Taylor County

Taylor County, Florida – key demographics (most recent Census/ACS)

Population size

• 21,796 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~21,500 (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~42–43 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~22–23%

Gender

• Male: ~56%
• Female: ~44% (Note: elevated male share reflects the presence of state correctional facilities counted in group quarters.)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~64–66%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~23–25%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–0.6%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.3–0.4%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~8,200–8,600
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~64–67% of households
• Married-couple households: ~45–47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~22–24%
• One-person households: ~27–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72–74%
• Median household income: ~$48,000–$51,000
• Persons in poverty: ~18–20%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Taylor County, FL snapshot (pop ≈22,000; ~21 people per sq. mile):

• Estimated email users: ≈14,000 adults. Method: local adult population size multiplied by rural internet adoption and the near‑universal email use among internet users.
• Age mix of email users: 18–34 ≈25%; 35–64 ≈54%; 65+ ≈21%. The county’s older profile slightly lowers overall penetration versus urban Florida.
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% male, 49% female, reflecting the county’s male‑skewed population.
• Digital access: About 87% of households have a computer and ~75% have a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022), meaning roughly 1 in 4 households lack home broadband. Mobile data fills part of the gap, so effective internet—and email—access exceeds fixed‑broadband coverage.
• Trends: Email use is stable to rising, driven by smartphone adoption among older adults and service upgrades along the Perry corridor; remaining access constraints are concentrated in rural forest/coastal tracts where fixed broadband options are limited.
• Connectivity context: Low population density and dispersed settlement patterns increase last‑mile costs, producing lower subscription rates than state averages despite adequate regional backhaul.

Taylor County, FL mobile phone usage summary (with county-specific estimates and how it differs from statewide patterns)

County context that shapes mobile use

• Population and density: About 22,000 residents across 1,043 square miles (21 people/sq mi). Florida overall is ~410 people/sq mi. The sparse, heavily forested landscape and long road corridors increase coverage cost and variability.
• Demographics: Older and lower-income than the state. Roughly 23% are 65+, median household income ~$48–50k, poverty ~18–20% (ACS 2019–2023). Racial/ethnic makeup is majority White, with sizeable Black and smaller Hispanic communities.
• Settlement pattern: The city of Perry is the service hub; outlying coastal (Keaton Beach/Steinhatchee area) and timber tracts are thinly populated.

User estimates and adoption

• Smartphone users: 14,000–15,000 residents use smartphones (about 80–86% of adults), below Florida’s ~88–90% adult smartphone adoption. This reflects the county’s older age profile and incomes.
• Mobile-only internet households: 1,700–2,000 households rely on cellular data as their sole home internet (roughly 20–22% of households), notably higher than Florida’s ~12–14%. This substitution effect is driven by limited, patchy fixed broadband outside Perry.
• Device access by age (estimated):
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption; strong app-centric usage and streaming on mobile.
  • 35–64: ~85–90% adoption; heavy reliance for work comms, navigation, and social.
  • 65+: ~60–65% adoption; usage concentrated on calling, messaging, and telehealth; adoption is lower than the state average for seniors.
• Income and race/ethnicity effects: Mobile dependence (using cellular as primary internet) is higher among lower-income and minority households locally than among White, higher-income households, widening the county-to-state gap in mobile-only reliance.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate 4G LTE countywide along primary corridors (US‑19/98, US‑27, US‑221) and in Perry. No UScellular native network in Florida; DISH/Boost coverage relies largely on roaming.
• 5G footprint:
  • Low-band 5G (all three carriers) broadly follows LTE footprints, prioritizing highways and the Perry area; usable for coverage but modest speed uplift.
  • Mid-band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz, Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is concentrated in and near Perry and along major routes; coverage thins quickly in forests and coastal stretches. This mid-band footprint is materially smaller than Florida’s metro counties.
• Performance characteristics:
  • Outdoors and in vehicles, coverage is generally reliable along highways and in town. Indoors and off-corridor areas see drop-offs due to tall pines/wetlands, larger cell spacing, and intermittent backhaul.
  • Peak speeds are competitive on mid-band 5G where available; elsewhere, users experience LTE/low-band 5G speeds suitable for messaging and browsing but less consistent for high-bitrate video.
• Backhaul and resilience:
  • Fiber backhaul is anchored in Perry; many rural sites use microwave, contributing to variable capacity.
  • Post–Hurricane Idalia hardening has improved backup power and link redundancy on select sites, but single-points-of-failure remain in remote areas.
• Fixed-wireless access (FWA): 5G home internet from Verizon/T‑Mobile is available in parts of Perry and adjacent communities; availability drops quickly beyond town limits. FWA is a key stopgap for households lacking cable/fiber.

How Taylor County differs from Florida overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A meaningfully larger share of households depend on cellular data as their primary home internet (≈20–22% vs ≈12–14% statewide).
• Lower overall smartphone penetration: Countywide adult adoption trails the state by several points because of an older population and lower incomes.
• Sparser mid-band 5G: Mid-band 5G (the main driver of modern capacity/speeds) is much less pervasive than in Florida’s metros; users frequently fall back to LTE/low-band 5G outside Perry and major corridors.
• Greater coverage variability: Forested terrain, low site density, and long distances between towns produce more dead zones and indoor coverage challenges than the Florida average.
• Higher dependence on prepaid/MVNO and hotspotting: Price sensitivity and gaps in fixed broadband increase prepaid plans and phone-based hotspot use relative to the state’s urban areas.

Key takeaways

• Expect ~14–15k active smartphone users, with roughly one in five households relying on mobile as their only home internet—both clear markers of a mobile-dependent, infrastructure-constrained market.
• Investments that matter most locally are mid-band 5G infill, additional macro/small cells off the main corridors, hardened backhaul to coastal and timber areas, and expansion of FWA and fiber in the Perry outskirts.

Sources and basis: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 (population, households, income, age), Pew Research Center (national smartphone adoption by age/rurality), FCC Broadband Data Collection and mobile coverage filings (carrier footprints), Florida Office of Broadband reporting. Estimates above align these sources to Taylor County’s demographics and settlement pattern.

Taylor County, FL — Social media snapshot (2024)

How these figures were built: Modeled estimates for Taylor County using its age/gender profile (U.S. Census ACS 2023), rural-Florida adjustments, and platform penetration from Pew Research Center 2023–2024. Counts are rounded; percentages are share of residents age 13+ unless noted.

User base

• Residents age 13+: ≈19,000
• Social media users (13+): ≈13,500 (about 71–73%)
• Household access context: mobile-first usage is common; broadband gaps in rural zones shift activity to smartphones and off-peak hours

Age mix of users (share of total users)

• 13–17: 7% (≈950)
• 18–24: 10% (≈1,350)
• 25–34: 16% (≈2,150)
• 35–49: 28% (≈3,780)
• 50–64: 23% (≈3,100)
• 65+: 16% (≈2,160)

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: ≈55%
• Male: ≈45% Note: The county’s institutionalized male population (state correctional facility) inflates male headcount but is largely offline, so active social users skew more female than the general population.

Most-used platforms (monthly; share of 13+ residents)

• YouTube: ~70%
• Facebook: ~64%
• Instagram: ~31%
• TikTok: ~26%
• Snapchat: ~19%
• WhatsApp: ~18%
• X (Twitter): ~12%
• LinkedIn: ~12%
• Reddit: ~10%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the local hub: High reliance on Facebook Groups and Marketplace for community updates, school/sports/church activities, buy–sell–trade, and county/city/sheriff announcements. Engagement spikes during weather events and hurricane season.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube and Facebook video dominate for news, DIY, hunting/fishing, and storm recovery content; short-form growth (Reels/TikTok) is strongest among under-35s.
• Mobile, off-peak usage: Evening and early-morning activity is elevated, consistent with shift-work in forestry, industrial, service, and public safety sectors; many users are smartphone-only.
• Middle-aged core: The bulk of active posters and group moderators are 35–64, who also drive Marketplace and local business interactions.
• Younger cohorts diversify: Teens/young adults split time across TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; they consume more than they post on Facebook, but still use Messenger for family and local coordination.
• Trust in local sources: Official pages (county, schools, sheriff, emergency management) and community admins anchor information flow; word-of-mouth travels through Facebook far more than X or Reddit.
• Advertising performance norms: Best results typically come from Facebook/Instagram geofenced boosts with local creative; TikTok works for reach among 16–29 but requires creator-style content; LinkedIn usage is modest and niche.

Sources and methodology: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (Taylor County, 2023); Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024); rural–urban usage differentials; and modeling calibrated to Florida rural counties. Figures are modeled estimates for Taylor County, not platform-reported counts.