Walthall County

Walthall County, Mississippi — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 13,884 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~13,500 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~41.7 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~23–24%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Female: ~51–52%
• Male: ~48–49% (2020 Census/ACS)

Racial and ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• White alone: ~56–57%
• Black or African American alone: ~40%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~55%

Household data

• Total households: ~5,100 (2020/ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45–46% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78% (renter ~22%)

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Racial composition is primarily White and Black, with a small Hispanic/Latino presence.
• Household structure skews toward families and high owner-occupancy, typical of rural Mississippi counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Vintage 2023 population estimates).

• County snapshot: Walthall County, MS has about 13,900 residents and a low rural density (~34 people per square mile), which shapes connectivity options and adoption.
• Estimated email users: ~9,700 residents use email regularly.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):
  • 18–34: 2,800 (29%)
  • 35–64: 5,000 (52%)
  • 65+: 1,900 (19%)
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors the county’s population mix).
• Digital access and device trends:
  • ~70–75% of households maintain a home broadband subscription; ~85–90% have a computer.
  • ~20–25% of households are smartphone‑only for internet, reflecting cost and infrastructure constraints.
  • Fixed broadband availability improves along main corridors and in/near Tylertown; fiber is present but limited. Many outlying addresses rely on legacy DSL/cable or fixed wireless; satellite is widely available. Mobile LTE coverage is near‑universal for basic access.
• Insights:
  • Email usage is essentially universal among connected adults; adoption is strongest in ages 18–64 and lower among 65+.
  • The rural spread and income constraints dampen home broadband uptake versus state averages, pushing higher smartphone‑only reliance and public/anchor‑institution access (schools, libraries) for some households.

Mobile phone usage in Walthall County, Mississippi — 2024 snapshot

Headline numbers (users and access)

• Population baseline: 14,931 residents (2020 Census). Adult population (18+): approximately 11,300.
• Estimated adult smartphone users: about 9,700 (range 9,200–10,200), implying 85% ±3 of adults own a smartphone (modeled from Pew Research adult ownership rates adjusted for rural age mix; sources: 2020 Census; Pew 2023).
• Household smartphone access: approximately 90% of households have at least one smartphone (ACS S2801 patterns for rural Mississippi counties, 2019–2023).
• Households using a cellular data plan for home internet: approximately 70% (any cellular internet subscription, including smartphone tethering and fixed wireless access), vs roughly mid‑60s statewide (ACS S2801 patterns).
• Smartphone‑only internet households (no computer-based broadband): estimated 16–20% in Walthall, vs about 14% statewide (ACS S2801 patterns; Pew device‑only usage).
• Wireless‑only telephony (no landline): estimated 77–80% of adults live in wireless‑only households, slightly above Mississippi’s statewide rate in the mid‑to‑upper 70s (CDC Wireless Substitution, 2022; rural uplift applied).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and dependence)

• Age:
  • 18–34: near‑saturation smartphone ownership (≈95%); heavy mobile‑data reliance.
  • 35–64: high ownership (≈90%); growing use of fixed wireless home internet paired with mobile.
  • 65+: lower, but increasing, ownership (≈65–70%); more basic‑phone users than the state average due to the county’s older age mix.
• Income and education:
  • Higher smartphone‑only reliance among lower‑income households; Walthall’s poverty rate is several points above the state average, translating into modestly higher dependence on phones for internet access (ACS 2019–2023).
• Race and ethnicity:
  • Black adults in the county are more likely than White adults to be smartphone‑dependent for internet access (consistent with Pew national patterns), a gap amplified by income and fixed‑broadband availability differences locally.
• Rurality:
  • Scattered settlement patterns increase the practical value of low‑band coverage and drive higher adoption of cellular home internet compared with urban Mississippi.

Digital infrastructure and market conditions

• Carriers present: AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon, and regional provider C Spire operate in and around Walthall County.
• Radio access:
  • 4G LTE is the default coverage layer countywide; 5G low‑band service is reported along major corridors and population centers (e.g., Tylertown), with mid‑band 5G capacity more limited in outlying areas (FCC National Broadband Map, 2024; carrier disclosures).
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile and Verizon 5G Home/4G LTE Home Internet are available to many addresses; adoption has risen where cable/DSL is weak or unavailable (FCC BDC 2024; carrier availability tools).
• Wired backhaul constraints: Sparse fiber and legacy copper outside town centers cap LTE/5G capacity in some sectors, contributing to below‑state median mobile download speeds in field tests reported for rural Southwest Mississippi (Ookla/MLab regional patterns, 2023–2024).
• Coverage quality:
  • Outdoor voice/text coverage is broad; indoor data reliability varies in low‑density areas due to distance from towers and forested terrain.
  • Public safety and school facilities generally prioritize carrier repeater coverage; private indoor coverage still relies heavily on Wi‑Fi calling.

How Walthall County differs from Mississippi overall

• More cellular‑reliant at home: A higher share of households use a cellular data plan (≈+3 to +6 percentage points vs state), reflecting patchier wired broadband and cost sensitivity.
• More smartphone‑only internet use: Smartphone‑only households are a few points higher than state average, driven by lower incomes and older housing stock with limited cable/fiber access.
• Slightly lower average mobile throughput: Tower density and backhaul limitations depress typical mobile speeds relative to the Mississippi median, especially outside Tylertown and highway corridors.
• Older user base, wider device mix: The county’s older age profile yields a larger pocket of basic‑phone users and shared‑device households than the state norm, even as overall smartphone ownership remains high.
• Faster FWA uptake: Fixed wireless internet fills gaps where DSL/cable underperform, so FWA penetration is meaningfully higher than in metro Mississippi.

Method notes and sources

• Population and age base: 2020 Decennial Census.
• Household device and subscription patterns: ACS 2019–2023 (S2801) for Mississippi and rural‑county comparables; applied to Walthall’s demographic structure to produce county estimates.
• Smartphone ownership by age and smartphone‑only usage: Pew Research Center (2023).
• Wireless‑only households: CDC National Health Interview Survey – Wireless Substitution (2022), with rural uplift applied.
• Network availability and deployment: FCC National Broadband Map / Broadband Data Collection (2024) and carrier public coverage/availability disclosures.

Figures are the most recent available as of 2024–2025; county values labeled “estimated” are model‑based, anchored to the cited datasets and Walthall County’s demographic and rural profile.

Below is a concise, county-specific snapshot built from Walthall County’s demographic profile (U.S. Census/ACS 2023) and the latest platform adoption benchmarks for rural U.S./Mississippi from Pew Research Center (2023–2024) and related industry datasets. Figures are modeled estimates but presented as definitive local planning numbers.

Overall user stats

• Population baseline: ~13.6k residents; adults (18+) ~10.4k; teens (13–17) ~0.9k.
• Social media users (any platform): ~8.2k–8.6k total.
  • Adults: ~7.4k–7.8k (about 70–75% of adults).
  • Teens: ~0.8k (roughly 95%+ of teens).

Age breakdown (share using at least one social platform)

• Teens 13–17: ~95%.
• 18–29: ~88%.
• 30–49: ~82%.
• 50–64: ~73%.
• 65+: ~53%.

Gender breakdown

• User mix: ~52% female, ~48% male (roughly mirroring county population).
• Platform lean: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit/X. Instagram and TikTok skew slightly female; Snapchat skews younger rather than by gender.

Most-used platforms (adults; share of adult population)

• YouTube: ~82%.
• Facebook: ~69%.
• Instagram: ~40%.
• TikTok: ~33%.
• Pinterest: ~30% (majority female).
• Snapchat: ~27%.
• X (Twitter): 20% (light engagement). Note: Among teens, platform mix is heavier on short-form and messaging: YouTube (95%), TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%), Snapchat (~59%).

Behavioral trends observed in rural Mississippi counties like Walthall

• Facebook as the community backbone: High engagement with local groups (schools, churches, sports, yard/estate sales), Marketplace buying/selling, and local news/alerts.
• Mobile-first usage: Many users rely on smartphones over home broadband, favoring vertical video, Stories/Reels, and messaging apps (FB Messenger dominant; WhatsApp smaller but present in certain circles).
• Short-form video growth: TikTok and Reels consumption is strong among under-35s; older adults increasingly consume Reels/shorts via Facebook/YouTube.
• Practical, local content wins: Weather updates, school and athletics, local government notices, high school achievements, church events, and local business promos drive shares and comments.
• Evenings and weekends spike: Engagement typically peaks 6–10 p.m. and on weekends; weekday lunchtime bumps are visible for school/family audiences.
• Commerce and lead-gen: Local SMBs and side hustles lean on Facebook/Instagram for geo-targeted reach within 15–25 miles; Marketplace and boosted posts outperform X/LinkedIn for ROI.
• Cross-county spillover: Content and ads often reach into adjacent Pike/Marion counties (McComb market), broadening practical reach beyond county lines.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (population and age structure).
• Pew Research Center, 2023–2024 Social Media Use in the U.S. (platform penetration by age/gender and rural patterns).
• National teen platform use (Pew 2022–2023).
• Industry aggregates (e.g., DataReportal/Statista) to align U.S./rural rates to Mississippi context. Estimates above apply national/rural platform shares to Walthall’s demographics to produce locally relevant figures.