Morehouse County

Note: Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. Data below refer to Morehouse Parish, LA.

Population size

• 24,874 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Sex

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race/ethnicity (alone or in combination; ACS 2019–2023)

• Black or African American: ~50%
• White: ~45%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and other groups: each <1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~9,900–10,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Married-couple households: ~36%
• Female householder, no spouse: ~20%
• Nonfamily households: ~39%
• Housing tenure: ~67% owner-occupied, ~33% renter-occupied

Key insights

• Small, rural parish with a modestly older age profile, a slight female majority, and a racially balanced Black–White population with a small but growing Hispanic share. Household sizes are slightly below the Louisiana average, with relatively high owner-occupancy.

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

• Area and density: Morehouse Parish (County), LA has 25,629 residents (2020 Census) across 806 sq mi (≈32 people/sq mi).
• Digital access (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Households with a computer: 86%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: 72% (below LA ≈80% and U.S. ≈89%)
  • Cellular data–only home internet: ~18%
  • No home internet: ~26%
• Estimated email users (population 13+): ~18,900.
  • Method: local age structure applied to national email adoption rates (Pew) by cohort.
• Age distribution of email users (share and count, approx.):
  • 13–17: 7% (~1.3k)
  • 18–34: 23% (~4.4k)
  • 35–64: 49% (~9.2k)
  • 65+: 21% (~3.9k)
• Gender split among email users: ≈52% female (9.8k), 48% male (9.1k), mirroring the parish population.
• Trends and insights:
  • Email penetration is constrained mainly by home broadband gaps; smartphone dependence (cellular-only) sustains access but limits heavy-use scenarios.
  • Lower population density and dispersed settlement patterns raise last‑mile costs, contributing to lower broadband adoption than state and national averages.
  • Growth opportunities: improving fixed broadband availability and affordability would lift email usage among lower‑income and older households.

Mobile phone usage in Morehouse County (Morehouse Parish), Louisiana — 2022–2024 snapshot

Topline user estimates

• Population and households: ~24,900 residents; ~9,700 households.
• Smartphone users: ~18,700 residents use a smartphone (roughly 75% of the total population and ~86% of adults).
• Mobile‑only internet households: ~2,500 households rely on a cellular data plan as their primary home internet connection (about 26% of households).
• No‑subscription households: ~2,300 households have no internet subscription of any kind (about 24%).

How this differs from Louisiana overall

• Higher mobile dependence: Mobile‑only internet is materially higher in Morehouse (26%) than statewide (18%), reflecting lower fixed‑broadband availability and income constraints.
• Lower overall connectivity: Any‑broadband subscription is lower in Morehouse (72%) than the Louisiana average (85%).
• Smartphone ownership gap: Household smartphone access in Morehouse (86%) trails the state (90%), with the gap concentrated among older and lower‑income residents.
• Greater prepaid mix and longer device cycles: A larger share of lines are on prepaid and device replacement cycles run longer than the state average, tied to income and credit access; this amplifies mid‑range Android usage and dampens premium 5G device penetration outside Bastrop.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Age
  • 18–34: Near‑universal smartphone use (~95%); heavy app‑based communication and video; highest 5G device penetration.
  • 35–64: High smartphone use (~88–90%); pronounced mobile‑only reliance among working families without fixed broadband.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone adoption (~68%); higher flip/feature‑phone share and shared‑plan arrangements; lower data consumption per user.
• Income
  • Under $25k household income: Smartphone adoption ~78% with the highest mobile‑only home internet reliance; prepaid dominates.
  • $25k–$75k: Adoption ~88–92%; mixed prepaid/postpaid; hotspot use common where fixed broadband is unavailable.
  • $75k+: Adoption ~95%+; more postpaid, multi‑line family plans; higher 5G device penetration.
• Race and place
  • Black residents are more likely than White residents to be in mobile‑only households, reflecting income and infrastructure disparities.
  • Bastrop (town center) users have higher 5G device and postpaid adoption than residents in unincorporated areas; rural tracts show the steepest mobile‑only reliance.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: Countywide LTE coverage from AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon along primary corridors (US‑165, US‑425, LA‑2), with spotty signal and capacity off‑corridor in wooded and low‑lying areas.
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G from AT&T and T‑Mobile covers Bastrop and main roadways; indoor performance varies in older housing stock.
  • Mid‑band 5G (e.g., Verizon C‑band/AT&T 3.45 GHz/T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz) is present in and near Bastrop but remains limited across rural tracts, leading to inconsistent 5G speeds outside town.
• Fixed broadband backdrop that drives mobile dependence:
  • Cable DOCSIS coverage (Sparklight/Cable One) is largely confined to Bastrop and adjacent neighborhoods.
  • Legacy copper/DSL and fixed‑wireless serve many rural addresses; fiber‑to‑the‑home is expanding but remains discontinuous outside town limits.
  • Where fiber or cable is absent, households disproportionately rely on smartphone hotspots and cellular home internet, raising mobile data usage per line.
• Capacity and performance implications:
  • Peak‑hour congestion is common on sectors serving mobile‑only neighborhoods; users experience downlink variability more than the state average.
  • Emergency and weather‑related outages have outsized impact in rural tracts with few redundant sectors; generator‑backed sites along the main corridors restore service faster than remote sites.

Usage patterns and market implications

• Data usage skews higher per mobile line than the state average because mobile substitutes for home broadband in many households.
• Messaging and social platforms dominate upstream traffic; video streaming over cellular is prominent in mobile‑only homes, increasing evening congestion.
• Retail mix: National carrier stores and dealer locations cluster in Bastrop; rural residents rely on online and big‑box channels, reinforcing prepaid share.
• Device mix: Mid‑tier Android devices are over‑represented; iOS share rises with income and in Bastrop proper.

Key takeaways for planners and providers

• Closing the fixed‑broadband gap (rural fiber and cable extensions) is the most direct path to reducing cellular network congestion and improving perceived mobile quality.
• Targeted 5G mid‑band infill and additional sectors on rural macros north/south of Bastrop would materially improve consistency.
• Affordable device financing and bundled mobile‑home internet offers resonate more strongly here than statewide, given the higher mobile‑only baseline.

Sources and vintage

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5‑year (table S2801: Computer and Internet Use) for parish‑level smartphone, broadband, and no‑subscription rates; 2022 population/households.
• FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), December 2023 filings, and carrier public coverage maps for LTE/5G footprint characterization.
• Statewide comparison figures reflect Louisiana ACS S2801 2018–2022.

Note: Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. The area you mean is Morehouse Parish (often informally called Morehouse County), LA.

Definitive demographics (U.S. Census/ACS)

• Population: 25,629 (2020 Census)
• Gender: ≈52% female, 48% male
• Age structure skews older than the U.S. average; median age ~40

Connectivity context (ACS 2018–2022)

• Household broadband subscription rate is modest for Louisiana and lower in rural parishes; this shapes platform mix toward Facebook and YouTube and limits always‑on streaming among older users

Social media reach and platform mix (locally adjusted estimates) County-level, platform-by-platform stats aren’t published; figures below are defensible estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media usage and rural adjustments for Morehouse Parish’s age profile.

• Overall social media penetration (13+): ~75–80%
• Adults (18+) using any social media: ~72–78%
• Most-used platforms (adult monthly reach, estimate):
  • YouTube: 78–82%
  • Facebook: 64–68%
  • Instagram: 33–40%
  • TikTok: 28–34%
  • Pinterest: 28–34% (skews female)
  • Snapchat: 22–28% (skews younger)
  • X (Twitter): 12–18% (skews male/news-focused)
  • LinkedIn: 10–14% (small professional cohort in Bastrop)

Age-group usage patterns (estimate, “any platform”)

• 13–17: ~90–95%; Snapchat and TikTok lead; Instagram strong; Facebook used mainly for events/school/community
• 18–34: ~88–92%; YouTube and Instagram heavy; TikTok strong; Facebook used for Marketplace/groups
• 35–54: ~78–84%; Facebook dominant; YouTube high; Instagram moderate
• 55+: ~58–66%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest moderate; TikTok/Instagram light

Gender breakdown (share of local social media users; behavior)

• Users: ≈52–54% female, 46–48% male (reflects population)
• Women over-index on Facebook Groups/Marketplace and Pinterest; Men over-index on YouTube and X
• Engagement: women show higher comment/reshare activity in community groups; men show higher long-form video viewing on YouTube

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Facebook is the community hub: church/school announcements, local sports, classifieds, buy-sell-trade, and Marketplace drive daily return visits
• Video-first consumption is rising: short-form (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) among under-35; how‑to, hunting/fishing, vehicle/repair, and local sports highlights on YouTube across ages
• Local news and weather spikes: sheriff’s office, school district, and parish emergency pages see surges during storms/outages; shares propagate via Facebook groups
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; WhatsApp remains niche
• Commerce behavior: discovery happens on Facebook/Instagram; conversions often finalize via phone/in-person; discount and event-driven posts outperform evergreen promos
• Posting windows with best traction: evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; school-year schedules create weekday morning troughs

Most-used platforms in rank order (Morehouse Parish, adults; estimate)

1. YouTube (≈80%)
2. Facebook (≈66%)
3. Instagram (≈36%)
4. TikTok (≈31%)
5. Pinterest (≈31%)
6. Snapchat (≈25%)
7. X/Twitter (≈15%)
8. LinkedIn (≈12%)

Sources and basis: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 ACS) for demographics/connectivity; Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Use (national) adjusted for rural Louisiana age/gender profile to derive local platform estimates.