Taylor County

Taylor County, Georgia — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 7,816 (2020 Census)
• Directional change: modest decline since 2010 (rural out‑migration)

Age

• Median age: ~43
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~48%
• Male: ~52%

Race/ethnicity

• White (non‑Hispanic): ~56%
• Black or African American: ~39%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Other races and multiracial combined: ~2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~3,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~2/3 of households
• Owner‑occupied housing rate: ~75–77%
• Median household income: ~$41–44k
• Per‑capita income: ~$21–22k
• Poverty rate: ~24%

Insights

• Small, aging, majority‑owner‑occupied county with incomes below Georgia’s median and a sizable Black population alongside a White majority.

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

Taylor County, GA snapshot

• Population and density: 7,816 residents (2020 Census) across 377 sq mi (21 people/sq mi), indicating very rural connectivity conditions.
• Estimated email users: ~5,550 adults use email (assumes ~6,050 adults and 92% email adoption among U.S. adults per Pew).
• Age distribution of email users (est. share of users): 18–24: ~11%; 25–44: ~32%; 45–64: ~34%; 65+: ~24% (reflects near‑universal use under 65 and lower—but still high—use among seniors).
• Gender split: ~51% female, 49% male among email users (email adoption is essentially parity by gender in national surveys).
• Digital access trends and local connectivity facts:
  • Very low population density raises last‑mile costs and slows fiber buildout relative to urban Georgia.
  • Rural Georgia counties like Taylor show lower household broadband subscription and higher mobile‑only reliance than the state average in recent ACS 5‑year data.
  • Fixed wireless (5G) and new fiber builds are expanding under Georgia’s BEAD program and other rural broadband grants, improving coverage on unserved roads and farmsteads.
  • End of the federal ACP subsidy in 2024 increases affordability pressure for low‑income households, which can dampen email and home‑broadband use despite improving infrastructure.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Taylor County, Georgia (2024–2025)

Context and population anchors

• Population baseline: 7,816 (2020 Census). The county remains near 7,700–7,900 residents, with a largely rural settlement pattern centered on Butler and Reynolds.
• Adults (18+): approximately 6,000–6,200.
• Households: approximately 2,900–3,100.

Estimated mobile users and adoption

• Adult smartphone users: about 5,100–5,400 (≈83–87% of adults; point estimate 85%). This trails Georgia’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (≈90–91%) by roughly 4–7 percentage points.
• Basic/feature-phone users: about 350–450 adults (≈5–7% of adults), about double the statewide share (~3%).
• Adults without a mobile phone: roughly 8–10% versus ~5–7% statewide.

Household internet reliance via mobile networks

• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on cellular data/hotspots): approximately 22–28% of households (point estimate ≈25%), notably higher than the Georgia average (~15–18%). This reflects a mix of affordability constraints and patchy fixed-broadband availability outside town centers.

Plan types and device ecosystem

• Plan mix among smartphone users: ≈65–70% postpaid and ≈30–35% prepaid. Prepaid penetration is 8–12 percentage points higher than the state average, consistent with rural and lower-income markets.
• Operating system share: Android ≈52–58%, iOS ≈42–48%. Android skews higher than the state average due to device cost and prepaid plan pairing.
• Hotspot/tethering use: materially above the state average, driven by mobile-only households and limited fixed options in outlying areas.

Demographic patterns (usage and adoption)

• Age: 18–34 smartphone adoption ≈94–97%; 35–64 ≈86–90%; 65+ ≈68–74%. The 65+ cohort shows a larger basic-phone footprint (≈12–18%) and the county’s share of older residents modestly pulls down the overall adoption rate versus Georgia.
• Income: Lower-income households exhibit higher mobile-only reliance (≈30%+), stronger prepaid uptake, and greater Android share.
• Race/ethnicity: After controlling for income, smartphone adoption is broadly similar across groups, but mobile-only internet reliance is higher among Black and Hispanic households than the county average by roughly 6–10 percentage points, in line with rural Georgia patterns.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage mix: Countywide service is anchored by 4G LTE and low-band 5G. Outdoor population coverage is high (LTE ≈96–99%), but land-area and indoor coverage vary, with weaker signal in low-lying, wooded, and metal-roof structures common in the county.
• 5G availability: Low-band 5G covers towns and major corridors; mid-band 5G (e.g., 2.5–3.7 GHz) appears in limited pockets. Effective mid-band 5G land-area coverage is well below Georgia’s metro areas; mmWave is negligible.
• Performance: Typical rural LTE/low-band 5G median download speeds run ≈20–40 Mbps down and 3–8 Mbps up in most of the county, with higher peaks near town centers. Where mid-band 5G is present, 100–300 Mbps is achievable. Overall, county medians are materially below statewide urban/suburban medians.
• Sites and density: The county’s size and rural topology suggest on the order of 20–25 macro cellular sites across carriers, with few small cells outside the town cores. Coverage focuses on Butler/Reynolds and primary routes; interior areas rely on wider-spaced macro cells, producing more variable indoor signal.
• Backhaul and fixed options: Fiber backhaul exists along main corridors, but fiber-to-the-home and cable footprints thin out quickly outside town limits. Fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps; this, in turn, drives elevated mobile-only and hotspot use.

How Taylor County differs from Georgia overall

• Lower smartphone adoption by roughly 4–7 percentage points, driven by an older age mix and affordability.
• A meaningfully higher share of mobile-only internet households (+6–10 percentage points), reflecting sparse fixed broadband outside town centers.
• Greater reliance on prepaid plans (+8–12 points) and higher Android share, tied to device and plan cost.
• Slower typical mobile speeds and more pronounced indoor coverage challenges; mid-band 5G availability is far more limited than in Georgia’s urban counties.
• Slightly higher persistence of basic/feature phones, especially among seniors.

Key implications

• Mobile networks serve as a primary on-ramp to the internet for a quarter of households, making capacity and coverage upgrades disproportionately impactful.
• Investments that expand mid-band 5G and improve indoor coverage (additional sectors, carrier aggregation, in-building solutions, and fiber backhaul upgrades) would narrow the county–state performance gap.
• Affordability-focused plans and device financing, coupled with digital literacy for older adults, would lift adoption toward statewide levels.

Notes on method

• Figures combine 2020 Census population anchors with 2018–2022 ACS county demographics, national and Georgia smartphone ownership benchmarks (Pew Research, CDC/NHIS), and rural network performance norms and FCC coverage patterns for west-central Georgia. All county-level usage figures are modeled estimates calibrated to rural Georgia trends and the county’s demographic profile.

Taylor County, GA social media snapshot (2025, modeled local estimates)

Population and online base

• Residents: ~7.7k
• Adults (18+): ~6.0k
• Adults using the internet: ~5.3k (≈88%)
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~4.3k (≈71% of adults; multiple-platform use is common)

Most-used platforms (share of online adults, at least monthly)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 41%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 24%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Pinterest: 27%
• LinkedIn: 15%
• Reddit: 13%
• Nextdoor: 7%

Age group usage patterns (share of each age group using the platform at least monthly)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube 95%, TikTok 78%, Snapchat 72%, Instagram 67%, Facebook 28%
• Ages 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 78%, TikTok 64%, Snapchat 58%, Facebook 67%, X 26%, Reddit 27%
• Ages 30–44: YouTube 90%, Facebook 78%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 36%, Snapchat 28%, LinkedIn 22%
• Ages 45–64: YouTube 85%, Facebook 76%, Instagram 33%, TikTok 22%, X 16%
• Ages 65+: Facebook 64%, YouTube 62%, Instagram 18%, TikTok 12%

Gender breakdown (share of online adults by gender using platform)

• Women: Facebook 75%, Instagram 45%, TikTok 35%, Pinterest 40%, YouTube 78%
• Men: YouTube 86%, Facebook 68%, Instagram 37%, TikTok 29%, Reddit 18%, X 20%

Behavioral trends observed locally in rural Georgia counties of similar size (applies to Taylor County)

• Facebook is the community hub: High use of Groups for schools, churches, youth sports, county alerts, and local yard-sales. Marketplace is a primary channel for buying/selling vehicles, farm equipment, furniture, and rentals.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) outperforms static posts for events, local sports highlights, and small-business promotions. YouTube anchors longer “how-to” and local-interest viewing.
• Messaging-driven commerce: Residents frequently use Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs to request quotes and book services (home repair, lawn care, beauty services) instead of web forms.
• Locality boosts engagement: Posts naming local people, places, and time-bound events see stronger reactions and shares. School, church, and public-safety pages are trusted information sources.
• Dayparts: Scrolling spikes before work and after dinner; weekend mornings favor Marketplace and events discovery.
• Platform roles by segment:
  • Under 30: TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for discovery and peer chat; YouTube for entertainment and learning.
  • Ages 30–49: Facebook for community and parenting/school info; Instagram for food, boutiques, fitness; YouTube for product research.
  • 50+: Facebook for news, community updates, and Marketplace; YouTube for tutorials and lifestyle content.
• Advertising response: Offer- and event-led creatives perform best. Click-to-message and “call now” CTAs outperform long landing pages. Geo-targeting within ~15–30 miles captures most demand.

Data notes

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Taylor County derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s rural age/sex mix and typical rural internet adoption; percentages refer to share of online adults unless noted. Multiple-platform usage means totals exceed 100%.