Mcduffie County

Key demographics for McDuffie County, Georgia

Population

• 2020 Census: 21,632
• 2023 estimate (Census PEP): ~21.6k

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~23.7%
• 65 and over: ~17.7%

Gender

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~51–52%
• Black or African American alone: ~44–45%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4% (overlaps with race categories)
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian: ~0.4–0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.3%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~8.2k
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~67%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~68–70%
• Median household income (2022 dollars): ~$50–51k
• Persons in poverty: ~18–20%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program.

McDuffie County, GA snapshot (population ≈21,700; area ≈257 sq mi; density ≈84 people/sq mi). Estimated email users: ≈16,000 residents use email regularly, driven by high home broadband/smartphone access.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~7%
• 18–34: ~24%
• 35–64: ~49%
• 65+: ~20%

Gender split of users: ~53% female, ~47% male, mirroring the county’s population.

Digital access and trends:

• Households with a computer: ~89%
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~80%
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~13%
• Households with no home internet: ~11%
• Access has improved since 2018 with rising broadband subscriptions and smartphone adoption, though rural gaps persist.

Local connectivity facts:

• Strongest fixed broadband (cable/fiber) coverage in Thomson and along the I‑20 corridor; outer rural areas rely more on fixed wireless or satellite.
• Population density and settlement pattern support higher service availability near Thomson/Dearing, with sparser outlying tracts experiencing lower speeds and fewer wired options.

These estimates synthesize recent ACS computer/internet indicators and prevailing email adoption patterns to reflect realistic local usage.

Mobile phone usage in McDuffie County, Georgia — summary and insights

Population baseline

• Total population: 21,632 (2020 Census). Approximately 77% are adults (18+), or about 16,657 adults (ACS-based share applied to county population).
• Median household income: roughly $50,000, materially below the Georgia median (~$69,000, ACS 2022), which influences plan types and reliance on mobile in lieu of home broadband.
• Demographics (ACS-patterned profile): ~55% White (non-Hispanic), ~41% Black, ~3% Hispanic/Latino, with an older age profile than the state (about 18% age 65+ vs Georgia’s ~15%).

User estimates (derived from national/rural adoption rates and ACS population shares)

• Adults with a mobile phone (any cellphone): ≈ 15,990 (about 96% of adults), using rural U.S. cellphone ownership norms (Pew).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈ 14,160 (about 85% of adults), a few points below statewide Georgia (≈88–90%).
• Seniors (65+): ≈ 3,894 people; estimated ≈ 2,375 smartphone users (about 61% ownership among 65+, Pew), leaving a sizable feature‑phone segment and some non-users.
• Households: ≈ 8,500. Estimated mobile‑only internet households: ≈ 1,750–1,850 (about 21% vs Georgia roughly 17%), reflecting greater reliance on smartphones/hotspots where wireline broadband is limited or unaffordable.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: high smartphone adoption (~95%+), heavy app/social/video usage; likely the most data‑intensive cohort. In McDuffie, this group is smaller as a share than statewide, pulling down overall smartphone penetration slightly.
  • 35–64: adoption in the low‑90% range; mixed prepaid/postpaid usage.
  • 65+: adoption near 60–65%, with more voice/text‑centric usage and fewer data‑heavy apps; higher presence of basic/feature phones than the state average.
• Income and affordability:
  • Lower local incomes correlate with higher uptake of prepaid and budget MVNO plans, more price‑sensitive device replacement cycles, and greater dependence on mobile data for home connectivity.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black adults in the county are likely to show smartphone ownership on par with or slightly above White adults (nationally, ownership rates are similar), but have higher “smartphone‑only” internet reliance, reinforcing the above‑average mobile‑only household share locally.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns

• Coverage footprint:
  • Strongest and most consistent LTE/5G low‑band coverage clusters around Thomson and along I‑20 and US‑78/US‑278 corridors. Coverage thins in more sparsely populated areas away from these corridors, with occasional dead zones in low‑lying/forested pockets.
• 5G profile:
  • Predominantly low‑band 5G for broad coverage; limited mid‑band capacity deployments are concentrated near town centers. Millimeter‑wave 5G is effectively absent. This skews 5G experiences toward coverage rather than high throughput, unlike metro Georgia.
• Fixed connectivity interplay:
  • Cable and some fiber are present in and immediately around Thomson; outside the town core, options fall back to legacy DSL or fixed wireless. This uneven wireline footprint materially increases dependence on mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering in rural tracts.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA):
  • FWA from national mobile carriers is increasingly available near major corridors and town limits and is being used as a substitute for cable/fiber in outlying areas. Adoption is higher than in metro Georgia due to cost and availability advantages.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Practical mobile speeds are adequate for everyday use near corridors/town but degrade off‑corridor. Network capacity is more sensitive to load at peak times due to fewer cell sites per square mile than state metro areas.

How McDuffie County differs from Georgia overall

• Smartphone penetration: lower by roughly 2–5 percentage points (≈85% vs ≈88–90% statewide), driven by an older age mix and more rural settlement.
• Mobile‑only internet: higher by about 3–5 points (≈21% of households vs ≈17% statewide), reflecting affordability constraints and patchier wireline broadband.
• 5G experience: coverage-first (low‑band dominant) with limited mid‑band capacity areas, unlike the broader mid‑band buildouts in Atlanta and larger Georgia metros.
• Plan mix: higher relative reliance on prepaid/MVNO and budget tiers than the state average, in line with local income distribution.
• Infrastructure density: fewer macro sites per square mile and greater distance between sites than in metro counties, increasing variability in indoor coverage and rural edge performance.

Key takeaways

• Approximately 16,000 adults in McDuffie use a mobile phone, with about 14,000 being smartphone users.
• The county’s older and lower‑income profile leads to slightly lower smartphone uptake, higher prepaid use, and materially greater dependence on mobile as primary internet compared with Georgia overall.
• Mobile networks provide solid corridor/town coverage but remain coverage‑driven (low‑band 5G) with capacity limitations off‑corridor; this, combined with uneven wireline options, sustains higher FWA and hotspot use than at the state level.

Sources and estimation notes

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population); ACS 2022 (age, income, household characteristics).
• Pew Research Center (2021–2023) on smartphone and cellphone ownership by age and urban/rural status; NTIA/ACS indicators on household internet access.
• County figures above are derived by applying current rural adoption rates and age‑specific ownership rates to McDuffie’s population structure and household counts.

Social media usage in McDuffie County, GA (2025 snapshot)

How this was built: Figures are modeled for McDuffie County using the county’s population (~21.6K residents; U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023) and applying the latest U.S. adoption rates from Pew Research Center (2024 adults; 2023 teens). Use as planning-grade estimates.

Overall user stats

• Estimated social media users (13+): ~15,000 people
• Share of total population using social media: ≈70%
• Share of adults (18+) using social media: ≈85%
• Device mix: predominantly mobile; content that is vertical, short-form, and caption-light performs best

Age breakdown (share of local social users)

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–29: ~20%
• 30–49: ~33%
• 50–64: ~24%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender breakdown (share of local social users)

• Female: ~54%
• Male: ~46% Notes: Women slightly over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men slightly over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most-used platforms (share of local social users, estimated)

• YouTube: ~84%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~48%
• TikTok: ~38%
• Snapchat: ~36%
• Pinterest: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~27%
• Reddit: ~21%
• X (Twitter): ~21%
• WhatsApp: ~20%
• Nextdoor: ~18%

Behavioral trends and local usage patterns

• Facebook is the community backbone: High activity in local Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, community alerts) and heavy use of Marketplace for buy/sell/trade.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, music, sermons, local sports highlights; TikTok/IG Reels for short local lifestyle clips and event promos.
• Teen and young adult messaging: Snapchat is a primary day-to-day channel for high schoolers; TikTok and Instagram drive discovery and trends.
• Information utility: Fast engagement with weather updates, school closings, road conditions, and public safety notices from city/county pages.
• Small-business marketing: Cross-posting to Facebook + Instagram is standard; Reels/Stories outperform static posts. Events, limited-time offers, and sponsor shout-outs see above-average engagement.
• Timing: Engagement typically peaks before work/school (≈6–8 a.m.) and evenings (≈7–10 p.m.), with weekend late-morning spikes tied to errands, sports, and church activities.
• Creative that performs: Faces and familiar places (local landmarks, teams, churches), short captions with clear calls to action, and community-centered storytelling.
• Advertising notes: Geotargeting around Thomson, I‑20 exits, schools/athletic venues, and major retail clusters performs well; frequency-capping and broad mobile placements help manage fatigue.

Key sources underpinning the estimates

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 (population and demographics)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use 2024 (U.S. adults)
• Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (U.S. teens)

Method note: Platform percentages reflect applying national adoption rates to McDuffie County’s demographic mix; local behaviors reflect common patterns observed in rural/small-metro Southeast communities and platform usage norms.