Houston County

Houston County, Tennessee — key demographics (latest Census Bureau data)

• Population size

  • 8,416 (2023 population estimate)

• Age

  • Median age: ~46 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18 to 64: ~57%
  • 65 and over: ~23%

• Gender

  • Female: ~50%
  • Male: ~50%

• Racial/ethnic composition

  • White alone: ~93%
  • Black or African American alone: ~3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
  • Asian alone: ~0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~91%

• Households

  • Total households: ~3,300–3,350
  • Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79%
  • Family households: ~65–67% of all households

Insights

• Small, slowly growing rural county with an older-than-national age profile (about one in five residents are 65+).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with limited racial/ethnic diversity.
• Small household sizes and high homeownership indicate a stable, family-oriented housing market.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (July 1, 2023); American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year; 2020 Decennial Census. Figures rounded for readability.

Houston County, TN — Email usage snapshot

• Population and density: ~8,500 residents across ~200 square miles; ~42 people per square mile (rural, low-density).
• Estimated email users: ~6,300 residents use email at least monthly (derived from adult share of population and U.S. email adoption in rural areas).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: 24%
  • 35–54: 33%
  • 55–64: 18%
  • 65+: 25%
• Gender split among users: ~50% female, ~50% male.
• Digital access indicators:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~76%
  • Households with no home internet: ~22%
  • Smartphone-only internet access: ~14%
• Trends and local context:
  • Strong email adoption across all ages, with a notable quarter of users aged 65+, reflecting an older rural demographic.
  • Low population density and dispersed housing increase last‑mile costs and reduce fixed-line options, making mobile connectivity an important access path.
  • Email is commonly accessed via smartphones alongside webmail, aligning with higher smartphone-only reliance and mixed fixed-broadband availability typical of rural Tennessee.

Mobile phone usage in Houston County, Tennessee — 2024 snapshot

Topline user estimates

• Total residents: about 8.4k (2023 estimate; 2020 Census was 8.3k)
• Adult mobile users: 7.2k–7.8k (roughly 85–92% of adults use a mobile phone; most are smartphones)
• Smartphone users: 6.3k–7.1k (about 75–85% of residents, reflecting slightly lower adoption than the Tennessee average because of an older age profile)
• Mobile-only internet households: 15–20% (notably higher than the statewide share, reflecting limited wired options and cost sensitivity)
• Prepaid plans share: measurably higher than the state average, consistent with rural counties and lower median incomes

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–34: Highest smartphone saturation (≈95%+). Smaller cohort share than the state, but very heavy app/social/video usage.
  • 35–64: High smartphone use (≈88–92%). Commonly use mobile as primary device for work comms and entertainment; many households tether for home internet when wired service is unavailable.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone adoption than Tennessee overall (≈60–70% vs ≈75%+ statewide). Text/voice use is near-universal, but app-based services (telehealth portals, mobile banking) trail the state.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower-income households are overrepresented relative to Tennessee, contributing to higher reliance on prepaid plans, budget MVNOs, and data-capped offerings.
  • Households without fixed broadband are more likely to depend on unlimited or high-cap mobile data plans and hotspot devices for home connectivity.
• Household composition
  • Multi-line family plans are common among working-age households; single-line prepaid is more common among seniors and single-adult households.
• Race/ethnicity
  • A predominantly White, rural population with smaller minority communities; usage patterns largely track age and income rather than race-driven gaps.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Cellular networks
  • All three national carriers have 4G LTE coverage along primary corridors and population centers (Erin, Tennessee Ridge), with low-band 5G present in and around town centers; mid-band 5G capacity is patchier than the Tennessee metro norm.
  • Terrain and tree cover create dead zones away from highways and ridgelines; signal boosters are notably more common than in urban parts of the state.
  • Average downlink speeds are materially lower than in Tennessee’s metros, and peak speeds depend on proximity to newer sites that carry mid-band spectrum.
• Towers and backhaul
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than the state average; capacity is augmented with selective small cells near schools and civic buildings but remains sparse elsewhere.
  • Microwave backhaul still appears in outlying areas; fiber-fed sites cluster near town centers and utility rights-of-way.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Fiber buildouts from regional utilities/ISPs have improved along main roads, but many roads remain on DSL or fixed wireless; as a result, mobile internet substitutes for home broadband more often than statewide.
  • Public Wi‑Fi at libraries, schools, and municipal buildings is an important supplement and is used more heavily than in urban Tennessee counties.

How Houston County differs from Tennessee overall

• Older population structure reduces smartphone adoption among seniors and keeps overall penetration a few points below the state average, even though younger adults are highly saturated.
• A larger share of households rely on mobile data as their primary home internet, exceeding the statewide rate, due to patchier wired options and price sensitivity.
• Prepaid/MVNO use is higher than the Tennessee norm, reflecting income mix and the practicality of month‑to‑month plans where service quality varies by location.
• 5G availability exists but is predominantly low-band with modest capacity gains; mid-band 5G density and median speeds lag urban/suburban Tennessee.
• Coverage variability by micro‑location is more pronounced than in the state’s metro counties, making carrier choice and signal-boosting equipment materially more consequential.

Practical implications

• Public services, schools, and clinics should continue optimizing for mobile-first access, low-bandwidth pages, and SMS-based communication for seniors.
• Emergency alerts and telehealth should account for coverage gaps and offer offline-capable or voice-driven options.
• For residents and businesses, carrier selection should be validated on-site; external antennas/boosters can meaningfully improve reliability in hollows and wooded areas.

Notes on figures

• User estimates synthesize Census population baselines with recent national/state smartphone-adoption research and rural-versus-urban deltas observed across Tennessee. Because Houston County’s age and income profiles skew more rural and older than the state, adoption rates are adjusted downward for seniors and upward for mobile-only households relative to statewide averages.

Houston County, TN social media snapshot (2025)

Most-used platforms (modeled share of adults who use each at least occasionally)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~40%
• TikTok: ~28%
• Pinterest: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~24%
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• LinkedIn: ~18%

Age group patterns

• 13–17: Heavy on TikTok and Snapchat; YouTube is universal for entertainment and how‑tos; light Facebook presence except for school/teams.
• 18–29: Multi‑platform; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat lead for daily use; YouTube for long‑form; Facebook used mainly for events, groups, and Marketplace.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram for local businesses, family content; TikTok rising for short video and product discovery.
• 50–64: Facebook is primary (Groups, Marketplace, local news), YouTube for tutorials and streaming; lighter use of Instagram; minimal Snapchat.
• 65+: Facebook first (community, churches, local government); YouTube for news and DIY; limited presence elsewhere.

Gender breakdown (usage tendencies)

• Women: Over‑index on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest; strong use of Facebook Groups, buy/sell pages, and event content.
• Men: Over‑index on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Reddit; higher consumption of sports, outdoor, auto, and tech content.
• Overall: Facebook skews slightly female, YouTube slightly male; TikTok and Instagram are closer to gender‑balanced among under‑40s.

Behavioral trends in the county

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: local news, schools, churches, sports leagues, civic alerts, and fundraising dominate engagement.
• Marketplace is a top local commerce channel: used heavily for vehicles, tools, furniture, farm/outdoor gear; weekends and early evenings see peak activity.
• Short‑form video is mainstream: TikTok and YouTube Shorts drive product discovery, recipes, DIY, and local events; cross‑posting to Facebook Reels is common.
• YouTube is “how‑to TV”: strong use for home repair, small‑engine/farm equipment, hunting/fishing, and streaming local/regional media.
• Messaging is central: Facebook Messenger is the default for coordinating sales pickups and community logistics; Snapchat DMs are key for teens/young adults.
• Posting cadence: Weekday evenings (6–9 pm) and Sunday afternoons draw the strongest local interaction; school calendars and high‑school sports noticeably shift engagement.
• News habits: Local news and weather flow through a few high‑membership Facebook Groups/pages; X is used more for regional/state sports and breaking news than for local discourse.

Notes on figures and method

• Platform percentages are modeled local estimates for Houston County adults, derived from Pew Research Center’s “Social Media Use in 2024” U.S. adoption rates, adjusted slightly for a small, rural, older‑leaning county profile. They reflect share of adults who use each platform at least occasionally, not time spent.
• Behavioral insights reflect rural Tennessee usage patterns and observed platform roles in similar counties.
• Key references: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024); U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial Census and ACS for age structure).