Lincoln County

Key demographics — Lincoln County, Georgia

Population size

• 7,690 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (alone or in combination; Hispanic is of any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~65%
• Black or African American: ~31%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, other: <1% each

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~3,100
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~69% of households
• Married-couple households: ~52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~21%
• Householder living alone aged 65+: ~12%
• Homeownership rate: ~80–85%

Insights

• Small, rural county with an older age profile than the state overall.
• Majority White with a sizable Black population and a small Hispanic share.
• Household structure skews toward owner-occupied, married-couple and family households, with relatively small household sizes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures rounded for clarity.

Lincoln County, GA snapshot (2020 Census): 7,690 residents; land area ~210 sq mi; density ~36/sq mi (rural).

Estimated email users

• Adult population (18+): ~6,000.
• Adult email users: ~5,500 (≈92% of adults, aligned with Pew U.S. adoption).
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male (mirrors local population mix).

Age distribution of email users (modeled from rural age structure and Pew adoption by age)

• 18–29: 12% (650 users)
• 30–49: 28% (1,540)
• 50–64: 30% (1,650)
• 65+: 30% (1,650)

Digital access and trends (ACS 2018–2022 patterns for rural GA, applied locally)

• Households with a computer: ~85–90%.
• Home broadband subscription: ~70–75%; no home broadband: ~20–25%.
• Smartphone-only internet (cellular plan, no wireline): ~10–12%.
• Directionally, mobile reliance is rising, while wireline broadband adoption lags in the most rural tracts.

Connectivity and density insights

• Low population density and dispersed housing around Clarks Hill Lake contribute to patchy fixed-broadband options outside Lincolnton.
• Fixed broadband is widespread but not universal; some outlying roads depend on fixed wireless or satellite, which can depress consistent email access among older and lower-income households.

Lincoln County, GA mobile phone usage (2024, synthesized from Census/Pew/FCC benchmarks and the county’s rural/older profile)

Topline user estimates

• Total mobile phone users: about 5,900–6,300 residents (roughly 90–95% of people age 13+).
• Smartphone users: about 4,900–5,300 residents (roughly 75–80% of people age 13+). This is several points lower than Georgia overall (typically mid– to high‑80s).
• Smartphone‑dependent for home internet: about 900–1,300 residents (roughly 12–18% of adults rely primarily on a mobile data plan for home access), a noticeably higher share than Georgia statewide (about 9–11%).
• Text and OTT messaging reach: essentially universal among smartphone users; SMS reach ≈90%+ of residents age 13+.

Demographic breakdown (how usage skews locally)

• Age
  • 65+: Lincoln County has an older age structure than Georgia; expect smartphone adoption of roughly 60–70% in this group (statewide senior adoption is higher). Seniors make up a larger share of local non‑smartphone and basic‑phone users than at the state level.
  • 18–34: Near‑universal smartphone adoption (≈95%), but this cohort is a smaller slice of the county than of Georgia overall, which pulls down the countywide adoption rate.
• Income/education
  • Lower‑income and less‑connected households are more likely to be mobile‑only for internet. The county’s higher rural/low‑density profile translates to a larger mobile‑only segment than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and White residents show similar smartphone ownership rates, but Black households are more likely to be smartphone‑dependent for home internet. Given Lincoln County’s composition, the overall share of smartphone‑dependent households is above the Georgia average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Network availability: All three national carriers operate in the county. Low‑band 5G covers most populated corridors, but mid‑band 5G capacity is spottier than in Georgia’s metros; LTE remains the primary workhorse outside the town center and along secondary roads.
• Performance: Typical rural speeds with wider variance than state urban medians; capacity can tighten in fringe/wooded areas and near the lake. Expect more LTE fallback and lower median throughput than the Georgia statewide median.
• Backhaul and buildout: Fiber backhaul and last‑mile fiber are concentrated around Lincolnton and key arterials; fixed cable/fiber options thin out quickly in unincorporated areas. This scarcity of wired broadband drives higher reliance on mobile data compared with the state.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is present, improving resilience for emergency services, but commercial user experience still reflects rural spacing of macro sites.
• Coverage gaps: Terrain, tree density, and shoreline areas create localized dead/weak zones; in‑building coverage can be challenging in metal‑roof structures common in rural housing stock.

How Lincoln County differs from Georgia overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: Countywide smartphone adoption runs several points below the Georgia average due to an older population structure and more rural settlement.
• Higher mobile‑only dependence: A meaningfully larger share of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet than the state average.
• More LTE, less mid‑band 5G: Users see more LTE usage and less consistent mid‑band 5G capacity than in Georgia’s metro counties, contributing to lower median speeds and higher variability.
• Greater prepaid and budget device footprint: Cost sensitivity and weaker wired alternatives increase the share of prepaid plans and budget Android devices relative to statewide urban markets.

Implications

• Product and outreach should assume strong SMS reach but not universal app/social reach among seniors.
• Optimize for bandwidth‑efficient apps and good LTE performance; don’t assume consistent mid‑band 5G.
• Customer support and content should consider mobile‑only users with data caps and variable signal quality.
• Partnerships that extend fiber backhaul or deploy small cells/repeaters at community hubs can materially improve user experience given the current macro‑cell spacing.

Lincoln County, GA social media snapshot (2025)

Population base

• Residents: 7,690 (2020 Census)
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~5,450 (≈71% of residents; modeled from Pew Research Center adoption rates and local age structure)

User mix

• Gender (of local social media users): Women 52% (2,830); Men 48% (2,620)
• Age groups (share of local users; approx. counts)
  • 13–17: 8% (~440)
  • 18–29: 17% (~930)
  • 30–49: 30% (~1,640)
  • 50–64: 27% (~1,470)
  • 65+: 18% (~970)

Most-used platforms in Lincoln County (share of local social media users; approx. counts)

• YouTube: 80% (4,360)
• Facebook: 72% (3,920)
• Instagram: 36% (1,960)
• Pinterest: 28% (1,530)
• TikTok: 25% (1,360)
• Snapchat: 17% (930)
• LinkedIn: 18% (980)
• WhatsApp: 16% (870)
• X (Twitter): 14% (760)
• Reddit: 12% (650)
• Nextdoor: 7% (380)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook is the hub for local news, school athletics, churches, county updates, and Marketplace activity; group participation and event sharing are high.
• Video-heavy consumption: YouTube dominates for how-to content, outdoor pursuits (fishing/boating on Clarks Hill/Lake Thurmond, hunting), product research, and local livestreams or recaps.
• Visual and short-form: Instagram and TikTok skew younger (teens through mid-30s) and are used for highlights, local business promos, and creator-style short videos; cross-posted Reels/Shorts are common.
• Messaging-centric: Snapchat is primarily teen/young-adult messaging; WhatsApp is used in smaller, family/worker circles and among multilingual households.
• Information and sports: X (Twitter) is niche—used by local sports followers, regional news watchers, and civically engaged residents; Reddit remains a smaller, male-leaning audience for hobby and tech discussions.
• Shopping and discovery: Facebook Marketplace is the default for buy/sell/trade; Pinterest sees strong use among women for projects, recipes, and seasonal planning; Instagram helps local businesses drive foot traffic with stories and reels.
• Age-skew effects: The county’s older tilt boosts Facebook and YouTube penetration, moderates Instagram/TikTok share, and limits Nextdoor (sparse neighborhood coverage).

Notes on platform skews

• Skews female locally: Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
• Skews male locally: YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn

Method and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census).
• Platform adoption: Pew Research Center national usage rates by platform, age, and (where available) gender (2023–2024). Local figures are modeled by weighting national adoption patterns to Lincoln County’s older-leaning age mix; totals rounded to reflect the county’s small population.