Natchitoches County

Note: In Louisiana, “counties” are called parishes. The following refers to Natchitoches Parish, LA (county-equivalent).

Population

• 2020 Census: 37,515
• 2023 population estimate: ~37,100

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~35.3 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~54%
• Black or African American alone: ~38%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.7%
• Asian alone: ~0.7%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~14,000
• Average household size: ~2.43
• Family households: ~59% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~66%
• Median household income (2022 dollars): ~$39–40k
• Persons in poverty: ~27%

Insights

• Slight population decline since 2010.
• Skews slightly female and relatively young, influenced by the local university.
• Majority White with a large Black population; Hispanic share remains small.
• Typical rural household size and relatively high homeownership, but incomes are below U.S. average with elevated poverty.

Email usage in Natchitoches Parish (aka Natchitoches County), Louisiana

• Population and density: ~37,500 residents; ~30 people per square mile (largely rural, anchored by the City of Natchitoches).
• Estimated email users: ~26,600 adults. Basis: ~28,500 adults in parish and high email adoption among internet users; local connectivity supports near‑universal use among connected adults.
• Age distribution of email users (est. share of users):
  • 18–34: ~31%
  • 35–54: ~34%
  • 55–64: ~15%
  • 65+: ~20%
• Gender split among users: ~52% women, ~48% men, mirroring the parish’s population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~77% of households have a broadband subscription; ~90% have a computing device of some kind.
  • ~17% are smartphone‑only internet households, indicating heavier reliance on mobile email.
  • Connectivity is densest in and around Natchitoches city; outer rural tracts have lower fixed‑line subscription rates but are improving with Louisiana’s broadband initiatives (e.g., GUMBO/BEAD-driven fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts).
• Insight: Email is effectively ubiquitous among working‑age adults; seniors lag somewhat but a strong majority use email. Mobile access is a meaningful channel due to the sizable smartphone‑only segment.

Mobile phone usage in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana (often called “Natchitoches County” informally)

Timeframe: latest available federal and industry indicators through 2023–2024. Where parish-specific measurements are not directly published, figures are modeled from ACS 2019–2023 5‑year data, Pew Research’s 2023 smartphone adoption, FCC mobile coverage filings, and Louisiana broadband program materials.

Population and household base

• Population: ~37.5–38.0k residents; ~29–30k adults 18+
• Households: ~14.5–15.0k

User estimates (parish-level)

• Adult smartphone users: 25–26k (about 84–87% of adults, a few points below Louisiana’s ~88–90%)
• Mobile-only home internet households (rely primarily on cellular data vs fixed broadband): 3.8–4.5k (roughly 25–30% of households, compared with ~18–22% statewide)
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: materially higher than state average; estimated 50–55% of personal lines vs ~40–45% statewide, reflecting income mix and rural retail channels
• Multi-line households: common; average lines per household ~2.2–2.5, below metro Louisiana averages due to smaller household sizes and senior share

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 65+ share is higher than the state average (≈18% vs ≈16%). Seniors here show lower smartphone adoption (~65–72%) and more basic phone retention, pulling overall adoption down a few points vs Louisiana.
• Income and affordability
  • Median household income is below the Louisiana median, with a larger share under 150% of the federal poverty level. This tracks with:
    • Higher prepaid usage
    • Greater dependence on mobile data for home connectivity
    • Slower device replacement cycles and higher Android share vs iOS
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black/African American residents comprise a larger share than the state average. Digital usage is strong on mobile: high rates of smartphone-centric internet access and social/video app usage, but lower fixed broadband subscription compared with white households, increasing mobile-only reliance.
• Students and young adults
  • Northwestern State University and local schools drive concentrated high-usage pockets in Natchitoches city: heavier video/social, hotspot use, and 5G utilization near campus and along main corridors.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage
  • All three national carriers provide countywide LTE, with strongest, most consistent capacity along I‑49, LA‑6/US‑84, and in Natchitoches city. Outside these corridors—especially west/south toward Kisatchie National Forest and low-lying wooded areas—signal quality is more variable and often reverts to LTE or low‑band 5G.
• 5G availability
  • Low‑band 5G is broadly present; mid‑band 5G (capacity 5G) is concentrated along I‑49 and in the city core. Mid‑band footprints thin out quickly in rural tracts, which caps median speeds and indoor performance relative to state urban averages.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Fiber backhaul is solid in the city and along interstate routes; limited in outlying areas. Where sites backhaul over microwave or legacy copper, peak-hour speeds and latency are notably worse than statewide urban benchmarks.
• Resilience
  • Storm- and tree‑fall‑related outages occur more frequently than in metro Louisiana. Recovery times depend on commercial power restoration and backhaul access; FirstNet/priority lanes assist public safety but do not fully alleviate retail congestion during events.

How Natchitoches differs from Louisiana overall

• Adoption level: Parish smartphone adoption is a few points lower than the state average, driven by an older age structure and lower incomes.
• Reliance on mobile: A distinctly higher share of households rely on mobile data as their primary or only home internet, exceeding the statewide rate by roughly 5–10 percentage points.
• Plan mix: Prepaid penetration and budget plans are higher than the state average; family/enterprise postpaid is lower.
• Network experience: Median mobile speeds and indoor reliability trail state urban benchmarks because mid‑band 5G is less pervasive away from I‑49 and the city core.
• Usage intensity: Heavier localized usage near campus and along the interstate creates sharper peak-time congestion contrasts than seen in larger Louisiana metros where capacity is denser.

Implications

• For carriers: Highest ROI for capacity upgrades is mid‑band 5G infill along I‑49, city neighborhoods with student density, and select rural nodes where mobile-only home internet is common. Backhaul upgrades outside the interstate corridor would yield outsized performance gains.
• For public programs: Fixed broadband expansion in rural tracts will likely reduce mobile-only dependence over time; near-term, targeted support for device affordability and signal-enhancement (e.g., indoor coverage solutions) can narrow performance gaps.
• For residents and businesses: Coverage and speeds are strong along main corridors and in town; choosing carriers with proven mid‑band 5G locally and considering external antennas/hotspots in rural areas can materially improve performance.

Note: Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties. The figures below refer to Natchitoches Parish (county-equivalent), LA. All numbers are the best available local estimates modeled from U.S. Census/ACS population, Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media adoption data, and platform ad-reach benchmarks for comparable Louisiana parishes.

Headline usage

• Estimated monthly social media users: ~25,000 residents (about 75–80% of those age 13+)
• Daily users (visit at least once per day): 60% of residents age 13+ (19,000)
• Multi-platform users (3+ platforms monthly): ~52% of social users

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, monthly)

• YouTube: 86%
• Facebook: 78%
• Instagram: 50%
• TikTok: 41%
• Snapchat: 34%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 13%
• LinkedIn: 15%
• Facebook Messenger: 62%; WhatsApp: 18%

Age profile (share of local social media users; adoption highlights)

• 13–17: 7% of users; very high daily use; Snapchat/TikTok dominant
• 18–24: 18%; near-universal adoption (college-driven); Instagram/TikTok/YouTube heavy, Facebook still used for groups/events
• 25–34: 17%; Instagram/YouTube core, Facebook for Marketplace/groups
• 35–44: 16%; Facebook/YouTube primary; Instagram secondary
• 45–54: 14%; Facebook/YouTube primary; rising Reels/Shorts viewing
• 55–64: 13%; Facebook dominant; YouTube for news/how‑to
• 65+: 15%; Facebook for news/community; YouTube for long-form and church/services content

Gender breakdown (of local social media users; platform tilt)

• Overall: ~53% women, 47% men
• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok; Men over-index on YouTube, X, Reddit
• Marketplace usage skews female; sports/news discussion skews male

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: High reliance on Groups/Pages for local news, schools, churches, civic updates, and the Natchitoches Christmas Festival; Marketplace is a top commerce channel
• Video-first consumption: Strong growth in short-form (Reels/Shorts/TikTok); cross-posting video outperforms static images across ages
• Event- and season-driven spikes: Local festivals, high school/NSU sports, and holiday seasons drive engagement surges, especially in Facebook Groups and on Instagram Stories
• Private sharing > public posting among 35+: Link- and meme-sharing via Messenger and private groups outpaces public posts
• Younger cohorts are multi-home: 18–24s straddle Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; they consume local info via Stories/shorts more than via Facebook feeds
• News discovery is social: A majority encounter local news first on Facebook; YouTube follows for explainers and replays; X is niche for real-time updates
• Best posting windows (engagement): Weeknights 7–10 pm; weekday lunch 12–1 pm; weekend afternoons for events/recaps
• Creative that works locally: Short vertical video, photo carousels from on-the-ground events, clear “when/where” overlays, and community-oriented CTAs (volunteer, attend, buy local)

Sources (methodological basis)

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (population structure); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by age); platform advertising reach tools for Louisiana counties/parishes adjusted to Natchitoches’ age mix and urban-rural profile.