Brooks County

Here are key demographics for Brooks County, Georgia (latest available U.S. Census/ACS; figures rounded):

Population

• Total: 16,301 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~16,000

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~56%
• Black or African American alone: ~39%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–6%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~6,500
• Persons per household: ~2.45
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates/QuickFacts. Figures are estimates and may not sum exactly due to rounding and differing race/ethnicity definitions.

Brooks County, GA snapshot (estimates)

• Email users: ~11.5–12.5k adult users. Basis: ~16.5k residents, ~13k adults; 90–95% of online adults use email (Pew).
• Age distribution of email users (share of adult email users):
  • 18–29: ~17% of adults; 90–97% use email → ~15–18% of users.
  • 30–49: ~25% of adults; 93–98% use email → ~24–27%.
  • 50–64: ~28% of adults; 85–93% use email → ~26–28%.
  • 65+: ~30% of adults; 70–85% use email → ~22–28%.
• Gender split: Roughly even; women slightly higher email use. Approx users: 51–53% female, 47–49% male.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly 70–80%; device access (computer or smartphone) ~85–90%.
  • 10–15% of households are smartphone‑only, which can limit email attachment-heavy use.
  • Gradual improvement from state/federal broadband investments, but provider choice and speeds remain uneven outside towns.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Rural county: ~32–35 people per square mile; ~6–6.5k households.
  • Better fixed broadband in and near Quitman/Morven; sparser areas see more gaps and reliance on mobile data.

Notes: Figures are synthesized from census/FCC rural-Georgia patterns and national email-usage research; use as directional estimates.

Brooks County, GA mobile usage snapshot (what’s different from the state)

Executive takeaways

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households use a mobile phone as their primary/only internet connection than the Georgia average, driven by patchy fixed broadband outside Quitman.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration than the state, but heavier use per mobile-only household: Overall smartphone ownership trails Georgia by a few points, yet the households relying on mobile carry more lines and consume more data per line.
• Prepaid and Android skew: A higher share of prepaid/MVNO lines and Android devices than statewide averages, reflecting income and credit profiles common in rural South Georgia.
• Coverage quality gap: Stronger 4G/LTE than 5G mid-band; 5G “Ultra/C-band/n41” capacity is spotty compared with metro Georgia, leading to lower median speeds and more variability.
• Age mix matters: An older population share than the state pulls down smartphone adoption among 65+, but working-age residents are near state norms; younger families cluster closer to Quitman where coverage and fixed options are better.

User estimates (modeled)

• Population base: ~16–17K residents; ~12.5–13.5K adults.
• Smartphone users: ~10.5–11.5K adult smartphone users (roughly 82–86% adult penetration in a rural county vs Georgia ~88–90%).
• Total active mobile lines (phones + hotspots/tablets): ~14–16K, reflecting multi-line households and some device overlap.
• Mobile-only internet households: 20–28% of households rely primarily on mobile data (Georgia ~12–16%). This is highest outside Quitman and along farm/forestry areas where cable/fiber is limited.
• Prepaid share: Estimated 35–45% of lines prepaid/MVNO (Georgia ~25–30%).
• Platform mix: Android 60–70%; iOS 30–40% (Georgia skews closer to parity or iOS-leading in metro areas).

Demographic patterns influencing usage

• Age: Higher 50+ and 65+ shares than the state reduce overall smartphone penetration; among 18–49, adoption is near state levels.
• Income: Lower median household income increases prepaid uptake, shared/family plans, and price sensitivity; mobile-only usage is common where home internet is unaffordable or unavailable.
• Race/ethnicity: A higher Black population share than the state and a smaller but meaningful Hispanic/Latino population shape device preferences (more Android), plan choices (prepaid), and language support needs for outreach.
• Geography: Quitman and communities near US-84/GA-122 corridors see better 5G/4G capacity and more fixed options; outlying areas show slower speeds and more network variability, pushing reliance on mobile hot spots.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s on the ground)

• Macro coverage: AT&T and Verizon generally provide the most consistent LTE voice/data across the county; T-Mobile low-band 5G covers highways and towns but can be inconsistent in pine/timber tracts and low-lying areas. True mid-band 5G capacity (C-band for AT&T/Verizon, n41 for T-Mobile) is limited relative to metro Georgia.
• Expected speeds: LTE is the workhorse; 5G low-band often performs like good LTE. Median speeds likely trail state medians, with bigger drop-offs indoors and at edges between towns.
• Fixed broadband backdrop: Cable or fiber is limited mainly to parts of Quitman and select pockets; DSL or legacy copper persists in rural stretches. Where fixed is weak, mobile and fixed wireless (e.g., T-Mobile Home Internet, some WISPs) fill gaps. Fiber-to-the-home exists but is not ubiquitous outside the seat.
• Tower density: Fewer macro sites per square mile than metro counties; most carriers co-locate on shared towers. Small-cell deployments are minimal outside the town center.
• Public anchors: Schools, county offices, and the library typically have fiber backhaul via statewide networks and serve as de facto community Wi‑Fi hubs.
• Cross-border dynamics: Proximity to Lowndes County/Valdosta and the Florida line improves highway coverage but does not fully resolve rural interior dead zones.

How Brooks County differs from Georgia overall

• Access mix: More residents depend on phones for primary internet access; home wired broadband adoption is lower.
• Network capacity: Lower share of mid-band 5G sites results in lower median mobile speeds and more congestion during peaks than state averages.
• Plan economics: Higher prepaid/MVNO and Android share; device turnover cycles are longer; financing sensitivity is greater.
• Digital divide: The age and income profile expands gaps in smartphone adoption among seniors and in-device quality in low-income households.
• Adoption ceiling: Even with slightly lower overall smartphone penetration, line-per-household counts are elevated among mobile-only families, offsetting some of the gap.

Planning implications

• Prioritize mobile-friendly services (low-bandwidth sites, SMS-first notifications, WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger reach).
• Consider subsidized or community hotspot programs targeted to rural tracts; coordinate with library/school anchors.
• Partner with carriers for coverage/capacity checks along US‑84/GA‑122 and rural clusters; advocate for additional mid-band 5G sectors rather than just footprint expansion.
• Outreach should account for prepaid users (no-app portals, zero-rated content when possible) and Android-first testing.
• Senior digital literacy and affordable device programs can lift adoption among 65+.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled from rural adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research on smartphone ownership), county population and household counts, and typical rural Georgia infrastructure patterns. They should be validated with local carrier RF maps, FCC Broadband Map fabric/availability, school district tech leads, and on-the-ground speed tests.

Below is a concise, planning-oriented snapshot for Brooks County, GA. Figures are modeled estimates using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 social media benchmarks, rural-Georgia patterns, and Brooks County population (~16K; adult pop ~12K). Treat as directional, not official counts.

Headline user stats

• Estimated social media users: ~9,000–10,000 residents (adults + teens)
• Adult adoption: ~70–75% of adults (≈8,500–9,200 adults)
• Daily use: ~60–70% of users check at least one platform daily
• Devices: >85% mobile-only; limited broadband nudges behavior toward shorter video and images
• Average platforms per user: ~3–4

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use each; teens skew Snapchat/TikTok higher)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70% (largest local community hub)
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 20–30% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female)
• WhatsApp: 15–25% (higher in Hispanic/immigrant communities)
• X/Twitter: 10–18%
• LinkedIn: 8–15% (lower in rural/blue-collar areas)
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 3–8% (limited footprint in low-density areas)

Age mix (share of local social users; ranges)

• 13–17: 7–9% (Snapchat, TikTok; heavy DM use)
• 18–29: 20–24% (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; Snapchat)
• 30–49: 36–40% (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; Marketplace)
• 50–64: 19–22% (Facebook, YouTube; growing TikTok curiosity)
• 65+: 10–14% (Facebook, YouTube; lighter multi-platform use)

Gender breakdown (overall and skews)

• Overall users: ~53–56% female, ~44–47% male
• Platform skews: Facebook (more female), Instagram (slightly female), TikTok (more female), Snapchat (more female), Pinterest (heavily female); YouTube (slightly male), X/Twitter and Reddit (more male)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups and Pages act as the local information grid (schools, churches, high school sports, local government, weather/emergency updates).
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups are core; small businesses lean on Facebook + Instagram posts, Stories/Reels, and Messenger for ordering.
• Video, but brief: Short-form (Reels/TikTok) grows; many prefer captions/subtitles due to mobile viewing and data constraints; full livestreams used selectively (sports/church).
• Messaging over public posts: High reliance on Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat for coordination; WhatsApp pockets for family and cross-border ties.
• Timing: Peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; morning checks before work/school; weather or local events create sharp engagement spikes.
• Content that works: Local faces/places, event reminders, score updates, church/community service, practical “how-to,” deals, and behind-the-scenes. Direct asks (RSVP, call, message) outperform links out.
• Ads: Hyperlocal radius targeting (10–25 miles) on Facebook/Instagram is cost-effective; interests like hunting/outdoors, farming, gospel/church, and high school sports perform well; lookalike scale is limited.
• Platform trajectory: Facebook stable but aging; YouTube universal; Instagram/Reels and TikTok growing among under-45; Snapchat steady with teens/20s; X/Twitter niche; LinkedIn modest.

Notes and method

• Estimates derived from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption by age, rural vs. urban deltas, and county demographics. Use for planning; for precision, field a local survey or analyze ad-platform reach in a 15–25 mile geo around Quitman.