West Feliciana County

Note: Louisiana’s “counties” are called parishes. Figures below refer to West Feliciana Parish.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census (population total) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).

Population size

• Total population: 15,310 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~37–39 years (ACS 2019–2023 indicates a late-30s median)
• Under 18: ~14%
• 65 and over: ~10–11%

Sex

• Male: ~64–66%
• Female: ~34–36%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• Black or African American: ~50–52%
• White: ~44–46%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: <1%

Households and housing

• Number of households: ~4,000
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6 persons
• Family households: ~65–67% of households; married-couple families ~50–55%
• Homeownership rate: ~80–85%

Key context/insight

• Demographics are strongly influenced by the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) located in the parish. The large incarcerated (all-male) population is counted in the parish total, which elevates the male share and the Black share of the population and reduces the number of households relative to total population. Household measures reflect the non-institutionalized population.

West Feliciana Parish (LA) email and access snapshot

• Population and density: ≈15,310 residents over ≈406 sq mi (≈38 people/sq mi). The Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) comprises a large share of residents but not civilian internet users.
• Estimated email users: Civilian, non-institutionalized adults ≈7,800; estimated adult email users ≈7,100 (≈91% adoption, aligned with Pew U.S. rates and adjusted for local access).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29 ≈19%; 30–49 ≈33%; 50–64 ≈27%; 65+ ≈21%.
• Gender split (email users): ≈52% female, ≈48% male. Including the prison population, the overall resident count skews male, but that does not reflect active email users.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈78%.
  • Smartphone-only internet: ≈15–20% of households.
  • Households lacking home broadband: ≈20–22%, declining since 2016.
  • Fixed broadband coverage is broad at basic speeds; higher-speed tiers remain patchier outside St. Francisville due to rural dispersion and last-mile costs.

Insights: Email is near-universal among working-age adults locally, with the largest user block in ages 30–49. Seniors are well represented but lag slightly due to access and adoption. Connectivity constraints outside the parish seat moderate usage intensity despite strong smartphone access.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; ACS 2021–2022), Pew Research Center (email adoption).

Summary of mobile phone usage in West Feliciana Parish (County), Louisiana

Context and framing

• Geography and settlement shape usage: West Feliciana is a sparsely populated, largely rural parish centered on St. Francisville with significant forested terrain (e.g., Tunica Hills) and long river bluffs. It also contains the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola). Population counts include the incarcerated population, but household technology statistics (like smartphone ownership) do not—an important distinction when interpreting percentages.

User and device estimates (2024 best estimates)

• Resident base used for usage estimates: ~10,200–10,800 non‑incarcerated residents out of a total population of ~15,000–16,000.
• Estimated active smartphone users: 7,400–8,000 residents
  • Method: apply typical rural South adoption rates by age to the civilian, non‑institutional population (adoption ~92–95% ages 18–44, ~88–92% ages 45–64, ~70–80% ages 65+, ~88–92% ages 13–17).
• Home internet via mobile (mobile-only households): roughly 14–18% of households
  • Lower than the Louisiana statewide share (often near or above 20%) because St. Francisville and the US‑61 corridor have better fixed-broadband uptake and higher incomes; pockets north/west of St. Francisville are more likely to rely on mobile data when fixed options are limited.
• Plan mix: postpaid dominates (roughly 80–85% of lines), somewhat higher than the state average, reflecting higher incomes around St. Francisville and commuting ties to the Baton Rouge metro.

Demographic patterns of usage

• Age: Parish residents skew older than the Louisiana median, which moderates overall smartphone and especially 5G device penetration compared with the state. Senior adoption is solid but trails younger cohorts; this shows up as a higher share of LTE devices in use than in the big urban parishes.
• Race/ethnicity: Household-level tech adoption rates are broadly similar by race within the parish after controlling for income and fixed-broadband availability. Apparent racial skews in some population-level statistics can be distorted by the inclusion of the penitentiary population; household smartphone metrics exclude group quarters and better reflect the residential market.
• Income and education: Median household income around St. Francisville is higher than the statewide median, supporting higher rates of multi-line postpaid family plans and newer devices; more remote census tracts show lower incomes and higher reliance on single-line, price-sensitive plans.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage layers
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal along US‑61, LA‑10/LA‑66 corridors, and town centers; patchier in the northern forested and bluff areas.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G covers most populated corridors; mid-band 5G is strongest along US‑61 toward the East/West Feliciana–East Baton Rouge interface and around St. Francisville. Interior tracts remain largely low-band 5G or LTE.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical outdoor downloads: ~30–80 Mbps parish-wide, peaking higher near US‑61 where mid-band 5G is lit; indoor speeds in older structures and in low-elevation bottoms can drop below 10–15 Mbps.
  • State comparison: Urban Louisiana parishes commonly see 100–200+ Mbps median 5G speeds; West Feliciana’s median is lower, and variability is higher due to terrain and a sparser tower grid.
• Notable weak spots and reliability
  • Coverage shadows and dead zones in the Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area, along loess bluffs, and in some river-adjacent hollows.
  • Storm resilience is better than coastal parishes but extended power outages can still limit service; backup power at macro sites on main corridors mitigates most short-duration events.
• Backhaul and buildout
  • Fiber-fed sites are concentrated along US‑61 and near St. Francisville. Off-corridor sites may still rely on microwave backhaul, constraining capacity during peak hours.
  • New spectrum utilization: Low-band 5G (e.g., 600/700/850 MHz) provides broad coverage; mid-band upgrades are incremental and corridor-focused, trailing the pace seen in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

How West Feliciana differs from Louisiana overall

• Lower share of mid-band 5G coverage and lower median 5G speeds than the state’s metro-heavy average; more residents remain on LTE or low-band 5G.
• Slightly lower overall dependence on mobile-only home internet than the statewide average, driven by higher fixed-broadband adoption in and around St. Francisville, despite higher mobile-only reliance in the most rural tracts.
• Older age structure and rural terrain produce a higher fraction of legacy devices and more variable indoor performance compared with urban parishes.
• Commuter behavior toward Baton Rouge elevates demand along US‑61 during peak periods and supports higher postpaid, multi-line plan penetration than typical rural Louisiana.

Practical implications

• User growth will be driven more by device and plan upgrades than by net-new line growth; targeting mid-band 5G infill along LA‑10/66 and north of St. Francisville would yield outsized performance gains.
• Marketing that emphasizes reliable low-band coverage and Wi‑Fi calling indoors resonates parish-wide; capacity-focused messaging (mid-band 5G, hotspot tiers) is best aimed at US‑61 commuters and St. Francisville households.
• For public-safety and emergency planning, adding backup power and microwave redundancy to off-corridor sites would materially improve resilience given the parish’s terrain and grid outage patterns.

West Feliciana Parish (LA) — Social media usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Scope and method:

• Figures combine the parish’s known population size and non-institutional makeup with current U.S. adoption rates from Pew Research Center (2024) to produce locally scaled estimates. Because the parish includes a large correctional facility, user estimates reflect the non-institutional resident population.

User base (estimated):

• Active social media users: roughly 6,000–7,500 residents (about 60–70% of people aged 13+)
• Adult penetration benchmark: ~72% of U.S. adults use at least one social platform; local adult usage aligns closely with this rate

Age profile (usage rates; U.S. benchmarks applied locally):

• 13–17: 90%+ use at least one platform; heavy daily use
• 18–29: ~84–95% use, multi-platform heavy
• 30–49: ~80–85% use, multi-platform but more utilitarian
• 50–64: ~70–75% use; Facebook and YouTube dominate
• 65+: ~45–50% use; mostly Facebook and YouTube

Gender breakdown (share of users):

• Slight female majority among active users (~52–55%), consistent with national patterns
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram skew female; Reddit and X (Twitter) skew male; Facebook and YouTube are near-even

Most-used platforms among adults (percent using each platform; Pew 2024 U.S. rates, locally indicative):

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• Pinterest: 35%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22% Relative local ranking: Facebook and YouTube are the clear top two; Instagram is the third-place general network; TikTok and Snapchat are concentrated among under-35s; Pinterest over-indexes with women and home/lifestyle interests; X remains niche.

Behavioral trends observed in comparable rural U.S. counties and reflected locally:

• Community-first usage: High engagement in Facebook Groups for local government updates, schools, churches, events, severe weather, and road conditions
• Marketplace utility: Strong Facebook Marketplace activity for vehicles, equipment, home goods, and local services
• Video as default: YouTube is widely used for DIY, home/outdoor, and local sports/church streams; short-form (Reels/TikTok) for quick local highlights
• Messaging-centric: Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat are primary channels for coordination and customer inquiries to small businesses
• Youth split: Teens and 18–24s favor TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Stories; low X usage outside sports/news moments
• Business presence: Local SMBs lean on Facebook and Instagram for reach; paid boosts are used to target nearby ZIPs and parish neighbors
• Event-driven spikes: Weather alerts, school announcements, festivals, and LSU/SEC sports cause short, high-engagement surges across Facebook and YouTube
• Posting vs. lurking: Majority are viewers/sharers rather than frequent original posters; comments and reshares drive distribution more than original uploads
• Time-of-day patterns: Evening and weekend peaks; weekday morning checks around commute/school-drop times; Sunday activity tied to church/community content

Notes for interpretation:

• Percentages above reflect adults; teen usage is higher and skews toward TikTok/Snapchat/YouTube.
• Due to the parish’s correctional population, raw population counts are not a proxy for the active social audience; the estimates focus on non-institutional residents.