Red River County

Note: In Louisiana, the county-equivalent is Red River Parish. Statistics below refer to Red River Parish, LA.

Population

• Total: 7,620 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: down from 9,091 (−16%)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/Ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; percentages of total population)

• White alone: ~55%
• Black or African American alone: ~41%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, other: <1% each

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~2,900–3,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~29%
• Homeownership rate: ~70–75%

Key insight

• Small, rural parish with a declining population, balanced gender mix, median age around 40, a majority White and substantial Black population, and predominantly owner-occupied, family households.

Scope: Red River Parish (county), Louisiana

• Population and density: ≈7,600 residents; ~19 people per square mile (rural).
• Estimated email users: ~4,000 residents (about 67% of adults), derived from local internet-adoption rates and the high email use among internet users.
• Age profile of email use (share using email): 18–34: ~95%; 35–54: ~93%; 55–64: ~88%; 65+: ~80%. Growth is strongest among 65+ as more seniors adopt smartphones and access telehealth/government services.
• Gender split: Roughly even (about 50/50); no statistically meaningful gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • ~73% of households have an internet subscription; ~66% have home broadband (cable/DSL/fiber/satellite).
  • ~20% are smartphone-only internet households, reflecting cost and availability constraints.
  • Most occupied locations have baseline 25/3 Mbps coverage; 100/20 Mbps and fiber availability are improving but remain patchy outside towns like Coushatta.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) is a key access point for residents without reliable home service.

Insights: Email remains near-universal among connected adults and is the de facto channel for employment, benefits, and school communications. The main limiter is broadband adoption, not willingness to use email. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2018–2022), FCC broadband data, Pew Research on email adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Red River Parish, Louisiana (2025 snapshot)

Scope note

• Louisiana uses parishes; “Red River County, LA” refers here to Red River Parish.

Population basis

• Total population: 7,620 (U.S. Census, 2020). Adults (18+): ~5,790 (modeled from Louisiana’s adult share).

User estimates (modeled, rounded)

• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ~5,500 adults (≈95% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~4,700 adults (≈82% of adults).
• Prepaid vs. postpaid mix: ~40% prepaid, 60% postpaid among smartphone lines (higher prepaid share than Louisiana overall, which skews closer to 30% prepaid).
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan as the sole home internet): ~19–22% of households in Red River Parish, versus ~11–13% statewide (ACS-type profiles for Louisiana, 2022–2023). This indicates heavier reliance on mobile data for home access than the state average.

Demographic breakdown (usage tendencies and estimated adoption)

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~92–95%; mobile-only internet use ~25% (higher than the parish average).
  • 35–64: smartphone adoption ~85–90%; mobile-only internet use ~18–22%.
  • 65+: smartphone adoption ~65–70%; mobile-only internet use ~10–14% but rising as basic broadband alternatives remain limited in some tracts.
• Income
  • Households under $35k show the highest prepaid share and the highest mobile-only internet reliance (25–30%), above both parish and state averages.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic residents in the parish are more likely than White residents to be smartphone-dependent for internet (difference typically 5–10 percentage points), consistent with statewide and national patterns for lower-cost, mobile-first connectivity.
• Device ecosystem
  • Android devices likely represent ~65–70% of smartphones in the parish (above the Louisiana share), reflecting price-sensitive adoption; iOS ~30–35%.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and networks: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon operate in Red River Parish. AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 public-safety LTE/5G support is present along primary corridors and key facilities.
• 5G footprint: Predominantly low‑band 5G (wide‑area coverage) across populated areas and highways (US‑71, LA‑1). Mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band/n41) appears limited to the town core and immediate surrounds; many outlying blocks remain LTE‑primary.
• Capacity and speeds: Typical median mobile downlink speeds are materially lower than Louisiana’s urban corridor medians. Expect ~25–45 Mbps in-town/off‑peak and lower at cell edges; the statewide median is notably higher due to metro mid‑band deployments.
• Tower grid: Macro sites are spaced farther apart than in metro parishes, producing variable indoor coverage, especially in low-lying river bottoms, timber tracts, and sparsely populated roads away from US‑71/LA‑1.
• Backhaul: Mix of fiber and licensed microwave; fiber follows highway and utility rights‑of‑way. Local fiber investment by regional incumbents (e.g., CP‑TEL around Coushatta and nearby communities) improves backhaul and fixed broadband where built, but does not fully eliminate mobile capacity constraints outside cores.
• Public and anchor connectivity: Schools, libraries, and government sites are generally on fiber, which provides strong on‑premise Wi‑Fi and some outdoor spillover, partially offsetting mobile gaps for residents without fixed broadband.

How Red River Parish differs from Louisiana overall (key trends)

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A meaningfully larger share of households rely solely on cellular data for home internet (≈19–22% vs. ≈11–13% statewide).
• More prepaid usage: Prepaid’s share of smartphone lines (~40%) exceeds the state average (≈30%), tracking lower incomes and price-sensitive adoption.
• Coverage quality is more uneven: 5G is present but is mainly low‑band; mid‑band capacity upgrades lag metros, keeping typical speeds lower and indoor coverage more variable than the state average.
• Greater single-carrier dependence by location: Residents often choose carriers by specific road or neighborhood performance, leading to pockets of de facto single‑carrier usability more often than in urban parishes.
• Higher smartphone dependence among underserved groups: Mobile-first patterns are more pronounced among lower-income and minority households than statewide, reinforcing the parish’s above-average smartphone dependence for essential services.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Population: U.S. Census 2020 (Red River Parish = 7,620).
• Adoption baselines: Pew Research Center smartphone adoption (national), CDC National Health Interview Survey for wireless-only households (national/state patterns), and ACS-type Internet subscription profiles for Louisiana (for cellular-only home internet share). Parish figures are modeled from these sources, rural-parish comparables in north-central Louisiana, and carrier deployment patterns reported through 2024. Estimates are rounded and reflect conditions through early 2025.

Social media usage snapshot: Red River Parish, Louisiana (commonly misnamed “Red River County”)

Core baselines

• Population: 7,620 (2020 Census)
• Households with a broadband subscription: about 73% (ACS 2018–2022, 5‑year)
• Adult smartphone ownership (rural U.S. proxy): ~84% (Pew Research Center)

User stats (best-available local estimates modeled from rural U.S. usage applied to Red River Parish demographics)

• Active social media users: 5,300 people (70% of total population)
• Daily users: 4,200 (80% of users)
• Average platforms used per person: ~2.5–3

Age mix of the local social media audience (share of users)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–24: 12%
• 25–34: 16%
• 35–44: 17%
• 45–54: 17%
• 55–64: 15%
• 65+: 15%

Gender breakdown of users

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~48% (Note: public datasets do not reliably quantify nonbinary shares at this geography)

Most-used platforms (share of Red River social media users using each at least monthly; estimates aligned to rural Southern usage)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 74%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 36%
• Snapchat: 24%
• Pinterest: 22%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• WhatsApp: 16%
• Reddit: 12%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Louisiana communities

• Facebook is the community hub: Local news, school and church updates, civic alerts, Groups, and Marketplace drive the highest participation, especially among 35+.
• Video is dominant but split by purpose: YouTube for longer viewing on smart TVs (how‑to, hunting/fishing, local sports, sermons); TikTok/Instagram Reels for short entertainment and quick local highlights.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is primary for adults; SMS remains common; Snapchat is prevalent among teens and early 20s. WhatsApp usage is present but niche.
• Commerce and calls to action: Facebook Marketplace has outsized reach for vehicles, equipment, and household goods. Businesses see stronger response to phone calls/texts and comment-based engagement than to link clicks.
• Content that works: Authentic, locally voiced posts outperform polished creative. Photos, short clips, and live video from events (fairs, athletics, church) gain strong shares/comments that extend reach.
• Timing: Engagement peaks around 7–9 a.m., lunch (12–1 p.m.), and 6–10 p.m.; weekend afternoons perform well for event promotion.
• Connectivity-aware consumption: Data caps and patchy coverage make shorter videos and image carousels efficient; long HD video is best reserved for Wi‑Fi/smart‑TV audiences.

Notes on methodology

• Demographic counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau and ACS; platform splits and adoption rates are derived from Pew Research Center, DataReportal, and Edison Research national/rural cohorts, scaled to Red River Parish’s size and age mix. Figures should be used as planning-grade estimates for the parish.