Wayne County

Wayne County, Georgia — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 30,200 (ACS 2019–2023 est.); 30,144 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 39
• Under 18: 24%
• 18–64: 59%
• 65 and over: 17%

Gender

• Male: 51%
• Female: 49%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: 66%
• Black or African American: 22%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 9%
• Two or more races: 2%
• Asian: 0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.5%

Households

• Total households: ~11,300
• Average household size: 2.6
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~51% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%

Insights

• Population has been stable since 2010.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the U.S. and Georgia averages.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a sizable Black population and a growing Hispanic community.
• High owner-occupancy and mostly family households, typical of rural Georgia counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Wayne County, GA email usage snapshot (estimates; ACS/Pew-based)

• Population and density: ~31,000 residents over ~642 sq mi → ~48 people per sq mile (rural).
• Estimated email users: 22,000–24,000 adults (≈90–93% of adults).
• Age profile of email users:
  • 18–29: ~15–18%
  • 30–49: ~32–35%
  • 50–64: ~25–28%
  • 65+: ~18–22% Adoption is near-universal among 18–64 and high among 65+ (≈85–90%).
• Gender split: Approximately even (≈49–51% each), with no material gap in adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a computer/smartphone: ~90%+
  • Home broadband subscription: ~80–85%
  • Smartphone‑only internet households: ~10–15%
  • No internet at home: ~5–8%
  • Trend: Gradual gains in fixed broadband coverage and speeds via fiber and cable upgrades; mobile 4G/5G widely available along population centers, with coverage thinning in sparsely populated areas.
• Connectivity context: Rural spread and low density increase last‑mile costs and leave pockets with limited wired options; satellite and fixed wireless commonly fill gaps.

These figures translate to a mature, near‑universal email market among adults, with usage intensity highest in working‑age cohorts and steady improvements tied to ongoing broadband expansion.

Mobile phone usage in Wayne County, Georgia (latest public data through 2022–2024)

Overview and user estimates

• Population and households: About 30–31 thousand residents and roughly 11 thousand households (ACS 2018–2022).
• Smartphone users: Approximately 20–22 thousand adult residents use smartphones, based on household smartphone penetration and adult share of the population (ACS S2801).

Adoption and usage patterns

• Household smartphone access: ~88–90% of Wayne County households report having a smartphone, below Georgia’s ~92% statewide level (ACS 2018–2022, S2801).
• Cellular data plans: ~77–80% of households report a cellular data plan (vs ~84% statewide), indicating solid mobile uptake but a modest lag versus Georgia overall.
• Broadband reliance mix:
  • Fixed broadband subscription (cable, fiber, or DSL): roughly 60–65% of households (vs ~75% statewide).
  • Smartphone-only internet (cellular-only, no fixed broadband at home): about 20–25% of households (vs ~12–15% statewide).
  • No internet subscription at home: roughly 17–20% of households (vs ~12–14% statewide).
• Device mix: Wayne County has a higher share of households that rely on smartphones without a desktop/laptop than the state average, a pattern consistent with rural Georgia (ACS 2018–2022).

Demographic breakdown (directional county specifics compared with Georgia)

• Age: Households headed by adults 65+ are less likely to subscribe to fixed broadband and more likely to depend on a smartphone for connectivity than the statewide average; the age-based gap is wider than in Georgia overall.
• Income: Lower-income households (<$25k) in Wayne County show higher smartphone-only reliance and lower fixed-broadband adoption than peers statewide, reflecting price sensitivity and limited wireline options outside Jesup.
• Rural vs town centers: Jesup and areas along US-84/US-341 show higher 5G coverage and fixed-broadband take-up; outlying areas (Odum, Screven, timber tracts, and Altamaha River floodplain) rely more on cellular for home internet, with a larger share of prepaid mobile plans than the state average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile provide countywide LTE coverage along primary corridors; 5G is present, with T-Mobile’s low-band 5G most widely available. Mid-band 5G (for higher capacity) is concentrated in and near Jesup and along major highways, with materially less reach countywide than Georgia’s metro corridors.
• Capacity and speeds: Median mobile speeds are lower than the Georgia statewide median—typical county experiences are in the mid tens of Mbps in rural tracts and higher within Jesup, reflecting fewer sites per square mile and more low-band 5G/LTE usage than in metro areas.
• Tower density and terrain: Antenna sites cluster along US-84/US-341 and near Jesup; coverage challenges persist across forested and floodplain areas where signal propagation and backhaul are constrained, contributing to pockets of weaker indoor service relative to statewide norms.
• Fixed-broadband backdrop that shapes mobile reliance: FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) indicates a higher share of unserved or underserved locations (lacking reliable 100/20 Mbps fixed service) than the state average. Cable and fiber are largely limited to Jesup and immediate environs, with DSL or fixed wireless filling gaps elsewhere. This drives above-average dependence on mobile data for home connectivity.

Key ways Wayne County differs from Georgia overall

• More cellular-reliant: A significantly higher share of households are smartphone-only for internet access, with lower fixed-broadband adoption.
• Slightly lower smartphone plan penetration: Household smartphone and cellular plan adoption trails the statewide rate by several percentage points, reflecting rural income and infrastructure constraints.
• Coverage quality gap: 5G coverage is broader in low-band but thinner in mid-band capacity than statewide; speeds and indoor reliability outside town centers lag the state median.
• Larger demographic disparities: Older adults and lower-income households exhibit more pronounced gaps in fixed broadband take-up, pushing greater reliance on mobile devices than comparable Georgia populations.

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 (S2801/related tables); FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024); statewide mobile coverage disclosures by national carriers. Figures are rounded to reflect survey-based estimates.

Wayne County, GA social media snapshot (2024, estimated)

County context

• Population: ~30,100
• Rural profile centered on Jesup; age and income mix typical of small-town South Georgia

User stats

• Active social media users (13+): ~20,300 (≈67% of total population; ≈76% of adults)
• Gender among users: ~54% women, 46% men

Age mix of local social media users

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 23%
• 30–49: 35%
• 50–64: 21%
• 65+: 12%

Most-used platforms (share of local adults using each at least monthly)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~31%
• Snapchat: ~25%
• Pinterest: ~28% (skews female)
• X/Twitter: ~13%
• WhatsApp: ~12%
• LinkedIn: ~15% (concentrated among educators, healthcare, government)
• Reddit: ~10%
• Nextdoor: ~6% (limited suburban footprint)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy usage of Groups for schools, church events, youth sports, yard-sales, local news, and storm updates; Facebook Marketplace is a major local buying/selling channel
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is the go-to for how‑to/DIY, outdoor and automotive content; Facebook Reels and TikTok drive short-form entertainment and local promo highlights
• Messaging patterns: adults lean on Facebook Messenger; teens/young adults prefer Snapchat; Instagram DMs common for small-business inquiries
• High engagement drivers: high school sports, church/community events, local fundraisers, hunting/fishing, restaurant openings, public safety/weather alerts, and small-business spotlights featuring recognizable local faces
• Posting cadence and timing: strongest engagement early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.), with Sunday afternoon spikes; adults 30–64 post/share weekly, 18–34s interact daily via Stories/Reels/Snaps; older adults primarily react/share rather than post
• Commerce behavior: “message-to-buy” and click-to-call outperform website checkouts; short vertical video (10–30s) with clear locality cues outperforms static images; geotargeting within ~15–25 miles of Jesup captures most activity
• Trust and information: local government, sheriff’s office, and school district pages are primary news sources; user comments and shares drive reach more than page follower counts

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county-level estimates derived from the latest Census/ACS population structure and 2024 national platform usage benchmarks, calibrated for rural Georgia adoption patterns. Percentages reflect adult reach; teen adoption is materially higher for Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.