Stewart County

Stewart County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 5,314 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~36–37 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~18%
• 65 and over: ~12%

Gender

• Male: ~66%
• Female: ~34% Note: The county hosts a large federal immigration detention facility, which skews the sex ratio heavily male.

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• Black or African American alone: ~41%
• White alone: ~30%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~25%
• Other races, multiracial: ~4%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,700
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70%

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

• Scope: Stewart County, Georgia (2020 Census pop. ≈5,314; land ≈459 sq mi; density ≈11.6 people/sq mi), a very rural county with sparse infrastructure.
• Digital access (ACS 2018–2022): ≈84–86% of households have a computer; ≈64–67% have a broadband subscription. Fixed 25/3 Mbps service is widely available; fixed ≥100/20 Mbps reaches roughly two‑thirds of locations. Mobile 4G is countywide; 5G is present along main corridors.
• Estimated email users: ~3,200 residents. Method: apply adult email adoption rates to the non‑institutional population; the county’s sizable group‑quarters population (detention facility) inflates total headcount but does not contribute to consumer email use.
• Age distribution of email users (modeled): 18–34 ≈27%; 35–54 ≈32%; 55–64 ≈18%; 65+ ≈23%. Older cohorts use email less consistently but still at majority levels.
• Gender split among email users (modeled): ≈52% female, 48% male. The general population skews male due to group quarters, but household internet/email users skew slightly female.
• Trends and insights:
  • Smartphone‑dependent access is common (≈18–22% of households), driving email use via mobile apps.
  • Home wireline adoption lags state averages, constraining heavy email attachments/telework.
  • Low population density and long loop lengths depress fiber/cable build‑out; anchor institutions (schools, government) are typically the most connected sites.

Stewart County, GA mobile phone usage: 2024 snapshot and how it differs from statewide patterns

Population context

• 2024 population base: ~5,300 residents, ~2,000 households; notably high share of people in group quarters due to the Stewart Detention Center, which suppresses per-capita device adoption compared with household-based metrics

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users: ~3,300 adults use a mobile phone, of which ~3,000 are smartphone users (roughly 80–85% adult adoption when measured on a household basis; lower on a total-population basis because of group quarters)
• Household smartphone access: ~84% of households have at least one smartphone (Georgia: ~91%)
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): ~28% (Georgia: ~17%)
• Prepaid share of active lines: ~55% (Georgia: ~40%), driven by income mix and weaker fixed broadband alternatives
• Lifeline/ACP participation impact: prior to the ACP wind-down in 2024, ~1 in 4 households used ACP or Lifeline to offset service/device costs; ACP’s end has increased smartphone-only reliance and plan downgrades
• Typical monthly spend per line: $35–55 prepaid; $60–85 postpaid, with higher share in the lower band than statewide

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–34: ~93–95% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use and hotspotting for home access
  • 35–64: ~85–88% adoption; higher share of employer-paid lines than other groups
  • 65+: ~60–68% adoption; text/voice-first usage; lower multi-line family plan participation than Georgia average
• Income
  • < $35k household income: smartphone adoption ~80–85% but smartphone-only home internet ~40–45%
  • $35–75k: adoption ~90% with mixed fixed/mobile access

  • $75k: adoption ~95%+ with fixed broadband primary and mobile secondary

• Race/ethnicity
  • Black households (majority share countywide) show higher smartphone-only reliance than White households because of lower fixed-broadband availability and affordability
  • Hispanic households (small share) show high smartphone adoption and above-average hotspot use for work and school
• Group quarters effect
  • The detention center meaningfully lowers per-capita device metrics; when excluded, household-based smartphone adoption aligns with rural Georgia peers but remains below the state average

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: ≥98% of populated areas covered by at least one national carrier (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon)
  • 5G low-band: countywide or near-countywide from all three carriers, primarily 600–700 MHz for reach
  • 5G mid-band: present mainly from T-Mobile (2.5 GHz) along primary corridors (US-27/GA-520 and population centers); AT&T/Verizon mid-band (C-band) presence is limited to none in-county, with nearest mid-band anchors in larger regional markets
  • mmWave: none
• Capacity and performance
  • Typical daytime median speeds: low-band 5G/4G LTE in the 20–60 Mbps range; mid-band 5G (where available) 150–300 Mbps; evening congestion more pronounced than the Georgia average due to limited fiber backhaul and fewer sectors per site
  • Uplink is frequently the bottleneck (1–10 Mbps on low-band), impacting video calls and telehealth more than downlink streaming
• Sites and backhaul
  • Sparse macro grid consistent with a low-density rural county; coverage emphasizes highways and town centers, with capacity rather than coverage the binding constraint
  • Backhaul is a mix of microwave and limited fiber; fewer fiber-fed nodes than the Georgia average, especially away from highways
• Emergency and public-safety
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage along primary corridors improves resilience relative to legacy coverage, but depth off-corridor lags urban Georgia

How Stewart County differs from Georgia overall

• Adoption gap: overall smartphone adoption is lower than the state average (mid-80s% of households vs ~90%+ statewide), driven by age structure, income, and group quarters composition
• Higher smartphone-only dependence: ~28% of households rely solely on mobile for home internet, a double-digit percentage-point gap versus the state; this intensifies post-ACP cutback
• Plan mix skews prepaid: prepaid penetration is ~15 percentage points higher than Georgia’s, reflecting cost sensitivity and weaker fixed-broadband substitutes
• Infrastructure is coverage-first, capacity-second: near-universal 4G/low-band 5G reach but materially less mid-band 5G presence and fewer fiber-fed sites, yielding lower and more variable speeds than the state median
• Older and lower-income users shape usage patterns: more voice/text-centric use among seniors and heavier hotspotting among low-income households than statewide norms
• Group quarters distortion: a large detention population suppresses per-capita device metrics in ways not seen at the state level, widening the apparent adoption gap when measured against total population

Implications

• Mobile is the primary on-ramp to the internet for a sizable share of households; maintaining generous data allowances and affordable prepaid plans has outsized impact locally
• Incremental mid-band 5G sectors and fiber backhaul upgrades would lift evening performance more than additional low-band coverage
• Telehealth, workforce, and education programs should assume higher smartphone-only participation and design for low uplink bandwidth and data caps

Stewart County, GA — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Overall usage

• Estimated share of adults using at least one social platform: 70–75% (aligned with rural U.S. adoption; benchmarked to Pew Research Center national/rural figures)
• Daily use: Most users check platforms multiple times per day; feed-first and short‑video formats dominate engagement

Most‑used platforms among adults (estimated local reach; based on Pew 2024 national adoption adjusted slightly downward for rural counties)

• YouTube: 70–75% of adults
• Facebook: 60–65%
• Instagram: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 20–25% (disproportionately women)
• TikTok: 20–25%
• Snapchat: 15–20% (concentrated under 30)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% (used mainly for family/messaging groups)
• X (Twitter): 10–12%
• Reddit: 8–10%
• LinkedIn: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 2–5% (limited neighborhood density reduces uptake)

Age‑group profile (share using at least one platform; local estimates based on Pew 2024 age patterns)

• 18–29: 90–95% use social; heaviest on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat
• 30–49: 85–90% use social; Facebook and YouTube are core; Instagram rising; TikTok mid‑tier
• 50–64: 70–80% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok low
• 65+: 45–55% use social; Facebook primary; YouTube secondary; limited use of other platforms

Gender breakdown (by platform, typical shares seen in rural Georgia; applies locally)

• Facebook: ~55–60% female of user base
• Instagram: ~55% female
• Pinterest: ~70–75% female
• YouTube: ~55–60% male
• Reddit: ~65–70% male
• X (Twitter): ~60% male
• TikTok and Snapchat: near‑even gender split

Behavioral trends observed in rural Georgia counties and reflected in Stewart County

• Facebook as the community hub: Local news, churches, schools, county services, and buy/sell (Marketplace). Facebook Groups drive recurring engagement.
• Video‑first consumption: Short‑form vertical video (Reels/YouTube Shorts/TikTok) outperforms static posts; how‑to, local events, sports highlights, hunting/fishing, and faith content travel best.
• Messaging reliance: Messenger dominates; WhatsApp present in family/close‑knit groups; group chats support schools, teams, and churches.
• Commerce and classifieds: Heavy Marketplace usage for vehicles, tools, farm equipment, furniture; trust is built via local profiles and mutual connections.
• Event/weather spikes: Severe weather, school closures, road conditions, and local sports produce rapid engagement surges, primarily on Facebook and YouTube.
• Access patterns: Mobile‑first; peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (6–10 p.m.), with strong Sunday engagement tied to faith and family routines.
• Professional networking: LinkedIn usage is modest; local job discovery happens more via Facebook Groups/Pages than formal networks.
• Trust and influence: County offices, schools, churches, first responders, and well‑known local personalities/pages carry outsized credibility vs. national influencers.

Method notes

• County‑specific platform statistics are not published by platforms or government agencies. Figures above are defensible local estimates derived from the county’s rural profile and Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adoption rates by platform, age, and community type, adjusted slightly to reflect rural usage patterns in Georgia.