Holmes County

Holmes County, Mississippi — key demographics Source: U.S. Census Bureau (primarily 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial Census for total population)

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 17,000
• ACS 2018–2022 estimate: ~17.1K

Age

• Median age: ~36–37 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• Black or African American (alone): ~83%
• White (alone): ~15–16%
• Two or more races: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, NHPI (each): <1% combined
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~1–2%

Households

• Total households: ~6,200
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~67%
  • Married-couple families: ~27%
  • Female householder, no spouse present: ~33%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%
• Average family size: ~3.2–3.3

Key insights

• Holmes County is overwhelmingly Black (~4 in 5 residents).
• Age structure skews slightly younger than the U.S. median with a notable senior share (~17% 65+).
• Household structure features a high share of female-headed families and relatively larger family sizes compared with national averages.

Holmes County, MS snapshot (2024)

• Estimated email users: ≈10,000 adults (about 75–80% of ~13,000 residents aged 18+), reflecting lower home broadband but high smartphone-based use.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34: ~35%; 35–64: ~50%; 65+: ~15%. Adoption is near-universal among working-age adults and lower—but growing—among seniors.
• Gender split: ~53% women, ~47% men, tracking the county’s adult population; email usage rates are similar by gender.

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription: roughly 60–65% of households (ACS multi-year county estimates), below Mississippi’s average and well below the U.S. average.
• Device access: smartphone access is widespread; an estimated 20–30% of households are smartphone-only for internet, making mobile networks key for email.
• Trend line: home broadband uptake has risen by roughly 8–12 percentage points since 2018 as new fixed-wireless and fiber projects expand; library/school Wi‑Fi remains an important supplement.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Rural density of roughly 22–23 residents per square mile limits economies of scale for wired buildouts; fixed wireless and mobile coverage carry outsized importance.
• Better connectivity clusters in and around population centers (e.g., county seat areas and highway corridors), with more variability in outlying areas.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Holmes County, Mississippi

Scope and sources: Estimates are derived from the latest publicly available Census/ACS indicators for Holmes County, FCC broadband data collections through 2024, national mobile adoption research (e.g., Pew), and carrier coverage disclosures. Figures are provided as point estimates or tight ranges where county-level reporting is sparse.

Population and demographic context

• Population: approximately 17,000 residents; about 6,200 households
• Race/ethnicity: roughly 82–83% Black, 16% White, 1–2% Hispanic/Latino, small shares other groups
• Age: relatively young, with a sizable under‑18 share and a median age in the mid‑30s
• Income/poverty: among the highest poverty rates in Mississippi (around 40%), with low fixed broadband subscription rates compared with statewide figures

User estimates and adoption patterns

• Total mobile phone users: about 12,000–13,000 residents actively use a mobile phone, implying mobile reach to roughly 70–75% of the total population and to the great majority of adults
• Smartphone users: approximately 10,500–11,500 residents use smartphones
• Primary internet via mobile: around one‑third of households (roughly 30–38%) rely on a cellular data plan as their only at‑home internet connection, versus roughly a quarter statewide; “smartphone‑only” internet use is materially higher than the Mississippi average
• Household subscriptions:
  • Any internet subscription: Holmes County is materially below the statewide rate (county roughly mid‑50s to ~60% vs state upper‑60s to ~70%), with the gap largely filled by cellular data plans and mobile hotspots
  • Cellular data plan presence: modestly above the statewide share, reflecting substitution for limited home broadband options
• Plan mix and behavior: higher reliance on prepaid and budget plans, hotspot use for schoolwork and entertainment, and higher incidence of data‑capped plans than the statewide norm

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage (directional differences vs Mississippi)

• By income: low‑income households show high smartphone adoption but the highest smartphone‑only internet dependence; the reliance gap vs state is pronounced
• By age: young adults (18–34) approach near‑saturation smartphone use; seniors (65+) adopt smartphones at noticeably lower rates than the state average, with a larger flip‑phone/basic phone contingent
• By race: Black adults in Holmes County show comparable or slightly higher smartphone ownership than White adults but materially higher smartphone‑only internet dependence, reflecting affordability and infrastructure constraints

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: near‑ubiquitous along population corridors (US‑49/49W/49E, I‑55 frontage) with persistent spot gaps in low‑lying Delta/floodplain areas and wooded zones; indoor coverage is weakest in sparsely populated tracts and older housing stock
  • 5G low‑band (extended‑range): present along primary corridors and in/around Lexington, Durant, Goodman, Pickens, and Tchula; coverage is more corridor‑than area‑based compared with state patterns
  • 5G mid‑band/capacity layers: limited/sparse compared with state metros; capacity improvements are concentrated near highway nodes
• Speeds and reliability:
  • LTE median downloads often in the low‑teens to mid‑20s Mbps in town centers, falling to single digits in fringe areas
  • 5G low‑band typically 40–120 Mbps where available; performance is more variable than in Mississippi’s larger cities due to fewer sectors and less mid‑band
  • Uplink and latency are adequate for messaging and SD video but less consistent for multi‑party video or cloud gaming in fringe zones
• Fixed alternatives and substitution:
  • Fiber availability is limited and uneven; cable plant is constrained outside a few town footprints
  • Fixed‑wireless home internet (LTE/5G) is a notable growth channel along highways and town edges, but eligibility is patchy versus statewide availability
  • Before the ACP wind‑down, enrollment rates in Holmes County were well above the state average on a per‑household basis, underscoring affordability constraints that pushed households toward mobile‑only solutions

How Holmes County differs from Mississippi overall

• Higher smartphone‑only and cellular‑only household dependence, driven by affordability and fewer fixed‑line options
• Lower overall home internet subscription rates, with mobile substituting for wireline to a greater degree than the state norm
• More pronounced coverage and indoor‑signal variability between towns and rural tracts; mid‑band 5G buildout lags the state’s metro‑anchored deployment
• A larger share of prepaid plans and data‑capped usage, with heavier hotspot dependence for homework and streaming
• Seniors’ smartphone adoption trails state averages more than in urban counties, widening the digital skills and access gap within the county

Implications

• Mobile networks are the functional backbone of internet access for many Holmes County households; improvements to mid‑band 5G capacity and additional sites/sectors in fringe tracts would yield outsized benefits
• Programs that offset device and plan costs, paired with digital skills support for seniors, will likely close more of the county’s digital gap than wireline‑only strategies
• Fixed‑wireless home internet can materially raise connected‑home adoption where fiber/cable is not imminent, but site density and spectrum depth need to improve to meet multi‑user household demand

Holmes County, Mississippi — social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline and access

• Residents: ≈17,000; adults (18+): ≈12,800
• Households with broadband subscription: ≈65% (lower-than-state average; mobile-first usage is common)

Estimated social media users

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈9,000 (≈70% of adults)

Age breakdown of social media users

• 18–29: ≈21% of users (≈1,900)
• 30–49: ≈37% (≈3,300)
• 50–64: ≈27% (≈2,400)
• 65+: ≈15% (≈1,400)

Gender breakdown of social media users

• Women: ≈55%
• Men: ≈45%

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: ≈80%
• Facebook: ≈69%
• Instagram: ≈37%
• TikTok: ≈28%
• Pinterest: ≈29%
• Snapchat: ≈22%
• X (Twitter): ≈20%
• LinkedIn: ≈12%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook is the community backbone: high daily use, heavy participation in local groups (churches, schools, county services), and strong reliance on Marketplace and Messenger.
• Video-first consumption: short, vertical video (YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, TikTok) performs best; livestreams for church services, sports, and community events are common.
• Mobile-dominant, evening-heavy: usage peaks after 6 p.m. and on weekends; data-conscious viewing favors short clips and image posts.
• Younger cohorts (under 35) cluster on Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat for entertainment and messaging; cross-posting to Facebook is typical when promoting local events or small businesses.
• Older cohorts (50+) remain Facebook-centric, engaging most with local news, public safety, obituaries, health info, and civic notices.
• Trust flows through known local voices: pastors, educators, coaches, elected officials, and grassroots organizers act as de facto influencers; posts from these accounts drive outsized reach and resharing.
• Event-driven surges: severe weather, school closures, and road conditions trigger spikes, with Facebook Groups and county pages as primary alert channels.
• Commerce and outreach: Facebook/Instagram ads with tight geotargeting and sub-15-second video formats deliver the best cost-effective reach; LinkedIn and Reddit remain niche.

Notes on methodology

• Counts and percentages are localized planning estimates derived by applying 2024–2025 Pew Research Center platform adoption rates (with rural adjustments) to Holmes County’s adult population and age structure from recent U.S. Census/ACS data. Broadband subscription share is from ACS Computer and Internet Use tables for comparable rural Mississippi counties.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024
• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Holmes County demographics; Computer and Internet Use)