Upson County

Key demographics — Upson County, Georgia Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Margins of error omitted for brevity.

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): ~27,700
• Population trend (ACS 2018–2022 vs. 2010): modest decline

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51–52%
• Male: ~48–49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS, percent of total)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~66%
• Black or African American: ~29–30%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Other races each: <1%

Household data (ACS)

• Total households: ~10,500
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~67%
• Married-couple families: ~44%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70%
• Median household income: roughly mid-to-upper $40,000s
• Poverty rate: roughly 20%

Insights

• Aging profile with about one in five residents 65+, and a median age around 42.
• Racial composition is majority White with a large Black population; Hispanic share remains small but present.
• Household structure is predominantly family-based, with high homeownership and modest household size.

• Population and density: 2020 Census counts ≈27,700 residents across ≈327 sq mi, about 85 people per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈20,200 residents use email (about 73% of total population; roughly 90% of adults), derived from Pew U.S. email adoption levels applied to Upson’s age mix.
• Age distribution of email users (est.):
  • 18–34: ≈5,200
  • 35–64: ≈9,200
  • 65+: ≈4,700
  • Teens 13–17: ≈1,100
• Gender split: Usage is near parity; with Upson’s slight female majority, users are ≈51% female and ≈49% male.
• Digital access (ACS-based estimates, 2018–2022):
  • Households with a computer: ≈85–90%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈75–80%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈10–15%
  • No home internet: ≈12–14% (≈1,300–1,500 households), a key limiter on email adoption
• Trends: Broadband subscription rates have inched up a few percentage points since 2019, while mobile-only reliance remains significant, indicating affordability and last‑mile constraints.
• Connectivity context: Lower population density and rural spread increase last‑mile costs, concentrating higher-speed options around Thomaston and main corridors, with slower options more common in outlying areas.

Mobile phone usage in Upson County, GA — summary and how it differs from statewide patterns

Scope and sources

• Estimates and statistics leverage 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) device and internet-subscription indicators, county demographics, and 2024 FCC/mobile industry reporting for coverage and performance. Figures are rounded to be decision-ready and reflect county conditions rather than statewide averages.

User estimates and adoption

• Adult smartphone users: ~17,500–19,000 (about 80–85% of adults). This trails Georgia’s adult smartphone adoption (roughly 88–90%) by ~5–10 percentage points.
• Basic/feature-phone-only users: ~1,500–2,000 adults (about 7–9%), a higher share than Georgia (about 4–6%).
• Non-users (no mobile phone): ~1,500–2,000 adults (about 7–9%), about double the statewide share.
• Household smartphone access: ~85–88% of households have at least one smartphone. Georgia typically sits near 90%+.
• Smartphone-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): ~25–30% in Upson vs ~18–22% statewide. This is a defining county difference: greater reliance on mobile as the primary internet connection.

Demographic breakdown

• Age: Upson is older than Georgia overall (larger 65+ share). Senior smartphone adoption is materially lower than the state average (roughly mid-60s to low-70s percent vs upper-70s percent statewide). Seniors also show above-average smartphone-only reliance where fixed broadband is limited or unaffordable.
• Income: Lower-income households are overrepresented and more likely to be smartphone-only. In Upson, sub‑$35k households are roughly 2–3× as likely to rely solely on mobile data as $75k+ households.
• Race/ethnicity: With a sizable Black population share, smartphone-only dependence is elevated among Black households relative to White households, consistent with statewide digital equity patterns but more pronounced locally due to infrastructure and affordability gaps.
• Education: Lower educational attainment segments show higher mobile-only usage, tracking with income effects and limited fixed broadband availability in non‑urban tracts.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and 5G: 4G/LTE coverage is broad along US‑19/GA‑3 through Thomaston; 5G from AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon is present in and around Thomaston but becomes patchier toward more rural parts of the county (e.g., edges toward Yatesville/Woodland). Mid‑band 5G (faster) is concentrated near population centers; low‑band fills in elsewhere.
• Site density: Upson’s macro cell-site density is lower than Georgia’s urban/suburban counties on a per‑area basis, contributing to more variable signal quality off main corridors.
• Speeds: Typical median mobile download speeds in Upson are materially below the Georgia median. Expect roughly 40–60 Mbps down / 5–12 Mbps up countywide versus ~90–110 Mbps down statewide, with higher speeds only near the denser Thomaston grid or in favorable 5G mid‑band sectors.
• Latency: Commonly ~35–50 ms versus high‑20s to mid‑30s ms in Georgia’s metro counties.
• Backhaul: Fiber backhaul is strongest in Thomaston; sites outside town are more likely to rely on longer fiber laterals or microwave, which can cap peak throughput during busy hours.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile and Verizon home 5G offerings have meaningful uptake in Upson—estimated ~8–12% of households—exceeding the statewide average. This is a direct response to limited or costly fixed broadband outside cable footprints and helps explain the higher smartphone/FWA substitution effect.
• Redundancy/resilience: Weather and power events cause more frequent rural cell‑site outages than in metro Georgia. Carriers with public‑safety spectrum (e.g., AT&T FirstNet) tend to maintain better rural continuity, especially along evacuation and emergency routes.

Key ways Upson County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher dependence on mobile as primary internet: Smartphone‑only and FWA usage are notably higher, reflecting both affordability choices and fixed‑network gaps.
• Lower adoption among seniors and low‑income residents: The participation gap is wider than the state average, producing a larger pool of basic‑phone users and non‑users.
• Slower and more variable performance: Median speeds and latency lag state norms, with a sharper urban‑rural divide inside the county.
• Patchier mid‑band 5G: 5G is available, but contiguous mid‑band coverage is limited mainly to Thomaston and immediate corridors, unlike the broader footprints seen in Georgia’s metro areas.

Implications

• Demand skews toward value and prepaid plans, larger data buckets, and hotspot/tethering due to smartphone‑only households.
• Network investments that matter most locally are increased mid‑band 5G sectorization near neighborhoods just outside Thomaston, added rural infill sites, and fiber backhaul extensions.
• Digital equity initiatives that bundle affordable fixed broadband with device support for seniors and low‑income households will have outsized impact relative to statewide averages.

Upson County, GA social media snapshot

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈26,000 (ACS 2023)
• Adults (18+): ≈20,000; female ≈52%, male ≈48%

Overall usage

• Adult social media users: ≈77% of adults (≈15,500)
• Teens (13–17) using social media: ≈95% (≈1,600)
• Total users 13+: ≈17,100

Age mix of adult users (share of adult users)

• 18–29: ≈20%
• 30–49: ≈38%
• 50–64: ≈25%
• 65+: ≈17%

Gender breakdown (adult users)

• Female ≈54%
• Male ≈46% Notes: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit.

Most-used platforms (adults, percent who use each)

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 67%
• Instagram: 36%
• Pinterest: 30%
• TikTok: 24%
• Snapchat: 20%
• WhatsApp: 18%
• LinkedIn: 18%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• Reddit: 13%

Teens (13–17) platform preferences

• YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~60%; TikTok ~60%; Snapchat ~60%; Facebook ~30%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: The primary venue for local groups (churches, schools, youth sports, county services) and Marketplace; posts about weather, public safety, school updates, and local events drive spikes in engagement.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑tos, sermon replays, and sports highlights; short‑form (Reels/TikTok) increasingly cross‑posted by local creators and businesses.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is default among adults; Snapchat dominates teen peer messaging; WhatsApp use is niche and clustered within specific friend/family networks.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday activity rises around community events, high‑school sports, and severe weather.
• Commerce and calls-to-action: Strong response to “local face + clear offer” creatives; Marketplace listings, service promos, and event announcements outperform generic brand content.
• Content themes that travel: High‑school sports, church and civic events, hunting/fishing, yard sales, and local job postings consistently outperform national‑topic content.

Method and sources

• Figures are localized estimates for Upson County derived from: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 population structure; Pew Research Center Social Media Use 2024 (with rural vs. urban splits); Pew 2023 teen platform use; and standard rural adoption adjustments. Percentages shown for platforms refer to share of adults who use each platform. Counts are rounded to reflect county population size.