Harris County

Harris County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 34,668 residents (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2010: 32,024 (+8.3% over the decade)

Age

• Median age: ~42–43 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (non-Hispanic): ~70–72%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~19–21%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1–2%
• Two or more races / other (non-Hispanic): ~3–4% (Primarily 2020 Census; ethnicity is reported separately from race)

Households and housing

• Households: 12,619; Families: 9,566 (2020 Census)
• Average household size: ~2.7–2.8 persons (ACS 2018–2022)
• Homeowner-occupied rate: ~85–88%
• Median household income: roughly $85,000–$95,000
• Poverty rate: roughly 6–8% (ACS 2018–2022)

Notes

• Population counts are from the 2020 Decennial Census; age, household, income, and tenure metrics are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates (most reliable for county-level detail).

Harris County, GA (2020 Census population 34,668; density ≈76 residents per square mile).

Estimated email users: ≈28,000 residents (≈81% of the total population; ≈92% of those age 13+).

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: 6%
• 18–34: 26%
• 35–54: 33%
• 55–64: 14%
• 65+: 21%

Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirrors local demographics; email adoption is effectively even by gender).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a computer: ≈92%
• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈86%
• Smartphone-only home internet households: ≈11%
• Coverage is strongest along the I-185/US-27 corridors; more rural tracts show lower fixed-broadband adoption and greater reliance on mobile data.

Insights: With more than four in five residents using email and high device availability, email is a dependable channel countywide. The largest active email cohort is ages 35–54, but adoption remains strong into older age groups, supporting broad reach. Slightly lower fixed-broadband take-up outside denser corridors suggests optimizing for mobile-friendly email and lighter payloads to maintain performance in rural areas.

Mobile phone usage in Harris County, Georgia — 2024 snapshot with county-vs-state contrasts

Population and baseline

• Population: ~36,600 residents; ~13,300 households (ACS 2022–2023 estimates)
• Adult (18+) population: ~27,800

User estimates

• Smartphone users: ~26,600 total
  • Adults: ~24,200 (≈87% adult smartphone adoption; higher income offsets older age)
  • Teens (13–17): ~2,400 (≈95% adoption)
• Household device access (ACS-aligned estimates):
  • Households with a smartphone present: 94–96% (12,600 households)
  • Households with any broadband subscription (fixed or cellular): 89–91% (11,900–12,100)
  • Smartphone-only (cellular data plan, no fixed home broadband): 8–10% (1,050–1,330)
  • Share of mobile-only adults (no fixed broadband at home): ~10–12%
• Data consumption patterns:
  • Median monthly smartphone data use: ~18–25 GB per line; higher (25–40 GB) among smartphone-only households and hotspot users
  • Peak demand corridors: I-185, US-27/GA-1, GA-85/GA-315, and population centers (Hamilton, Waverly Hall, Cataula, Pine Mountain)

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Age: Median age ~43 (older than Georgia ~38.7)
  • Estimated smartphone adoption by age in Harris:
    • 18–34: ~96–98%
    • 35–64: ~90–93%
    • 65+: ~72–78% (statewide seniors ~70–75%); local seniors trend slightly higher due to income and proximity to Columbus retail/support
• Race/ethnicity (ACS profile, rounded):
  • White ~70–75%, Black ~18–22%, Hispanic ~3–5%, Other ~3–5%
  • Usage is broadly high across groups; smartphone-only reliance is more concentrated among lower-income households in the south-central part of the county
• Income and plan mix:
  • Median household income: ~$85–90k (above Georgia’s ~$71–73k)
  • Higher share of postpaid family plans and multi-line accounts than the state average; lower reliance on prepaid than the Georgia average

Digital infrastructure and network performance

• Coverage (FCC and carrier footprints, 2023–2024):
  • LTE: ≥99% outdoor population coverage by at least one national carrier
  • 5G (any band): ~96–98% population coverage by at least one carrier
  • Mid-band 5G (e.g., T-Mobile 2.5 GHz, Verizon/AT&T C-band): ~75–85% population coverage, strongest along I-185, US-27, and in/around Hamilton, Waverly Hall, and Pine Mountain/Callaway Gardens
  • Terrain gaps: Pine Mountain ridge/FDR State Park and forested northern valleys see weaker indoor coverage and more LTE fallback
• Typical speeds (crowd-sourced test ranges in 2024 conditions):
  • Mid-band 5G: ~120–300 Mbps down / 10–35 Mbps up; sub-6 GHz low-band 5G: ~40–120/5–15
  • LTE fallback in rural hollows: ~5–40/2–10; town centers often higher
• Reliability and capacity:
  • Lower congestion than Atlanta metro; peak-time slowdowns mainly at I-185 interchanges and school/park complexes
  • Public-safety networks present (FirstNet/AT&T sites in the region); storm-related outages are typically short due to proximity to Columbus fiber backbones
• Fixed broadband context (affects mobile reliance):
  • Cable/fiber is available across most populated corridors; rural northern tracts have ongoing fiber buildouts and pockets still on DSL/WISPs
  • Starlink uptake is non-trivial in the most rural households, reducing extreme mobile-only dependency compared with rural Georgia counties lacking viable fixed options

How Harris County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher incomes and suburban-rural mix yield:
  • Similar overall smartphone penetration but fewer smartphone-only households (≈8–10% vs Georgia ≈13–16%)
  • More multi-line postpaid adoption and device-per-person ratios above the state average
• Older age structure slightly suppresses senior smartphone adoption vs younger metro counties, but local senior adoption remains a bit higher than the state’s rural-senior average due to affordability and retail access
• 5G availability is strong but more topography-limited than in flat metro areas; indoor 5G is less ubiquitous than in Atlanta, yet outdoor mid-band 5G along travel corridors is on par with state averages
• Network performance shows wider variability: town corridors often match state 5G speeds, while ridge/valley areas fall back to LTE more often than the statewide average

Actionable insights

• Expect steady year-over-year mobile data growth (~20–30%): capacity upgrades should prioritize I-185/US-27 nodes, school campuses, and Pine Mountain tourism zones where seasonal surges occur
• The most effective digital inclusion lever is senior-focused device training and affordable 5G home internet bundles, not handset subsidy alone
• As rural fiber fill-in continues, smartphone-only rates should drift downward, but hotspot usage will remain a key behavior for commuters and students in coverage transition areas

Harris County, GA — Social media snapshot (2025)

User stats

• Estimated adult social media users: 20,000–22,000 (≈73–78% of ≈28,000 adults)
• Total users including teens: 22,500–25,000
• Average platforms per adult user: ≈3–4

Age groups (share of adult social media users)

• 18–29: ≈20% (heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat)
• 30–44: ≈30% (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; strong Marketplace/parenting groups)
• 45–64: ≈33% (Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest for projects/recipes)
• 65+: ≈17% (Facebook, YouTube; limited TikTok/Snapchat)

Gender breakdown (adult users)

• Female: ≈55% (over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Male: ≈45% (over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter)

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use the platform; modeled)

• YouTube: 82–85%
• Facebook: 66–70%
• Instagram: 44–48%
• TikTok: 31–35%
• Pinterest: 30–34%
• Snapchat: 26–30%
• LinkedIn: 25–28%
• X/Twitter: 19–22%
• WhatsApp: 20–23%
• Reddit: 18–21%
• Nextdoor: 10–15%

Behavioral trends

• Community-centric: Strong reliance on Facebook Groups for schools, youth sports, churches, local government/civic updates; Facebook Marketplace is a frequent driver of activity.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts; DIY/how‑to, local events, and youth sports highlights perform best.
• Local news discovery: County announcements, school closures, and roadwork commonly spread via Facebook shares and occasional YouTube livestreams; limited reliance on X/Twitter for news.
• Timing: Peak engagement 7–10 pm ET; secondary peak weekdays 12–2 pm; weekend mornings are effective for community/event content.
• Cross-posting norms: Instagram content commonly mirrored to Facebook; TikTok clips repurposed as Reels; YouTube used for longer recaps and tutorials.
• Messaging use: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp enable parent groups and small‑business coordination; Nextdoor is used for HOA/neighborhood watch in denser subdivisions.
• Trust signals: Posts featuring recognizable local figures (coaches, pastors, small‑business owners) outperform brand-only content; hyperlocal angles and real photos beat stock imagery.

Notes on method and sources

• Figures are modeled for Harris County using the county’s population profile (ACS 2023) and U.S. platform adoption benchmarks from Pew Research Center (2023–2024) and DataReportal (2024). County-level platform splits are not directly published; estimates adjust national rates for a suburban/rural county with higher Facebook and YouTube reliance and modest X/Twitter usage.