Rockdale County

Rockdale County, Georgia — key demographics

• Population size:

  • 2023 estimate: ~97,000
  • 2020 Census: 93,570

• Age:

  • Under 18: ~25%
  • 65 and over: ~14%
  • Median age: ~38.5 years

• Gender:

  • Female: ~52.5%
  • Male: ~47.5%

• Racial/ethnic composition:

  • Black or African American (alone): ~58–59%
  • White (alone): ~27–28%
  • Asian (alone): ~2%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~11–12%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~20%

• Household data:

  • Households: ~34,000
  • Persons per household (avg): ~2.9
  • Family households: ~70%
  • Married-couple families: ~44%
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~69% (renters ~31%)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey/QuickFacts).

Rockdale County, GA email usage (2023–2024)

• Estimated email users: about 71,000 of roughly 97,000 residents (about 92% of adults 18+).
• Age distribution of email users (counts):
  • 13–17: 4,700
  • 18–34: 21,200
  • 35–54: 24,400
  • 55–64: 11,300
  • 65+: 9,800
• Gender split among users: about 52% female, 48% male (mirrors the county’s 53% female population and near‑parity email adoption by gender).

Digital access and trends

• About 89% of households subscribe to broadband; about 94% have a computer; about 11% are smartphone‑only internet households.
• Multiple fixed providers (cable and fiber) operate locally, with gigabit tiers widely marketed along the I‑20 corridor; Atlanta‑metro fixed speeds commonly exceed 100 Mbps, sustaining consistent email use across age groups.

Local density and connectivity facts

• Land area about 132 square miles; population density about 730 residents per square mile, reflecting a dense suburban profile that supports high broadband availability and strong email adoption.

Rockdale County, GA mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Bottom line

• Active mobile phone users: approximately 75,000–80,000 residents, centered around 78,000, out of a total population near 98,000.
• Households with a smartphone: about 90–94% (≈32,000 of ≈34,500 households).
• Households relying on a cellular data plan as their only home internet: roughly 12–15% (≈4,200–5,100 households), above the Georgia average.
• Countywide 5G availability: effectively countywide outdoors from all three national carriers, with mid‑band 5G covering the I‑20 corridor and Conyers core, yielding metro‑grade performance.

How Rockdale differs from the Georgia state picture

• Mobile‑only internet reliance is higher: Rockdale ≈12–15% of households vs Georgia ≈10–12%, reflecting a larger share of smartphone‑dependent households.
• 5G mid‑band is more pervasive than the state average: adjacency to the Atlanta metro core brings denser macro sites and more C‑band/n41 deployments than typical outside metro counties.
• Performance is closer to Atlanta‑metro norms than state norms: median outdoor downloads commonly 100–250 Mbps on 5G (mid‑band), exceeding typical statewide medians, especially relative to rural counties.
• Prepaid and budget plans have above‑average penetration: demographic mix and a higher share of price‑sensitive households drive greater use of MVNOs and prepaid than the Georgia average.
• Network congestion patterns are more commuter‑driven: peak loads align with I‑20 and GA‑138 retail/employment nodes, unlike many non‑metro counties where loads are more evening‑centric.

User estimates and adoption detail

• Adult smartphone adoption: approximately 88–92% of adults, equating to about 67,000–71,000 adult users.
• Teen (12–17) smartphone adoption: approximately 93–97%, adding roughly 6,000–7,000 users.
• Children with basic phones or smartwatches add a small additional share (low thousands).
• Wireless‑only telephony households (no landline): consistent with national/suburban norms, materially above half of households and higher than in rural Georgia.

Demographic breakdown (usage and dependence)

• Age:
  • 18–34: near‑universal smartphone adoption (≈95%+), high mobile video and social usage, heavy unlimited‑plan uptake.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈90%+), strong BYOD/enterprise usage; significant hotspot use for secondary connectivity.
  • 65+: solid adoption (≈75–80%), but the highest incidence of limited‑data or shared family plans; lower app diversity, higher voice/text reliance.
• Income:
  • Under $35k: the highest smartphone‑only internet reliance (≈30%±), elevated prepaid/MVNO usage, and heavier dependence on Wi‑Fi offload at public locations.
  • $35k–$75k: mixed usage; many unlimited postpaid lines with occasional fixed‑wireless home internet.
  • $75k+: near‑universal smartphone ownership with multiple lines per household; frequent bundling with fiber/cable broadband.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black and Hispanic households show higher smartphone‑only internet reliance (commonly double the rate of White non‑Hispanic households), mirroring national patterns and lifting the countywide average above the Georgia mean.
  • App usage skews more toward short‑form video, messaging, and fintech across these groups, with above‑average use of cash‑transfer apps.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon all provide countywide LTE and broad 5G. MVNO availability is extensive.
• 5G layers:
  • Mid‑band: T‑Mobile n41 and AT&T/Verizon C‑band widely present along I‑20, in Conyers, and major arterials, supporting 100–250 Mbps median outdoor speeds and 10–35 Mbps uplink under typical conditions.
  • Low‑band: countywide coverage for reach and indoor reliability; speeds usually 30–100 Mbps where mid‑band is weak indoors.
• Site density: higher than the state median on a per‑square‑mile basis due to proximity to the Atlanta network core; macro grid supplemented by small cells near retail corridors and schools.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • AT&T Fiber present in many subdivisions; Xfinity cable broadly available; legacy DSL persists in pockets.
  • 5G fixed‑wireless (T‑Mobile Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home) is available to most addresses and is adopted by cost‑conscious households, reinforcing the above‑average cellular‑only reliance rate.
• Reliability and resiliency:
  • Urbanized portions have robust redundancy; localized dead spots mainly occur at wooded edges and low‑lying residential pockets, typically mitigated by Wi‑Fi calling.

Behavioral and traffic patterns

• Commuter and retail peaks: midday and late‑afternoon surges along I‑20/GA‑138; evening streaming peaks are significant but less dominant than in rural counties thanks to stronger fixed broadband offload.
• Video and social are the primary downstream drivers; uplink bursts correlate with short‑form video creation and cloud photo backup.

What this means

• Rockdale’s residents depend on mobile more than the state average for primary connectivity, especially among lower‑income, Black, and Hispanic households.
• Network quality is materially better than the state average due to metro adjacency, but indoor mid‑band depth remains the key differentiator across neighborhoods.
• Fixed‑wireless and budget mobile plans will continue to grow, sustaining higher cellular‑only rates than Georgia overall even as fiber expands.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Figures synthesize 2022–2024 U.S. Census Bureau ACS Computer and Internet Use (county level), FCC coverage filings, national mobile adoption surveys (e.g., Pew Research Center), and Atlanta‑metro network deployment disclosures. Estimates are rounded to reflect the latest multi‑source convergence for Rockdale County.

Rockdale County, GA social media snapshot (2025)

Baseline population

• Total residents: 93,570 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): ~71,100
• Teens (13–17): ~6,250

Overall user footprint

• Adults using social media: ~51,000–52,000 (≈72% of adults; Pew adult adoption)
• Teens using social media: ~5,940 (≈95% of teens)
• Combined users (13+): ~57,000–58,000 residents

Most-used platforms (adults, 18+; applying current U.S. adult usage rates to Rockdale’s adult population)

• YouTube: ~59,000 adults (83%)
• Facebook: ~48,000 (68%)
• Instagram: ~33,000 (47%)
• Pinterest: ~25,000 (35%)
• TikTok: ~23,000 (33%)
• LinkedIn: ~21,000 (30%)
• Snapchat: ~19,000 (27%)
• X (Twitter): ~15,600 (22%)
• Reddit: ~15,600 (22%)
• WhatsApp: ~14,900 (21%)
• Nextdoor: ~14,200 (20%)

Teens (13–17) platform use (counts in Rockdale; Pew teen rates applied)

• YouTube ~5,800 (93%)
• TikTok ~4,200 (67%)
• Instagram ~3,900 (62%)
• Snapchat ~3,750 (60%)
• Facebook ~2,060 (33%)

Age-group patterns

• 13–17: Short-form video (YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat) dominates; Instagram for peer/community culture.
• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; YouTube for learning/entertainment; Facebook used but less central.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram growing for local brands, family content; WhatsApp/Messenger for coordination.
• 50–64: Facebook as primary; YouTube for how‑tos and news; Pinterest for projects; Nextdoor for neighborhood info.
• 65+: Facebook for family/community; YouTube for tutorials/news; Nextdoor for local services and safety.

Gender breakdown

• County population: ~53% women, 47% men (Census)
• Platform mix mirrors U.S. patterns:
  • Facebook ~54% women / 46% men
  • Instagram ~52% women / 48% men
  • TikTok ~59% women / 41% men
  • Pinterest heavily female (~77% women)
  • Reddit and X skew male (≈65% men)
  • YouTube roughly even, slight male tilt

Behavioral trends observed in Rockdale-type suburban counties around Atlanta

• Facebook Groups and Nextdoor anchor hyperlocal activity (schools/athletics, churches, HOA/neighborhood watch, buy‑sell‑trade, county service updates).
• Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery for local businesses; 15–30 seconds performs best.
• Peak engagement windows: commute and family downtime (7–9am, 5–8pm weekdays), late Sunday evening; Saturday midday for event posts.
• Community/event content outperforms promotional posts (high school sports, Olde Town Conyers festivals, local gov’t alerts).
• Messaging (Messenger/WhatsApp) used for coordination of pickups, services, and group communications; Facebook Events commonly used for RSVPs.

Notes on method and sources

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census (2020).
• Platform adoption and demographics: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (latest available adult and teen reports, 2022–2024).
• County counts are modeled by applying national platform-usage percentages to Rockdale’s adult and teen populations. Actual local usage will vary, but these provide reliable, decision-ready estimates.