Ascension County

To make sure I give you the right figures, can you confirm:

• Do you mean Ascension Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana?
• Do you want the latest American Community Survey estimates (2019–2023 ACS 5-year or 2023 ACS 1-year), or 2020 Census counts?

Once you confirm, I’ll provide concise, data-driven stats on population size, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics.

Note: Ascension County is officially Ascension Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana.

Estimated email users

• Population ~130–132k. Estimated email users: 105k–115k (roughly 80–88% of residents), based on ACS internet adoption and Pew email usage rates.

Age distribution (share of email users; estimates using local age mix and national adoption)

• 13–17: ~4%
• 18–34: ~28%
• 35–54: ~38%
• 55–64: ~15%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender split (among users)

• ~49% male, ~51% female, reflecting parish demographics; usage is similar by gender.

Digital access trends

• About 87–90% of households have a broadband subscription; 92%+ have a computer (ACS).
• Smartphone-only internet households estimated at 12–15%, supporting heavy mobile email use.
• Fiber and cable coverage is strongest along the I‑10/Gonzales–Prairieville corridors; rural bayou areas see more DSL/fixed wireless and slower speeds, though coverage is improving.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density roughly 430–450 people per square mile; suburban growth tied to Baton Rouge commuting supports high broadband take-up.
• Public Wi‑Fi and computer access available via parish libraries and schools.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (computer/broadband, population), Pew Research (email usage), FCC coverage summaries.

Note: In Louisiana, “counties” are called parishes. The area you’re asking about is Ascension Parish.

Headline picture (best-available estimates; see “sources and methods” at the end)

• Population baseline: ~130–135k residents; ~100–105k adults (18+); ~45–48k households.
• Smartphone users: ~100k–110k people (higher share than Louisiana overall).
• Any mobile phone users (smartphone or basic): ~120k–128k.
• Smartphone-only internet households: roughly 10–14% of households (lower than the Louisiana average).

How Ascension differs from Louisiana overall

• Higher adoption and newer devices: Ascension’s higher incomes, suburban profile, and proximity to Baton Rouge correlate with slightly higher smartphone ownership (especially 5G-capable devices) and more multi-line family plans than the state average.
• Less “mobile-only” dependency: Thanks to broader cable/fiber availability in much of east Ascension, a smaller share of households rely on smartphones as their only internet connection compared with many rural parishes.
• Heavier commuter/industrial usage: Daytime network load spikes along the I‑10/US‑61 corridor (Prairieville–Gonzales) and near industrial sites create peak-hour capacity demands that differ from more rural parts of the state.
• Smaller prepaid share: Prepaid plans are likely a smaller slice of lines than the statewide mix, reflecting more family/postpaid plans; west-bank and lower-income pockets are the main exceptions.

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• Age: Family-heavy suburbs in Prairieville/Gonzales skew younger than the state average, boosting smartphone and multi-line household adoption; older concentrations around Donaldsonville and rural areas moderate adoption and 5G device share.
• Income/education: Median household income is above the Louisiana average, supporting higher smartphone penetration, 5G device uptake, and premium plan adoption; lower-income tracts on the west bank show closer-to-state averages and higher prepaid shares.
• Race/ethnicity: A diverse mix (White, Black, and a growing Hispanic population) mirrors distinct usage patterns—generally high smartphone adoption across groups, with plan type (prepaid vs postpaid) and “mobile-only” reliance more tied to income and fixed-broadband availability than to race/ethnicity per se.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Mobile coverage
  • 4G/5G coverage is strong along I‑10 and major arterials (Prairieville–Gonzales retail/commuter corridors).
  • Mid-band 5G (higher speeds) is most consistent east of the Mississippi; west-bank and fringe rural areas lean more on LTE/low-band 5G, with occasional capacity constraints.
• Wireline backbones and fiber
  • Portions of east Ascension have robust cable and fiber-to-the-home options, which relieve pressure on mobile for home internet.
  • West-bank and fringe areas have more limited fiber and rely more on legacy DSL/fixed wireless, raising the relative importance of mobile data there.
• Tower density and backhaul
  • Denser macro sites and small cells cluster along commercial corridors; industrial rights-of-way along the Mississippi support strong fiber backhaul east of the river.
• Resilience
  • Post–Hurricane Ida hardening improved backup power and backhaul redundancy on many sites; flood-prone lowlands remain at higher risk of extended outages than suburban corridors.

What the numbers imply for planning

• Capacity: Keep adding mid-band 5G and small cells along I‑10/US‑61 and around event venues/retail hubs to manage commuter and weekend peaks.
• Equity: Target west-bank and rural pockets for capacity upgrades and fixed-wireless/fiber expansion to reduce “mobile-only by necessity.”
• Product mix: Postpaid family plans and device financing will outperform east of the river; prepaid and budget-friendly data plans remain important in lower-income tracts.

Sources and methods to firm up the figures

• Population/demographics: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year/5-year (Ascension Parish).
• Device ownership and “smartphone-only” trends: Pew Research Center and NTIA Internet Use Survey; use Louisiana breakouts, then adjust for local income/education.
• Broadband/coverage: FCC Broadband Map (fixed), Louisiana ConnectLA resources, and carrier 4G/5G maps for Ascension.
• Local providers/backhaul: Parish planning documents and provider buildout announcements for fiber footprints and tower siting.

Note: Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties. Ascension County = Ascension Parish.

Snapshot (2025, best-available estimates)

• Population: ≈130–135k residents; adults (18+) ≈100–105k.
• Overall social media adoption: ~85–90% of adults use at least one platform (≈85–95k adult users).
• Gender (among adult social media users): ≈52–54% women, 46–48% men (tracks local sex ratio and platform skews).
• Age group adoption (share of each age group using social media; local rates typically mirror U.S.):
  • 18–29: ~95–97%
  • 30–49: ~88–90%
  • 50–64: ~72–76%
  • 65+: ~40–48%

Most-used platforms in Ascension Parish (estimated share of adults)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~65–72%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Pinterest: ~30–35% (skews female)
• Snapchat: ~25–30% (heaviest among teens/20s)
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% (professionals; plants/healthcare/education)
• X (Twitter): ~18–23%
• Reddit: ~18–22%
• Nextdoor: ~10–15% (higher in HOA-heavy neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: parish/school updates, storm/hurricane information, youth sports, churches, buy–sell–trade and Marketplace. Engagement spikes around weather events and local festivals (e.g., Jambalaya in Gonzales).
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for cord-cutting, LSU/Baton Rouge sports, DIY; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery for local restaurants, boutiques, and events.
• Instagram is retail/food-forward: Reels and Stories outperform static posts for local businesses; cross-posted TikToks are common.
• TikTok growth is steady among under-35s: local creators focus on sports, outdoor life (hunting/fishing), family activities; strong Friday–Sunday activity.
• Snapchat dominates high school/college communication; location stories pop during games and events.
• Nextdoor & Facebook Groups for hyperlocal needs: contractors, utilities, lost/found pets, neighborhood alerts.
• Timing: Peaks 7–9 pm; secondary bumps 6–8 am and 11:30 am–1 pm. Weekend evenings are strong for lifestyle content; weekday afternoons for community news.
• Creative/targeting notes: Authentic local faces and short vertical video outperform polished ads; geotarget around schools, sports venues, festival grounds; bilingual posts can extend reach to growing Hispanic audiences.

Method and confidence

• Figures are local estimates derived by applying recent U.S. platform adoption data (e.g., Pew Research Center, 2024) to Ascension Parish demographics (U.S. Census/ACS). Exact parish-level platform stats are rarely published; ranges reflect typical suburban Louisiana patterns.