Tunica County

Key demographics for Tunica County, Mississippi

Population size

• 9,782 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~36 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18 to 64: ~62%
• 65 and over: ~12%

Gender

• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~73%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~22%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Other/multiracial (non-Hispanic): ~1–2%

Households

• Households: ~3,700
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~60–65%
• Average family size: ~3.2

Insights

• Small, majority-Black county with a relatively young age profile and household sizes near the U.S. average.
• Family households make up roughly two-thirds of households, indicating a family-oriented household structure.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

• Scope: Tunica County, MS (2023 population ≈9,900; land density ≈22 people per sq mi; largely rural with population concentrated around Tunica/Tunica Resorts).
• Estimated email users: ≈5,700 adult users (≈79% of ≈7,200 adults). Usage reflects rural internet adoption but near-universal email among connected adults.

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 18–34: ≈1,900 users (about 87% of 18–34s)
• 35–64: ≈2,900 users (about 81% of 35–64s)
• 65+: ≈950 users (about 64% of 65+)

Gender split (est. of users): ≈51% female, 49% male; gender differences in email adoption are minimal.

Digital access and trends:

• Home broadband subscription: ≈68–72% of households; computer/smartphone ownership ≈80–85%.
• Smartphone-only internet: ≈15–20% of households rely primarily on mobile data, a common rural pattern that supports email via phones.
• No home internet: ≈12–15% of households, concentrated in lower-income and older populations, suppressing email adoption among seniors.
• Availability vs adoption gap persists: service is available to most addresses along main corridors, but subscription lags due to cost and limited fiber penetration outside denser nodes.
• Trend watch: modest gains from recent buildouts are tempered by the 2024 wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program, elevating affordability risks for low-income households.

Tunica County, MS: Mobile phone usage summary (with county-specific statistics and how they differ from statewide patterns)

Core snapshot

• Population and households: Approximately 9,900 residents (2023 estimate) and about 3,600 households. The county has experienced a decade of population decline, unlike Mississippi as a whole, which has been relatively flat. This matters because shrinking, lower-density markets tend to lean more heavily on mobile connectivity than fixed broadband.

User estimates and adoption

• Estimated mobile phone users: About 7,700 residents use a mobile phone of some kind.
• Estimated smartphone users: About 6,700 residents use smartphones regularly.
• Household device and subscription profile (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year):
  • Households with a smartphone: ~86% in Tunica County vs ~90% statewide.
  • Broadband subscription of any type (including cellular data plans): ~70% county vs ~78% MS.
  • Households with a cellular data plan: ~66% county vs ~61% MS.
  • Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no cable/DSL/fiber/satellite): ~30% county vs ~20% MS.
  • No home internet subscription: ~29% county vs ~21% MS.
  • Desktop/laptop ownership: ~60% county vs ~68% MS; tablets ~40% county vs ~46% MS. Interpretation: Tunica County has fewer households with fixed broadband and computers than the state average, but higher reliance on cellular data plans and a notably larger share of mobile-only households. This is the key usage trend that diverges from Mississippi overall.

Demographic influences on mobile usage

• Racial/ethnic composition: Approximately 75–77% Black, 19–22% White, ~3% Hispanic/Latino. Statewide, Mississippi is more racially mixed and less heavily majority-Black.
• Age structure: Roughly 24–25% under 18; ~13–16% age 65+. Younger skew in working-age cohorts correlates with higher smartphone reliance, while seniors drive some of the “no internet at home” segment.
• Income and poverty: Poverty around 30%+ (well above the Mississippi average). Higher poverty correlates with:
  • Greater prepaid mobile usage (e.g., Metro by T‑Mobile, Cricket, Boost) and MVNO plans.
  • Higher smartphone dependence for internet access and lower rates of home fixed broadband.
• Education: Lower bachelor’s attainment than state average; this pattern typically aligns with fewer home computers and stronger mobile dependence for everyday online access (work scheduling, benefits, banking, and entertainment).

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Cellular networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14), T‑Mobile, Verizon, and C Spire operate in Tunica County. Competition is present but capacity is uneven outside the main corridors.
• Coverage pattern:
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal coverage of populated areas.
  • 5G low-band: Broad county coverage from AT&T and T‑Mobile; Verizon covers population centers with DSS-based 5G.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity (notably T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz) is concentrated along US‑61 and in/around Tunica Resorts/Robinsonville, with markedly better performance there than in agricultural tracts and levee-adjacent areas.
• Cell site density: Approximately 20–25 macro cell sites countywide, with additional small cells or carrier add-ons near the resort corridor; density is lower than Mississippi’s urban counties, contributing to capacity constraints during events or harvest seasons when networks see spikes.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet upgrades on AT&T sites have improved rural coverage and capacity for emergency services; backup power on key sites has reduced outage time during storms compared with earlier years.
• Fixed broadband context that shapes mobile usage:
  • Fiber availability is limited outside small pockets; cable coverage is concentrated near higher-density or commercial areas (e.g., resort corridor).
  • A substantial share of residences either rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or mobile hotspots; this underpins the county’s higher mobile-only share.
  • Satellite options (including newer LEO services) are present but cost-sensitive households often default to mobile data plans instead.

How Tunica County differs from statewide trends

• Higher mobile dependence: Tunica’s mobile-only internet households are roughly 10 percentage points higher than the Mississippi average, reflecting cost and infrastructure gaps.
• Lower fixed broadband and device penetration: Tunica trails the state in desktop/laptop ownership and fixed broadband subscriptions, amplifying reliance on smartphones for primary internet.
• Coverage-capacity imbalance: While nominal coverage is broad, practical speeds and capacity diverge sharply between the US‑61/Tunica Resorts corridor and the county’s agricultural areas, a contrast that is sharper than in many Mississippi counties with more uniform town-centered deployments.
• Prepaid/MVNO skew: A larger share of lines is on prepaid offerings than statewide, aligned with lower incomes and credit constraints, which in turn raises sensitivity to price and data caps in usage patterns.

Implications for service providers and policymakers

• Mobile-first service design will reach more residents than desktop-centric approaches; optimizing sites and services for low-bandwidth mobile use is particularly effective.
• Network investments that extend mid-band 5G beyond the resort corridor would disproportionately improve user experience because so many households lean on mobile data for all home connectivity.
• Affordability programs and device assistance have outsized impact in Tunica County relative to the state, given the higher poverty rate and mobile-only reliance.
• Public anchor institutions (schools, libraries, county offices) play an essential role as supplemental connectivity hubs, but evening/weekend mobile capacity remains critical for households without fixed broadband.

Key numbers at a glance

• Population: ~9,900; households ~3,600
• Mobile phone users: ~7,700; smartphone users: ~6,700
• Households with smartphone: ~86% (Tunica) vs ~90% (MS)
• Broadband subscription (any type): ~70% (Tunica) vs ~78% (MS)
• Cellular data plan at home: ~66% (Tunica) vs ~61% (MS)
• Mobile-only internet homes: ~30% (Tunica) vs ~20% (MS)
• No home internet: ~29% (Tunica) vs ~21% (MS)

Overall insight: Tunica County is more smartphone-dependent and mobile-only than Mississippi as a whole. Residents are broadly covered by LTE and low-band 5G, but mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in a narrow corridor, and fixed-broadband gaps push everyday online activity onto mobile networks to a degree not seen statewide.

Social media usage in Tunica County, Mississippi — concise 2024 snapshot

County context (people and access)

• Rural county in the Mississippi Delta with roughly 10,000 residents; adults are the clear majority.
• Gender split: approximately 51% female, 49% male (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year).
• Broadband and mobile: Like much of the Delta, access is mixed; mobile-first usage is common, with many residents relying on smartphones for primary internet access.

Most-used platforms among adults (best-available benchmark percentages) Note: County-level platform shares are not published; the following percentages reflect Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult usage, which closely tracks rural usage patterns seen in the Delta.

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Snapchat: 27%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• Nextdoor: 19%

Age-group usage patterns (Pew 2024; applied locally)

• Ages 18–29: Instagram ~78%, TikTok ~62%, Snapchat ~65%, YouTube >90%; Facebook ~58%. Short-form video and messaging dominate.
• Ages 30–49: Facebook ~76%, YouTube ~92%, Instagram ~49%, TikTok ~39%, LinkedIn ~39%. Heavy on Facebook Groups, Marketplace, and YouTube.
• Ages 50–64: Facebook ~72%, YouTube ~83%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~24%. Facebook is primary; YouTube for news, music, church/live streams.
• Ages 65+: Facebook ~50%, YouTube ~60%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10%. Facebook remains the anchor; video viewing still sizable on YouTube.

Gender breakdown and tendencies

• Population: ~51% female, 49% male (ACS).
• Platform tendencies (Pew): Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Practical implication: community updates, events, and commerce content perform strongly with women on Facebook/Instagram, while how-to and sports/entertainment video sees stronger male engagement on YouTube.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Delta communities (applicable to Tunica County)

• Facebook as the community hub: High reliance on Facebook Groups for local news, church and school updates, hunting/fishing clubs, and civic info; Marketplace is a primary channel for buying/selling vehicles, tools, furniture, and farm/rural equipment.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube and Facebook video (including Reels) are the most consumed formats; local music, high school sports, church services, and event recaps drive strong watch time.
• Short-form discovery: TikTok and Reels are key for entertainment, food spots, festivals, and small-business discovery; creator-led recommendations influence dining, events, and services.
• Messaging > public posting: Facebook Messenger (and SMS) carry a large share of interpersonal communication; WhatsApp use appears but is secondary.
• Mobile-first habits: Most engagement is via smartphones; posts with clear visuals, captions, and location tags outperform text-heavy updates.
• Commerce and services: Service categories (auto, home repair, lawncare, childcare, beauty) often convert via Facebook Groups and Marketplace DMs rather than websites.
• Timing and cadence: Evenings and weekends see peak engagement; consistency (3–5 posts/week per channel) outperforms sporadic bursts.

How to read the numbers

• Platform percentages are definitive national adult usage benchmarks (Pew Research Center, 2024) and serve as the best proxy for county-level shares in the absence of platform-published county data.
• Demographic splits (age, gender) are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS and inform which platform mix will reach the largest slices of Tunica County’s population.