Benton County

Here’s a concise, recent snapshot for Benton County, Mississippi. Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates).

Population

• Total: ~7,600 (2020 Census count ≈ 7,646; 2023 estimate ~7.7k)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin

• White alone: ~64%
• Black or African American alone: ~33%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%

Households

• Total households: ~2,900–3,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~2/3 of households
• Average family size: ~3.0

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (QuickFacts/ACS tables). Note: Small-county ACS figures have margins of error.

Benton County, MS snapshot (estimates)

• Population/density: ~7,600–7,800 residents across ~400 sq mi (≈19 people/sq mi), very rural.
• Estimated email users: ~4,500–5,200 residents. Basis: majority of adults go online and email remains near‑universal among internet users; rural adoption lags urban areas.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 5–7% (school accounts, lighter use)
  • 18–34: 22–26%
  • 35–54: 35–40% (work/admin heavy users)
  • 55–64: 15–18%
  • 65+: 12–18% (lower daily use, rising year over year)
• Gender split among users: roughly mirrors population, ~51% female / 49% male.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscriptions around 60–70% of households; 10–20% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Fiber coverage is expanding through state/federal programs (e.g., BEAD/RDOF); libraries and schools remain key Wi‑Fi access points.
  • Cellular data is strongest along the I‑22/US‑78 corridor; service is spottier in sparsely populated areas and wooded hollows, which can limit consistent email access.
  • Affordability and digital skills continue to influence adoption among older and lower‑income residents.

Notes: Figures synthesize recent ACS/Pew rural patterns applied to Benton County’s size and rural profile; treat as directional estimates.

Below is a practical, evidence‑informed snapshot of mobile phone usage in Benton County, Mississippi. Figures are modeled estimates using 2020–2023 Census/ACS demographics, typical rural adoption patterns from Pew/FCC analyses, and known rural network characteristics in North Mississippi. Headline takeaways

• Mobile dependence is high, but speeds and 5G availability lag the state. More households rely on a phone as their primary internet connection compared with Mississippi overall.
• Coverage is adequate along towns/corridors but inconsistent across the county’s rural terrain, with frequent indoor and holler/valley gaps.
• Affordability pressures (post‑ACP) and an older population temper smartphone adoption and push users toward prepaid and lower‑cost Android devices.

Estimated user base

• Population base: ~7,500–7,800 residents; ~5,800–6,100 adults.
• Smartphone users: ~4,700–5,200 adults (roughly 80–85% adult ownership; below Mississippi’s larger metros and a bit below statewide).
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or feature phone): ~5,000–5,500 adults (85–90%).
• Total active mobile lines (including children/secondary lines/hotspots): roughly 8,000–10,000.
• Mobile‑only home internet households: estimated 25–35% of households rely primarily on a smartphone/mobile hotspot for home internet, vs ~18–22% statewide. This is one of the clearest differences from the state average.

Demographic usage patterns (and how they differ from statewide)

• Age: Older age structure than Mississippi overall. Senior smartphone adoption lags (e.g., 65+ ownership trailing younger adults by 15–25 percentage points), which pulls down the county’s overall adoption rate more than it does at the state level.
• Income and affordability: Lower median income and higher poverty rates than the state average translate to:
  • More prepaid plans and lower‑cost Android devices; iPhone share likely lower than in urban MS counties.
  • Heavier use of data‑capped plans and Wi‑Fi offload at schools, libraries, and workplaces.
  • Increased mobile‑only reliance after the 2024 wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), with a sharper impact than in higher‑income parts of the state.
• Race/ethnicity: The county’s sizable Black population (well above the state’s rural‑county average) overlaps with affordability challenges; research suggests higher mobile‑only dependence where fixed broadband is scarce or costly. Expect above‑average mobile‑only usage in these communities.
• Households with children: Smartphone adoption is high among teens, but home fixed broadband availability/cost pushes more hotspot sharing for homework compared with state averages in suburban/urban districts.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage mix:
  • 4G LTE is the workhorse; outdoor coverage is fairly broad near Ashland, Hickory Flat, and along main corridors, but indoor and low‑lying/forested areas see weak signal or dead zones.
  • 5G is present mainly as low‑band coverage; mid‑band (e.g., C‑band or 2.5 GHz) is sparse. This keeps typical speeds below statewide urban/suburban levels.
• Capacity and speeds: Median mobile speeds in rural North Mississippi tend to be notably lower than statewide averages seen in Jackson, the Gulf Coast, and DeSoto/Rankin counties. Evening slowdowns are more common due to fewer sectors/backhaul constraints.
• Carriers:
  • AT&T and Verizon generally provide the widest rural footprint; T‑Mobile coverage is improving but can be variable off the main routes.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence supports public safety, but indoor penetration and backup power depth are uneven, so weather events can still cause communications gaps longer than seen in urban parts of the state.
• Fixed wireless and hotspots:
  • LTE/5G home internet products are available in and around the towns but drop off quickly in outlying areas. Many residents use phone hotspots as a primary or backup connection.
• Backhaul and resilience:
  • Sparse fiber backhaul in the countryside constrains cell capacity. Outages from storms/ice tend to last longer than state averages due to limited redundancy and longer repair times.
• Public/anchor connectivity:
  • Schools and the public library system provide essential Wi‑Fi access points via E‑Rate‑funded networks; these are heavily used for homework, telehealth, and job searches.
• Buildout outlook:
  • State and federal funds (e.g., BEAD via Mississippi’s broadband office) are targeting unserved/underserved areas. Fiber builds in adjacent counties and co‑op expansions are improving backhaul and may enable incremental 5G capacity over the next 2–3 years. Benton starts from a lower baseline than the state average, so the relative improvement could be meaningful.

How Benton County differs from Mississippi overall

• Adoption: Slightly lower adult smartphone ownership, driven by an older population and affordability constraints.
• Reliance: Significantly higher share of mobile‑only home internet households than the statewide average.
• Network quality: More 4G‑centric experience and less mid‑band 5G; lower median speeds and more coverage gaps than the state’s urban/suburban counties.
• Plan types: Higher prevalence of prepaid and budget plans; slower device refresh cycles.
• Resilience: Greater vulnerability to weather‑related outages and power issues than the statewide norm.

What these differences mean in practice

• Users optimize for coverage and cost: many keep multiple SIMs or signal boosters; Wi‑Fi offload at public sites is common.
• Telehealth, remote learning, and app‑based government services work, but with more friction (data caps, buffering, unreliable video) than in much of Mississippi.
• Investment leverage: Adding just a few new macro/small‑cell sites tied to fresh fiber backhaul could materially close the gap with state performance metrics.

Data notes and assumptions

• Population and household counts reflect 2020 Census and recent ACS trends; adult ownership rates are pegged to rural‑US and Mississippi patterns from Pew/FCC. Because Benton has no large urban centers, rural adjustments were applied to statewide adoption/coverage norms.
• Exact tower counts, spectrum holdings, and mid‑band 5G footprints vary by carrier and change frequently; statements above are based on typical rural North Mississippi deployments as of 2023–2024.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate for Benton County, MS. County-specific social metrics aren’t published publicly; figures are inferred from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. and rural-South patterns and Benton County’s small, rural profile.

Population baseline

• Residents: roughly 7.6–7.8k
• Active social media users: about 3.8–5.0k residents (50–65% of total; roughly 70–80% of adults)

Most-used platforms (share of adult residents; ranges reflect rural adjustments)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70% (plus Facebook Messenger ~45–55%)
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 25–35% overall; 60–75% among 18–29
• Snapchat: 20–30% overall; 60–70% among teens/college-age
• Pinterest: 20–30% (female-skewed)
• X/Twitter: 10–15%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (lower in rural labor markets)
• WhatsApp: 5–10%
• Nextdoor: under 5%

Age mix of social users (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 90%+; heavy Snapchat/TikTok, light Facebook posting
• 18–29: 90%+; TikTok/Instagram/YouTube dominant, Facebook for groups/Marketplace
• 30–49: 80–85%; Facebook/YouTube core, Instagram growing, TikTok/Reels rising
• 50–64: 65–75%; Facebook/YouTube heavy; light Instagram/Pinterest
• 65+: 45–55%; primarily Facebook (groups, church, family) and YouTube

Gender breakdown

• Overall usage is roughly even by gender (near county population split).
• Skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups, local churches, schools, youth sports, county services, and buy/sell (Marketplace) drive daily engagement.
• Video short-form surge: Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts consumption rising; many creators cross-post the same clips.
• Mobile-first usage: Messaging via Messenger/SMS; short videos perform best; evening and weekend peaks; spikes during weather events and football season.
• Trust and voice: Local leaders (pastors, coaches, school staff), first responders, and recognizable small businesses outperform polished “corporate” content.
• Commerce: Geo-targeted Facebook ads and boosted posts convert for local services, events, and seasonal promotions; DMs often close the loop.
• Older users: More viewers than posters; respond well to clear, informative posts (hours, directions, phone numbers) and event reminders.
• Younger users: Create/consume short video; discover on TikTok/Instagram, then transact or coordinate on Facebook/Messenger.

Notes and assumptions

• Figures are estimates, not measured county-level counts. Use them directionally and validate with platform ad tools (geo-targeted reach) or local surveys if precision is required.