Chattooga County

Here are key, high-level demographics for Chattooga County, Georgia (most figures from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates; population from 2023 estimates). Values rounded for clarity.

• Population: ~24,500 (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~41 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 18–64: ~60%
  • 65 and older: ~19%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~51%
  • Male: ~49%
• Race and ethnicity:
  • Non-Hispanic White: ~78%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~14%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.4%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.3%
• Households and housing:
  • Households: ~9,600–9,700
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~64%
  • Owner-occupied: ~71%; Renter-occupied: ~29%
  • Median household income: ~$45k
  • Persons in poverty: ~19%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

Chattooga County, GA email usage (estimates)

• Population/context: ~25,000 residents; ~80 people per square mile (rural). Connectivity is strongest in towns; outlying areas face patchier fixed broadband.
• Digital access: A solid majority of households have home internet, but rural gaps remain; a notable share rely on smartphones as primary access. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) is important for those without home broadband. Trend: gradual improvement in speeds/availability, especially in town centers; persistent cost/coverage barriers in remote tracts.
• Estimated email users: 15,000–18,000 residents actively use email (driven by high email adoption among internet users, tempered by local broadband gaps).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate):
  • 13–17: 8–10% of users (most teens have access via school/phones).
  • 18–34: 25–28% (very high adoption).
  • 35–64: 45–50% (near-universal among working-age adults).
  • 65+: 15–18% (strong but lower than younger cohorts).
• Gender split: Roughly even; slight female majority in the county translates to a small female skew among email users.
• Notes on usage patterns: Email is ubiquitous for work, government services, education, and healthcare portals; seniors’ usage is rising, but households without home internet and low-income residents remain less likely to use email regularly.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Chattooga County, Georgia (modeled 2024 estimates, with emphasis on differences vs. statewide)

Big picture differences vs. Georgia overall

• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption and higher reliance on mobile-only internet at home than the state average.
• Coverage is more uneven: strong along US‑27/Summerville–Trion–Lyerly corridors, but weaker in ridge/valley areas and on back roads; mid‑band 5G is sparser, with more dependence on LTE.
• Prepaid plans and Android devices over-index relative to the state, reflecting income and age mix.
• Higher share of wireless-only (no landline) households and longer device replacement cycles.

User and household estimates

• Population baseline: ~24,500–25,000 residents; ~18,500–19,500 adults; ~9,500–10,000 households.
• Adult smartphone users: ~15,400–17,000 (about 80–88% of adults; Georgia overall is closer to the upper 80s/low 90s).
• Adults with a basic/feature phone (no smartphone): ~1,200–2,000 (about 6–10%).
• Adults with no mobile phone: ~1,000–1,500 (about 5–8%), skewing older and lower income.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): ~6,900–8,000 of ~9,500–10,000 households (about 73–80%), on par with or slightly above Georgia.
• Mobile-only internet households (rely on cellular data with no fixed home broadband): ~1,700–2,200 households (about 18–22%), several points higher than the state average.
• Plan mix: prepaid likely 25–35% of lines (above the state’s urban-heavy mix); family/multi-line discounts and MVNOs are common cost strategies.

Demographic patterns (how usage differs from GA)

• Age:
  • Under 35: near-universal smartphone ownership (~95%+).
  • 35–64: high ownership (~88–92%).
  • 65+: materially lower smartphone ownership (~60–75%), with a noticeable segment using basic phones; this age skew drags overall adoption below the state average.
• Income and education:
  • Lower median income and lower bachelor’s attainment than the state correspond to higher smartphone-only internet dependence, more prepaid, and slower device upgrade cycles.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Ownership rates across groups are broadly similar, but mobile-only internet dependence is relatively higher among lower-income households, which includes a notable share of Hispanic households in the county.
• Work patterns:
  • Shift-based manufacturing, agriculture, and trades contribute to heavy daytime voice/SMS use and spotty app usage where signals dip.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all cover the county, with best performance along US‑27 and in/around Summerville, Trion, Lyerly, and Menlo.
• 5G:
  • Low-band 5G is present on main corridors; mid-band (capacity 5G) is noticeably patchier than in metro Georgia. Many users still rely on LTE for consistent performance.
• Terrain-driven gaps:
  • Foothill ridges and valleys create dead zones and indoor coverage challenges away from towns; signal boosters are more common than in urban GA.
• Fixed broadband context:
  • Cable/fiber availability is concentrated in town centers; DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite persist in rural tracts. This uneven fixed broadband footprint drives the higher mobile-only internet share than the state.
• Public and anchor connectivity:
  • Libraries, schools, and county buildings serve as Wi‑Fi anchors; E‑Rate–backed networks are important for students in weaker-signal areas.
• Public safety:
  • AT&T FirstNet presence along primary routes is stronger than on minor roads; emergency text/voice generally reliable in towns, less so in hollows.

Implications

• SMS and lightweight mobile web remain essential; app strategies should tolerate variable bandwidth and offline use.
• Outreach and services that assume fixed home broadband will miss a larger share of users here than in Georgia overall.
• Network investments that extend mid-band 5G and improve valley coverage would disproportionately improve user experience relative to statewide needs.

Notes on method and sources

• Figures are modeled from 2020 Census/ACS (population, households), Pew Research (smartphone ownership by age), CDC NHIS (wireless-only households), NTIA Internet Use Survey (mobile-only home internet), and FCC/Georgia Broadband program coverage patterns as of 2023–2024. County-specific figures are expressed as ranges to reflect rural variability. For precise planning, validate with the Georgia Broadband Map and the FCC Broadband Data Collection maps and run a local survey or speed-test panel.

Here’s a concise, county-level snapshot using Census demographics for Chattooga County and Pew Research platform-usage patterns for rural U.S. adults. Figures are estimates, meant for planning.

Headline numbers

• Population: ~25,000 residents; adults (18+): ~19,500.
• Estimated social media users (13+): 15,000–16,000.
  • Adults (18+) on social: ~13,700–14,600 (about 70–75% of adults).
  • Teens (13–17) on social: ~1,400–1,600 (most teens use at least one platform).

Age mix of users (share of total social users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–49: ~34%
• 50–64: ~24%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender breakdown of users

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47% (Note: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit.)

Most-used platforms in Chattooga (share of adult social users; estimates)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~74%
• Instagram: ~37%
• TikTok: ~31%
• Pinterest: ~29% (skews female, 25–54)
• Snapchat: ~24% (skews 13–29)
• X/Twitter: ~14% (news/sports followers)
• WhatsApp: ~13% (messaging; small community/family networks)
• Reddit: ~10% (skews male, 18–34)
• Nextdoor: ~4% (limited neighborhood coverage in rural areas)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Heavy use of local Groups (schools, church, sports, yard sales, lost & found), Marketplace, and event updates. Facebook Messenger is the default DM channel for many.
• Video habits: YouTube is universal for DIY, auto repair, homesteading/gardening, hunting/fishing, gospel/country music, and high school sports highlights. Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) is rising among under-35s.
• Younger audiences:
  • Instagram: Stories/DMs; local boutiques, salons, and eateries see traction via Reels.
  • TikTok: Primarily consumption; posting by teens/early 20s. Content with a local angle (places to eat, events, outdoor spots) travels well.
  • Snapchat: Daily messaging among high schoolers/early 20s.
• Commerce: Strong response to practical offers, giveaways, and “shop local” messaging; Marketplace drives buy-sell-trade. Posts with clear price, pickup details, and photos perform best.
• News and alerts: Local updates travel fastest via Facebook Groups; a small segment uses X/Twitter for breaking weather, sports, and state news.
• Timing: Peaks weeknights 7–9 pm; weekend mornings. Lunchtime scroll (11:30 am–1 pm) is a secondary window.
• Creative tips: Keep videos short (10–30s), captioned, and shot vertically. Photo posts with people/local landmarks outperform stock images. Clear calls to action and directions (“DM to reserve,” “Comment SOLD”) help conversion.

Notes on method and confidence

• Based on U.S. Census/ACS age-gender structure for rural Georgia counties and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 social media adoption by platform, adjusted for rural/older skew. County-level platform data aren’t directly published; treat percentages as planning estimates (confidence: medium).