Bolivar County

Key demographics — Bolivar County, Mississippi

Source notes: Totals from 2020 Decennial Census; other breakouts are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

• Population (2020 Census): 30,985
• Age (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Median age: ~34–35 years
  • Under 18: ~25%
  • 65 and over: ~14%
• Sex (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Female: ~53%
  • Male: ~47%
• Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; alone unless noted; Hispanic is of any race):
  • Black or African American: ~64–65%
  • White: ~30–31%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~2–3%
  • Two or more races: ~2%
  • Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, other: ~1% combined
• Households (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Total households: ~11,000–12,000
  • Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
  • Family households: ~60–65% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~28–30%
  • Households with children under 18: ~30%
  • Average family size: ~3.1–3.3

Email usage in Bolivar County, MS (estimates)

• Population and density: ~31,000 residents (2020), about 35 people per square mile; largely rural Delta county centered on Cleveland.
• Estimated email users: 18,000–22,000. Assumes ~24,000 adults and 75–90% adult email adoption, tempered by below-average home broadband.
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • Teens (13–17): ~70–80% (school-driven).
  • 18–34: ~90–95%.
  • 35–64: ~90–95%.
  • 65+: ~60–75%.
• Gender split: Roughly even (near 50/50), with slightly lower use among older women mirroring national trends.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Household broadband subscription likely in the low-to-mid 60% range, below U.S. average; smartphone-only access is common.
  • Better connectivity in and around Cleveland/Delta State University; slower, spottier service in outlying unincorporated areas due to low density and longer last-mile builds.
  • Public libraries, schools, and campus/public Wi‑Fi are important access points.
• Trends:
  • Gradual improvement expected from ongoing state/federal fiber builds (e.g., BEAD/RDOF) through 2028.
  • Affordability headwinds after the 2024 lapse of ACP subsidies may dampen new subscriptions, keeping mobile-first email use elevated.

Notes: Figures are reasoned estimates applying national email adoption to local population and known rural connectivity patterns.

Here’s a concise, county-specific picture of mobile phone usage in Bolivar County, Mississippi, with emphasis on what looks different from statewide patterns.

Estimated users

• Population baseline: ~30–31k residents; roughly 25–26k are age 13+.
• Likely smartphone ownership among 13+: 82–86% (lower incomes pull down rates; Delta State University’s student base pulls them up).
• Estimated active mobile users: 21k–23k residents.
• Smartphone-dependent (mobile-only) internet households: likely 25–35% in Bolivar vs roughly 20–25% statewide, reflecting limited fixed broadband outside Cleveland and tighter household budgets.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Race/ethnicity: Majority Black (about two-thirds), notably higher than Mississippi overall (~38% Black). Nationally and in MS, Black households are more likely to rely on smartphones for home internet when fixed broadband is scarce or costly—this effect is amplified in Bolivar.
• Age: A visible 18–24 cluster around Delta State University increases smartphone saturation, iPhone share, and app/social/streaming intensity near Cleveland. Outside the college cluster, older and rural populations modestly depress adoption and push more voice/SMS-first usage.
• Income: Median household income is substantially below the state median. Expect:
  • Higher prepaid share (Cricket, Metro, Boost) vs postpaid.
  • More budget Android devices and longer device replacement cycles off-campus.
  • Greater sensitivity to data caps and promotions.
• ACP wind-down impact: The end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program hits Bolivar harder than the state average; more households shift to mobile-only internet or scale down plans.

How usage differs from state-level

• Greater mobile dependency: More residents use phones as their primary or only internet connection, especially outside Cleveland/Shaw. Video streaming and telehealth often run over cellular instead of home broadband.
• Plan mix: Prepaid penetration is higher; family plans and BYOD discounts are key adoption levers. Seasonal/shift workers favor flexible top-ups.
• Campus-driven spikes: On-net congestion and app-heavy behavior increase when school’s in session; off-campus evenings see capacity strain on popular cells around Cleveland.
• Messaging/apps: Higher use of OTT messaging (WhatsApp, Messenger) among agricultural and service workers; short‑video and live-streaming popular with students.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage
  • 4G/LTE: Generally solid along US‑61 (Cleveland–Shaw–Shelby) and into Rosedale; patchier service west toward the river levee and in low-density farmland.
  • 5G: T‑Mobile’s low‑band 5G covers most populated corridors; AT&T 5G present in and around Cleveland; Verizon 5G more spotty outside town centers. Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/2.5 GHz) is limited—most 5G here behaves like fast LTE.
• Performance (typical, not guaranteed)
  • Town centers/along US‑61: 5G low‑band often 40–120 Mbps down; upgraded mid‑band sectors, where available, can reach 100–300 Mbps.
  • Rural edges/farm roads: 4G often 5–25 Mbps, occasional sub‑5 Mbps or brief dead zones, especially near tree lines and levee areas.
  • Indoor penetration can be weak in metal buildings and older homes; signal boosters help.
• Capacity/traffic
  • Cells around DSU, hospitals, and retail corridors carry the heaviest loads; evening and event‑driven slowdowns are common.
• Backhaul and resilience
  • Most sites use fiber backhaul; some microwave persists in remote spots. Severe storms/tornadoes can cause multi‑hour outages; tower battery backups typically cover several hours, but extended utility outages degrade service.
• Public offload options
  • DSU campus Wi‑Fi, libraries, schools, and some municipal/retail hotspots are important for offloading video/updates, more so than statewide because fixed broadband is thinner outside Cleveland.

Implications for stakeholders

• Carriers: Biggest wins come from rural infill (especially west of US‑61), more mid‑band 5G sectors in Cleveland, and indoor coverage solutions for public venues. Prepaid distribution and bilingual support matter for workforce segments.
• Public sector/health/education: Mobile-first services (telehealth, homework hotlines, emergency alerts) should assume variable speeds and data caps; keep content lightweight and offline‑capable.
• Businesses: Design for mobile‑only customers; SMS and WhatsApp are high‑response channels. Offer Wi‑Fi where possible to reduce customer data burden.

Notes and sources to verify

• Use ACS 5‑year S2801 (Computer and Internet Use) for county-level “smartphone” and “cellular data plan” indicators; compare to Mississippi overall.
• Cross-check coverage and 5G layers via carrier maps and FCC Mobile Coverage maps; local speed tests help validate rural performance.
• Demographics from ACS/Decennial Census; income and ACP participation from ACS and state broadband reports.

Bottom line: Compared with Mississippi overall, Bolivar County shows higher mobile-only dependence, a larger prepaid footprint, and sharper urban‑rural performance contrasts, with the DSU campus area behaving more like a small city node amid largely rural coverage.

Below is a concise, county-level snapshot using Bolivar County population data and nationally reported platform usage patterns adjusted for rural Mississippi. Figures are estimates and intended for planning.

Headline user stats

• Population: ~30,000
• Social media users (total, incl. teens): ~18,000–20,000 (about 60–67% of residents)
• Adult social users (18+): ~16,000–18,000
• Gender split among users: ~55% female, 45% male

Age mix of users (share of local social-media users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–24: ~17% (boosted by Delta State University in Cleveland)
• 25–34: ~19%
• 35–44: ~16%
• 45–54: ~14%
• 55–64: ~13%
• 65+: ~12%

Most-used platforms in Bolivar County (share of local social-media users; ranges reflect uncertainty)

• YouTube: ~80–90%
• Facebook: ~75–85% (Messenger ~70–80%)
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~30–45%
• Snapchat: ~25–35% (teens/young adults)
• Pinterest: ~25–35% (female‑skewed)
• X (Twitter): ~8–12%
• LinkedIn: ~5–10%
• WhatsApp: ~8–12% Note: Nextdoor is likely niche (<5%); Reddit ~10–15% among younger users.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Heavy use of local Groups and Pages for schools, churches, obituaries, city/county updates, severe weather alerts, high school and DSU sports. Facebook Marketplace is a top local buying/selling channel.
• Video is king: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts. Under-30-second clips featuring people, local landmarks, or “how-to” content do best.
• Time-of-day patterns: Engagement peaks before work/school (7–9 am), lunch (12–1 pm), and evenings (7–10 pm). Storms, school closings, and big games create sharp, event-driven spikes.
• Youth split: Teens and college-aged users cluster on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; they consume far more short-form video and DM heavily rather than comment publicly.
• Adult behavior: Ages 35–64 lean Facebook + YouTube; they follow churches, civic info, local businesses, and Marketplace. 55+ is primarily Facebook and YouTube; many watch church/live streams and local news clips.
• Messaging norms: Facebook Messenger dominates family/community comms; Snapchat for younger users. Businesses field many inquiries via FB/IG DMs.
• Shopping/discovery: Residents frequently discover local restaurants, boutiques, repair services, and events via Facebook/Instagram; live selling and giveaways drive strong response.
• Content cues: Local pride, faces, deals, and clear calls-to-action perform best. Cross-posting FB/IG is common; TikTok works for reach among 18–34.

Notes on method

• Population from recent census estimates; platform shares adapted from national/rural-South usage patterns and Mississippi demographics. Treat percentages as planning estimates rather than official counts.