Peach County

Peach County, Georgia — key demographics (latest Census Bureau estimates)

Population size

• Total population: ~28,600 (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau PEP)

Age

• Median age: ~36 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Black or African American (alone): ~51%
• White (alone): ~41%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian (alone): ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, other: <1% combined
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~37%

Households

• Total households: ~10,400 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.8 persons
• Family households: ~70% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~39%
  • Female householder, no spouse present: ~22–24%
• Households with children under 18: ~1 in 3

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2023) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Figures rounded for clarity.

Peach County, GA overview

• Population and density: ≈28,000 residents; ~185 people per square mile (small, semi‑rural county centered on Fort Valley and Byron).
• Estimated email users: ≈18,000 adults. Basis: ~21,000 adults, ~85% with internet access (ACS), and ~95% of online adults use email (Pew), yielding ~18k active email users.
• Age distribution of email users (estimate, reflecting local age mix and high adoption under 65): 18–24 ≈13%; 25–44 ≈31%; 45–64 ≈33%; 65+ ≈23%.
• Gender split among users: ≈52% female, 48% male, mirroring county demographics.

Digital access and trends

• Internet access: Roughly 80–85% of households have a broadband subscription; computer access is near 90% (ACS S2801 patterns for similar GA counties).
• Connectivity pattern: Strongest along the I‑75 corridor (Byron/Fort Valley) with cable/fiber; western rural tracts rely more on DSL/fixed‑wireless.
• Institutions: Fort Valley State University, K‑12 schools, and libraries provide free Wi‑Fi and labs, supporting frequent email use among students and lower‑income households.
• Mobile access: Smartphone penetration is high; a notable share of households are mobile‑only, supporting daily email checking but limiting heavy attachments and large downloads.

Overall: Email usage is mainstream and near‑universal among connected adults, with slightly lower adoption among the 65+ segment and rural dead zones moderating access.

Mobile phone usage in Peach County, Georgia (2024 snapshot)

Headline figures

• Population: ~28,900 residents; ~10,700 households; ~22,300 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ~25,800 people (≈89–90% of residents).
• Smartphone users: ~22,800 people (≈79% of residents; ≈88–90% of adults).
• Households relying on cellular data only (no fixed home broadband): 2,550 households (24%), meaning mobile service is the primary on‑ramp to the internet for roughly one in four households.

How Peach County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: ~24% of Peach County households are cellular‑only vs roughly the mid‑teens statewide. This reflects lower fixed‑broadband availability in rural tracts and lower median incomes.
• Lower fixed‑broadband take‑up: ~76% of households have a fixed broadband subscription, compared with low‑80s statewide.
• Coverage pattern: 5G is concentrated along the I‑75 corridor and the Byron–Fort Valley urbanized area; western agricultural zones lean more on 4G LTE. Statewide, 5G land‑area coverage is broader and more contiguous.
• Speeds and capacity: Typical 5G downlink speeds in populated corridors fall in the tens to low‑hundreds of Mbps, but drop to LTE levels (teens to a few dozen Mbps) in rural tracts more often than in the state aggregate.
• Plan mix: A larger share of users on value/prepaid tiers than the state average, reflecting price sensitivity and mobile‑only households; this increases churn and reduces multi‑line postpaid penetration vs Georgia overall.

Demographic breakdown

• By age (share using a smartphone):
  • 10–17: ~90% (school‑driven need; heavy use of messaging/social apps).
  • 18–34: ~95–96% (boosted by Fort Valley State University’s student population and commuters).
  • 35–64: ~89–91%.
  • 65+: ~73–77% (several points below the statewide senior adoption rate).
• By race/ethnicity (share of households that are mobile‑only for internet):
  • Black households: ~29%.
  • Hispanic households: ~31%.
  • White households: ~18%. These levels are several points higher than statewide for each group, with the gap widest in Black and Hispanic households.
• By income:
  • < $35k household income: ~33% mobile‑only.
  • $35k–$75k: ~22% mobile‑only.

  • $75k: ~12% mobile‑only. Lower‑income reliance on mobile connectivity is notably higher than the Georgia average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carriers and layers: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide LTE. 5G is broadly available along I‑75 (Byron/Powersville) and through Fort Valley; western orchards and low‑density tracts see more LTE‑only coverage and occasional indoor signal challenges.
• Capacity hot spots: I‑75 interchanges near Byron and retail zones show the highest sector loading during commute peaks and weekends; campus‑adjacent areas near Fort Valley State University see predictable evening peaks driven by video and gaming traffic.
• Backhaul and fixed access:
  • Cable DOCSIS is widely available in Byron and Fort Valley; fiber and high‑quality DSL/fixed wireless fill gaps but remain spotty west of the urban core.
  • Ongoing state‑supported fiber builds are targeting rural blocks; as of 2024 these projects have improved pockets but have not eliminated the rural fixed‑access deficit.
• Emergency and resilience: Highway‑corridor macro sites have stronger backup power and faster restoration than isolated rural sites, which contributes to longer rural outages after severe weather compared with the state average.

Usage patterns and behaviors

• Tethering and hotspot use are common among mobile‑only households and students, elevating per‑line data consumption versus the state average for similar income tiers.
• Messaging‑first and video‑forward usage dominate across all age groups; however, voice substitution (wireless‑only voice with no landline) is particularly high among under‑35s and low‑income households.
• App mix skews toward cost‑sensitive services (ad‑supported streaming, MVNO apps, Wi‑Fi offload tools) more than the statewide profile.

Bottom line

• Peach County’s mobile landscape is defined by higher mobile‑only dependence, more pronounced urban‑rural coverage contrast, and slightly lower senior smartphone adoption than Georgia overall. The I‑75/Byron–Fort Valley corridor delivers 5G performance similar to state norms, but rural tracts lean on LTE more often. As fiber fills in remaining fixed‑access gaps, mobile networks will continue to shoulder a larger share of primary home connectivity than in the state at large.

Social media usage in Peach County, GA — snapshot

Core user stats

• Population baseline: roughly 28,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
• Social media users (age 13+): about 20,000 (≈72% penetration). Adult adoption (18–49) exceeds 80%
• Broadband access: roughly three-quarters of households have a broadband subscription (ACS), enabling regular social use

Age profile of local social users (share of users, est.)

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–24: 17% (boosted by Fort Valley State University)
• 25–34: 21%
• 35–44: 19%
• 45–54: 14%
• 55–64: 12%
• 65+: 10%

Gender breakdown of social users (est.)

• Women: 52%
• Men: 48%
• Platform skews (consistent with U.S. patterns): Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest lean female; YouTube/Reddit lean male; TikTok near parity with a slight female tilt

Most-used platforms (monthly reach among residents 13+, est.)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 73%
• Instagram: 48%
• TikTok: 37%
• Snapchat: 28%
• Pinterest: 23%
• LinkedIn: 15%
• X/Twitter: 13%
• Reddit: 12%
• Nextdoor: 10%

Behavioral trends

• Community hub effect: Facebook is the default local network for schools, churches, civic updates, events, and Peach County’s buy/sell via Marketplace. Cross-posting into community Groups materially boosts reach
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is ubiquitous for how‑to, sports, and news clips; short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery for local restaurants, service providers, and events
• Student influence: FVSU concentrates 18–24 attention on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; athletics, campus life, and local nightlife content is highly shareable
• Family- and faith-centered engagement: Event announcements, school milestones, church programming, and local festivals outperform generic content; evenings and weekend mid‑mornings show the strongest response
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat dominate peer‑to‑peer; WhatsApp is niche but growing in bilingual/multigenerational households
• Trust and conversion: Posts from known people, local businesses, and government pages outperform faceless ads; geotargeted promotions, clear offers, and sponsorships of community activities convert best. Short, mobile‑native creative (15–30s video, single‑image posts) performs reliably

Notes on methodology and sources

• Demographic baselines: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (Peach County)
• Platform penetration and age/gender skews: Pew Research Center (U.S. social media use, 2023–2024)
• County-level platform percentages are modeled from state/rural benchmarks and adjusted for the presence of Fort Valley State University; figures should be interpreted as best-available local estimates rather than administrative counts