Acadia County

Quick clarification: Louisiana uses parishes—do you want Acadia Parish, LA? Also, do you have a preferred source/year (e.g., 2020 Census vs. latest ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)? I can provide concise figures for population, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and households as soon as you confirm.

Note: The parish is Acadia Parish, Louisiana.

Estimated email users

• Population ~57.5k; estimated 33k–40k residents use email regularly (assumes most people 13+ are online and ~90% of them use email).

Age distribution of email users (approx.)

• 13–24: 18%
• 25–44: 32%
• 45–64: 30%
• 65+: 20%

Gender split (approx.)

• Female 51%, Male 49% (mirrors local population)

Digital access and trends

• About 70–75% of households subscribe to home broadband; 85%+ have a computer or smartphone. Roughly 10–15% of households are mobile‑only internet users.
• Email adoption is near-universal among working-age adults and students; seniors’ use is growing but still lower than younger cohorts.
• Ongoing fiber buildouts and state/federal programs are expanding coverage; the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 may reduce affordability for some households.
• Public access (Acadia Parish Library branches in Crowley, Rayne, Church Point, Iota) provides Wi‑Fi/PC access.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Area ~655 sq mi; population density ~88/sq mi.
• Strongest fixed-broadband options in and around Crowley, Rayne, Church Point, and along the I‑10/US‑90 corridor; more rural fringes rely more on mobile, satellite, or legacy DSL.

Note: Louisiana uses “parishes,” not counties. The figures below refer to Acadia Parish, LA.

Headline estimates

• Population baseline: ~58,000 residents.
• Unique mobile phone users (all ages): 40,000–43,000.
  • Adults (18+): 35,000–37,000 mobile owners (about 80–85% ownership; rural rate slightly below state average).
  • Teens (13–17): ~3,800–4,000 with phones (most are smartphones).
  • Children 6–12: ~1,000–1,600 with basic or hand‑me‑down smartphones.
• Active mobile lines/SIMs: ~45,000–50,000 (1.1–1.2 lines per user, reflecting add‑ons, hotspots, and wearables).
• Smartphone share: majority of users; 65+ cohort pulls the average down vs. state.

Demographic patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near state‑level smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use; hotspot/tethering when home broadband is weak.
  • 35–64: High smartphone ownership; cost‑sensitive plan selection; family plans common.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone adoption (roughly 60–70%); above‑average use of basic/feature phones and voice/SMS.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median income than the state average → higher prepaid share (estimated 55–65% of lines in parish vs. ~45–50% statewide).
  • Higher reliance on “mobile‑only” internet (estimated 17–22% of households use cellular as primary/only internet vs. ~12–15% statewide), driven by patchy fixed broadband outside towns.
• Race/ethnicity and access
  • Parish is more rural and has a higher share of White residents and a lower share of Black residents than Louisiana overall; regardless, industry research shows Black and Hispanic households are more likely to be mobile‑only when fixed broadband is limited—patterns likely present locally in Crowley, Rayne, and Church Point.
• Device lifecycle
  • Longer device replacement cycles (more refurbished/older LTE devices) than urban Louisiana; this tempers 5G uptake.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE is effectively parish‑wide.
  • 5G coverage is concentrated along the I‑10 corridor and in/around Crowley, Rayne, and Duson; northern/rural tracts (e.g., areas around Iota, Branch, Richard) remain LTE‑centric with occasional weak indoor service.
  • Mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz, Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is present mainly in towns and along highways; low‑band 5G fills gaps but behaves like LTE for capacity.
• Carriers
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the most uniform rural coverage; AT&T’s FirstNet buildout improves reach for public safety and often benefits consumers.
  • T‑Mobile has improved notably along I‑10 and in towns; indoor and off‑corridor performance can be more variable in northern areas.
• Backhaul and capacity
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest along I‑10 and in town centers; many rural sites rely on longer‑haul or microwave links, so peak‑hour congestion is more common than in metro Louisiana.
• Fixed broadband context
  • Cable/DSL/fiber options are solid in town centers but sparse in outlying areas; several WISPs fill gaps. This uneven fixed infrastructure pushes higher mobile data usage and hotspotting.
• Resilience
  • Sites along hurricane evacuation/response routes and I‑10 are comparatively hardened; prolonged power outages can still degrade rural coverage away from the corridor.

How Acadia differs from Louisiana overall

• Lower adult smartphone ownership and 5G adoption than the state average, driven by older age mix, incomes, and device turnover.
• Higher prepaid share and a larger slice of mobile‑only households than statewide averages.
• More LTE‑heavy experience away from highways; mid‑band 5G is less ubiquitous than in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, or Shreveport.
• Greater sensitivity to the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program: a larger proportion of low‑income users shifted plans or leaned harder on prepaid and mobile data after ACP funding lapsed, compared with urban parishes.

Method and confidence notes

• Population and age structure are based on recent ACS/Census trends for Acadia Parish; device/plan estimates use Pew Research mobile adoption benchmarks adjusted for rural Louisiana and observed carrier deployment patterns through 2024–2025.
• Ranges reflect uncertainty from fast‑changing network upgrades and plan shifts post‑ACP. For program or investment planning, validate with the latest FCC Broadband Data Collection maps, carrier coverage maps, and parish‑level ACS Computer and Internet Use tables.

Note: Acadia is a parish (not a county) in Louisiana. Parish-level, platform-by-platform stats aren’t publicly published, so figures below are modeled estimates based on recent Pew Research Center U.S. usage rates (2023–2024), adjusted for a rural Louisiana profile.

Headline usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70–75% of adults
• Daily users (any platform): ~60–65% of adults
• Heavy video consumption (short-form + YouTube): high; video is the dominant format across ages

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use the platform, est.)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75% (skews older; strongest local community utility)
• Instagram: 40–50% (higher in under-40s)
• TikTok: 30–40% (fast growth; strongest under 35)
• Snapchat: 25–35% (concentrated in teens/20s)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (female-skewed, home/crafts/food)
• X (Twitter): 15–20% (news/politics, male-skew)
• Reddit: 15–20% (male-skew, hobby/tech)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (lower in rural labor mix)
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (less common outside metros)

Age groups (share using any social media, est.)

• 18–29: 90%+; platform mix: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Facebook secondary
• 30–49: 80–85%; Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram common; TikTok rising
• 50–64: 65–70%; Facebook dominant; YouTube strong; limited Instagram/TikTok
• 65+: 40–50%; Facebook first; YouTube for how‑to/news; light elsewhere

Gender breakdown (patterns, est.)

• Overall usage: Women ~74–78%; Men ~68–72%
• Facebook/Pinterest: women over-index (Pinterest women roughly 2x men)
• Reddit/X/YouTube: men over-index (notably Reddit, X)
• Instagram/TikTok: relatively even, slight female tilt

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Local news, parish/school updates, church and civic groups, buy/sell/trade and Marketplace see very high engagement. Events (e.g., festivals, high school sports) perform well.
• Video wins: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery; YouTube handles how‑to, repairs, hunting/fishing, cooking, and storm prep.
• Trust is local: Posts from recognized community voices (pastors, coaches, small business owners) outperform brand-only messaging.
• Practical utility: Weather alerts, emergency info, road closures, and school schedules get strong, rapid engagement.
• Timing: Peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.); weekends good for events/food content.
• Creative preferences: Family-oriented themes, Cajun/Creole food/culture, youth sports, and giveaways/raffles get above-average shares. Short captions + clear CTAs, phone-number and Messenger contact options help.
• Ads: Best ROI on Facebook/Instagram for local reach; use radius targeting around Crowley, Rayne, Church Point, Iota, etc. TikTok effective for under-35 awareness with creator-style content.

How to read these numbers

• Use the platform percentages as a planning baseline for adult reach in Acadia Parish. Expect Facebook and YouTube to be the reach pillars; Instagram/TikTok to expand younger reach; Snapchat to capture teens/college; Pinterest to reach women interested in food/home; X/Reddit niche.