Coffee County

Here’s a concise demographic snapshot of Coffee County, Georgia.

Source and vintage:

• Population count: 2020 Decennial Census
• All other indicators: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates

Population

• Total: 43,092 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~36–37 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Male: ~52–53%
• Female: ~47–48%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~55%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~30–32%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~12%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households

• Total households: ~15,400–15,700
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70%
• Married-couple households: ~40–45%
• Nonfamily households: ~30%

Coffee County, GA email usage (estimates based on 2020 Census/ACS population, Pew Research email adoption, and rural broadband trends):

• Estimated users: 28,000–32,000 residents (about 65–75% of the population; roughly 85–92% of adults).
• Gender split: Approximately even (about 50% female, 50% male).
• Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users):
  • Teens 13–17: 5–7%
  • 18–29: 18–20%
  • 30–49: 35–38%
  • 50–64: 22–25%
  • 65+: 12–15% Users skew toward 30–64, with somewhat lower adoption among seniors.

Digital access and trends:

• Rural Georgia home broadband adoption is roughly 70–75%, with 15–20% of households relying mainly on smartphones; this shapes how often residents check email (mobile-first).
• Fiber and fixed-wireless buildouts are improving availability, but affordability pressures (post-ACP) may temper gains.
• Local density/connectivity: Coffee County is a low-density rural county (roughly 70–80 people per square mile). Fixed cable/fiber is densest in and around Douglas; outlying areas see more DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, leading to uneven speeds and reliability.
• Expect high email adoption where cable/fiber is available and more intermittent use in sparsely populated areas.

Below is a practical, planning‑grade snapshot of mobile phone usage in Coffee County, GA, with cautious estimates and the main ways the county differs from Georgia overall. Figures are framed as ranges to reflect county‑level data uncertainty and recent market shifts.

Executive snapshot

• Population baseline: ~43,000 residents; roughly 15–16k households.
• Mobile users: on the order of 33k–36k residents use a mobile phone; 30k–34k are smartphone users.
• Smartphone‑only households (no laptop/desktop, rely on mobile data): likely 22–28% in Coffee County, vs roughly 14–18% statewide.
• Carrier mix: all three national carriers present; T‑Mobile tends to have the strongest mid‑band 5G footprint around Douglas, with AT&T/Verizon stronger on legacy LTE and roadside coverage in outlying areas.
• Home internet via mobile/fixed wireless: adoption is noticeably higher than the Georgia average in and around Douglas and along major corridors.

How Coffee County differs from the Georgia state picture

• Higher smartphone‑only reliance: A larger share of households rely on smartphones as their primary internet connection. This gap widened as the federal ACP subsidy wound down in 2024–2025, pushing some fixed‑broadband users toward mobile or fixed‑wireless plans.
• More prepaid, cost‑sensitive usage: Prepaid lines (Cricket, Metro, Boost, etc.) are more prevalent than the state average, reflecting local income and credit profiles. That correlates with heavier data‑cap management and Wi‑Fi offloading.
• 5G experience is more uneven: Low‑band 5G covers most populated areas, but mid‑band 5G (the big speed boost) is concentrated near Douglas and along U.S. 441/82. Statewide, metro areas see far denser mid‑band coverage and higher median speeds.
• Greater Android share: Due to price sensitivity, Coffee County likely skews more Android than the state as a whole, where iOS has stronger share in metro/affluent areas.
• Higher mobile‑for‑home use: Fixed‑wireless access (FWA) from T‑Mobile (and to a lesser extent Verizon) is used as a primary home connection at above‑average rates versus statewide, especially where cable/fiber options are limited.
• More performance variability: Speeds and signal quality drop faster outside town centers and away from highways than in most Georgia metros; dead spots remain in low‑lying and heavily forested areas.

User estimates and usage patterns

• Total mobile lines in service: roughly 35k–40k, including secondary lines, hotspots, and IoT; unique users about 33k–36k.
• Daily use: Social/video (Facebook, YouTube, TikTok), messaging (SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp for Spanish‑speaking households), and navigation are dominant. Work/school hotspotting is more common than statewide during homework hours and seasonal farm work peaks.
• Plan types: Higher prevalence of prepaid and “unlimited” plans with deprioritization thresholds; hotspot add‑ons are frequently used in smartphone‑only homes.

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs by group)

• Age
  • Teens/young adults: Near‑universal smartphone ownership; heavy video/social and gaming. Hotspot use for schoolwork is above the state average where home broadband is lacking.
  • Working‑age adults: High smartphone ownership; above‑average reliance on mobile for job search, shift scheduling, and gig/logistics apps.
  • Older adults (65+): Smartphone adoption trails the Georgia average; texting/voice dominate. Telehealth use is growing but constrained by device familiarity and coverage outside Douglas.
• Income
  • Lower‑income households show notably higher smartphone‑only status and prepaid adoption than the state average; more frequent carrier switching to chase promotions.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Black and Hispanic households exhibit high smartphone adoption; among Hispanic residents, WhatsApp and Spanish‑language media usage are more prominent, with greater reliance on mobile for remittances and communication with family abroad.
• Students and commuters
  • Students in K‑12 and South Georgia State College rely on mobile hotspotting at higher rates than statewide; school and library Wi‑Fi remain important offload points.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology
  • 4G LTE is broadly available across population centers and primary roads.
  • 5G low‑band provides wide coverage; mid‑band 5G (faster) is strongest around Douglas and major corridors, tapering quickly in outlying areas.
• Carriers and fixed‑wireless home internet
  • T‑Mobile: Most extensive mid‑band 5G near Douglas; popular for FWA home internet where cable/fiber is absent.
  • Verizon: Solid LTE footprint; mid‑band 5G present but spottier; limited FWA availability outside denser parts of the county.
  • AT&T: Reliable LTE and FirstNet support for public safety; mid‑band 5G more limited than in Georgia metros.
• Backhaul and tower density
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than metro Georgia; new small‑cell builds are minimal. Backhaul is a mix of fiber and microwave; fiber constraints limit ultra‑high‑capacity 5G nodes outside town.
• Public Wi‑Fi and offload
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings act as key offload points; parking‑lot Wi‑Fi remains a meaningful access path during after‑hours homework periods.
• Resilience and public safety
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence supports emergency services. Power/backup variability at rural sites means weather events can create localized mobile outages more readily than in urban counties.

Recent trends to watch

• 5G upgrades: Gradual fill‑in of mid‑band 5G around Douglas and along main highways; less activity on secondary roads.
• Shift to mobile/FWA for home: Continued interest in fixed‑wireless home internet where cable/fiber is missing or costly; performance depends on proximity to mid‑band sites.
• Post‑ACP affordability: With the federal subsidy paused, some households are consolidating to a single mobile plan and hotspotting for home use; device financing and prepaid promotions matter more.
• Enterprise/ag adoption: Growing use of mobile in logistics, precision ag, and fleet tracking; coverage gaps still limit field use in pockets.

Notes on data confidence

• The county‑level figures above are informed by federal datasets (e.g., ACS “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions”), FCC coverage maps, carrier build‑out patterns, and rural Georgia comparables through 2024; they are presented as ranges. For grant applications or engineering, validate with:
  • ACS table S2801 (smartphone and smartphone‑only households) for Coffee County,
  • FCC National Broadband Map (mobile and FWA coverage layers),
  • Local carrier crowd‑sourced speed tests in Douglas vs outlying tracts,
  • School district and library Wi‑Fi usage reports.

Below is a concise, county-tailored estimate. County-level platform stats aren’t directly published; figures use 2023–2024 Pew Research Center U.S./rural trends scaled to Coffee County’s demographics (ACS).

Overall user stats

• Smartphone access (adults): ~85–90%
• Home broadband: ~65–70% (mobile-only internet: ~15–20%)
• Social media penetration: Adults ~78–85%; Teens (13–17) ~90–95%
• Daily use: Majority of users check platforms daily; under-35s are heavy multi-platform users

Most-used platforms (adult reach, monthly, approximate)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 30–40% (higher under 35)
• Snapchat: 20–30% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female)
• X/Twitter: 15–20% (skews male; news/sports)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% overall; higher among Spanish-speaking households
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (lower in rural markets)
• Nextdoor: <10%

Age-group patterns (who uses what most)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube 90%+, TikTok 60–70%, Snapchat 60–70%, Instagram 60–70%; Facebook low
• 18–29: YouTube 90%+, Instagram 70%+, TikTok ~60%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~50–60%
• 30–49: Facebook 70%+, YouTube 80%+, Instagram 40–50%, TikTok 35–45%, Snapchat ~25%
• 50–64: Facebook 65–70%, YouTube 70–80%; Instagram/TikTok ~20–30%
• 65+: Facebook 45–55%, YouTube 50–60%; others typically <20%

Gender breakdown (tendencies)

• Women: Higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong engagement with local groups, schools/churches, Marketplace
• Men: Higher on YouTube, X, Reddit; more sports, outdoors, automotive, and local politics content

Behavioral trends observed in Coffee County–type markets

• Facebook Groups are the hub: buy/sell/trade, yard sales, neighborhood watch, school and youth sports
• Short-form video is rising: Reels/TikTok drive discovery for restaurants, salons, real estate, events
• Messaging is essential: Facebook Messenger and SMS group chats dominate; WhatsApp growing among bilingual and shift/farm work networks
• Peak activity times: early morning (6–8am), lunch, and evenings (7–10pm); weekend spikes around local events and high school sports
• Local news gap-filling: strong follows for county/city agencies, weather, road closures, school notices
• Shopping behavior: Facebook Marketplace is default for secondhand; Instagram/TikTok influence dining and service choices; deals, giveaways, and event posts overperform
• Ad execution tips: tight geo-radius (5–15 miles), community-centric creative, bilingual posts where relevant, prioritize video and event boosts

Sources: Pew Research Center (2023–2024) social media use in the U.S., rural vs. urban differentials; U.S. Census/ACS demographics for Coffee County, GA. Figures are estimates, not official county-level counts.