Pierce County

Pierce County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 19,716 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~24% (ACS 2018–2022)
• 65 and over: ~17% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Female: ~50–51% (ACS 2018–2022)
• Male: ~49–50% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~83% (2020 Census)
• Black or African American alone: ~12–13% (2020 Census)
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5% (2020 Census)
• Two or more races: ~2% (2020 Census)
• Asian: ~0–1% (2020 Census)
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~0–1% (2020 Census)
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~79–80% (2020 Census)

Households and housing

• Households: ~7,200–7,300 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.7–2.8 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Family households: ~70–73% of households (ACS 2018–2022)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78% (ACS 2018–2022)

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

Pierce County, GA email usage (estimated, localized from current ACS/Pew baselines)

• Estimated email users: ~15,700 residents (≈77% of total population), reflecting ~92% adoption among ages 13+.
• Age distribution of users (counts; share of users):
  • 13–17: ~1,070 (7%)
  • 18–34: ~3,960 (25%)
  • 35–64: ~7,560 (48%)
  • 65+: ~3,120 (20%)
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male (email use is effectively parity by gender).
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription approximates 75–80% (below Georgia’s statewide average), with about 15–20% of adults being smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Email is accessed predominantly via smartphones in lower‑density areas; desktop/laptop use is more common among 35–64.
  • Older adults (65+) show strong but slightly lower usage; growth continues as device adoption rises.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Rural county with roughly 60 residents per square mile, which correlates with fewer fixed‑broadband options and heavier reliance on mobile networks.
  • Public anchors (schools, libraries, government buildings) and town centers provide key Wi‑Fi access points that support regular email use.

Pierce County, GA mobile phone usage summary (emphasis on how it differs from state-level)

Scope and baselines

• Population: 19,716 (2020 Census). Adult share in similar rural Georgia counties runs roughly three-quarters of population; figures below are scaled accordingly and reflect 2023–2025 conditions using standard public sources (Census/ACS, CDC NHIS, Pew) and carrier/network disclosures.

User estimates

• Adults with a mobile phone (any type): approximately 14,200–14,800 users (about 94–96% of adults). This is slightly below Georgia’s urbanized counties but broadly in line with rural-state norms.
• Smartphone users: approximately 12,900–13,800 adults (about 85–90% of adults). That’s a couple of points lower than the statewide adult average (around 90%).
• Wireless-only for voice (no landline at home): about 77–82% of adults live in wireless-only households, higher than Georgia overall (roughly mid-70s). This reflects rural landline abandonment.
• Smartphone-dependent for home internet (cellular-only subscription): estimated 20–24% of Pierce County households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet, materially higher than the Georgia average (roughly 13–16%). This is one of the clearest county-vs-state differences.
• Prepaid mix: prepaid lines likely account for roughly 35–45% of personal mobile subscriptions (vs ~30–35% statewide), consistent with rural income and credit patterns.

Demographic patterns (how Pierce differs from state-level)

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-saturation smartphone adoption (~95%); similar to Georgia overall.
  • 35–64: High adoption (~88–92%); close to statewide.
  • 65+: Lower adoption (~65–72%) than the statewide senior average (low-to-mid 70s). Larger senior share in the county modestly pulls down overall smartphone penetration and lifts basic/voice-only usage.
• Income and education
  • Lower median household income than the state average correlates with higher smartphone-dependence for internet and a bigger prepaid share. Households under $35k are disproportionately cellular-only for home access.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Smartphone adoption is high across groups; the notable difference from state-level is driven more by rural income/age mix than by race/ethnicity per se in Pierce County’s profile.

Digital infrastructure indicators

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: Countywide coverage from AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile on major corridors (US‑84, US‑301/GA‑23/121) and in Blackshear; interior forested and lowland areas still see weaker signal and sporadic dead zones.
  • 5G: Low‑band 5G from all three nationwide carriers reaches population centers; mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is present along primary corridors and near Blackshear but is patchier away from highways, limiting peak speeds away from towns.
• Performance
  • Typical outdoor median mobile speeds range roughly 30–60 Mbps down and 5–15 Mbps up, with higher peaks near mid‑band sites; this trails the Georgia statewide median (often 70–100+ Mbps down in metro corridors). In-building performance can fall below 10 Mbps in fringe areas.
• Capacity/backhaul
  • Macro sites are sparser than in metro Georgia, so carriers rely on low‑band spectrum for reach; capacity upgrades are concentrated where new fiber backhaul is available along US‑84 and other utility routes.
• Public-safety and resilience
  • AT&T FirstNet Band‑14 presence improves coverage for first responders; overlapping LTE from at least two carriers on main corridors supports basic redundancy. Extended outages remain more likely off-corridor than in urban Georgia.

Trends that differ from Georgia overall

• Higher mobile dependence: More households are smartphone- or cellular‑only for home internet than the state average, driven by gaps in affordable fixed broadband and by income mix.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration overall: Seniors’ lower adoption weighs more on the county total than it does statewide.
• Slower, more variable performance: Average mobile speeds trail the Georgia median, with a bigger town-versus-interior gap; users see more reliance on low‑band 5G/LTE for coverage and fewer mid‑band 5G capacity nodes than in metro areas.
• Bigger prepaid share and budget device usage: Price sensitivity is more pronounced than statewide, influencing plan types and upgrade cycles.
• Coverage gaps persist off main roads: Signal reliability drops faster with distance from US‑84/US‑301 corridors than is typical in suburban counties, which affects telehealth, logistics, and learning use cases.

Implications

• Customer acquisition and retention hinge on strong low‑band coverage plus targeted mid‑band infill in and around Blackshear and along US‑84 to lift real‑world speeds.
• Plans with generous hotspot data are disproportionately valuable because of the county’s higher smartphone‑dependent household share.
• Senior adoption and digital-skills support can move the needle more here than in metro Georgia, given the larger impact of the 65+ segment on county totals.

Pierce County, GA social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈20,000; residents 13+: ≈17,000

Active users

• Social media users (13+): ≈12,200 (≈72% of residents 13+)

Gender breakdown (share of social media users)

• Female ≈52%, Male ≈48%
• Platform skews among users: Facebook ~51% F / 49% M; Instagram ~57% F / 43% M; TikTok ~60% F / 40% M; Snapchat ~55% F / 45% M; Pinterest ~78% F / 22% M; YouTube ~46% F / 54% M; X (Twitter) ~40% F / 60% M

Age mix among social media users

• 13–17: ~7%
• 18–24: ~10%
• 25–34: ~17%
• 35–44: ~18%
• 45–54: ~17%
• 55–64: ~16%
• 65+: ~15%

Most-used platforms in Pierce County (estimated penetration)

• Share of residents 13+ (left) and share of social users (right)
• YouTube: ~59% of 13+ (≈10,000) | ~82% of users
• Facebook: ~54% of 13+ (≈9,200) | ~76% of users
• Instagram: ~28% of 13+ (≈4,800) | ~39% of users
• TikTok: ~23% of 13+ (≈3,900) | ~32% of users
• Pinterest: ~21% of 13+ (≈3,600) | ~29% of users
• Snapchat: ~18% of 13+ (≈3,100) | ~25% of users
• X (Twitter): ~13% of 13+ (≈2,200) | ~18% of users
• Nextdoor: ~5% of 13+ (≈850) | ~7% of users
• Facebook Groups: ~41% of 13+ (≈7,000) monthly, ≈75% of local Facebook users

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy reliance on local groups, school and high-school sports updates, church and civic announcements, buy–sell–trade and Marketplace activity. Engagement spikes around school events, weather advisories, and county services updates.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok) drives discovery; how-to, hunting/fishing, homesteading, small-engine/auto repair, and local sports highlights perform best. Longer YouTube how-to content maintains strong completion rates among adults 25–54.
• Messaging and coordination: Facebook Messenger dominates cross‑age communication; Snapchat is primary for teens/young adults for day-to-day chat and event coordination.
• Cross-posting behavior: Small businesses and boosters commonly post to Facebook first, then mirror to Instagram; younger users originate content on Instagram/TikTok and cross-post to Reels.
• Demographic tilt: Older skew of the county elevates Facebook usage and depresses TikTok/Instagram relative to urban Georgia, but teen and 18–24 cohorts are strongly TikTok/Snap-native.
• Timing: Highest local engagement typically evenings 7–9 pm ET and weekends; weekday school hours show teen spikes on Snapchat and TikTok Stories/Reels.
• Commerce and recommendations: Marketplace listings, local services referrals in groups, and seasonal event promotions (fairs, sports fundraisers) consistently outperform paid ads on click-through; Pinterest drives project planning and seasonal crafts among women 25–54.
• Trust and verification: Localized posts with names/faces, church/school affiliation, and recognizable landmarks see markedly higher shares and comments versus generic stock content.

Notes on method

• Figures are 2025 estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center platform-usage rates and rural/Georgia adjustments to the county’s age structure, with totals normalized to residents 13+. Sources include Pew Research Center social media use (2023–2024) and U.S. Census Bureau/ACS population profiles for Pierce County.