Monroe County

Monroe County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 27,957 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Up 5.8% from 26,424 in 2010

Age

• Median age: ~43 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~70%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~25%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Two or more races/other, non-Hispanic: ~1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~10,700
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~73% of households
• Married-couple households: ~57% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied: ~80%; renter-occupied: ~20%
• Average family size: ~3.0

Insights

• Older age profile relative to many urban Georgia counties (median age low‑40s).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White and Black population with a small but growing Hispanic share.
• High homeownership and family-household share, consistent with a suburban/rural county profile.

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

• Scope: Monroe County, GA (pop. ≈29,000; density ≈70–75 residents/sq. mi.; county seat: Forsyth).
• Estimated email users: 22,000–24,000 residents (≈75–83% of total), driven by near‑universal adult email use.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–29: 14–16%
  • 30–49: 33–36%
  • 50–64: 28–31%
  • 65+: 18–21%
  • Teens (<18): 4–6% (lower reliance on email vs. messaging)
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirrors local population; usage rates are effectively equal by gender).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home internet subscription in most households; countywide broadband availability covers the vast majority of serviceable locations (≥85%), with subscription/adoption around 75–80%.
  • Fiber and fixed‑wireless footprints have expanded since 2022; unserved/underserved pockets persist in more rural areas outside Forsyth.
  • Mobile connectivity is strong along the I‑75 corridor (multiple 4G/5G carriers), supporting smartphone‑centric email access; rural dead zones remain but are shrinking.
• Connectivity density facts:
  • Population and infrastructure cluster near Forsyth and I‑75, yielding higher speeds and reliability there.
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal sites provide public Wi‑Fi that supplements access for lower‑adoption neighborhoods.

Mobile phone usage in Monroe County, Georgia — 2025 snapshot

Bottom line

• Active smartphone users: approximately 20,500–21,500 residents (ages 13+) use a smartphone in Monroe County on a typical day, out of a total population near 29,000. Among adults (18+), an estimated 18,800–19,600 are smartphone users.
• Monroe County differs from Georgia overall by having more smartphone-only households, slightly lower adult adoption, more pronounced urban–rural performance gaps, and heavier reliance on the I‑75 corridor for high-capacity 5G.

How these estimates were derived

• Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 (S2801: Computer and Internet Use), Pew Research Center device adoption by age, and 2024 FCC mobile coverage/broadband availability. County age structure and household counts are from ACS; statewide benchmarks from Georgia ACS and Pew are used to translate to local adoption rates.

User and household metrics

• Household smartphone access: 91–93% of Monroe County households have at least one smartphone (Georgia: ~94–95%).
• Adult smartphone adoption: 84–87% of adults (Georgia: ~88–90%). The gap is driven by a larger 65+ share and more rural households.
• Teen adoption (13–17): ~90–93%, consistent with statewide patterns.
• Smartphone-only internet households: 15–18% rely on a cellular data plan with no fixed home internet (Georgia: ~11–12%).
• No home internet subscription (any type): ~11–14% (Georgia: ~9–10%).
• Interpretation: Monroe County’s higher mobile-only and unconnected shares indicate that mobile service substitutes for home broadband more often than at the state level.

Demographic patterns behind usage

• Age: A larger 65+ population (≈19–21% of residents) pulls down overall adult smartphone adoption; estimated 65+ adoption is ~65–72% locally vs ~70–76% statewide. Working-age adults (30–64) are near state norms (>85%).
• Income: Households under ~$50k are more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet than the county average. This raises countywide mobile dependence relative to Georgia.
• Race/ethnicity: Monroe County has a substantial Black population; mirroring statewide ACS patterns, majority-Black census tracts tend to show higher smartphone-only reliance, contributing to the county’s above-average mobile dependence.
• Plan mix: Prepaid participation is measurably higher than the state average (consistent with rural and lower-income profiles), reinforcing cost-sensitive mobile usage and hotspotting.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and 5G:
  • Low-band 5G and LTE cover nearly all populated areas. Mid-band 5G (higher capacity) is strongest along I‑75 and around Forsyth, with thinner mid-band footprints in the eastern and far-western parts of the county.
  • Consequence: Users near I‑75 see markedly higher 5G speeds and capacity; many outlying areas still lean on LTE or low-band 5G with lower throughput.
• Typical speeds:
  • I‑75/Forsyth corridor: mid-band 5G commonly supports ~80–150 Mbps downlink under normal load.
  • Rural edges and river/wooded areas: 10–40 Mbps is more typical, with LTE fallback indoors.
• Carriers and public safety:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) operate macro coverage; AT&T’s FirstNet footprint is strong due to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, supporting priority/public-safety traffic and occasional training-related surges.
• Fixed wireless availability:
  • 5G-based Home Internet offers (T‑Mobile, Verizon) are widely marketed in the county and are a prominent reason the smartphone-only share is elevated: some households pair mobile phones with a cellular home gateway instead of subscribing to cable/DSL/fiber.
• Backhaul and fiber context:
  • Fiber backbones and incremental electric-coop/cable builds are expanding, but outside Forsyth and main corridors, fixed alternatives remain patchier than in metro Georgia. Until those fills occur, mobile networks carry a larger share of “home” connectivity than the state average.

How Monroe County diverges from Georgia as a whole

• More mobile dependence: Higher share of smartphone-only and cellular home internet households than the statewide average.
• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption: Driven by an older age mix and rural pockets.
• Greater location-based performance spread: A pronounced capacity gradient between the I‑75 corridor (strong mid-band 5G) and outlying areas (LTE/low-band 5G).
• Public-safety skew: Above-average FirstNet presence and periodic demand spikes due to GPSTC activity.
• Cost sensitivity: Higher prepaid and hotspot use tendencies than statewide, reflecting income mix and fixed-broadband gaps.

Implications

• Network investment that extends mid-band 5G beyond the I‑75 corridor would close a unique local performance gap not seen as strongly in metro Georgia.
• As fiber expands, the smartphone-only share should gradually decline, but in the near term mobile networks will continue to shoulder a higher share of home connectivity than the state average.
• Device and plan strategies that prioritize coverage, hotspot allowances, and cost control will remain especially relevant for Monroe County residents.

Social media usage in Monroe County, GA (2024–2025 snapshot)

Population context

• Population: ~29,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 est.). Adults (18+): ~22,000.
• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male.
• Median age: low–mid 40s; older than the U.S. median, which tilts usage toward Facebook/YouTube and away from newer apps.

Overall reach (adults 18+)

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~75–78% (≈16,500–17,300 people).
• Gender among social users: ~54% women, ~46% men (women over-index on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube/X/Reddit).

Age mix among social users (modeled from county age structure and national platform-by-age adoption)

• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~36%
• 50–64: ~26%
• 65+: ~16%

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled for Monroe County using Pew Research 2024 platform adoption adjusted for local age profile)

• YouTube: ~75–78%
• Facebook: ~64–68%
• Instagram: ~38–42%
• Pinterest: ~30–34% (skews female)
• TikTok: ~26–30% (strong under-35 skew)
• Snapchat: ~20–24% (heaviest in teens/early 20s)
• X (Twitter): ~16–20% (skews male/news-oriented)
• LinkedIn: ~15–19% (lower in exurban/rural labor markets)
• Nextdoor: ~10–14% (neighborhood pockets; strongest in newer subdivisions)

Behavioral trends observed in similar Georgia exurban counties and consistent with Monroe County demographics

• Facebook as the local hub: Heavy use of Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, yard/estate sales), Marketplace, and local alerts. Event pages and photo albums drive outsized engagement versus text-only posts.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, outdoors, home projects, and highlights; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) performs best for under‑35s and community/event recaps.
• Daypart patterns: Peaks after work (7–9 pm) and weekend mornings; midday workday lulls. School-year spikes around after‑school hours for households with children.
• Local information economy: High trust in neighbor posts and familiar local businesses; rapid amplification of road closures, weather, school updates via Facebook Groups.
• Commerce behavior: Facebook Marketplace is the default for buy/sell/trade; service providers (HVAC, lawn, home repair) rely on Facebook pages, reviews, and short demo videos more than standalone websites.
• Cross-posting: Instagram content routinely cross‑published to Facebook; TikTok content often repurposed as Reels to reach older Facebook audiences.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger prevalent 30+; Snapchat dominant among teens/college‑age. WhatsApp use is niche and community-specific.
• News and civic engagement: Local government, public safety, and regional TV stations’ Facebook pages are key sources; engagement spikes during elections, severe weather, and major road incidents on I‑75.

Data notes

• County-level platform stats are modeled from U.S. Census/ACS demographics for Monroe County and Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption by age; figures reflect adults and are rounded to practical ranges.