Floyd County

Key demographics — Floyd County, Georgia (latest Census/ACS estimates)

• Population: ~100,000 (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~60%
  • 65 and over: ~18%
• Sex: Female ~51%
• Race/ethnicity:
  • White alone: ~72%
  • Black or African American alone: ~14%
  • Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~13%
  • Asian alone: ~1–2%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Households:
  • Number of households: ~37,000
  • Average persons per household: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~66% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~63–65%
  • Median household income (2023 dollars): ~$55–57k

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year) and 2023 Population Estimates.

Floyd County, GA snapshot (estimates; based on U.S. Census ACS, FCC broadband data, and Pew email adoption rates)

• Population: ~98,000; adults ~77,000.
• Email users: ~65,000–72,000 adults (≈85–93% adoption). Including teens, total email users likely ~70,000–78,000 residents.
• Age pattern:
  • 18–29: ~95%+ use email.
  • 30–49: ~95–98%.
  • 50–64: ~88–92%.
  • 65+: ~70–80% (county has a sizable 65+ share, so this cohort slightly lowers overall penetration).
• Gender split: County is ~51% female/49% male; email usage is near-parity by gender, so users split roughly the same.
• Digital access:
  • Households with a home broadband subscription: ~80–85%.
  • No home internet: ~12–15%.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~15–20% (many residents access email primarily via mobile).
• Density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ~190 people per sq. mile (Rome urban core higher).
  • FCC/Georgia broadband maps indicate most addresses have at least one 100/20 Mbps option in and around Rome; rural pockets remain with slower service or gaps, though buildouts since 2022 have narrowed coverage gaps.

Mobile phone usage in Floyd County, Georgia (planning snapshot, 2025)

Quick size and usage estimates

• Population: ~100,000; households: ~36,000–38,000.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~72,000–80,000 residents actively use a smartphone.
  • Adults: ~60,000–66,000 adult smartphone users.
  • Teens (13–17): 5,000–7,000 users; additional 10–12 year-olds add a smaller (1,500–2,500) cohort.
• Mobile-only internet households (rely on cellular data as primary home internet): ~18%–22% in Floyd County, notably higher than Georgia’s ~12%–14%.
• Device turnover: upgrade cycles skew longer than the state average (more 3–4+ year device lifetimes).

How Floyd County differs from Georgia overall

• Adoption rate: Overall smartphone adoption is a few points lower than the state average, largely due to an older age profile and lower median income.
• Access pattern: Reliance on mobile-only broadband is meaningfully higher than Georgia’s rate, reflecting patchier fixed-broadband options outside Rome and stronger price sensitivity.
• Plan mix: Higher prepaid and budget-plan penetration than the statewide mix; postpaid premium plans are relatively less common.
• Network experience: Outside the Rome urban core, users more often fall back to LTE and experience greater variability in speeds/latency than typical statewide 5G coverage zones.

Demographic breakdown and usage notes

• 18–24 (students and early-career): High per-capita data use and high smartphone penetration; strong demand for unlimited data and campus/urban coverage in Rome.
• 25–44: Broad adoption; BYOD for work is common; streaming, maps, and messaging dominate usage.
• 45–64: High adoption but slower device-refresh; heavier use of Facebook/YouTube and utility apps; more price-sensitive plan choices.
• 65+: Estimated smartphone adoption ~55%–65% (several points lower than Georgia’s seniors). Higher reliance on voice/SMS, larger-font settings, and Wi‑Fi calling at home.
• Income effects: Sub‑$35k households disproportionately mobile‑only for home internet; prepaid and family plans are overrepresented.
• Language/ethnicity: A growing Hispanic population shows above-average mobile‑first behavior (mobile as primary internet and commerce channel), amplifying the county’s mobile-only skew relative to the state.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern:
  • Rome and close-in suburbs: Broad 5G coverage from national carriers; mid-band 5G capacity concentrated in town centers, campuses, medical districts, and retail corridors.
  • Rural/edge areas: More frequent reversion to LTE, with terrain-driven dead zones in hollows and along less-populated roadways; Wi‑Fi calling is an important reliability fallback indoors.
• Capacity and backhaul:
  • Macro sites generally follow state routes and the Rome perimeter; backhaul is strongest along major corridors, with weaker last-mile options in outlying communities.
  • Small-cell/densification is present mainly in the urban core; limited outside Rome compared with metro Georgia counties.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Fiber and cable are available in portions of Rome; outlying areas lean on DSL, fixed wireless, or mobile hotspots.
  • 4G/5G fixed‑wireless home internet is available in and around Rome and sees higher uptake than statewide averages in fringe areas due to cost and availability.
• Resilience and terrain:
  • Foothill topography causes localized signal shadowing; tower spacing is wider than metro counties, contributing to variable indoor coverage away from town.

Implications for service, outreach, and product mix

• Expect stronger demand for:
  • Affordable unlimited plans, multi-line family bundles, and prepaid.
  • Fixed‑wireless home internet as a substitute for wireline in outskirts.
  • Devices with better radios and Wi‑Fi calling for fringe coverage.
• Targeted improvements:
  • Additional mid‑band 5G sectors and small cells in Rome’s high-traffic zones (downtown, campuses, hospitals).
  • New or upgraded LTE/5G sites on rural edges and along secondary roads to reduce fallbacks and indoor dead spots.
• Adoption gaps to address:
  • Senior digital inclusion (training, simplified devices/plans).
  • Low-income subsidies and ACP-style replacements to sustain mobile-only households if federal support changes.

Method note: Estimates synthesize ACS/FCC map patterns, state and national mobile adoption benchmarks, and county demographics through 2024. For program design or network planning, validate with a local survey and carrier drive tests in rural sectors of the county.

Here’s a concise, locally oriented snapshot based on Floyd County’s size and demographics (ACS) and scaled from recent U.S. social media benchmarks (Pew Research Center). Figures are estimates, meant to guide planning rather than serve as audited counts.

Quick context

• Population: ~100,000 residents; roughly 77–79% are adults.
• Estimated social media users: ~60,000–65,000 residents use at least one platform (most are adults; teens are highly active).

Age and gender profile

• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male; the active user base mirrors this. Platform tilts: Pinterest and Instagram skew female; Reddit and X skew male.
• Age mix (approximate share of county):
  • Under 18: ~22–24% (very high social use among teens; Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram dominate).
  • 18–29: ~15–17% (heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube nearly universal).
  • 30–49: ~25–27% (YouTube, Facebook strong; Instagram rising; TikTok moderate).
  • 50–64: ~19–21% (Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest moderate).
  • 65+: ~15–17% (Facebook and YouTube lead; lighter use elsewhere).

Most‑used platforms (adults; estimated share using each)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30% (concentrated under 30)
• WhatsApp: 25–30% (varies by international ties/Hispanic communities)
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (professionals, healthcare, education; Rome employers)
• X (Twitter): 20–25%
• Reddit: 18–22%

Behavioral trends to know

• Local-first on Facebook: High reliance on Groups, local Pages, and Marketplace for news, events, and buy/sell. Severe weather, school closings, public safety, elections drive spikes.
• Video-led consumption: YouTube is the default for “how-to,” sports highlights, church content, and local gov streams. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is the fastest mover for under-40.
• Community and commerce:
  • Marketplace is a daily habit; DMs to transact are common.
  • Small businesses lean on Facebook + Instagram; Reels and Stories outperform static posts.
  • Restaurants and boutiques see strong “check-hours, menu, reviews” behavior on Facebook/Google; promos move via Reels and Stories.
• Youth and college influence: Berry, Shorter, and Georgia Highlands students amplify TikTok/Instagram usage; Snapchat remains a communications staple for under-25.
• Events discovery:
  • 35+ use Facebook Events/Groups.
  • Under-35 use Instagram/TikTok for festival/concert discovery; hashtags and location tags matter.
• News habits: Many follow local outlets and public agencies on Facebook first; X is niche but influential among news/politics followers.
• Timing patterns (typical for similar GA counties): Evening scrolls (7–10 pm) and early mornings; weekend late-morning engagement; short videos outperform long captions.
• Trust and voice: Local faces (coaches, pastors, realtors, small-business owners) drive outsized engagement; “neighbor-to-neighbor” recommendations in Groups carry high credibility.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Built from U.S. Census/ACS demographics for Floyd County and Pew Research Center national platform adoption (Social Media Use in 2024; Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023), adjusted for a mixed small-city/rural profile. Percentages are county-level estimates, not direct county measurements.