Carroll County

I can provide this with exact figures, but which data vintage do you prefer?

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts), or
• Latest American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), which add age, household, and race/ethnicity detail but are estimates with margins of error.

Tell me your preference and I’ll return a concise, data-driven snapshot for Carroll County, MS.

Email usage in Carroll County, Mississippi (estimates)

• Context: Population ~10,400; land area ~630 sq mi; density ~16–17 people/sq mi (very rural).
• Estimated email users: 5,200–6,500 residents use email at least monthly. Method: residents 13+ (85–87% of population) × internet access (70–75%) × email adoption among internet users (~90%).
• Age mix of email users (reflecting an older-skewing county):
  • 13–17: 6–8%
  • 18–29: 14–18%
  • 30–49: 28–32%
  • 50–64: 26–30%
  • 65+: 20–24% (lower adoption than younger groups)
• Gender split: roughly even, about 51% women, 49% men, mirroring local demographics.
• Digital access trends:
  • Around two-thirds of households have a home broadband subscription; roughly 10–20% report no home internet.
  • Smartphone-only access is common among lower-income households; computers less universal than phones.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) and mobile hotspots help bridge gaps.
  • Connectivity is strongest near Carrollton/Vaiden and the I‑55/US‑51 corridor; outlying areas rely more on slower DSL/fixed‑wireless with patchier reliability.
  • Ongoing state/federal investments (e.g., rural fiber builds) are expanding coverage through 2025.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Carroll County, MS is widespread but more connectivity is delivered via older LTE networks and prepaid plans than in Mississippi overall. Residents rely on mobile service for home internet at higher rates than the state average, with performance and 5G availability concentrated along major corridors (I‑55 near Vaiden and US‑82 near North Carrollton/Carrollton). Away from those corridors, coverage and speeds drop, and dead zones are more common.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, based on ACS population and national/rural adoption patterns):

• Population base: roughly 10,000 residents (ACS 2022 estimate).
• People with a mobile phone (any type): about 8,500–9,200.
• Smartphone users: about 6,800–7,600.
• Households relying primarily on cellular/mobile for home internet: roughly one-third to almost one-half of households (approx. 1,300–1,800 of ~4,000 households). This “mobile-only” rate is likely higher than the statewide average.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns (how Carroll County differs from Mississippi overall):

• Age: The county’s older age profile means a more pronounced split between younger, smartphone-first users and seniors who keep voice/text-only or basic-data plans. Smartphone adoption among 65+ lags the state average more sharply.
• Income and plan type: Lower median incomes push a higher share of users into prepaid or budget plans and more frequent plan-switching to chase promos. Multi-line family plans and device financing are less prevalent than state urban areas.
• Race and internet modality: Black households are more likely to be mobile-only for home internet and to use phones as the primary device for school, work, and government services, reflecting affordability and wired broadband gaps; this disparity is somewhat wider than the state average.
• Device mix: A larger tail of older LTE-only handsets persists, slowing 5G adoption compared with Mississippi overall.

Digital infrastructure and performance:

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, T‑Mobile, and C Spire serve the county. 5G is mainly found near I‑55 (Vaiden) and along/near US‑82; many outlying areas remain LTE-only.
• Coverage pattern: Macro sites are spaced for highway coverage; hills, timber, and low-density roads create more dead zones than the state average. Signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling are common workarounds.
• Performance: Typical download speeds are below Mississippi’s statewide medians; latency and uplink can be limiting for video calls away from corridors. Peak-time slowdowns are more noticeable where sectors backhaul to limited middle-mile.
• Home internet via mobile: Fixed wireless (e.g., T‑Mobile 5G Home where available) and smartphone hotspots are important substitutes where cable/fiber are absent; take-up is higher than the state as a whole.
• Anchor sites: Public libraries (Carrollton, Vaiden), schools, and some municipal buildings provide essential Wi‑Fi and device charging; these are disproportionately relied upon compared with more urban Mississippi counties.

What’s most different from state-level trends:

• Higher reliance on mobile as the primary home internet connection.
• More prepaid and budget plans; less device financing and fewer premium 5G plans.
• Slower 5G adoption due to handset mix and patchier mid-band coverage.
• Larger rural coverage gaps and bigger performance drop-offs off-corridor.
• Stronger age- and income-linked digital divides in smartphone and data-plan usage.

Notes on data and methodology:

• Estimates synthesize ACS population/household counts (table S2801 for internet subscriptions), FCC National Broadband Map coverage claims, NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need, and observed rural Mississippi patterns from Pew and speed-test aggregates. Exact county-level smartphone and prepaid shares are not directly published; values above are carefully bounded estimates to indicate scale and differences from statewide trends.

Below is a concise, decision-ready snapshot. Exact county-level platform stats aren’t publicly reported; figures are best-available estimates derived from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. usage rates, applied to Carroll County’s rural age mix (ACS) and typical rural-behavior adjustments.

County snapshot

• Population: roughly 10–11k residents; ~7.5–8.2k adults 18+.
• Total social media users (all ages): approximately 6.0–7.0k.
• Device mix: mobile-first usage is common; video viewing constrained by patchy home broadband in parts of the county.

Age groups (share of residents using social media, est.)

• Teens (13–17): 90–95% use at least one platform; heavy daily use.
• 18–24: 85–90%.
• 25–34: 80–85%.
• 35–54: 70–80%.
• 55–64: 60–70%.
• 65+: 45–60% (Facebook/YouTube oriented).

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall user base skews slightly female, reflecting county demographics (≈51–52% female).
• Women over-index on Facebook Groups/Marketplace and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube; TikTok/Instagram are more gender-balanced among under-35.

Most-used platforms in Carroll County (adults 18+, est. share using each)

• YouTube: 65–75%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (notably women 25–54)
• Snapchat: 15–25% (concentrated under 30)
• WhatsApp: 10–15%
• X/Twitter: 8–12%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (lowest among non-student adults)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited footprint in small towns)

Teens (13–17), platform mix (est.)

• YouTube: 90%+
• TikTok: 60–70%
• Snapchat: 60–70%
• Instagram: 50–60%
• Facebook: 20–30% (mostly for Messenger/family groups)

Notable behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub: school and church announcements, youth sports, community events, buy/sell (Marketplace), local government and weather updates. Private Groups drive much of the engagement.
• Video is dominant but short: Reels/shorts outperform long clips due to mobile data limits. Native uploads outperform external links.
• Messaging > public posting: high reliance on Messenger, Snapchat DMs, Instagram DMs for coordination and word-of-mouth.
• Local discovery: residents follow county/city pages, schools, churches, local businesses, first responders, and Mississippi news/weather creators.
• Content that performs: hyper-local stories, event reminders, high school sports highlights, faith-based content, hunting/fishing and ag tips, road/utility updates, and timely weather.
• Timing: engagement peaks evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; early morning (6–8 am) works for announcements. Midday weekdays sees lighter but steady scrolling.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the go-to for resale and local services; Instagram Shops/TikTok Shop have niche traction among younger adults.
• Cross-posting works: Facebook + Instagram for reach; short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) for discovery; Snapchat for teen/college-age visibility.

Method note

• Estimates use national platform adoption by age from Pew (2023–2024) adjusted slightly for rural patterns (higher Facebook, slightly lower LinkedIn/X, modestly lower TikTok among 35+), mapped onto Carroll County’s small, older-leaning population. Exact county-level platform percentages are not directly published.