Vernon County

Note: Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties. Figures below refer to Vernon Parish (county-equivalent).

Population

• Total population: 47,900 (2023 Census estimate; down slightly from 2020)
• 2020 Census count: ~48,800

Age

• Median age: ~31–32 years
• Under 5 years: ~8%
• Under 18 years: ~27%
• 65 years and over: ~11–12%

Sex

• Male: ~53%
• Female: ~47% (Younger and more male-skewed than state average, reflecting the Fort Johnson military presence.)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is of any race)

• White: ~67%
• Black or African American: ~19%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~1–2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: <1%
• Two or more races: ~6–7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~10–12%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~58–60%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~18,400
• Persons per household: ~2.6
• Family households: ~69% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45–50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~33–35%
• Homeownership rate: ~60–62%

Key insight

• Vernon Parish’s demographics are notably younger, more male, and somewhat more racially/ethnically diverse than Louisiana overall, consistent with a large active-duty/veteran population and their families.

Vernon County (Vernon Parish), Louisiana — 2025 estimate

Email users: 35,000–39,000 residents (≈72–80% of total; ≈92–95% of adults). Daily users: ≈80–85% of email users.

Age distribution of email users:

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–29: 22–25%
• 30–49: 33–36%
• 50–64: 18–20%
• 65+: 12–15% Usage is near-universal among working-age adults, with lower but substantial adoption among seniors.

Gender split among users: ≈52% male, 48% female; usage rates are essentially at parity.

Digital access trends:

• Household broadband subscription: ≈74% (±3)
• Smartphone-only internet households: ≈19% (±3)
• Work/school-provided accounts are common, boosted by the Fort Johnson (Army) presence, raising daily-check rates.

Local density/connectivity:

• Population ≈49,000; density ≈36–38 people per sq mi (rural).
• Fixed 100/20 Mbps availability covers roughly 80–90% of addresses, strongest in Leesville/New Llano/Fort Johnson; fiber footprints expanding.
• Outlying western and northern wards rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, which correlates with lower subscription and slightly reduced email engagement.
• 5G/mobile broadband broadly covers the US‑171 corridor and town centers, supporting high smartphone-based email access.

Sources blended: ACS population/broadband indicators, FCC availability, and national email usage benchmarks.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Vernon Parish (Vernon County), Louisiana

Scope and baseline

• Population: ~49,000 (2023 est.)
• Households: ~17,800
• Adults (18+): ~37,000
• Military presence: Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) creates an unusually high share of young adults and transient households compared with Louisiana overall

User estimates and handset mix

• Unique mobile phone users: ~40,000 (≈82% of total population; ≈92% of adults)
• Smartphone users: ~38,000 (≈78% of total population; ≈89% of adults)
• Average monthly mobile data per smartphone: ~26 GB (higher than typical rural Louisiana due to above-average reliance on mobile for video and home connectivity)

Demographic breakdown (users and usage)

• Ages 13–17: ~3,400 residents; ~3,000 smartphone users (≈88%); heavy video/social use, school-based apps; many on family plans
• Ages 18–34: ~13,200 residents; ~12,800 smartphone users (≈97%); the military cohort pushes ownership and app-driven usage above state averages; highest mobile data consumption
• Ages 35–64: ~17,600 residents; ~15,900 smartphone users (≈90%); strong use of mobile banking, navigation, and video; growing adoption of fixed wireless home internet via mobile carriers
• Ages 65+: ~8,800 residents; ~6,500 smartphone users (≈74%); non‑smartphone users concentrated here; rapid year‑over‑year gains in telehealth and messaging apps

Market structure and plans

• Carrier share (est., subscriber mix): AT&T ≈42%, Verizon ≈33%, T‑Mobile ≈22%, others ≈3%
  • AT&T’s share is higher than Louisiana’s statewide mix because of FirstNet/fort-centric coverage and discounts for military families
• Plan type: prepaid share is moderately higher than Louisiana’s metro average, reflecting younger and more transient residents, but postpaid remains dominant among military families due to device financing and multi-line discounts

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G availability: low‑band 5G covers ≈95% of the population; mid‑band 5G is concentrated around Leesville, New Llano, Fort Johnson, and the US‑171 corridor (≈50–60% of population). Outlying forested areas remain LTE‑only
• Speeds (typical, not peak):
  • Leesville/New Llano/US‑171: median 70–120 Mbps on 5G; upload 10–25 Mbps
  • Rural north/southeast of the parish: median 10–30 Mbps on LTE/low‑band 5G; upload 3–8 Mbps
• Fixed wireless home internet (FWA) from mobile operators:
  • Availability: ≈58% of households (primarily around Leesville/Fort Johnson and along major corridors)
  • Adoption: ≈15% of households (~2,600), higher than Louisiana’s rural average, substituting for limited cable/fiber
• Wireline backdrop: Cable broadband is largely confined to Leesville/New Llano; DSL persists in outlying zones; limited fiber builds to scattered pockets. This wireline gap directly elevates mobile and FWA dependence
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) has robust on‑base and corridor presence; this materially improves resilience and drives AT&T adoption relative to the state

Behavioral and usage trends that differ from Louisiana statewide

• Higher mobile‑only reliance: ~30% of Vernon households are effectively mobile‑only for home internet (smartphone tethering or FWA as the primary connection) versus a lower statewide share in more urbanized parishes
• Younger user skew and higher smartphone saturation in 18–34 due to the military population; smartphone ownership among young adults is a few points higher than the state average
• Carrier balance tilted toward AT&T versus the statewide mix, reflecting FirstNet coverage and military plan economics
• Better mid‑band 5G capacity than typical rural parishes in zones proximate to Fort Johnson, supporting higher median speeds and FWA performance; conversely, coverage and speeds drop off more sharply than the state average in the parish’s heavily forested periphery
• Faster growth in telehealth and government‑services usage on mobile among seniors compared with the statewide rural average, off a lower base

Key takeaways

• Approximately 40,000 residents use mobile phones in Vernon Parish, with ~38,000 on smartphones
• Mobile serves as a primary broadband pathway for roughly three in ten households, materially above many Louisiana parishes
• Network investment tied to Fort Johnson elevates AT&T’s share and boosts mid‑band 5G capacity near the base, while rural dead zones persist away from major corridors
• The parish’s age structure and transient military population create higher mobile data consumption and quicker uptake of FWA and app‑centric services than the state’s rural norm

Scope note: Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. The figures below refer to Vernon Parish, LA (Leesville/Fort Johnson area). Where parish-level platform metrics are not published, values are best-available 2024 estimates triangulated from U.S. Census/ACS demographics, Pew Research Center and DataReportal social media adoption, and platform ad-reach benchmarks for comparable rural/military markets.

Headline user stats

• Population base: ~48.7k (2020 Census; recent estimates hover ~48k)
• Estimated active social media users: ~35k (≈72% of total population; ≈80% of 18+)
• Devices: Predominantly mobile; rural broadband constraints mean cellular-first usage

Age and gender mix (parish profile and resulting user mix)

• Gender: Male ~52%, Female ~48% (male-skew driven by Fort Johnson); social platform usage is near-parity overall, with male over-index on Reddit/Discord/Twitch and female over-index on Facebook/TikTok/Instagram
• Age distribution among social media users (est. share of local social users):
  • 13–17: ~9%
  • 18–24: ~15%
  • 25–34: ~23%
  • 35–44: ~18%
  • 45–54: ~13%
  • 55–64: ~11%
  • 65+: ~11% Younger adult skew is stronger than Louisiana overall due to the military presence.

Most-used platforms in Vernon Parish (share of 13+ residents; est.)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Facebook Messenger: ~63%
• Instagram: ~48%
• TikTok: ~43% (≈60%+ among 18–34)
• Snapchat: ~32% (≈60%+ among 13–24)
• Reddit: ~20% (male and 18–34 skew)
• X (Twitter): ~16%
• LinkedIn: ~13% (below U.S. average; professional services niche)
• Discord: ~18% (gaming and unit/community coordination; male/18–34 skew)
• Twitch: ~14% (gaming/streaming; male/18–34 skew)
• Nextdoor: Low penetration; Facebook Groups fulfill most “neighborhood” use cases

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Community-centric Facebook usage: High reliance on local Groups and Marketplace for PCS moves, buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found pets, local services, and event announcements. Page posts that tag local institutions (schools, churches, base-affiliated orgs) perform best.
• Short-form video first: Reels and TikTok drive outsized reach and shares for local happenings, high school sports, hunting/fishing/outdoors content, and quick service promos. Practical, how-to, and before/after clips outperform long reads.
• Messaging over public posting: Many interactions move quickly into Messenger/Instagram DMs (appointments, quotes, classifieds), so response-time and chat availability are key to conversion.
• Military-influenced cadence: Content consumption is elevated among 18–34, with noticeable evening and weekend peaks; time-sensitive updates (closures, weather, base-related changes) see rapid amplification via Facebook Groups and re-shares.
• Gaming and creator subcultures: Above-average participation in Discord/Twitch for gaming, with spillover into local esports, tech buy/sell, and hobbyist communities.
• Trust dynamics: Locally known admins, coaches, pastors, and small-business owners act as micro-influencers; recommendations in closed groups often outperform paid placements unless ads are hyper-local and include social proof.
• Ad/organic performance notes: Value-forward offers, clear local identifiers (Leesville, Fort Johnson, Anacoco, Hornbeck, Pitkin), and phone/text CTAs outperform generic creative. Geo-targeting sweet spot is 15–25 miles around Leesville for most services; broader radii for autos/outdoors.

Source basis

• U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; ACS for age/gender profile)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024) for platform adoption baselines
• DataReportal/Hootsuite, Digital 2024 (U.S.) for social penetration and platform reach
• Platform ad-reach tools and rural/military-market norms to localize estimates