Gordon County

Here are key demographics for Gordon County, Georgia (latest Census estimates; figures rounded):

Population

• Total: ~58.5k (2023 estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~69%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~20%
• Black or African American: ~4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and other: ~3%

Households and housing

• Number of households: ~20–21k
• Average household size: ~2.9 persons
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~71%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Population Estimates, 2023; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year). Figures are estimates and may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Email usage in Gordon County, GA (estimates)

• Population/density: 58,000 residents across ~355 sq mi (160/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~48,000–51,000 (≈83–88% of residents; >90% of adults).
• Age adoption: ages 13–34 ~95%; 35–54 ~95%; 55–64 ~88–92%; 65+ ~70–80%.
• Gender split: near parity; roughly 49% male, 51% female among users (tracks the county’s slight female majority).
• Digital access trends: ~80–85% of households subscribe to broadband; >90% of adults have a smartphone; ~15–20% are smartphone‑only. Fixed‑broadband options are strongest in and around Calhoun/I‑75 corridor, with more limited choices in rural tracts; fiber is expanding but not universal.
• Takeaway: Email is effectively ubiquitous among working‑age residents; lower adoption is concentrated among the oldest cohorts and in households without fixed broadband.

Method: County population baseline with recent US/Georgia adoption benchmarks (Pew Research, ACS, FCC broadband data). Figures are directional estimates, not official counts.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Gordon County, GA (with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Big-picture user estimates

• Adult smartphone users: roughly 35,000–40,000 residents. Basis: county population around 58,000; adults ~42,000–45,000; adult smartphone adoption in mixed rural counties commonly 80–90%.
• Households using smartphones as their primary or only internet: likely 18–25% of households (about 3,500–5,000 homes), a meaningfully higher share than Georgia overall (typically low-to-mid teens). This aligns with lower fixed-broadband adoption outside the City of Calhoun and along rural corridors.
• FWA (5G home internet) adoption: measurably faster than the Georgia average where cable/fiber is more prevalent. T-Mobile and Verizon 5G footprints along I-75 and nearby highways make FWA an attractive substitute for DSL or no-wireline areas.

Demographic patterns

• Age:
  • 18–44: near-universal smartphone adoption (90%+), heavy mobile-first media and messaging.
  • 45–64: high adoption (80–90%), with a noticeable subset relying on mobile for home internet where cable/fiber isn’t available.
  • 65+: adoption substantially lower than the state average; however, those connected tend to be smartphone-only more often than peers elsewhere due to limited fixed options.
• Income and employment:
  • Lower-income and shift-based manufacturing/logistics workers show higher prepaid/MVNO usage and higher mobile-only dependence than the Georgia average.
• Language/ethnicity:
  • The county’s sizable Hispanic/Latino community skews mobile-first for everyday connectivity, with above-average reliance on WhatsApp, Messenger, and mobile banking; bilingual app usage is notably higher than the state norm.
• Students:
  • K–12 and community-college students show heavier after-school mobile data spikes, reflecting homework and video usage where home broadband is absent; schools and libraries act as offload points.

How Gordon County differs from state-level trends

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: A larger share of households depend primarily on smartphones (and increasingly 5G FWA) versus Georgia overall, where cable and fiber are more accessible.
• Faster uptake of 5G home internet: FWA fills gaps where DSL is weak and cable/fiber are missing; statewide, FWA growth is steadier but less dominant in metro areas.
• Greater coverage variability: Along I-75 and in Calhoun, mid-band 5G is common; performance drops more sharply in outlying areas than typical statewide, with more dead zones in valleys and on secondary roads.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: Price-sensitive segments adopt prepaid at higher rates than the Georgia average, increasing churn and plan-switching behavior.
• Public Wi‑Fi and anchor institutions matter more: Libraries, schools, and municipal hotspots carry extra weight for homework and services; this dependency is less pronounced in metro Georgia.

Digital infrastructure and market notes

• Carriers and coverage:
  • T-Mobile: Broad 5G (including mid-band “UC”) over much of the county, strong along I-75; common choice for FWA where signals are clean.
  • Verizon: C-band and mmWave in select high-traffic nodes; C-band along I-75; FWA available to many addresses near highway corridors.
  • AT&T: Solid LTE/5G coverage in towns and along major routes; 5G+ in limited nodes; strong voice reliability, but rural data speeds vary.
• Wireline backdrop:
  • City of Calhoun and denser pockets: cable (Spectrum/Charter) and AT&T service; some fiber infill.
  • Rural areas: legacy DSL or no wired broadband remain; these areas show the highest smartphone-only and FWA adoption.
• Backhaul and corridors:
  • I-75 provides robust fiber backhaul and denser tower siting; performance declines with distance from the corridor.
• Grants and builds:
  • The county is a target for ongoing state/federal programs (e.g., BEAD/RDOF/Capital Projects Fund) aimed at rural last-mile builds. These projects are gradually reducing mobile-only dependence, but gaps persist outside incorporated areas.
• Public assets:
  • School systems and libraries offer critical Wi‑Fi offload and device lending programs; utilization is above the state average due to home broadband shortfalls.

Usage behaviors and performance

• Peak periods: Noticeable evening and shift-change slowdowns near plants, schools, and apartment clusters.
• Typical speeds:
  • I-75/Calhoun mid-band 5G: often 150–400 Mbps down when uncongested.
  • Outlying LTE/low-band 5G: commonly 5–40 Mbps, with occasional drops or time-of-day congestion.
• Voice/SMS reliability is generally strong countywide; data reliability varies more than the state average in rural pockets.

Implications

• Service planning: FWA and smartphone-only plans will remain disproportionately important until fiber/cable gaps close.
• Digital equity: Device subsidies, ACP replacements, and bilingual digital-skills programs have higher marginal impact here than in metro Georgia.
• For businesses and public agencies: Optimize for mobile-first interactions (lighter sites, SMS/WhatsApp outreach, offline-capable apps).

Notes on data confidence and where to verify

• Use ACS “Computer and Internet Use” (table S2801, latest 5-year) for county-level smartphone and broadband indicators.
• Check FCC Broadband Data Collection maps and Georgia Broadband Office updates for buildouts and provider footprints.
• Cross-check mobile performance with Opensignal/Ookla crowd-sourced data; local school district and library reports can validate mobile offload demand.

Here’s a concise, locally tuned snapshot. Because platforms don’t publish county-level stats, figures are estimates calibrated from Pew Research’s 2023–2024 U.S. usage rates, rural-South adjustments, and Gordon County’s demographics.

Context

• Population: ~59,000 (≈45,000 adults 18+)
• Overall social media use (18+): ~80–85% use at least one platform; daily use among users ~70%

Most-used platforms among adults (estimate = % of 18+ who use the platform)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 62–68%
• Instagram: 38–42%
• TikTok: 28–32%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (skews female)
• Snapchat: 22–25% (younger)
• WhatsApp: 22–25% (boosted by Hispanic households)
• X (Twitter): 18–20% (more male/younger)
• LinkedIn: 15–18% (lower in rural areas)
• Reddit: 14–16%
• Nextdoor: 10–12% (varies by neighborhood density)

Age patterns (who uses what, most to least)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube ≈ universal; TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram dominant; Facebook mainly for school/sports groups and Marketplace via family
• 18–29: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube heavy; Snapchat for messaging; Facebook for Marketplace/family groups; some Reddit/X
• 30–49: Facebook is primary; YouTube strong; Instagram growing; TikTok/Pinterest notable; WhatsApp for family/community (esp. Spanish-speaking)
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest moderate; some TikTok adoption; limited X/Reddit
• 65+: Facebook (family, church, local news) and YouTube; lighter Instagram/TikTok

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall users roughly mirrors population (~51% female), with:
  • Female-leaning: Pinterest (strongly), Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), Snapchat (moderate), TikTok (slight)
  • Male-leaning: Reddit (strong), X (moderate), LinkedIn (slight), YouTube (near-even to slight male)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Heavy use of Facebook Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, buy/sell/trade, yard sales, road/weather alerts)
• Marketplace matters: Facebook Marketplace is a top local commerce channel
• Video-first consumption: Reels/Shorts/TikTok drive discovery; short, captioned, phone-shot content performs best
• Messaging hubs: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp for family, church, and team coordination; Snapchat among youth
• Local news and alerts: Sheriff, EMA, school district, and city pages see spikes during storms, closures, elections
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (7–9 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); teens/20s peak later at night on TikTok/Snapchat
• Language mix: Noticeable Spanish-language content demand (community info, events, small business promos)
• Small business playbook: Boosted Facebook/Instagram posts, short-form video, and event listings outperform static ads

Notes on confidence

• Figures reflect adults (18+) unless noted; teen usage is higher on TikTok/Snapchat/YouTube than adult rates.
• Expect ±5–8 percentage points variance by neighborhood, age mix, and event cycles (e.g., storms, football season, elections).