Liberty County

Key demographics for Liberty County, Florida

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

Population size

• Total population (2020): 7,974

Age

• Median age: ~36 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and over: ~10–11%

Gender

• Male: ~69%
• Female: ~31% (Note: The county’s large state prison population skews the sex ratio heavily male and lowers the median age.)

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White alone: ~72%
• Black or African American alone: ~22%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~8%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~2,300–2,400
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68–70% of households
• Married-couple households: ~45–50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28–32%
• Living alone: ~25–30% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–82%

Insights

• Liberty County is small and predominantly White with a substantial Black population; Hispanic share is below the Florida average.
• Prison group-quarters population materially affects the county’s sex ratio, age profile, and the number/characteristics of households relative to total population.

Liberty County, FL email usage (estimates for 2023–2024)

• Population and density: ~8,500 residents across ~840 sq mi (≈10 people/sq mi). Large shares of land are public forest, making last‑mile broadband costly and sparse.
• Estimated email users (adults 18+): ~5,600 (≈85% of ~6,600 adults).
• Age distribution of adult email users:
  • 18–29: 16% (900 users)
  • 30–49: 37% (2,070)
  • 50–64: 27% (1,510)
  • 65+: 20% (1,120)
• Gender split among email users: 50% female (2,800), 50% male (2,800). Note: overall county counts skew male due to incarceration, but civilian digital adoption is roughly even by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home broadband subscriptions: ~72% of households (up from ~65% in 2018).
  • Device access (computer and/or smartphone): ~85% of adults.
  • Mobile‑only internet users: ~18% of households, reflecting limited fixed‑line options outside Bristol/Hosford.
  • Connectivity is improving via incremental cable upgrades and targeted fiber builds, but median fixed speeds remain below Florida’s urban counties; satellite and cellular fill coverage gaps.

Implication: Email reach among adults is broad and balanced by gender, strongest in ages 30–64, with rural infrastructure driving higher reliance on mobile access.

Liberty County, FL mobile phone usage profile

Baseline context

• Population basis used: roughly 8,000 residents, of which an estimated 1,100–1,300 are institutionalized (primarily state prison). All usage estimates below refer to the non‑institutional (“household”) population, since that is the addressable market for mobile service.
• Household population used for modeling: ~6,700–6,900 people.

Estimated users and adoption

• Active mobile phone users (all ages, household population): 4,800–5,300 people
  • Adult smartphone users (18+): 4,100–4,500
  • Teen smartphone users (13–17): 350–420
  • Feature‑phone users (all ages): 250–400
• Device mix (share of mobile users):
  • Smartphones: 88–92% (Liberty) vs ~90–94% statewide
  • Feature phones/other: 8–12% (Liberty) vs ~6–10% statewide
• Service type mix (share of SIMs):
  • Prepaid: 45–55% (Liberty) vs ~30–40% statewide
  • Postpaid: 45–55% (Liberty) vs ~60–70% statewide
• Smartphone‑only internet reliance (households with a cellular data plan but no home broadband): 20–28% (Liberty) vs ~12–16% statewide
• Typical monthly mobile data use per line: 12–20 GB (Liberty) vs ~20–30 GB statewide, reflecting more conservative use where mid‑band 5G capacity is sparse

Demographic breakdown of mobile users (Liberty household population)

• By age
  • 13–17: 7–9% of users; smartphone adoption ~90–95%
  • 18–34: 22–26% of users; near‑universal smartphone adoption; highest heavy‑data cohort
  • 35–64: 42–48% of users; high adoption with mixed prepaid/postpaid
  • 65+: 18–23% of users; smartphone adoption ~70–80%, higher feature‑phone retention than state average
• By income
  • Low‑ to moderate‑income households are over‑represented relative to Florida; they account for an estimated 55–65% of mobile users and drive the higher prepaid share and smartphone‑only home internet reliance
• By geography within the county
  • Bristol/Hosford corridors account for the majority of users and the bulk of higher‑speed connections
  • Outlying areas toward the Apalachicola National Forest and river floodplains show higher rates of smartphone‑only reliance and more frequent signal constraints

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • All three national carriers have 4G LTE countywide coverage on primary roads; off‑road forested areas and low‑lying river tracts experience coverage gaps and weaker indoor signal
  • 5G low‑band is present along State Road 20, SR‑12, and in/around Bristol and Hosford; mid‑band 5G (C‑band/2.5 GHz) is spotty, typically clustered near these corridors
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical observed speeds: 5–40 Mbps LTE/low‑band 5G in outlying zones; 50–150 Mbps where mid‑band 5G is available; this trails Florida’s metro corridors where mid‑band routinely exceeds 200 Mbps
  • Peak‑time congestion is common on a small number of macro sites, notably along SR‑20
• Backhaul
  • Mixed fiber and microwave backhaul; limited lateral fiber routes outside state highways constrain mid‑band 5G build‑outs and peak capacity compared with Florida’s urban counties
• Tower/site density
  • Sparse macro‑site density relative to the state average; coverage is distance‑driven rather than capacity‑driven, favoring low‑band spectrum and resulting in larger cell sizes and lower spectral reuse

Trends that differ from Florida overall

• Higher smartphone‑only reliance: Liberty households are 5–12 percentage points more likely than the state average to rely on cellular data as their primary home internet
• More prepaid and budget plans: Prepaid share is roughly 10–15 points higher than statewide, driven by income mix and coverage/performance variability
• Slower 5G transition: Lower mid‑band 5G availability and sparser tower density slow migration to 5G‑only plans and devices compared with Florida’s metros
• Lower per‑line data consumption: Users consume 20–40% less mobile data per line than the state average, reflecting both coverage constraints and price sensitivity
• Older‑adult adoption gap: Adults 65+ remain more likely to use feature phones or limited‑data plans than their statewide peers
• Geography‑driven variability: Performance and adoption skew heavily toward SR‑20 and Bristol/Hosford, with markedly different experiences in forested/outlying tracts; this intra‑county spread is wider than in most Florida counties

Key takeaways for planning and service

• Addressable market is small but concentrated; roughly 5,000 mobile users with clusters along SR‑20 can support targeted mid‑band 5G infill and fixed‑wireless access where fiber is absent
• Product fit favors robust prepaid, coverage‑first plans and competitively priced fixed‑wireless bundles for smartphone‑only households
• The largest usage uplift would come from adding mid‑band 5G capacity on existing corridors and improving backhaul diversity, which would narrow the usage and speed gap versus state norms

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled from the county’s non‑institutional population profile, rural smartphone adoption patterns, Florida’s household internet subscription distributions, and carrier coverage norms in low‑density areas; ranges are provided where local survey microdata are not published.

Liberty County, FL — social media usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Overall usage

• Adults (18+): ~80% use at least one social platform; Teens (13–17): ~95% use at least one (Pew Research Center, 2024; rural U.S. benchmarks applied to Liberty County).
• Mobile-first behavior dominates; home broadband is lower than the Florida average in rural counties, so short-form video and messaging see high engagement.

Most‑used platforms among adults (estimated penetration)

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 24%
• X (Twitter): 21%
• WhatsApp: 18%
• Reddit: 17%
• LinkedIn: 22%
• Nextdoor: ~10% (Percentages reflect rural U.S. usage applied locally; Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Fact Sheet)

Age breakdown (share of adults in each age group using each platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~93%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~59%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~90%, Facebook ~77%, Instagram ~53%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~28%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~75%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~21%, Snapchat ~12%
• Ages 65+: YouTube ~61%, Facebook ~62%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10%, Snapchat ~4% (Teens 13–17 closely mirror 18–29 for Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok, with slightly lower Facebook)

Gender breakdown (platform skew among adult users)

• Facebook users skew female (~54–56% women)
• Instagram users skew female (~53–55% women)
• TikTok users skew female (~58–60% women)
• Snapchat users skew female (~60% women)
• YouTube users skew male (~52–55% men)
• Reddit users skew male (~65–70% men)
• X (Twitter) users skew male (~55–60% men) (Local skews mirror national patterns; Pew 2024)

Behavioral trends in Liberty County (rural North Florida context)

• Community and information: Facebook is the default for local news, schools, churches, civic updates, emergency info, and buy/sell/trade groups. Facebook Groups and Messenger are critical for rapid local coordination.
• Video habits: YouTube is the go-to for DIY, small engine repair, hunting/fishing, agriculture, and church services. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) dominates passive scrolling and entertainment.
• Youth engagement: Teens and young adults concentrate attention on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; they respond to short, authentic, geo-relevant content and creator-led recommendations.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the primary channel for local transactions; Instagram Shops has niche traction with younger buyers.
• Access patterns: Engagement peaks early morning (commutes/school runs) and evenings; weekends show sustained activity. Mobile data usage is prevalent; concise, vertical video and lightweight creatives perform best.
• Professional networking: LinkedIn presence exists but is modest; most local business outreach still runs through Facebook Pages/Groups and direct messaging.
• Neighborhood apps: Nextdoor usage is limited due to low-density housing; Facebook Groups substitute for neighborhood forums.

Notes on methodology

• County-specific social media adoption is not directly published; figures above apply the latest Pew Research Center 2024 platform-usage rates for rural U.S. adults/teens to Liberty County’s context and are suitable for planning and channel prioritization.
• Demographic structure in Liberty County includes a sizable institutionalized population; the patterns above reflect the civilian, non-institutional population.