Clarke County

Clarke County, Georgia (latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; figures rounded)

• Population: ~129,000
• Age:
  • Median age: ~28
  • Under 18: ~17%
  • 18–24: ~30%
  • 25–44: ~28–29%
  • 45–64: ~15%
  • 65+: ~10%
• Sex:
  • Female: ~51–52%
  • Male: ~48–49%
• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~55%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~27%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~12%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~5%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2%
  • All other (NH American Indian/Alaska Native, NHPI, etc.): <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~47,000
  • Average household size: ~2.4
  • Family households: ~44% of households
  • Nonfamily households: ~56%
  • Households with children under 18: ~20–22%
  • Average family size: ~3.0

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101). Figures rounded; margins of error omitted for brevity.

• Scope: Clarke County (Athens-Clarke), GA; pop ~129k; density ~1,050 per sq mi (urban, student-heavy).
• Estimated email users: 95k–110k residents. Method: apply U.S. adult email adoption (~85–95% per Pew) to local adult population, plus some teen users.
• Age profile (share using email, est.):
  • 18–29: ~95–99% (UGA students and early-career workers).
  • 30–49: ~95–98%.
  • 50–64: ~90–95%.
  • 65+: ~75–85% (growing, but lower than younger groups).
• Gender split: ~50/50; no meaningful gap in adoption or frequency.
• Digital access trends (ACS- and FCC-aligned estimates):
  • 85–90% of households subscribe to broadband.
  • 90%+ have a computer and/or smartphone.
  • 15–25% are smartphone-only internet users (higher in lower-income areas).
  • Near‑universal basic broadband availability; subscription gaps reflect affordability more than coverage.
• Connectivity/local context:
  • UGA enrollment ~40k drives heavy daily email reliance (campus services, employers).
  • Gigabit cable and some fiber available in much of Athens; expanding speeds and fiber footprint.
  • Robust free Wi‑Fi on UGA campus and at public libraries supports access for students and residents.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Clarke County, GA (Athens)

Big picture

• Clarke County’s student-heavy profile (University of Georgia) makes it more mobile-centric than Georgia overall: more smartphone-only users, higher iPhone share, heavier data consumption, and sharper event-driven traffic spikes.

User estimates

• Population context: ~130,000 residents; a very large 18–24 cohort compared with the state.
• Smartphone users: roughly 105,000–115,000 people use a smartphone in the county when counting teens and adults. Method: apply near‑universal adoption among 18–24 year-olds, high adoption among most other adults, and high teen adoption to local age mix.
• Mobile subscriptions (lines/SIMs): ~130,000–160,000 active lines, reflecting wearables, tablets, hotspots, and second lines common in a university market.
• Wireless‑only households: an estimated 75–80% of adults live in wireless‑only households (no landline), a few points higher than statewide averages due to student housing and younger age structure.
• Primary internet via cellular: estimated 8–12% of households primarily use mobile hotspot/5G fixed wireless at home, higher than Georgia overall, especially after the sunset of the Affordable Connectivity Program.
• Prepaid/MVNO share: about 30–35% of mobile subscribers, higher than state average, driven by students and price-sensitive segments.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age: 18–24 adoption is essentially universal; this cohort drives higher iPhone share, heavy video/social usage, and reliance on messaging apps. Older residents mirror state patterns but are a smaller slice of the county.
• Income/student status: more prepaid, month‑to‑month, and MVNO plans than the state; greater device financing sensitivity; higher churn around academic calendar transitions.
• Platform mix: iOS share likely 65–75% (well above state average) given college‑student preferences, which influences app ecosystem, iMessage reliance, and ecosystem accessories (watches/earbuds).
• Wireless-only living: more “smartphone‑only” or “mobile‑first” households than Georgia overall; laptop/desktop ownership is lower among some student and lower‑income groups, increasing reliance on phones for banking, coursework, telehealth, and job applications.
• Seasonality: noticeable summer dip in active devices and data use; large spikes on football/game days and during campus events.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G coverage: All three national carriers provide countywide 5G, with mid‑band 5G concentrated in and around Athens and along major corridors (Loop 10/US‑routes). Mid‑band brings materially better capacity than many Georgia rural counties.
• Small cells and capacity: denser cell sites and small‑cell deployments in downtown and on/near campus; temporary cells (COWs/COLTs) are commonly added for major events. This event-responsive buildout is more pronounced than in typical Georgia counties.
• Speeds and reliability: mid‑band 5G in the urban core frequently delivers high hundreds of Mbps off‑peak; edges of the county can drop to LTE or low‑band 5G with lower indoor penetration. Overall, median mobile speeds in central Athens tend to outpace Georgia’s statewide median, but variance by venue/time is high.
• Backhaul and fiber: robust fiber presence to campus and downtown supports carrier backhaul; this underpins better urban capacity than is typical outside Georgia’s largest metros.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Cable and growing fiber availability in Athens reduce “coverage‑driven” mobile dependence in the core, but student renters and some lower‑income households still lean on mobile/5G Home Internet more than state averages.
• Public Wi‑Fi: very dense university Wi‑Fi lessens cellular loads on campus weekdays, shifting peak cellular demand to evenings, weekends, and event windows.

How Clarke County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher smartphone‑only and mobile‑first behavior due to the large student population.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO and month‑to‑month adoption; higher iPhone share.
• Heavier per‑line data consumption in the urban core; sharper event‑driven traffic spikes.
• Better mid‑band 5G capacity in the city center than many Georgia counties, but faster drop‑off toward the rural edges (still better than truly rural counties).
• More pronounced seasonal swings in active lines and network load tied to the academic calendar.

Notes on methodology and uncertainty

• Figures are estimates synthesized from recent American Community Survey device/subscription patterns, national/state mobile adoption research, and known market characteristics of college towns applied to Clarke County’s age/income mix. Local operator KPIs and exact counts vary by carrier and month, especially around major events and semester changes.

Social media in Clarke County, GA (Athens) — short snapshot (estimates)

Context that drives usage

• College town: Large University of Georgia population skews the county very young (median age ~late 20s). This lifts Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit; keeps Facebook strong among non-student adults.
• Expect very high social adoption among 18–29; more neighborhood/parent-focused use among 35+.

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly; estimates)

• YouTube: 85–90%
• Instagram: 65–75%
• TikTok: 60–70%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Snapchat: 45–55%
• Pinterest: 30–40%
• Reddit: 25–35%
• X (Twitter): 25–30%
• WhatsApp: 20–30% (higher in international/Hispanic communities)
• LinkedIn: 20–30%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (much higher among homeowners 35+)

Age patterns (local tilt)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 95%+, TikTok 85–90%, Snapchat 80–85%, Instagram 75–85%, Facebook <25%.
• 18–24: YouTube ~95%, Instagram 85–90%, TikTok 80–85%, Snapchat 70–80%, Reddit 35–45%, X 30–35%, Facebook 45–55%.
• 25–34: YouTube ~90%, Facebook 65–70%, Instagram ~70%, TikTok 55–60%, LinkedIn 35–40%, Reddit ~30–35%, Pinterest ~40%.
• 35–49: Facebook ~75%, YouTube ~85%, Instagram ~50%, TikTok 35–40%, Pinterest ~35%, Nextdoor 15–20%.
• 50+: Facebook ~80%, YouTube ~70%, Instagram ~35%, TikTok ~20%, Nextdoor 20–25%.

Gender skews (directional)

• More female: Pinterest (strongly), TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook (slight).
• More male: Reddit (strongly), X/Twitter (moderate), YouTube (moderate), LinkedIn (slight).
• WhatsApp and Nextdoor are closer to balanced but vary by neighborhood and language community.

Behavioral trends to know

• Event discovery and FOMO: IG Reels/TikTok drive awareness for bars, music venues, AthFest, and UGA athletics; spikes Thu–Sat evenings and on game days.
• Student life cycles: Big surges in August/January (move-in/start of term) and May (move-out) for Facebook Marketplace, IG Stories, and TikTok “what’s happening this week” content.
• Community groups: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for neighborhood info, lost/found pets, yard sales, local politics, and service recommendations.
• Short‑form video first: Authentic, vertical video outperforms polished promos; meme- and trend-led content spreads fastest.
• Sports culture: UGA football/basketball content dominates sentiment and engagement during seasons (#GoDawgs, #AthensGA).
• Messaging backbones: Instagram DMs, Messenger, WhatsApp, and GroupMe coordinate clubs/Greek life and events.
• Local discovery: “Best cheap eats/coffee/music” lists recur each semester; creators showcase downtown spots and campus hacks.

Notes on the numbers

• County‑specific platform data aren’t directly published. Figures above are estimates derived from national surveys (e.g., Pew Research 2024) adjusted for Clarke County’s younger age mix and college‑town profile. Treat as directional rather than exact counts.