Dooly County

Here are recent, high-level demographics for Dooly County, Georgia (U.S. Census Bureau – 2020 Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year; 2023 Population Estimates). Figures are rounded; ACS values have margins of error.

• Population size

  • 2023 estimate: ~10.8k
  • 2020 Census: 11,208

• Age

  • Median age: ~40 years
  • Under 18: ~18%
  • 18 to 64: ~63%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Gender

  • Male: ~57%
  • Female: ~43%
  • Note: The presence of Dooly State Prison skews the sex ratio toward male.

• Racial/ethnic composition

  • Black or African American (alone): ~54–55%
  • White (alone, not Hispanic): ~35–37%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~7–9%
  • Other or two+ races: ~2–4%

• Households

  • Total households: ~3.7k–3.9k
  • Average persons per household: ~2.5–2.6
  • Family households: ~65%
  • Married-couple families: ~35%
  • Households with children under 18: ~25–27%
  • Single-person households: ~27–30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101); Population Estimates Program (2023).

Dooly County, GA snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: About 11,200 residents (2020 Census) across ~397 sq mi; ~28 people per sq mi (rural).
• Estimated email users: ~7,800–8,300 residents. Basis: ~8,700 adults and ~90% adult email adoption (Pew-level norms), plus limited teen usage.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate share of users):
  • 13–17: 4–6%
  • 18–29: 16–18%
  • 30–49: 35–38%
  • 50–64: 22–25%
  • 65+: 15–18% (adoption lower than younger adults but still majority)
• Gender split: Roughly even among users; men and women exhibit similar email adoption rates. Local population is close to 50/50 overall.
• Digital access trends:
  • Rural, low-density county with connectivity strongest along the I‑75 corridor and in/around Vienna and Unadilla; outlying areas see patchier fixed broadband.
  • Household broadband subscription rates are likely below Georgia’s average; mobile-only internet access is comparatively common.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, government facilities) help bridge gaps.
• Local connectivity notes: Sparse last-mile infrastructure outside towns can limit speed and reliability; residents often rely on smartphones for primary internet, which supports email but may reduce multi-account or desktop-style usage.

Figures are derived from Census population and typical U.S. email adoption patterns applied to a rural Georgia county.

Below is a decision-useful, modeled snapshot of mobile phone usage in Dooly County, Georgia, with emphasis on how local patterns diverge from statewide trends. Figures are estimates synthesized from recent ACS demographics, FCC broadband/coverage filings, and national mobile-adoption research (e.g., Pew), adjusted for Dooly’s rural profile, income/age mix, and the I‑75 corridor effect. Treat ranges as planning estimates, not precise counts.

Quick user estimates (2024–2025)

• Total unique mobile users (age 13+, non-institutional): roughly 7,000–8,500
• Smartphone users within that: about 6,200–7,800
• Mobile-only internet households (rely on cellular, no home broadband): approximately 30–40% of households, notably higher than Georgia overall (commonly ~20–25%)

What’s different from Georgia statewide

• Higher mobile-only dependence: More households in Dooly rely on phones as their primary internet connection due to patchy wired broadband and affordability constraints; this rate is materially above the state average.
• More prepaid, budget plans: Prepaid lines and value MVNOs are more prevalent than in metro Georgia; plan churn is higher (seasonal work, income volatility).
• Older device mix: A larger share of LTE-only and budget Android devices; iPhone share and mid-band 5G device penetration lag the state.
• Coverage concentration: Performance is strong along I‑75 and in town centers (Vienna/Unadilla) but drops off faster in farm and pine tracts to the east/west; Georgia’s metro counties see much denser infill and small cells.
• Slower 5G buildout off-corridor: Low-band 5G is common near I‑75, but mid-band 5G (capacity layer) is sparser than state average outside towns, leading to more LTE fallback and variable speeds.
• Affordability shock post-ACP: With the federal Affordable Connectivity Program paused, Dooly shows a bigger shift toward prepaid and data-capped plans than the state, reflecting higher low‑income share.

Demographic breakdown (modeled patterns)

• Age
  • Teens (13–17): Very high smartphone adoption (~90–95%) and heavy mobile-first behavior; schoolwork and social apps drive usage. Still, home broadband gaps push more hotspotting than state peers.
  • Adults (18–64): High smartphone adoption (~85%+), but a larger-than-state fraction are mobile-only for work, job search, and streaming.
  • Seniors (65+): Smartphone adoption lags the state (roughly 55–65% vs higher in metro GA). Voice/text-centric usage is more common; device upgrade cycles are longer.
• Income
  • Under $25k household income: Mobile-only internet reliance is significantly above state norms; prepaid share may exceed 60%, with hotspot use to serve whole-house connectivity.
  • Middle-income households: Mixed—wireline where available in town, but many use fixed wireless (cellular) as a substitute.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic households (both sizable locally) show higher smartphone reliance relative to home broadband compared with statewide averages, reflecting both network and affordability constraints. This contributes to above-average mobile-only rates for these groups locally.

Digital infrastructure and market notes

• Macro coverage
  • Interstate corridor effect: Strong multi-carrier LTE/5G coverage and capacity along I‑75, supporting commuters, logistics, and through-traffic.
  • Off-corridor rural gaps: Coverage and speeds degrade more quickly west/east of the interstate; fewer infill sites/small cells than Georgia’s metro or suburban counties.
• 5G specifics
  • Low-band 5G: Generally present near towns and the interstate; wide-area coverage with modest speeds.
  • Mid-band 5G (capacity): Patchier outside Vienna/Unadilla; users more often fall back to LTE in fields/timberlands, unlike many state metro areas where mid-band is common.
  • mmWave: Not a meaningful factor outside a few dense venues in Georgia; effectively absent here.
• Fixed connectivity interplay
  • Wireline: Cable/FTTH options are largely confined to town centers; legacy DSL exists in outlying areas and underperforms. This contributes directly to higher mobile-only rates than the state average.
  • Fixed wireless (cellular home internet): Available near the corridor and some town-adjacent zones; coverage is uneven across farmlands and heavily wooded areas.
• Public/anchor institutions
  • Schools and libraries in/near Vienna and Unadilla typically have fiber backhaul (E‑Rate and regional middle-mile). These serve as important Wi‑Fi anchors, especially for students in mobile-only homes.
• Events/seasonality
  • Local festivals and travel surges on I‑75 can create short-term capacity spikes in Vienna/Unadilla; rural sectors remain capacity-limited relative to state metro baselines.

Usage and device/plan mix (how it differs from GA)

• Plan types: Higher prevalence of prepaid and MVNO lines; family plans skew smaller; multi-line postpaid adoption lags the state.
• Data use: Video and hotspot usage are common but often throttled or managed due to plan caps; this is more pronounced than in metro Georgia.
• Device lifecycle: Slower upgrade cadence; a visible tail of LTE-only and budget Android models compared with the state, where 5G mid-band capable phones dominate.
• Applications: Facebook, WhatsApp/Messenger, YouTube, and short-form video are primary; mobile payments/PoS usage among small businesses is growing but depends on corridor-grade signal.

Method notes (for transparency)

• Population base: Dooly is a small, rural county (~11k residents). Estimates focus on the non-institutional population (the county has a notable institutionalized share), which better reflects actual mobile users.
• Adoption rates: Applied national/rural benchmarks by age/income and adjusted downward for affordability and coverage relative to Georgia averages.
• Infrastructure: Characterized from FCC filings and carrier coverage norms for rural interstate counties; exact tower counts vary by carrier and are not consistently public.

Dooly County, GA social media snapshot (modeled, 2025)

Overall usage (adults 18+)

• Use at least one social platform: ~78–82% of adults
• Daily social media users: ~65–70% of adults
• Access/device: ~90% of users access via smartphone; an estimated 15–25% are mobile-only (no home broadband), which nudges behavior toward Facebook, Messenger, and short-form video

Most-used platforms (adults, estimated reach in Dooly County)

• YouTube: ~76–80%
• Facebook: ~66–72%
• Instagram: ~30–38%
• TikTok: ~25–32%
• Pinterest: ~25–32%
• Snapchat: ~18–24%
• WhatsApp: ~15–20%
• X (Twitter): ~12–18%
• Reddit: ~10–15%
• LinkedIn: ~8–12%
• Nextdoor: ~3–7%

Age patterns

• 13–17: 90%+ on at least one platform; heavy YouTube (90%+), TikTok (≈70–75%), Snapchat (≈60–65%), Instagram (≈60–65%); light Facebook (≈20–25%)
• 18–29: ~95%+ use social; YouTube (90%+), Instagram (70–80%), TikTok (60–70%), Snapchat (55–65%), Facebook (50–60%)
• 30–49: ~85–90%; Facebook (75–85%), YouTube (80–85%), Instagram (40–50%), TikTok (30–40%), WhatsApp (20–30%)
• 50–64: ~70–75%; Facebook (70–75%), YouTube (65–70%), Instagram (20–30%), TikTok (15–25%)
• 65+: ~50–55%; Facebook (55–60%), YouTube (50–55%); others <15%

Gender breakdown (share of user bases, local tendencies)

• Facebook: 55–60% female
• Instagram: ~55% female
• TikTok: 55–60% female
• Snapchat: 55–60% female
• Pinterest: 70–80% female
• YouTube: 55–60% male
• X (Twitter): 60–65% male
• Reddit: 65–70% male
• LinkedIn: 55–60% male
• WhatsApp: roughly balanced

Behavioral trends in Dooly County

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups/Pages for schools, churches, youth sports, county updates, local events, and weather alerts
• Marketplace-driven: Strong buy/sell/trade activity (household goods, vehicles, farm and yard equipment)
• Video habits: Rising short-form video consumption (FB/IG Reels, TikTok); live streams for church services, graduations, and sports
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; WhatsApp used for family ties and immigrant communities; group chats coordinate churches, teams, and events
• Small business marketing: Facebook is the workhorse (posts, events, Marketplace, boosted posts). Instagram used for visuals; TikTok tested for reach but with uneven posting cadence
• Trust and engagement: Highest engagement on content from known locals (neighbors, churches, school staff, local businesses). Offers and time-bound promos outperform generic branding
• Timing: Peaks before work/school, lunch hours, and evenings; weekend spikes for events and Marketplace browsing
• Professional networking: Limited LinkedIn use; many rely on Facebook groups or offline networks

Notes on method and sources

• County-specific social media surveys are scarce. Figures are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption, DataReportal U.S. 2024 benchmarks, and ACS/FCC indicators for rural Georgia (internet/broadband access), adjusted for Dooly’s older/rural profile and mobile reliance. Treat platform percentages as indicative ranges, not exact counts.