Perry County

Key demographics – Perry County, Mississippi

Population

• Total population: 11,511 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (shares; Hispanic shown separately)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~70%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~25%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~4,200–4,300
• Average household size: ~2.6 persons
• Family households: ~70% of households; married-couple families ~50%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80%+
• Housing units: ~5,000; vacancy rate ~15–16%

Insights

• Small, rural county with a majority White population and a sizable Black minority.
• Age structure skews middle-aged/older relative to the U.S. average.
• High owner-occupancy and predominantly family households with modest household size.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

• Scope: Perry County, Mississippi (rural; ≈18 people per square mile).
• Estimated email users (2025): ≈8,800 residents actively using email.
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, 49% male.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–24: ≈17% (~1,500)
  • 25–44: ≈32% (~2,800)
  • 45–64: ≈30% (~2,640)
  • 65+: ≈21% (~1,850)
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Households with home internet subscription: ≈73%.
  • Smartphone‑only internet access: ≈19% of households.
  • No internet at home: ≈8% of households.
  • Fixed broadband strongest in and around town centers; outlying areas rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with mobile networks filling gaps.
• Trends and insights:
  • Email adoption continues to grow slowly (+1–2% annually since 2019), driven by smartphone uptake and service digitization (banking, health, schools).
  • The largest growth is among adults 55+, narrowing the gap with younger users by roughly 6–8 percentage points since 2019.
  • Low residential density raises last‑mile costs, creating a town‑center versus rural‑fringe divide; mobile connectivity mitigates access issues, so email via smartphones is common across the county.

Mobile phone usage in Perry County, Mississippi — summary and key differences from statewide patterns

User base and adoption

• Population and households: Approximately 11.4–11.6 thousand residents and about 4.1–4.3 thousand households (ACS 2018–2022).
• Household smartphone penetration: Roughly 86–89% of Perry County households have at least one smartphone, below Mississippi’s statewide share of about 90–92%.
• Cellular-only (smartphone-only) internet at home: About 28–31% of Perry County households rely on a cellular data plan as their only home internet service, notably higher than the Mississippi average of roughly 19–22%. This indicates heavier dependence on mobile for primary connectivity than the state overall.
• Any household broadband subscription (of any type): About 70–74% in Perry County versus roughly 80–83% statewide. The gap is driven by more limited fixed-wireline options locally, which pushes mobile substitution.
• Cellular data plan in household (alone or with another service): Approximately 66–70% in Perry County vs about 73–76% statewide.
• Individual smartphone use: Adult smartphone adoption is broadly in the 78–82% range locally, several points lower than urban Mississippi counties, reflecting an older age structure and affordability constraints.

Demographic patterning of use

• Age: Perry County has a larger 65+ share (about 18–19%) than the state average (~16%), which depresses individual smartphone adoption and reduces use of data-heavy apps among seniors.
• Income/poverty: Median household income is lower than the state median, and the poverty rate is higher (roughly 22–24% vs ~19% statewide). This translates into:
  • Greater reliance on prepaid and budget plans.
  • Higher incidence of smartphone-only households (using phones and hotspots in lieu of wireline).
• Race/ethnicity: Majority White (73%) with a sizable Black population (24%). Racial disparities in device quality and plan type mirror statewide patterns, but the overall gap in wireline availability amplifies mobile dependence for lower-income households locally.

Digital infrastructure and performance context

• Network footprint:
  • 4G LTE: Functionally countywide on major corridors (US 98, MS 42, MS 29) across AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and regional carrier C Spire, with weaker signal pockets in forested areas and low-density tracts.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G is present along primary highways and in/near Richton and New Augusta but remains spottier than in metro counties. Mid-band 5G coverage exists in limited pockets; high-band (mmWave) is not a factor.
• Fixed broadband backdrop:
  • Cable and fiber are concentrated in town centers; large rural areas remain on legacy DSL, fixed wireless, satellite, or are unserved. This structural gap is the main driver of the county’s above-average smartphone-only rate.
  • Recent fiber buildouts are incremental and localized; coverage remains well behind urban Mississippi.
• Affordability dynamics:
  • The sunset of federal affordability support in 2024 tightened household budgets, nudging more residents toward mobile-only solutions and lower-cost prepaid plans relative to the state average.

How Perry County differs from Mississippi overall

• Higher smartphone-only reliance: Roughly 28–31% of households are cellular-only, materially above the state share (~19–22%).
• Lower wireline broadband adoption: Any-home-broadband subscription is 6–10 percentage points below the state.
• Slightly lower household smartphone penetration: A few points under statewide levels, reflecting age and income profiles.
• Sparser 5G, more 4G dependence: 5G availability is improving but not as comprehensive as in metro counties; day-to-day experience leans more on LTE.
• Greater affordability sensitivity: Higher poverty and fewer fixed options increase reliance on prepaid and hotspot-based access for school, work, and streaming compared with the state at large.

Bottom line Perry County’s mobile landscape is defined by near-universal LTE on main roads, patchier 5G, and significantly heavier use of smartphones as the primary or sole home internet connection than Mississippi overall. Demographics (older age structure) and infrastructure (limited wireline coverage outside towns) combine to keep overall adoption slightly lower and mobile substitution higher than the state average.

Perry County, MS — social media usage snapshot (2024, modeled locally from U.S. Census ACS and Pew Research Center)

User stats

• Adult social media penetration: 80–83% of adults use at least one platform; daily use among adult users: ~70%.
• Teen (13–17) penetration: ~95%; near-daily use: ~90%.
• Typical adult uses 2–3 platforms; teens use 3–4.
• Device: overwhelmingly mobile-first (>90% of usage).

Age groups (share using any platform; platform tendencies)

• 13–17: ~95% use; heavy on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube.
• 18–29: ~95% use; Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook secondary.
• 30–49: ~90% use; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; Marketplace and Messenger common.
• 50–64: ~80% use; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable for women.
• 65+: ~60–70% use; primarily Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown (among users; platform skews)

• Women: Slightly more likely to use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; higher participation in local groups, events, school/church pages, and Marketplace.
• Men: More likely to use YouTube, Reddit, X; heavier consumption of sports, outdoors, and local buy/sell/trade content.

Most-used platforms (adult share using, local usage mirrors national adoption)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68–70% (often the top local platform for community info and Marketplace)
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~30–35% (higher among women)
• LinkedIn: ~20–30% (typically lower locally given industry mix)
• X (Twitter): ~20–22%
• WhatsApp: ~20% (lower than in immigrant-heavy metros)
• Reddit: ~20–22%

Behavioral trends (Perry County context)

• Community-first usage: Facebook groups and pages are central for local news, schools, churches, youth sports, civic updates, storm/emergency information, and yard-sale/Marketplace activity.
• Short‑form video growth: Reels and TikTok clips increasingly cross-posted into Facebook groups; how‑to, local highlights, and event recaps perform best.
• Messaging as coordination layer: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs drive private coordination for events, teams, and small businesses.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for buying/selling vehicles, equipment, furniture, and seasonal items.
• Peak activity windows: Evenings (6–10 p.m.) and weekends see the highest engagement; mobile viewing dominates.
• Content that works: Hyperlocal faces and places, concise video (15–60s), practical updates (weather, closures), and clear calls to action; LinkedIn under-indexes for broad consumer reach.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates for Perry County derived by applying Pew Research Center’s platform adoption rates to the county’s demographic profile (U.S. Census/ACS). Exact county-level platform counts are not published, but local patterns in rural Mississippi consistently over-index on Facebook and under-index on LinkedIn relative to national averages.