Jackson County

Note: Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties. Figures below refer to Jackson Parish, LA.

Population size

• 15,031 (2020 Census)

Age

• Under 5: 5–6%
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%
• Median age: ~41 years (Sources: 2020 Census; 2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49% (Source: 2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~65%
• Black or African American alone: ~33%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~1.5–1.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1.8–2% (Sources: 2020 Census; 2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

Households

• Total households: ~5,500–5,600
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.48 (Source: 2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

Insight

• Small, aging rural population with a majority White and substantial Black community; households are modest in size and predominantly non-urban.

Jackson Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana — email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~10,300 adults (about 68% of total residents), modeled from ACS internet access and Pew email-adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users (share of total email users):
  • 18–34: ~2,700 (26%)
  • 35–64: ~5,400 (52%)
  • 65+: ~2,200 (21%)
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors local population balance).

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription: ~75%; no home internet: ~20%; smartphone‑only home internet: ~16%. These patterns drive heavier mobile email use and reliance on public Wi‑Fi in town centers (e.g., Jonesboro).
• Connectivity is improving with gradual broadband uptake and ongoing fiber buildouts along main corridors, but outlying rural areas still face slower speeds and higher latency, which suppress consistent email access among older and lower‑income residents.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population ≈15,100 across ~580 square miles; density ~26 people per square mile, indicating a sparsely populated, rural market where last‑mile costs and distance to exchanges increase service gaps and variability in email reliability.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Jackson Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana

Key statistics (best-available local estimates, 2024)

• Population base: 2020 Census count 15,031 residents; modest decline since 2010, skewing older and more rural than Louisiana overall.
• Adult base: roughly 11,300–11,800 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile device): about 10,200–10,800 adults (≈88–92% of adults).
• Smartphone users: about 9,200–9,800 adults (≈80–85% of adults).
• Households: approximately 5,800–6,100; wireless-only telephony households (no landline): about 65–72% (≈3,800–4,300 households), higher than the state average.
• Smartphone-only internet access (no home wireline, relies on cellular): approximately 16–22% of households, notably higher than the Louisiana statewide rate (≈11–13%).

How Jackson Parish differs from Louisiana overall

• Adoption levels: Overall smartphone adoption is a few points lower than the state average, but reliance on mobile as the primary or only internet connection is higher. The parish’s older age profile and lower median income depress smartphone penetration slightly, yet limited fixed broadband nudges more households to use phones as their main internet.
• Plan mix: Prepaid share is higher than statewide norms, and multi-line postpaid family plans are somewhat less common. Device refresh cycles are longer; budget Android devices are overrepresented compared with urban Louisiana.
• 5G availability and speeds: 4G LTE is the day-to-day workhorse; 5G is present but patchy, concentrated near Jonesboro and along major corridors. Mid-band 5G (for high capacity) is far less available than in Louisiana’s urban parishes; typical parish-wide median mobile download speeds run materially below statewide medians.
• Usage patterns: A larger slice of residents use mobile hotspots or phone tethering to cover gaps in home broadband. Video streaming on mobile is common but at lower resolutions and during off-peak hours due to capacity constraints. App categories skew to messaging, social, marketplace, and utility apps over high-bandwidth entertainment.
• Demographic drivers: Older adults and fixed-income households pull down overall smartphone penetration relative to the state; younger adults’ adoption is near statewide levels. Racial/ethnic usage differences are modest when controlling for income and connectivity.

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage

• By age:
  • 18–34: Very high mobile and smartphone usage (≈93–97% smartphone). Plan mix: more prepaid or single-line discounts than in metro Louisiana.
  • 35–64: High usage (≈85–90% smartphone). More mixed plan types; growing use of work-issued devices among education, healthcare, and public-sector workers.
  • 65+: Moderate-to-high usage (≈68–75% smartphone). Larger share of basic phones or entry smartphones; heavier voice/SMS reliance and narrower app sets than state peers.
• By income:
  • Lower-income households show higher prepaid adoption, more Android devices, and greater smartphone-only internet dependence.
  • Middle-income households mix prepaid with value postpaid; hotspot devices are more common where fixed broadband is weak.
• By geography within the parish:
  • Jonesboro and immediate surroundings: Best 4G and earliest 5G; higher app/video usage and mobile payments penetration.
  • Outlying/forested areas: More coverage variability, lower sustained speeds, and heavier signal attenuation; greater reliance on text/voice and offline-capable apps.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Network coverage: Near-ubiquitous 4G LTE outdoors along primary highways; notable dead zones remain on secondary roads and in heavily wooded terrain. In-building coverage is dependable in town centers but weaker at the edges and in metal-roof structures without boosters.
• 5G footprint: Low-band 5G covers population centers and major routes; mid-band 5G capacity is limited compared with Louisiana’s urban parishes, constraining peak speeds and busy-hour performance.
• Backhaul and capacity: A mix of fiber and microwave backhaul; fewer fiber-fed macro sites than in metro areas. Capacity can tighten during school commute windows and evening streaming periods.
• Towers and small cells: Macro-tower density is modest for the parish’s size; small-cell deployments are sparse and mainly confined to town cores. Terrain and pine forests contribute to shadowing and variability.
• Home broadband interplay: Cable or fiber is available to a subset of households around Jonesboro; DSL and fixed wireless fill gaps; satellite remains a fallback. State and federal programs (e.g., Louisiana’s broadband buildouts and BEAD/GUMBO funding) are in progress, but mobile is still the most reliable everyday internet for many households pending fiber expansion.

Practical implications for providers, agencies, and businesses

• Network planning: Additional mid-band spectrum deployments and fiber backhaul to existing towers would yield outsized gains versus raw coverage expansion. In-building coverage solutions and public Wi‑Fi in community hubs can mitigate service variability.
• Service design: Prepaid-centric offers with generous hotspot data, Wi‑Fi calling, and device financing resonate. Offline-capable apps and low-bandwidth modes improve usability where capacity is constrained.
• Digital inclusion: Programs that pair affordable Android devices with digital literacy and app setup support, especially for older adults, can narrow the local gap more effectively than statewide one-size-fits-all efforts.

Numbers in this summary combine definitive baselines (2020 Census population) with localized estimates for adoption and access, benchmarked against current national and Louisiana rural trends in 2023–2024. They reflect Jackson Parish’s rural profile and infrastructure realities that materially differ from state averages.

Social media usage snapshot: Jackson County, LA (Jackson Parish), 2025

Core population and reach

• Adult population (18+): ~11,700 out of ~15,300 residents
• Adults using at least one social platform: 79% ≈ 9,200

Gender breakdown (share of adult social media users)

• Women: 53% (≈4,900)
• Men: 47% (≈4,300)

Age breakdown of adult social media users

• 18–29: 20% (≈1,850)
• 30–49: 31% (≈2,865)
• 50–64: 27% (≈2,495)
• 65+: 22% (≈2,035)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of all adults; users overlap across platforms)

• YouTube: 78% (≈9,100)
• Facebook: 72% (≈8,400)
• Instagram: 36% (≈4,200)
• Pinterest: 31% (≈3,600)
• TikTok: 28% (≈3,300)
• Snapchat: 22% (≈2,600)
• X (Twitter): 20% (≈2,300)
• WhatsApp: 14% (≈1,600)
• LinkedIn: 14% (≈1,600)
• Reddit: 10% (≈1,200)
• Nextdoor: 8% (≈940)

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the center of gravity for local news, church/civic updates, school and sports; Groups and Marketplace drive the highest comment and share activity.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for sermons, DIY, and music; short‑form (Reels/TikTok) for events and small‑business promotions.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is the default customer‑service channel; WhatsApp is used mainly for family/out‑of‑area contacts.
• Commerce: Marketplace and buy‑sell‑trade groups outperform links to external stores; live sales and “drop” posts convert well.
• Trust anchors: Sheriff’s office, schools, churches, and local media pages get fastest reach; rumor control and corrections play out in Group threads.
• Timing: Peak engagement after 6 p.m. on weekdays and weekend mornings; live video boosts reach for games, parades, and council meetings.
• Youth skew: 18–29s cluster on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; cross‑posting TikTok to Reels reliably adds local reach.
• X usage is niche and event‑driven (weather alerts, LSU/Saints sports); LinkedIn engagement clusters in education, health care, and public sector roles.

Method and sources

• Figures are modeled for Jackson Parish (commonly referred to as Jackson County) using latest ACS population totals and Pew Research Center 2024 social media adoption rates, adjusted for rural/older age profile. Expected margin of error ±3–5 percentage points. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey; Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024.