Bradley County

Here are key demographics for Bradley County, Tennessee (latest Census Bureau estimates; values rounded):

Population

• 2023 estimate: ~112,000
• 2020 Census: 108,620

Age

• Median age: ~39–40
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic is of any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~80–82%
• Black or African American: ~4–5%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~7–8%
• Asian: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and other: <1% each

Households and housing

• Households: ~42,000
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~66–68%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~68–70% (renter-occupied ~30–32%)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS 1-year (DP02, DP04, DP05) and 2020 Decennial Census. Estimates are subject to margins of error.

Bradley County, TN snapshot (estimates)

• Population/connectivity context: ~113,000 residents; ~330–340 people per sq. mile. Most residents cluster in Cleveland and the I‑75 corridor, where cable/fiber options are common; rural tracts have fewer high‑speed choices.

• Estimated email users: 80,000–90,000 residents (roughly 70–80% of total; ~88–92% of adults), based on ACS population mix and national email adoption.

• Age distribution of email users (share of users):

  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–29: ~19%
  • 30–49: ~36%
  • 50–64: ~24%
  • 65+: ~14% Adoption is near-universal for 18–64 (≈92–98%) and lower for 65+ (≈75–85%).

• Gender split: Essentially even; mirrors county demographics (~51% female, 49% male). No meaningful usage gap by gender.

• Digital access trends:

  • Household broadband subscription: roughly 78–82% (ACS-like counties in TN).
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~12–18%.
  • Growing fiber availability in/around Cleveland; persistent speed/availability gaps in outer rural areas.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, municipal Wi‑Fi) help bridge access for low-income and student households.

Notes: Figures are synthesized from recent ACS/TN demographics and national email/internet adoption research; treat as directional estimates.

Mobile phone usage in Bradley County, Tennessee — 2025 snapshot

Headline takeaways

• Strong coverage and 5G capacity along the I‑75/Cleveland corridor put Bradley County above the Tennessee average for network availability and speeds, but smartphone-only internet reliance is also higher than the state due to income, student, and renter mix.
• Mobile is the primary on‑ramp to the internet for a sizable minority of households, especially in the city of Cleveland and unincorporated areas just beyond cable footprints.

User estimates (residents)

• Population baseline: roughly 112,000–116,000 residents.
• Unique mobile phone users: about 85,000–95,000 residents (roughly 75–82% of total population).
• Smartphone users: about 78,000–88,000 (driven by near‑universal adoption among adults under 50 and teens).
• Smartphone‑only internet households: estimated 17–25% in Bradley County vs roughly 14–20% statewide. Drivers locally include a lower median household income than the state, more renters and students (Lee University), and good mobile coverage that makes phone‑only workable.

Demographic patterns (how usage differs within the county)

• Age
  • 18–49: near‑saturation smartphone ownership (≈95%+), similar to statewide.
  • 50–64: high adoption (≈80–90%); growing use of mobile banking/benefits apps.
  • 65+: lower smartphone ownership (≈65–75%) but rising quickly; more basic‑phone usage persists in rural pockets.
• Income and housing
  • Lower‑income and renter households disproportionately rely on mobile as their primary internet. Bradley County’s income profile implies a higher mobile‑only share than Tennessee overall.
• Students and young workers
  • Cleveland’s student population boosts prepaid/MVNO usage and heavy app/data use; dorms and shared housing increase phone‑only reliance.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Hispanic and Black residents are more likely to be smartphone‑only for home internet than White residents, similar to national patterns; Bradley’s growing Hispanic community contributes to higher mobile‑only rates locally.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro view
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) have strong highway and in‑town coverage; 5G is well‑established in Cleveland and along I‑75, with mid‑band 5G available on at least one carrier across much of the urban core.
• Capacity and speeds
  • In and around Cleveland: typical 5G performance ranges from fast LTE‑plus to high‑throughput mid‑band 5G during off‑peak; congests at school start/end times and weekend retail peaks.
  • Rural edges and ridges: service commonly steps down to LTE with lower capacity; signal shadowing in valleys can create pockets of poor indoor coverage.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Multiple long‑haul fiber routes parallel I‑75; business districts and campuses have good backhaul. Cable broadband is widespread in the city; fiber‑to‑the‑home availability is expanding but uneven in outer Bradley, where co‑ops and new builds are filling gaps.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • 5G home internet is available from at least one national carrier in and around Cleveland. Adoption is moderate where cable/fiber are present and higher in exurban areas lacking wired options.

How Bradley County differs from Tennessee overall

• Coverage quality: Above state average. Proximity to Chattanooga’s metro buildouts and the I‑75 corridor accelerates 5G availability and capacity compared with many rural Tennessee counties.
• Mobile‑only reliance: Also above state average. Income mix, student presence, and some rural last‑mile gaps yield a larger share of smartphone‑only households than the Tennessee average.
• Prepaid/MVNO penetration: Likely higher than the state average because of cost sensitivity and transient student/young worker populations.
• FWA role: More of a gap‑filler in exurbs than a citywide alternative; statewide, FWA plays a larger role in counties without robust cable footprints.
• Senior adoption trajectory: Catching up quickly due to improving coverage and telehealth uptake; the pace of increase appears a bit faster locally than in many rural Tennessee counties where coverage constraints remain.

Notes on method and confidence

• Estimates blend recent Census/ACS patterns for device and subscription types, Pew Research adoption trends by age, and observed Tennessee county differences in FCC Broadband Data Collection coverage. Ranges are used to avoid false precision. For programmatic planning, validate with:
  • ACS Table S2801 (Computer and Internet Use) for county vs state.
  • FCC Broadband Data Collection mobile coverage maps for 4G/5G by technology.
  • Independent speed/availability aggregators (e.g., Ookla, OpenSignal) for local performance and congestion hotspots.
  • Local tower/permitting records and provider build announcements for near‑term changes.

Below is a concise, estimate-based snapshot. Figures use recent U.S. adult usage rates (Pew, 2023–2024) applied to Bradley County’s adult population and should be treated as directional (local variation ±5–10 percentage points).

Headline user stats

• Population: ~111,000; adults 18+: ~86,500
• Adults using at least one social platform: 80% (69,000)
• Teens (13–17): ~7,000; social use is near-universal, especially YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults; estimated users)

• YouTube: 83% (71k)
• Facebook: 68% (59k)
• Instagram: 47% (41k)
• Pinterest: 33% (29k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (26k)
• TikTok: 30% (26k)
• WhatsApp: 29% (25k)
• Snapchat: 27% (23k)
• X/Twitter: 20–23% (17–20k)
• Reddit: 22% (19k)
• Nextdoor: 13% (11k; likely lower outside Cleveland city)

Age breakdown (what’s most used)

• 18–29: ~95% on social. Top: YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook secondary.
• 30–49: ~85% on social. Top: YouTube, Facebook; Instagram/TikTok/Pinterest mid-tier; LinkedIn for professionals.
• 50–64: ~73% on social. Top: Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest moderate; Instagram smaller.
• 65+: ~50% on social. Top: Facebook, YouTube; limited Instagram/Nextdoor.

Gender notes

• Overall users roughly mirror population (~51% female, 49% male).
• Female-leaning: Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), Pinterest (strong), Snapchat (slight), TikTok (slight).
• Male-leaning: YouTube (moderate), Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), Discord (strong).

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for schools, churches, youth sports, local news, yard sales, lost & found.
• Marketplace culture: Facebook Marketplace is a top local commerce channel (autos, furniture, tools, outdoor gear).
• Video-forward: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery; how-to, product demos, local personalities perform well.
• Event-centric engagement: County fairs, festivals, and high school sports; best reach via Facebook Events + short video cross-posts.
• Private messaging: Many interactions move to Messenger/WhatsApp/Snapchat; include clear DM calls-to-action.
• Local micro-influencers: Business owners, coaches, pastors (2–10k followers) often outperform regional influencers on engagement.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6:30–8:00 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.), evenings (7:00–10:00 p.m.); weekend mornings strong for Marketplace.
• Tone and content: Practical, family-friendly, community-helpful posts beat snark/polarization; testimonials and UGC resonate.
• Platform nuances: LinkedIn skews to healthcare/manufacturing managers; TikTok strong for teen/young adult reach; Nextdoor patchy outside denser neighborhoods.

Notes and how to localize precisely

• These are modeled estimates. For exact local reach, pull audience sizes in ad platforms (Meta Ads Manager, TikTok Ads, Snapchat Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager) using a 10–20 mile radius around Cleveland, TN, and compare to the figures above.