Thomas County

Thomas County, Georgia — key demographics (most recent available)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: 45,616
• 2020 Census: 45,798

Age

• Median age: 39.9 years
• Under 18: 23.6%
• 18 to 64: 57.5%
• 65 and over: 18.9%

Gender

• Female: 52.7%
• Male: 47.3%

Race and Hispanic origin

• White alone: 56.9%
• Black or African American alone: 36.3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.5%
• Asian alone: 1.0%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.0%
• Two or more races: 2.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 5.4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 53.0%

Households and families

• Households: 17,800
• Average household size: 2.56
• Family households: 66.3% of households
• Married-couple family households: 41.8%
• Nonfamily households: 33.7%
• Average family size: 3.19
• Households with children under 18: 28.5%
• Households with a person 65+: 31.0%
• Female householder, no spouse present: 18.6%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101); 2023 Population Estimates Program; 2020 Decennial Census. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding and overlapping race/ethnicity definitions.

Thomas County, GA (population ~46,000) has an estimated 31,000 adult email users (18+). Using the county’s ACS age mix and national email adoption rates:

• By age (share of email users): 18–29 ≈ 21% (6.5k); 30–49 ≈ 34% (10.8k); 50–64 ≈ 25% (7.8k); 65+ ≈ 20% (6.4k). Email use is near‑universal among 18–49 (~95%), ~90% for 50–64, and ~75–80% for 65+.
• Gender: mirrors the population; roughly 52% female and 48% male among email users.

Digital access and trends

• About 8 in 10 households have a home broadband subscription; roughly 9 in 10 have a computer. Around 1 in 6 households are smartphone‑only for internet access. Home broadband subscription and 5G coverage have both risen since 2019, narrowing rural gaps but not eliminating them; seniors and low‑income households remain less connected and less frequent email users.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density is about 84 residents per square mile across roughly 545 square miles. Higher‑capacity cable/fiber service is concentrated in Thomasville and along the US‑19/US‑84 corridors; outer rural tracts rely more on DSL and fixed‑wireless, which correlates with lower email engagement among older residents.

Mobile phone usage in Thomas County, GA — summary and differences from Georgia overall

Baseline

• Population: ~45,500 (2023 est.); households: ~17,500–18,000; adults (18+): ~34,500–36,000

User estimates (adoption and reliance)

• Adult smartphone users: ~28,000–31,000 (≈82–88% of adults). Georgia typically trends closer to ~90%+, so Thomas County is modestly lower.
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~86–89% (Georgia: ~91–93%).
• Smartphone-only households (smartphone but no desktop/laptop/tablet): ~16–20% (Georgia: ~12–14%). Reliance on phones as the primary computing device is meaningfully higher locally.
• Households with a cellular data plan for internet: ~70–75% (Georgia: ~78–80%).
• Households with fixed broadband (cable/fiber/DSL): ~60–65% (Georgia: ~75–80%). The gap helps explain higher smartphone-only and hotspot use.

Demographic patterns influencing usage

• Age: Seniors (65+) make up a larger share (20–21%) than the state (15%), pulling overall smartphone adoption slightly lower and increasing basic/feature-phone retention.
• Income: Median household income is below the state average, translating to higher prepaid/MVNO use, longer device replacement cycles, and greater reliance on smartphone-only access.
• Race/ethnicity: A higher Black share and lower Hispanic share than the state average; combined with income and rurality, this mix correlates with more mobile-first behavior for work, school, and services.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE covers nearly all populated areas.
  • 5G low-band is broadly available from AT&T and T-Mobile; Verizon’s low-band coverage is present but mid-band capacity is concentrated around Thomasville.
  • Mid-band 5G (higher-capacity) is strongest in and around Thomasville and along US‑19/US‑84; coverage thins in outlying parts of the county.
• Typical speeds (real-world ranges):
  • Mid-band 5G areas: ~30–120 Mbps down; 5–20 Mbps up.
  • LTE-only areas: ~5–25 Mbps down; 2–8 Mbps up.
  • Indoor performance varies widely with construction (metal roofs and low-E glass reduce signal).
• Capacity and congestion:
  • Fewer upgraded 5G mid-band sites per capita outside Thomasville than statewide norms; peak-hour slowdowns are more pronounced in rural sectors and near schools/shopping corridors.
• Backhaul and fiber underpinnings:
  • Municipal broadband (Thomasville’s city network/CNS) and Kinetic by Windstream provide fiber presence in and around the city; rural backhaul is more mixed, with some sites still dependent on legacy circuits or microwave, which constrains peak capacity and delays upgrades.

How Thomas County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher smartphone-only reliance and mobile-first behavior due to lower fixed-broadband adoption and a larger senior share.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration than the state, with greater prepaid/MVNO utilization and slower device refresh cycles.
• Slower and patchier mid-band 5G build-out outside the county seat; low-band 5G coverage is broad but offers lower capacity than metro Georgia.
• Heavier use of mobile hotspots for homework, telehealth, and gig work relative to state averages, reflecting fixed-access gaps.

Outlook (next 12–24 months)

• Continued 5G mid-band infill around Thomasville and along major corridors; incremental Verizon C-band activations at selected sites.
• Ongoing rural fiber builds (e.g., Windstream projects) should improve fixed access, gradually reducing smartphone-only households, but mobile-first usage will likely remain above the state average.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesized from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022 (household device and internet subscription patterns), 2020 Census demographics, Pew Research Center smartphone adoption benchmarks (2023), FCC 4G/5G deployment data (2024), and Georgia broadband infrastructure program updates. Figures are county-level estimates aligned to these datasets and adjusted for Thomas County’s age, income, and rural/urban mix.

Thomas County, GA social media snapshot (2024–2025 best-available estimates)

Overall user base

• Population: 45,798 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ≈34,800.
• Active social media users (18+): ≈28,500–30,000 (≈82–86% of adults), aligned with Pew Research Center’s U.S. adult adoption.
• Home internet access is high but not universal; mobile-only usage remains common in rural areas, shaping short, video-first consumption.

Age groups (share of adult social media users, estimated)

• 18–29: ~20–25%
• 30–49: ~35–40% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: ~20–25%
• 65+: ~15% Interpretation: Younger adults use more platforms, but the 30–49 cohort dominates total reach; 65+ is sizable on Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown (adult social media users, estimated)

• Female: ~53–55%
• Male: ~45–47% Notes: Women are more active on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok; men skew higher on YouTube, Reddit, X, and LinkedIn. Overall split closely tracks the county’s slightly higher female population share.

Most-used platforms among adults in Thomas County (estimated reach of adult population)

• YouTube: ~80–83%
• Facebook: ~65–70% (Groups and local Pages drive daily use)
• Instagram: ~40–45%
• TikTok: ~30–35% (fast growth under 40; cross-posted Reels perform similarly)
• Snapchat: ~25–30% (strong among teens/under-30s)
• Pinterest: ~28–33% (notably high among women 25–54)
• LinkedIn: ~20–25% (professional/healthcare/education pockets)
• X (Twitter): ~18–22% (news, sports, government updates)
• Reddit/Nextdoor: ~15–20% / ~10–15% (Reddit for hobby/tech; Nextdoor for neighborhood info where coverage exists)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: local news, schools, churches, youth sports, buy–sell–trade, and event updates see the highest engagement.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube long-form and short-form (Reels/TikTok) lead; short, captioned, mobile-friendly clips outperform text-heavy posts.
• Messaging and DMs matter: Many residents contact local businesses via Facebook Messenger/Instagram DM; prompt replies influence conversions.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings; weather alerts and school/sports posts spike immediately when relevant.
• Local relevance wins: High response to practical content (events, road closures, severe weather, public safety, local dining, hunting/fishing, agriculture).
• Cross-posting works: Repurposed short videos across Facebook Reels, Instagram, and TikTok extend reach; YouTube remains the archive for longer content.
• Older adults: Predominantly on Facebook and YouTube; respond to clear CTAs, phone numbers, and event details rather than links-only posts.

Method notes

• Population and age/sex profile: U.S. Census (2020). Platform reach and age/gender usage rates: Pew Research Center (2023–2024). County-level figures are derived by applying national adoption by age/gender to Thomas County’s demographic profile and rural usage patterns; treat platform percentages as well-grounded estimates rather than exact counts.