Union County

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

• Population size

  • 21,107 (2020 Decennial Census)

• Age (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Median age: ~41.8 years
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~59%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Female: ~50.8%
  • Male: ~49.2%

• Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Decennial Census; Hispanic is of any race)

  • White (non-Hispanic): ~62.2%
  • Black or African American: ~31.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino: ~3.4%
  • Two or more races: ~1.9%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native: ~0.4%
  • Asian: ~0.3%
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0–0.1%

• Households (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Households: ~8,000
  • Average household size: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~67% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing: ~77% of occupied units; renter-occupied ~23%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Scope: Union Parish (often called Union County), Louisiana

• Population: ~21,100; area ~905 sq mi; density ~23 people/sq mi (rural, dispersed).
• Adults (18+): ~16,300.

Estimated email users (adults): ~14,000 (≈86% of adults).

Age distribution of adult email users (counts; adoption rate in parentheses):

• 18–29: ~2,800 (≈95%)
• 30–49: ~5,200 (≈94%)
• 50–64: ~3,600 (≈85%)
• 65+: ~2,400 (≈68%)

Gender split among adult email users: 49% men (6,900) and 51% women (7,100), mirroring the parish’s sex ratio; usage is effectively gender‑neutral.

Digital access and trends:

• Home internet: ~70% of households have fixed broadband; ~15% are smartphone‑only; ~15% lack home internet. Mobile access is the primary on‑ramp for many low‑income and senior households.
• Device access: High smartphone penetration drives email via mobile apps; desktop access is less common outside town centers.
• Connectivity context: Rural density (~23/sq mi) raises last‑mile costs, producing patchy fixed broadband outside Farmerville and along main corridors; LTE/5G coverage supports everyday email use even where wireline speeds lag.

Notes: Estimates synthesize U.S. Census/ACS S2801 patterns for rural Louisiana and Pew-reported age adoption rates to local population structure.

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

Core population and household context (definitive)

• Population: 21,107 (2020 Census)
• Households: 8,048 (2020 Census)
• Settlement pattern: Predominantly rural with one small hub (Farmerville), which materially affects network reach and adoption patterns

Modeled user estimates (best-available synthesis from ACS device/subscription indicators, CDC wireless-only telephony, and Pew smartphone adoption adjusted for rural age/income mix)

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 13,500–15,000 residents
• Households with at least one smartphone: roughly 6,500–7,100 households
• Residents relying primarily on mobile/cellular for internet access (smartphone- or hotspot-first): approximately 7,500–9,000 residents
• Wireless-only telephony among adults (no landline): materially higher than the Louisiana average, consistent with the state’s high wireless-only rate; a clear majority of adults are mobile-only

Demographic breakdown of usage and access

• Age: Older-than-state age structure drives a wider gap in smartphone adoption for 65+ versus 18–64; seniors are more likely to have basic/feature phones or share devices and to rely on voice/SMS over data-heavy apps
• Income: Below-state median household income correlates with a higher share of smartphone-only and cellular data–only access, more prepaid plans, and tighter data caps
• Race/ethnicity: The parish’s White-majority and sizable Black population show different access patterns consistent with statewide/rural trends—Black residents exhibit higher smartphone-only reliance and lower home broadband uptake than White residents, even when controlling for income
• Education and employment: Lower postsecondary attainment and more shift/field work increase demand for mobile-first access and messaging apps over desktop web usage

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Mobile networks: 4G LTE is broadly available along primary corridors (US‑167, LA‑2) and in/around Farmerville; 5G coverage is present in the population center and along major roads, with LTE-only pockets in sparsely populated northern and eastern tracts
• Capacity: Mid-band 5G capacity is thinner than in Louisiana’s metros, so median mobile speeds are lower and more variable at cell edges; signal attenuation from forested terrain contributes to dead zones off-corridor
• Fixed alternatives that shape mobile reliance:
  • Cable/fiber availability is concentrated in Farmerville and immediate environs; outlying areas lean on legacy DSL or satellite
  • 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) from national carriers is available in select zones but is not yet a comprehensive substitute parish-wide
  • Public Wi‑Fi access points are limited outside civic anchors (schools, libraries), reinforcing mobile-first behavior for many households

How Union Parish differs from Louisiana overall

• Higher cellular dependence: A larger share of households rely on smartphones and cellular data as their primary or only internet pathway than the statewide average, reflecting limited fixed broadband options outside the hub
• Lower fixed broadband adoption: Home broadband subscription rates trail the state, especially in low-density tracts; this widens the smartphone-only gap versus Louisiana’s metro parishes
• Slower mobile median speeds: Coverage exists, but capacity (especially mid-band 5G) is thinner than the state’s urban corridors, producing lower and more variable speeds at peak times
• Device and plan mix: Greater prevalence of prepaid and budget Android devices, higher sensitivity to data caps, and more hotspot use for homework and streaming than in statewide urban averages
• Digital divide by age/income: Larger age- and income-linked adoption gaps than the state average; seniors and lower-income households are markedly more likely to be mobile-only and to experience data constraints

Implications

• Service reliability and capacity upgrades (additional sites, sector splits, and mid-band 5G) would yield outsized benefits relative to metros because mobile is the primary on-ramp for many residents
• Targeted fixed broadband buildouts beyond Farmerville (last-mile fiber or expanded FWA) would directly reduce the smartphone-only share and improve educational and telehealth access
• Digital inclusion efforts that bundle affordable plans, devices, and skills training are more likely to close usage gaps than device-only programs in this parish’s context

Notes on methodology

• Population and household counts are from the 2020 Census
• User and household mobile estimates are modeled from the most recent multi-year ACS device/subscription indicators, CDC wireless-only telephony rates, and Pew smartphone adoption benchmarks, adjusted for Union Parish’s rural age/income profile and settlement pattern
• Infrastructure characterization reflects carrier build patterns typical of rural north Louisiana parishes and observed coverage/capacity differences between town centers and outlying tracts

Union County, LA (Union Parish) social media snapshot

Baseline

• Population: 21,107 (2020 Census; Union Parish, Louisiana).
• Estimated social media users (all ages): ≈15,200 (about 72% of residents), modeled from U.S. social media penetration in 2024–2025 (DataReportal, U.S. = ~72% of total population).

Age profile (adults)

• Estimated share of adults using at least one social platform (Pew Research Center, 2024-national patterns applied locally):
  • 18–29: ~84–90%
  • 30–49: ~80–85%
  • 50–64: ~70–75%
  • 65+: ~50–55%
• Teens (13–17): very high usage overall, with heavier tilt to TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube than Facebook (based on Pew teen findings).

Gender breakdown

• Residents are roughly balanced by sex (≈51% female, 49% male, ACS).
• Platform skews typically observed locally:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok (slight to strong female tilt; Pinterest strongest).
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), Discord.
  • Near-parity: WhatsApp, Facebook Groups.

Most-used platforms in Union Parish (adult reach; modeled from Pew 2024 U.S. adoption applied to local adult population)

• YouTube: ~83% of adults
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21%

Behavioral trends (what locals tend to do)

• Community coordination: Facebook Groups and Pages for churches, schools, youth sports, local government, weather updates, and events; posts see peak engagement evenings and weekends.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace dominates peer-to-peer sales (farm/garden equipment, trucks, hunting gear, home goods); buy/sell/trade groups are highly active.
• Video-first discovery: YouTube used for DIY/home repair, auto/small-engine fixes, hunting/fishing, and equipment reviews; short-form TikTok/YouTube Shorts for quick tips and local highlights.
• Youth communication: Snapchat is the default for teens/young adults for messaging; Instagram for sports highlights, local businesses, and creators; TikTok for entertainment and trends.
• Sports and weather: X (Twitter) and Facebook used for breaking weather, school closings, road conditions, and LSU/SEC sports chatter.
• Business use: Small businesses lean on Facebook + Instagram for reach, boosted posts over long ad campaigns; common use of Reels for local visibility.
• Civic info: Sheriff’s office, parish government, and emergency management rely on Facebook for advisories; engagement spikes during storms and outages.

Notes on method

• Counts and percentages are modeled for Union Parish using the latest available Census base and U.S.-level platform adoption from Pew Research Center (2024) and overall penetration from DataReportal (2024–2025). They reflect likely local reach rather than a direct survey of Union Parish.

Key sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Union Parish, LA).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by U.S. adults).
• DataReportal, Digital 2024/2025: United States (social media penetration as share of total population).