Leake County

Key demographics for Leake County, Mississippi (most recent U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates, 2023 Population Estimates):

Population

• Total population (2023 estimate): ~21,5oo
• 2020 Census: ~21,3oo

Age

• Median age: ~37 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~56%
• Black or African American alone: ~24%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~7%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Some other race: ~6%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~15%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~47%

Households

• Total households: ~7,5oo
• Persons per household (avg.): ~2.8
• Family households: ~70%
• Married-couple households: ~50%
• Nonfamily households: ~30%
• One-person households: ~25–26%
• Individuals 65+ living alone: ~10%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year); Vintage 2023 Population Estimates.

• Population and density: Leake County has about 21,300 residents over ~583 square miles (≈36 people per sq. mile), indicating a predominantly rural service environment.
• Estimated email users (adults 18+): 14,600. Method: applied current national adult email adoption (92%, higher among 18–49, lower 65+) to local age structure.
• Age distribution of adult email users:
  • 18–34: ~4,450 users (≈30%)
  • 35–64: ~7,100 users (≈49%)
  • 65+: ~3,100 users (≈21%)
• Gender split among email users: roughly mirrors the county (≈51% women, 49% men); email adoption is effectively equal by gender, so usage is evenly split.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Household broadband subscription: about two-thirds to seven-in-ten of households subscribe to broadband (ACS Computer & Internet Use).
  • Device access: most households have a computer and smartphone; a notable minority rely on smartphone-only service (low-teens percentage), which constrains email productivity.
  • Network availability: Fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps reaches most occupied locations (~90%+), while 100/20 Mbps coverage is lower (roughly ~80%), reflecting rural buildout gaps (FCC availability data patterns for rural MS).
• Insight: Email usage is widespread and adult-dominated, but adoption and performance are shaped by rural density and pockets of smartphone-only access; improvements in mid/high-speed fixed coverage would lift consistency of use.

Leake County, Mississippi mobile phone usage profile (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~21,000–22,000; households: ~7,700–8,000; adults (18+): ~16,000–17,000

User estimates and adoption

• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~15,000–16,000 (≈93–96% of adults), broadly in line with national norms but slightly above Mississippi’s rural average due to higher mobile dependence
• Adult smartphone users: ~13,000–14,000 (≈80–85% of adults). This is comparable to statewide ownership but paired with higher reliance on phones for primary internet access
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan with no fixed home broadband): ~1,900–2,100 households (≈24–28% of households), notably higher than the Mississippi average (≈16–20%). This is one of the clearest county-versus-state differences
• Home broadband subscription rate: ≈60–65% of households in Leake versus ≈70–75% statewide, reinforcing heavier mobile dependence locally

Demographic context tied to usage

• Age: Slightly older rural age structure, but with substantial working-age population in manufacturing, poultry, and services; this sustains high mobile adoption and heavy off‑Wi‑Fi usage during shifts and commutes
• Race/ethnicity: Leake has a markedly more diverse profile than Mississippi overall, with higher Hispanic/Latino (≈10–13%) and Native American shares (≈3–5%, including the Red Water community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians). This drives above‑average demand for multilingual customer support and messaging apps, and greater use of prepaid plans among migrant and tribal households
• Income: Median household income sits below the state median, contributing to (1) more prepaid and budget MVNO plans, (2) higher smartphone‑only reliance, and (3) lower iPhone share than in Mississippi’s metros
• Language: Spanish‑speaking households are several times more prevalent than the state average; this correlates with higher adoption of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Wi‑Fi calling to manage costs

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) and regional carrier C Spire operate in the county
• 4G LTE: Broad coverage across Carthage and along primary corridors (MS‑25, MS‑35, MS‑16), with weaker indoor performance in more lightly populated, forested tracts and along river bottoms
• 5G: Low‑band 5G covers population centers and primary roadways; mid‑band 5G capacity is expanding but remains spotty outside Carthage and main corridors. Compared with statewide metro counties, Leake users more often fall back to LTE or low‑band 5G, so real‑world speeds skew lower and more variable
• Capacity and backhaul: Fewer high‑capacity sites per square mile than urban Mississippi; this, plus longer distances to fiber backhaul, yields more pronounced peak‑hour slowdowns than the statewide average
• Fixed alternatives: Fiber and cable footprints are improving via regional ISPs and electric‑co‑op builds, but availability remains inconsistent outside towns. That limited fixed coverage is the primary driver of Leake’s above‑state mobile‑only household rate
• Public safety: The statewide MSWIN P25 network and multiple macro sites provide reliable voice coverage for first responders; commercial networks generally mirror this footprint on major corridors but leave pockets of weaker consumer coverage in sparsely populated areas

Key trends that differ from the Mississippi statewide picture

• Higher mobile dependence: A substantially larger share of households rely on cellular data as their only home internet connection, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband availability and tighter household budgets
• More prepaid and MVNO usage: Price sensitivity and a diverse workforce increase uptake of prepaid plans relative to the state average, influencing device mix (more Android, more BYOD) and plan churn
• Language and community needs: Above‑average Hispanic/Latino and Native American populations translate to higher utilization of over‑the‑top messaging, international calling features, and community‑specific outreach by carriers
• Performance variability: Users experience wider swings in speeds and signal quality than urban Mississippi due to lower site density and less mid‑band 5G, despite broad LTE/low‑band 5G coverage on main corridors

Bottom line

• Estimated mobile users: ~15,000–16,000 adults, with ~13,000–14,000 on smartphones
• Mobile-only households: ~1 in 4, materially above the state average
• Infrastructure: All major carriers present; dependable LTE and low‑band 5G on main routes; patchier capacity and indoor coverage in rural tracts; fixed broadband gaps sustain strong mobile reliance
• Implication: Leake County’s mobile ecosystem is defined less by device adoption (which is near state norms) and more by dependence—phones and cellular data plans serve as the primary internet on‑ramp for a significantly larger share of households than elsewhere in Mississippi, shaping plan selection, app usage, and network performance expectations

Leake County, MS — social media usage snapshot (2024)

Core user stats

• Population: ~21,300 (2023 ACS).
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~13,000 (≈61% of total population). Figures reflect Mississippi/rural U.S. adoption applied to local demographics.

Age mix of social media users

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 24%
• 30–44: 27%
• 45–64: 25%
• 65+: 15%

Gender breakdown of social media users

• Female: 52%
• Male: 48%

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, monthly; rounded)

• Facebook: 82%
• YouTube: 77%
• Instagram: 44%
• TikTok: 40%
• Snapchat: 28%
• Pinterest: 24%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• Reddit: 10%
• LinkedIn: 9%
• Nextdoor: 3%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-first on Facebook: Heavy reliance on local Groups (schools, sports, churches, civic alerts) and Marketplace for buying/selling; public-sector pages drive high engagement during weather/road updates.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) dominates discovery; <30-second clips with captions perform best. YouTube is the go-to for how‑to, repair, hunting/outdoors, and church content.
• Mobile‑primary access: Most activity occurs on smartphones; peak engagement 6–10 pm on weekdays and late mornings/early evenings on weekends.
• Private sharing and service via messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default back‑channel for customer inquiries and event coordination; WhatsApp usage is concentrated among Spanish‑speaking and immigrant communities.
• Younger cohorts: 13–24 favor TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; Instagram is strong for 18–34, especially Stories/Reels. Discovery skews algorithmic; influencer/creator content outperforms brand posts unless localized.
• Adults 30–64: Facebook remains the daily habit for news, local services, and commerce; Instagram ranks second for lifestyle and small business promotions.
• Seniors 65+: Facebook + YouTube for family updates, church services, health information; simple creative, large text, and clear calls to action increase response.
• Commerce behavior: Local deals, events, and limited‑time offers convert best on Facebook; short video + click‑to‑message or instant forms drive the most leads for local businesses.
• Content trust: Local faces, user‑generated testimonials, and community tie‑ins outperform stock/overly polished creative; bilingual (English/Spanish) posts expand reach in segments of the community.

Notes on methodology: County-level figures are estimated from U.S. Census ACS population data, Pew Research Center social platform adoption, DataReportal U.S. social usage, and platform ad‑audience data for Mississippi, calibrated to rural counties. Percentages are rounded and represent share of local social media users unless stated otherwise.