Kemper County

Kemper County, Mississippi — key demographics (latest available: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population: ~9.2k (ACS 2019–2023); down from ~9.3k in 2020 Census

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Age distribution: ~21% under 18; ~60% 18–64; ~19% 65+

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (share of total)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~61%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~35%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• Two or more races/Other: ~1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~3.3k
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~69% of households; married-couple households: ~41%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Homeownership rate: ~80%
• Housing units: ~3.9k; vacancy rate: ~14%

Economic context (household-level)

• Median household income: roughly $39k
• Poverty rate: roughly 27%

Notes

• Figures are rounded for clarity and reflect ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates unless otherwise noted (2020 Census for baseline population).

• Population and density: 9,320 residents (2020 Census), about 12 people per square mile, indicating very rural settlement patterns.
• Estimated email users: 5,200–5,800 residents use email regularly. Method: adult population share applied to rural MS internet and email adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: ~30% (≈1.6k–1.8k)
  • 35–64: ~48% (≈2.5k–2.8k)
  • 65+: ~22% (≈1.1k–1.3k)
• Gender split among users: ~52% female, ~48% male, tracking the county’s slight female majority.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • About 60–65% of households have a home broadband subscription; an additional 15–20% are smartphone‑only for internet access.
  • Email is nearly universal among working‑age internet users; adoption among seniors is growing due to telehealth, benefits, and banking.
  • Low density and income constraints contribute to lower fixed‑broadband take‑up than Mississippi’s urban counties; mobile data and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, community sites) bridge gaps.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and near town centers; access and speeds decline in outlying tracts, which affects consistency of email access during peak hours or outages.

Overall: high email reliance among connected adults, with gaps driven by fixed‑broadband availability and affordability rather than interest or skills.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Kemper County, Mississippi

Headline takeaways

• User base: Approximately 6,300–6,700 adult mobile phone users and 5,200–5,800 adult smartphone users in Kemper County, out of an estimated 6,800–7,100 adults (total population roughly 8,900–9,300).
• Reliance on phones for internet: Significantly higher smartphone-only internet reliance than Mississippi overall.
• Network and infrastructure: LTE is broadly available but with more capacity gaps and fewer 5G mid-band footprints than state averages; fixed broadband access (especially cable/fiber) is materially below statewide levels, reinforcing mobile dependence.

User estimates and adoption

• Adult mobile phone users: 6.3k–6.7k (about 92–95% of adults). This aligns with national phone ownership norms, adjusted downward for rural/older demographics.
• Adult smartphone users: 5.2k–5.8k (about 78–82% of adults), a few points below Mississippi’s statewide rate due to age and income mix.
• Smartphone-only internet households: 28–33% of households, versus roughly 20–23% statewide. This indicates a greater reliance on mobile data plans as the primary internet connection.
• Prepaid vs postpaid: Higher prepaid share than the state average, consistent with lower median incomes and limited credit access; this shows up in higher churn and more price-sensitive plan selection.

Demographic drivers of usage

• Age: Kemper County skews older than the state (larger 55+ share). This reduces overall smartphone penetration but increases the proportion of basic/older devices in use and elevates voice/text-centric usage among seniors.
• Race/ethnicity: A majority-Black county (roughly 55–65% Black, 30–40% White, small shares other). Nationally, Black adults report above-average smartphone dependence for home internet; locally that translates into a higher smartphone-only rate than the Mississippi average.
• Income and education: Lower median household income and lower bachelor’s attainment than the state average. These factors correlate with:
  • Greater reliance on smartphones for internet access
  • More prepaid adoption
  • Slower upgrade cycles and a larger installed base of older LTE-only devices

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Fixed broadband availability:
  • Cable: Little to no cable plant in much of the county, unlike many Mississippi counties that have at least one cable footprint in population centers.
  • Fiber: Present in limited pockets (e.g., near De Kalb and select electric co-op build zones) but below statewide availability; additional fiber expansion is expected under BEAD-era projects through 2028.
  • DSL and fixed wireless: More prevalent than fiber/cable across rural tracts; speeds and reliability vary, pushing households toward mobile plans for everyday connectivity.
  • Net effect: Household broadband subscription rates are materially lower than the state average (roughly high-50s to low-60s percent locally versus mid-to-high 70s percent statewide).
• Mobile network:
  • LTE: Countywide outdoor LTE coverage is broad, but capacity is thinner than state averages in low-density areas; indoor coverage gaps persist away from highways and the US‑45 corridor.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G reaches portions of the county, but mid-band 5G (the main driver of high speeds) is sparse relative to the state’s metro corridors; most users still experience LTE-class performance.
  • Performance implications: More congestion during peak hours, lower median speeds than Mississippi’s urban counties, and heavier use of data-saving features and Wi‑Fi offload when available.

How Kemper County differs from Mississippi overall

• Higher smartphone-only internet dependence: By roughly 5–10 percentage points, indicating mobile data is more often the primary household connection.
• Lower smartphone penetration: A few points below state average due to age/income mix, but overall mobile phone ownership (any mobile phone) remains high.
• Lower fixed broadband adoption and availability: A double-digit gap in cable/fiber presence versus state norms; more reliance on DSL and fixed wireless.
• Slower 5G progress: Fewer mid-band 5G sites and lower average cellular capacity compared to the state’s urbanized counties; more users remain on LTE.
• Greater prepaid share and price sensitivity: Plans with lower monthly costs and data caps are more common, shaping usage patterns (e.g., higher use of messaging apps and streaming at lower bitrates).

Implications for service and outreach

• Network investments with the highest impact: Additional mid-band 5G and small-cell infill on congested LTE sectors; fiber backhaul to existing towers; targeted indoor coverage solutions for public buildings.
• Adoption programs matter: ACP successor and co-op fiber expansions can materially reduce the smartphone-only share and raise home broadband adoption.
• Product fit: Prepaid, budget-friendly family plans with generous data and hotspot allotments align well with current usage patterns; zero-rating of educational/health resources would see outsized use.

Sources and method

• Population and household baselines derived from U.S. Census Bureau 2020–2023 estimates for Kemper County.
• Device and reliance rates synthesized from Pew Research Center smartphone ownership benchmarks, adjusted for rural, age, and income distributions; and county-level ACS internet subscription patterns (S2801) indicating lower fixed broadband adoption and higher cellular-plan reliance.
• Infrastructure assessments reflect FCC broadband availability maps (2023–2024), state BEAM/BEAD planning materials, and typical rural Mississippi deployment patterns.

Kemper County, Mississippi — Social Media Snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

• Total population: 9,320 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): approximately 7,200 (based on Mississippi’s 18+ share applied to the county)

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled local reach; percentages are Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage rates applied to the Kemper County adult population)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 6,000 adults
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 4,900 adults
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 3,400 adults
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 2,400 adults
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 2,200 adults
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 2,500 adults
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 2,200 adults
• X (Twitter): 27% ≈ 1,900 adults
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 1,600 adults
• WhatsApp: 21% ≈ 1,500 adults

Age-group usage patterns (percent of adults in each age group who use each platform; Pew Research Center 2024, a strong proxy for local targeting)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~93%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~68%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~50%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~92%, Facebook ~75%, Instagram ~53%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~30%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~32%, TikTok ~24%
• Ages 65+: Facebook ~45%, YouTube ~49%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~8%

Gender breakdown (U.S. adult usage rates by gender; local mix generally follows these skews)

• Roughly balanced: Facebook
• Skews female: Instagram (50% women vs ~43% men), TikTok (35% women vs 30% men), Pinterest (50% women vs ~20% men), Snapchat (slight female edge)
• Skews male: YouTube (86% men vs ~81% women), X/Twitter (31% men vs 24% women), Reddit (29% men vs ~15% women)
• LinkedIn: near parity (~30% each)

Behavioral trends observed in rural Mississippi communities that map well to Kemper County

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, church and school updates, high school sports, Marketplace buying/selling, county notices. Best organic reach for 30+ and seniors.
• YouTube is the dominant video channel: music, sermons, how‑to/repair, farming/hunting/fishing content. Long-tail search and recommendations drive steady viewing.
• Short‑form video (TikTok, Instagram Reels) is how under‑35s discover local events, creators, and small businesses; cross-posting Reels to Facebook boosts reach with 30–49.
• Teens and young adults rely on Snapchat for daily messaging and TikTok/Instagram for entertainment; Facebook is used mainly for groups/events.
• X (Twitter) is niche: weather alerts, state and SEC sports chatter, media accounts; limited general conversation.
• Pinterest usage is practical: recipes, crafts, home/holiday projects; strong female engagement.
• LinkedIn is modest; local hiring and promotion lean on Facebook pages/groups and word‑of‑mouth.
• Engagement timing: evenings and weekends perform best; mobile‑first viewing favors short, captioned video and simple creative due to variable rural connectivity.

Notes and sources

• County population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census.
• Platform adoption, age, and gender patterns: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024). Percentages shown are U.S. adult rates applied to Kemper County’s adult population to produce best-available local estimates.