Vermilion County

Note: In Louisiana, “Vermilion County” refers to Vermilion Parish (county-equivalent).

Population

• Total population: 57,359 (2020 Census)
• Trend: Slight decline since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic can be any race)

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~79%
• Black or African American alone: ~13%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.4%
• Two or more races/Other: ~2%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Number of households: ~21,700
• Average household size: ~2.7
• Family households: ~73% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~32%
• Tenure: ~77% owner-occupied, ~23% renter-occupied

Key insights

• Demographics are predominantly White with a notable Black minority and a small but present Hispanic population.
• Age structure is balanced, with a modestly older median age than the U.S. overall.
• Household profile skews toward family and owner-occupied households, indicating residential stability.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Vermilion Parish, Louisiana).

Note: Vermilion Parish, Louisiana (not “County”).

Population baseline: ~58,000; adults ~44,000. Estimated email users: 38,000–41,000 adults (≈85–92% of adults use email; ~60% use it daily → ~26,000–28,000 daily users).

Age distribution among email users (approx.):

• 18–29: 23–25% of users; adoption ~95–99%.
• 30–49: 34–38%; adoption ~95–99%.
• 50–64: 22–25%; adoption ~90–95%.
• 65+: 12–16%; adoption ~70–85% (largest non-user gap).

Gender split: Roughly even; ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male among users (mirrors parish demographics).

Digital access and trends:

• Household broadband subscription: ~75–80% (parish slightly below Louisiana’s statewide rate; rural areas trail town centers).
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~18–22%, indicating mobile-led email access for many low-to-moderate income residents.
• Computer access: ~85–90% of households have a computer/device; lack of devices concentrates among seniors and lower-income households.
• Ongoing fiber and fixed‑wireless expansions are improving coverage; adoption is rising fastest among 50–64 and lower-income cohorts.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Largely rural; population density ~45–50 people per square mile.
• Connectivity strongest in and around Abbeville and along main corridors; the coastal and western rural zones show the highest reliance on mobile data and satellite.

Below is a concise, evidence-informed summary of usage patterns and infrastructure that emphasizes how Vermilion Parish differs from Louisiana overall; exact figures would require a data pull from those sources.

Summary of mobile phone usage and how it differs from Louisiana overall

• Adoption and dependence:

  • Vermilion Parish is more rural than the state average and shows higher dependence on mobile data as a primary connection, with a larger share of “smartphone-only” households (households relying on cellular data rather than a wired home broadband plan).
  • Overall smartphone ownership is slightly lower than the Louisiana average, driven by rural coverage gaps and income constraints, but mobile-phone ownership (any mobile phone) remains very high among working-age adults.
  • Mobile data traffic spikes with seasonal weather events and during peak agricultural and coastal work periods, reflecting the parish’s economy.

• Demographic patterns:

  • Age: Younger adults and families in and around Abbeville, Maurice, Kaplan, and Erath exhibit near-universal smartphone use and higher rates of smartphone-only connectivity. Seniors in rural areas show lower smartphone adoption and higher rates of limited or no internet subscriptions compared with state averages.
  • Income and education: Lower-income and lower-education households are more likely to be mobile-first or mobile-only in Vermilion than in the state overall, using prepaid and budget plans and relying on public Wi‑Fi when available.
  • Race/ethnicity: Usage disparities track income and geography more than race in Vermilion; rural white and Black residents show similar mobile-reliant patterns where wired options are scarce.

• Digital infrastructure and coverage:

  • Coverage: 4G LTE is broadly available along US‑167, LA‑14, and LA‑35 corridors and in towns (Abbeville, Kaplan, Maurice, Erath, Gueydan, Delcambre). Persistent weak spots occur in low-lying coastal and marsh areas (e.g., along LA‑82, Intracoastal City, Pecan Island), with signal attenuation from terrain and limited tower density.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G covers key population centers; mid-band 5G capacity is strongest where Vermilion overlaps the Lafayette metro influence (notably northern/eastern parts near Maurice and along main corridors). Coastal and sparsely populated southern areas lag in 5G capacity and backhaul resiliency.
  • Carriers: AT&T and Verizon maintain the most uniform legacy LTE footprints; T‑Mobile often shows earlier mid-band 5G capacity in and near town centers. During hurricanes or widespread outages, capacity can degrade quickly outside of town cores due to limited redundancy.
  • Backhaul and fiber: Fiber backhaul exists along principal routes and into Abbeville, but last‑mile wireline options thin out quickly outside town limits. This has increased take-up of mobile hotspots and fixed wireless (including 5G home internet) compared with the state average.
  • Funding and builds: Louisiana’s GUMBO grants and federal BEAD-funded projects are targeted at rural parishes like Vermilion to expand fiber and improve last‑mile coverage; as these projects complete, expect a measurable shift from smartphone-only to mixed (wired + mobile) subscriptions in the mid‑term.

Actionable implications

• Service planning: Expect stronger demand for robust, affordable mobile plans with higher data allowances, plus fixed-wireless home internet in outlying areas where fiber builds are still in progress.
• Equity focus: Digital inclusion efforts (device support, senior digital literacy, and subsidized plans) have outsized impact in Vermilion due to its higher mobile-only share relative to Louisiana overall.
• Resilience: Investments that harden coastal sites (backup power, microwave backhaul redundancy) will yield greater reliability gains here than in more urban Louisiana parishes.

Note on scope: Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. The area in question is Vermilion Parish, LA. The figures below combine the latest available parish-level demographics and internet access with best-available U.S. platform benchmarks to localize usage and behavior.

User base and access

• Internet access (households with a broadband subscription): roughly 75–82% in Vermilion Parish (ACS 2019–2023 5-year range for similar rural LA parishes), indicating solid but not universal connectivity.
• Social media penetration: approximately 70–75% of residents aged 13+ use at least one social platform (localized from national Pew/eMarketer adoption, adjusted slightly downward for rural broadband gaps).

Age mix (share of local social media users, localized from parish age structure and U.S. adoption by age)

• Teens (13–17): 8–10%
• Young adults (18–24): 12–14%
• 25–34: 17–19%
• 35–44: 17–18%
• 45–54: 14–15%
• 55–64: 13–14%
• 65+: 12–14% Notes: Vermilion skews a bit older than major metros, so 45+ is a larger slice of the user base than in big cities.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users are roughly even by gender with a slight female skew: about 52% female, 48% male across major platforms (Meta, Snapchat, Pinterest skew slightly female; X skews male).

Most-used platforms (benchmarks; local usage generally tracks within a few percentage points given Vermilion’s demographics)

• YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults
• Facebook: ~68% of U.S. adults (often a few points higher in rural communities; expect Facebook to be the single top platform locally)
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30% (usage concentrated among college-educated professionals; below average locally)
• X (Twitter): ~23%
• WhatsApp: ~21% Local takeaway: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram is strong among 18–34; TikTok and Snapchat are concentrated among teens/younger adults; Pinterest has a meaningful female skew; LinkedIn is niche.

Behavioral trends in Vermilion Parish

• Facebook-first community: Heavy use of Facebook Groups for churches, schools, youth sports, hunting/fishing, and storm updates; Marketplace is a primary local buy/sell channel.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels, Shorts, TikTok) drives reach; YouTube used for how-tos, repair, agriculture, and coastal weather tracking.
• Messaging as a hub: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat serve as default peer-to-peer channels; SMS fallback remains common in low-bandwidth areas.
• Local info loyalty: High engagement with parish news, school calendars, high school athletics, festivals (e.g., cultural and seasonal events), and hurricane preparedness.
• Commerce and promotions: SMBs lean on Facebook and Instagram for offers, live sales, and event promotion; boosted posts outperform organic-only efforts.
• Time-of-day peaks: Early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.) spikes, with midday bumps tied to lunch breaks and school schedules.
• Device mix: Predominantly mobile; creative that is vertical, captioned, and legible without sound performs best.
• Younger cohorts: Teens gravitate to Snapchat streaks and TikTok trends; Instagram DMs and Reels are key for 18–24 discovery; Facebook still used for community/school but not as a primary hangout.
• Older cohorts: Facebook is the daily habit; YouTube for local news clips, sermons, DIY, and weather. Pinterest usage shows in recipe, home, and craft interests.

Practical implications

• Prioritize Facebook (Page + Groups + Marketplace promotions) and short-form video across Facebook/Instagram/YouTube.
• Use geotargeted boosts around Abbeville, Kaplan, Maurice, Erath, and parish events to maximize local relevance.
• Lean into community content (weather, schools, festivals, local sports) and service-oriented posts (hours, directions, phone).
• For Gen Z/younger millennials, add TikTok/Snapchat creatives and Instagram Reels; for professionals, selectively layer LinkedIn only where applicable.