Dickson County

Here are key demographics for Dickson County, Tennessee (latest U.S. Census Bureau data):

• Population size: ~60,000 (2023 population estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~40
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 18–64: ~61%
  • 65 and over: ~16%
• Gender: ~50% female, ~50% male
• Race/ethnicity (percent of total population):
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~85%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~6%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~5%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
  • Other (including American Indian/Alaska Native, NHPI): <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~23,000
  • Average household size: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~68% (about half are married-couple families)
  • Households with children under 18: ~30%
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101, DP02) and Vintage 2023 population estimates. Figures rounded for readability.

Dickson County, TN email snapshot (estimates, using ACS and Pew-style adoption rates)

• Population: ~57,000; density about 110–120 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: ~40,000–45,000 residents. Method: ~78% adults, ~92% adult email adoption plus partial teen usage.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ~19%
  • 30–49: ~38%
  • 50–64: ~24%
  • 65+: ~19% (Younger and middle-aged adults are near-universal users; seniors somewhat lower but substantial.)
• Gender split among users: roughly mirrors population, ~51% female, ~49% male.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home broadband subscription roughly 80–85% of households; 90%+ have a computer/smartphone.
  • About 10–15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Fiber buildouts have expanded since 2020, especially near the City of Dickson/White Bluff and along the I‑40 corridor; outlying rural areas still see more DSL/fixed‑wireless or satellite reliance.
  • Public Wi‑Fi via libraries/schools helps bridge gaps; mobile 4G/5G coverage strongest near towns/US‑70/I‑40, with weaker pockets in more rural hollows.

Overall: email use is widespread and near-universal among connected adults; remaining gaps correlate with rural broadband availability rather than lack of interest.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Dickson County, TN (with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Big picture

• Dickson County (about 57,000 residents) sits on the west side of the Nashville metro. Mobile service is strong along the I‑40/US‑70 corridors and in town centers (Dickson, White Bluff, Charlotte), with patchier coverage in hillier, sparsely populated areas. That geography and a still‑maturing wired broadband footprint make mobile service a primary on‑ramp to the internet for many households—more so than in Tennessee overall.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: roughly 36,000–38,000 (about 83–85% of ~44,000 adults), in line with national/state averages but with more variation by age and location within the county.
• Total smartphone users including teens: about 39,000–41,000.
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 14,000–15,000 (roughly 66–70% of ~21,000 households).
• Smartphone‑only/home internet via cellular: estimated 10–14% of households (about 2,100–3,000) vs a slightly lower share statewide; this is higher outside town centers where cable/fiber are limited.
• Wireless‑only for voice (no landline): likely in the low‑to‑mid‑70% range of adults, similar to or a bit higher than Tennessee overall.

Demographic patterns (how usage skews locally)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone ownership (near universal); heavy data use for streaming and navigation tied to commuting toward Nashville.
  • 35–64: broadly similar to state; high reliance on family plans, notable use of employer‑provided phones among commuters and trades.
  • 65+: adoption trails the state average by a few points; flip‑phone and basic‑phone usage is more common outside town centers; hotspot use among grandparents raising school‑age children is a visible niche.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower‑ and moderate‑income households are more likely to be smartphone‑dependent for home internet and to use prepaid/MVNO plans; prepaid share is likely higher than the Tennessee average.
• Race/ethnicity
  • County is predominantly White; smaller Black and Hispanic communities show above‑average smartphone dependence for home access (consistent with state and national patterns), so they account for a disproportionate share of smartphone‑only households despite smaller population shares.
• Work and education
  • K‑12 device programs and hotspot lending sustain mobile usage during homework hours.
  • Contractors/logistics workers (common locally) lean on mobile data during daytime hours; audio streaming and navigation contribute to commuting‑time peaks toward/from Nashville.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Cellular networks
  • All three national carriers operate robust LTE; 5G is strongest in and around the City of Dickson, White Bluff, Charlotte, and along I‑40 interchanges. Mid‑band 5G (capacity/speed layer) is concentrated on the main corridors; western and more rugged pockets still fall back to LTE or have weaker indoor coverage.
  • AT&T’s FirstNet presence supports public safety; coverage is generally good on primary routes.
• Fixed and mobile interplay
  • In‑town residents often have cable or fiber; outside those zones, co‑op fiber buildouts are expanding but still leave gaps, which pushes higher smartphone‑only and hotspot use than statewide.
  • 5G fixed wireless (home internet) from national carriers is available in and near town centers and is expanding along main corridors; adoption is rising as an alternative to DSL or when cable/fiber is unavailable.
• Backhaul and capacity
  • New fiber backhaul from electric co‑ops and regional providers is improving cell site capacity along primary roads; less dense areas still see congestion at peak times.
• Public/anchor connectivity
  • Schools, libraries, and municipal buildings offer Wi‑Fi and device/hotspot programs that mitigate coverage gaps for students and seniors.

How Dickson County differs from Tennessee overall

• Higher smartphone‑only/home internet dependence: The share of households relying primarily on cellular data for home connectivity is a few points higher than the state average, driven by uneven wired broadband beyond the towns.
• More uneven 5G experience: Strong 5G capacity along I‑40 and in town contrasts with LTE‑heavy pockets in rural/hilly areas; the urban counties have more uniform mid‑band 5G.
• Slightly lower senior adoption: Older adults are less likely to own smartphones than their statewide peers, with a modestly higher basic‑phone share.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO penetration: Price sensitivity and variable credit profiles likely push prepaid usage above the Tennessee average.
• Faster uptake of 5G home internet where wired is thin: Fixed‑wireless home internet is growing relatively quickly in outer parts of the county compared to statewide metro cores where cable/fiber are already ubiquitous.
• Commute‑shaped demand: Traffic toward Nashville creates pronounced morning/evening mobile usage peaks and higher reliance on in‑car data (navigation, music), a pattern less pronounced in non‑metro counties.

What to watch over the next 12–24 months

• Co‑op fiber buildouts (e.g., electric cooperative FTTH projects) closing remaining gaps, which should lower smartphone‑only reliance and shift some usage to Wi‑Fi.
• Continued mid‑band 5G expansion off the interstate corridors, improving indoor coverage and reducing rural congestion.
• Growth in fixed‑wireless home internet as a transitional solution until fiber arrives.
• Public safety network enhancements (FirstNet) and backup power at tower sites to improve resilience during severe weather.

Methods and sources (for the estimates above)

• Population and household counts: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 1‑year/5‑year recent releases).
• Smartphone ownership baselines by age/income: Pew Research Center 2023–2024.
• Household internet by cellular data plan / smartphone‑only tendencies: ACS Computer and Internet Use tables; NHIS wireless‑only voice trends.
• Coverage and technology mix: FCC mobile coverage data and carrier buildout disclosures for Middle Tennessee; observed regional deployment patterns along I‑40. Note: Exact county‑level mobile adoption isn’t directly published; figures are derived by applying state/national adoption rates and rural/urban adjustments to current county demographics and infrastructure patterns, then expressed as ranges. If you need hard counts for planning, I can outline a data pull from ACS tables plus FCC map overlays for Dickson County.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot for Dickson County, TN. Figures are best‑estimate ranges, modeled from county population (≈56–58k residents), Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 platform usage, DataReportal 2024 U.S. penetration, and typical suburban–rural patterns in the Nashville MSA.

Headline user stats

• Estimated social media users: ~40k–43k (≈70–75% of total population; ≈82–85% of residents age 13+)
• Device mix: overwhelmingly mobile-first; short‑form video consumption is high across all ages
• Gender (overall): ~53% female, ~47% male among users
• Urban centers for concentration: City of Dickson, White Bluff, Burns, Charlotte, Vanleer

Age mix of social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: ~8–10%
• 18–24: ~10–12%
• 25–34: ~16–18%
• 35–44: ~19–21%
• 45–54: ~16–18%
• 55–64: ~13–15%
• 65+: ~11–13%

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+, monthly; rounded ranges)

• YouTube: ~70–75%
• Facebook: ~60–65%
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~28–35%
• Pinterest: ~25–32% (skews female)
• Snapchat: ~20–27% (skews younger)
• X/Twitter: ~15–20%
• LinkedIn: ~12–18% (higher among commuters into the Nashville corridor)
• Nextdoor: ~8–12% (most active in denser neighborhoods around Dickson/White Bluff)

Gender skews by platform (directional)

• Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest: lean female
• YouTube, LinkedIn, X: lean male
• Snapchat: slight female tilt

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Local Groups and Pages drive discovery (buy/sell/trade, school/booster clubs, youth sports, churches, city/county updates, weather and road conditions). Marketplace is a major usage pillar.
• Messaging as the “front desk”: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs are common for inquiries and customer service; quick replies materially improve conversion.
• Video dominates: YouTube for how‑to, product research, and faith/live streams; Reels/Shorts push broad reach. Best performance comes from 6–30s clips with captions and large text.
• Local news and events: High engagement with local outlets and civic pages; event posts (fairs, high‑school sports, festivals) travel well in Groups and Stories.
• Time‑of‑day patterns (typical for similar suburban–rural counties): Morning scroll 6:30–8:30am, lunch 11:30am–1pm, evening 7–10pm; weekend Marketplace browsing surges. Friday evenings see sports‑related chatter that can crowd feeds.
• Shopping behavior: Deal‑seeking and practical purchases via Marketplace; Facebook/Instagram ads with clear local cues (map pins, “near Dickson/White Bluff,” pickup options) outperform generic creative.
• Trust signals matter: Local faces, testimonials, and recognizable landmarks increase engagement; low‑fi “from the owner/staff” videos outperform polished brand spots.
• Seasonality: School calendar and youth sports drive predictable spikes; weather alerts and holiday shopping periods lift overall usage.

Notes on method and reliability

• “Percent using platform” is modeled from national adult/teen adoption (Pew 2023–2024) adjusted for a suburban–rural county in the Nashville MSA, then scaled to Dickson County’s population; treat as directional ranges.
• Validate locally by checking Meta Ads Manager audience estimates for Dickson County, YouTube affinity reach in Google Ads, and top community Groups activity.