Glascock County

Glascock County, Georgia — key demographics

Population

• 2,884 (2020 Census)
• ~2,900–3,000 (2023 Census estimate range)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~85%
• Black or African American: ~11%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Other/multiracial: ~1–2%

Households

• ~1,100 households
• Average household size: ~2.6 persons

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates; Census QuickFacts.

Glascock County, GA (very rural; ~3,000 residents, ~20–22 people per square mile)

Estimated email users

• 1,600–2,000 residents use email regularly. Basis: ~75% internet access among residents and ~95% email use among connected adults; modest teen uptake.

Age distribution (share using email)

• 13–17: ~60–75% use email (school-related); small slice of total users.
• 18–34: ~90–97% (near-universal among connected).
• 35–64: ~85–92%.
• 65+: ~60–70% (rising, but still lagging younger groups).

Gender split

• Population is roughly 49% female / 51% male; email adoption is similar by gender (no meaningful gap expected).

Digital access and trends

• Households with home internet: ~70–75% (mix of DSL, cable where available, some fiber, fixed wireless, satellite).
• Smartphone-only internet users: ~15–25%.
• No-home-internet households: ~10% (cost and coverage are main barriers).
• Cellular LTE is common; 5G/fiber availability is limited and spotty but slowly expanding.
• Public/library Wi‑Fi in Gibson and a few community venues fills gaps.
• Affordability pressures increased after federal subsidy reductions, which may slow upgrades and email adoption among low-income households.

Below is a practical, county‑level snapshot using the latest generally available public data patterns for rural Georgia, combined with Glascock County’s size and demographics. Figures are presented as reasonable estimates and ranges rather than precise counts because hyperlocal mobile statistics are not directly published.

Baseline context

• Population: roughly 2,900–3,100 residents; about 1,100–1,200 households; adult share around 75–80%.
• Rural, aging profile with lower median income and education levels than the Georgia average.

User estimates (ownership and usage)

• Mobile phone ownership (any cell phone): approximately 92–95% of adults, or about 2,050–2,300 users.
• Smartphone users: approximately 75–80% of adults, or about 1,650–1,900 users.
• Smartphone‑only internet users (people who rely on a smartphone for home internet): materially higher than the state average. Estimate 20–30% of adults in Glascock vs roughly mid‑teens statewide.
• Households relying primarily on mobile hotspots for home connectivity: elevated due to limited wired options. Estimate 20–35% of households locally vs ~10–20% statewide.
• Plan mix: higher share of prepaid and value plans than the state average; multi‑line family postpaid bundles are less dominant than in metro Georgia.

Demographic breakdown (directional patterns)

• Age: older residents are overrepresented and less likely to own smartphones; they are more likely to use basic phones or older LTE‑only devices. Youth and working‑age users show typical Georgia‑level smartphone adoption but depend more on hotspotting for homework/work due to fixed broadband gaps.
• Income: lower‑income households are more likely to be mobile‑only for internet access and to cycle between carriers or plans based on promotions. The lapse in new Affordable Connectivity Program funding in 2024 likely increased this sensitivity.
• Race/ethnicity: device and data‑plan differences largely track income and age rather than race; no strong race‑specific deviation from state‑level patterns beyond what income and geography already explain.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: service is anchored by a small number of macro cell sites along state routes (e.g., GA‑80/GA‑171/GA‑102). Coverage is generally adequate outdoors but is variable indoors, especially in low‑lying or heavily wooded areas and at the county edges.
• 5G: low‑band 5G from major carriers is present along primary corridors; mid‑band 5G is patchy to limited. Expect typical speeds from “enhanced LTE” up to low‑band 5G (often 10–80 Mbps), with occasional higher speeds near better‑served corridors. mmWave is not a factor.
• Carriers: AT&T and Verizon tend to provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile coverage has improved but remains more corridor‑centric. MVNO users see similar coverage but may have lower priority during congestion.
• Backhaul and fiber: middle‑mile fiber exists on regional routes, but last‑mile fiber and cable footprints inside the county remain sparse. This pushes households toward mobile solutions or fixed wireless access (FWA).
• FWA: 4G/5G home internet offerings are available in portions of the county and fill gaps left by DSL and cable. Where signal quality is good, FWA can outperform legacy DSL; service quality degrades quickly off corridors.
• Public and community access: county library/school Wi‑Fi remains an important supplement. Some residents employ signal boosters or high‑gain antennas to stabilize home cellular/FWA.

How Glascock County differs from Georgia overall (key trends)

• Higher reliance on mobile as primary home internet: materially above state average due to limited wired alternatives.
• Lower smartphone penetration overall: especially among seniors; total phone ownership is high, but the smartphone share trails the state.
• More prepaid/value plans and price sensitivity: plan churn tied to promotions and the ACP funding pause is more pronounced than in metro areas.
• Slower, more variable mobile speeds: low‑band 5G and LTE dominate; mid‑band 5G capacity is notably less available than in urban Georgia.
• Greater indoor coverage challenges: topography, distance from towers, and construction types produce more dead zones and booster use than is typical statewide.
• Fewer small cells and densification: unlike metro Georgia, there’s little small‑cell buildout; performance depends on a handful of macro sites and the quality of their backhaul.

Implications

• Mobile networks are shouldering a larger share of “home internet” duties than in most Georgia counties; policies or investments that expand fiber last‑mile or mid‑band 5G capacity would yield outsized benefits.
• Digital inclusion efforts that pair device upgrades with affordable plans and home signal improvement (antennas/boosters) can meaningfully close gaps for students and seniors.
• For emergency and public‑safety reliability, continued buildout on primary corridors plus in‑building coverage solutions at key facilities (schools, clinics, government buildings) will matter more here than in metro counties.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates are derived from county population, rural adoption patterns from national surveys (e.g., Census/ACS, Pew), Georgia rural infrastructure norms, and FCC coverage tendencies for similar counties. For planning, validate with current carrier maps, FCC Broadband Map location‑level data, and local provider build plans.

Glascock County, GA: social media snapshot (estimates)

County context

• Population: ~3,000 residents; rural, older-leaning age mix; mobile-first internet usage common.
• Data note: County-level platform stats aren’t published. Figures below are modeled from Pew Research (national/rural), ACS demographics, and typical rural-Georgia usage patterns; treat as directional ranges.

How many use social media

• Estimated monthly social media users: 1,700–2,000 residents
  • ~55–68% of total population, or ~70–80% of residents age 13+
  • Teens (13–17): ~180–200 users
  • Adults (18+): ~1,500–1,800 users

Age breakdown of users (share of users)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 28–32%
• 50–64: 22–26%
• 65+: 18–22%

Gender

• Overall users: ~51% female, ~49% male
• Skews: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most-used platforms (share of residents age 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: ~70–78%
• Facebook: ~60–68% (highest daily use among 30+)
• Facebook Messenger: ~45–55%
• Instagram: ~30–38% (stronger under 40)
• TikTok: ~28–35% (teens/20s; some 30–40 adoption)
• Pinterest: ~18–25% (mostly women 25–64)
• Snapchat: ~15–20% (teens/20s)
• X (Twitter): ~8–12%
• Reddit: ~6–10%
• LinkedIn: ~5–8%
• Nextdoor: ~3–6% (limited coverage in very small towns)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first content: Highest engagement on local news, school sports, church events, obituaries, county services, weather/emergencies, and hunting/land management topics.
• Facebook is the “public square”: Groups and Marketplace are heavily used for buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found pets, and event promotion. Posts with names/faces, photo albums, and short clips outperform links.
• Video norms: Short, captioned videos (sub-60s) perform best; many users watch with sound off and on mobile data, so concise edits and on-screen text matter.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday spikes on school days for parents.
• Trust dynamics: Content from known local figures (coaches, pastors, small-business owners, county offices) draws more comments/shares than branded posts.
• Messaging: Many interactions move to Messenger/text for logistics (sales, services, scheduling).
• Younger users: Split attention between TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram; they’ll see Facebook items when parents or community pages cross-post.
• Older users: Facebook is dominant; YouTube used for how-tos, church services, and local recordings.
• Advertising takeaways:
  • Facebook/Instagram for broad local reach and event turnout.
  • Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) for awareness under 40.
  • YouTube preroll for county-wide reach at low CPMs.
  • Hyperlocal creative (names, places, schools) materially lifts engagement.

Confidence and caveats

• Small population means any single survey would have high error; treat percentages as ranges.
• Coverage can vary by connectivity pockets; mobile data constraints favor lighter, shorter content.