Oglethorpe County

Oglethorpe County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 15,259
• 2023 population estimate: approximately 16–17 thousand (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: about 42 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; shares sum to ~100%)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~72–74%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~17–19%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–7%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native and other races: <1% combined

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~5,700–5,900
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~68–70% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~80–85%

Insights

• Small, growing county adjacent to the Athens metro, with a median age in the low 40s.
• Majority non-Hispanic White, with a substantial Black population and a smaller but growing Hispanic population.
• Household structure is predominantly owner-occupied family households with moderate household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program.

Email usage in Oglethorpe County, GA (best-available estimate)

• Estimated email users: ~10,900 residents. Method: 2020 Census population ~15.3k and ~92% email adoption among adults; ~77% of residents are 18+.
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county demographics).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate share of users): 18–29: 18%; 30–49: 34%; 50–64: 28%; 65+: 20%. Older adults participate widely but at slightly lower rates than younger cohorts.
• Digital access and device trends:
  • ~85% of households have a computer; ~72% have a broadband subscription (fixed or mobile).
  • ~12–15% of households are smartphone-only for internet, indicating some email access occurs via mobile networks rather than fixed broadband.
  • Fixed broadband availability is improving, but adoption lags due to rural dispersion and cost sensitivity.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density is roughly mid-30s per square mile, underscoring rural last‑mile challenges.
  • Pockets remain with limited high-speed options; fiber is present along select corridors, while many outlying areas rely on DSL, cable, or fixed wireless.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools) and mobile hotspots supplement connectivity for residents without robust home service.

Overall, email usage is widespread and adult‑centric, with adoption constrained at the margins by rural broadband gaps.

Mobile phone usage in Oglethorpe County, GA (2024–2025 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~16,000
• Adults (18+): ~12,600
• Households: ~6,100 Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates and ACS 5-year patterns for rural northeast Georgia.

User estimates

• Mobile phone users (any cell): ~11,800 adults (94% of adults), plus most teens; total users countywide ~13,500
• Smartphone users: ~10,500 adults (83% of adults)
• Wireless-only households (no landline): ~4,200 households (≈70% of households)
• Smartphone-only internet users (no home broadband): ~2,800 adults (≈22% of adults), materially above the Georgia average

Demographic breakdown (ownership and plan choices)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption; heavy app and social/video use
  • 35–64: ~88% smartphone adoption; high work-related and navigation use
  • 65+: ~66% smartphone adoption (notably below Georgia’s ~75%); higher tendency to keep 4G-only devices and remain on voice/SMS-centric plans
• Income
  • Under $35k: ~78% smartphone adoption; prepaid share ~40% and higher incidence of smartphone-only internet use
  • $35–75k: ~86% adoption; mixed prepaid/postpaid
  • $75k+: ~94% adoption; postpaid family plans dominate
• Platform
  • Android ~60–65%; iOS ~35–40% (more Android than the Georgia average), driven by price sensitivity and MVNO availability
• Plan type
  • Prepaid/MVNO share: ~30% of lines (above the Georgia average), reflecting cost control and coverage testing across carriers

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks
  • All three national MNOs (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) serve the county; MVNOs widely used
  • FirstNet (AT&T) present for public safety; coverage still varies in low-lying/wooded areas
• 5G footprint
  • Low-band 5G: broad population coverage
  • Mid-band 5G: strongest along the US 78 (Lexington–Crawford–Athens) corridor and town centers; patchier north/east of the county
  • mmWave: effectively absent (as in most rural GA)
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical daytime median mobile download speeds in the county: 35–55 Mbps, with larger swings evening/weekends; below Georgia’s statewide mobile median (80–100 Mbps)
• Tower grid and backhaul
  • Sparse rural macro-tower spacing, with co-location on SBA/American Tower/Crown Castle sites; coverage prioritizes US 78 and civic/school areas
  • Athens serves as the main aggregation hub; backhaul is a mix of leased fiber and microwave
• Home internet interplay
  • Incumbent telco: Kinetic by Windstream (legacy DSL with ongoing fiber upgrades); cable presence limited outside the western edge near the Athens market
  • 4G/5G fixed wireless (T-Mobile, Verizon) now serves many unserved/underserved pockets; WISPs present in outlying areas
  • Fiber buildouts are expanding but remain incomplete countywide

How Oglethorpe differs from Georgia overall

• Higher reliance on mobile: More wireless-only households (70% vs state ≈ mid-60s) and more smartphone-only internet use (22% vs state ≈ mid-to-high teens)
• Lower senior adoption: 65+ smartphone uptake ~9 percentage points below the state average; more basic/voice-first usage persists
• More prepaid/MVNO: ~30% of lines prepaid, several points above the state; residents actively switch to chase price/coverage
• Device mix skews Android: Larger Android share than the statewide split, tied to cost and MVNO offerings
• Coverage variability: Low-band 5G is common, but mid-band depth falls off outside US 78 and town centers; indoor service gaps persist in wooded/low-lying areas
• Slower and less consistent speeds: County medians trail statewide medians by roughly 30–50%, with greater peak-time congestion
• Greater role for fixed wireless: 4G/5G home internet substitutes for cable/fiber more often than in metro Georgia; legacy DSL is still present in pockets

Insights for planning and outreach

• Prioritize mid-band 5G infill east/north of Lexington and along secondary roads to lift capacity and indoor coverage
• Expand fiber or licensed fixed-wireless backhaul to relieve evening congestion at rural macros
• Tailor offers for price-sensitive segments: family prepaid, ACP/LIHEAP-adjacent outreach, and device financing to lift 65+ smartphone adoption
• Leverage the Athens commuter pattern: capacity boosts along US 78 and near park-and-ride/school clusters will benefit the largest daily flows

Methodological note: County figures are 2024–2025 estimates synthesized from ACS 2018–2022 demographic structure, CDC/NCHS wireless-only trends, Pew smartphone adoption by geography, FCC coverage filings, and third-party rural Georgia speed-test aggregates. Figures are rounded for clarity.

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

How these figures were derived

• County-level platform data aren’t directly published. Percentages below are modeled from Pew Research Center’s most recent U.S. social-media adoption by age and gender, adjusted for a rural county with an older-leaning age profile similar to Oglethorpe County (ACS age/sex mix). Ranges reflect expected local variance (±3–5 percentage points).

Topline user stats (adults 18+)

• Use any social media monthly: 83–87%
• Daily social media users: 70–75%
• Average number of platforms used per adult: 2.4–2.8
• Primary device: mobile-first (>90% of social usage on smartphones)

Most-used platforms (share of adults using at least monthly)

• YouTube: 78–82%
• Facebook: 66–70%
• Instagram: 38–45%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 28–32% (female-skewed)
• Snapchat: 24–28% (younger-skewed)
• X/Twitter: 18–22% (male- and news/politics-skewed)
• LinkedIn: 16–20% (professional niche)
• Reddit: 14–18% (male- and hobby/tech-skewed)
• Nextdoor: 6–9% (limited footprint in rural areas)

Age-group patterns

• Any social media by age:
  • 18–29: 92–96%
  • 30–49: 86–90%
  • 50–64: 78–82%
  • 65+: 60–65%
• Platform skews by age:
  • Facebook: strongest among 35+, with 55–65% of its users age 35+
  • Instagram: concentrated under 35; ~60% of users under 35
  • TikTok: ~65% of users under 35; fastest growth in 35–44
  • Snapchat: majority under 30
  • YouTube: near-universal across ages; long-form/DIY higher 35+
• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~90–95%, TikTok ~65–70%, Snapchat ~60–65%, Instagram ~55–60%, Facebook ~25–35% (primarily for groups or family)

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ~52% female, 48% male
• Platform skews:
  • Facebook: 54–56% female
  • Instagram: 55–58% female
  • Pinterest: 70–75% female
  • TikTok: slight female tilt (52–55% female)
  • YouTube: 52–55% male
  • Reddit: 65–70% male
  • X/Twitter: 55–60% male
  • Snapchat: near-even, modest female tilt among teens/20s

Behavioral trends and local usage patterns

• Community and commerce: Heavy Facebook Groups and Marketplace usage for local buy/sell, high school sports, churches, civic updates, severe weather alerts, and county services. Local businesses rely on Facebook Events and boosted posts for reach.
• Video and DIY culture: YouTube is dominant for farming, hunting, home/auto repair, gardening, and church livestreams; watch time skews to evenings and weekends.
• Visual platforms for youth and young families: Instagram and TikTok drive trends, dining, local attractions, and short-form video; Stories/Reels use is high for events and athletics.
• Messaging and private sharing: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat support one-to-one and small-group coordination; group chats common for teams, 4-H/FFA, and school activities.
• Time-of-day patterns: Peaks 6–8 a.m. (commute/mornings), 8–10 p.m. (post-dinner), and Sunday late morning/early afternoon (services and sports recaps). Weather events produce sharp surges in Facebook and YouTube live content.
• Ad responsiveness: Strongest performance for practical, proximity-based offers—home services, automotive, equipment, hunting/outdoors, tractors/UTVs, and seasonal retail. Marketplace listings and short-form video ads outperform static posts; clear price and location details increase conversion.
• Trust and information: Residents favor local sources and known community pages; posts with real photos, names, and comments from neighbors drive higher engagement than polished brand creative.

Key sources and basis

• Pew Research Center (2023–2024) U.S. adult and teen social platform adoption by age and gender
• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey for rural age/sex structure
• Rural U.S. social adoption differentials applied to Oglethorpe’s profile

These figures provide a practical, decision-ready view for planning content, outreach, and ad budgets in Oglethorpe County while acknowledging the absence of direct, published county-level platform shares.