Pike County

Pike County, Georgia — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population

• 2023 estimate: ~19.5–20.3K
• 2020 Census: 18,889

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~16–17%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race/ethnicity (share of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~78–82%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~12–14%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–5%
• Two or more races: ~3–5%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.4%

Households

• Total households: ~6,500–6,800
• Average household size: ~2.9–3.0
• Family households: ~75–80% of households
• Married-couple families: ~60–70% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~30–35%
• Individuals living alone: ~18–22%

Insights

• Slow but steady population growth since 2010.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a significant Black community and a small but growing Hispanic population.
• Family-oriented household structure with relatively large household sizes for Georgia.
• Age structure skews toward families (about one-quarter under 18) with a growing senior share.

• Estimated email users (18+): ≈13,300 in Pike County, GA. Basis: ~14,500 adults and ~92% adult email adoption (Pew Research, 2023; ACS population mix).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–29: 16%
  • 30–49: 34%
  • 50–64: 29%
  • 65+: 21%
• Gender split of email users: ≈51% women, 49% men (mirrors county sex ratio in ACS).

Digital access and usage context:

• Household broadband subscription: ≈86% (ACS 2019–2023), with ≈92% of households reporting a computer device.
• Smartphone-only internet at home: ≈17% of households (ACS-derived rural Georgia pattern), indicating many residents rely on mobile data for email.
• No home internet: ≈10% of households, a key limiter for older and lower-income residents.
• Trend: Broadband subscription up roughly 5–8 percentage points since late 2010s; mobile network quality improvements have expanded practical email access even where fixed service is weaker.

Local density/connectivity:

• Population density: ≈85–90 residents per square mile (Census), reflecting a predominantly rural county.
• FCC maps indicate most occupied locations have at least one fixed broadband option, with remaining gaps concentrated on far-rural roads; cellular 4G/5G covers primary corridors (e.g., US‑19), supporting high mobile email use.

Pike County, Georgia: Mobile phone usage snapshot (modeled 2024–2025)

Population base

• Residents: ~20,500
• Households: ~7,300
• Adults (18+): ~15,800

User estimates

• Smartphone users: ~14,300 people (about 69–71% of total population)
  • Adults (18+): ~13,100
  • Teens (13–17): ~1,200
• Active mobile lines (personal + work + secondary lines/IoT): ~24,000–26,000 total SIMs in market, or ~1.2–1.3 lines per resident
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): 1,350–1,500 (18–21% of households), notably higher than Georgia overall (13–15%)
• Prepaid share: ~32–36% of personal subscriptions locally vs ~26–30% statewide
• Platform mix (personal smartphones): Android ~58–62%, iOS ~38–42%; Georgia overall skews more evenly split due to urban markets

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • Adults 18–34: smartphone adoption ~92–95%; heavier app, video, and hotspot use; upgrade cycle ~2.6–2.9 years
  • Adults 35–64: adoption ~86–90%; mixed postpaid/prepaid; upgrade cycle ~3.0 years
  • 65+: adoption ~68–73%, several points below state average; larger basic-phone footprint persists; higher voice/SMS reliance
• Income and plan type
  • Households under $50k: prepaid usage ~45%+ and greater dependence on mobile-only internet compared with state averages
  • $50k–$100k: strongest cohort for fixed-wireless home internet substitution; dual-SIM or secondary-line usage more common than in rural peers statewide
• Race/ethnicity
  • County’s largely White, smaller Black and Hispanic shares than Georgia overall; mobile adoption is high across groups, but the overall rate is pulled modestly lower than the state average by the county’s older age mix
• Work patterns
  • High share of commuters to adjacent counties drives daytime network load along US‑19 and around Zebulon; off-peak rural tracts show lower utilization but more coverage variability indoors

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Near-universal outdoor coverage on national carriers; indoor performance varies in low-density tracts due to distance to macrosites and tree canopy
• 5G availability
  • Low-band 5G: broad outdoor coverage across most populated areas
  • Mid-band 5G: corridor-focused (e.g., US‑19/Zebulon and clustered population centers); county-level population coverage ~50–65% versus materially higher coverage in Georgia’s metro counties
  • Mid-band capacity is the main differentiator from state-level performance; Pike users more often fall back to LTE or low-band 5G for indoor coverage and uplink
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): Widely available from national wireless carriers; adoption is meaningfully higher than the state average due to patchy cable/fiber footprints outside town centers
• Wireline backdrop: Fiber and cable are present in/near town centers with ongoing co-op and telco fiber expansion into rural roads; legacy DSL remains in pockets, a driver of mobile-only and FWA uptake

Performance and usage

• Median smartphone monthly data usage: roughly 17–25 GB per line, with higher tails for mobile-only households
• Typical speeds
  • LTE: ~10–25 Mbps down in rural tracts, higher near sites
  • 5G low-band: ~40–80 Mbps
  • 5G mid-band (where available): ~150–300 Mbps down, strong for FWA and high-definition streaming
• Coverage gaps: Small dead zones and indoor weak spots in outlying areas persist more than at the state level, reflecting tower spacing and terrain

How Pike County differs from Georgia overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration driven by older age mix and rural settlement pattern
• Higher share of mobile-only internet households (+4–7 percentage points) and higher FWA adoption as a substitute for cable/fiber
• Greater prepaid mix and a higher Android share than urbanized state averages
• Mid-band 5G capacity coverage lags metro Georgia; more reliance on LTE/low-band 5G for day-to-day use
• Longer device upgrade cycles, especially among 65+ and prepaid users

Methodological note

• Figures are 2024–2025 modeled estimates synthesized from recent Census/ACS population structure, rural-versus-state mobile adoption benchmarks, and national carrier/FCC infrastructure trends applied to Pike County’s settlement pattern and demographics. Estimates are rounded to reflect practical uncertainty while preserving county-versus-state directional differences.

Pike County, GA social media snapshot (2025)

Topline user stats

• Active social media users (age 13+): approximately 12,500–13,500, or about 70–75% of residents age 13+
• Household internet access is widespread, but mobile-first usage is common; short, lightweight video and image posts perform best

Age mix of active users (share of social media users)

• 13–17: 9–11%
• 18–29: 16–19%
• 30–49: 34–38% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: 22–25%
• 65+: 10–12%

Gender breakdown of active users

• Female: ~52–55%
• Male: ~45–48%
• Notes: Women 25–54 over-index in community groups, events, school/church pages, and Pinterest; men 35–64 over-index on YouTube, local sports, equipment/outdoors content

Most-used platforms in Pike County (estimated monthly reach; share of residents age 13+)

• YouTube: 70–75%
• Facebook: 60–65%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–60%
• Instagram: 30–35%
• TikTok: 28–32%
• Snapchat: 20–25% (dominant among teens)
• Pinterest: 20–25% (skews female)
• LinkedIn: 12–15% (professional use; limited local posting)
• X/Twitter: 14–18% (news/politics observers; low posting)
• Reddit: 10–12% (younger/male skew; interest-based, not local)
• Nextdoor: 4–7% (patchy coverage outside subdivisions)

Behavioral trends and practical insights

• Facebook is the public square: heavy reliance on community groups for school updates, church/sports notices, lost-and-found, and civic alerts; Marketplace is a top commerce channel
• Video first, short and local: 10–30 second vertical clips with captions outperform; posts featuring recognizable local people, places, and events drive shares and comments
• Peak activity windows: early morning commute hours and 7–10 pm; weekend late mornings for family and event content
• Teens split behavior: Snapchat for daily communication, TikTok for entertainment; Instagram used for DMs and Reels discovery
• Older adults: Facebook and YouTube dominate; they engage with local news, church streams, obituaries, and practical how‑to content
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is a primary contact method for local businesses and services; WhatsApp usage remains low
• Low X/Twitter dependency: residents consume headlines there but rarely post; civic conversation mainly stays on Facebook groups
• Commerce and fundraising: seasonal events, yard sales, school/team fundraisers, and small-business promos perform best with simple creative, clear prices, and geo-targeting within 10–20 miles

Method notes

• Figures are 2025 local estimates derived from Pike County’s age/sex structure in recent ACS data and benchmarked to Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform adoption, with rural-county adjustments for Georgia. Percentages represent reach among residents age 13+ rather than national totals, to reflect local behavior more realistically