Johnson County

Johnson County, Georgia — key demographics (most recent U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census and 2018–2022 ACS 5‑year estimates)

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 9,189

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~58%
• Female: ~42%
• Note: The male share is elevated due to the presence of a state prison (group quarters population).

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~56%
• Black or African American alone: ~41%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
• Other races (including Asian, American Indian, two or more): ~1%

Households

• Number of households: ~3,300–3,400
• Persons per household (avg.): ~2.5
• Family households: ~66%
• Homeownership rate: ~70%+

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5‑year estimates (DP02/DP04/DP05).

Johnson County, GA (pop. 9,200) has sparse density (30 people/sq mi) and a state prison in Wrightsville (1,500 inmates), which skews demographics but has negligible email access. Adjusting for the non-incarcerated population (7,700), estimated email users age 13+ total ~5,900.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~7%
• 18–34: ~24%
• 35–54: ~33%
• 55–64: ~15%
• 65+: ~21%

Gender split among email users: ~53% female, ~47% male (reflecting the county’s non-institutional population).

Digital access and trends:

• Home internet: ~68% of households have fixed broadband; ~18% are mobile-only; ~14% lack home internet.
• Reliance on smartphones is high among lower-income and older residents; public Wi‑Fi (library/schools) fills gaps.
• Connectivity is strongest in and near Wrightsville, with patchier service on rural roads and farmland.
• Access is improving as fiber and fixed wireless projects expand via ongoing state/federal investments (2024–2026+), reducing unserved pockets.

Insight: Email adoption is broad but moderated by age and rural infrastructure; the prison-adjusted approach better reflects active community usage than raw population figures.

Johnson County, Georgia — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: ~9,300 residents; ~7,200 adults (18+); ~3,500–3,700 households.
• Adult smartphone ownership: 83–86% of adults (≈6,000–6,200 users). This trails Georgia’s statewide adult rate (≈90–92%).
• Wireless-only at home (no landline phone): ~70–75% of adults, broadly in line with state and national patterns.
• Mobile-only home internet: 22–26% of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet, notably higher than Georgia overall (≈12–15%).

Demographic patterns that differ from Georgia overall

• Older population share is higher than Georgia’s average, and smartphone uptake among seniors is lower:
  • Age 65+: ~18–20% of county residents vs ≈15% statewide.
  • Smartphone ownership among 65+: ~68–72% in the county vs ~78–82% statewide.
• Income-sensitive adoption and plan choices:
  • Median household income is well below the state median; prepaid plans are correspondingly more common. Estimated prepaid share of personal lines: ~50–60% in the county vs ~35–45% statewide.
  • Android share is higher (≈62–66% of smartphones) than the state average, reflecting price sensitivity.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • County composition is majority White with a large Black community; smartphone ownership rates are broadly similar across groups, but mobile-only internet reliance is higher among lower-income households across all groups than the statewide average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Near-countywide outdoor coverage from AT&T and Verizon; T-Mobile coverage is solid in Wrightsville and along main corridors (GA‑15/57) with patchier service in low-density tracts.
• 5G:
  • Low-band 5G: ~35–45% of land area, concentrated near Wrightsville, along GA‑15/57, and select highway corridors.
  • Mid-band (capacity) 5G: limited (<10% of land area). This is markedly behind Georgia’s metro counties, where mid-band 5G covers most populated areas.
• Speeds (typical user experience):
  • 4G LTE: ~5–35 Mbps down; uplink ~2–10 Mbps.
  • Low-band 5G: ~30–100 Mbps down; mid-band 5G (where present): ~150–400 Mbps down.
• Capacity constraints: Evening slowdowns are common in Wrightsville and at school/clinic clusters due to limited mid-band spectrum and sparse backhaul.
• Tower footprint: Roughly a dozen macro cell sites countywide with few, if any, small cells. Backhaul is a mix of microwave and fiber; microwave backhaul is prevalent outside Wrightsville.
• Public safety: County 911 supports Wireless E911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts; indoor location accuracy varies with building materials and proximity to the few macro sites.

Usage behaviors and market traits

• Higher dependence on mobile for home connectivity: With only about 65–72% of addresses served by reliable wired broadband, mobile hotspots and phone tethering are common. Fixed-wireless and 5G home internet adoption is growing but still modest (~3–5% of households vs ~7–9% statewide).
• Plan mix: Prepaid and budget MVNOs have above-average share; data caps drive conservative video use and off‑peak downloads.
• Voice/SMS remain relatively important compared with metro Georgia due to patchy data performance in fringe areas.
• Device replacement cycles are longer than the state norm (by ~6–12 months), dampening rapid migration to 5G‑only devices.

How Johnson County differs most from Georgia overall

• Lower smartphone ownership rate, concentrated among older and lower-income residents.
• Significantly higher share of mobile-only home internet users because wired options are limited in many census blocks.
• Sparse mid-band 5G and fewer densified sites produce more variable speeds and higher evening congestion than metro counties.
• Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO offerings and Android devices, reflecting cost-sensitive adoption.
• Smaller footprint of public and venue Wi‑Fi; more usage falls back to cellular networks.

Implications and opportunities

• Capacity upgrades (mid-band 5G and fiber backhaul) at existing sites would improve evening performance where most users actually live and work.
• Expanding fixed wireless/5G home internet could reduce mobile hotspot dependence and improve student connectivity.
• Senior-focused digital literacy and subsidized device programs would narrow the adoption gap relative to the Georgia average.

Social media usage in Johnson County, Georgia (2025, modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption and ACS age/gender mix for a rural, older-leaning county)

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70%
• Daily social media users (adults): ~55%
• Primary access: mobile-first; video and Facebook Groups are dominant entry points

Most-used platforms (share of all adults)

• YouTube: ~76%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~32%
• TikTok: ~24%
• Pinterest: ~27%
• Snapchat: ~18%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• WhatsApp: ~17%
• Reddit: ~12%
• LinkedIn: ~12%

Age groups (share of adults in each group who use any social platform)

• 18–29: ~88% use social; heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near-universal
• 30–49: ~82%; mix of Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; rising TikTok for short-form news/entertainment
• 50–64: ~72%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable among women
• 65+: ~53%; Facebook and YouTube for family updates, local news, church, how‑to content

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: ~52% female, ~48% male
• Platform lean: female-leaning (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok); male-leaning (YouTube, X, Reddit). WhatsApp and Snapchat skew younger more than by gender

Behavioral trends specific to Johnson County’s rural/older profile

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups for local news, civic updates, churches, youth and high‑school sports; Events and Marketplace see high engagement
• Video-centric consumption: YouTube for how‑to, faith services, music; TikTok growing among under‑35 for entertainment and local creators
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default backchannel for organizing; SMS remains common; WhatsApp usage is modest but present in specific social circles
• Lurkers > posters: a small cohort of frequent posters drives most local discussion; the majority consume, react, and share rather than originate content
• Timing: engagement peaks evenings (7–9 pm) and weekends; school-year calendars and church schedules noticeably shape activity
• Ads/SMB usage: boosted Facebook/Instagram posts outperform other buys for local businesses; short video and static image carousels convert better than links for older audiences

Notes on method and sources

• Figures are best-available county estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates (with rural and age adjustments) to Johnson County’s age/gender composition from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (latest 5-year tables). County-specific platform measurements are not directly published, so percentages above reflect modeled local usage consistent with similar rural Georgia counties.