Orleans County

Geography note: Louisiana uses parishes; Orleans Parish is the county-equivalent that contains New Orleans.

Population

• Total: 369,749 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, July 1, 2023)
• Change since 2020 Census (383,997): −3.7%

Age (ACS 2023 1-year)

• Median age: ~37.0 years
• Under 18: ~20–21%
• 18–64: ~64%
• 65 and over: ~15–16%

Sex (ACS 2023 1-year)

• Female: ~52–53%
• Male: ~47–48%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2023 1-year; mutually exclusive categories)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~57%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~31–32%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Two or more races and other (non-Hispanic, incl. AIAN/NHPI): ~1–2%

Households and housing (ACS 2023 1-year)

• Households: ~156,000–157,000
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~46–47% of households; married-couple families ~25%
• Nonfamily households: ~53–54%; one-person households ~35–40%
• Homeownership rate: ~47–49% (majority renter-occupied)

Key insights

• Orleans Parish remains majority Black with a sizable White minority and a growing Hispanic population.
• Population has edged down since 2020; age structure is balanced but slightly older than the national median.
• Household composition skews toward nonfamily and single-person households; ownership rates are below the national average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (1-year) and 2023 Population Estimates Program; 2020 Decennial Census. Estimates are subject to sampling error.

Scope: Orleans Parish (New Orleans), LA.

• Estimated email users: ~295,000 residents (≈79% of ~376,000 total), derived from local internet access and national email adoption rates.
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • 13–17: ~85%
  • 18–29: ~95%
  • 30–49: ~97%
  • 50–64: ~92%
  • 65+: ~80%
• Gender split: Near parity; mirroring the parish’s population (~53% women, ~47% men), email users are ≈53% female and ≈47% male.

Digital access trends:

• ~82% of households have a broadband subscription; about 1 in 5 are smartphone‑only, indicating mobile‑first communication among many households.
• Fixed broadband and 5G coverage are extensive; typical home speeds exceed 150 Mbps in the urban core. Public libraries and community centers provide free Wi‑Fi access points that help close gaps.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Urban density is roughly 2,300 residents per square mile, supporting robust network coverage and competition (cable, expanding fiber, and multiple wireless carriers).
• Cable broadband reaches nearly all occupied addresses; fiber passings continue to expand across neighborhoods, improving reliability and upload speeds.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Orleans County, LA (Orleans Parish/New Orleans)

Headline differences from Louisiana overall

• Higher mobile-first behavior: A larger share of residents depend on smartphones as their primary or only internet connection than the state average.
• Faster and denser 5G: More extensive mid-band 5G and small-cell buildouts in the urban core produce higher median mobile speeds than statewide.
• Urban affordability divide, not access gap: The local digital divide is driven more by income and neighborhood-level affordability than by coverage (which is the bigger driver in many Louisiana parishes).

User estimates (2024)

• Population base: ≈373,000 residents; ≈290,000 adults.
• Unique mobile users: 320,000–340,000 residents with an active mobile phone (≈86–92% of total population), slightly above Louisiana’s typical 82–88%.
• Smartphone users: 300,000–320,000 residents (≈80–86% of total population; ≈90–93% of adults).
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): 80–85% of households in Orleans vs 76–80% statewide. That equates to roughly 125,000–140,000 of ~155,000–170,000 households.
• Smartphone-only internet (no fixed home broadband): 24–30% of adults in Orleans vs ~18–23% statewide.

Demographic patterns (estimates; Orleans vs Louisiana)

• Age
  • 18–29: smartphone ownership 96–98% (Orleans) vs ~94–96% (LA); smartphone-only internet 28–35% vs ~22–28%.
  • 30–49: ownership 95–97%; smartphone-only 25–30% (both 2–5 points higher than LA).
  • 50–64: ownership 88–92% (3–6 points higher than LA); smartphone-only 18–24%.
  • 65+: ownership 78–85% (notably higher than LA’s ~72–78%); smartphone-only 10–15%.
• Income
  • Under $25k: smartphone-only 38–45% in Orleans (higher than LA by ~4–8 points).
  • $25k–$50k: 30–35% (higher by ~3–6 points).
  • $50k–$100k: 18–24% (similar to slightly higher than LA).
  • $100k+: 8–12% (similar to LA).
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black: smartphone ownership 91–94%; smartphone-only 28–34% (higher than White residents and above statewide Black averages).
  • Hispanic/Latino: ownership 92–95%; smartphone-only 30–36%.
  • White: ownership 88–92%; smartphone-only 15–20%.
• Housing/tenure
  • Renters show smartphone-only rates 1.5–2x those of homeowners, and renter share is higher in Orleans than statewide, reinforcing mobile-first patterns.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology
  • All three national carriers provide 5G across the city; mid-band 5G (T-Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C-band) is widely deployed in the CBD, Warehouse District, French Quarter, Uptown, Mid-City, and along I-10.
  • Population coverage for 5G exceeds 95% in Orleans Parish; indoor mid-band performance is strongest in dense neighborhoods and major venues.
• Speed and capacity
  • Median mobile download speeds in the city are typically 10–30% higher than the Louisiana statewide median, reflecting denser mid-band and small-cell deployments.
  • Core-area 5G median downloads commonly reach 150–250 Mbps during non-peak hours; LTE fallback is often 30–60 Mbps.
  • Large events (Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, major sports) trigger temporary capacity augments (COWs/COLTs) not seen as frequently elsewhere in the state.
• Site density and small cells
  • The parish supports a dense mix of macro sites and hundreds of small cells in the CBD, French Quarter, around the Superdome/Caesars Superdome, Convention Center, and along major parade and transit corridors—significantly denser than most Louisiana parishes.
• Reliability and hardening
  • Post–Hurricane Ida upgrades increased backup power and backhaul redundancy. FirstNet Band 14 coverage is established across public safety sites and hospitals, contributing to better emergency resilience than in many rural parishes.
• Notable weak spots
  • Edge and low-density areas (parts of New Orleans East toward wetlands, Lower Coast Algiers, portions of Gentilly/Lakefront) can see mid-band 5G drop to LTE indoors due to sparser macro grid and building attenuation, a pattern less tied to terrain than the rural dead zones common elsewhere in Louisiana.

Implications and takeaways

• Orleans residents are more likely than the Louisiana average to rely primarily on smartphones for internet access, particularly among renters, lower-income households, and younger adults.
• Carrier performance in the city is elevated by extensive mid-band 5G and small-cell investments, producing higher typical speeds and better event management than statewide norms.
• Local digital inclusion efforts should emphasize affordability and device support in specific neighborhoods rather than basic coverage expansion, which is the priority in many other Louisiana parishes.

Notes on sources and method

• Estimates synthesize recent ACS Computer and Internet Use data (2022–2023), CDC/NCHS wireless-only household rates (2022), NTIA Internet Use Survey (2023), Pew Research smartphone ownership (2023), carrier-disclosed 5G deployments, FCC filings, and city-level speed test aggregations from 2023–2024. Parish-level figures are modeled from these datasets and local urban characteristics to highlight differences from Louisiana statewide patterns.

Orleans Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana — Social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Population and connectivity context

• Population: 383,997 (U.S. Census 2020). Adults (18+) ≈ 300,000.
• Broadband access: Most households have internet; ACS indicates roughly 4 in 5 households in large U.S. cities maintain a broadband subscription. Orleans Parish aligns closely with that pattern.

Most-used platforms (adults) Share of adults who say they use each platform (Pew Research Center, 2024). Local user counts are modeled by applying these shares to ≈300,000 adults in Orleans Parish.

• YouTube: 83% (~249,000 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~204,000)
• Instagram: 47% (~141,000)
• Pinterest: 35% (~105,000)
• TikTok: 33% (~99,000)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~90,000)
• Snapchat: 27% (~81,000)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~66,000)
• Reddit: 22% (~66,000)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~63,000)
• Nextdoor: 20% (~60,000)

Notes on local tilt:

• Given New Orleans’ urban profile and event-driven culture, Instagram and TikTok usage likely runs a few points above the national average; Nextdoor and Facebook Groups are heavily used for neighborhoods and civic updates.

Age-group patterns (adults)

• 18–29: Heavy on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; Facebook is used but is not the primary platform.
• 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram dominate; TikTok adoption is meaningful and growing.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram usage is moderate; TikTok is present but smaller.
• 65+: Facebook remains the anchor; YouTube is second; Nextdoor and local news pages/groups see practical use.

Gender patterns (directional)

• Women: More likely than men to use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. Pinterest skews strongly female.
• Men: More likely than women to use YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.

Behavioral trends in Orleans Parish

• Event-centric engagement: Spikes around Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Saints games, and hurricane season. Real-time video (Reels/Stories/TikTok/Live) and hashtags drive discovery.
• Hyperlocal communities: High reliance on Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for neighborhoods, crime/safety updates, city services, and school/community news.
• Hospitality and tourism: Restaurants, bars, music venues, and short-term rentals lean on Instagram/TikTok for discovery; reviews and local guides amplify reach.
• Messaging and DMs: Customer service and reservations frequently move to Instagram/Facebook DMs and WhatsApp for fast responses.
• Short-form video first: Creative, mobile-native video outperforms static posts; cross-posting Reels/TikToks to Facebook and YouTube Shorts extends reach.
• Civic and resilience use: During storms and infrastructure issues, residents follow local officials, newsrooms, and utility accounts for alerts and live updates.

Method note

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center (2024). Local counts are modeled by applying those percentages to the estimated adult population of Orleans Parish; actual local figures will vary slightly with demographic mix and year-to-year shifts.