Tift County

Tift County, Georgia – key demographics

Population

• Total: 41,344 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~42,600 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~35 years
• Under 18: ~25–26%
• 65 and over: ~15–16%

Gender

• Female: ~51–52%
• Male: ~48–49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~56–58%
• Black or African American alone: ~33–35%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~12–13%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~49–50%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Number of households: ~14,900
• Persons per household (avg.): ~2.7–2.8
• Family households: ~68%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~60%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates)

Tift County, GA email usage snapshot (2024 estimates)

• Estimated email users: ≈29,000 adults (about 91% of ≈31,800 adults; total population ≈41,500).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29: 24%; 30–49: 34%; 50–64: 24%; 65+: 18%.
• Gender split among email users: Female 51%; Male 49% (mirrors local population mix).
• Digital access and behavior:
  • ≈84% of households have an internet subscription; ≈79% have fixed broadband; ≈20% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • ≈90% of households have a computer; adult smartphone adoption ≈89%.
  • ≈60% of adults check email daily; usage is near‑universal among working‑age adults and slightly lower but substantial among 65+.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Land area ≈269 sq mi; population density ≈155 people/sq mi.
  • Connectivity clusters along the I‑75/Tifton urban area with multiple fixed providers; outer eastern/southern tracts have fewer choices and lower adoption, contributing to the broadband subscription gap.

Notes: Figures synthesize U.S. Census/ACS household internet metrics and Pew Research email adoption by age/gender, scaled to Tift County’s population and settlement pattern.

Mobile phone usage in Tift County, GA — 2025 snapshot

Scope and sources

• Figures are best-available estimates synthesized from U.S. Census/ACS 2022–2023, FCC Broadband Data Collection, Pew Research, carrier 5G coverage disclosures, Ookla/OpenSignal rural Georgia benchmarks, and local institutional context (ABAC in Tifton). Numbers are rounded for clarity.

Population and user base

• Population: about 41–42 thousand residents; roughly 31–33 thousand adults.
• Mobile phone ownership (any cell phone): 93–95% of adults, or about 29–31 thousand users.
• Smartphone users: 81–84% of adults, or about 25–27 thousand users.
• Households using mobile data as their primary or only home internet: 19–22% (≈3.0–3.4 thousand of 15–16 thousand households), above the Georgia average (12–15%).

How Tift County differs from the Georgia statewide picture

• Heavier reliance on mobile-only internet: +5–8 percentage points vs state, driven by patchy fixed broadband (especially fiber) outside Tifton and along farm roads.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration than metro Georgia: −2–4 points, reflecting income mix and rural areas.
• Higher prepaid share: prepaid lines are an estimated 40–45% of active lines (vs ~30–35% statewide), with strong presence of Metro by T‑Mobile, Cricket, and Boost.
• Platform mix skews more Android: Android likely 52–58% of smartphones (vs near parity or iOS-leading in Atlanta), tied to device affordability.
• Upgrade cycles run longer: median device age 6–12 months older than metro Georgia, with more LTE-only handsets still in service.
• Mobile data is used as a substitute for home broadband more frequently for homework, streaming, and telehealth, especially in eastern and southern portions of the county.

Demographic patterns in usage

• Age: The presence of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC; ~4k students) pushes 18–24 adoption to near-saturation and lifts high-data-use behaviors (video/social, hotspotting) in Tifton proper.
• Income: Median household income trails the state; cost sensitivity increases prepaid adoption, family plans, and use of subsidy programs (ACP/LIHW equivalents).
• Race/ethnicity: A sizable Black population and a notable Hispanic community tied to agriculture correlate with:
  • Higher WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger penetration and bilingual app usage.
  • Greater mobile-only home internet reliance among lower-income households.
• Seniors (65+): Smartphone adoption lags state averages by roughly 5–8 points, with more basic/flip phones and shared family plans.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G footprint:
  • Strong, contiguous 5G along I‑75 and in Tifton from all three nationals (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile), with mid-band (C‑Band/n77 or n41) widely live in the city and interstate corridor.
  • Outside the corridor, coverage leans on low‑band 5G and LTE; mid‑band 5G becomes spotty moving into farm and timber tracts, especially southeast of Tifton.
• Typical performance (user-experienced):
  • In Tifton and along I‑75: 5G median downloads commonly 80–150 Mbps; uplinks 10–25 Mbps; low latency for app use.
  • Outlying rural areas: 10–40 Mbps downloads (low‑band 5G/LTE), with occasional fallbacks below 10 Mbps in canopy or fringe zones.
• Capacity stress points: Evening and weekend demand spikes around I‑75 exits, ABAC campus, ballfields, and event venues can induce temporary deprioritization for prepaid/MVNO users.
• Fixed broadband context affecting mobile behavior:
  • Cable/fiber competitive in core Tifton, but DSL and fixed wireless remain common outside town; fiber-to-the-home availability is materially lower than metro Georgia.
  • Result: higher household hotspot use and multi‑SIM strategies (e.g., one line on AT&T for coverage, another on T‑Mobile for capacity).

Usage behaviors and plans

• Data consumption: Heavier-than-state reliance on mobile for video and hotspotting pushes median monthly usage into the mid‑teens to mid‑20s GB/line, with student and mobile-only households well above that.
• Text/OTT messaging: Elevated use of WhatsApp, Messenger, and Spanish-language app ecosystems among migrant and seasonal workers; RCS adoption follows Android share.
• Plan mix: Family plans dominate postpaid; prepaid/MVNOs remain strong for single-line and seasonal users. ACP-era habits persist (budget tiers, promotional switching), even as subsidies evolve.

Actionable implications

• For carriers: Adding/expanding mid‑band 5G sectors a few miles off I‑75 and densifying around ABAC and east/southeast rural clusters would yield outsized improvements vs statewide ROI norms.
• For public sector/ISPs: Targeted fiber and fixed‑wireless builds outside Tifton could reduce the county’s mobile-only household share by several points, narrowing the gap with the state average.
• For service design: Offer affordable multi‑line prepaid bundles and robust hotspot allowances; ensure Spanish-language support and simple device financing to match local demand.

Key takeaways

• Tift County’s mobile market is defined by near-universal phone ownership, slightly lower smartphone penetration than metro Georgia, and a meaningfully higher dependence on mobile as the primary home internet.
• 5G is excellent in Tifton/I‑75 but transitions quickly to coverage-first profiles in rural tracts; this contrast is sharper than the statewide pattern.
• Prepaid, Android, hotspot usage, and multi‑provider strategies are all more prevalent than the Georgia norm, reflecting income, infrastructure, and the county’s college and agricultural makeup.

Social media usage in Tift County, GA — concise 2025 snapshot

Population baseline

• Total population: 41,344 (2020 Census). Adults 18+ ≈ 31,000.

Estimated user base (13+)

• Adults (18+): ~24,000–26,000 social media users (derived from national adult usage rates applied to local population).
• Teens (13–17): ~4,500–5,000 users.
• Total 13+: ~28,000–31,000 residents use at least one platform.

Most-used platforms (adults)

• Percentages labeled “US” are Pew Research Center 2024 national adult usage; “Tift est.” reflects a localized estimate based on rural/Southern patterns and Tift’s age mix.
• YouTube: US 83%; Tift est. 80–85%.
• Facebook: US 68%; Tift est. 70–75% (older/rural tilt raises share).
• Instagram: US 47%; Tift est. 40–45%.
• TikTok: US 33%; Tift est. 28–35%.
• Snapchat: US 30%; Tift est. 25–32% (boosted by high school/college).
• Pinterest: US 35%; Tift est. 30–35% (strong among women 25–54).
• LinkedIn: US 30%; Tift est. 18–24% (smaller white-collar base).
• X (Twitter): US 22%; Tift est. 15–20%.
• WhatsApp: US 21%; Tift est. 18–22% (higher within Hispanic community).
• Reddit: US 22%; Tift est. 12–18%.
• Nextdoor: US ~20%; Tift est. 10–15% (Facebook Groups more prevalent locally).

Age-group patterns (behavioral)

• 13–17: Nearly universal YouTube; TikTok/Snapchat are daily drivers; Instagram strong; Facebook used mainly for Marketplace and school/sports updates.
• 18–29: Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat dominant; YouTube daily; Facebook for events and Marketplace; X used for sports/news.
• 30–49: Facebook + Messenger central (school, church, youth sports, buy/sell); YouTube for how‑to; Instagram for family and small business; TikTok growing for recipes, DIY, local discoveries.
• 50–64: Facebook is primary; YouTube for tutorials and church streams; Pinterest for home/DIY.
• 65+: Facebook Groups and Marketplace; YouTube for sermons/news clips.

Gender breakdown and usage tendencies

• Users are roughly 52% women, 48% men (mirrors county population).
• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
• Both genders rely heavily on Facebook Marketplace; women engage more with school/church pages, men with local sports/outdoors.

Local behavioral trends that matter

• Facebook Groups and Marketplace are the county’s community hub (events, yard sales, high school sports, local government alerts).
• Short-form video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) drives discovery of local eateries, farm stands, festivals, and service providers.
• ABAC and local high schools amplify Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok activity during the school year; sports and graduation seasons spike engagement.
• YouTube is key for agriculture, small-engine repair, DIY, and church/live-streamed services.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp is notable in Hispanic households and for family communications.
• Peak engagement windows: evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekend mornings; severe weather and school/sports updates reliably spike Facebook Group activity.

Notes on figures

• County population is from the 2020 U.S. Census.
• Platform percentages labeled “US” come from Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2024.
• Tift County platform shares and user counts are modeled estimates derived from those benchmarks and Tift’s demographic profile.