Plaquemines County

Note: In Louisiana, counties are called parishes. The figures below refer to Plaquemines Parish (county-equivalent).

Population

• Total: 23.5k (2020 Census); about 23.2k (2023 population estimate), indicating slight decline since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~37 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Gender

• Male: ~52–53%
• Female: ~47–48%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White: ~63%
• Black or African American: ~24%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10–11%
• Asian: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.7%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8.3k
• Persons per household: ~2.8
• Family households: ~65–70% of households; married-couple families ~50%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78%
• Housing units: ~9.8k; vacancy roughly mid-teens percent

Insights

• Small, sparsely populated parish with a modest male majority and a majority White population with substantial Black and growing Hispanic communities.
• Age structure skews slightly younger than the U.S. overall, with family-centric household sizes and high homeownership.

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

Plaquemines Parish (County), LA – email usage snapshot

• Population and density: ~23,515 residents (2020 Census). Very low density (<30 residents per square mile) with a large share of area covered by water and marsh, which raises last‑mile costs and leaves connectivity uneven outside Belle Chasse and the LA‑23 corridor.

• Estimated email users (adults 18+): ≈16,800 adult users. Method: ~18,100 adults × age‑specific adoption rates.

• Age distribution of adult email users:

  • 18–34: ~5,400 users (≈32%)
  • 35–64: ~8,300 users (≈49%)
  • 65+: ~3,100 users (≈19%) Assumed adoption rates by age (consistent with national patterns): ~96% (18–34), ~94% (35–64), ~86% (65+).

• Gender split among adult email users: roughly mirrors population

  • Men ≈52%
  • Women ≈48% (Gender differences in email adoption are minimal.)

• Digital access trends and connectivity:

  • ≈80% of households subscribe to broadband; ≈10–15% rely primarily on mobile/satellite in outlying communities.
  • Home internet speeds and subscriptions have trended upward since 2018, aided by state/federal investments (e.g., BEAD/GUMBO) targeting southeast Louisiana.
  • Coverage is strongest near population centers (Belle Chasse); service gaps persist in sparsely populated, downriver areas where fixed wireless and satellite fill in.

Mobile phone usage in Plaquemines Parish (County), Louisiana — 2024 snapshot

Key takeaways

• Mobile adoption is high but more cellular-only dependence than statewide, reflecting limited fixed broadband south of Belle Chasse and long, sparsely populated corridors along LA‑23.
• Coverage is strong along the populated corridor but remains patchy in the extreme south (Port Sulphur to Venice/Boothville), creating a larger urban–rural performance gap than the state average.
• Demographics skew toward working-age adults in energy, maritime, and logistics, with higher on-the-go data reliance and above-average multi-line or hotspot use compared with Louisiana overall.

User estimates and adoption

• Population base: 23,515 (2020 Census). Roughly 8,000 households.
• Mobile phone users: approximately 19,000–21,000 residents use a mobile phone (about 80–90% of total population, consistent with ACS device ownership and national mobile adoption).
• Smartphone users: approximately 17,000–19,000 residents use a smartphone (roughly 75–85% of the population; household-level ACS indicates high smartphone presence, with rural parishes typically in the high 80s to low 90s percent of households reporting a smartphone).
• Household internet profile (ACS-based, 2019–2023 patterns):
  • Smartphone present in household: high (upper‑80s to low‑90s percent), similar to or slightly above statewide.
  • Cellular data plan in household: roughly mid‑70s to ~80%.
  • Cellular-only internet households: elevated at roughly 19–24% (vs ~14–17% statewide), indicating heavier reliance on mobile data as primary internet.

Demographic breakdown (usage implications)

• Age: A majority of users are working-age adults (approx. 60–65% of population), aligning with energy/maritime employment that increases mobile-first workflows, field communications, and hotspot use. Older residents (65+) are a smaller share than in some rural parishes but still show lower smartphone intensity and app adoption than younger cohorts.
• Income/education: Median household income is near or slightly above the Louisiana average due to industrial jobs, which supports high smartphone penetration and multi-line family plans; however, pockets of lower-income households show greater cellular-only dependency and prepaid plan usage.
• Race/ethnicity: The parish is majority White with a substantial Black population and a growing Hispanic community; device ownership is broadly high across groups, but affordability-driven patterns (prepaid, data-capped plans) are more prevalent among lower-income households, contributing to higher mobile reliance for internet access than statewide urban parishes.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carriers: All three national operators (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) serve the parish. MVNOs riding these networks are widely used.
• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage along the Mississippi River corridor (Belle Chasse → Port Sulphur → Buras → Venice), with weaker or intermittent service in the far south and in wetlands/marsh perimeters.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G covers most populated areas; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated near Belle Chasse and along main highway segments, thinning south of Port Sulphur. Performance varies notably between carriers at the parish’s southern tip.
• Capacity and backhaul: Limited fiber backhaul and long spans between tower sites south of Port Sulphur constrain mid-band 5G deployment and peak-hour throughput compared with metro Louisiana. Storm hardening and backup power investments continue but outage risk remains higher than the state average due to hurricane exposure and flood-prone terrain.
• Public safety and industrial comms: Oil and gas, port, and maritime operations drive sustained demand for reliable LTE/5G, private radio, and backup satellite; this cross-technology mix is more pronounced than in most Louisiana parishes.

How Plaquemines differs from Louisiana overall

• Higher cellular-only internet dependence: A larger share of households rely on mobile data as their primary home internet, reflecting sparser fixed broadband south of Belle Chasse.
• Greater north–south performance gap: Service quality is solid near population centers but drops faster with distance than the statewide pattern, with more dead zones in the extreme south.
• Heavier mobile-first work usage: Field-based industries and shift work increase hotspot usage, dual-SIM/multi-line adoption, and demand for network resilience relative to state averages.
• 5G capacity is more localized: Mid-band 5G capacity is less uniform than in metro Louisiana, making carrier choice more consequential for peak speeds in the parish.
• Outage sensitivity is higher: Weather and geography create above-average risk of service disruptions; residents and businesses more often maintain redundancies (multiple carriers, external antennas, fixed-wireless or satellite fallback).

Implications

• Mobile remains the primary connectivity safety net for a sizable minority of households; plans that balance coverage with generous data/hotspot allowances are especially valued.
• Carrier selection and equipment (e.g., external antennas, mid-band capable devices) materially affect user experience south of Port Sulphur.
• Investments that extend mid-band 5G and fiber backhaul beyond Belle Chasse would close the parish’s performance gap with statewide norms and reduce cellular-only dependence.

Note: Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. The area in scope is Plaquemines Parish, LA.

Snapshot (2025)

• Population baseline: 23,515 (2020 Census, Plaquemines Parish)
• Estimated social media users: ~16,700 (≈71% of total population; ≈83% of residents aged 13+), modeled from U.S. social media penetration

Gender breakdown (modeled from U.S. platform audience mixes; applied locally)

• Overall users: ≈54% female, 46% male
• Platform skews:
  • Facebook: ~54% female / 46% male
  • Instagram: ~55% female / 45% male
  • TikTok: ~57% female / 43% male
  • Snapchat: ~56% female / 44% male
  • YouTube: ~47% female / 53% male
  • X (Twitter): ~37% female / 63% male

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use each; local mix mirrors these U.S. rates)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• Snapchat: 27%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• X (Twitter): 22% These translate locally into Facebook and YouTube as the two primary reach vehicles, with Instagram/TikTok strong under 35 and Snapchat concentrated among teens/young adults.

Age-group patterns (Pew Research Center usage benchmarks, applied locally)

• YouTube: 18–29: 93%; 30–49: 92%; 50–64: 83%; 65+: 60%
• Facebook: 18–29: 63%; 30–49: 75%; 50–64: 73%; 65+: 62%
• Instagram: 18–29: 78%; 30–49: 53%; 50–64: 29%; 65+: 15%
• TikTok: 18–29: 62%; 30–49: 39%; 50–64: 24%; 65+: 10%
• Snapchat: 18–29: 65%; 30–49: 24%; 50–64: 12%; 65+: 5%
• X (Twitter): 18–29: 28%; 30–49: 26%; 50–64: 17%; 65+: 12%

Behavioral trends in Plaquemines Parish

• Community information flows through Facebook: parish government updates, school sports, church and civic groups, local buy/sell, weather and hurricane preparedness. Engagement spikes during hurricane season and major river/coastal events.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, home repair, hunting/fishing, boating, and local news clips; Reels/Shorts drive discovery for restaurants, festivals, and small businesses.
• Youth and young adult behavior: Instagram and TikTok for trends and local hotspots; Snapchat is the primary peer‑to‑peer channel for teens and college‑age residents.
• Commerce and services: Local SMBs lean on Facebook Pages, Groups, and Marketplace for promotions, job postings, and service inquiries; photo/video posts with people and places outperform text.
• Timing and cadence: Highest engagement typically in early mornings and evenings on weekdays, and weekend afternoons for events and sports recaps; short videos and photo carousels outperform links.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous across ages; Snapchat dominates among under‑30; WhatsApp shows modest but growing use for family/work groups.

Method and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau (2020) for Plaquemines Parish
• Social media penetration and platform usage: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024; DataReportal, Digital 2024: USA (used to model local totals)
• Platform gender skews: platform ad audience mixes (U.S.) applied to local population

All figures are the best-available modeled estimates for Plaquemines Parish as of early 2025, grounded in the parish’s census base and current U.S. usage rates.