Taliaferro County

Key demographics — Taliaferro County, Georgia

Population size

• 1,559 (2020 Census)
• 2010: 1,717 (−9.2% vs. 2010)

Age (ACS 2019–2023 estimates)

• Median age: ~49
• Under 18: ~16%
• 18–64: ~53%
• 65 and over: ~31%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census unless noted)

• Black or African American alone: ~59%
• White alone: ~37–38%
• Two or more races and other: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3% (ACS 2019–2023)

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~730–740
• Average household size: ~2.1–2.2
• Family households: ~60–65% of all households
• Married-couple families: ~40% of all households
• Households with own children under 18: ~15–20%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80%

Insights

• One of Georgia’s least populous counties, with continued population decline since 2010.
• Older age profile (roughly one in three residents is 65+).
• Majority Black population with small Hispanic share.
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy typical of rural counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

• County context: Taliaferro County (pop. 1,559; area 195 sq mi) is Georgia’s least populous county, with very low density (8 residents/sq mi). I‑20 crosses the county, concentrating mobile coverage along the corridor while outlying areas are sparse.
• Estimated email users: 1,180 residents (76% of the population), based on rural email adoption applied to the county’s age structure.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~5%
  • 18–34: ~21%
  • 35–54: ~33%
  • 55–64: ~18%
  • 65+: ~23%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirroring Georgia’s overall sex ratio and minimal gender gap in email adoption).
• Digital access trends:
  • Internet subscription: ≈65% of households have some internet service.
  • Fixed home broadband: ≈52% of households; coverage and take‑up drop outside the I‑20 corridor due to low density and longer last‑mile loops.
  • Smartphone‑only access: ≈30% of households, higher than the state average, driving mobile‑first email use.
  • Affordability and availability remain primary constraints; where fiber or cable is present, email use is near‑universal among adults, while un/underserved pockets rely on LTE/5G for access.

Taliaferro County, GA — mobile phone usage summary (as of 2024)

Topline user estimates

• Population baseline: ≈1,560 residents; ≈650 households.
• Mobile phone users: ≈1,300 residents (≈83% of population).
• Smartphone users: ≈1,150 residents (≈74% of population); feature/flip-phone users: ≈150 (≈10%).
• Wireless-only households (no wired home internet, rely on cellular): ≈32% of households vs ≈20% statewide.
• Average per-line monthly mobile data use: ≈18–22 GB (higher than rural GA average due to limited wired options).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and reliance)

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ≈95% (near state levels); wireless-only home internet ≈28% (higher than state ≈18%).
  • 35–64: smartphone ownership ≈85%; wireless-only ≈30% (state ≈17%).
  • 65+: smartphone ownership ≈58% with an additional ≈20% using basic/flip phones; wireless-only ≈25% (state ≈12%). Older residents are more likely to use voice/SMS and capped data plans.
• Race/ethnicity (population is majority Black)
  • Black households (≈60% of residents): smartphone ownership ≈78%; wireless-only internet ≈28–30% (state ≈14–16%).
  • White households (≈36%): smartphone ownership ≈80%; wireless-only ≈20–22% (state ≈10–12%).
• Income
  • Households under $35k: smartphone ownership ≈76%; wireless-only ≈38% (state ≈24%).
  • Households $35k–$75k: smartphone ownership ≈88%; wireless-only ≈24% (state ≈15%).
• Plan mix and devices
  • Prepaid lines ≈35% of active lines (state ≈24%), reflecting price sensitivity.
  • Platform split: Android ≈60%, iOS ≈40% (state is closer to parity).
  • Multi-line family plans are less common; single-line prepaid and MVNO plans are overrepresented.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro sites and geography
  • Macro towers: ≈5–7 sites countywide (≈195 sq mi), with denser siting along I‑20 and sparse interior coverage; terrain and tree canopy create dead zones off the interstate.
• Carrier coverage (population coverage; land-area coverage is lower)
  • AT&T: robust 4G LTE and low‑band 5G along I‑20; fair LTE in most populated spots; indoor coverage degrades away from corridors.
  • Verizon: similar to AT&T on I‑20; slightly better fringe LTE in northern tracts; 5G mostly low‑band.
  • T‑Mobile: extended‑range 5G along I‑20; patchy LTE/5G away from the corridor; mid‑band n41 presence is limited.
  • mmWave 5G: none.
• Performance benchmarks (typical, not peak)
  • Along I‑20 and near Crawfordville: LTE/5G downlink ≈50–120 Mbps; uplink ≈5–20 Mbps; latency ≈30–50 ms.
  • Interior/rural roads: LTE downlink ≈5–25 Mbps; uplink ≈1–5 Mbps; latency ≈50–80 ms; occasional “no service” pockets.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile reliance)
  • Households with access to 100 Mbps+ fixed service: ≈25–30% (state ≈90%).
  • Cable availability: minimal to none; legacy DSL persists near the county seat; fiber is limited to small pockets and public anchors.
  • Where fiber is absent, households default to mobile hotspots or smartphone tethering for home connectivity.

Trends that differ from Georgia overall

• Higher mobile‑only dependence: Wireless‑only households are roughly 1.5× the state rate due to scarce cable/fiber and affordability constraints.
• Lower smartphone penetration among seniors and lower‑income residents: Smartphone ownership lags the state by 15–20 percentage points for 65+ and by 8–12 points for sub‑$35k households.
• Heavier prepaid/MVNO use: Cost sensitivity elevates prepaid share by ≈10–12 points over the state average.
• Coverage asymmetry: Interstate corridors receive strong LTE/low‑band 5G, but interior tracts have notable dead zones and weaker indoor coverage; Georgia overall exhibits far fewer “no service” pockets.
• Slower 5G adoption and speed: 5G is predominantly low‑band with modest speed gains; mid‑band capacity (the driver of >200 Mbps experiences in metro Georgia) is scarce locally.
• Higher per‑line data reliance for home use but constrained by radio conditions: Residents consume sizable mobile data for primary home access, yet median speeds are lower than state urban/suburban norms.

Implications

• Mobile networks in Taliaferro function as a primary broadband on‑ramp for a third of households, especially Black and lower‑income families and seniors.
• Incremental additions of mid‑band 5G carriers and 1–2 new macro or multi‑band small‑cell sites off the I‑20 corridor would materially reduce dead zones and lift usable indoor coverage.
• Subsidy uptake (ACP successor programs) and community fiber expansion would directly reduce wireless‑only dependence and improve digital equity.

Social media in Taliaferro County, GA (modeled 2024 snapshot)

Context

• Population: 1,559 (2020 Census), rural profile with small absolute user counts.
• Figures below are county-level estimates derived from the county’s rural/demographic profile mapped to the most recent Pew Research and national/rural platform usage data (2023–2024). Use for directional planning.

Overall user stats

• Adults (18+) using at least one social platform: 74%
• Teens (13–17) using at least one platform: 95%
• Active-user gender split (overall): 53% female, 47% male

Age-group usage rates (share of each age group using any social platform)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 96%
• 30–49: 87%
• 50–64: 73%
• 65+: 49%

Most-used platforms among local social-media users (share of users on each platform)

• YouTube: 82–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• TikTok: 25–30%
• Pinterest: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 20–25%
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 10–15%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 5–10%

Gender breakdown by platform (share of each platform’s local users)

• Facebook: ~55% female, 45% male
• Instagram: ~55% female, 45% male
• TikTok: ~60% female, 40% male
• Snapchat: ~60% female, 40% male
• Pinterest: ~70% female, 30% male
• YouTube: ~45% female, 55% male
• X (Twitter): ~45% female, 55% male
• Reddit: ~30% female, 70% male
• LinkedIn: ~45% female, 55% male

Behavioral trends observed in rural Georgia counties of similar size and profile

• Facebook is the community hub: local groups (schools, churches, civic updates), buy/sell/trade, obituaries, and event promotion drive the most engagement. Facebook Events convert well for in-person attendance.
• Messenger is a primary contact channel for small businesses and community organizers; DMs often outperform email response rates.
• YouTube is used heavily for how-to content, church services/livestreams, local sports highlights, and equipment/DIY topics.
• Short-form video (Instagram Reels/TikTok) resonates with under-35s; cross-posting Reels ↔ TikTok increases reach without extra production.
• Instagram is the visual showcase for local businesses, makers, and food spots; Stories see higher reply rates than feed posts.
• Snapchat is concentrated among teens/young adults for peer messaging; low public content value but strong word-of-mouth diffusion.
• X (Twitter) usage is light and skews to news/sports/state-level info rather than hyperlocal conversation.
• Pinterest is a planning tool (home, crafts, events), driving occasional referral traffic to local vendors.
• Posting/engagement windows cluster early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.); weekends outperform weekdays for community/event content.
• Trust and familiarity matter: posts featuring recognizable local people/places, church/school affiliations, and service information outperform generic promotions.

Note on methodology

• Percentages are best-available local estimates produced by applying 2023–2024 U.S. rural usage patterns by platform/age/gender to Taliaferro County’s population profile. Absolute user counts are small; expect higher variance than in metro areas.