Lawrence County

Lawrence County, Mississippi — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size and change

• Total population: 12,016 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~11,800 (continued slight decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~41.7 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (race alone or in combination; Hispanic can be any race)

• White: ~66%
• Black or African American: ~31%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, other: <1% each

Households and housing

• Households: ~4,600
• Average household size: ~2.55
• Family households: ~68%
• With children under 18: ~29%
• Owner-occupied: ~80%
• Renter-occupied: ~20%
• Housing units: ~5,300; vacancy rate: ~14%

Notes: Figures reflect the best available federal sources for small-area demographics; ACS values are multi-year estimates and rounded for clarity.

Lawrence County, MS snapshot (2020 pop. 12,016; ~28 residents per sq. mile):

• Estimated email users: ~8,900 (≈74% of all residents; ≈87% of residents age 13+).
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: ~500 (6%); 18–64: ~6,730 (76%); 65+: ~1,620 (18%). Adoption is near-universal among working-age adults, lower but sizable among seniors.
• Gender split among users: ≈49% male / 51% female, mirroring the county’s population.

Digital access and trends:

• Households: ≈4,660 (avg. household size ~2.6); ~11 occupied housing units per square mile, which raises last‑mile costs and limits provider competition.
• Broadband subscription: ~73% of households have a broadband subscription; ~23% lack home Internet; ~85% have a computer device at home.
• Trend insights: High mobile reliance in rural blocks and uneven fixed-broadband performance drive on‑the‑go email use. Fiber buildouts along primary corridors are improving speeds and reliability, supporting rising email adoption among older adults (telehealth, government services) and continued heavy use by working-age residents for work, school, and commerce.

Lawrence County, Mississippi — mobile phone usage profile (latest public datasets, primarily U.S. Census ACS 2018–2022 and FCC BDC 2023/2024), with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns:

Overall adoption and user estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 7,500–8,300 residents (roughly 80–88% of adults), a few points lower than Mississippi’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (mid-to-high 80s percent).
• Households with a smartphone: about 80–85% in Lawrence County, versus roughly 86–88% statewide.
• Mobile-only internet households (use cellular data but lack a wireline home subscription): approximately 19–24% in Lawrence County, higher than Mississippi’s 15–18%. This is a defining local difference: the county relies more on smartphones as the primary on-ramp to the internet.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s on the ground)

• Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all serve the county. 5G coverage is present but uneven—strongest in and around Monticello and along US‑84 and MS‑27 corridors; interior low-density areas remain LTE-centric with occasional dead zones. This corridor-centric pattern is more pronounced than Mississippi’s overall mix, where larger metros have broader 5G continuity.
• FirstNet/AT&T presence supports public-safety coverage; reliability is comparatively better around the county seat than in outlying areas.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G/4G home internet options (primarily from T‑Mobile and Verizon) are available to a subset of addresses, giving cellular networks an outsized role in home connectivity. Lawrence County residents lean on FWA at rates above the Mississippi average due to more limited wired choices.
• Wired alternatives: Fewer cable/fiber passings per square mile than state average; DSL and satellite persist in pockets. This scarcity of competitive wireline options pushes higher smartphone and cellular-plan dependency than the state overall.

Demographic usage patterns (how adoption differs across groups)

• Age: Younger adults (18–29) are near-universal smartphone users; the 65+ share is markedly lower (mid‑60s percent is a reasonable county estimate), lagging Mississippi’s senior adoption by several points. The county’s older age profile pulls down overall adoption compared to the state.
• Income: Households under $35,000 exhibit very high smartphone ownership but lower home-broadband subscription, driving mobile-only reliance above the state average. Higher-income households (> $75,000) approach universal smartphone ownership and are much more likely to pair phones with home broadband.
• Race/ethnicity: Smartphone ownership is high across groups, but Black and lower-income households display higher mobile-only internet reliance than White and higher-income households. Because Lawrence County has a substantial share of these groups, the county’s overall mobile-only share is elevated relative to Mississippi’s average.

Behavioral and market notes

• Prepaid and value plans have above-average penetration compared to the state’s metro areas, reflecting price sensitivity and variable wireline availability.
• Network experience: Peak-time slowdowns are more noticeable off the main corridors where sites are sparser, and foliage/terrain can attenuate signal. Residents report better performance after recent 5G upgrades along highways, but interior coverage still trails state urban benchmarks.

Trends that differ from Mississippi overall

• Higher mobile-only dependence: Lawrence County exceeds Mississippi’s average by several percentage points, reflecting more limited wired broadband and greater uptake of cellular data plans for home use.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption: The county trails the statewide rate by a few points, largely due to its older age structure and lower median incomes.
• Infrastructure skewed to corridors: Coverage and capacity concentrate along US‑84/MS‑27 to a greater degree than the state average, amplifying rural interior gaps.
• Faster relative growth in fixed‑wireless uptake: Cellular-based home internet has closed part of the access gap more quickly here than in Mississippi’s larger metros, where cable/fiber remain dominant.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 4 in 5 households to have a smartphone in Lawrence County, but nearly 1 in 5 (or more) to rely on cellular as their primary home internet—higher than the state.
• Investment in mid-band 5G and additional tower density away from corridors would most directly reduce the county’s mobile-only reliance gap with the rest of Mississippi.
• Outreach and affordability programs targeted to seniors and lower-income households would narrow the adoption and performance disparities that currently set Lawrence County apart from statewide norms.

Social media usage in Lawrence County, Mississippi (2024 snapshot)

Overall user stats

• Population baseline: ~12,000 residents
• Residents 13+ using at least one social platform monthly: ≈7,700 (≈77% of 13+)
• Household context: rural usage patterns apply; adoption is slightly lower than large metros but stable year over year

Age groups (share of people in each group who use social media)

• Teens 13–17: ≈90%
• 18–29: ≈86–90%
• 30–49: ≈80–84%
• 50–64: ≈70–74%
• 65+: ≈45–50%

Gender breakdown

• User base skews slightly female: ≈54% female, ≈46% male
• Platform tendencies: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X

Most-used platforms (adults, estimated percent of adults using each)

• YouTube: ≈79%
• Facebook: ≈66%
• Instagram: ≈40%
• Pinterest: ≈33%
• TikTok: ≈30%
• Snapchat: ≈27%
• LinkedIn: ≈22%
• Reddit: ≈18%
• X (Twitter): ≈18%
• WhatsApp: ≈18%

Most-used platforms (teens 13–17, estimated)

• YouTube: ≈93%
• Instagram: ≈62%
• TikTok: ≈63%
• Snapchat: ≈60%
• Facebook: ≈33%
• X (Twitter): ≈20%

Behavioral trends and local usage patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: county news, school updates, church and civic groups, and Marketplace dominate engagement; local buy/sell/trade groups are highly active
• Short‑form video drives reach: Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts outperform static posts for local businesses and events
• Messaging is central: Facebook Messenger (adults) and Snapchat (teens/young adults) are primary private-channel touchpoints
• Event- and place-based content wins: high school sports, youth activities, faith/community events, hunting/outdoors, and local restaurant features perform best
• Timing: engagement is strongest in the evening and on weekend mornings; storm/weather incidents produce sharp, short spikes in local group activity
• Discovery and conversion: Facebook/Instagram are the most efficient for local awareness and response (offers, menus, ticket links), while YouTube helps with longer‑tail discovery (how‑to, product demos)
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is a leading channel for vehicles, equipment, and household goods; Instagram Shops usage is modest but growing among younger adults

Notes on method

• Figures are 2024 estimates scaled to Lawrence County using U.S. Census/ACS population structure and Pew Research Center social media adoption benchmarks, with rural‑county adjustments. Percentages represent share of residents in the specified group using each platform at least monthly.