Avoyelles County

Avoyelles Parish (County), Louisiana – key demographics

• Population: 39.1k (2023 estimate); 39.7k (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Under 5: ~5.8%
  • Under 18: ~23–24%
  • 65 and over: ~18–19%
• Gender: Female ~50–51%
• Race/ethnicity (percent of population):
  • White alone: ~65%
  • Black or African American alone: ~30%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1%
  • Asian alone: ~0.3–0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–4%
  • White alone, not Hispanic: ~62–63%
• Households (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Number of households: ~14–15k
  • Persons per household: ~2.5–2.6

Notes: Figures are from U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census, 2023 Population Estimates, and 2018–2022 American Community Survey). Louisiana uses “parishes” (Avoyelles Parish) rather than counties.

Avoyelles Parish (Avoyelles County), LA has ~40k residents. Estimated email users: 29k–31k (about 74–78% of all residents; ~88–90% of adults). Gender split among users tracks the population: ~49% male, ~51% female.

Estimated age distribution of email users

• 13–17: 5–7%
• 18–34: 24–27%
• 35–54: 34–37%
• 55–64: 15–17%
• 65+: 15–18%

Digital access and trends

• About 70–75% of households have home internet subscriptions; roughly 12–18% are smartphone‑only users.
• Access is a mix of cable/DSL with growing fiber pockets; speeds/availability drop outside towns like Marksville, Bunkie, and Mansura.
• Population density is ~48 people per square mile (large rural areas), raising last‑mile build costs and dampening broadband take‑up versus urban Louisiana.
• Ongoing state/federal programs (e.g., Louisiana’s GUMBO and BEAD, 2023–2026) are funding fiber expansion; local adoption is rising as builds go live.

Notes: Figures are estimates using ACS population for Avoyelles, national email-use rates (Pew) adjusted for rural Louisiana, and typical rural subscription patterns.

Note: Avoyelles County, LA is officially Avoyelles Parish.

Overview

• Population: about 39,000 residents; roughly 30,000 adults (18+). Older, more rural, and lower-income than Louisiana overall.
• Bottom line: Mobile phone ownership is high, but reliance on phones as the primary internet connection is notably higher than the Louisiana average. 5G coverage exists in towns and along corridors but falls back to LTE in many rural tracts.

User estimates (best-available, modeled from Pew, ACS, and FCC patterns for rural Louisiana)

• Adults with a mobile phone (any type): 93–96% of adults, or about 28,000–29,000 people.
• Adults with a smartphone: 83–88% of adults, or about 25,000–27,000 people.
• Households that are mobile-internet-only (smartphone or hotspot and no fixed broadband): 22–28% of households, versus roughly 16–20% statewide. With ~14,500–15,000 households in Avoyelles, that’s approximately 3,200–4,100 mobile-only households.
• Prepaid plans: Higher share than the state average, reflected in strong adoption of MVNO brands (e.g., Straight Talk, Cricket, Metro). Cost sensitivity and credit constraints drive this pattern.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–49: Near-saturation smartphone ownership (≈95–98%); heavy app/social/video use; hotspotting common among renters and seasonal workers.
  • 50–64: High smartphone use (≈90–95%) but more mixed with home internet.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone ownership (≈70–80%), with a noticeable minority still using basic phones; telehealth and messaging are key uses where smartphones are present.
• Income and education
  • Lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-dependent (mobile-only) for internet. This group shows higher prepaid usage and shared-data plans.
  • Households without a bachelor’s degree show higher phone-first internet behavior compared with state averages.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic residents are more likely than White residents to be mobile-only, consistent with statewide and national trends tied to affordability.
  • The Tunica-Biloxi community near Marksville shows heightened interest in mobile access for services and jobs; fixed broadband gaps increase reliance on phones.
• Geography within the parish
  • Town centers (Marksville, Bunkie, Mansura, Moreauville, Cottonport, Simmesport): better 5G and LTE capacity; more carrier choice.
  • Outlying rural and agricultural areas: more LTE fallback, occasional dead zones, and greater usage of signal boosters/hotspots.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and radio access
  • AT&T: Broadest low-band footprint into remote areas; generally the safest choice for voice/SMS coverage outside towns.
  • T-Mobile: Best mid-band 5G presence in and around towns/along major corridors (e.g., US‑71, LA‑1); speeds drop off outside those corridors.
  • Verizon: Solid coverage in towns; mixed performance between towns, with more LTE than mid-band 5G in sparsely populated tracts.
• 5G vs LTE
  • 5G is present in population centers and along primary highways but is not continuous parish-wide. LTE remains the mainstay in many census blocks.
• Capacity and backhaul
  • Tower density is modest; sector congestion appears at school release, events, and during severe weather. Fiber backhaul is improving but remains patchy outside town centers.
• Fixed broadband context
  • Cable and some DSL in towns; limited fiber beyond select neighborhoods and institutions. Rural fixed options are inconsistent, pushing households to rely on smartphones/hotspots.
• Public access and anchors
  • Libraries, schools, and the casino complex provide essential Wi‑Fi. School device programs and E‑Rate backbones help offset home connectivity gaps.
• Resilience
  • Storms can produce multi-hour cellular outages in pockets; sites with generators hold up better. Residents often keep multiple SIMs or prepaid backups.

How Avoyelles differs from Louisiana overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households depend on smartphones/hotspots as their primary internet compared with the state average.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: Driven by an older age profile and lower incomes relative to Louisiana overall.
• More prepaid and MVNO usage: Cost sensitivity and credit barriers increase prepaid share beyond state norms.
• More LTE dependence and spotty mid-band 5G: 5G coverage gaps between towns are more pronounced than in suburban/urban Louisiana.
• Greater variability by micro-geography: Sharp differences between town centers and agricultural/rural areas, creating a more pronounced digital divide than the statewide picture.

Notes on methodology and uncertainty

• Figures are derived by applying recent Pew Research smartphone adoption rates and ACS demographic structure to Avoyelles’ population, and by aligning with FCC mobile coverage patterns for rural Louisiana. Exact parish-level mobile adoption is not directly surveyed; ranges are provided to reflect uncertainty. For project planning or grants, validate with on-the-ground speed tests, carrier maps, school district reports, and FCC BDC filings.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot for Avoyelles Parish, LA (often called “Avoyelles County” informally). Exact local surveys are scarce; figures are derived from statewide/rural benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research national trends) scaled to Avoyelles’ size and rural profile.

Population baseline

• Residents: about 40,000
• Estimated social media users (13+): 26,000–29,000 (roughly 65–72% of residents)

Age breakdown (share using any social platform)

• 13–17: 90–95% (heavy on Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram)
• 18–29: 92–96%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 70–75%
• 65+: 45–55% (largely Facebook; YouTube for how‑to, news)

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall usage is roughly even by gender.
• Platform skews (share of user base): Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest lean female; YouTube, Reddit, X lean male. Expect roughly:
  • Facebook/Instagram: ~55–60% women
  • YouTube/X/Reddit: ~55–65% men

Most‑used platforms (estimated share of local social users who use monthly)

• Facebook: 75–85%
• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 30–40% overall; 60–75% among under‑30s
• Snapchat: 25–35% overall; 65–85% among teens/college‑age
• Pinterest: 15–25% (women 25–54)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Reddit: 8–12% Notes: Usage is predominantly mobile; smartphone access >90% among social users, with home broadband in the ~70–75% range typical of rural LA.

Behavioral trends

• Community info hub: Facebook is the default for local news (school districts, sheriff’s office, weather alerts, road closures), church updates, festivals, and high‑school sports. Local pages and buy/sell/trade groups drive much of the engagement.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace is widely used for vehicles, farm and yard equipment, furniture, and seasonal items. Peer‑to‑peer transactions and “ISO” posts are common.
• Video habits: YouTube for how‑to (home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, cooking), and local sports highlights; TikTok/Reels for short entertainment and local happenings.
• Messaging: Group coordination via Facebook Messenger (youth sports, church groups, event committees). SMS/WhatsApp are secondary.
• Content preferences: Short vertical video and photo carousels perform best; posts featuring familiar faces, school teams, churches, or local landmarks outperform generic content. Giveaways and “tag a friend” prompts boost reach.
• Timing: Engagement tends to peak early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.). Weekend spikes around sports, festivals, and church events.
• Trust cues: Higher trust in posts from known individuals, local institutions, and established community pages; skepticism toward unfamiliar sources or overtly political outside content.
• Civic cycles: Engagement rises ahead of elections, during storm seasons, and around marquee events (parades, fairs, high‑school playoffs).

Method note

• Percentages are estimates extrapolated from rural/Louisiana and national data applied to Avoyelles’ size and age mix. For precise counts, use platform ad‑reach tools filtered to Avoyelles Parish or commission a local survey.