Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Mississippi — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 7,610 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: modest decline

Age

• Median age: ~43 years (ACS 5-year)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and older: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• Black or African American (alone): ~86%
• White (alone): ~12%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%
• Two or more races and other races combined: ~1%

Household data (ACS 5-year)

• Households: ~2,700
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68%
• Nonfamily households: ~32%

Insights

• Small, rural county with an overwhelmingly Black population.
• Older age profile than the state average, with a notable share 65+.
• Slight female majority and relatively small household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Jefferson County, MS snapshot

• Population ≈7,000; density ≈13 people per sq mi across ~520 sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~4,400 residents (≈63% of the population; ≈83% of adults).

Age distribution among email users

• 18–24: 9%
• 25–44: 31%
• 45–64: 38%
• 65+: 22%

Gender split among email users

• ≈52% female, 48% male (mirrors county demographics).

Digital access and trends

• Home broadband in use by ~60–65% of households; ~20–25% are smartphone‑only internet households.
• Broadband subscription has risen roughly 10 percentage points since 2016, but coverage is uneven outside towns; many rural census blocks have only one fixed provider option.
• Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) and mobile networks are important access points for lower‑income households.
• Approximately 2,600 households countywide; sparse settlement increases last‑mile costs, contributing to slower fixed‑line buildout.

Insights

• Email adoption is highest among working‑age adults for employment, government services, and commerce.
• Seniors’ email use lags but is growing, driven by telehealth and benefits enrollment.
• Reliance on mobile data shapes usage patterns (short, frequent email interactions), especially in areas lacking reliable wireline service.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Jefferson County, Mississippi

Context and population baseline

• Population: 7,106 (2020 Decennial Census).
• Racial composition (2020 Census): approximately 86% Black/African American, ~12% White, with all other groups making up the remainder.
• Rural profile: nonmetro, sparsely populated, with one small hub (Fayette) and large forested/agricultural areas.

User estimates (modeled from national and rural benchmarks; rounded for clarity)

• Adult mobile phone users: about 4,800 adults use a mobile phone (roughly 88–90% of the adult population, adjusted downward from national norms for rural, low-income areas).
• Adult smartphone users: about 4,300 adults use a smartphone (roughly 75–80% of adults, below national averages and slightly below Mississippi’s overall rate).
• Wireless subscriptions: roughly 8,000–9,000 active lines in the county (about 1.2–1.3 subscriptions per resident, reflecting multiple devices per user but fewer connected devices than statewide urban centers).
• Mobile-reliant households: materially higher share than the state average rely on cellular data as their primary or only internet connection; a practical planning estimate is on the order of one-third of households, versus roughly one-fifth to one-quarter statewide.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age and income skew: an older age structure and persistently low household incomes push overall smartphone adoption below state and national levels but increase reliance on mobile for internet access among connected households (smartphone dependence).
• Racial composition: the county’s predominantly Black population aligns with national findings that Black households are more likely than White households to be smartphone-dependent for home internet, reinforcing mobile-only usage.
• Device mix and plans: prepaid plans and budget Android devices are comparatively common; multiple-line family plans exist but are constrained by income volatility.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: broadly present along primary corridors and in/near Fayette; performance degrades away from highways and population centers due to longer inter-site distances and terrain/forestry obstructions.
• 5G: low-band 5G is present primarily along major corridors; mid-band capacity 5G is limited and not countywide. Indoor 5G performance is inconsistent outside town centers and highways.
• Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and C Spire all serve the region; network leadership varies by micro-area. AT&T and C Spire often provide the strongest rural LTE baselines; T-Mobile has expanded low-band 5G coverage; Verizon’s footprint is widespread but can be capacity-constrained in pockets.
• Backhaul and fixed alternatives: fiber-to-the-home is limited; fixed broadband availability and adoption lag the state average. Where fiber or cable is absent, residents lean on cellular hotspots and smartphone tethering. Microwave backhaul remains part of the rural transport mix, affecting peak-time performance variability.
• Emergency and redundancy: single-route dependencies (limited transport paths) and low tower density create localized outage risks; weather and power disruptions can disproportionately affect service continuity compared with urban Mississippi.

How Jefferson County differs from Mississippi overall

• Lower smartphone penetration but higher smartphone dependence: fewer adults own smartphones than the statewide average, yet a larger fraction of connected households rely on smartphones/cellular data as their primary internet.
• More coverage gaps and lower 5G capacity: the county’s rural topology results in larger dead zones and less mid-band 5G than the Mississippi average, which is buoyed by coverage in Jackson, Gulf Coast, DeSoto, and Hattiesburg metros.
• Fewer connected peripheral devices per person: subscriptions per capita trail the more urbanized parts of the state where wearables, tablets, and vehicle hotspots add lines.
• Heavier prepaid mix and price sensitivity: plan selection is more cost-constrained than the state average, with greater churn and data-thrift behaviors (using Wi‑Fi where available, off-peak usage, hotspot substitution).
• Slower improvement curve: although statewide 5G and fiber builds are accelerating, Jefferson County’s upgrades are arriving later and in narrower corridors, widening the performance gap with the state’s metro counties.

Implications

• Mobile networks carry a disproportionate share of the county’s internet needs; capacity and indoor coverage improvements (especially mid-band 5G and small cells in town centers) would yield outsized benefits.
• Affordability programs (ACP-like subsidies, prepaid discounts) and basic digital literacy efforts have high impact because they meet residents where connectivity actually occurs—on smartphones and hotspots.
• Public-safety and resilience planning should prioritize additional backhaul diversity and selective tower densification along secondary roads to reduce outage sensitivity outside the US‑61 corridor.

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

Population and connectivity

• Population: ≈7,300 residents; ≈5,600 adults (18+)
• Home broadband: ~55–60% of households; smartphone‑only internet: ~20–30% of households
• Device reality for social: ~95% mobile use; ~65–70% mobile‑only

Users (at least monthly)

• Total social media users: ≈4,300 residents (≈59% of residents; ≈77% of adults)

Age mix of users

• 13–17: 12%
• 18–24: 12%
• 25–34: 14%
• 35–44: 16%
• 45–64: 32%
• 65+: 14%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: 55%
• Male: 45%

Most‑used platforms among county social users

• Facebook: 78%
• YouTube: 70%
• Facebook Messenger: 62%
• TikTok: 34%
• Instagram: 28% Also used: Snapchat 18%, Pinterest 16%, WhatsApp 11%, X (Twitter) 9%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the daily hub: local news, churches, schools/athletics, obituaries, public safety, and Marketplace drive the highest engagement. Groups and Messenger threads are core to community coordination.
• Video is watch‑heavy: short‑form (TikTok/Reels) and YouTube how‑tos, music/gospel, weather updates; creation skews younger, but reposting to Facebook Reels is common.
• Timing: engagement peaks evenings (6–10 pm) and weekends; spikes around school events, severe weather, elections, and local announcements.
• Access constraints shape behavior: high mobile‑only use leads to shorter sessions, vertical video, and reliance on public/third‑place Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries, churches, cafés).
• Trust and sharing: posts from recognizable local voices (pastors, coaches, school admins, county offices) are shared widely; practical content (job posts, services, deals) outperforms brand‑style creative.
• Younger users: TikTok/Instagram for discovery and entertainment; Snapchat for close‑friend messaging. Older users: predominantly Facebook for news, groups, and Marketplace.

Note on method: Figures are 2024 county‑level estimates derived from ACS population/connectivity patterns, rural Mississippi adoption norms, and national platform usage benchmarks (e.g., Pew), calibrated for small, rural counties.