Hickman County

Hickman County, Tennessee — key demographics

Population size

• 25,178 (2020 Census)
• ~25.6k (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 18–64: ~59–60%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~90–91%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.5%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.2%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~9,800–10,000
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~66–67% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77–79%
• Housing units: ~11,000–11,500; vacancy ~12–13%

Insights

• Small, predominantly non-Hispanic White population with modest growth since 2010
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with a sizable 65+ share
• High homeownership and majority family-household composition; Hispanic share has been gradually increasing

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

• Population and density: Hickman County, TN had 24,925 residents in 2020 across ~612 sq mi (≈41 people/sq mi).
• Digital access: About 82% of households have an internet subscription; ~90% have a computer; ~88% have a smartphone, with roughly 16% being smartphone‑only internet households. Connectivity is uneven in rural pockets, with growing fiber coverage and strong reliance on mobile and public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) where wired options lag.
• Estimated email users: ~20,000 residents (≈80% of the total population; ≈94% of online adults).
• Age distribution of email use (share using email):
  • 18–34: ~97%
  • 35–54: ~96%
  • 55–64: ~93%
  • 65+: ~85%
  • Teens 13–17: ~70% maintain and use email (often for school/accounts) This yields an adult user base concentrated in 35–54, followed by 18–34, with seniors growing steadily.
• Gender split: Approximately even; women account for ~50–51% of email users, men ~49–50%.
• Trends and insights: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults, increasingly checked on smartphones. Adoption is constrained mainly by household internet gaps in the most rural areas; where broadband is available, email usage aligns with statewide norms.

Mobile phone usage in Hickman County, Tennessee — 2024 snapshot

Overview and user estimates

• Modeled users: 17,000–20,000 adult smartphone users countywide, based on 2020 Census population size, the county’s older-than-state median age mix, and rural smartphone adoption rates observed by national surveys. This puts Hickman slightly below Tennessee’s overall adult smartphone penetration but still in the mid–80% range among adults.
• Household connectivity profile (ACS 5-year S2801/S2802 indicators, latest available): Hickman households are more likely than the state average to rely on a cellular data plan for internet access and less likely to have a fixed broadband subscription. The county also shows a higher share of “cellular-only” internet households than Tennessee overall.
• Wireless-only voice: The share of adults living in wireless-only (no landline) households is high and in line with rural Tennessee norms, but the county likely sits a few points below the statewide figure due to its older population profile.

How Hickman differs from Tennessee overall

• Reliance on mobile data for home internet is higher. A larger slice of Hickman households report a cellular data plan and no other home internet subscription than the state aggregate, reflecting fixed-broadband gaps in rural terrain.
• Fixed broadband adoption is lower. Overall broadband subscription (any technology) trails the Tennessee average, which nudges more residents toward heavier mobile usage for everyday connectivity.
• Device age and plan type skew more value/prepaid. Relative to the state, Hickman shows a higher prevalence of prepaid or budget plans and older handsets, aligned with lower median incomes and price sensitivity in rural counties.
• Coverage quality varies more by micro-geography. Compared with statewide averages, Hickman has a larger urban–rural performance gap: strong highway/corridor signal quality but weaker service in forested hollows and river valleys.

Demographic breakdown (directional differences vs. Tennessee)

• Age: Adults 65+ in Hickman are less likely to own smartphones than their peers statewide, widening the age adoption gap. Working-age adults (25–54) are near state averages.
• Income: Households under $50,000 are notably more likely to be smartphone-only for internet than the statewide cohort, while higher-income households close part of the fixed-broadband gap but still lag state penetration.
• Education: Adults without a college credential are more likely to be mobile-only and to use prepaid plans compared with state averages; college-educated residents track closer to statewide adoption and plan types.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is majority White non-Hispanic; Black and Hispanic residents in Hickman display high smartphone reliance similar to statewide patterns, with above-average use of mobile as the primary internet connection where fixed options are limited.
• Children in household: Households with school-age children show higher smartphone and tablet penetration than childless households, but remain more mobile-reliant than the Tennessee average due to uneven fixed-broadband availability.

Digital infrastructure and market conditions

• Carriers and radio access
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all provide LTE and low-band 5G countywide; mid-band 5G is strongest along primary corridors and town centers, with patchier reach into sparsely populated ridges and valleys.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage supports public safety and is a driver of AT&T footprint improvements around critical facilities.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Ongoing rural fiber builds by regional electric cooperatives (notably Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative/MLConnect) and other providers have expanded middle-mile and last-mile capacity. Where fiber is available, it materially improves LTE/5G performance via upgraded backhaul and creates competition with fixed services.
• Terrain impacts
  • Hickman’s hilly, forested Western Highland Rim topography introduces more dead zones and in-home attenuation than typical statewide, elevating the role of outdoor antennas, Wi‑Fi calling, and carrier aggregation for dependable service.
• Alternative access
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) via 5G and LTE is an important substitute where fiber/cable are absent, contributing to the county’s above-average reliance on cellular data for home internet compared with Tennessee overall.

Usage patterns and implications

• Mobile-first behavior: A larger share of residents depend on smartphones for essential online tasks (banking, government services, telehealth, school platforms) than the state average, reflecting both affordability and access realities.
• Network load timing: Peak mobile data demand skews toward evening hours as mobile substitutes for home broadband; weekend peaks around recreation areas are higher than statewide norms for similarly sized populations.
• Emergency resilience: Carrier diversity plus FirstNet improves redundancy, but localized outages from storms or backhaul cuts can have outsized impact in valleys; residents disproportionately rely on text and low-bandwidth apps during incidents.

Key statistics to use for planning (from official datasets)

• Households with a smartphone and households with a cellular data plan (ACS table S2801, 5-year).
• “Cellular data plan and no other home subscription” (smartphone-only households) share (ACS S2801/S2802).
• Broadband subscription by income and age of householder (ACS S2802) to target digital inclusion.
• Coverage and technology availability by location (FCC National Broadband Map) to pinpoint fixed and mobile gaps; cross-reference with carrier 5G mid-band footprints along TN-100, TN-50, and near Centerville.

Bottom line

• Hickman County’s mobile ecosystem is robust along corridors and town centers but more uneven off-corridor than Tennessee overall.
• Smartphone adoption among adults is high, yet slightly below the state average, with significantly higher reliance on mobile data as the primary internet connection.
• Continued fiber backhaul expansion and targeted mid-band 5G infill in valleys will yield outsized gains in user experience, while affordability programs should focus on older and lower-income segments that remain under-connected or mobile-only.

Hickman County, TN social media usage snapshot (modeled 2025)

How this was built

• Base population: ≈25,000 residents (2023 estimate). Adults (18+): ≈19,600.
• Platform reach percentages use the latest Pew Research Center adult usage rates, applied to the county’s adult base to produce local user counts. Figures are rounded estimates.

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

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 16,300
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 13,300
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 9,200
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 6,900
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 6,500
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 5,900
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 5,900
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 4,300
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 4,300
• WhatsApp: 21% ≈ 4,100

Age-group profile (who’s active where)

• Teens (13–17): Near-universal YouTube; heavy TikTok and Snapchat; Facebook used mainly for school, teams, and Marketplace via parents.
• Young adults (18–34): Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube dominate; Snapchat for direct messaging; Facebook still used for events/Marketplace.
• Mid-life (35–54): Facebook and YouTube are primary; Instagram is secondary; Pinterest strong among parents and homeowners.
• 55+: Facebook and YouTube lead; TikTok/Instagram adoption growing but still trailing.

Gender breakdown

• Overall users are roughly split male/female in the county.
• Platform skews mirror national patterns: women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit. Instagram is relatively balanced; Snapchat skews younger more than by gender.

Behavioral trends (local, rural-county pattern)

• Facebook-centric community behavior: high engagement with local groups (schools, churches, youth sports), Marketplace, and county alerts; event posts and photo albums perform well.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, outdoor/recreation, equipment repair; TikTok/Instagram Reels for short local videos, new businesses, and events.
• Messaging over feeds: Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and Instagram DMs are primary channels for coordination and customer inquiries.
• Commerce and services: Strong response to local deals, service promos, yard/estate sales, and seasonal events; Facebook and Instagram drive most inbound messages for small businesses.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends; midday spikes tied to school/work breaks; weather and school announcements drive surges.
• Discovery: Word-of-mouth amplified by shares in Facebook Groups; short vertical video boosts discovery for food, retail, trades, and events.

Notes and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 county estimates.
• Platform usage rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024; Teens, Social Media and Technology (for teen behavior).
• Counts shown are modeled estimates for Hickman County adults by applying Pew’s national platform reach to the county’s adult population.