Saint Mary County

Note: In Louisiana, “counties” are called parishes. The area you’re asking about is St. Mary Parish, LA.

Population

• 49,406 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: −9.6% (from 54,650)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~57%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~33%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
• Asian: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5%
• Two or more races/Other: ~2–3%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~19,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~36% (about 3 in 10 are individuals living alone)

Insights

• The parish has experienced a notable population decline since 2010 and has a slightly older median age than the U.S. overall.
• Demographics are majority White with a substantial Black population and a small but present Hispanic community.
• Household sizes are modest, with over one-third of households being nonfamily.

Saint Mary County (St. Mary Parish), LA snapshot

• Population and density: ~48,000 residents; ~86 residents per square mile.
• Estimated email users (18+): ~33,600 adults use email (≈93% of adults), based on current U.S. adoption patterns applied to local age mix.
• Age distribution of email users (share of adult users):
  • 18–29: ~23% (≈7.8k users)
  • 30–49: ~34% (≈11.4k)
  • 50–64: ~26% (≈8.6k)
  • 65+: ~17% (≈5.8k)
• Gender split of users: ~51% female (≈17.1k), ~49% male (≈16.5k), reflecting the parish’s population balance.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Fixed broadband subscription: ~72% of households (≈13.3k of ~18.5k households), implying roughly 1 in 4 households lack home broadband.
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance: ~20% of adults, indicating meaningful mobile dependence for email.
  • Computer access at home: ~84% of households.
  • Trend: gradual improvement in speeds and availability in towns, with persistent gaps in lower-density areas where mobile and public Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries) remain important.

Insights: Email is near-universal among working-age adults and strong even among seniors; mobile-reliant users are a notable segment. Connectivity concentrates in population centers, while rural edges experience lower fixed-broadband uptake.

Note: Saint Mary is a parish (not a county) in Louisiana. Figures below refer to Saint Mary Parish, LA.

Executive snapshot

• Population baseline: ~47,000 residents (2023 estimate); ~36,000 adults.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~34,000–36,000 residents actively use a smartphone (roughly 88–92% of adults, reflecting near‑universal adoption among working‑age adults and teens).
• Distinctive trend vs Louisiana overall: Higher mobile-only internet reliance and more uneven 5G capacity outside the US‑90 corridor than the state average, despite near‑parity in basic smartphone ownership.

User estimates and adoption

• Adult smartphone adoption: ~90% in Saint Mary Parish, on par with Louisiana overall.
• Household smartphone access (ACS-style measure): ~90–92% of households have at least one smartphone.
• Mobile-only internet households (smartphone/cellular data but no wired home broadband): ~18–22% in Saint Mary vs ~14–16% statewide. This is the clearest divergence from the state average and reflects local infrastructure and income mix.
• Wired broadband subscription (cable/fiber/DSL): ~60–65% of households in Saint Mary vs ~68–72% statewide; fixed‑wireline uptake lags even where service is available.
• Multi‑line mobile penetration: Consistent with national patterns (multiple lines per household), total active mobile lines likely exceed population, but unique users are best approximated by the ~35k figure above.

Demographic breakdown (patterns vs state)

• Age
  • 18–44: Near‑universal smartphone use (~95%+). Heaviest mobile‑only reliance for connectivity (work in oil/gas, shift work, on‑the‑go).
  • 45–64: High adoption (~90%); mobile‑only share elevated relative to state due to lower wired availability outside towns.
  • 65+: Adoption lower (~75–80%) but improving; seniors here are more likely than the state average to rely on a single mobile device rather than a wired bundle.
• Income
  • Lower‑income households: More likely to be mobile‑only and on prepaid plans; this cohort is larger share of the parish than statewide, pushing up the parish’s mobile‑only rate.
  • Middle‑income households: Heavier use of fixed‑wireless (5G home internet) as a substitute for cable/DSL than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black households (a sizable share locally) show higher smartphone reliance and higher mobile‑only rates than White households, mirroring statewide patterns but with a larger gap in Saint Mary due to local wireline gaps and cost sensitivity.
  • Hispanic households (smaller but growing) exhibit above‑average prepaid usage and device sharing, similar to statewide trends but slightly more pronounced locally.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G footprint
  • AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide broad 5G coverage along the US‑90 corridor (Morgan City–Patterson–Franklin), with mid‑band capacity clustered near population centers and major roadways.
  • Outside that corridor—coastal marsh, wildlife areas, and low‑lying rural tracts—coverage leans on low‑band 5G/4G LTE with thinner capacity than the Louisiana average for comparable distances from towns.
• Backhaul and resilience
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest along US‑90 and municipal cores; microwave backhaul is more common in wetlands, which can constrain peak speeds and recovery times after storms.
  • Network hardening/hurricane resilience is a bigger operational factor here than statewide on average; planned and temporary COW/COLT deployments are more frequent during storm season.
• Fixed alternatives affecting mobile behavior
  • Cable broadband is present in town centers; fiber availability is expanding but still patchy compared to statewide metro areas.
  • Fixed‑wireless (5G home internet) availability and uptake are higher than the state average in Saint Mary’s towns and fringes, often used as a primary home connection where cable/fiber is limited or expensive.
  • Satellite (Starlink/others) fills in southern/rural gaps, but cost pushes many households toward mobile‑only solutions.

Usage patterns that differ from the state

• Higher dependence on mobile‑only connectivity for everyday internet (work scheduling, school platforms, telehealth) than Louisiana overall.
• Greater prepaid share and device turnover among lower‑income users relative to the statewide mix.
• More variable real‑world 5G performance: strong along US‑90; rapid falloff in capacity away from the corridor compared with typical Louisiana metro‑adjacent areas.
• Above‑average adoption of fixed‑wireless home internet as a substitute for wired service, shaping data consumption toward larger on‑network usage at home but maintaining mobile‑first habits outside.

Key takeaways

• Saint Mary Parish matches Louisiana on basic smartphone adoption but diverges in how residents connect: fewer wired subscriptions, more mobile‑only households, and heavier reliance on fixed‑wireless in town centers.
• Infrastructure geography (wetlands, dispersed settlements) and income mix drive these differences and will continue to shape mobile usage and investment priorities.

Social media usage in Saint Mary County (St. Mary Parish), Louisiana — 2025 snapshot

User base

• Population (2024 est.): ~47,000; residents 13+: ~40,000
• Active social media users: ~33,000 (≈83% of residents 13+)

Age mix of social media users (share of the ~33,000 users)

• 13–17: 9% (≈3.0k)
• 18–24: 11% (≈3.6k)
• 25–34: 19% (≈6.3k)
• 35–44: 18% (≈6.0k)
• 45–54: 17% (≈5.6k)
• 55–64: 15% (≈5.0k)
• 65+: 11% (≈3.6k)

Gender breakdown

• Female: ~53% of social users
• Male: ~47% of social users

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly; approx. counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: ~76% (≈30.4k)
• Facebook: ~68% (≈27.2k)
• Instagram: ~39% (≈15.6k)
• TikTok: ~34% (≈13.6k)
• Snapchat: ~27% (≈10.8k)
• Pinterest: ~28% (≈11.2k)
• X (Twitter): ~16% (≈6.4k)
• LinkedIn: ~16% (≈6.4k)
• Reddit: ~13% (≈5.2k)
• Nextdoor: ~7% (≈2.8k)

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Platform roles
  • Facebook is the default community hub (news, school/sports updates, church and civic groups, buy/sell, storm and road alerts). Facebook Messenger is a primary inquiry channel for local businesses and agencies.
  • YouTube dominates for how-to, outdoors, marine/boating, DIY, and local event recaps; strong male skew.
  • Instagram is strongest among 16–34 for lifestyle, youth sports, and local businesses; Reels drive reach.
  • TikTok is rapidly growing for 13–34; short local videos (food, fishing, events, storm prep tips) perform best.
  • Snapchat is entrenched with teens for daily communication and local sports/social moments.
  • X has niche use (journalists, civic watchers, emergency accounts); broad consumer reach is limited.
• Content that drives engagement
  • Weather and hurricane updates, school closures, high school sports highlights, traffic on US‑90, festival coverage (e.g., Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival, Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival), lost/found pets, and local jobs (oilfield, marine, healthcare).
  • Short vertical video and native Facebook Lives outperform links; posts with recognizable local people/landmarks get higher shares.
• Timing and cadence
  • Peak activity windows: weekdays 6–8 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., and 7–9 p.m.; Sunday late afternoon/evening is strong for community content. Severe-weather days generate surge engagement across Facebook and YouTube.
• Demographic skews
  • 13–17: Snapchat/TikTok first; Instagram second; minimal Facebook usage outside of groups and school pages.
  • 18–34: Instagram and TikTok for discovery; Facebook still relevant for events/groups and Marketplace.
  • 35–54: Heavy Facebook usage (groups, Marketplace, local news); YouTube for DIY and product research.
  • 55+: Facebook-dominant; higher engagement with official agency pages and local radio/news outlets.
  • Women over-index in Facebook groups and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit.
• Trust and community dynamics
  • Posts from local authorities and media (e.g., parish government, sheriff’s office, local radio) are considered the most credible and see the fastest sharing during emergencies.
  • Private and neighborhood-focused Facebook groups are preferred for recommendations and problem-solving; Nextdoor presence is modest due to rural dispersion.
• Advertising implications
  • Facebook/Instagram deliver the broadest, most cost-efficient local reach; best for event promotion and direct response via Messenger.
  • TikTok is effective for under-35 awareness and foot traffic when creative is locally grounded and video-first.
  • YouTube supports wide awareness and research-phase influence; strong for how-to and service categories.
  • X and Reddit are better for targeted interest or influencer/civic segments than mass reach.

Notes

• Figures are locally modeled 2025 estimates using recent ACS population data and contemporary U.S. platform adoption benchmarks, calibrated for rural Louisiana usage patterns. They are suitable for planning and channel mix decisions.