Concordia County

Note: In Louisiana, “counties” are called parishes. Figures below refer to Concordia Parish, LA. Latest available are 2020 Census and 2018–2022 ACS 5‑year estimates.

Population

• Total population: ~18,700 (2020 Census); ~18,900 (ACS 2018–2022)

Age

• Median age: ~39.5 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (ACS)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~49%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~47%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: each ~1% or less

Households and housing

• Households: ~7,400
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~63%
• Owner-occupied rate: ~65–70%
• Median household income: ~$35k–$40k
• Persons in poverty: ~28–32%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5‑year estimates.

Note: In Louisiana this area is Concordia Parish.

Population baseline: ~18.7k (2020 Census). Using typical rural internet adoption (about 70–80%) and the fact that >90% of internet users use email, estimated email users are roughly 10–13k residents.

Age mix of email users (approximate):

• 18–34: 25–28%
• 35–54: 34–36%
• 55–64: 16–18%
• 65+: 18–22% (lower adoption than younger groups but rising via smartphones)

Gender split among users: mirrors population, about 51% female / 49% male.

Digital access trends:

• Smartphone-first usage is common; many households are mobile-only for internet.
• Better fixed broadband in and around Vidalia and Ferriday; outer rural tracts rely on slower DSL/fixed wireless, which depresses adoption and consistent email access.
• Email is heavily used for school portals, telehealth, and government/benefits communications; public institutions (schools/libraries) help bridge access gaps.

Local density/connectivity:

• Low population density (~27 people per square mile) and long distances between communities make reliable home broadband uneven.
• Connectivity is strongest along the US‑84/Mississippi River corridor (Vidalia–Natchez), with thinner options in outlying areas.

Note: Concordia is a parish (Concordia Parish), not a county. The figures below refer to Concordia Parish, LA.

Topline estimate

• Residents using smartphones: about 12,000–14,000 people (adults plus most teens), based on a population ~18–19k and rural adoption patterns.
• Households relying primarily on mobile data (smartphone/hotspot) for home internet: likely 20–30% in Concordia vs roughly mid‑teens statewide. This higher “mobile‑only” reliance is the defining local difference.

Demographic breakdown (estimated patterns)

• Age
  • 13–34: near‑universal smartphone use (≈90–95%).
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈85–90%), frequent hotspot use where fixed broadband is weak.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈60–70%), but growing; many use voice/text and basic data rather than streaming-heavy plans.
• Income and education
  • Below-median income households (Concordia’s median is well below Louisiana’s): higher prevalence of prepaid plans and mobile‑only internet. Plan churn and data cap sensitivity are above state averages.
  • Lower postsecondary attainment correlates with fewer multi‑line postpaid family plans and more single‑line prepaid usage.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black households (a larger share locally than statewide) show smartphone adoption comparable to white households but are more likely to be mobile‑only for home access due to affordability and legacy wireline gaps.
• Households with children
  • Near‑universal smartphone presence; hotspot dependence for homework is more common than statewide. Schools and libraries’ Wi‑Fi see heavy after‑hours use.

Usage patterns that differ from Louisiana overall

• Higher mobile‑only reliance: More residents substitute smartphones/hotspots for fixed broadband, especially outside Vidalia/Ferriday.
• More prepaid and assistance-linked plans: Lifeline usage is relatively high; the end of ACP funding in 2024 likely increased mobile‑only dependence and bill pressure more than in metro parishes.
• Coverage and speed variability: Acceptable 4G/low‑band 5G in towns and along highways; noticeably weaker indoor coverage and slower speeds in agricultural and wooded areas compared with state averages.
• Cross‑border behavior: Proximity to Natchez, MS means retail carrier presence and network performance can be influenced by Mississippi-side towers; residents sometimes pick carriers based on signal across the river rather than Louisiana coverage.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Mobile networks
  • Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile serve the parish. Best performance clusters around Vidalia and Ferriday and along US‑84/US‑65; coverage thins toward levees, bottomlands, and sparse farm roads.
  • 5G: Low‑band 5G is common in town centers; mid‑band capacity is limited outside those areas, so many users experience LTE‑like speeds in the countryside.
  • Public safety: AT&T FirstNet presence benefits first responders; commercial users may still face congestion during storms or river‑related incidents.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile dependence)
  • Fiber buildouts are expanding via rural electric cooperative partnerships (e.g., Concordia Electric/Conexon Connect) and Louisiana’s GUMBO/BEAD initiatives, but many outlying areas remain in transition. Until those builds complete, mobile hotspots fill the gap.
  • Cable/DSL options tend to be town‑centric; quality drops quickly with distance, reinforcing hotspot use.
• Community access
  • Libraries and schools in Vidalia/Ferriday provide reliable Wi‑Fi and see consistent after‑hours usage, indicating unmet household connectivity.
  • Emergency power and backhaul: Storm events can strain cell sites; generators are present at key towers, but river-adjacent and low‑lying areas are vulnerable to extended outages.

What this means for planning

• Expect higher demand for generous-data prepaid plans, hotspot add‑ons, and signal boosters than the Louisiana average.
• Investments with outsized impact locally: additional mid‑band 5G sectors along farm corridors, in‑building solutions for public facilities, and rapid completion of last‑mile fiber to reduce hotspot dependence.
• Outreach that resonates: affordability programs (post‑ACP), device literacy for seniors, and student connectivity support will move the needle more here than in better‑served urban parishes.

Sources and method

• Estimates synthesize parish population and income profiles (ACS), national smartphone adoption trends (e.g., Pew), Louisiana’s rural broadband program updates through 2024, and typical rural coverage patterns. Figures are planning estimates, not official counts.

Note: Louisiana uses parishes, so this refers to Concordia Parish. Parish-level social metrics aren’t directly published; figures below are modeled estimates using Pew Research (2023–2024), rural Louisiana patterns, and the parish’s size. Treat as directional ranges.

Population context

• Residents: about 19,000; roughly 14,000 adults (18+).
• Estimated social media users: 9,500–11,000 adults (≈65–75% of adults) plus ~800–1,200 teens (13–17).

Age breakdown (share using at least one social platform)

• Teens 13–17: 85–95%
• 18–29: 85–95%
• 30–49: 78–88%
• 50–64: 60–72%
• 65+: 35–50%

Gender breakdown (among social media users)

• Female: ~51–54%
• Male: ~46–49%
• Skews: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X.

Most-used platforms (estimated adult reach in Concordia)

• YouTube: 70–80% (broad, how‑to, local sports, church/sermon content)
• Facebook: 65–75% (highest daily engagement; Groups and Marketplace are core)
• Instagram: 25–35% (strongest under 35)
• TikTok: 22–30% overall; 50–65% among under‑30s
• Snapchat: 15–22% (teens/young adults)
• Pinterest: 20–28% (heavier among women, DIY/recipes)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (family/close contacts)
• X (Twitter): 10–15% (news/sports niche)
• Reddit: 6–10% (younger/tech)
• Nextdoor: 3–6% (coverage patchy in rural areas)
• Facebook Messenger: 55–65% (primary DM channel)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first: Heavy use of Facebook Groups for school sports, churches, events, buy/sell/trade, and local alerts (weather, outages, closures).
• Video-forward: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms text; live video works for games, services, and town events.
• Smartphone-centric: Many users rely on mobile data; concise, fast-loading posts perform best. Click-to-call and DM are preferred over web forms.
• Peak times: Early mornings (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend spikes around local events and Sunday early afternoon.
• Content that travels: Local faces/stories, school achievements, high school sports highlights, hunting/fishing/outdoor content, weather updates, and giveaways.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local group listings drive quick responses; geo-targeted boosts (10–25 miles) outperform broad ads.
• Trust patterns: Older residents rely on Facebook Groups/pages for “news”; younger users discover via TikTok/IG then message on Messenger/IG DM.

Method note

• Percentages are estimates derived from national platform usage (Pew, 2023–2024) adjusted for rural/older skew typical of northeast Louisiana and a parish of ~19k residents. For campaign planning, validate with page insights, ad platform audience estimates, and local group analytics.