of households are effectively smartphone- or cellular-only for internet access (no fixed broadband or no other computing device), versus roughly 6–9% statewide.
• Implied user counts: In a county of ~14–15k residents, these rates translate to roughly 11–13k mobile phone users and about 9–11k smartphone users.

Demographic breakdown shaping mobile use

• Age: Jefferson County’s 65+ share is several points higher than Florida’s average. Older residents are less likely to own smartphones and more likely to use basic/older devices or shared household phones, pulling down the county’s overall smartphone penetration relative to the state.
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s attainment are both below the Florida average. Lower income and lower educational attainment correlate with:
  • Higher reliance on prepaid plans and data-capped offers
  • Greater likelihood of smartphone-only internet access
  • Slower device replacement cycles (older handsets remain in use longer)
• Race/ethnicity: The county’s demographics include a higher rural Black population share than the state average. Nationally, Black rural households report higher smartphone-only reliance than suburban/urban peers with similar incomes, a pattern consistent with Jefferson’s above-state share of cellular-dependent households.
• Work and school: Work-from-home rates are below the state average, and student device access leans more heavily toward smartphones vs laptops than in metro Florida counties, increasing mobile network load at peak evening hours.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network geometry: Jefferson County is large and sparsely populated, with most residents clustered around Monticello and the I‑10/US‑19 corridors. This results in:
  • Fewer macro cell sites per square mile than the Florida average
  • Strong corridor coverage along I‑10 and in/near Monticello
  • Patchier service in forested, agricultural, and wetland areas toward the Aucilla and Wacissa watersheds, where low-band LTE/5G dominates and mid-band capacity is limited
• 4G/5G mix:
  • Low-band 5G/LTE is the primary coverage layer over most of the county; mid-band 5G (e.g., 2.5 GHz or C-band) is concentrated near Monticello and major highways, with far less depth than in metro Florida.
  • This yields lower typical median mobile download speeds and more variability than the state average, especially indoors and in wooded terrain.
• Backhaul and power: Fewer fiber-fed tower sites and longer backhaul runs than urban Florida. Storm-related outages can isolate pockets more easily than in cities; restoration often prioritizes I‑10 and public safety corridors first.
• Fixed wireless: Take-up of 4G/5G fixed wireless access is meaningfully higher than in urban Florida because of limited cable/fiber footprints. This improves home connectivity but also increases localized sector loading during evening hours.

How Jefferson County trends differ from Florida overall

• Lower smartphone household penetration and lower fixed-broadband subscription rates than the state, driven by age, income, and rural dispersion.
• Higher reliance on cellular-only or smartphone-only internet access than Florida overall.
• Sparser tower density and less mid-band 5G capacity away from highways produce slower typical mobile speeds and more dead zones than state averages.
• Greater sensitivity to plan pricing and data caps, with a larger share of prepaid and value-focused plans than in metro areas.
• Fixed wireless plays a larger role in home connectivity than in most of Florida’s urban counties, shifting more traffic onto mobile networks in the evenings.

Key takeaways

• Jefferson County’s mobile ecosystem is defined by rural geography and demographics: solid corridor coverage, but less capacity depth and more cellular dependence than the Florida norm.
• Closing the gap with state-level performance hinges on continued mid-band 5G build-out beyond Monticello/I‑10, additional fiber-fed backhaul to rural sites, and improved affordability options to reduce smartphone-only reliance.

Social media usage in Jefferson County, Florida (2024 snapshot)

Note on method: County-specific platform panels aren’t published. Figures below are best-available estimates created by applying 2023–2024 U.S./Florida usage rates to Jefferson County’s age profile and rural characteristics. Use them as directional but decision-grade benchmarks.

Overall usage

• Share of residents 13+ using at least one social platform: ~72%
• Daily social media users (13+): ~63%
• Typical platforms used per person: ~4–5

User composition (share of local social media audience)

• By age
  • 13–17: 6%
  • 18–24: 9%
  • 25–34: 18%
  • 35–44: 19%
  • 45–54: 17%
  • 55–64: 16%
  • 65+: 15%
• By gender
  • Female: ~53%
  • Male: ~47%

Most-used platforms among local social media users

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~31%
• Pinterest: ~27%
• Snapchat: ~24%
• LinkedIn: ~21%
• X (Twitter): ~19%
• Nextdoor: ~9%

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Florida counties and reflected locally

• Community-first Facebook usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for school updates, church and civic events, county services, road closures, and local sports. Facebook Marketplace is a primary buy/sell channel.
• Video-led engagement: Short-form video (YouTube Shorts, Facebook/Instagram Reels) outperforms static posts; local highlights, how-tos, and event recaps drive the highest completion and share rates.
• Youth split: Teens/young adults cluster on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; they still maintain Facebook for groups and messaging but post less frequently there.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the dominant private channel for community coordination; SMS remains common for quick logistics, with WhatsApp niche among specific social circles.
• Local commerce: Discovery for restaurants, trades, and services skews to Facebook/Instagram; reviews and recommendations in local groups materially influence purchasing and hiring decisions.
• Timing: Engagement peaks on weeknights 7–9 p.m. ET; midday (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) is a secondary window; weekend mornings work for event-related posts.
• Civic spikes: Weather events, school news, and county meetings produce rapid, high-comment threads on Facebook; official pages see sharp but brief reach surges during these periods.
• Creator pattern: A small set of community admins and local businesses account for a disproportionate share of reach; cross-posting the same creative to Facebook and Instagram is standard practice.

Interpretation

• Jefferson County’s older, rural-leaning profile keeps Facebook and YouTube on top, with Instagram/TikTok growing but still secondary among 30+. For outreach, prioritize Facebook Groups/Pages and short-form video; use Instagram/TikTok to reach under-35s and YouTube for evergreen how-to and recap content.