Rabun County

Rabun County, Georgia – key demographics

Population size

• 18,147 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~50 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~19–20%
• 65 and over: ~28–29%

Gender

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

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~85%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~7,400–7,500
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3
• Family households: ~62–65% of households
• One-person households: ~30–32%
• Owner-occupied rate: ~75–78%

Insights

• Older age profile with a large 65+ share and small household size.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a modest Hispanic population.
• High owner-occupancy and many seasonal/vacation homes contribute to a large gap between housing units and occupied households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (Tables DP05, DP02, DP04).

Rabun County, GA email landscape (2025)

• Population and users: 17,200 residents across ~370 sq mi (46 people/sq mi). Adults (18+) ~13,800. Estimated adult email users ≈12,500 (about 73% of total population; ~90% of adults), rising to ~13,000–13,400 when including teens.
• Age distribution of adult email users (share of users): 18–29: 16% (2,000 users); 30–49: 26% (3,300); 50–64: 25% (3,100); 65+: 33% (4,100). Rabun’s older age mix increases the 65+ share of users despite slightly lower adoption in that group.
• Gender split among users: roughly 51% female, 49% male (email adoption is effectively parity by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~75–80% (ACS-like county profile), up markedly since mid‑2010s.
  • Households with a computer or smartphone: mid‑80s percent.
  • Smartphone‑only internet households: ~10–12%.
  • Households without a broadband subscription: ~20–25%, concentrated among older and lower‑income residents.
• Local connectivity context: Service is denser in and around Clayton/Tiger and along the U.S. 23/441 corridor; mountainous terrain leads to patchier fixed broadband in outlying valleys. Email use remains near‑universal among working‑age adults and growing among seniors as mobile access improves.

Mobile phone usage in Rabun County, Georgia — summary and estimates (2024)

User base

• Resident population: 18,147 (2020 Census). The county’s growth since 2020 has been modest; seasonal tourism swells population in summer and on weekends.
• Estimated mobile phone users (residents): ≈15,800, or about 87% of residents. Method: adult ownership rates near national norms adjusted downward for the county’s older age profile; teen ownership rates near national norms.
• Estimated smartphone users: ≈13,900 (about 88% of mobile users), with the remainder mostly basic/feature phones concentrated among older adults.

Demographic breakdown that shapes usage

• Age: Rabun County skews older than Georgia overall. Roughly 28–30% of residents are 65+, versus ~16% statewide. This pulls down smartphone penetration and increases reliance on voice/SMS compared with app-centric usage in metro Georgia.
• Income: Median household income is materially below the Georgia median. This corresponds to higher use of prepaid and MVNO plans, and more price-sensitive device replacement cycles.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly White non-Hispanic, with smaller Black and Hispanic communities than the state average. Language and multicultural app adoption trends are less pronounced than in metro counties.
• Household patterns: A higher share of rural, single-line or shared-family plans and greater use of Wi‑Fi calling in fringe coverage areas than statewide.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Terrain effects: Mountainous topography (Chattahoochee National Forest, deep valleys, lake basins) creates shadow zones and short cell-to-cell sightlines. Coverage is strongest along the US‑23/441 corridor (Dillard–Mountain City–Clayton–Tiger), US‑76, GA‑197, and in town centers; it is weaker in hollows and backcountry (e.g., stretches off Warwoman Rd., Persimmon, Wolffork, and around Tallulah Gorge backcountry).
• 4G/5G:
  • 4G LTE is the de facto baseline countywide for reliable service outside towns.
  • 5G low‑band reaches most populated corridors; mid‑band 5G with materially higher speeds is largely confined to Clayton/Tiger and immediate surrounds. Outside those pockets, users typically see LTE‑class performance.
• Carrier landscape:
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the broadest geographic coverage in the mountains; T‑Mobile has improved along primary roads but remains patchier off‑corridor than its metro Georgia footprint.
  • Users commonly enable Wi‑Fi calling at home/cabins to compensate for indoor or terrain-limited signal.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backhaul is present along main corridors and in town centers, supporting denser sites and better capacity where residents and visitors cluster.
  • Outside those corridors, tower backhaul may still rely on microwave hops, which constrains capacity during peak tourism periods.
• Public safety and outages:
  • Storm‑related power disruptions and narrow valleys can produce localized cellular outages; generators on macro sites mitigate but do not eliminate these events. Residents and businesses often maintain multi‑carrier redundancy or landline/VoIP fallback.

Usage patterns that differ from Georgia overall

• Higher basic/feature‑phone share: Seniors drive a larger non‑smartphone segment than the state average, lifting voice/SMS usage relative to app data.
• More prepaid/MVNO adoption: Price sensitivity and second‑home users support above‑average prepaid share versus metro Georgia.
• Heavier Wi‑Fi reliance: Due to spotty indoor/valley coverage and pockets with limited wired broadband, Wi‑Fi calling and offload are used more intensively.
• Seasonal traffic swings: Summer/weekend surges around lakes, parks, and short‑term rentals create atypical peak loads and occasional congestion that are less pronounced in most Georgia counties.
• Slower, less uniform 5G: Mid‑band 5G footprint is limited compared with Georgia’s metro counties; residents rely more on LTE and low‑band 5G for coverage than for speed.
• Greater cellular‑only home internet use: A meaningfully higher share of households depend on mobile hotspots or phone tethering for primary internet than the statewide norm, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband off main corridors.

Indicative counts by age segment (resident users)

• Teens (13–17): ≈1,000–1,100 mobile users; smartphone penetration is very high in this group.
• Working‑age adults (18–64): ≈10,800–11,300 mobile users; overwhelmingly smartphones, mix of postpaid and prepaid.
• Seniors (65+): ≈3,700–4,000 mobile users; lower smartphone adoption than younger cohorts, with a noticeable basic/feature‑phone contingent.

Key takeaways

• Expect excellent coverage and 5G capacity along US‑23/441 and in Clayton/Tiger, but plan for LTE or weaker service in valleys and backcountry.
• The county’s older, lower‑density, and tourism‑centric profile drives higher prepaid use, greater Wi‑Fi calling reliance, more cellular‑only home internet, and more uneven 5G experiences than Georgia overall.
• For organizations planning services or outreach, prioritize multi‑carrier compatibility, offline‑capable apps, and SMS‑first communication to reach the full population, especially seniors and residents in fringe‑coverage areas.

Method note

• Population: 2020 Census.
• User estimates: Derived from age‑adjusted national mobile ownership rates (adults ~95–97%, teens ~95% smartphone adoption) calibrated downward for Rabun’s older age mix and rural terrain effects; rounded to the nearest hundred for clarity.

Rabun County, GA — social media usage snapshot (modeled, 2025)

Most‑used platforms (estimated share of adults who use each platform, based on Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. usage adjusted for Rabun County’s older, rural profile)

• YouTube: ~80% of adults
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~30%
• TikTok: ~25%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~20%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• LinkedIn: ~12%
• WhatsApp: ~15%
• Reddit: ~11%
• Nextdoor: ~12%

Age groups (estimated local penetration and platform affinities)

• Teens 13–17: 95%+ use at least one platform; YouTube 95%+, TikTok ~65%, Snapchat ~60%, Instagram ~60%
• 18–29: ~95% any social; YouTube 90%+, Instagram ~75–80%, TikTok ~60–65%, Snapchat ~65%, Facebook ~45%
• 30–49: ~90% any; YouTube ~85–90%, Facebook ~70–75%, Instagram ~50–55%, TikTok ~35–40%
• 50–64: ~75–80% any; Facebook ~65–70%, YouTube ~70–75%, Instagram ~30–35%, TikTok ~20–25%
• 65+: ~55–60% any; Facebook ~50–55%, YouTube ~50–55%, Instagram ~15–20%, TikTok ~10%

Gender breakdown (typical U.S. platform skews applied locally)

• Facebook: ~55% women, 45% men
• Instagram: ~55% women, 45% men
• TikTok: ~58% women, 42% men
• Pinterest: ~75% women, 25% men
• Snapchat: ~55% women, 45% men
• YouTube: ~49% women, 51% men
• X: ~60% men, 40% women
• Reddit: ~65% men, 35% women
• LinkedIn: ~54% men, 46% women
• WhatsApp: ~50/50

Behavioral trends observed in rural, older counties like Rabun (and evident in local pages/groups)

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups for local news, school sports, churches, civic updates; Marketplace for buying/selling outdoor, farm, and household items; high comment engagement on posts from local media and government pages.
• YouTube is the how‑to engine: Strong interest in outdoors, fishing, homesteading, DIY, small‑engine repair, and local attractions; creators often cross‑post to Facebook.
• Tourism seasonality: Spring–fall spikes in Instagram/TikTok discovery for hiking, waterfalls, lakes, cabins, restaurants; visitors check hashtags and Reels/Shorts before trips.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger dominates; WhatsApp used in specific communities and for family ties; private group chats drive event coordination.
• Time‑of‑day patterns: Evening peaks (7–10 pm) and weekend midday; mobile‑first consumption due to variable broadband.
• Older‑adult behaviors: High Facebook reliance for news/community info; elevated exposure to scams/rumors mitigated by active group moderation.
• Small‑business usage: Facebook Pages as primary; Instagram for visuals (food, lodging, real estate); YouTube for demos/testimonials; minimal X usage; LinkedIn mainly for hiring and B2B beyond the county.

Planning takeaways

• Facebook + YouTube together reach the broadest cross‑section of adults (~80–90% combined reach).
• Under‑30 targeting: Instagram + TikTok (+ Snapchat for peer messaging reach).
• Women 25–54: Facebook + Instagram + Pinterest.
• Men 25–54: YouTube + Facebook; consider X around sports/outdoors.

Notes and sources

• These are modeled county estimates using Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult and teen rates) adjusted for Rabun County’s older, rural demographic profile from U.S. Census Bureau ACS/Census data. County‑specific platform measurements are not directly published; use these as planning baselines.