Terrell County

Terrell County, Georgia — key demographics (latest available U.S. Census Bureau estimates)

• Population: ~8,600 (2023 estimate; down versus 2010)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~42
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~60%
  • 65 and over: ~18%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~53%
  • Male: ~47%
• Race/ethnicity (alone or in combination; Hispanic may be any race):
  • Black/African American: ~60–61%
  • White: ~33–34%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~4–5%
  • Two or more races/Other: ~3–4%
• Households and housing:
  • Households: ~3,300
  • Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
  • Family households: ~65–67% of all households
  • Owner-occupied housing: ~65–67% of occupied units

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (2023) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Numbers are rounded for clarity.

Terrell County, GA snapshot (2024 estimates)

• Population and density: 9,000 residents across ~335 sq mi (27 people/sq mi). Most connectivity is concentrated in Dawson; outer tracts are sparsely served.
• Estimated email users: ~5,600 residents use email at least monthly (driven by near‑universal use among connected adults and most teens).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–34: ~24%
  • 35–54: ~34%
  • 55+: ~34% Seniors are less likely to adopt email, but the cohort is large locally, keeping their share high.
• Gender split: ~52% female, ~48% male among email users, mirroring the county’s ~53% female population.
• Digital access:
  • ~73% of households have a home broadband subscription.
  • ~82% have a computer or smartphone; ~14% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) supplements access, especially for homework, telehealth, and government services.
• Trends and insights:
  • Adoption is rising slowly with recent state/federal build‑outs; Dawson sees faster speeds and higher subscription rates than rural areas.
  • Email remains the default for healthcare, schools, and government notices; younger adults are more mobile‑first but still maintain at least one email account. Persistent gaps remain on farms and low‑density roads.

Mobile phone usage in Terrell County, GA (2023–2024)

Topline user estimates

• Residents using a mobile phone: 7,300–7,700 people (roughly 84–88% of the population).
• Smartphone users: 6,900–7,400 people (about 79–85%).
• Adults relying on a smartphone as their primary internet connection (smartphone-only): 1,600–2,100 adults (≈22–28% of adults), notably higher than Georgia overall (≈15–18%).

Demographic breakdown and usage

• Age
  • 18–34: 92–95% smartphone adoption; heavy use of social/video apps and messaging; highest 5G utilization where available.
  • 35–64: 86–90% adoption; mix of work and entertainment use; hotspot use common for home connectivity gaps.
  • 65+: 65–72% adoption; rising telehealth and messaging; smartphone-only reliance still 12–15% (above state’s ≈8–10%).
• Income
  • <$35k households: 80–85% smartphone adoption; home broadband subscription only 45–55%; smartphone-only internet reliance 30–40% (vs GA 22–27%).
  • $35k–$75k: 85–90% adoption; more dual-connectivity (mobile + fixed), but hotspots remain a backup due to patchy wired options.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black residents (majority in the county): smartphone adoption ≈85–90%; smartphone-only reliance 26–32% (higher than white residents at ≈18–23%); usage skews toward prepaid and budget-friendly unlimited plans.
  • Hispanic and other groups (small shares): adoption broadly aligns with statewide peers but with above-average hotspot and prepaid use.
• Plan and device mix
  • Prepaid share: estimated 45–55% of active lines (higher than GA’s ≈35–40%), driven by income mix and variable coverage.
  • Device mix: Android ≈60–65% share; iOS share lower than statewide averages due to price sensitivity.
  • Average monthly mobile data per smartphone: ≈12–18 GB (below GA’s ≈20–25 GB), reflecting plan constraints and coverage-driven throttling.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon covers Dawson and primary corridors; dead zones persist in agricultural and wooded tracts, especially west/south of Dawson.
  • 5G: Broad low-band coverage around Dawson and along US-82/GA-520; mid-band (C-band/2.5 GHz) is sparse and largely corridor-limited, with weaker indoor reliability away from town.
• Performance
  • Typical downloads: 25–60 Mbps countywide, 60–120 Mbps in Dawson; uploads 5–15 Mbps; latency 35–60 ms.
  • These median speeds trail Georgia’s statewide mobile medians (≈90–120 Mbps down, 30–40 ms latency), and users spend more time on LTE than 5G mid-band.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro sites roughly 12–18 across ≈340 square miles (≈2–4 sites per 100 sq mi), lower density than most GA counties; very limited small-cell presence outside civic/school facilities.
  • Backhaul is a mix of microwave and limited fiber; fiber-fed sites cluster near Dawson and state routes. Evening slowdowns indicate constrained backhaul at several sectors.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Cable is largely confined to Dawson; legacy DSL and limited fiber elsewhere. The constrained fixed footprint pushes higher mobile dependence for home internet than the state average.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) improvements are evident near public-safety locations, but coverage gaps remain on secondary roads and farm lanes.

How Terrell County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance by roughly 7–12 percentage points, driven by income, rurality, and limited fixed broadband options.
• Lower mid-band 5G availability and lower median mobile speeds; greater reliance on LTE for coverage.
• Heavier prepaid usage and a more Android-skewed device mix than statewide norms.
• More hotspot use for home connectivity, with data-capped plans and throttling shaping usage behavior.
• Older adults show faster gains in adoption than statewide but still trail by a wide margin, with above-average telehealth reliance via mobile.

Implications and outlook (2025–2027)

• Expect gradual speed/capacity improvements as carriers extend mid-band 5G along US-82 and as fiber backhaul reaches more macro sites; benefits will appear first in Dawson/corridors.
• State and federal-funded fiber builds in Southwest Georgia should reduce smartphone-only dependence in town centers; remote tracts will change more slowly.
• Mobile is likely to remain the primary internet on-ramp for about one-quarter of adults through at least 2027, even as fixed broadband expands.

Notes on sources and method

• Estimates triangulate the latest available county-level ACS “Computer and Internet Use” (2018–2022 5-year), FCC mobile coverage data/maps (2023–2024), CDC wireless-substitution trends, and aggregated performance indicators from national speed-test providers for rural Southwest Georgia. Where county-specific figures are not directly published, values are modeled by applying observed rural and income adjustments to state benchmarks.

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

Overall usage (residents 13+)

• Use at least one social platform: 80%
• Daily social users: 60%
• Median platforms used regularly: 2
• Primary device: smartphone (≈90% of social users)

Age distribution of social users (share of the local user base)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–24: 11%
• 25–34: 17%
• 35–44: 17%
• 45–54: 16%
• 55–64: 15%
• 65+: 15%

Gender breakdown of social users

• Women: 55%
• Men: 45%

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 36%
• TikTok: 28%
• Pinterest: 24%
• Snapchat: 20%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• Reddit: 11%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for churches, schools, youth sports, local government updates; Marketplace is the go-to for buy/sell/trade and seasonal farm/garden gear.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for DIY, home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, sermon recordings, and local music; TikTok short clips for entertainment, recipes, and “life hacks” among under-40s.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates 1:1 and group chats; SMS/iMessage remain common; WhatsApp use is low outside transplants.
• Local news discovery: Predominantly via Facebook shares from local outlets, public agencies, and civic groups; weather alerts and road closures see high engagement.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 7–9 a.m., 12–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; Sunday afternoon spikes after church and during community events.
• Posting behavior: Under-35s post Stories/Reels/TikToks weekly and DM frequently; 35+ post fewer public updates but comment and share in Groups, especially around schools, sports, obits, and church/community events.
• Commerce: Strong response to offers from nearby businesses (restaurants, auto services, home repair), especially with coupons or same-week promotions; Facebook Shops/Marketplace outperform Instagram Checkout for local conversions.
• Trust signals: Content from known local voices (pastors, coaches, teachers, small business owners) drives higher engagement and share-through; templated “out-of-area” ads underperform unless paired with clear local relevance.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Figures are modeled for Terrell County by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age/gender to the county’s age/gender structure from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS/Census). Where county-level platform data is not directly published, results are presented as best-available local estimates calibrated to rural Georgia patterns. Key sources: Pew Research Center, “Social Media Use in 2024”; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey and Population Estimates.