Hamblen County

Hamblen County, Tennessee — key demographics (latest Census/ACS-based figures)

Population

• Total population (2020 Census): 64,499.

Age

• Median age: ~40–41 years.
• Age distribution: ~22–23% under 18; ~61–62% 18–64; ~15–16% 65 and over.

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%; Male: ~49.5%.

Racial / Ethnic composition (approximate, percent of total population)

• White (non‑Hispanic): ~86–87%
• Black or African American: ~5–6%
• Asian: ~0.6–0.8%
• American Indian / Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.4%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6–7%

Household characteristics

• Number of households: ~25,700–26,000.
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons.
• Family households share: ~68–70% of households; married‑couple households about half of all households.
• Housing tenure (owner‑occupied): ~66–69%.
• Median household income: roughly $48,000–$51,000 (ACS estimate).
• Poverty rate: roughly 14–17%.

Sources: 2020 U.S. Decennial Census and recent American Community Survey 5‑year estimates (values rounded to reflect typical ACS/Census reporting conventions).

Estimated email users: about 54,000 residents (≈84% of Hamblen County’s ~64,500 population).

Age distribution of those email users (share and estimated counts)

• 0–17: 15% (≈8,100)
• 18–29: 17% (≈9,200)
• 30–49: 30% (≈16,100)
• 50–64: 22% (≈11,900)
• 65+: 16% (≈8,700)

Gender split

• Male: 49% (≈26,500)
• Female: 51% (≈27,500)

Digital access and connectivity facts

• Population density ~260 people/sq mi centered on Morristown; county mixes urban cluster and rural areas that drive uneven service.
• Estimated household broadband availability ~90% countywide; 4G LTE is near‑universal in populated corridors, but persistent fixed broadband and fiber gaps remain in outlying rural pockets.
• Trend: mobile-first access and smartphone email dominate younger cohorts; stable, high email use among 30–64 supports formal communications (work, healthcare, government); adoption among 65+ is growing but lags in frequency and mobile optimization needs.

Summary — mobile phone usage in Hamblen County, Tennessee (model-based estimates and insights)

Note on data and method: county-level public data on “smartphone ownership” is not published directly by a single source. The figures below are modeled estimates based on U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) 5‑year demographic and internet-subscription patterns, state-level Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks, and adjustments for Hamblen County’s demographic profile (age, income, urban/rural mix). Where I give point estimates I also show a conservative ± range to reflect modeling uncertainty.

Key snapshot

• Population (2020 Census baseline): ~64,500 residents.
• Estimated number of mobile phone users (people who personally use a mobile phone): 56,000 ± 2,000 (≈87% ± 3% of population).
• Estimated smartphone owners: 53,000 ± 2,000 (≈82% ± 3% of population).

Household-level connectivity

• Households with any fixed broadband subscription (cable, fiber, DSL): 76% ± 4% of households. This is below the Tennessee state average (model ≈81%–83%).
• Mobile-only households (household relies on cellular connection and does not subscribe to fixed broadband at home): 22% ± 3% of households, higher than the Tennessee average (≈17%–19%).
• Households with a cellular data plan used as primary home internet (mobile hotspot / phone tethering predominant): estimated 12% ± 3%.

Demographic breakdown (mobile/smartphone usage)

• 18–34 years: smartphone ownership ≈97% ± 2%; mobile-primary internet use ≈18% ± 3%.
• 35–49 years: smartphone ownership ≈92% ± 3%; mobile-primary internet use ≈14% ± 3%.
• 50–64 years: smartphone ownership ≈85% ± 4%; mobile-primary internet use ≈8% ± 3%.
• 65+ years: smartphone ownership ≈62% ± 5%; mobile-primary internet use ≈6% ± 3%.

Demographic and socio-economic context affecting usage

• Racial/ethnic composition (approximate): higher non-Hispanic white share than the state average (model: ~86–90% white non-Hispanic; Tennessee statewide ~73%). This lower racial/ethnic diversity correlates with usage patterns similar to other nonmetropolitan Tennessee counties.
• Median household income (model estimate): ~$44,000 ± $3,000, below the Tennessee median. Lower household income correlates with higher rates of mobile-only households and lower fixed broadband subscription.
• Educational attainment: lower share of bachelor’s degree attainment than the state average (model: ≈16–20% with bachelor’s), which aligns with heavier reliance on mobile devices for routine internet access versus desktop/fixed broadband usage.

Digital infrastructure points (availability, providers, and quality)

• Mobile network coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide voice and LTE coverage in Morristown and other population centers; 5G coverage is present in parts of Morristown and major corridors but is spotty or absent in more rural parts of the county.
• Fixed broadband providers: Cable (Spectrum) is the primary cable provider in Morristown and denser neighborhoods; AT&T provides DSL and limited fiber where deployed; smaller local providers and wireless ISPs serve scattered rural areas. There is not a single countywide fiber-to-the-home network covering all residents.
• Competitive dynamics: fewer fixed-provider choices in outlying/rural tracts compared with urban/suburban tracts. That limited competition contributes to higher mobile-only reliance and slower adoption of fixed gigabit-capable services.
• Public / institutional Wi‑Fi and anchors: schools, libraries, and county municipal buildings provide public Wi‑Fi in Morristown; however, off-campus public Wi‑Fi availability is limited in rural townships.
• Latency and throughput: measured/consumer-reported download speeds in populated areas typically match advertised cable/DSL tiers (tens to low hundreds of Mbps), but median speeds fall substantially in rural tracts where fixed broadband is absent and users depend on cellular or fixed wireless (often under 25 Mbps).

Trends in Hamblen County that differ from Tennessee-level averages

• Lower smartphone-penetration growth: Hamblen’s smartphone ownership is slightly below the Tennessee average (gap ≈2–5 percentage points), especially in the 65+ cohort, reflecting an older population and lower income.
• Higher mobile-only household share: Hamblen’s mobile-only household rate (22%) is meaningfully higher than the state average (17–19%), indicating greater reliance on cellular for internet access at home.
• Lower fixed broadband subscription rate: an estimated 5–7 point deficit versus Tennessee averages, concentrated in rural tracts where provider options are limited.
• Slower 5G / fiber deployment than urban Tennessee counties: Morristown shows early 5G and partial fiber coverage, but large portions of the county lag behind urban peers in next-generation fixed and mobile infrastructure.
• Greater sensitivity to price: with median income below state average, adoption of fixed broadband and higher-tier mobile data plans appears more price-sensitive; promotional discounted plans and low-cost broadband offerings have higher uptake when available.

Operational implications and insights

• Digital inclusion: the combination of an older-than-average population, lower median income, and above-average mobile-only household count suggests digital-literacy and affordability programs will be more impactful in Hamblen than in higher-adoption Tennessee counties. Programs that subsidize home fixed broadband or expand low-cost wired alternatives would likely reduce mobile-only dependence.
• Service planning: wireless carriers can find incremental gains by filling 5G coverage gaps along transportation corridors and in larger rural clusters; fixed broadband expansion (fiber or fixed wireless with backhaul upgrades) in underserved tracts would reduce the county’s broadband adoption gap.
• Public services and outreach: because a sizable share of residents rely on smartphones as their primary online device, county services and emergency communications should be optimized for mobile (responsive websites, SMS alerts, low-bandwidth content). However, any service that assumes constant high-bandwidth access will exclude the mobile-only cohort.

Bottom-line figures (model-derived, conservative)

• Population: ~64,500
• Mobile-phone users: ~56,000 (≈87% ± 3%)
• Smartphone owners: ~53,000 (≈82% ± 3%)
• Fixed-broadband subscription (households): ~76% ± 4%
• Mobile-only households: ~22% ± 3%

These modeled estimates indicate Hamblen County lags Tennessee averages modestly on smartphone penetration and more noticeably on fixed broadband adoption and next-generation infrastructure deployment, driven by demographic and economic factors and by provider availability in rural tracts.

Summary — Hamblen County social media snapshot (short, estimated)

Overview

• Population (approx.): 64,000. Estimated active social media users: ~38,000–42,000 (roughly 60–66% of total population; ~78–82% of adults).
• Daily engagement: ~65% of county social users check at least one platform daily; ~40% use social media multiple times per day.

Age groups (share of each age group who use social media; estimated)

• 18–29: ~95% active on at least one platform; heavy daily use (80–90% check daily; 60–75% multiple times/day).
• 30–49: ~88% active; frequent use (65–75% daily).
• 50–64: ~75% active; regular use (50–60% daily).
• 65+: ~40–50% active; mostly occasional (30–40% daily).

Gender breakdown (estimated among active users)

• Female: ~51–53% of social users.
• Male: ~47–49% of social users.
• Platform gender skews: women in Hamblen more likely to use Facebook and Pinterest; men slightly more likely to use YouTube and X/Twitter. Overall usage rate difference by gender is modest.

Most-used platforms (estimated penetration among Hamblen social users)

• Facebook (including Facebook Groups & Pages): 75–80% — dominant for local news, community groups, event sharing, and older adults.
• YouTube: 80–88% — top for video consumption across ages; used for how-to, entertainment, and local business videos.
• Instagram: 40–50% — strongest among 18–34; visual-first local business marketing and younger adults.
• TikTok: 25–35% — concentrated in younger cohorts (18–29 and some 30–39); growing fastest year-over-year.
• Snapchat: 20–28% — largely 18–29.
• X (Twitter): 10–15% — small but vocal, used for news/political engagement.
• LinkedIn: 10–15% — professional network use (job-hunting, local professionals).
• Nextdoor / neighborhood apps: 10–12% — important for hyperlocal community alerts, lost/found, recommendations.

Behavioral trends and insights

• Local information and community groups drive Facebook usage: town events, school updates, yard sales, and police/fire alerts get consistently high engagement.
• Video-first consumption rising: short-form video (TikTok, Reels) is growing rapidly among younger users; longer-form local content and how-tos perform well on YouTube and Facebook.
• Older adults skew to Facebook for both news and community connection; they are less present on TikTok/Instagram.
• High trust in peer recommendations: local business reviews, group referrals, and shared personal experiences carry strong influence on shopping choices.
• Social commerce adoption is moderate: users discover businesses on social platforms, but many still prefer in-person or direct-store purchases; online purchasing via social apps is increasing, especially among 25–44.
• Event-driven spikes: engagement rises sharply around local events, school sports, and elections; misinformation/mixed-accuracy posts can spread quickly within closed groups.
• Privacy and skepticism: a meaningful subset of older users express privacy concerns and limit activity to closed groups or passive consumption.
• Rapid growth potential: TikTok and Instagram Reels are the fastest-growing engagement channels among younger residents; businesses and local institutions that adopt short-form video see above-average reach growth.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county-level estimates derived from Hamblen demographic profiles combined with Tennessee and national platform-usage patterns (Pew Research and industry trend baselines). Use these as actionable planning estimates rather than absolute census counts.