Oconee County

Key demographics for Oconee County, Georgia

• Population:

  • 41,799 (2020 Census)
  • Approximately mid-40,000s by 2023 based on Census estimates, reflecting steady growth since 2020

• Age:

  • Median age: about 41 years (ACS 5-year)
  • Under 18: roughly 25–27%
  • 65 and over: roughly 15–18%

• Gender:

  • Female: ~51–52%
  • Male: ~48–49%

• Race and ethnicity (ACS 5-year; shares sum to ~100%):

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~82–85%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~5–6%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~4–6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–7%
  • Two or more races/Other: ~2–3%

• Households (ACS 5-year):

  • Households: roughly 14,500–15,000
  • Average household size: ~2.8–2.9
  • Family households: ~75–80% of all households
  • Homeownership rate: roughly low-to-mid 80% range

Insights:

• Oconee County is a fast-growing, family-oriented suburban county with a relatively high median age, high homeownership, and a predominantly non-Hispanic White population with small but growing Asian and Hispanic communities. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Oconee County, GA snapshot (2024):

• Population and density: ~43,000 residents; ~230 people per square mile (suburban–rural mix).
• Estimated email users: ~33,300 total (adults plus teens), driven by near‑universal internet access.
• Adult email users by age (users; share using email):
  • 18–29: ~5,366 (96%)
  • 30–49: ~10,733 (96%)
  • 50–64: ~7,516 (92%)
  • 65+: ~7,112 (87%) Adult total: ~30,700; plus ~2,600 teen (12–17) users.
• Gender split: ~51.5% female, 48.5% male. Email users ≈ 17.2k female and 16.1k male.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home broadband subscription ≈ 93% of households; computer ownership ≈ 95% (ACS).
  • Network availability: ≥99% of residents have access to at least 25/3 Mbps and ~92% to ≥100/20 Mbps service; fiber availability has expanded since 2020 (FCC/GA broadband initiatives).
  • Device landscape: ~89% of adults own smartphones; ~10–12% are smartphone‑only internet users (Pew/ACS aligned).
  • Remote‑work growth and high educational attainment support heavy email reliance for work, school, and services.

Insights: High broadband penetration, strong device ownership, and a sizable 50+ cohort using email at 87–92% underpin stable, county‑wide email engagement above 30k users.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Oconee County, Georgia (2024–2025)

Topline user estimates

• Population baseline: ~44,000 residents; ~34,000 adults (18+).
• Household smartphone access: 95–97% of households in Oconee have at least one smartphone, above Georgia’s ~91–93% (ACS S2801-trend).
• Adult smartphone ownership: 92–95% of adults, implying roughly 31,000–32,500 adult smartphone users.
• Teens (12–17) with phones: 85–90% adoption; ~3,400–3,700 users.
• Wireless-only (no landline) households: estimated 72–78% in Oconee vs ~68–74% statewide (CDC NHIS state trend applied to county profile).

How Oconee differs from Georgia overall

• Higher penetration: Smartphone access and ownership are several points above the state average, consistent with Oconee’s higher income and education levels.
• Postpaid skew: Larger share of postpaid family plans and a smaller prepaid/MVNO footprint than the state average; estimated prepaid share 18–22% vs Georgia ~27–31%.
• Platform mix: iOS likely holds a majority (≈55–60%) vs a near 50/50 split statewide, driven by income and device upgrade cadence.
• 5G handset penetration: 75–85% of active smartphones vs ~65–75% statewide, reflecting faster device refresh.
• Lower reliance on mobile-only home internet: 6–8% of households using cellular as their only home internet vs ~10–12% statewide, due to stronger fixed-broadband options in the county’s populated tracts.

Demographic breakdown of users and usage

• Age 18–34: Near-universal smartphone use (≈97–99%); heavy app, streaming, and ride-share usage concentrated around the US‑78/Epps Bridge/Wire Park retail hubs and commuter corridors to Athens.
• Age 35–64: 95–98% smartphone adoption; highest share of multi-line postpaid family plans; strong mobile wallet and curbside/retail app usage.
• Age 65+: 80–85% smartphone adoption in Oconee vs ~75–80% statewide; higher telehealth and messaging usage, lower social video intensity than younger cohorts.
• Children/teens (12–17): 85–90% carry phones; strong presence on school/parental management apps and messaging platforms.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile provide countywide LTE with broad 5G coverage in populated areas (Watkinsville, Bogart, Oconee Connector/Epps Bridge, US‑78, GA‑316). AT&T FirstNet serves public safety across the county.
• 5G layers in market:
  • Low band (600/700/850 MHz) for wide-area coverage across all carriers.
  • Mid-band 2.5 GHz (T‑Mobile) and C‑band 3.7–3.98 GHz (AT&T and Verizon) active along GA‑316/US‑78 and commercial corridors, supporting typical median 5G speeds in the 100–250 Mbps range in those zones.
• Capacity and reliability:
  • Stronger-than-state-average urban/suburban performance in the north/central parts of the county.
  • Known stress periods: Athens/UGA event days push load onto Oconee-facing sectors and along commuter roads; carriers mitigate with temporary capacity and additional sectors, but busy-hour slowdowns still occur.
• Gaps and edge areas: Patchier service in southern and southwestern rural tracts near the Apalachee and Oconee river corridors and low-lying terrain; in-building coverage can be inconsistent in newer, energy-efficient constructions without indoor systems.
• Build-out trend (2021–2024): Additional macro and small-cell sites along GA‑316 and the Oconee Connector retail district, with mid-band 5G overlays improving peak-hour capacity more than raw coverage footprint.

Behavioral and plan trends

• Higher take-up of bundled postpaid family plans with device financing and premium data tiers compared with GA overall.
• Contactless payments and retailer app usage exceed state averages, reflected by strong adoption in Epps Bridge Centre and new mixed-use sites.
• Hotspot use is common for mobility but less often a primary home connection than in rural Georgia counties.

Methodological notes and sources

• County-level smartphone access benchmarks are aligned to ACS “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” (S2801) 5-year trends through 2022/2023; adult ownership and teen usage are derived by applying age-specific adoption rates from Pew/CDC/NHIS and CTIA market patterns to Oconee’s demographic profile.
• Coverage and 5G layer descriptions reflect FCC Broadband Data Collection filings, carrier public coverage maps, and observed deployment patterns in the Athens–Oconee market area as of 2024–2025.

Key takeaways

• Oconee County sits above Georgia averages on smartphone penetration, 5G device mix, postpaid plan prevalence, and iOS share.
• The county benefits from strong suburban 5G capacity along GA‑316/US‑78 while still exhibiting rural edge coverage challenges to the south.
• Mobile is a daily primary channel for communication and commerce, but households rely less on cellular as a sole home internet solution than the state at large due to better fixed broadband availability in populated tracts.

Social media in Oconee County, GA — concise snapshot (2025)

Population and connectivity

• Population: ~43,000 (2023 estimate). Adults: ~33,000.
• Households with broadband: ~90% (ACS; high suburban connectivity).
• Estimated social media users: ~26,000–28,000 adults (about 80–85% of adults; aligns with U.S. adoption levels).

Age and gender profile (ACS-based, rounded)

• Age groups: 0–17 (24%), 18–34 (17%), 35–64 (40%), 65+ (19%).
• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male.

Most-used platforms (benchmarks and Oconee-oriented estimates)

• YouTube: 83% of U.S. adults use; locally ~80–85% of adults.
• Facebook: 68% of U.S. adults; locally ~70–75% (older/family-heavy suburban mix lifts usage).
• Instagram: 47% U.S.; locally ~40–45% (strong among 18–34, parents, small businesses).
• TikTok: 33% U.S.; locally ~25–30% (youth/young parents; growing).
• Pinterest: 35% U.S.; locally ~35–40% (higher among women, home/garden interest).
• LinkedIn: 30% U.S.; locally ~30–35% (professional commuters to Athens/Atlanta).
• Snapchat: 30% U.S.; locally ~20–25% (teen/young adult skew).
• X (Twitter): 22% U.S.; locally ~18–22%.
• Reddit: 22% U.S.; locally ~18–22%.

Behavioral trends (what people use where)

• Facebook is the civic and commerce hub: school/PTA and youth sports groups, county info, churches, Marketplace, local politics. Events posts and group discussions drive reach.
• Instagram is the showcase for local businesses: boutiques, restaurants, fitness, real estate. Stories/Reels outperform static posts; cross-posted Reels from TikTok perform well.
• TikTok fuels discovery among younger residents and parents (food spots around Epps Bridge/Watkinsville, kid-friendly activities); short-form video repurposed to Instagram boosts ROI.
• Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook Groups handle hyperlocal needs: HOA notices, safety alerts, lost pets, contractor recs; geo-fenced posts perform best.
• YouTube is universal utility: DIY, product research, school sports highlights, church livestreams/sermons.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs dominate customer service and appointment-setting; WhatsApp is niche (international ties).
• Content that over-indexes: school- and kid-centric announcements, home improvement/gardening, pets, local events (farmers market, holiday festivals), faith-based community items, and UGA-adjacent content.
• Timing: Highest engagement tends to cluster on weekday evenings (roughly 7–9 p.m.) and weekend late mornings/early afternoons; announcements tied to school calendars spike during pickup/early evening windows.
• Advertising realities: Facebook/Instagram ads with tight geo-targeting (Watkinsville, Bogart/30622, Epps Bridge retail corridor) and lookalikes from engaged followers consistently outperform broad DMA targeting.

Usage intensity (U.S. user behavior; local patterns generally similar)

• “Daily” users among each platform’s users: Facebook ~70%, Instagram ~60%, Snapchat ~60%+, TikTok ~50%+, YouTube ~50%+.
• Practical takeaway: Facebook remains the most reliable daily reach; Instagram/TikTok deliver outsized engagement with short-form video; YouTube sustains steady search-driven discovery.

Notes

• Population, age, gender, and broadband figures are from recent ACS/Census estimates. Platform percentages are Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage benchmarks; local percentages are age- and suburb-adjusted estimates for Oconee’s profile.