Jackson County

Jackson County, Mississippi — key demographics (latest available Census/ACS estimates)

• Population: ~145,000 (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~38
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 18–64: ~62%
  • 65 and over: ~15%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~51%
  • Male: ~49%
• Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race; shares approximate):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~67%
  • Black/African American: ~22%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~6%
  • Asian: ~2%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native and other: <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~55,000
  • Average household size: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~70% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~48% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~32%
  • One-person households: ~27%
  • Homeownership rate: ~70%
  • Median household income: ~$60,000
  • Poverty rate: ~14%

Insights:

• Age structure is slightly younger than the U.S. overall, with a strong working-age share.
• Homeownership is higher than the national average, reflecting a relatively family-oriented household mix.
• Racial/ethnic makeup is majority White with a sizable Black population and growing Hispanic presence.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Population Estimates; American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year and 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP03). Figures are rounded for clarity.

Jackson County, MS (population ~145,000) — Estimated email users: ~120,000 (≈83% of residents).

Age distribution (share using email):

• 18–29: ~96%
• 30–49: ~97%
• 50–64: ~91%
• 65+: ~83%

Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring county demographics.

Digital access and usage context:

• ~85% of households have a broadband subscription; ~11% are smartphone‑only internet users; ~7% have no home internet.
• Computer/smartphone access exceeds 90% of households, supporting near‑universal email reach among working‑age adults.
• Mobile 4G/5G coverage is strong along the I‑10 corridor and coastal cities (Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gautier), with fiber/cable widely available there; northern rural pockets rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, which moderates email intensity for older and lower‑income users.
• Workplace and school networks are significant access points given the county’s large industrial and shipbuilding employers and robust K‑12 infrastructure.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Land area ~723 sq mi; population density ~200 people/sq mi, concentrated near the coast and along I‑10, where fixed broadband availability and speeds are highest.

Overall: email is effectively universal among adults under 65 and steadily used by most seniors, with access gaps primarily tied to rural last‑mile connectivity and smartphone‑only households.

Mobile phone usage in Jackson County, Mississippi — 2024 snapshot

Executive takeaways

• Jackson County is more urban, higher-income, and better connected than Mississippi overall. Those factors translate into higher smartphone adoption, more mid-band 5G availability, and a lower share of “smartphone-only” home internet households than the state average.
• Modeled adult smartphone users: about 94,000 of roughly 109,000 adults (≈86–88% adoption), with notably higher adoption among working-age adults and lower adoption among seniors.
• Mobile networks in the I‑10 coastal corridor (Pascagoula–Gautier–Ocean Springs) deliver capacity and 5G coverage levels that exceed Mississippi’s statewide norm; coverage thins over wetlands and low-density tracts north and east of Pascagoula.

Baseline population and economy (definitive context)

• Population: 143,252 (2020 Census). Adults 18+: ≈109,000; under 18: ≈34,000.
• Economy: Median household income sits notably above the Mississippi median, reflecting the industrial base (shipbuilding, energy, port/logistics) and healthcare/education in the coastal corridor.
• Settlement pattern: The great majority of residents live in the urbanized strip along I‑10 and US‑90 (Pascagoula, Gautier, Ocean Springs, and adjacent unincorporated areas), with pockets of low-density wetlands toward Grand Bay/Escatawpa.

User estimates (modeled from nationally benchmarked adoption by age, adjusted for Jackson County’s income/urban profile)

• Adult smartphone users: ≈94,000 (≈86–88% of adults). Feature‑phone or non‑smartphone adult users: ≈10,000–12,000.
• Wireless‑only voice households (no landline): high, consistent with Mississippi’s broader shift away from landlines, but a few points lower than the state share because of higher fixed broadband availability in the county’s urban corridor.
• Smartphone‑only home internet (cellular data plan with no fixed subscription): about 16–18% of households in Jackson County versus roughly 20–23% statewide. The lower local share reflects better cable/fiber penetration along I‑10 and employer‑driven connectivity needs.
• Youth adoption: a substantial minority of teens carry smartphones; practical implication is that total smartphone users (adults + teens) plausibly exceeds 105,000 countywide.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–29: very high adoption (≈95%); heavy mobile‑first media and payments usage.
  • 30–49: ≈92–94% adoption; strongest 5G data consumption driven by commuting and shift work along the corridor.
  • 50–64: ≈80–86% adoption; increasingly mobile‑reliant for work coordination and healthcare.
  • 65+: ≈65–70% adoption; lowest smartphone take‑up but rising telehealth and messaging use.
• Income and education
  • Higher‑income, college‑educated households cluster in Ocean Springs and western Gautier, showing near‑universal smartphone ownership and multi‑line family plans.
  • Lower‑income tracts around Moss Point and parts of Pascagoula show higher dependence on prepaid plans and a higher likelihood of smartphone‑only internet at home.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic households exhibit comparable or higher smartphone adoption than White households but a higher propensity to rely on mobile data as the primary home connection in tracts with weaker fixed broadband options.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Carriers and coverage
  • All three nationwide carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE and broad 5G coverage in populated areas. Mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon and AT&T C‑band nodes) is established along I‑10, US‑90, and in Pascagoula–Gautier–Ocean Springs, delivering capacity that outpaces most rural Mississippi counties.
  • Coverage challenges persist in coastal marshes, around the Grand Bay NERR, and sparse tracts near the Alabama line where terrain, wetlands, and permitting limit macro sites.
• Capacity and backhaul
  • Dense site grids and fiber backhaul along I‑10/US‑90 support higher median speeds and lower latency than the statewide median. Cable and growing fiber footprints (business and residential) improve carrier backhaul resilience and enable small‑cell infill in commercial zones.
• Resilience
  • Post‑Katrina hardening and generator‑backed sites are common. Outage risk remains elevated during tropical events, but coastal counties receive rapid carrier staging (COWs/COLTs) relative to inland areas.

How Jackson County differs from Mississippi overall

• Higher smartphone adoption and lower feature‑phone prevalence, driven by higher household income and denser urban settlement.
• Lower share of smartphone‑only home internet households than the state (≈16–18% vs ≈20–23%), reflecting stronger cable/fiber availability and employer expectations for reliable fixed connectivity.
• Better 5G availability and capacity in daily life: mid‑band 5G is routine along the urban corridor, whereas many inland counties remain dominated by LTE or low‑band 5G.
• Usage peaks align with industrial shift changes and port activity rather than agricultural or state‑government rhythms common elsewhere, producing distinct weekday traffic spikes on US‑90, I‑10, and around major employers.
• Smaller urban–rural digital divide within the county than the statewide gap, but still present between the I‑10 corridor and peripheral wetland communities.

Practical implications

• Mobile network investments in the I‑10 corridor will continue to yield above‑state-average performance and adoption.
• Targeted coverage/capacity projects east of Pascagoula and near wetlands would deliver outsized equity gains by reducing the county’s remaining mobile‑first dependency pockets.
• Public services and employers can assume mobile reach for the vast majority of working‑age adults; senior‑focused programs benefit from hybrid mobile plus traditional channels.

Jackson County, MS social media snapshot (2024 modeled local estimates)

How many people use social media

• Population: ~143,000 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): ~109,000
• Social media users (18+): ~92,000 (≈85% of adults)
• Teens 13–17: ~10,000; social users ≈9,500 (≈95%)
• Total social media users (13+): ≈102,000 (≈71% of the total population)

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

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–24: 11%
• 25–34: 20%
• 35–44: 19%
• 45–54: 16%
• 55–64: 14%
• 65+: 11%

Gender breakdown

• Female: 53% of social media users
• Male: 47% of social media users
• Notable skews by platform: Pinterest (heavily female), Instagram and Facebook (slightly female), YouTube and X/Twitter (slightly male), Reddit (male skew)

Most‑used platforms among local adults (share of adults; ≈counts)

• YouTube: 80% (87k)
• Facebook: 68% (74k)
• Instagram: 40% (43k)
• TikTok: 33% (36k)
• Pinterest: 36% (39k)
• Snapchat: 25% (27k)
• LinkedIn: 22% (24k)
• X/Twitter: 20% (22k) Teen note: Usage skews even higher to YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram (mirroring national teen patterns)

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community-first Facebook usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and local pages (schools, youth sports, churches, neighborhood watch, hurricane updates). Marketplace is a top activity (autos, boats, tools, yard equipment).
• Video dominates: Short-form (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) outperforms static posts for reach and shares; how-tos, local events, and weather-related clips see strong engagement.
• Local news and weather drive spikes: Storm season and school/county announcements prompt rapid, high-engagement sharing on Facebook and YouTube.
• Messaging for commerce: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs are common for inquiries and appointments; quick response times materially impact conversion.
• Timing: Engagement typically peaks before work (6–8 am), lunch (11:30 am–1 pm), and evenings (7–10 pm). Weekend mornings perform well for community and marketplace content.
• Trust cues matter: Local testimonials, user-generated content, and recognizable area landmarks improve click-through and on-platform conversions.
• Employment and B2B: LinkedIn is smaller but useful for recruitment and professional outreach tied to shipbuilding, petrochemical, logistics, and healthcare; Facebook still reaches blue-collar recruiting effectively.
• Cross-posting works: Facebook + Instagram for reach; add short-form video for discovery; YouTube for evergreen explainers and event recaps.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled from Jackson County’s Census population combined with current U.S. platform adoption rates (Pew Research and comparable benchmarks), adjusted for regional demographics and usage patterns typical of coastal Mississippi. Percentages represent local adult usage unless noted.