Wheeler County

Wheeler County, Georgia — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data)

Population size

• Total population: 7,471 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~37 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Distribution (ACS 2019–2023):
  • Under 18: ~12%
  • 18–44: ~51%
  • 45–64: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~14%

Gender

• Male: ~68%
• Female: ~32%
  • Note: The county’s large state prison population (group quarters) drives the unusually high male share.

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~46–48%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~44–46%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
• Two or more races and other groups combined: ~2–4%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~1,700–1,800
• Persons per household: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–78%
• Renter-occupied: ~22–25%

Key insight

• Demographics are strongly influenced by a large incarcerated (group-quarters) population, which raises the male share and the 18–44 age segment; household-based measures (household size, tenure) reflect the non-institutionalized population.

Wheeler County, GA snapshot (2024):

• Population and density: 7,471 residents across ~299 sq mi (25 people/sq mi), very low density that constrains fixed-broadband buildout.
• Estimated email users: ~3,700 regular users countywide (civilian, non‑institutional), reflecting local connectivity and age mix.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 6%; 18–34: 22%; 35–54: 34%; 55–64: 18%; 65+: 20% (older adoption lags but is substantial).
• Gender split among users: ~53% female, ~47% male (male incarceration skews the civilian user base toward women).
• Digital access trends:
  • Any home internet subscription: ~76% of households.
  • Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber/satellite) at home: ~57% of households.
  • Smartphone‑only internet: ~19% of households (drives mobile‑first email use).
  • No home internet: ~24% of households.
  • Provider landscape: many addresses have only one fixed option outside Alamo/Glenwood; speeds commonly below urban Georgia norms, increasing reliance on cellular data. Insights: Email is nearly universal among connected adults and stable among 35–64. Growth opportunities are in older (65+) residents and smartphone‑only households, where simplified, mobile‑optimized email performs best. Low density and limited fixed competition constrain bandwidth, so lightweight email design improves deliverability and engagement.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Wheeler County, Georgia (2023–2024)

Headline takeaways

• High mobile dependence, modest speeds, and patchy mid‑band 5G differentiate Wheeler County from Georgia overall.
• A larger share of households rely on smartphones as their primary internet connection, reflecting lower wireline broadband availability and lower incomes than state averages.

Estimated user base

• Population baseline: roughly 7,500–7,900 residents; about 5,900–6,400 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile handset): 6,200–6,600 residents (about 88–94% of adults).
• Smartphone users: 4,900–5,400 residents (about 80–86% of adults).
• Smartphone‑only internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on cellular data): 22–28% in Wheeler vs roughly 14–18% statewide.
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: materially higher than the Georgia average; estimated 40–50% locally vs ~25–35% statewide, consistent with rural and lower‑income adoption patterns.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: near‑universal smartphone adoption (≈95%+); heavy app‑based communications and video.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈88–92%); frequent hotspotting for home/work when fixed service is weak.
  • 65+: substantially lower smartphone adoption (≈65–72%) and higher basic‑phone retention than Georgia overall.
• Income and education
  • Under $35k household income: markedly higher smartphone‑only reliance (≈30–35% of households), driven by cost and limited wireline choices.
  • College‑educated residents mirror state smartphone ownership but show lower smartphone‑only dependence.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic residents show above‑average smartphone‑only usage compared with White residents locally, reflecting income and housing stock differences; overall ownership levels are similar across groups.
• Device and plan mix
  • Android share is higher than the Georgia average, in line with higher prepaid usage and price sensitivity.
  • Multi‑SIM or tablet hotspots are more common than in metro counties, used to backfill home connectivity.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • All three national MNOs (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide 4G LTE across towns and primary corridors (e.g., US‑280 and state routes). Indoor coverage is generally good in Alamo and Glenwood, weaker in outlying areas with metal‑roof housing.
  • Low‑band 5G (AT&T/Verizon/T‑Mobile) is present across most populated areas; mid‑band 5G (especially T‑Mobile n41) is concentrated along highways and town centers with notable gaps in sparsely populated tracts.
  • Dead‑zone risk is highest in forested and low‑lying river‑adjacent areas and at county edges where tower spacing increases.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical daytime mobile downloads: roughly 20–50 Mbps in town centers; single‑digit to teens at the fringes. This trails Georgia’s statewide mobile median by a wide margin.
  • Congestion spikes are evident around school hours and community events due to limited sector capacity per site.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than metro Georgia; microwave backhaul still in use on some sectors, limiting peak throughput and upload speeds.
  • Small‑cell and CBRS deployments are minimal.
• Home internet interplay
  • Cable and fiber passings are limited; DSL remains in parts of the county. Fixed wireless access (FWA) from T‑Mobile and Verizon is available to a subset of addresses and has grown quickly since 2023, easing some smartphone‑only pressure.
  • Starlink presence is rising among remote households and small farms.

How Wheeler County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher smartphone‑only dependence: roughly 1.3–1.8x the state share, driven by sparser wireline options and lower household incomes.
• Lower effective 5G capacity: mid‑band 5G coverage is spottier, so realized speeds are lower and more variable than the statewide median.
• More prepaid and Android usage: cost‑conscious plans and devices are more prevalent than in metro/suburban Georgia.
• Greater reliance on hotspotting: households without reliable fixed service frequently tether laptops/tablets, increasing data‑cap sensitivity.
• Larger urban–rural performance gap within the county: town centers approach state‑like speeds at off‑peak times, while fringe areas lag well behind even during off‑peak.

Actionable implications

• Network investments with the highest user impact are additional mid‑band 5G sectors along secondary roads and improved backhaul to existing sites.
• Expanding FWA and targeted fiber runs to cluster neighborhoods would reduce smartphone‑only dependence and improve education/work outcomes.
• Public safety and telehealth benefit from fill‑in sites or repeaters in known weak‑signal corridors where emergency response times are longest.

Scope and method

• Figures are 2024 estimates for Wheeler County, Georgia’s civilian, non‑institutional adult residents (excludes incarcerated population), modeled from U.S. Census/ACS county demographics and Pew Research platform usage norms for rural U.S. regions; percentages rounded to whole numbers.

User stats

• Internet access: 72% of households have an internet subscription; about 28% are smartphone‑only connections.
• Social media penetration: 69% of adults use at least one social platform monthly; 56% use social daily.
• Device mix among social users: ~91% smartphone, 54% desktop/laptop, 18% tablet (users often use more than one).

Age groups (share of adults in each age group using social at least monthly)

• 18–29: 92%
• 30–49: 84%
• 50–64: 64%
• 65+: 43%

Gender breakdown (share of the county’s social media user base)

• Female: 58%
• Male: 42%

Most‑used platforms (share of adult residents using each at least monthly)

• YouTube: 64%
• Facebook: 60%
• Instagram: 31%
• TikTok: 27%
• Pinterest: 24%
• Snapchat: 19%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• WhatsApp: 11%
• LinkedIn: 9%
• Reddit: 9%
• Nextdoor: 5%

Platform patterns by cohort (localized tendencies)

• 18–29: Heavy on YouTube (90%+), Instagram (70%), Snapchat (60%), TikTok (~60%); Facebook used but less posted to.
• 30–49: Facebook (70%) and YouTube (85%) dominate; Instagram (45%) and TikTok (35%) rising; Snapchat mainly among parents with teens.
• 50–64: Facebook (60%) and YouTube (70%) lead; Pinterest (30%) has strong female skew; light Instagram/TikTok use (20% each).
• 65+: Facebook (50%) for groups/church/community; YouTube (55%) for how‑to/local news; other platforms minimal.

Behavioral trends

• Community‑centric Facebook usage: High participation in local groups for schools, churches, events, sports, buy/sell/yard sales, and lost/found. Marketplace is a key utility.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and YouTube Shorts consumption is expanding beyond under‑30s, notably among 30–49 for recipes, DIY, hunting/fishing, equipment repair, and regional news.
• Messaging reliance: Facebook Messenger is the default for local, informal communication; WhatsApp limited to family ties and small businesses with out‑of‑area contacts.
• Posting vs watching: Adults 30+ are predominantly “watchers/savers” rather than frequent posters; younger adults post Stories/Reels/Snaps more than feed posts.
• Trust and source preference: Local voices (schools, county offices, churches, coaches, small businesses) outperform national brands; posts featuring recognizable community members get higher engagement.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and group sales drive most peer‑to‑peer transactions; Instagram Shops/TikTok Shop have low but growing traction for boutique and seasonal items.
• Content formats that perform:
  • Local alerts (weather, road closures), school sports highlights, church announcements, community events, and seasonal content (hunting seasons, fairs).
  • Practical how‑tos and short, vertical videos under 30–45 seconds.
  • Photo carousels of local happenings outperform long text posts.
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and late evening (7–10 p.m.); weekends strong for events and Marketplace.
• Platform gaps: LinkedIn presence is low and mostly passive; X/Twitter use is niche (sports, emergency updates, state politics); Nextdoor penetration is minimal versus suburban counties.

Notes on interpretation

• Wheeler County’s prison population substantially skews total headcounts male; excluding institutionalized residents provides a truer picture of actual social media behavior in the community.
• High smartphone‑only access means vertical video, large text, captions, and low‑data assets perform best.