Mcintosh County

McIntosh County, Georgia — key demographics (latest available: 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: ~11,300–11,600 (2020 Census ~11.1k; 2019–2023 ACS estimate ~11.5k)

Age

• Median age: ~48–50 years
• Age distribution: ~17–18% under 18; ~56–58% 18–64; ~24–26% 65+

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~55–60%
• Black or African American alone: ~35–40%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3–5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, other: each <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~5,000–5,300
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4 persons
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%
• Notable seasonal/vacant housing share due to coastal/second-home market

Key insight: McIntosh County is small and older than the state average, with a majority White population and a substantial Black community, relatively small Hispanic presence, smaller household sizes, and high homeownership typical of rural/coastal Georgia.

• Population and density: McIntosh County, GA has roughly 14,000 residents, with about 33 people per square mile (sparsely populated coastal/rural county centered on Darien).
• Estimated email users: ≈10,500 residents (about 75% of the population) use email regularly.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~5%
  • 18–34: ~20%
  • 35–54: ~35%
  • 55+: ~40% (older-skewing county boosts the 55+ share)
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home broadband subscription: ~67–70% of households (below the Georgia average).
  • Smartphone-only internet access: ~18% of households, supporting email primarily via mobile.
  • Fixed broadband availability: ~80–85% of locations meet 100/20 Mbps service; strongest along I‑95/US‑17 and in Darien, with coverage gaps across marsh and barrier-island areas.
  • Fiber footprint is expanding from town centers/corridors; speeds and reliability have improved since 2022, but adoption is constrained by income, age, and spread-out housing.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, municipal Wi‑Fi) serve as key connectivity anchors for lower-connectivity areas.

Insight: Email reach is broad but shaped by rural density and an older population; mobile-based access is critical, and continued fiber builds should lift both email engagement and multi-device usage.

Mobile phone usage in McIntosh County, Georgia (2024–2025 summary)

Headline estimates

• Population base: ~11,000–12,000 residents; ~8,800–9,200 adults (18+). ~4,500–4,900 households.
• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~8,300–8,600 adults (≈93%).
• Adult smartphone users: ~7,400–7,900 adults (≈84–86%).
• Households primarily relying on mobile data for home internet: ~1,000–1,200 (≈20–25% of households).
• Households with no home internet access: ~400–550 (≈8–12%).
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: ≈30–35% of active lines.
• Typical median monthly mobile data use: ~15–20 GB per smartphone; 30–60 GB in mobile-only households.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • The county’s older age profile (≈27–30% age 65+) suppresses smartphone penetration among seniors to roughly 60–65%, versus ~90–95% among ages 18–64. This age mix pulls overall smartphone adoption a few points below the Georgia average.
• Income
  • Median household incomes are below the state median, contributing to a higher prepaid share (≈30–35% locally vs roughly mid‑20s% statewide) and more single‑line plans. Lower-income households disproportionately rely on mobile data as their primary connection.
• Race and ethnicity
  • The population is majority White with a large Black community; observed smartphone ownership gaps by race are small once income and age are controlled. Reliance on mobile-only internet is elevated across groups where wireline options are limited.
• Education
  • Lower bachelor’s degree attainment than the state average correlates with fewer multi‑device homes but strong smartphone-centered access for essential services (banking, benefits, telehealth).

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: Effectively countywide on primary roads and in population centers (Darien, Eulonia, I‑95 corridor; US‑17/GA‑99).
  • 5G: Broad population coverage along I‑95 and in/around Darien; estimated 80–90% of residents have outdoor 5G coverage, but only ~50–60% of land area due to extensive marsh, waterways, and low-density timber tracts. mmWave 5G is not present; service is mid‑band/sub‑6 GHz.
• Carriers and fixed wireless
  • AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon all operate; fixed‑wireless home internet (5G/LTE) from Verizon and T‑Mobile is available within 5G/LTE footprints and is a key alternative where cable/fiber are absent.
• Wireline broadband
  • Fiber and cable are concentrated in and immediately around Darien and along the I‑95 spine; availability drops off quickly in rural reaches and on barrier/island areas. Local incumbents and regional providers offer mixed cable, fiber pockets, and legacy DSL; satellite remains a fallback in the most remote zones.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Along I‑95 and town centers: 5G mid‑band frequently delivers 100–300 Mbps down; LTE commonly 20–60 Mbps. Inland/rural pockets can see LTE in the 5–25 Mbps range with higher latency and occasional dead zones near marshlands and waterways.
• Resilience
  • Power and backhaul risk during coastal storms/hurricanes remains the principal reliability constraint; macro sites are clustered along evacuation routes, which helps post‑storm restoration but leaves interior dead spots where site density is low.

How McIntosh County differs from Georgia statewide

• More mobile-only internet dependence: ≈20–25% of households use mobile as their primary or only home connection, several points higher than the state average, due to sparser fiber/cable buildout.
• Older population, lower senior smartphone use: Overall smartphone adoption is high but trails the state by a few points because seniors make up a larger share and have lower adoption rates.
• Higher prepaid mix and single‑line plans: Cost sensitivity produces a larger prepaid segment and less family‑plan penetration than in metro Georgia.
• 5G is corridor-centric: Coverage and capacity are strong along I‑95 and in Darien but fall off faster with distance than in metro areas; Georgia’s urban counties have more uniform 5G density and mid‑band capacity.
• Greater performance variability: Speed and reliability swing more by location and season (tourism peaks, storms) than the statewide norm.

Actionable insights

• Expanding mid‑band 5G and fixed‑wireless footprints just off the I‑95 corridor would meaningfully reduce the mobile-only burden and improve rural coverage.
• Targeted fiber extensions from Darien into adjacent census blocks would close the largest infrastructure gap and likely lower the prepaid share over time as bundled offerings become viable.
• Senior-focused device and support programs could lift smartphone adoption in the 65+ segment, improving access to telehealth and emergency alerts.

Notes on estimates

• Population, household, and age mix are based on recent Census/ACS ranges for McIntosh County; adoption rates use recent national and regional benchmarks (Pew, CDC/NIHS) adjusted for the county’s older age and rural profile. Coverage and performance reflect carrier build patterns typical for coastal rural Georgia and observed corridor effects. Where exact local figures are not published, ranges are provided to stay conservative while remaining decision-useful.

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

Key user stats

• Population: about 11.5k residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate). Adults (18+) are roughly four in five residents, and the county skews older than the U.S. average.
• Modeled adult social media users: approximately 6.5k–7.0k (applying Pew’s finding that ~72% of U.S. adults use at least one social platform to the county’s adult population).
• Access pattern: usage is predominantly mobile-first; Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central for community information and local commerce.

Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults who say they use the platform; Pew Research Center 2024, used as local reach proxies)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22% These benchmarks indicate YouTube and Facebook provide the broadest potential reach; in McIntosh County specifically, Facebook typically delivers the most localized, community-level reach due to Groups, Pages, and Marketplace.

Age-group trends (local implications using national patterns)

• 18–29: Heavy on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat; YouTube is near-universal. Best formats: short-form vertical video, music- and trend-driven content, creator-style storytelling.
• 30–49: Active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; growing use of TikTok. Best formats: short video, Stories/Reels, how-tos, local family activities and deals.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram is secondary. Best formats: community updates, events, practical guides, service spotlights.
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second. Best formats: local news, church/civic content, health and public-service information, event recaps.

Gender breakdown (directional, based on U.S. usage patterns)

• Women: relatively higher use of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; strong engagement with community groups, school/activities, local shopping and Marketplace listings.
• Men: relatively higher use of YouTube, Reddit, and X; strong engagement with sports, outdoors (fishing/boating/hunting), local government updates, and technical how-tos.

Behavioral trends observed in rural/coastal Georgia communities (applicable to McIntosh County)

• Facebook Groups are the information hub: local government, schools, churches, sports, festivals (e.g., Darien’s Blessing of the Fleet), buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found, and weather/road updates.
• Marketplace drives frequent transactions; posts with clear photos, price, location, and pickup details perform best.
• Video-first consumption: short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) and how-to/recap content on YouTube earn strong completion rates; live video boosts event visibility.
• Timing: engagement clusters around early mornings, lunch, and evenings; weekends see higher community/event interaction.
• Trust signals matter: posts that show people (not just products), recognizable local landmarks, and responsiveness in comments outperform generic creative.
• Discovery pathways: local word-of-mouth amplified by Facebook sharing; Instagram and TikTok expand reach among younger adults; YouTube search supports evergreen discovery (e.g., service explainers, fishing/boating tips, coastal maintenance).

Strategic takeaways

• For broad local reach: prioritize Facebook (Pages + Groups + Events + Marketplace) and YouTube (searchable, evergreen video).
• To reach under-35s: add TikTok and Instagram Reels; use short, trend-aligned video with strong hooks in the first 2–3 seconds.
• Creative mix: combine announcements and community service posts with behind-the-scenes, how-to, and event recap videos; encourage shares in local groups.
• Measurement: track group shares, saves, and comments (not just likes); monitor Marketplace messages and DMs as conversion proxies.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Fact Sheet (2024) for platform usage percentages and age/gender patterns.
• U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (2023) and ACS 5-year tables for county demographics (to size the adult user base). Modeled local user counts are derived by applying national adoption rates to the county’s adult population.