Clay County

Clay County, Mississippi – key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• Total population: 19,248 (2020 Census)
• ACS 2019–2023 estimate: ~19.1k (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year)

Age

• Median age: ~39.5 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• Black or African American alone: ~58–60%
• White alone: ~37–39%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Other (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, etc.): ~1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~7,600–7,800
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~64%
  • Married-couple families: ~36%
  • Female householder, no spouse present: ~22%
• Nonfamily households: ~36%
  • Living alone: ~32% (about 13% age 65+)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and American Community Survey (2019–2023 5-year estimates).

Clay County, MS snapshot

• Population: 20,000; low rural density (50 people/sq mi), with most residents in/around West Point.
• Estimated email users: ~15,000–16,000 residents (age 13+) use email at least monthly.

Age distribution of email users (est.)

• 13–17: ~900–1,000
• 18–29: ~3,100
• 30–49: ~4,600
• 50–64: ~4,000
• 65+: ~2,800–3,000

Gender split

• Near parity; roughly 52% female / 48% male among users (mirrors county population).

Digital access and trends

• Home broadband adoption below the U.S. average; a sizable share of households are smartphone‑only (approx. 20–30%).
• Best fixed broadband availability in West Point and along main corridors; service becomes spottier in rural areas.
• 4G/5G mobile coverage common near town; fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps.
• Ongoing state/federal investments (e.g., BEAD) are expanding fiber; affordability and device access remain barriers for some seniors and low‑income households.

Method note: Estimates apply U.S. and rural‑Mississippi email adoption rates by age to Clay County’s population. For precise planning, validate with the latest ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables and FCC broadband maps.

Below is a county-scale snapshot built from publicly available patterns (U.S. Census/ACS S2801, FCC coverage maps, NTIA indicators, Pew Research on device adoption, and known carrier buildouts in Mississippi) as of 2024. Figures are estimates; use them as planning ranges rather than point-precise counts.

Quick profile

• Population/households: About 19–20k residents, roughly 7.2–7.6k households. West Point is the population center; much of the rest of Clay County is rural.
• Demographics: Majority-Black county (roughly 55–60% Black, 35–40% White) with lower median income than the state average and a modestly older age mix than Mississippi overall.

Estimated mobile user base

• Adult smartphone users: 11.5k–13k adults. Method: adults ≈ 75–78% of population, local smartphone adoption ≈ 80–86% (rural Mississippi tends to run a few points below statewide urban rates).
• Any mobile phone (feature or smart): 13.5k–15k adults (high penetration even where smartphone adoption lags).
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): 1.8k–2.3k households (about 24–32% of households). Expect Clay County to run a bit higher than the overall Mississippi share because of lower fixed-broadband availability/cost in rural tracts.
• Prepaid share: Higher-than-state average. Budget and prepaid brands (Cricket, Metro, Boost, C Spire prepaid) capture an outsized share versus postpaid family plans.

Demographic usage patterns (how Clay County differs from Mississippi overall)

• Race/ethnicity: Because the county is majority Black and Black households statewide are more likely than White households to be smartphone-dependent for internet, Clay’s overall “smartphone-only” reliance is higher than the Mississippi average.
• Income: Lower household incomes translate into more prepaid plans, data-capped plans, and hotspot use for home connectivity than the state overall.
• Age: A somewhat older age mix depresses smartphone adoption among seniors relative to the statewide average, but the gap is partially offset by stronger smartphone dependence among working-age adults.
• Geography: The town/rural split is sharper than statewide. West Point residents see service choices and better 5G coverage; outlying areas depend more on LTE and fixed wireless, with spottier in-building coverage.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Cellular networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), T‑Mobile, Verizon, and regional carrier C Spire all operate in and around West Point, with coverage radiating along US‑45 and primary corridors.
• 5G: Low-band 5G from national carriers is common in/near West Point; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in town and along main routes. Many rural areas still lean on LTE for usable speeds. Net result: Clay’s average 5G experience trails Mississippi’s metro corridors but exceeds some Delta counties with sparser tower grids.
• Fixed wireless/home internet via mobile networks: T‑Mobile and Verizon 5G/LTE Home Internet are available in and near town and selectively in rural pockets; usage rates are higher than the state average because cable options are limited outside West Point.
• Fiber and wired backhaul: 4‑County Electric’s fiber build (and C Spire fiber in/near West Point) is expanding. As fiber reaches more rural addresses via state/federal programs (ARPA/BEAD, RDOF), expect a gradual decline in “mobile-only” households and improvements in tower backhaul capacity.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Schools, libraries, clinics, and municipal sites in West Point act as important Wi‑Fi anchors. Outside town, public Wi‑Fi access points are fewer per capita than statewide.

Behavioral/traffic trends to expect (vs. state-level)

• Higher smartphone-only reliance for everyday tasks (school portals, telehealth, job search) than Mississippi overall, driven by affordability and limited wired options in rural tracts.
• Heavier prepaid and single-line usage, with more frequent plan switching to chase promos; lower uptake of premium postpaid bundles than statewide.
• Peak-time congestion is more pronounced on corridors connecting the Golden Triangle (West Point–Columbus–Starkville) than in comparable Mississippi counties, reflecting commuter flows and game-day spikes tied to Mississippi State University nearby.
• 5G speeds and indoor coverage improve noticeably inside West Point city limits but drop off faster than the state average once you move into low-density areas.

What to watch (12–24 months)

• Fiber buildouts from 4‑County Fiber/C Spire should reduce mobile-only dependence and raise in-home Wi‑Fi offload, which can relieve evening cellular congestion.
• Carrier densification: Additional small cells or mid-band 5G sectors along US‑45 and near industrial sites could narrow Clay County’s performance gap versus statewide averages.
• Affordability programs: Ongoing transitions from ACP to state/local affordability efforts will meaningfully affect device upgrades and data plan choices in the county.

Clay County, MS social media snapshot (estimates, 2025)

Topline

• Population ≈19.3K; adults ≈15K. Female ≈52%.
• Internet/smartphone: ~70–75% of households report a broadband subscription; ~84–88% of adults own a smartphone.
• Active social users: ~70–78% of adults use at least one platform → roughly 10.5K–12K adult users.

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of residents; county-level data not directly published—estimates adapted from Pew Research 2024 and rural-South patterns)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~40–45%
• TikTok: ~28–35% (strongly under 35)
• Snapchat: ~20–25% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: ~25–30% (mostly women)
• X/Twitter: ~15–20%
• WhatsApp: ~8–12% (niche; group chats, sports teams)
• Reddit: ~8–12%
• Nextdoor: limited presence (<5%)

Age patterns (who uses what)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube near‑universal; TikTok and Snapchat dominate daily use; Instagram moderate; Facebook mostly for events/sports.
• 18–29: YouTube 90%+; Instagram 70–80%; TikTok 60–70%; Snapchat 65–75%; Facebook ~50–60%.
• 30–49: Facebook 75–80%; YouTube 85–90%; Instagram 50–55%; TikTok 30–40%.
• 50–64: Facebook 70–75%; YouTube 70–80%; Instagram 25–35%; TikTok 15–20%.
• 65+: Facebook 60–65%; YouTube 55–65%; others minimal.

Gender tendencies

• Overall activity skews slightly female (reflecting Facebook/Pinterest usage).
• Female‑leaning: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, local buy–sell–trade groups.
• Male‑leaning: YouTube, X/Twitter, Reddit.

Behavioral trends (local context: West Point/Golden Triangle)

• Community-first: High engagement with school, church, youth sports, hunting/fishing, and civic-alert Facebook groups; Marketplace is heavily used.
• Video drives reach: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) outperforms static posts; game-day and event recaps spike.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–9am), lunch, and evenings (7–10pm); Friday nights (high school sports) and Sun/Mon (church, local news) see surges.
• Trust flows through local voices: Coaches, pastors, teachers, small-business owners, and county agencies outperform generic pages.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp used by select teams/groups; SMS remains common for coordination.
• News funnel: WCBI/The Dispatch and school district pages seed stories that are shared in Facebook groups; weather alerts drive rapid spikes.
• Shopping: Price‑sensitive deals and limited-time offers perform well; “shop local” framing increases click‑through.

Notes on data

• Exact platform counts aren’t published at the county level. Figures above triangulate ACS demographics/internet access, Pew Research 2024 U.S. platform usage, and rural-South adjustments. For campaigns, validate with page insights, Meta Ads/geofenced tests, and school/church group metrics.