Oktibbeha County

Key demographics for Oktibbeha County, Mississippi

Population size

• Total population: 51,788 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Growth since 2010: +8–9% (county added ~4,000 people over the decade), reflecting university-driven in-migration

Age

• Median age: ~27 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution (ACS 2019–2023, percent of total):
  • Under 18: ~17%
  • 18–24: ~28–29% (large college-age cohort)
  • 25–44: ~26%
  • 45–64: ~18%
  • 65 and over: ~10–11%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (ACS 2019–2023; skew reflects Mississippi State University)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~58–60%
• Black or African American alone: ~34–36%
• Asian alone: ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3% (2020 Census/ACS; shares rounded)

Households and families

• Households: ~20,000–20,500 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~53% of households; nonfamily (roommates/individuals): ~47%
• With children under 18: ~22–25% of households
• Tenure: roughly half owner-occupied and half renter-occupied, reflecting a large student renter market (ACS 2019–2023)

Insights

• The county skews young with a large 18–24 population and slightly more males, driven by Mississippi State University.
• Household structure features a high share of nonfamily and renter households, yielding smaller average household sizes than typical for Mississippi.

Oktibbeha County, MS (pop. ≈52,000) is a college-centered market (Mississippi State University), with density ≈110–115 residents/sq mi.

Estimated email users: ~43,000 (≈83% of residents; ≈92–95% of adults). The student population boosts overall adoption and daily use.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–24: 31% (largest cohort, driven by MSU)
• 25–44: 28%
• 45–64: 22%
• 65+: 11%

Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors local demographics).

Digital access and trends:

• Households with a computer: ~90%
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~82% (up from ~75% in late-2010s)
• Smartphone-only internet users: ~12–15%
• Fiber and high-speed cable widely available in Starkville (C Spire/AT&T), with median fixed speeds commonly 100–300 Mbps in town; rural fringes rely more on cable/DSL and fixed wireless with lower speeds.
• 5G coverage is strongest along Starkville and key corridors (US-82/25), improving mobile email reliability.
• University presence increases public Wi‑Fi density, digital literacy, and multi-device usage; senior adoption continues to rise year over year.

Overall, Oktibbeha’s email usage is higher than typical rural Mississippi counties due to urban-campus connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi (focus: what differs from statewide patterns)

Headline takeaways

• Estimated smartphone users: ~38,000 adult users in the county, driven by a large student/young-adult base centered on Mississippi State University (MSU).
• Households with a cellular data plan: roughly mid-80% of households, several points above the Mississippi average.
• Mobile-only internet households: about 1 in 5 rely primarily on cellular data (no fixed home broadband), modestly higher than the statewide share.

Why Oktibbeha differs from Mississippi overall

• Younger population: With MSU, the county’s median age is about a decade younger than the state (mid‑20s vs ~37 statewide). Younger adults have near‑universal smartphone adoption and heavier app-based usage, which lifts overall mobile penetration above the state average.
• Higher subscription intensity: College-town dynamics (students plus faculty/staff) translate to more lines per person and more data‑centric plans than in rural Mississippi counties.
• Better urban 5G footprint: The Starkville urban core has earlier and denser 5G deployment and fiber backhaul than is typical in many Mississippi counties, improving speeds and capacity but with rapid falloff in some outlying areas.

User estimates and usage profile

• Adult smartphone users: ~38,000 (based on county population ~52,000, a high adult share due to MSU, and smartphone adoption in the upper‑80s to ~90% among adults typical of college‑heavy communities).
• Total mobile connections (phones, tablets, watches, hotspots): on the order of 60,000+ lines countywide (connections per resident commonly exceed 1.1 in university locales).
• Mobile-only internet households: ~20–22%. This ratio is buoyed by student renters who depend on unlimited mobile plans and campus Wi‑Fi rather than paying for a separate fixed line off campus.

Demographic breakdown (context for usage)

• Population: ~51,800 (2020 Census), anchored by Starkville and MSU.
• Age: Very high 18–24 share versus Mississippi overall; this group shows the highest smartphone and app adoption rates.
• Race/ethnicity (2020): White ~58%, Black ~34%, Asian ~3–4%, Hispanic/Latino ~3%. Nationally and in Mississippi, Black and Hispanic households are more likely to be smartphone‑only; in Oktibbeha, that combines with the student profile to lift the mobile‑only share above the state average.
• Housing: A larger renter share (student housing) correlates with mobile-first behavior and month‑to‑month plan preferences.

Digital infrastructure points

• Cellular networks:
  • 5G: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide 5G coverage in Starkville and along primary corridors (US‑82, MS‑12, MS‑25). Mid‑band 5G (especially T‑Mobile’s 2.5 GHz) is a key differentiator for everyday speeds in the urban core.
  • LTE remains the fallback in rural tracts southeast and northwest of Starkville; capacity can tighten at peak times or in terrain‑screened pockets.
  • Regional operator C Spire maintains a strong LTE footprint and 5G in/around the city, adding capacity during high‑demand events (athletics).
• Backhaul and fixed networks that support mobile:
  • Fiber backhaul from AT&T, C Spire, and 4‑County Fiber underpins denser 5G and higher LTE capacity in Starkville than in many Mississippi counties.
  • Residential fiber is available in and near the city (AT&T Fiber, C Spire Fiber, 4‑County Fiber), and cable broadband is provided by a regional cable operator in Starkville. This improves carrier aggregation and offload options compared with more rural counties.
• Public and campus Wi‑Fi:
  • MSU’s extensive campus Wi‑Fi offloads a large share of data when students are on campus, but off‑campus student housing drives mobile‑only reliance, unlike many non‑college Mississippi counties.

How Oktibbeha trends compare with Mississippi

• Higher smartphone penetration and more connections per person than the state average due to the student-heavy population.
• Higher share of households with a cellular data plan and slightly higher mobile‑only internet reliance.
• Better urban 5G capacity and fiber backhaul concentration than typical in Mississippi, with performance that drops off more sharply at the county’s rural edges.
• Lower share of households with no internet subscription than the state overall, reflecting the university effect and urban concentration.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Population and demographics are from the 2020 Census. Adoption and subscription shares are derived from American Community Survey “Computer and Internet” measures (5‑year) and standard industry adoption patterns for college‑centered counties; mobile connection counts extrapolate from per‑capita device ratios typical of university markets. These figures align directionally (and typically outperform) Mississippi statewide averages due to the county’s age structure, renter share, and urban infrastructure cluster in Starkville.

Social media usage in Oktibbeha County, MS — 2025 snapshot

Context

• Population: ≈52,000 residents (Starkville + surrounding communities). Mississippi State University’s presence (≈23,000 students) gives the county one of Mississippi’s youngest age profiles.

User base and activity (modeled, county-level)

• Active social media users: ≈39,000 (≈75% of total population; ≈88% of residents aged 13+)
• Daily users (any platform): ≈27,000 (≈69% of active users)
• Multi-platform behavior: typical active user engages with 3–4 platforms monthly

Age mix of active users (modeled share of active users)

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–24: 33%
• 25–34: 20%
• 35–49: 20%
• 50–64: 13%
• 65+: 7%

Gender breakdown (overall and by platform)

• Overall active users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male (near-even split)
• Platform lean: Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat skew slightly female; YouTube/X/Reddit skew male; LinkedIn near-even

Most-used platforms (modeled monthly reach among active social users)

• YouTube: 88%
• Facebook: 75%
• Instagram: 60%
• TikTok: 53%
• Snapchat: 49%
• Pinterest: 30%
• X (Twitter): 27%
• Reddit: 25%
• WhatsApp: 24%
• LinkedIn: 22%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Student-driven usage: High engagement among 18–24s lifts Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) outperforms static posts for reach.
• Community and commerce on Facebook: Local groups (yard sales, housing, church/faith orgs, civic/parent groups) and event pages anchor Facebook usage; Marketplace is a key channel for off-campus housing and resale.
• Sports-centric spikes: MSU athletics (football, baseball, basketball) drive real-time surges on X, Instagram, and YouTube highlights; game days push evening/weekend peaks.
• News and campus info: X and Instagram Stories used for rapid updates; Facebook for official notices and longer threads; Reddit for student Q&A and campus life.
• Messaging-first behavior: Many interactions move into DMs (Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat) after discovery; group coordination common (e.g., classes, clubs).
• Time-of-day: Posting and consumption peak 7–10 pm; class and lunch windows (11 am–2 pm) are secondary spikes. Weekend engagement rises around home games and major events.
• Creative formats: Memes, short clips, and carousels perform best with students; longer Facebook posts and live streams work for community orgs, churches, and local government.
• Ad performance notes: Geo-targeted, event-timed creative and student offers convert best on Instagram/TikTok; Facebook excels for services with broader age appeal (healthcare, utilities, local retail).

Method notes

• Figures are county-level modeled estimates for 2025 derived from Oktibbeha’s age structure and student share (ACS/Census, MSU enrollment) applied to recent U.S. platform adoption by age and gender (e.g., Pew Research, 2023–2024). They reflect likely local usage given the county’s unusually large 18–24 cohort.