Muscogee County

Muscogee County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 206,922 (2020 Census)
• ~207,000 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~34 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~64%
• 65 and older: ~12%

Gender

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race/ethnicity

• Black or African American (alone): ~47%
• White (alone): ~40%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10%
• Asian (alone): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and other races: <1% each

Households and housing

• Households: ~77,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~61% (married-couple ≈37%)
• With own children under 18: ~30%
• Tenure: ~46% owner-occupied, ~54% renter-occupied

Insights

• Younger-than-national median age, influenced by the military presence (Fort Moore).
• Majority–minority profile, with Black residents as the largest single group.
• High renter share relative to state and national averages.

• Scope: Muscogee County, GA (Columbus). 2020 Census population 206,922; land area ≈216 sq mi; density ≈960 people/sq mi (urban, consolidated city–county).

• Estimated email users: ≈148,000 adults. Method: ≈78% of residents are 18+ (~161,000) and ~92% of U.S. adults use email; 0.92 × 161k ≈ 148k.

• Age distribution of email users (approx., mirroring adult age mix with slightly lower adoption 65+): • 18–34: 33% (49k) • 35–54: 33% (49k) • 55–64: 15% (22k) • 65+: 19% (28k)

• Gender split of email users: 52% female (77k), 48% male (71k), tracking county demographics.

• Digital access and connectivity: • Urban density and Columbus’s role as a regional hub support multi-ISP coverage with widespread cable and growing fiber in the core; outlying tracts rely more on DSL/fixed wireless. • Most households have a computer and broadband subscription; a meaningful smartphone-only segment drives mobile-first email behavior. • Public access points (libraries, schools, municipal facilities, campuses) bolster connectivity for lower-income and student populations.

Insights: Email usage is near-universal among adults under 65 and robust among seniors, with mobile devices central to access; high population density and urban infrastructure underpin strong local connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Muscogee County, Georgia: 2024 snapshot

At-a-glance estimates

• Population baseline (Census 2023 est.): ~206,000 residents; ~78,000 households; median age ~35; median household income ~$51,000; renter-occupied housing ~48–50% (all materially below/above Georgia averages where applicable).
• Unique mobile phone users: ~150,000–160,000 residents age 12+ actively use a mobile phone (roughly 92–95% of the 12+ population). Adult smartphone adoption is ~88–90%, implying ~135,000–142,000 adult smartphone users.
• Household device and access profile (modeled from ACS device and internet measures plus county demographics):
  • Households with at least one smartphone: ~91–94% (GA ~90–92%).
  • Smartphone-only households (no desktop/laptop at home): ~20–24% (GA ~13–16%).
  • Households that rely primarily or exclusively on a cellular data plan for home internet: ~18–22% (GA ~11–14%).

What’s different from Georgia overall

• Higher mobile dependence: Muscogee’s lower median income, higher renter share, and large military/student populations materially raise mobile-only and cellular-first internet use versus the state.
• More prepaid and plan churn: Prepaid and bring-your-own-device share is meaningfully higher (local retail mix and income tiers point to roughly one-third of active lines on prepaid, versus roughly one-quarter statewide). Device and number churn spike around PCS/military moves and academic terms.
• Faster take-up of 5G fixed wireless access (FWA): T-Mobile and Verizon 5G Home offers see above-state adoption, reflecting price sensitivity and easier move-in among renters and military families.
• Slightly younger user base: A younger age structure than Georgia overall supports near-universal smartphone ownership among 18–34s and heavier mobile video/social usage during evenings and weekends.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of usage)

• Age
  • 12–17: near-universal smartphone access (>94%); high messaging/social/video intensity.
  • 18–34: the largest high-intensity segment; adoption ~96–98%; heavy app and streaming use; strong prepaid/FWA overlap among renters.
  • 35–64: adoption ~88–95%; mixed postpaid/prepaid; mobile complements home broadband.
  • 65+: adoption ~60–70%; growing but below state average; more basic plans and larger share on postpaid family plans.
• Income and tenure
  • Households under ~$35k and renter households are overrepresented and much more likely to be smartphone-only and cellular-first for home internet.
• Race/ethnicity
  • With a higher share of Black residents than the state average, mobile-only broadband reliance is elevated relative to White households, consistent with national/Georgia patterns for income and housing tenure.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and capacity
  • All three national operators (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE and 5G. Mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band/n41) is widely deployed in Columbus proper and along major corridors (I‑185, US‑80, US‑27).
  • Population 5G coverage is effectively countywide (>95%), with the strongest capacity in the urban core and along commercial strips; signal can be more variable in wooded riverfront areas and in/around Fort Moore training lands.
• Speeds and reliability
  • Typical 5G median download performance spans roughly 100–300 Mbps in the urban core with 10–30 Mbps uplink, sufficient for multi‑stream HD video and low‑latency apps. LTE fallbacks are common at the fringes and inside some large buildings.
• Fixed wireless (FWA)
  • 5G Home/FWA is broadly available in the city; adoption is noticeably higher than Georgia’s statewide average, especially among renters and recent movers who forgo cable/fiber installs.
• Public safety and enterprise
  • FirstNet coverage (AT&T) is strong around hospitals, public facilities, and Fort Moore; network hardening and priority access support continuity during weather and training-related surges.
• Notable constraints
  • Capacity hotspots arise around retail clusters, campuses, event venues, and base-adjacent housing at evening peaks; operators have been adding small cells and mid‑band carriers to address this.

Key takeaways

• Penetration is saturated, but the usage mix is distinctive: Muscogee skews more mobile-only and cellular-first than Georgia overall, with higher prepaid share and faster FWA uptake.
• Demographics explain the divergence: a younger, more transient (military/student), lower‑income, higher‑renter profile drives heavier reliance on smartphones for both personal and home connectivity.
• Infrastructure is strong where people are: near‑ubiquitous 5G with robust mid‑band in Columbus proper; continued densification is the lever for improving indoor coverage and evening peak performance rather than sheer coverage expansion.

Social media usage snapshot: Muscogee County, GA (2024–2025)

• County context

  • Population: 206,922 (2020 Census)
  • Households with broadband: ~84% (ACS)
  • Gender: ~52% female, ~48% male
  • Adults (18+): ~155k; estimated adult social media users: ~113k (≈73% of adults use ≥1 platform)

• Most-used platforms (adult share who use the platform; modeled local estimates)

  • YouTube: 84%
  • Facebook: 70%
  • Instagram: 49%
  • TikTok: 33%
  • Pinterest: 35%
  • Snapchat: 28%
  • WhatsApp: 29%
  • LinkedIn: 29%
  • X (Twitter): 22%
  • Reddit: 22%
  • Nextdoor: 19%

• Age-group usage patterns

  • 18–29: >95% on at least one platform; heavy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; short-form video is primary
  • 30–49: ~80–85% on social; YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok; strong use of Facebook Groups/Marketplace for local info and deals
  • 50–64: ~70–75% on social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram use moderate, TikTok growing via Reels cross-posts
  • 65+: ~50% on social; Facebook first, YouTube for how‑to/news; Nextdoor use in owner-occupied neighborhoods

• Gender patterns

  • Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest (Pinterest ~46% of women vs ~16% of men)
  • Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Reddit ~29% of men vs ~16% of women)
  • Instagram and TikTok are more gender-balanced but skew younger overall

• Behavioral trends in Muscogee County

  • Facebook is the default local network for adults 30+ (city/county updates, schools, churches, Fort Moore community). Marketplace drives buy/sell, rentals, and services
  • Instagram and TikTok drive discovery for dining, beauty, fitness, and events in Uptown/Midtown; Reels outperform static posts
  • YouTube commands long-form and connected-TV viewing; Shorts are growing (often recycled from TikTok/Reels)
  • Snapchat is primarily 13–24 messaging and event coordination (e.g., Columbus State University); limited public content reach
  • WhatsApp is common for military families and immigrant communities (group coordination, international communication)
  • Nextdoor engagement is strongest in owner-occupied areas (North Columbus, Midland) for public safety, utilities, and HOA topics
  • Engagement windows: weekday evenings (7–10 p.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and weekends outperform mornings for entertainment content; mornings favor news/civic updates
  • Content preferences: short-form, local faces, timely deals, and live video for events/civic info; carousels perform well for local businesses; UGC and authentic tones outperform polished ads
  • Ad effectiveness: geo-targeted offers on Facebook/Instagram deliver best local ROI; video outperforms static; in‑app lead forms and Messenger/WhatsApp replies convert faster than off‑platform links

Notes: Figures are 2024–2025 modeled estimates for Muscogee County using U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) demographics/broadband and Pew Research Center 2024 social media adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s slightly younger profile; percentages rounded.