West Carroll County

Note: Louisiana uses “parishes” rather than counties. Figures below refer to West Carroll Parish, LA.

Population size

• 10,830 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: 40.8 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~74%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~23%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Other (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, etc., non-Hispanic): <1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~4,100
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~32%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%

Insights

• Small, rural parish with a modest population decline since 2010.
• Age structure skews middle-aged to older relative to national median.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a significant Black minority and small Hispanic population.
• Household composition is family-oriented with high owner-occupancy typical of rural areas.

West Carroll Parish (West Carroll County), LA snapshot

• Population: 10,828 (2020 Census) over ~360 sq mi; density ~30 people/sq mi. ~4,000 households.
• Estimated email users (18+): 7,964 (92% of ~8,662 adults).
• Age distribution of email users (counts; share of users):
  • 18–29: ~1,486 (19%)
  • 30–49: ~2,520 (32%)
  • 50–64: ~2,093 (26%)
  • 65+: ~1,865 (23%)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (4,060) and 49% male (3,900), mirroring the population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with an internet subscription: 72% (2,880).
  • Households with a computer: 83% (3,320).
  • Mobile-only internet reliance: 18% of households (720), reflecting high smartphone dependence.
  • Fixed broadband strongest in and near Oak Grove/along US‑425; fiber remains limited; many outlying areas rely on DSL/cable or satellite.
  • 5G coverage is spotty outside towns; 4G LTE is common but can be capacity constrained.
• Insight: Low population density (~30/sq mi) and long last‑mile runs raise deployment costs, keeping fixed broadband adoption below urban averages and nudging older adults toward mobile-only access, which moderates but does not eliminate high email usage.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana (2024)

Scope note: Louisiana uses parishes; West Carroll Parish is often referred to as West Carroll County in informal usage. Figures below are 2024 estimates derived from recent Census/ACS computer-and-internet-use data, CDC wireless-substitution research, FCC mobile-coverage filings, and provider disclosures.

User estimates

• Population and households: ~9,900 residents; ~3,800 households; ~7,600 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ~7,000 adults (≈92% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~6,400 adults (≈84% of adults).
• Wireless-only telephony (no landline at home): ~2,800 households (≈74% of households).
• Smartphone-only internet households (cellular data but no fixed home broadband): ~760 households (≈20%).
• Any internet subscription at home (fixed or cellular): ~3,000 households (≈79%).
• Fixed home broadband subscription (cable/DSL/fiber/fixed wireless, excluding cellular-only): ~2,200 households (≈58%).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ≈95%; heavy app and streaming use; low landline use.
  • 35–64: smartphone adoption ≈88–90%; highest multi-line family plans; growing hotspot use for work/school.
  • 65+: smartphone adoption ≈66%; above-average feature-phone retention; higher reliance on voice/SMS and larger-font Android devices.
• Income:
  • < $25k household income: ~32% are smartphone-only for home internet; prepaid plans and MVNOs notably prevalent.
  • $25–75k: mixed fixed-plus-mobile; hotspot use common where cable/DSL is weak.

  • $75k: highest fixed broadband plus 5G bundling; lowest smartphone-only reliance.

• Race/ethnicity (parish is majority White with a substantial Black minority):
  • Smartphone adoption is high across groups, but smartphone-only internet reliance is higher among Black households (27%) than White households (18%), reflecting fixed-broadband gaps.
• Plan mix and devices:
  • Prepaid/MVNO lines account for an estimated 35–40% of active lines (well above state average), driven by price sensitivity and coverage equivalence on major networks.
  • Android share is higher than the statewide mix; device refresh cycles are longer (budget and midrange models dominate).

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology:
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the broadest geographic LTE/5G low-band coverage; T-Mobile’s 5G mid-band is strongest in and around Oak Grove and along US‑425/LA‑2 corridors.
  • 5G availability is primarily low-band outside towns; mid-band capacity is concentrated near main corridors and population centers; no mmWave deployment.
• Speeds and reliability:
  • Typical parishwide mobile download speeds: ~20–60 Mbps, with town-center 5G mid-band peaks higher; this trails Louisiana’s urban/suburban median (≈80+ Mbps).
  • Uplink speeds and indoor coverage degrade noticeably in outlying farm roads and low-density blocks; external antennas and Wi‑Fi calling are routine mitigations.
• Sites/backhaul:
  • Approximately two dozen registered macro towers in the parish, plus small-site infill on vertical assets (water towers, rooftops). Tower density is lower than the state average on a per‑resident basis, and many sectors share fiber or microwave backhaul.
  • Fiber backhaul follows primary transport corridors; fixed wireless providers supplement where last‑mile cable/fiber is sparse.
• Public and anchor connectivity:
  • The parish library and school campuses offer public Wi‑Fi; first responder and school-bus hotspot programs bolster access during outages or homework hours.

How West Carroll differs from Louisiana overall

• Higher wireless substitution: Wireless-only households (~74%) exceed the statewide rate, reflecting minimal landline retention and strong cellular dependence.
• More smartphone-only internet: ~20% of households rely on cellular data without fixed home broadband, several points higher than the state average, due to limited cable/fiber availability and cost sensitivity.
• Lower fixed broadband take-up: Fixed home broadband (~58%) trails the state by well over 10 percentage points; this gap drives heavier hotspot and tethering usage.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: Adult smartphone adoption (~84%) is a few points below the state, largely due to an older age profile and lower incomes.
• Plan and device mix skews value-oriented: Prepaid/MVNO and budget Android devices are more common than statewide, and upgrade cycles are longer.
• Network capacity constraints: Median mobile speeds are lower than Louisiana’s urban/suburban benchmarks; 5G mid-band coverage is spottier and concentrated near Oak Grove and main highways, with low-band 5G/LTE carrying most rural traffic.

Implications

• Mobile networks function as primary broadband for a sizable minority of households, not just a complement to fixed access.
• Investments with the highest impact locally are additional mid-band 5G sectors, new macro/mini sites off the main corridors, and fiber backhaul expansion to lift capacity and indoor coverage.
• Affordability measures (ACP replacements, low-cost plans, device financing) and digital-skills support for seniors will materially raise effective smartphone use and reduce the smartphone-only burden.

West Carroll Parish (county-equivalent), Louisiana — social media snapshot (2025)

Topline user stats

• Population: ~10,000 residents (2023 Census estimate; 10,415 in 2020)
• Adults (18+): ~7,600–7,800
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~6,200–6,500 (modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 adult usage levels applied to the local adult population)

Age groups (share of adults who use social media, Pew 2024 applied locally)

• 18–29: ~93% use social media
• 30–49: ~88%
• 50–64: ~77%
• 65+: ~50% Implication locally: with an older-than-urban age mix, overall Facebook use is high and Instagram/Snapchat are more concentrated among teens and younger adults.

Gender breakdown

• Population: roughly 51% female, 49% male (U.S. Census)
• Usage tendency (Pew 2024 patterns reflected locally): women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Net effect is a slight female skew among active social media users.

Most-used platforms (percent of adults who use each platform; Pew Research Center 2024 rates used to estimate local reach)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• Pinterest: 35%
• WhatsApp: 23%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Nextdoor: 17% (practical local reach is lower where the service has limited neighborhood coverage)

Behavioral trends in West Carroll’s rural context

• Facebook is the public square: community groups (schools/athletics, churches, civic updates), obituaries, local news, buy–sell–trade, and Marketplace drive the highest reach and sharing.
• Video-first consumption: short vertical video (Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) outperforms link posts. How‑to, farm/DIY, sports highlights, and local event clips perform best.
• Messaging norms: Facebook Messenger and SMS are the default response channels for residents and small businesses; WhatsApp usage is niche.
• Youth behavior: teens and younger adults use Snapchat daily for messaging and TikTok/Instagram Reels for entertainment; they engage most after school and late evenings.
• News and weather: severe weather and emergency updates spike engagement on Facebook; X is used opportunistically for live updates and state sports but not as a daily habit.
• Timing: local peaks around early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); Friday night high school sports and Sunday community events routinely lift reach.
• Creative that works: locally recognizable people/places, plain-language offers, and utility content (hours, menus, deadlines) outperform polished corporate-style posts. Giveaways and calls to “call/visit today” convert better than “link in bio.”
• Small-business usage: most SMBs rely on Facebook Pages and Marketplace; Instagram is growing for boutiques/salons; LinkedIn has limited traction outside government/education postings.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2023 Population Estimates for West Carroll Parish, LA
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption and age/gender patterns)
• Local shares above are modeled by applying Pew adoption rates to the parish’s adult population; platform presence and neighborhood coverage (e.g., Nextdoor) affect practical reach on the ground