Pemiscot County

Key demographics — Pemiscot County, Missouri

Population

• Total population: 15,661 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~14,900 (Census Bureau Vintage 2023), continuing decline from 2010

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Sex

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census)

• White alone: ~64%
• Black or African American alone: ~29%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.6%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2.5–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~62%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~6,100–6,300
• Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~60–62%
• Single-person households: ~30%
• Households with someone 65+ living alone: ~14%

Insights

• The county has experienced sustained population decline since 2010.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the U.S. overall, with a sizable 65+ share.
• Racial composition features a large White majority with a substantial Black population relative to state averages.
• Household composition reflects a high share of nonfamily and single-person households, and a homeownership rate around 60%.

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

Pemiscot County, MO has about 15.5k residents (≈32 people per sq. mile). Estimated email users: ≈11.3k residents actively use email.

Age distribution of email users (estimated):

• 18–34: ≈3.2k users (≈29% of users), very high adoption (≈95% of this cohort)
• 35–64: ≈5.0k (≈44%), near‑universal adoption (≈90%+)
• 65+: ≈2.4k (≈21%), solid but lower adoption (≈80%+)
• Teens 13–17: ≈0.65k (≈6%), frequent school/workflow use

Gender split: roughly 51% female (≈5.8k users) and 49% male (≈5.5k), reflecting the county’s population mix and similar email adoption by gender.

Digital access and trends:

• About 70% of households have a home broadband subscription; roughly 20–25% have no home internet.
• Around 80–85% of households have a computer; 10–15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Email is effectively universal among connected adults; growth continues among older residents as mobile access improves.

Connectivity facts:

• Access is strongest in and around Hayti–Caruthersville and along I‑55/US‑61 corridors; gaps persist in sparsely populated farm tracts.
• Lower household income and rural dispersion contribute to below‑state‑average wired broadband adoption, nudging more residents to rely on mobile data for email.

Mobile phone usage in Pemiscot County, Missouri — 2024 snapshot

Headline picture

• Population and households: ~15,000 residents; ~6,100 households (U.S. Census Bureau 2020–2023 estimates).
• Active mobile users (people with a working cell phone of any type): ~11,100–11,800.
• Smartphone users: ~10,000–10,300.
• Mobile-only internet households (smartphone/cellular plan but no fixed home broadband): 1,250–1,350 households (about 20–22% of all households), notably higher than Missouri overall (12–14%).

How Pemiscot differs from Missouri overall

• Heavier mobile dependence: A materially larger share of households rely on cellular data as their primary or only internet connection, driven by affordability and limited wireline options.
• Lower wired-broadband take-up: Fixed broadband subscription rates are roughly 15–20 percentage points below the state average, pushing more day‑to‑day connectivity onto smartphones.
• Sparser mid-band 5G: Outdoors LTE coverage is broad, but mid-band 5G (the “capacity” layer) is concentrated along I-55/Hayti–Caruthersville; statewide, mid-band 5G is far more ubiquitous in metro areas.
• Performance gap: Typical rural speeds and capacity (especially evenings and in fields between towns) trail Missouri’s urban/suburban averages; users experience more congestion and greater reliance on low‑band 5G/LTE.
• Plan mix: Prepaid and budget plans (including Lifeline/ACP-era offerings) constitute a higher share of lines than statewide postpaid-dominant markets.

User estimates and usage patterns

• Total mobile phone users: ~11.4k (adults with a cell phone ≈ 10.3k–10.8k, plus most teens 13–17).
• Smartphone users: ~10.1k (about 82–84% of adults; near-saturation among 18–34; lower among seniors).
• Multi-line/IoT: Penetration of multiple SIMs (work + personal) is modest; ag/industrial IoT lines (sensors, fleet) are present but small relative to population.
• Mobile-only internet: ~1 in 5 households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet, versus ~1 in 8 statewide. This raises mobile data consumption per user and increases sensitivity to throttling and deprioritization on congested sectors.

Demographic breakdown of mobile adoption

• Age
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use; highest mobile-only share.
  • 35–64: ~88–90% smartphone adoption; many use mobile hotspots in lieu of or to supplement home broadband.
  • 65+: ~58–65% smartphone adoption (below Missouri seniors at ~70–75%); greater voice/SMS reliance, more basic and flip devices still in circulation.
• Income and affordability
  • Poverty rates are materially higher than the Missouri average, and median household income is lower; this correlates with:
    • Higher prepaid plan usage and slower device upgrade cycles.
    • Greater reliance on promotions and subsidy programs (Lifeline; many had ACP before funding lapsed in 2024).
• Race/ethnicity
  • Pemiscot’s Black population share is several times the statewide average. Consistent with national patterns in lower‑income communities, Black and Hispanic households are more likely to be smartphone‑only for internet access, reinforcing the county’s above‑average mobile dependence.
• Education and employment
  • Lower rates of bachelor’s attainment than the state correlate with lower fixed‑broadband adoption and higher mobile reliance for job search, benefits portals, and training modules.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Operators: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide macro coverage; UScellular presence is limited. MVNOs piggyback on these networks.
• 4G LTE: Widespread outdoors, including farm roads and state routes; in‑building performance is most consistent in Hayti, Caruthersville, and along I‑55/I‑155 corridors.
• 5G
  • Low‑band 5G: Broad geographic coverage on all three majors.
  • Mid‑band 5G (capacity layer): Strongest from T‑Mobile and AT&T along I‑55 and in/near Hayti–Caruthersville; spotty in outlying areas. Verizon’s mid‑band is present in town centers; extended 5G elsewhere leans on LTE/low‑band.
• Capacity/performance
  • Evening congestion is common on sectors facing dense neighborhoods and along highway corridors during peak travel. Fields and levee-adjacent areas see capacity drops tied to distance and foliage.
  • Typical rural median mobile speeds sit below Missouri’s statewide median; uplink performance, critical for telehealth and remote work, is the tighter constraint outside towns.
• Backhaul and towers
  • Macro sites cluster near highways, towns, and water towers; backhaul is a mix of fiber (along I‑55/US‑412 routes) and microwave in remote stretches. Fewer sites per square mile than state average limits capacity headroom.
• Fixed alternatives that shape mobile usage
  • Cable broadband is available in core towns (e.g., Spectrum in Hayti/Caruthersville); AT&T legacy copper/DSL lingers in pockets. Rural fiber is expanding via the local electric cooperative’s fiber subsidiary and state/federal grants (RDOF/ARPA/BEAD), but many outlying addresses remain underserved.
  • 5G fixed wireless (T‑Mobile, Verizon) is available in and around towns, providing a substitute for DSL and driving higher mobile data loads.

Implications

• Mobile is the de facto primary internet for a sizable minority of households, not just a complement—meaning plan data allowances and network management policies have outsized effects on daily life (schoolwork, telehealth, benefits).
• Closing the mid-band 5G and fiber gaps in outlying blocks would directly reduce mobile congestion and shrink the county’s mobile‑only share toward the Missouri norm.
• Senior-focused digital literacy and subsidized device programs would yield the largest lift in smartphone adoption among non‑users, while prepaid-friendly offers with reliable deprioritization thresholds best match current affordability constraints.

Data notes

• Population/household figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2020 counts with 2023 estimates.
• Mobile user and smartphone user counts are derived from American Community Survey “Computer and Internet Use” indicators and Pew Research smartphone adoption rates, adjusted for Pemiscot’s age/income mix.
• Mobile‑only household share is estimated from ACS S2801 profiles (cellular data plan present; no fixed subscription) and local wireline availability patterns; Missouri comparisons use ACS statewide aggregates.
• Coverage and infrastructure assessments synthesize FCC coverage filings, carrier public maps, and rural deployment norms as of 2023–2024.

Social media usage in Pemiscot County, MO — concise 2024 snapshot

Baseline

• Population: 15,661 residents (2020 Census). Adults 18+ ≈ 11,900.
• Internet/social access context: Rural profile with high Facebook reliance and moderate mobile-first use; broadband gaps temper heavy video use compared with urban Missouri.

User stats (best-available local estimate)

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈ 76% of adults (~9,000).
• Teens (13–17) using social: ≈ 90%+ of teens (small base in-county).
• Gender among social users: ≈ 53% women, 47% men.

Age groups among social users (share of users)

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–24: ~12%
• 25–34: ~17%
• 35–44: ~17%
• 45–64: ~30%
• 65+: ~16%

Most-used platforms in Pemiscot County (estimated share of adults)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~28%
• Snapchat: ~24%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• WhatsApp: ~15%
• Reddit: ~12%
• LinkedIn: ~12%
• Nextdoor: ~8%

Gender breakdown by platform (adults; indicative)

• Facebook: women ~75%, men ~65%
• Pinterest: women ~40–45%, men ~10–15%
• YouTube: men ~80%, women ~76%
• Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat: relatively balanced overall; slight lean female in Instagram/Pinterest, slight lean male in Reddit/YouTube

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of local groups (buy/sell/trade, school sports, church, civic alerts). Marketplace and community events drive the highest engagement.
• Short-form video growth: Facebook Reels and TikTok consumption rising; creation remains concentrated among 13–34-year-olds.
• Messaging-first habits: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for private, fast coordination; WhatsApp used within specific family/work circles.
• News and weather: Local updates, regional news, and severe weather tracking dominate Facebook engagement; link-sharing outperforms original posting among 45+.
• Lurker majority: Most users consume and react more than they post; posting frequency concentrated in a small subset of residents and admins of local groups.
• Timing: Engagement clusters in early morning (commute/school prep), lunch, and evenings; weekend spikes for Marketplace and event content.
• Work and recruiting: LinkedIn presence is modest; job discovery more often happens via Facebook groups/pages and word-of-mouth shares.

Notes on method

• County population and age base: U.S. Census (2020).
• Platform and demographic rates are modeled for Pemiscot County by applying 2024 Pew Research Center U.S. social platform usage (with rural adjustments) to the county’s population profile. Figures are best-available local estimates given the lack of platform-published county-level stats.