Stephens County

Stephens County, Georgia — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year unless noted)

Population size

• Total population: ~26,900 (2023 estimate). 2020 Census: 26,784.

Age

• Median age: ~42 years.
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive where noted)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~79–80%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~10–11%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.5–0.7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.3–0.4%

Households and families

• Total households: ~10,600–10,700
• Average household size: ~2.47
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~45–48% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~33–35%
• Households with children under 18: ~26–28%
• Householder age 65+ living alone: ~11–12%
• Housing tenure: ~70–72% owner-occupied; ~28–30% renter-occupied

Insights

• Stable population around 27k with an older age profile relative to the nation.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with notable Black and growing Hispanic communities.
• Household structure skews toward owner-occupied, smaller households, and a majority of family households.

Stephens County, GA email usage snapshot

• Population and density: 26,925 residents (2020 Census); ≈150 people per square mile. The city of Toccoa (~9,000–9,500 residents) concentrates much of the county’s denser connectivity.
• Estimated email users: ≈18,900 residents. Method: adults (18+) ≈77.3% of population; applying ~90% email adoption among U.S. adults yields ≈18.9k local users.
• Age distribution of residents: Under 18 ≈22.7%; 18–64 ≈56.4%; 65+ ≈20.9%.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–64: ≈14,400 users (about three‑quarters of users), reflecting near‑universal email adoption among working‑age adults.
  • 65+: ≈4,500 users (about one‑quarter), with lower—but rising—adoption among seniors.
  • Teens typically have school accounts but are excluded from the core “adult user” estimate.
• Gender split: Approximately mirrors the population (~51% female, ~49% male), yielding ≈9.7k female and ≈9.2k male email users.
• Digital access trends: Connectivity is strongest in and around Toccoa (cable and expanding fiber). Outlying areas rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, with some pockets of limited fixed broadband; mobile data fills gaps. Overall access and speeds have improved in recent years, but rural last‑mile coverage remains the main constraint.

Stephens County, Georgia — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

• Population: roughly 27,000; adults (18+): about 21,000 (U.S. Census Bureau estimates; figures rounded)

User estimates (modeled for 2024 using ACS S2801, Pew Research smartphone adoption by age/income, and county demographics)

• Adults with any mobile phone: 19,000–20,000 (about 90–94% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: 17,000–18,000 (about 82–87% of adults)
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~9,000–9,700 (about 85–92% of ~10,500–11,000 households)
• Households using cellular service as their primary or only home internet: ~15–20% (vs ~10–12% statewide), implying ~1,600–2,200 households in the county rely mainly on mobile data at home

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs from Georgia overall)

• Age
  • Older population share is higher than state average (65+ ~20–22% in Stephens vs ~15–16% GA). Result: overall smartphone penetration lands a few points below the state, but basic mobile ownership remains high. Among 65+, modeled smartphone adoption is ~65–72% in Stephens vs ~72–78% statewide.
• Income and affordability
  • Lower median household income than GA contributes to more prepaid usage and mobile-only home internet. Estimated prepaid share of mobile lines: ~25–30% in Stephens vs ~18–22% GA.
  • Low-income households (<$35k) are more likely to be smartphone-reliant for internet; modeled mobile-only share among these households is ~30–40% in Stephens vs ~20–30% GA.
• Education
  • Smaller share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than GA average. This correlates with slightly lower multi-device ownership and greater reliance on a single smartphone plan per household.
• Race/ethnicity
  • A larger White, non-Hispanic share than state average and a smaller urban/minority concentration reduces the presence of dense, mid-band 5G builds typically found in metro Georgia, reinforcing a tilt toward LTE use.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile operate countywide LTE networks; all three advertise 5G coverage focused in and around Toccoa and along primary corridors. FirstNet coverage is available via AT&T.
• 5G profile: Predominantly low-band 5G (good range, modest speeds). Mid-band 5G capacity is limited to town centers and major routes; mmWave is not deployed.
• Coverage patterns: Near-ubiquitous outdoor LTE on public roads; spotty signal persists in wooded hollows, lake-adjacent pockets, and low-lying terrain. In-building 5G can be inconsistent outside Toccoa.
• Typical speeds (observed ranges consistent with rural GA):
  • LTE: ~10–40 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up
  • 5G low/mid-band where available: ~50–250 Mbps down, 10–35 Mbps up
• Backhaul and towers: Dozens of macro sites serve the county with wider spacing than metro areas; microwave and fiber-fed backhaul mix. Fiber-to-the-home exists in limited pockets; cable/DSL cover the city and immediate surroundings; many rural addresses fall back to fixed wireless, satellite, or mobile hotspots.
• Emergency and resilience: Outages in severe weather or during utility backhaul cuts can widen rural dead zones due to longer inter-site distances and fewer redundant paths than in metro GA.

Key trends that differ from the Georgia state level

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: Cellular is used as the primary home connection by a meaningfully larger share of households in Stephens (≈15–20%) than GA overall (≈10–12%).
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration overall due to an older age profile, but basic mobile phone ownership remains very high.
• More prepaid and value-focused plans: Cost sensitivity and coverage-driven churn lead to above-average prepaid share and frequent carrier switching based on local signal.
• Coverage over capacity: Broad LTE coverage is strong, but mid-band 5G capacity is patchier than in metro counties, so peak speeds and indoor 5G availability trail state averages.
• Usage patterns: More hotspotting and data-capped mobile plans used for home connectivity, which can constrain video streaming quality and contribute to higher evening congestion than typical in metro GA.

Methodological notes

• Estimates draw on 2018–2022 ACS (S2801: device and internet subscription), 2023–2024 Pew Research adult smartphone ownership by age/income, FCC mobile coverage maps (2024), and rural-urban benchmarks for Georgia. Figures are rounded to reflect county scale and available data granularity.

Stephens County, GA social media snapshot (modeled local estimates using US Census/ACS population and 2023–2024 Pew/DataReportal platform adoption)

• Population baseline: ~26.9k residents
• Estimated social media users (13+): 16.5k–17.5k people (about 61–65% of all residents; roughly three in four residents age 13+)

Age mix among local social media users (approximate share of users; counts rounded):

• 13–17: 9% (~1.5k)
• 18–24: 11% (~1.9k)
• 25–34: 16% (~2.7k)
• 35–44: 16% (~2.7k)
• 45–54: 15% (~2.6k)
• 55–64: 15% (~2.6k)
• 65+: 18% (~3.1k)

Gender split among users:

• Female: ~55%
• Male: ~45% (Note: small nonbinary share exists but is not reliably measurable in available public datasets.)

Most-used platforms locally (share of county social media users; multi‑platform so totals exceed 100%):

• YouTube: 78–82% (~13.0–14.0k)
• Facebook: 63–68% (~10.5–11.9k)
• Instagram: 36–42% (~6.0–7.3k)
• TikTok: 32–38% (~5.2–6.6k)
• Facebook Messenger: 50–57% (~8.5–9.7k)
• Snapchat: 20–24% (~3.4–4.1k) Secondary platforms: Pinterest 22–28%; WhatsApp 16–22%; X (Twitter) 14–18%; LinkedIn 14–18%; Nextdoor 6–9%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns:

• Facebook is the community hub: local groups, schools, churches, youth sports, civic alerts, and Marketplace drive consistent daily traffic among 35+ and seniors.
• Video-first consumption: short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) outperforms photos/links for reach and shares; YouTube drives longer-form viewing across all ages.
• Teens/young adults skew TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat; they engage with creators, local sports highlights, and short vertical video more than text/image posts.
• 45+ audiences are highly reachable via Facebook and YouTube; they respond to local faces, service updates, events, and practical how‑tos.
• Messaging is central to conversion: Facebook Messenger is widely used for inquiries, appointments, and peer sharing; WhatsApp usage is present but modest.
• Peak attention windows: weeknights 7–10 pm and weekend mornings; mobile-first scrolling dominates, so vertical video, captions, and concise copy matter.
• Commerce and classifieds: Facebook Marketplace usage is high; promotions with clear local value and pickup options see better response.
• Trust signals matter: content featuring known local organizations, schools, and community figures earns higher engagement and share rates.

Notes on methodology:

• County totals and age structure are anchored to US Census/ACS; platform percentages are derived from 2023–2024 Pew/DataReportal US adoption patterns, adjusted for a rural county age mix. Treat figures as planning-grade estimates for Stephens County.