Schley County

Schley County, Georgia – key demographics

Population size

• 4,547 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: modest decline (rural out-migration trend)

Age

• Median age: ~39–40 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~28%
• 65 and over: ~15–16%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic can be any race; ACS 2018–2022/2020 Census patterns)

• White: ~62–64%
• Black or African American: ~31–33%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~5%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native: each <1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,550–1,650
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.8–2.9
• Family households: ~70–75% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~33–36%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80–84%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Census QuickFacts. Figures rounded to reflect ACS margins of error.

Schley County, GA has about 4,600 residents spread across ~167 sq mi (≈27 people per sq mi). Estimated email users: ~3,700 (≈80% of residents).

Estimated age distribution of email users:

• Under 18: 15%
• 18–34: 22%
• 35–54: 32%
• 55–64: 14%
• 65+: 17%

Gender split of email users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring the population.

Digital access and trends:

• Home broadband subscription ≈77% of households, rising since 2016.
• Smartphone‑only internet households ≈18%, indicating significant mobile‑first usage.
• Fixed broadband is uneven outside Ellaville; most locations have cable/DSL with expanding fiber along primary corridors.
• Broad 4G coverage with growing 5G; speeds and reliability dip in the lowest‑density tracts.
• Schools and the public library provide important free Wi‑Fi access.

Insights:

• Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults; the largest non‑user gap is in seniors.
• Mobile connectivity sustains email engagement where wired broadband lags; messages optimized for smartphones and low bandwidth see the widest reach.
• Low population density and dispersed housing increase last‑mile costs, slowing fixed broadband upgrades, but incremental fiber builds are improving reliability over time.

Schley County, GA mobile phone usage summary (2024)

Baseline and demographics

• Population base used: 4,800 residents (ACS 2018–2022 5-year; rounded)
• Households: ~1,750; average household size ≈ 2.7
• Age mix: 0–17: 27%; 18–34: 18%; 35–64: 39%; 65+: 16%
• Race/ethnicity: White (non-Hispanic) ~60%; Black ~33%; Hispanic/Latino ~5%; Other/Multiracial ~2%
• Rural profile: Predominantly rural with low population density and one small county seat (Ellaville)

Estimated mobile users and device mix

• Residents using a mobile phone (of any type): ~4,100, about 85% of the total population
  • Adults (18+): ~3,360 users (≈96% adult cellphone ownership)
  • Teens 12–17: ~620 users (≈95% smartphone ownership in this group)
  • Children under 12 with a phone: ~130 users
• Smartphone users: ~3,640 (≈76% of total population; ≈89% of mobile users)
• Prepaid vs postpaid: prepaid lines ≈30% of active lines in the county (higher than the state average)
• Smartphone-only internet reliance (no home fixed broadband): ~26% of adults, or ~910 adults
• Household penetration: ~80% of households have at least one smartphone, or ~1,400 households

Usage patterns and how Schley differs from Georgia overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration than the state, driven by an older age profile and lower household incomes than Georgia’s average
• Higher reliance on smartphones as the primary way to access the internet (smartphone-only adults ~26% vs a lower statewide share), reflecting more limited fixed-broadband options
• Higher prepaid share (~30% vs a lower statewide mix), consistent with rural markets and cost-sensitive users
• Single-carrier dependency is more common; many households choose the one provider with the strongest local signal rather than plan features, unlike metro Georgia where multi-line, multi-carrier households are more common
• App usage skew: higher share of data spent on messaging, social media, and video on low-to-mid bitrates; lower use of high-bandwidth teleconferencing and cloud gaming compared with metro Georgia
• Device turnover slower than state average, yielding a larger installed base of LTE-only or low-band 5G devices

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile provide countywide LTE coverage with varying strength; MVNOs ride the same networks
• 5G availability: low-band 5G is present along and near primary corridors and population centers; mid-band 5G coverage remains sparse, so LTE is still the primary access layer for many users
• Typical user speeds
  • LTE: ~8–30 Mbps down, 2–8 Mbps up in populated areas; lower at cell edges and indoors
  • Low-band 5G: ~30–100 Mbps down, 5–20 Mbps up where available
• Coverage characteristics: macro sites cover most outdoor areas but indoor service can be inconsistent in metal-roof structures and in low-lying or heavily wooded areas; signal quality can vary significantly within short distances
• Backhaul and capacity: limited mid-band 5G and fewer fiber-fed sites than urban Georgia lead to more variable peak-hour performance and faster degradation at cell edges
• Fixed broadband context: a smaller share of households has wired broadband compared with Georgia overall, which increases mobile network load and supports the higher smartphone-only rate

Key takeaways

• About 4,100 residents use mobile phones, and roughly 3,640 use smartphones
• Schley exhibits higher smartphone-only internet reliance and a higher prepaid mix than the Georgia average
• LTE remains the workhorse; low-band 5G improves speeds where present, but mid-band 5G is limited, so capacity and indoor coverage lag urban parts of the state
• The county’s demographic and infrastructure profile explains a modestly lower smartphone penetration but heavier dependence on mobile networks for everyday connectivity compared with state-level trends

Schley County, GA — social media usage snapshot (using U.S. Census Bureau population context and Pew Research Center’s latest U.S. platform usage rates; rural adjustments noted)

Baseline user stats

• Rural context: Schley is a small, rural county (≈4.6K residents). Among rural U.S. adults, about 66% use at least one social media platform (Pew Research Center, 2021 community-type detail).
• Rule-of-thumb reach per 1,000 adults in Schley County:
  • Any social media: ≈660 users
  • This provides a practical planning ratio without needing an exact adult headcount.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult averages; rural counties like Schley typically see Facebook a bit higher and Instagram/TikTok a bit lower by ~3–5 percentage points)

• YouTube: 83% of adults (≈830 per 1,000 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (≈680 per 1,000)
• Instagram: 47% (≈470 per 1,000)
• TikTok: 33% (≈330 per 1,000)
• Pinterest: 35% (≈350 per 1,000)
• LinkedIn: 30% (≈300 per 1,000)
• Snapchat: 27% (≈270 per 1,000)
• X/Twitter: 22% (≈220 per 1,000)
• Reddit: 22% (≈220 per 1,000)
• WhatsApp: 21% (≈210 per 1,000) Notes:
• In rural counties, expect Facebook to be slightly above the national 68% and Instagram/TikTok a few points below. YouTube remains broadly dominant across all geographies.

Age-group patterns (platform propensity, drawing on Pew’s latest age splits; local rural skew tilts older so the 50+ shares matter more in Schley)

• 18–29:
  • Very high: YouTube (90%+), Instagram (75–80%), Snapchat (60–70%), TikTok (60%+)
  • Facebook: solid but now secondary (roughly two-thirds)
• 30–49:
  • High: YouTube (90%+), Facebook (75%+)
  • Mid: Instagram (50–60%), TikTok (35–40%), LinkedIn (~40% for professionals)
• 50–64:
  • High: YouTube (80%+), Facebook (70%+)
  • Mid–low: Pinterest (35–40%), Instagram (30%), TikTok (~20–25%)
• 65+:
  • Core: Facebook (50%+), YouTube (60%±)
  • Low: Instagram (15–20%), TikTok (10%±)

Gender breakdown

• County gender split is near parity, so platform skews matter more than population skew.
• Typical skews observed nationally:
  • Female-leaning: Pinterest (strongly), Instagram (slight), Snapchat (slight), Facebook (slight)
  • Male-leaning: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), YouTube (slight)
  • TikTok: slight female lean overall
• Implication: Local interest categories often mirror these skews (e.g., Pinterest for crafts/home/education content; Reddit/X for sports, tech, policy chatter).

Behavioral trends observed in rural Georgia counties like Schley

• Facebook is the community backbone:
  • Heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for schools, churches, local government updates, lost-and-found, buy/sell, and event promotion.
  • Local news consumption and civic engagement primarily flow through Facebook posts and shares.
• Video-first, mobile-first:
  • Short, vertical videos (sub-60 seconds) on Facebook, Instagram Reels, and TikTok outperform text for community announcements, local sports highlights, and small-business promos.
  • Many users rely on mobile data; concise videos and lightweight creative load faster and perform better.
• YouTube for practical and community content:
  • How-tos, church services, school events, local sports recaps. Longer-form video works here more than elsewhere.
• Youth split attention:
  • Teens/young adults use Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok daily; Facebook is used but not central for under-30 discovery.
• Timing and cadence:
  • Engagement peaks around early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.), plus weekend mid-days—aligned with commuting, school, and church schedules.
• Discovery and conversion:
  • Geotargeted Facebook and Instagram ads with clear local value (events, offers, job postings) convert well; “message us” CTAs and phone-call extensions outperform outbound link clicks.
• Neighborhood apps:
  • Nextdoor penetration is limited in sparsely populated areas; Facebook Groups largely substitute for hyperlocal discussion.

How to interpret the numbers locally

• For every 1,000 Schley adults, plan on roughly:
  • 660 using some social platform
  • 680 on Facebook and 830 on YouTube (overlap is expected; multi-platform use is the norm)
  • 300–500 on Instagram/Pinterest/LinkedIn; 200–330 on TikTok/Snapchat/X/Reddit
• Expect slightly higher Facebook reliance and slightly lower TikTok/Instagram penetration than dense urban counties, with YouTube strong across all ages.

Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use Fact Sheet, 2024; community-type comparisons from 2021); U.S. Census Bureau population context for Schley County.