Humphreys County

Humphreys County, Mississippi — key demographics

Population size

• 7,785 (2020 Census)
• ~7,600 (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate), reflecting continued decline since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~38 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~27%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; race alone unless noted)

• Black or African American: ~75–77%
• White: ~20–22%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• Two or more races and other: ~1–2%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~2,900–3,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~65–70% of all households
  • Married-couple families: ~25–30%
  • Female householder, no spouse: ~28–32%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Persons per family: ~3.1
• Housing tenure: owner-occupied ~60–65%; renter-occupied ~35–40%

Notes

• Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates
• Figures rounded for clarity; ACS values are estimates and may differ slightly from decennial counts.

• Population and density: Humphreys County has about 7,700 residents, with roughly 18 people per square mile (very low rural density).
• Estimated email users: ≈4,800 residents use email at least monthly (about 62% of the population and ~85% of connected adults).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: 8%; 18–34: 26%; 35–54: 34%; 55–64: 16%; 65+: 16%.
• Gender split of email users: ~52% female, ~48% male (mirrors the county’s population).
• Access and devices: About 77% of households have a computer or smartphone; roughly 59% have a broadband subscription. Around 20% of households are smartphone-only for internet; ~23% lack home internet entirely.
• Connectivity facts: Fixed broadband at 100/20 Mbps is available to roughly three-quarters of locations; nearly all populated areas have 4G LTE coverage, though indoor reliability varies. Public Wi‑Fi via schools, the county library in Belzoni, and community centers is an important access point.
• Trends and insights: Email use is stable but increasingly mobile-first due to smartphone reliance and affordability constraints. New state- and federal-funded fiber builds are expanding coverage, but adoption lags availability, driven by cost, device turnover, and lower digital skills among seniors. Adult education and anchor-institution Wi‑Fi materially raise email access for lower-income households.

Humphreys County, Mississippi: Mobile phone usage summary (distinct from statewide patterns)

Topline size and adoption

• Population: 7,785 (2020 Census); roughly 5,800 adults.
• Estimated smartphone users: about 4,700–5,000 adults (roughly 80–85% adult adoption, consistent with ACS device-access patterns in low‑income rural counties).
• Household mobile internet dependence: approximately 25–30% of households are mobile‑only (cellular data plan without a fixed home broadband subscription), materially higher than Mississippi’s statewide rate (generally in the mid‑teens). This signals heavier reliance on mobile data for primary internet access than the state overall.

Demographic drivers of use

• Racial composition: ~80–85% Black, ~15–20% White, small Hispanic/other share. Local digital behavior reflects longstanding Delta inequities: higher reliance on smartphones as the sole computing device compared with the state average.
• Age: Larger shares of youth and seniors than the state average. Younger residents show near‑universal smartphone access; seniors have lower smartphone adoption and more basic‑phone use than the state as a whole, widening intra‑county gaps.
• Income and poverty: Median household income well below state median; poverty rate well above the state average. Cost sensitivity pushes higher prepaid usage, data-capped plans, and smartphone‑only households at rates above statewide norms, with more device and hotspot sharing within households.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers and coverage: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon all serve the county. 4G LTE coverage is widespread across towns and primary road corridors; 5G is present but largely low‑band (“extended range”) with limited mid‑band capacity outside Belzoni/Isola. This differs from denser Mississippi metros where mid‑band 5G is more common.
• Tower density: Sparse, consistent with agricultural land use; indoor coverage can be unreliable in outlying areas and along secondary farm roads. Residents are more likely than the state average to experience dead zones and to use Wi‑Fi calling or signal boosters.
• Speeds and reliability: Measured mobile speeds in Delta counties, including Humphreys, generally trail statewide averages due to fewer sites per square mile and less mid‑band 5G. Peak‑time slowdowns and capacity constraints are more pronounced than in Mississippi’s urban counties.
• Fixed broadband backdrop: Lower fiber and cable availability than state urban/suburban areas, which helps explain the higher mobile‑only internet dependence noted above. Where DSL is the primary wireline option, households are more likely to prioritize robust mobile plans.

How Humphreys County differs from Mississippi overall

• Higher mobile‑only households: Roughly 1.5–2× the statewide share rely on cellular data as their only home internet, driving heavier mobile data usage.
• Greater prepaid and budget plan mix: Price sensitivity is above the state average, resulting in shorter plan terms, more throttling exposure, and tighter data caps.
• Larger device sharing: Multi‑person sharing of a single smartphone or hotspot is more common than statewide, especially among lower‑income and senior households.
• Slower average mobile speeds and patchier indoor service: Network capacity and tower spacing lag state urban norms; mid‑band 5G build‑out is less extensive.
• Wider intra‑county digital gaps: Younger users are highly mobile-first; older residents are more likely to be offline or basic‑phone users than the Mississippi average, amplifying adoption disparities within the county.

Actionable implications

• Demand skews to strong, affordable mobile plans and reliable indoor coverage solutions (signal boosters, Wi‑Fi calling).
• Investments that add mid‑band 5G capacity or infill sites near population clusters and along farm corridors will yield outsized improvements relative to statewide returns.
• Programs that pair low‑cost smartphones with digital skills support for seniors and low‑income households will reduce local gaps more effectively than in better‑served Mississippi counties.

Notes on sources and estimation

• Population and demographics: 2020 Census and recent ACS.
• Device access and mobile‑only internet dependence: ACS S2801 (2018–2022 5‑year) patterns for rural, high‑poverty Mississippi counties applied to Humphreys County’s household base to produce the user estimates above.
• Coverage and performance: FCC mobile coverage maps and carrier‑published 5G footprints in the Delta region, plus regional speed‑test trends indicating slower performance than the statewide average.

Humphreys County, MS — Social Media Snapshot (2024, estimates)

Population base

• Residents: ~7,700
• Residents age 13+: ~6,500 (basis for platform penetration below)

Overall reach

• At least ~83% of residents 13+ use a major social platform (driven by YouTube use)

Most‑used platforms among residents 13+ (estimated penetration)

• YouTube: ~83% (≈5,400 people)
• Facebook: ~65% (≈4,250)
• Instagram: ~48% (≈3,150)
• TikTok: ~35% (≈2,300)
• Snapchat: ~32% (≈2,100)
• X (Twitter): ~22% (≈1,450) Notes: Percentages apply Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. usage rates by age to the county’s age structure; figures rounded.

User stats by age (share using at least one platform; platform lean)

• 13–17: ~95% use social; strongest on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram; Facebook limited
• 18–29: ~90% use social; heavy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook still common
• 30–49: ~84% use social; Facebook and YouTube anchor; Instagram secondary; TikTok growing
• 50–64: ~73% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; light TikTok/Instagram
• 65+: ~50% use social; primarily Facebook, then YouTube

Gender breakdown (among social users)

• Female ~55%, Male ~45%
• Platform skews: Facebook/Instagram/TikTok lean female; YouTube leans slightly male; Pinterest (not shown above) is heavily female

Behavioral trends observed in rural Mississippi counties and consistent with Humphreys County

• Facebook as community infrastructure: church, school, and civic group pages drive announcements, obituaries, lost-and-found, and event coordination
• Marketplace-first commerce: heavy use of Facebook Marketplace and local “swap & shop” groups for vehicles, farm/yard equipment, furniture
• Video habits: short-form clips (TikTok/Reels) for entertainment; YouTube for how‑to (home, auto, farm) and local sports replays; Facebook Live for church and school events
• News and weather: reliance on local pages and regional outlets shared via Facebook; rapid amplification of severe-weather alerts
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for community and business contact; group chats are common
• Posting style: more sharing/reposting than original content; local photos, sports results, and church content get highest engagement
• Access patterns: mobile-first; peak engagement evenings and weekends; captions matter due to silent autoplay and variable connectivity
• Business use: small businesses post to Facebook first, then cross-post to Instagram; younger owners add TikTok for reach

Method note

• Figures are county-level estimates created by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by age (and 2023–2024 ACS age structure proportions for small rural counties) to Humphreys County’s population. Percentages are rounded and intended for planning-level decisions.