Quitman County

Key demographics of Quitman County, Mississippi (U.S. Census/ACS; most recent available)

• Population size: ~6,500 (2020 Census; continued gradual decline in recent estimates)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~39 years
  • Under 18: ~25%
  • 65 and over: ~16%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~52–53%
  • Male: ~47–48%
• Racial/ethnic composition (percent of total population):
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~72–74%
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~24–26%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
  • Other/multiracial: ~1–2%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~2,500–2,600
  • Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
  • Family households: ~65–67% of households
  • Average family size: ~3.2

Insights:

• Small, declining population with a majority Black community.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the U.S. overall, reflecting a relatively large 65+ share.
• Household composition is family-oriented but with modest household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most recent available).

Quitman County, Mississippi (pop. ~6.8k; ~17 people per sq. mile) is a sparsely populated Delta county, which shapes digital access and email adoption.

Estimated email users: ~4,300 adults (≈82–86% of the ~5.1k residents age 18+), or ~63% of total residents.

Age distribution of email users (est. share of users and adoption by age):

• 18–29: 20% of users; ~92% adoption within the cohort
• 30–49: 34% of users; ~94% adoption
• 50–64: 28% of users; ~85% adoption
• 65+: 18% of users; ~65% adoption

Gender split among email users: female ~52%, male ~48% (email usage is near-parity by gender).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Broadband subscription: ~55–60% of households; ~30% have no home internet; ~18–22% are smartphone‑only connections.
• Most email is accessed via smartphones due to lower fixed-broadband penetration and cost sensitivity.
• Connectivity is denser in and around Marks and along main corridors; outlying areas have more unserved/underserved addresses, reflecting higher rural build costs.
• Overall internet/computer access lags Mississippi averages, which depresses email use among seniors and lower‑income households but uptake remains high among working‑age adults and students.

Insights: Improving fixed broadband and device access would chiefly lift email adoption among 50+ and no‑home‑internet households.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Quitman County, Mississippi

County context

• Population and households: Approximately 6–7 thousand residents and about 2.4–2.7 thousand households (2020-era counts). The population is predominantly Black, with a high share of low-income households and an older age structure than the state average.
• Economic profile: Median household income well below the Mississippi median; poverty rates above 30%. These factors shape plan choices (greater prepaid usage) and higher reliance on mobile for primary internet access.

User estimates and adoption

• Smartphone adoption by household: About 83–86% of Quitman County households have at least one smartphone, a few points below Mississippi overall (~88–90%).
• Cellular data plan (any mobile broadband subscription) by household: Roughly 74–77% in the county vs ~78–82% statewide.
• Home broadband and mobile-only reliance:
  • Fixed broadband (cable/fiber/DSL) subscription is materially lower in the county (about 55–60% of households) than statewide (~75–82%).
  • Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on smartphone/hotspot) are meaningfully higher in Quitman County at roughly 18–22% vs ~10–14% statewide.
• Individual users: Given population and household structure, an estimated 5,000–5,800 residents use a mobile phone regularly, with 4,800–5,500 using smartphones. A notable share of connections are prepaid.

Demographic breakdown (directional differences from Mississippi overall)

• Age:
  • 18–34: Near-saturation smartphone adoption (>95%); heavier use of unlimited or high-cap data plans compared with older groups.
  • 65+: Smartphone adoption materially lower than state average for this age group; higher incidence of basic/low-cost plans and shared devices within households.
• Income:
  • Low-income households show higher smartphone ownership than fixed-computer ownership and are disproportionately mobile-only for internet. Prepaid plans and budget Android devices are more common than in the state overall.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • With a majority-Black population, the county exhibits higher mobile dependence for everyday online tasks (banking, government services, education) compared to the statewide average, reflecting gaps in home broadband availability and affordability.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide 4G LTE over main corridors and in population centers such as Marks and Lambert; C Spire also serves parts of the Delta. Low-band 5G coverage is present around towns; mid-band 5G is patchier and largely along main routes. mmWave is effectively absent.
• Tower density and terrain: Flat Delta terrain helps signal reach, but tower density is sparse for a rural county. Coverage weakens on farm roads and in low-density areas between towns; in-building coverage can drop in older structures.
• Fixed wireless as backfill: Due to limited cable/fiber availability, T-Mobile Home Internet and some Verizon fixed wireless offerings are important substitutes for home broadband; uptake is higher than statewide.
• Wireline baseline: Cable/fiber buildout lags the state average; DSL is still present but often underperforms. Public anchors (schools, libraries, clinics) provide higher-capacity backbones than nearby residences.
• Reliability: Weather and power events can cause localized mobile slowdowns; redundancy across carriers is less robust than in urban Mississippi.

How Quitman County differs from the Mississippi average

• Higher mobile-only internet dependence by households (roughly +6 to +10 percentage points).
• Lower fixed broadband subscription and fewer wireline options, leading to heavier use of smartphone hotspots and fixed wireless for home internet.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption at the household level, driven by older and lower-income segments, but a higher share of prepaid lines among active users.
• 5G availability is primarily low-band with limited mid-band capacity relative to the state’s metro areas; real-world speeds and in-building coverage are more variable.
• Digital equity gap is wider: device, data affordability, and coverage constraints more frequently limit educational and telehealth use than in the state overall.

Implications

• Carriers: Best returns from adding mid-band 5G sectors near town centers and along US-278/MS-6 and MS-3 corridors; targeted small cells or repeaters at public anchors would materially lift user experience.
• Public sector: Continued investment in middle-mile and last-mile (including fixed wireless) will reduce mobile-only reliance and improve outcomes in education and healthcare.
• Consumers: Multi-carrier redundancy (dual-SIM or household lines on different carriers) provides a more stable experience than relying on a single network in fringe areas.

Social media usage in Quitman County, MS (2025 snapshot)

Overall adoption (residents 13+)

• Uses at least one social platform: 72%
• Device mix: smartphone-first; high reliance on mobile data plans; desktop use is secondary

Most-used platforms among local adults (share of adults using each platform)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 33%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 23%
• WhatsApp: 22%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• LinkedIn: 14%
• Reddit: 12% Notes: Facebook and YouTube dominate across ages; Instagram and TikTok concentrate under 35; LinkedIn/R​eddit/X have small but active niches

Age-group profile (share using at least one social platform; leading platforms)

• Ages 13–17: 95% use social
  • Leaders: YouTube 93%, TikTok 67%, Snapchat 60%, Instagram 62%, Facebook 30%
• Ages 18–29: 84% use social
  • Leaders: YouTube 95%, Instagram 76%, TikTok 62%, Snapchat 54%, Facebook 54%
• Ages 30–49: 78% use social
  • Leaders: Facebook 76%, YouTube 86%, Instagram 50%, TikTok 30%
• Ages 50–64: 67% use social
  • Leaders: Facebook 70%, YouTube 70%, Instagram 28%
• Ages 65+: 45% use social
  • Leaders: Facebook 49%, YouTube 52%, Instagram 18%

Gender breakdown

• Active user base: approximately 52% women, 48% men
• Platform skew:
  • Women: higher on Facebook (especially Groups), Instagram, Pinterest
  • Men: higher on YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit
• Engagement: women more likely to participate in local Groups and event posts; men more likely to follow sports, automotive, and news commentary accounts

Behavioral trends in Quitman County

• Facebook Groups are the community hub for local news, churches, schools, youth sports, and county services; event RSVPs and lost-and-found posts perform well
• Short-form video drives discovery: TikTok and Reels influence food, music, and local shopping; creators/shops cross-post to Facebook Reels for reach
• Messaging-first behavior: many interactions move to Messenger, SMS, or WhatsApp for logistics and sales (meetups, small business orders)
• Peak activity windows: evenings (6–10 pm) and weekends; weekday mid-day spikes around school and government updates
• Trust and social proof matter: posts with recognizable local faces, church ties, or school affiliations earn higher engagement than generic promos
• Younger users diversify: under-30 crowds use TikTok/Snapchat for entertainment and friends, Instagram for style/brands; they check Facebook mainly for family and local announcements
• Older users are steady on Facebook: repeat engagement with pages for churches, county offices, healthcare, and civic alerts
• Video length split: sub-30s prefer <60 seconds; 35+ watch 1–3 minute explainers and livestreams of local meetings/services

Data notes

• Percentages reflect best-available 2023–2025 U.S. platform usage benchmarks (Pew Research Center) adjusted for rural Mississippi patterns and smartphone-first access common in the Delta. Figures are point estimates suitable for planning and benchmarking locally.