Spalding County

Spalding County, Georgia — key demographics

Population

• Total: 67,306 (2020 Census). 2023 estimate: about 68,000 (+1% since 2020; +5% since 2010).

Age

• Median age: ~39.6 years.
• Under 18: ~23–24%.
• 65 and over: ~17%.

Gender

• Female: ~52–53%.
• Male: ~47–48%.

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic is an ethnicity and overlaps race, so totals may exceed 100%)

• White alone: ~53%.
• Black or African American alone: ~40%.
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%.
• Two or more races: ~2%.
• Asian: ~1%.
• American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <1% combined.

Households and housing

• Households: ~25,000–26,000.
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7 persons.
• Family households: ~68% of households.
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~64–66%; renter-occupied: ~34–36%.
• Median household income: roughly mid-to-high $50,000s (ACS 2018–2022).

Insights

• Modest population growth over the past decade.
• Age structure slightly older than Georgia overall; female share slightly higher than male.
• Racial composition is roughly evenly split between White and Black populations, with a small but growing Hispanic community.
• Homeownership and household size are close to state norms; income levels are below the statewide median.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program).

Spalding County, GA email usage (concise snapshot)

• Population ≈68,000; households ≈25,700; land ≈200 sq mi; density ≈340 people/sq mi. About one-third of residents live in Griffin, concentrating network infrastructure.
• Estimated adult email users: ≈47,000 (≈91% of ≈51,700 adults).
• Gender split among email users: ≈24,700 women (≈52%) and ≈22,300 men (≈48%); usage rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Age distribution of email users (local population shares paired with typical adoption rates):
  • 18–34: ≈14,200 users (≈22% of population; ~95% adoption)
  • 35–54: ≈17,300 users (≈27%; ~94% adoption)
  • 55–64: ≈7,300 users (≈12%; ~90% adoption)
  • 65+: ≈9,300 users (≈16%; ~85% adoption)
• Digital access:
  • Households with any internet subscription: ≈83% (≈21,900)
  • Home broadband (cable/DSL/fiber): ≈77% (≈19,800)
  • Smartphone-only internet: ≈12–15% (≈3,100–3,900 households)
  • No home internet: ≈17% (≈4,400 households) Insights: Email is near-universal among working-age adults and remains the default for commerce, schools, and government. Gaps concentrate among seniors and lower-income or rural-edge households, where smartphone-only and no-home-internet rates are higher. Griffin’s urban core anchors stronger fixed-broadband availability; outer areas rely more on mobile data.

Mobile phone usage in Spalding County, GA (2024–2025)

Overview and user estimates

• Population baseline: about 68,000 residents; roughly 51,500 adults (18+) and 4,100 teens (13–17).
• Mobile users (any mobile phone): about 54,000 unique users countywide (≈80% of total population), including an estimated 49,000 adults and 3,900 teens.
• Smartphone users: about 48,500 users (≈71% of total population; ≈86–88% of adults; ≈95% of teens).
• Lines in service: about 60,000–63,000 active mobile lines (reflecting multiple lines per user, work lines, tablets, watches, hotspots).
• Mobile-only internet reliance: about 5,700–6,000 households rely primarily on a smartphone or cellular hotspot for home internet (≈21–23% of households).

Demographic breakdown of usage and reliance

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ≈92–94%; mobile-only internet reliance ≈28–30%.
  • 35–64: smartphone ownership ≈87–90%; mobile-only reliance ≈20–22%.
  • 65+: smartphone ownership ≈70–75%; mobile-only reliance ≈10–12%, with steady year-over-year growth as plan costs fall and devices become easier to use.
• Income and education
  • Households under $35,000: smartphone ownership ≈88–90%; mobile-only reliance ≈32–36%.
  • $35,000–$75,000: smartphone ownership ≈90–92%; mobile-only reliance ≈18–20%.
  • $75,000+: smartphone ownership ≈94–96%; mobile-only reliance ≈8–10%.
  • Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher have higher ownership (≈93–95%) and markedly lower mobile-only reliance (≈8–12%) compared with those with a high school diploma or less (ownership ≈85–88%; reliance ≈28–32%).
• Race and ethnicity
  • Black adults: smartphone ownership ≈88–90%; mobile-only reliance ≈26–30%.
  • White adults: smartphone ownership ≈86–88%; mobile-only reliance ≈18–22%.
  • Hispanic/Latino adults: smartphone ownership ≈90–92%; mobile-only reliance ≈28–32%.
• Plan types and usage patterns
  • Prepaid share of lines is elevated at an estimated 28–32% (higher than state average), reflecting price sensitivity and flexible month-to-month plans.
  • Average monthly mobile data consumption is above the state average among mobile-only households due to streaming and school/work use over cellular connections.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: essentially countywide coverage across populated areas from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon; weak or variable signal persists in low-density pockets in far-southern and northwestern parts of the county and along certain wooded road corridors.
• 5G availability
  • Low-band 5G: broad population coverage from all three national carriers; near-ubiquitous within and around Griffin and along US-19/41.
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41): strong presence in and around Griffin and along main travel corridors; patchier in exurban/rural tracts. This delivers noticeably higher median speeds where available.
• Capacity and speeds
  • In-town Griffin: frequent mid-band 5G readings in the 150–300 Mbps range during off-peak; 30–80 Mbps at peaks on congested sectors.
  • Rural edges: 10–40 Mbps typical on LTE or low-band 5G; mid-band upgrades are ongoing but not uniform.
• Backhaul and tower density
  • Macrocells sited along US-19/41, GA-16, and near schools and public safety sites; additional small cells and sector splits deployed in central Griffin to handle peak loads.
  • Microwave backhaul supports several rural sites; fiber-fed sites clustered in and near Griffin improve 5G capacity there.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Cable broadband covers most of Griffin and adjacent neighborhoods; AT&T fiber is available in parts of Griffin but remains limited in rural areas.
  • Where cable/fiber are unavailable, residents lean on mobile hotspots and fixed wireless access (FWA) from 5G providers, contributing to higher mobile-only reliance.

How Spalding County differs from the Georgia state-level picture

• Higher mobile-only reliance: about 21–23% of households in Spalding use mobile as their primary home internet versus a lower statewide share. This gap is driven by lower fiber availability outside Griffin and a larger share of cost-sensitive households.
• Higher prepaid share: an estimated 28–32% of lines are prepaid, several points above the state average, reflecting budget-conscious adoption and a stronger presence of discount/MVNO brands.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance split: speeds and reliability drop off more sharply outside the Griffin core than the statewide pattern, due to fewer mid-band 5G sectors and more sites on microwave backhaul.
• Faster 5G uptake among non-broadband households: FWA subscriptions and 5G phone upgrades are disproportionately used as substitutes for wired broadband, lifting cellular data usage above Georgia’s average in mobile-only homes.
• Older adult adoption is catching up from a lower base: 65+ smartphone ownership remains below the state average but is growing faster year over year as seniors adopt large-screen, budget devices and simplified plans.

Methodological notes

• Figures are 2024–2025 modeled estimates synthesized from U.S. Census/ACS 5-year county demographics, FCC coverage data, and nationally observed adoption patterns by age, income, and education. They are rounded to reflect local margins of error while providing clear, decision-ready estimates.

Social media usage in Spalding County, GA (2025 snapshot)

Key user stats

• Overall reach: 70–75% of adults use at least one social platform; ~60% use social daily
• Access: ~95% use mobile for social; ~70% are mobile-only
• Time spent: 1.8–2.2 hours per day on social, on average

Age mix of local social users

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 13–15%
• 25–34: 20–22%
• 35–44: 18–20%
• 45–54: 15–16%
• 55–64: 12–13%
• 65+: 10–12%

Gender breakdown

• Female: 52–54% of local social users
• Male: 46–48%
• Platform skews locally mirror national patterns: Pinterest and Facebook skew female; YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter) skew male; Instagram and TikTok are roughly balanced but slightly female-leaning

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults using the platform)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• WhatsApp: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 25–30%
• LinkedIn: 25–30%
• X (Twitter): 20–25%
• Reddit: 15–20%
• Nextdoor: 10–15%

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement in local groups (yard sales, school, public safety, services). Evenings and weekends perform best; photo albums and short videos outperform link posts.
• YouTube usage is utility-driven: DIY, auto and home repair, local sports highlights. How-to content and short-form clips (Shorts) drive the highest completion rates.
• Instagram and TikTok are discovery engines for food, boutiques, salons, events. Reels/short videos and UGC contests outperform static posts; geo-tagging Griffin and nearby towns improves reach.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are common for appointment-setting and customer service for small businesses; quick replies convert better than link-outs.
• Nextdoor is strong for older homeowners and neighborhood alerts; service providers gain leads with location-specific posts and recommendations.
• Snapchat remains teen-centric; usage spikes around school events and games; geofilters during Friday-night sports see above-average use.
• X (Twitter) is niche but influential for real-time updates (weather, outages, high school sports) and public-safety alerts.
• Timing patterns: Highest local activity clusters around 6:30–8:30 a.m., 12–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons consistently index high.
• Ad and content performance: Click-to-call, “get directions,” and lead-gen forms outperform long landing pages; best results come from tight geo-targeting (10–15 miles around Griffin), recognizable local faces, clear price points, and before/after visuals.

Notes on figures

• Statistics are modeled for Spalding County using 2024 U.S. platform adoption benchmarks (Pew Research Center and comparable industry panels) applied to the county’s age/sex mix from recent ACS estimates; figures are rounded to practical planning bands.