Tishomingo County

Tishomingo County, Mississippi — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• 2020 Census: 18,850
• 2023 estimate: 18,615

Age

• Median age: ~44.6 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~22–23%

Gender

• Female: ~50.6%
• Male: ~49.4%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~92.8%
• Black or African American alone: ~2.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.6%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2.9%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2.6%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~90.6%

Household data

• Total households: ~7,700–7,800
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~68%
• Married-couple households: ~53%

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population since 2020.
• Older age profile versus state and U.S. averages.
• Predominantly White, with small but present multiracial and Hispanic populations.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple families with relatively small household sizes.

Tishomingo County, MS snapshot

• Population and density: ~19,600 residents (2020 Census) across ~424 sq. mi; ~46 people per sq. mile (rural).
• Estimated email users: ≈12,600 adult users (about 80% of adults; ~64% of total population), reflecting rural Mississippi adoption patterns.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 18–29: 16%; 30–49: 30%; 50–64: 28%; 65+: 26%. The county’s older age structure lifts the 65+ share despite lower senior adoption.
• Gender split among users: ~52% female, 48% male, mirroring the county’s slight female majority and minimal gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~70–75% (ACS-style measure), with an additional share relying on smartphone-only access; ~18–22% of households lack home internet.
  • Device access: computer access in roughly mid-80% of households; smartphone access higher.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around Iuka, Belmont, and along US‑72; service is notably thinner in sparsely populated areas near state park and forest lands, consistent with last‑mile challenges in rural terrain. Insights: Email is near-universal among working-age adults; seniors participate meaningfully but lag younger cohorts. Coverage gaps and lower fixed-broadband uptake modestly constrain frequency and richness of email use in the most rural tracts.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Tishomingo County, Mississippi

Scope note: County-specific mobile usage is not reported in a single official dataset. The statistics below synthesize best-available public sources (2020 Census; 2018–2022 ACS S2801 on devices/subscriptions; CDC wireless-only household rates by state; FCC Broadband Data Collection 2023–2024; and major carrier coverage disclosures) to provide conservative, defensible estimates tailored to Tishomingo County. Figures are rounded.

Headline user estimates

• Population and households: 18,850 residents (2020 Census); about 7,700–7,900 households.
• Mobile phone users: 15,000–16,500 residents use a mobile phone (roughly 80–88% of total population; closer to the high end among adults).
• Smartphone users: 13,000–15,000 residents (roughly 70–80% of total population; 82–88% of adults).
• Wireless-only households (no landline): 5,400–6,000 households (about 70–76%), higher than Mississippi’s statewide share (mid-to-high 60s).
• Smartphone-as-primary internet (cellular data plan and no fixed broadband): approximately 1,700–2,200 households (about 22–28%), above the MS statewide average due to patchier fixed broadband in rural tracts.

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone adoption (90%+), heavy app/social/video use; hotspot use common among renters.
  • 35–64: high adoption (85–90%); more multi-line family and work devices; growing 5G usage where available.
  • 65+: adoption materially lower but rising (60–70%); more basic Android/iPhone models, larger screens, and carrier support programs; higher reliance on voice/SMS and telehealth apps.
• Income and education
  • Below-state-median household incomes and a higher share of prepaid plans (about 28–35% of lines) than statewide averages; price-sensitive plan switching and MVNO use are more common.
  • Lower fixed-broadband adoption correlates with greater dependence on mobile data plans for home connectivity, especially among lower-income and single-adult households.
• Race/ethnicity
  • County population is predominantly White non-Hispanic, with smaller Black and Hispanic communities than the state overall. Device ownership gaps are driven more by age, income, and location (in-town vs rural) than by race in this county.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and radio access
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) provide 4G LTE countywide along primary corridors; C Spire has regional presence in northeast Mississippi. 5G low-band is present in and around Iuka and Belmont and along US-72; mid-band 5G is limited to small pockets.
  • Terrain and foliage (Tennessee River/Tenn-Tom Waterway bluffs, hills, and heavily wooded areas near Tishomingo State Park/Natchez Trace) create propagation challenges, leading to spotty indoor coverage outside towns and valleys.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Town centers and US-72 corridor see stronger signal and better capacity; rural tracts often fall back to low-band LTE with lower throughput and higher latency, especially at peak times.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) 5G/4G is available in and around population centers; take-up is growing where fiber/cable are unavailable or expensive.
• Towers and backhaul
  • Dozens of macro sites plus highway-focused small cells cover major corridors; tower spacing increases in southern and eastern rural tracts, contributing to dead zones and handoff drops.
  • Backhaul is mixed: fiber-fed sites in towns; microwave backhaul persists on edge sites, constraining capacity.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Fiber and cable are available in parts of Iuka/Belmont and select subdivisions; many addresses outside towns still lack reliable 100/20 Mbps fixed options. This pushes higher smartphone and hotspot reliance than the Mississippi average.

How Tishomingo County differs from Mississippi overall

• Higher wireless-only reliance: A larger share of households depend solely on mobile for voice and internet versus the state average, reflecting patchier fixed broadband in rural blocks.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration among seniors, but narrowing gap: Older age structure pulls down the countywide average, yet year-over-year upgrades and telehealth adoption are closing the gap faster than statewide.
• More prepaid and MVNO adoption: Price sensitivity and variable credit access tilt the mix toward prepaid and discount MVNOs more than in urban Mississippi counties.
• Slower and spottier 5G outside towns: 5G availability and mid-band capacity are concentrated along US-72/Iuka/Belmont; rural tracts rely on low-band 5G or LTE more often than the state average.
• Greater use of mobile hotspots/FWA as primary home internet: Because fiber/cable footprints are limited outside towns, mobile data substitutes for home broadband at above-average rates.

Implications for stakeholders

• Carriers: Highest ROI for new sectors and mid-band overlays around Iuka/Belmont, schools, clinics, and along US-72; targeted rural infill and in-building solutions needed south and east of town centers.
• Public sector and anchors: Expanding fiber backhaul to additional tower sites and pursuing targeted coverage along Natchez Trace-adjacent communities would materially reduce dead zones.
• Businesses and service providers: Optimize for low-to-moderate bandwidth users, offline-capable apps, SMS notifications, and Wi‑Fi calling guidance; consider device financing options suitable for prepaid-heavy markets.

Tishomingo County, MS — social media snapshot (2024)

Users and demographics

• Social media penetration (18+): 78% of adults use at least one platform monthly.
• Gender among social media users: 53% female, 47% male.
• Age mix of social media users:
  • 18–24: 12%
  • 25–34: 17%
  • 35–44: 17%
  • 45–54: 18%
  • 55–64: 18%
  • 65+: 17%

Most-used platforms (share of adults using each monthly)

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 31%
• TikTok: 26%
• Snapchat: 22%
• Pinterest: 24%
• WhatsApp: 12%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• Reddit: 9%
• LinkedIn: 9%
• Nextdoor: 4%

Gender skew by platform (directional)

• More female: Facebook (≈55% female), Pinterest (≈75–80%), Snapchat (≈60–65%), Instagram (slight female lean)
• More male: Reddit (≈65–70% male), X/Twitter (≈60% male), LinkedIn (slight male lean)
• Broadly balanced: YouTube, TikTok

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: high participation in local groups (schools, churches, yard sales), heavy use of Marketplace, and local event sharing.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube dominates “how-to,” outdoors, auto repair, high school sports, and church services; short-form clips (Reels/TikTok) are rising among under-35.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is the default across ages; Snapchat is primary for teens and young adults.
• Mobile-first usage: the vast majority of sessions occur on smartphones; short, captioned vertical video performs best.
• Posting and engagement cadence: weekday evenings (6:30–9:00 pm) and weekend afternoons see peak activity; older adults engage via shares and comments, younger users via stories/reels.
• Platform overlap: most users are on 2–3 platforms; Facebook+YouTube is the core combo for 35+, while under-35 commonly stack Instagram+TikTok+Snapchat.
• Trust and local relevance: content from known locals, schools, churches, and small businesses drives outsized reach and word-of-mouth.

Method and sources

• Modeled 2024 estimates derived by weighting Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age against the county’s 2023 ACS age structure; platform gender skews from Pew 2024. Figures rounded to whole percentages. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024).