Simpson County

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

• Population size
  • Total population (2020 Census): 25,949
• Age
  • Median age: ~39 years
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 18–64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~18%
• Gender
  • Female: ~51%
  • Male: ~49%
• Racial/ethnic composition (shares of total population)
  • White alone: ~64%
  • Black or African American alone: ~34%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
  • Two or more races: ~1–2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: each <1%
  • Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories
• Household data (ACS 2019–2023)
  • Households: ~9,200
  • Average household size: ~2.6–2.7 persons
  • Family households: ~66% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~45% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~30–33%
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–77%

Insights: Simpson County is modest in size with a slightly older median age than the U.S. overall, a near-even gender split, a population that is predominantly White with a substantial Black community, low Hispanic share, and household structures anchored by family and owner-occupied households with average sizes slightly above the national average.

• Estimated email users: ~17,000 adults (≈87% of ~19,500 residents age 18+), reflecting typical U.S. adult email adoption applied to local demographics.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: ~30% (≈5,100)
  • 35–54: ~33% (≈5,600)
  • 55–64: ~17% (≈2,900)
  • 65+: ~20% (≈3,400)
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female (≈8,700), ~49% male (≈8,300), mirroring the county’s near-even sex mix and minimal gender gaps in email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~70% of households subscribe to home broadband; ~16–18% are smartphone‑only; ~18% have no home internet, indicating reliance on mobile data for email among a notable minority.
  • Fiber and cable are concentrated in town centers (Magee, Mendenhall); DSL, fixed wireless, and mobile networks cover outlying areas; ongoing state/federal builds are gradually improving speeds and reliability.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population ~25,000 over ~590 sq mi (≈42–44 people/sq mi), a rural density that raises last‑mile costs and slows high‑speed rollout.
  • Connectivity is strongest along the US‑49 corridor; libraries and schools offer reliable Wi‑Fi that supplements access for households without fixed broadband.

Simpson County, Mississippi — mobile phone usage snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Population: 25,949 (2020 Census); ~25,500 (2023 estimate)
• Age mix (ACS-based approximation): under 18 ≈ 24%; 18–29 ≈ 14.5%; 30–49 ≈ 25%; 50–64 ≈ 19%; 65+ ≈ 17.5%
• Race/ethnicity (ACS-based approximation): White ≈ 60%; Black ≈ 37%; Hispanic ≈ 2%; Other ≈ 1%

User estimates (people)

• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone, 18+): ~17,700 of ~19,400 adults (≈91%)
• Adult smartphone owners (18+): ~15,800 (≈82% of adults)
• Total smartphone users age 13+ (includes teens): ~17,400
• Feature phone retention among adult mobile users: ~1,900 adults (≈10% of adult mobile users), concentrated among 65+
• Smartphone-only internet–reliant households (no home fixed broadband, rely on cellular): ~2,150 of ~9,800 households (≈22%)

Demographic breakdown of smartphone ownership (modeled from ACS age structure and Pew rural/low‑income adoption rates)

• By age (ownership rate → estimated users)
  • 13–17: ~95% → ~1,600 users
  • 18–29: ~92% → ~3,400 users
  • 30–49: ~92% → ~5,900 users
  • 50–64: ~80% → ~3,900 users
  • 65+: ~60% → ~2,700 users
• By race/ethnicity (applying similar adoption rates across groups, differences driven mainly by age/income mix)
  • White: ~9,500 adult smartphone users
  • Black: ~5,850 adult smartphone users
  • Hispanic/Other: ~475 adult smartphone users
• Household dependence patterns
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance is notably higher among lower-income and Black households in the county; of the ~2,150 smartphone‑only households, roughly half are Black households despite representing ~37% of the population

Digital infrastructure points

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and C Spire operate 4G LTE across the county with 5G available in and around Magee and Mendenhall and along the US‑49 corridor; coverage becomes patchier in forested and low‑density areas away from major roads
• 5G status: Low‑band and some mid‑band 5G are live in town centers and along primary routes; many outlying areas remain LTE‑only, which constrains capacity and uplink performance
• Backhaul and fiber: Southern Pine Electric’s fiber subsidiary (SPEC) has been building FTTH across its Simpson County footprint since 2021, materially improving tower backhaul options; AT&T/C Spire fiber also present in parts of town centers. These fiber builds support ongoing 5G capacity upgrades through 2025
• Public connectivity: Schools and libraries provide key Wi‑Fi access points that alleviate mobile-data constraints for students and job seekers
• First responder network: AT&T FirstNet coverage available along major corridors; non‑corridor reliability remains more variable in severe weather

How Simpson County trends differ from Mississippi overall

• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption: ≈82% in Simpson vs ≈85–86% statewide, reflecting the county’s older, more rural, and lower‑income profile
• Higher feature‑phone persistence: ≈10% of adult mobile users vs ≈6–7% in MS metros, driven by older adults and budget‑constrained users
• Higher smartphone‑only reliance: ≈22% of households in Simpson depend on cellular instead of fixed broadband vs ≈18% statewide; this aligns with lower fixed‑broadband subscription rates in rural central Mississippi
• Coverage quality is more uneven: 5G is available in town centers and along US‑49, but LTE‑only zones remain common outside corridors; metro areas in MS enjoy broader mid‑band 5G footprints and higher median speeds
• Device and plan mix skews more value‑oriented: a larger share of prepaid and budget plans than state average, reflecting income and credit profiles; this amplifies sensitivity to congestion and throttling compared with postpaid users in MS metros
• Growth trajectory: As SPEC/other fiber backhaul projects complete, tower sectors in and around Magee/Mendenhall are seeing capacity lifts; county mobile performance is improving, but the 5G coverage gap outside corridors will likely persist longer than the statewide average

Key takeaways

• About 9 in 10 adults in Simpson County use a mobile phone, and roughly 8 in 10 own a smartphone
• Smartphone-only households are meaningfully more common than the state average, underscoring the role of mobile networks as the primary home internet for many residents
• Infrastructure investments—especially new fiber backhaul—are improving capacity where population is clustered, but outlying areas remain LTE‑dependent and more congestion‑prone than Mississippi’s urban counties

Notes on sources and method

• Population and demographic structure are based on US Census 2020 and ACS 2018–2022 patterns for Simpson County
• Adoption rates are modeled by applying recent Pew Research Center smartphone adoption by age/income and rurality to the county’s demographic mix
• Infrastructure observations reflect carrier public coverage maps, public announcements of Southern Pine Electric/SPEC fiber builds, and the known distribution of 5G deployments along primary corridors in central Mississippi

Simpson County, MS social media snapshot (2024–2025)

How these figures were derived

• County population and age/sex structure: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census and recent ACS).
• Platform usage rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Because platform-by-county data isn’t published, percentages below apply Pew’s adult usage rates to Simpson County’s adult population to produce local estimates.

Population base

• Total residents: ≈26,000
• Adults (18+): ≈19,000–20,000
• Gender: county skews slightly female (≈51% women, 49% men)

Most-used platforms among adults in Simpson County (estimated reach)

• YouTube: ≈83% of adults (≈16K users)
• Facebook: ≈68% (≈13–14K)
• Instagram: ≈47% (≈9K)
• Pinterest: ≈35% (≈7K; notably strong among women)
• TikTok: ≈33% (≈6–7K)
• LinkedIn: ≈30% (≈6K)
• WhatsApp: ≈29% (≈5–6K)
• Snapchat: ≈27% (≈5K)
• X (Twitter): ≈22% (≈4K)
• Reddit: ≈22% (≈4K) Note: “Any social platform” (excluding YouTube in Pew’s definition) typically reaches about 70%+ of U.S. adults; including YouTube pushes local reach above 80%.

Age-group patterns (local implications)

• 18–29: Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat dominate; heavy short‑form video and DM use. Facebook used more for groups/messenger than posting.
• 30–44: Cross‑platform cohort; Facebook and Instagram are primary, TikTok rising. High engagement with Reels/Stories and local Marketplace listings.
• 45–64: Facebook is the hub (news, school/sports updates, church/community groups). YouTube for how‑to, product research, and local sports highlights.
• 65+: Facebook for family/community, YouTube for tutorials and news clips; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (usage tendencies)

• Women: Over‑indexed on Facebook and Pinterest; strong engagement with Instagram Shops/Reels and local buy/sell/trade groups.
• Men: Over‑indexed on YouTube, Reddit, and X; sports, automotive, DIY, and outdoor content perform best.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups (city, school, church, youth sports, emergency/weather) are primary information hubs; Marketplace is a top discovery and transaction channel for local goods and services.
• Video wins attention: Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) consistently outperforms static posts; cross‑posting Reels to Facebook + Instagram measurably boosts reach.
• Messaging is conversion: Many residents prefer DM (Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat) over forms or phone calls; businesses with fast DM response see higher lead-to-visit conversion.
• Peak activity windows: Evenings (7–10 pm CT) and weekends see the highest local engagement; weather events, school sports, and community news trigger sharp, short-lived spikes.
• Trust signals matter: Local faces, testimonials, and clear prices outperform generic brand creative. “New in town,” “locally owned,” and service-area callouts lift CTR.
• Deal- and utility-driven: Promotions, limited-time offers, and informative posts (how-to, schedules, closures) drive the most shares and saves.

Bottom line

• Expect 8 in 10 Simpson County adults to be reachable on at least one major platform, led by Facebook and YouTube. Younger adults are clustered on Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; 35+ cohorts center on Facebook and YouTube. Women drive outsized engagement on Facebook/Pinterest; men on YouTube/Reddit/X. Community groups, short‑form video, and fast DMs are the levers that most reliably move local behavior.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial Census, ACS); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Figures are county-level estimates created by applying Pew’s U.S. adult platform usage rates to Simpson County’s adult population.