Iberia County

Iberia Parish (county), Louisiana — key demographics

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~68.9K (down from 2020)
• 2020 Census: 69,929

Age

• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 65 and over: ~16%
• Median age: ~38 years

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~60%
• Black or African American alone: ~33%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6–7%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~55%

Household data

• Households: ~26.5–26.7K
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~67% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%
• Homeownership rate: ~72%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program, 2023).

Scope: Iberia Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana; population ≈69,000.

Estimated email users: 49,000–53,000 residents age 13+ (about 75–80% of total; roughly 90–94% of adults), derived from Pew email adoption rates applied to local age mix.

Age profile of email users (share of users; adoption rate):

• 13–17: 6–7% (75–80%)
• 18–29: 18–21% (95–98%)
• 30–49: 33–36% (95–98%)
• 50–64: 24–27% (90–94%)
• 65+: 13–16% (75–85%)

Gender split: Approximately even among users (about 49% male, 51% female), reflecting negligible gender gaps in email adoption.

Digital access and trends:

• Household broadband subscription: ~78–82% of households, gradually rising since 2018.
• Computer ownership: ~88–92% of households.
• Smartphone‑only home internet: ~18–22%, higher in rural and lower‑income tracts.
• Connectivity density: Cable/fiber concentrated in and around New Iberia and along the US‑90 corridor; outer areas rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, with slower speeds and higher latency.
• Mobile coverage is strong in populated areas; signal quality and fixed‑line options taper in southern marsh and agricultural zones, sustaining a rural digital divide.

Sources: 2020 Census/ACS indicators, FCC Broadband Map (2023), Pew Research Center on email adoption.

Note on geography: Louisiana uses “parishes,” not counties. The area you’re asking about is Iberia Parish, LA.

Executive summary

• Population baseline: 69,929 residents (U.S. Census 2020), with roughly 52,000 adults.
• Estimated mobile users: 49,000–51,000 adults use a mobile phone; 43,000–47,000 use a smartphone. Mobile reliance is higher than the Louisiana average outside the City of New Iberia due to fewer fixed-broadband options.
• Distinctive trends vs. Louisiana overall: Iberia Parish shows higher smartphone-only home internet reliance and slightly lower overall smartphone adoption among seniors; coverage and performance are strong along the US‑90 corridor but drop off toward coastal wetlands.

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~95–98% of adults, or 49,000–51,000 people.
• Adult smartphone users: ~83–90% of adults, or 43,000–47,000 people.
• Households with a smartphone: approximately mid- to high‑80s percent of households, modestly below the statewide average of roughly high‑80s to ~90%.
• Smartphone-only home internet (households with a cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): roughly 19–23% of households in Iberia, above the statewide share (generally mid‑teens to ~20%).
• Households with no internet subscription: approximately high‑teens to low‑20s percent, a few points higher than the Louisiana average.

Demographic breakdown (patterns within Iberia Parish)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (≈95%+), in line with state levels.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈90%), similar to state levels.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈65–75%), a bit below the statewide rate; this pulls down the parish-wide average.
• Income
  • Under $35k: elevated smartphone-only reliance (often one in four households), above state average given cost sensitivity and patchy fixed-broadband availability outside New Iberia.
  • $35k–$75k: mixed usage; smartphone adoption high but fixed broadband uptake depends on service availability by neighborhood.
  • $75k+: near-universal smartphone adoption plus fixed broadband; lower smartphone-only incidence.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Differences in smartphone adoption are modest after controlling for income and age. Gaps in Iberia are driven more by income and service availability than by race/ethnicity per se.
• Urban vs. rural within the parish
  • New Iberia and the US‑90 corridor: near‑universal 4G LTE, multi‑carrier 5G, higher postpaid and premium-plan penetration.
  • Southern/coastal areas (wetlands, sparsely populated): greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and smartphone-only access; more coverage variability and indoor reception challenges.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE: near‑universal coverage across populated parts of the parish; performance strongest along US‑90 and in New Iberia.
  • 5G: at least one national carrier provides broad 5G coverage in and around New Iberia and along the US‑90 corridor; coverage thins moving south toward marshland.
  • Mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band/2.5 GHz): present around denser corridors; limited reach in low‑density southern tracts where low‑band 5G/4G dominates.
• Backhaul and core
  • Fiber backhaul is concentrated along US‑90 and state routes; this anchors higher mobile capacity in those corridors.
  • Outside the core, backhaul often steps down to microwave or longer fiber laterals, constraining peak mobile speeds and capacity.
• Fixed-broadband interplay
  • New Iberia has cable and telco-based fixed broadband; rural portions of the parish have fewer fixed options and slower plans, which drives smartphone‑only home internet use above the state average.
  • State and federal funding (e.g., Louisiana’s GUMBO program and BEAD) are targeting last‑mile builds in Acadiana; as those builds light up (2024–2026), smartphone‑only rates are expected to decline in the newly served pockets.

How Iberia Parish differs from Louisiana overall

• More smartphone‑only households: A few percentage points higher than the statewide average due to lower median incomes and patchier fixed broadband outside the central corridor.
• Slightly lower senior adoption: The parish’s older residents show somewhat lower smartphone adoption than seniors statewide, widening the local age gap.
• Greater intra‑parish disparity: Performance and plan types diverge more starkly between the US‑90/New Iberia corridor and the southern/coastal tracts than the average urban‑rural split seen across Louisiana.
• Network performance profile: Mobile speeds and 5G availability are increasingly good along the main corridor (narrowing the gap with metro Louisiana), but south‑parish capacity and indoor coverage remain behind state averages.

Key takeaways

• Iberia Parish is a high‑mobile‑reliance market with 43,000–47,000 adult smartphone users and elevated smartphone‑only households, especially outside New Iberia.
• 5G buildouts since 2021 have strengthened service along US‑90, but coastal and sparsely populated areas still lag in both coverage consistency and capacity.
• As state‑funded fixed builds arrive, expect a gradual shift from smartphone‑only access to mixed fixed‑plus‑mobile in currently underserved pockets, bringing the parish closer to statewide usage patterns while retaining above‑average mobile dependence in the most rural tracts.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census (2020) for population baseline; ACS Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions (S2801, 5‑year) for household device and subscription patterns; FCC mobile coverage filings and state broadband program documentation (GUMBO/BEAD) for infrastructure and buildout context. Estimates above translate those datasets to Iberia Parish’s geography and demographics to give parish‑specific ranges and central tendencies.

Iberia County (Iberia Parish), Louisiana — social media snapshot (2025)

Scope and basis:

• Figures are 2025 local estimates for residents 18+, rounded, derived from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 population structure, Pew Research Center Social Media Use 2024, and platform ad‑reach benchmarks for Louisiana.

Population and user base

• Adult population (18+): ~52,000
• Adults using at least one social platform: 71% (~37,000)
• Daily social users: ~27,000 (about 73% of social users)
• Gender split among adult social users: 53% female, 47% male

Most‑used platforms (share of adults, 18+)

• YouTube: 80% (~41,500)
• Facebook: 66% (~34,300)
• Instagram: 43% (~22,400)
• TikTok: 33% (~17,200)
• Snapchat: 29% (~15,100)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~11,400)

Age‑group usage and platform skews (18+)

• 18–29: Very high on YouTube; Instagram (75% of this cohort) and TikTok (60%) are primary; Snapchat strong; Facebook secondary
• 30–49: Facebook dominant; YouTube strong; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing but below 40%
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok lower
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube moderate; other platforms limited

Gender patterns

• Women over‑index on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; men over‑index on YouTube and X
• Approximate platform user mix by gender:
  • Facebook: ~55% female
  • Instagram: ~57% female
  • TikTok: ~58% female
  • Snapchat: ~60% female
  • YouTube: ~54% male
  • X: ~60% male

Behavioral trends

• Video‑first consumption: Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives the highest reach and watch time across under‑45s; Facebook Live sees spikes for local events and weather updates
• Community‑centric use: Heavy engagement with Facebook Groups and Pages tied to schools, churches, youth sports, festivals (e.g., local events in New Iberia), and severe‑weather information
• Marketplace utility: Facebook Marketplace is a top local commerce channel; buy/sell/trade posts outperform standard page posts for clicks and comments
• Messaging as retention: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are key for private sharing; DMs often convert interest to action more effectively than public posts
• Posting vs. lurking: Roughly one‑quarter of adult users post weekly; the majority are viewers/reactors who primarily consume, react, and share rather than publish original content
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–9 p.m.; secondary bump at lunchtime; weekend mornings are reliable for community updates and Marketplace listings

Notes for application

• To reach breadth quickly: Facebook + YouTube
• To reach under‑35s: Instagram + TikTok (+ Snapchat for high‑frequency Story formats)
• To drive local action: Facebook Groups/Pages + Marketplace + Messenger follow‑ups

All figures are best‑available local estimates anchored to current national/state patterns; totals may not sum due to rounding.