Wilkinson County

Wilkinson County, Georgia — key demographics

Population size

• 8,877 (2020 Census), down 7.2% from 9,563 in 2010

Age

• Median age: 43.6 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: 21.0%
• 18–64: 59.8%
• 65 and over: 19.2%

Gender

• Female: 50.6%
• Male: 49.4%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• Black or African American alone: 47.3%
• White alone: 46.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 3.0%
• Two or more races: 2.1%
• Other races (including American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, NHPI, Some other): 1.0%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: 3,340
• Average household size: 2.54
• Family households: 67%
• Married-couple families: 44%
• Female householder, no spouse present: 18%
• Nonfamily households: 33% (one-person households: 30%)
• Average family size: 3.07

Insights

• Small, aging population with a median age in the mid‑40s and nearly one in five residents 65+
• Racial composition is nearly evenly split between Black and White populations, with a small Hispanic share
• Household structure is family-leaning with relatively high single-person household share typical of rural counties

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

Wilkinson County, GA email usage (estimates based on 2020–2023 Census/ACS rural GA patterns)

• Population and density: ~8,900 residents over ~452 sq mi; ~20 people per sq mi (very rural).
• Estimated email users: ~5,700 regular users among residents age 13+.
• Age distribution of users:
  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–24: ~11%
  • 25–44: ~31%
  • 45–64: ~33%
  • 65+: ~18%
• Gender split among users: ~52% female, ~48% male, roughly mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household fixed-broadband subscription: roughly 65–70%, below Georgia’s statewide average.
  • Smartphone-only internet: ~10–15% of households, supporting email without wired service.
  • No home internet: ~15–20% of households; these residents may access email intermittently via mobile or public Wi‑Fi.
  • Reliance on mobile networks is high; email engagement is steady across working-age adults and rising among seniors as smartphone adoption grows.
• Local connectivity context: Service quality clusters in and around town centers (e.g., Irwinton, Gordon, McIntyre, Toomsboro). Sparse settlement and long last‑mile runs increase costs and contribute to patchy high‑speed options in outlying areas, which can limit heavy email use (large attachments, telework) despite broad basic access.

Wilkinson County, GA — mobile usage snapshot and how it differs from the state

Headline takeaways

• Mobile substitution is high: a materially larger share of households rely on cellular data instead of home broadband than the Georgia average.
• Coverage is mostly 4G LTE with patchy low‑band 5G; mid‑band 5G capacity seen in metro Georgia is largely absent, keeping typical speeds lower and more variable.
• Prepaid and assistance-linked plans make up a larger slice of the market than statewide, reflecting older age structure and lower incomes.

User estimates (2024–2025 conditions, derived from Census/ACS, FCC, and national adoption benchmarks)

• Population base: about 8,900 residents (2020 Census), roughly 3,400–3,600 households.
• Adults with smartphones: approximately 5,400–5,900 (≈80–85% of adults), reflecting slightly lower adoption among seniors and lower-income residents compared with statewide urban counties.
• Mobile-only households (primary internet over cellular, no fixed broadband): about 950–1,100 households (≈27–31% of households), notably higher than Georgia’s typical share in the mid-to-high teens.
• Prepaid share: a majority of new lines and a large minority of active lines are prepaid, above Georgia’s metro-county mix where postpaid dominates.
• Average monthly mobile data use per line: moderate to high for a rural county (driven by video streaming on cellular where home broadband is limited), but constrained by plan caps and coverage variability compared with metro Georgia.

Demographic context and implications for usage

• Age: Older than the state average (higher 65+ share), which pulls down smartphone adoption and increases basic-phone usage, but seniors who do adopt smartphones lean heavily on messaging and telehealth apps.
• Race/ethnicity: Majority Black with a sizable White minority and small Hispanic/Latino population. Community-focused apps, Facebook, and messaging platforms are central for local news and services.
• Income/education: Median household income well below the Georgia median; higher poverty rates. This correlates with:
  • Greater reliance on prepaid/Lifeline plans and budget MVNOs.
  • Higher likelihood of mobile-only internet access for the household.
  • More frequent use of public Wi‑Fi (library, schools, municipal buildings) to offload data.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all provide countywide 4G LTE coverage across settled areas; low‑band 5G is present but not universal. Mid‑band 5G capacity (the 200–400+ Mbps experience common in metro Atlanta) is limited or absent, so speeds lean on LTE or low‑band 5G.
• Coverage quality: Stronger along town centers and primary corridors; weaker indoors and in low‑lying or heavily wooded areas. Residents experience more fallback to LTE and single‑carrier coverage zones than in metro/suburban Georgia.
• Typical speeds (user-experienced, not peak):
  • LTE: roughly 5–25 Mbps down, 2–8 Mbps up in weaker areas; better near towers.
  • Low‑band 5G: roughly 40–120 Mbps down in covered zones, with noticeable variability by carrier and distance.
• Reliability: Wildcard weather and power resilience matter more than in dense metro counties; single-tower dependencies create localized outage risk. Text and voice remain reliable even where data performance dips.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Fiber and cable footprints are limited outside town centers. Where fixed options are absent or expensive, households default to phone hot-spotting and unlimited (or “unlimited with throttling”) mobile plans, reinforcing higher mobile-only rates than the state.

How Wilkinson County differs from Georgia overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: Share of households using cellular as primary internet is materially higher than the statewide average.
• More prepaid and assistance-linked adoption: Cost sensitivity and eligibility drive a larger prepaid/MVNO mix than in metro counties.
• Slower, less consistent mobile data: Limited mid‑band 5G means lower median speeds and more LTE fallback than in Georgia’s urban/suburban areas.
• Greater coverage asymmetry: Single‑provider pockets and indoor dead zones occur more often than in metro areas, influencing plan choice (carrier selection is more location-dependent).
• Usage patterns: More conservative video quality settings, heavier Wi‑Fi offload when available, and higher reliance on messaging/voice for reliability.

Notes on sources and method

• Population and household bases from the 2020 Census and ACS 5‑year structure; smartphone adoption from national/rural benchmarks (Pew and similar), scaled to county age/income profile; coverage/performance aligned to FCC Broadband DATA maps and publicly reported rural performance ranges. The figures above represent best-available county-level estimates and on-the-ground patterns that explain the gap with state-level outcomes.

Social media usage in Wilkinson County, Georgia (best-available 2024 estimates)

Population base

• Total population (2020 Census): 8,877
• Residents age 13+: ~7,455

Overall social media users

• Users (13+): 5,300 people (72% of residents 13+; ~60% of total population)

Age profile of social media users (share of users; count)

• 13–17: 9.5% (505)
• 18–24: 11.2% (596)
• 25–44: 32.3% (1,725)
• 45–64: 32.8% (1,750)
• 65+: 14.2% (759)

Gender breakdown among users

• Female: 54% (2,880)
• Male: 46% (2,455)

Most-used platforms (monthly reach among residents 13+; percent and approximate count)

• YouTube: 70% (5,220)
• Facebook: 65% (4,846)
• Instagram: 31% (2,310)
• TikTok: 27% (2,013)
• Pinterest: 25% (1,864)
• Snapchat: 21% (1,566)
• X (Twitter): 11% (820)
• LinkedIn: 10% (746)

Key behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for school, church, county updates, yard sales, and Marketplace; strongest reach among 30–64 and 65+.
• YouTube is ubiquitous and lean-back: music, local sports highlights, church services, how‑to/repair, hunting/outdoors content; high daily watch time but low commenting.
• Short-form video growth, youth-led: 13–29 skew to TikTok and Instagram Reels; cross-posting of the same clips is common.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is primary; Snapchat is the default for teens/young adults; WhatsApp usage is modest.
• Posting vs lurking: a minority create most local content; the majority consume/like/share rather than post original updates.
• Timing: engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday spikes tied to local announcements and school/sports updates.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade Groups drive most social-to-sale activity; Instagram boosts perform for boutiques/food.
• Civic/news consumption: county government, weather alerts, school notices, and church pages have outsized reach; X is niche, used mainly for sports and state news.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 county-level estimates derived by applying current Pew Research Center social platform adoption rates by age to Wilkinson County’s age structure (U.S. Census/ACS), with rural-Georgia adjustments. Counts are rounded to the nearest ~5–25 people; platform usage reflects overlapping audiences (multi-platform users).