Screven County

Screven County, Georgia – key demographics

Population size

• 14,067 (2020 Census). Down 3.6% from 14,593 in 2010.

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~43.6 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~57.7%
• 65 and over: ~20.3%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~51.6%
• Male: ~48.4%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~52%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~43%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2.4%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~1.5%
• Other races (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic combined): ~1.1%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~5.6k
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married-couple households: ~44% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• One-person households: ~29%

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population with an older age profile.
• Racial composition is near parity between White and Black populations; Hispanic share remains small.
• Household structure skews toward family households, but nearly one-third are single-person, and average household size is modest.

• Population and density: ~14,000 residents across ~645 sq mi (≈22 people per sq mi), reflecting sparse, higher-cost last‑mile infrastructure.
• Estimated email users: ≈9,500 residents (about 68–72% of the population) use email at least monthly.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~6% (school-driven accounts)
  • 18–34: ~24%
  • 35–64: ~46%
  • 65+: ~24%
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s demographics.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household internet subscription is typical of rural Georgia (roughly 70–80%), with a notable share of smartphone‑only access.
  • Broadband adoption lags urban areas; outside population centers, residents rely more on fixed wireless or satellite than on cable/fiber.
  • Mobile coverage enables basic email for most residents even where wireline options are limited; uptake is gradually improving as rural broadband investments expand coverage and speeds.

Overall: Email is widely used but constrained by lower-density infrastructure and mixed broadband quality; usage skews to working‑age adults, with seniors participating at lower but rising rates.

Mobile phone usage in Screven County, Georgia — 2025 snapshot

Context and confirmed baselines

• Population: 14,000 (rounded; 2020 Census count was 14,067, with only modest change since).
• Rural profile: Low population density with population concentrated around Sylvania and small towns (Hiltonia, Newington, Rocky Ford), plus dispersed farms/woodlands toward the Savannah River. This rural pattern shapes both coverage and usage.

User estimates (modeled from Census age structure, rural adoption from Pew and ACS, and Georgia norms)

• Mobile phone users (any cell phone): about 11,000 residents (roughly 80% of total population and ~95% of adults).
• Smartphone users: about 10,000 residents (roughly 70% of total population and mid‑80s percent of adults).
• Households relying primarily on cellular data for home internet: about 1,100 of 5,500 households (20%), higher than the state average.
• Prepaid share among mobile users: roughly 30% locally vs closer to 20% at the state level, reflecting income mix and credit constraints typical of rural counties.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near‑universal smartphone ownership (~95%); heavy app and video use; primary channel for job search and social media.
  • 35–64: High smartphone ownership (upper‑80s to low‑90s percent); widespread use of mobile banking, ag/land management apps, and navigation on commuting corridors.
  • 65+: Noticeably lower smartphone ownership (roughly mid‑60s percent); more voice/SMS reliance, with increasing use of telehealth. This older share is larger than the state’s, pulling countywide smartphone penetration below the Georgia average.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median household income than Georgia overall translates to higher prepaid adoption, more device longevity (keeping phones longer), and greater smartphone dependence in lieu of home broadband.
• Race/ethnicity
  • State and national research show minimal smartphone ownership gaps by race relative to the outsized effects of income and age; in Screven, income and rurality are the primary drivers of differences in plan type and dependence.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • All three national carriers operate in the county. 4G LTE is effectively countywide along major corridors (US‑301/US‑25 and GA‑21) and in/around Sylvania; signal variability increases in forested areas, lowlands, and far‑edge farm tracts.
  • 5G low‑band covers population centers and corridors; mid‑band 5G is sparser and largely corridor‑bound. Fringe areas fall back to LTE.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical user experience in town/corridor zones: low‑band 5G/LTE download speeds in the 30–150 Mbps band, with higher peaks on mid‑band 5G where available.
  • Outside corridors: speeds drop and uplink can be the limiting factor, especially inside metal buildings and in river‑adjacent terrain.
• Redundancy and reliability
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than metro Georgia; maintenance or backhaul issues can create wider service effects than in urban areas.
  • Public‑safety LTE/FirstNet coverage generally aligns with AT&T’s rural grid; volunteer fire and EMS zones still report dead spots in fringe tracts.

How Screven differs from Georgia overall (the key trends)

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration but higher mobile‑only dependence: Older age structure and lower incomes reduce overall smartphone ownership a few points vs state norms, yet a greater share of households uses cellular as the primary or only home internet option.
• Plan mix skews prepaid: Prepaid adoption and month‑to‑month plans are meaningfully higher than the statewide mix, elevating sensitivity to price changes and promotions.
• Coverage is broad but thinner at the edges: Residents experience more pronounced performance gaps between corridor/town centers and outlying areas than the typical Georgian, with indoor coverage challenges in metal‑roofed homes and farm buildings.
• Speed tiers lag metro Georgia: Median mobile speeds and uplink consistency trail those in Atlanta and larger metros due to sparser mid‑band 5G and fewer sectors per site.
• Device turnover is slower: Users keep handsets longer than the state average, which modestly limits access to the highest‑efficiency 5G features and bands.

Implications

• Marketing and service design: Emphasize strong prepaid offerings, handset financing with low upfront cost, and robust Wi‑Fi calling for metal‑structure homes.
• Network investment: Highest returns from adding mid‑band 5G carriers and small infill sites along US‑301/US‑25 and around Sylvania, plus targeted coverage fills toward the Savannah River edge.
• Digital inclusion: Smartphone‑centric telehealth, workforce training, and ag‑tech support will reach more residents than fixed‑broadband‑first approaches.

Notes on methodology

• Population and household baselines are from the 2020 Census with modest drift assumed through 2024–2025.
• Adoption and dependence estimates derive from ACS S2801 (computing devices and internet subscriptions), Pew Research Center mobile adoption, and known rural‑vs‑urban differentials in Georgia; they are scaled to Screven’s age and rural profile.

Screven County, Georgia — social media snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~14,300 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
• Estimated active social media users: ~9,200 (about 64% of residents; modeled from rural U.S./Georgia adoption rates)

User composition (share of social media users)

• Gender: Female 56%, Male 44%
• Age groups:
  • 13–17: 7%
  • 18–24: 13%
  • 25–34: 18%
  • 35–44: 20%
  • 45–54: 17%
  • 55–64: 13%
  • 65+: 12%

Most-used platforms in Screven County (share of local social media users; overlapping use)

• Facebook: 78%
• YouTube: 73%
• Instagram: 36%
• TikTok: 32%
• Pinterest: 28%
• Snapchat: 22%
• WhatsApp: 15%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• LinkedIn: 10%
• Reddit: 9%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-first Facebook: High reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for school, church, community events, local government updates, and buy/sell/trade via Marketplace. Engagement spikes around local sports, festivals, and severe weather.
• Mobile and messaging centric: Predominantly mobile usage; Facebook Messenger and SMS-style interactions drive many local business inquiries and peer-to-peer exchanges.
• Video and how-to culture: Strong YouTube consumption for hunting/fishing, equipment repair, home/land maintenance, sermon streams, and local sports highlights; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) growing among under-35s.
• Visual retail discovery: Instagram and Facebook power discovery for boutiques, personal care, crafts, and food; Pinterest skews toward women 25–54 for recipes, DIY, and home projects.
• Younger cohorts: Teens and early 20s concentrate on TikTok and Snapchat for daily communication and entertainment; Instagram is the bridge to broader community content.
• News and alerts: Local news travels fastest via Facebook shares/groups; X usage is niche, oriented to sports scores, state politics, and weather watchers.
• Timing: Peak engagement evenings 6–9 p.m.; secondary peaks weekday early morning (7–8 a.m.) and Sunday mid-day, aligning with church and family routines.
• Trust and influence: Posts from known individuals, churches, schools, and recognized local businesses garner higher trust and interaction than unfamiliar pages; user comments and shares meaningfully amplify reach.
• Advertising implications: Click-to-message and Marketplace placements convert well for service providers and local retail; short video (15–30s) outperforms static for reach among under-35s, while static/photo posts still perform with 45+.

Sources and method

• Figures are county-level estimates derived from U.S. Census Bureau population data and 2023–2024 Pew Research Center benchmarks for platform usage by age, gender, and rural residency, calibrated to rural Georgia patterns. Percentages represent share of social media users in the county unless noted.