Seminole County

Seminole County, Georgia – Key Demographics

Population size

• 10,021 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: about 42 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 18 to 64: ~56–58%
• 65 and over: ~20–21%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (share of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~60–62%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~33–35%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: each <1%

Households

• Total households: ~3,900–4,000 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~45–50%
  • Female householder, no spouse present: ~14–16%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Average family size: ~3.0

Insights

• Small, rural county with a modestly older age profile.
• Majority White with a substantial Black population and a small but present Hispanic community.
• Household sizes are moderate, with family households predominating and a slightly higher share of female-headed households than state and national averages.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

• Scope: Seminole County, Georgia (population ≈10,100; rural density under 50 people per square mile)

• Estimated email users: ≈7,400 residents (about 73% of the population)

• Age distribution of email users (est. counts, rounded):

  • 13–24: ≈1,260 (17%)
  • 25–44: ≈2,300 (31%)
  • 45–64: ≈2,450 (33%)
  • 65+: ≈1,350 (18%)

• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s overall demographics

• Digital access and connectivity:

  • Households with a computer: ≈85%
  • Home broadband subscription: ≈70% (below Georgia’s ~82% statewide rate)
  • Mobile-only internet households: ≈15–20%
  • Little to no internet access: ≈10–15% of households

• Trends and insights:

  • Email is near-universal among connected adults; usage remains strongest for school, healthcare portals, and agriculture-related business.
  • Connectivity is concentrated in and around Donalsonville; fixed broadband is patchier in outlying areas, pushing higher reliance on smartphones and public Wi‑Fi.
  • Mobile-only access and data caps contribute to evening slowdowns and shorter email sessions, while older residents increasingly adopt email via smartphones.
  • Local density and rural topology limit last‑mile options, sustaining a gap to state averages despite gradual improvements.

Seminole County, GA — mobile phone usage snapshot and how it differs from state-level patterns

Headline picture

• Population baseline: 10,321 (2020 Census). Small, rural, and older than the Georgia average, with lower median household income than the state.
• Mobile adoption is near‑universal, but smartphone penetration and 5G availability trail Georgia’s urban/suburban counties. Reliance on cellular for home internet is materially higher than the state average.

User estimates (adults and households)

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 7,900–8,400 (about 80–83% of adults), a few points below Georgia’s ~86% adult rate.
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or feature phone): roughly 92–95% of adults, near the state norm.
• Households with a cellular data plan for internet: roughly 68–72% (Georgia ~78%).
• Cellular‑only home internet households (no fixed broadband subscription): approximately 26–32% (Georgia ~18–20%).
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: about 15–18% (Georgia ~11–13%).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~94–97%; high app/social/video use; mobile is the primary screen for most.
  • 35–64: smartphone adoption ~86–90%; heavier use of messaging and mobile banking; elevated mobile‑only internet among families without cable/fiber options.
  • 65+: smartphone adoption ~65–72%, notably below the state’s senior adoption; higher incidence of basic/feature phones and voice/SMS‑first usage; telehealth via mobile growing but constrained by coverage and device familiarity.
• Income and education
  • Households under $35k: smartphone adoption ~75–80%; prepaid plans and device financing more common; mobile‑only internet reliance high (30%+).
  • $75k+: smartphone adoption ~95%+; multi‑device households, but still a notable share using mobile as backup due to limited wireline competition in some tracts.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic households show similar or slightly higher smartphone dependence than White households but are more likely to rely on mobile‑only internet, reflecting price and availability of fixed broadband.
• Work patterns
  • Agriculture, logistics, and trades drive weekday daytime voice/SMS peaks; app‑based field workflows (photos, maps, messaging) are common. Seasonal activity elevates mobile data demand around harvest and regional events.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE coverage is broadly available around Donalsonville and primary corridors; signal quality degrades in some lake/forest tracts and lower‑density areas.
  • 5G is present but uneven; low‑band 5G covers towns and highways, with mid‑band pockets; mmWave is effectively absent. Net effect: modest 5G speed gains versus LTE, with noticeable variability by carrier and micro‑location.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical LTE/low‑band 5G speeds: roughly 10–60 Mbps downlink in town, often lower at edges; uplink 3–15 Mbps. Peak speeds can exceed these where mid‑band 5G is lit.
  • Congestion: evening slowdowns are common in tower sectors serving mobile‑only households and near recreational areas around Lake Seminole.
• Redundancy and resilience
  • Fewer tower sites per square mile than Georgia’s metro counties; single‑fiber backhaul paths to some sites increase vulnerability to cuts and storm outages. Battery/backup coverage varies; severe weather can still produce localized multi‑hour mobile service disruptions.
• Public‑safety and enterprise
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence supports public‑safety users; farm operations and small businesses often use mobile as primary WAN via hotspots where wireline options are limited.

How Seminole County differs from Georgia overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: about 3–6 percentage points below the state, driven by older age structure and income mix.
• Higher mobile‑only internet reliance: roughly 7–12 percentage points above the state. Many households substitute mobile plans for home broadband due to price/availability.
• More coverage variability: 5G availability and mid‑band capacity lag urban/suburban Georgia; performance outside town centers depends heavily on carrier, band, and terrain.
• Higher prepaid share and price sensitivity: prepaid and budget MVNO plans have a larger footprint than in metro Georgia; device upgrade cycles are longer.
• Seniors and digital inclusion: the gap in smartphone adoption and app literacy among 65+ is wider than the state average, constraining telehealth and government digital service uptake.

Implications

• Network planning: additional mid‑band 5G sectors and backhaul upgrades would relieve evening congestion and improve fixed‑wireless reliability for mobile‑only households.
• Digital equity: targeted device training and subsidy awareness (ACP replacement/alternatives) would yield outsized gains among seniors and low‑income families.
• Service positioning: fixed‑wireless access (FWA) and bundled mobile‑plus‑home offerings are well‑suited to current usage patterns; emphasizing outdoor and edge‑of‑cell performance is key for lake/forest areas.

Sources and basis

• 2020 Decennial Census (population); 2019–2023 ACS (computer and internet subscription indicators); FCC Broadband Map 2024 (availability), plus national/state mobile adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research). Figures for Seminole County that are not directly enumerated are estimated by applying these datasets to local demographics and rural settlement patterns to highlight differences versus Georgia’s statewide profile.

Seminole County, GA social media usage — concise 2025 snapshot

Data note: County-level surveys aren’t published; figures below are modeled from 2024–2025 Pew Research Center U.S./Georgia adoption rates applied to Seminole County’s age/sex mix (2020 Census population 10,223; ~7,800 adults 18+). Treat as best-available planning estimates.

Overall user stats (adults 18+)

• Social media penetration: 72% of adults (5,600 people) use at least one platform.
• Typical multi-platform use: ~2.6 platforms per user on average.

Age groups (share who use social media)

• 18–29: ~90%
• 30–49: ~84%
• 50–64: ~72%
• 65+: ~53%

Gender breakdown (of adult social media users)

• Women: ~55%
• Men: ~45%

Most-used platforms among adults (percent using the platform)

• YouTube: ~73%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Facebook Messenger: ~49%
• Instagram: ~35%
• TikTok: ~31%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• WhatsApp: ~16%
• LinkedIn: ~11%
• Nextdoor: ~6%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of local Groups/Pages for school updates, church and civic events, buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found, and storm/road alerts. Comment threads and shares drive reach more than link clicks.
• Video-first shift: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts for events, local sports highlights, hunting/fishing tips, and small-business promos. YouTube is used for longer “how-to” and product research.
• Messaging is essential: Many residents contact businesses via Facebook Messenger; group chats coordinate teams, church ministries, and family logistics. WhatsApp use exists but remains niche.
• Time-of-day engagement: Peaks evenings 7–10 pm; secondary lift around lunch hour; weekend engagement strongest Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. Severe-weather windows trigger sharp spikes in local page reach.
• Content that performs: Faces of known locals, school and youth sports, giveaways/raffles, new menu items and limited-time offers, “progress” photos (renovations, crops, catches), and event countdowns. Authentic, low-polish posts typically beat highly produced creatives.
• Trust dynamics: Official pages (sheriff, county EMA, school district, city/county government) anchor credibility; rumor-control posts and direct myth-busting draw high engagement during incidents.
• Advertising response: Hyperlocal radius targeting (15–25 miles), frequency-capped boosts, and clear CTAs (RSVP, call, message) convert best. Cross-post short videos natively per platform; repurpose TikTok to Reels/Shorts with platform-specific captions.

Source basis: 2024–2025 Pew Research Center platform adoption by age and U.S./Georgia averages, applied to Seminole County’s demographic profile (2020 Census/ACS). Figures are modeled estimates intended for practical planning and benchmarking.