Humphreys County

Key demographics for Humphreys County, Tennessee Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Vintage Population Estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year)

Population

• Total population (2023 est.): ~19,200
• 2020–2023 change: roughly stable to slight growth

Age

• Median age: ~44–45 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White (alone, non-Hispanic): ~90–91%
• Black or African American (alone): ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0.3–0.5%
• Asian (alone): ~0.3–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (alone): ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~7,600–7,800
• Persons per household: ~2.4
• Family households: ~68–70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Nonfamily households: ~30–32%; living alone: ~27–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80%

Insights

• The county is small, aging, and predominantly non-Hispanic White, with balanced gender distribution.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high owner-occupancy typical of rural Tennessee.
• Age profile skews older than the U.S. median, implying steady demand for senior services and healthcare alongside a modest youth share.

• Scope: Humphreys County, TN population 18,990 (2020 Census), roughly 7,900 households, low-density rural county (~36 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: About 13,800 adult users. Basis: ~15,000 adults and ~92% adult email adoption.
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s population.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–34: ~25%
  • 35–54: ~33%
  • 55–64: ~18%
  • 65+: ~24%
• Digital access and usage:
  • ~80% of households have a home broadband subscription; ~12% are smartphone‑only internet; ~8% remain unconnected.
  • Smartphone adoption exceeds 85% of adults; a majority of residents check email primarily on mobile.
  • Fixed broadband is strongest along the I‑40 corridor and around Waverly; outlying hollows and river-valley areas experience patchier service and lower speeds.
  • Fiber buildouts are expanding but last‑mile costs remain high due to dispersed settlement patterns.
• Insight: Despite rural constraints, email penetration is high and broadly uniform by gender; older age structure modestly shifts usage toward the 35+ cohorts, while mobile-first behavior is notable among younger and lower-income users.

Mobile phone usage in Humphreys County, Tennessee — summary with estimates, demographics, and infrastructure, with emphasis on how the county differs from statewide patterns

Key context

• Population baseline: 18,990 (2020 Census). Roughly 7,600–7,900 households; adult (18+) population about 15,000–15,500.
• Rural profile: Predominantly rural with small population centers (Waverly, New Johnsonville) and substantial low-density areas along the Tennessee and Buffalo River valleys. Median age is higher than the state average, and household incomes are lower, both of which influence device ownership and plan selection.

User estimates (point-in-time, 2024-calibrated)

• Residents using a mobile phone (any cell phone): 14,000–15,000 users (about 92–98% of adults). This is slightly below but broadly aligned with statewide adult cell ownership.
• Residents using a smartphone: 12,300–13,200 users (about 81–87% of adults). This is an estimated 5–8 percentage points below the Tennessee statewide rate for adults, reflecting the county’s older age mix and lower household incomes.
• Households relying on mobile data as their primary home internet (cellular-only for home access): 14–18% of households (roughly 1,100–1,350 households), materially higher than the statewide share (about 11–13%). This gap is driven by patchier fixed-broadband availability outside Waverly and the I‑40 corridor.
• Wireless-only telephony (households without a landline): approximately two-thirds of adults live in wireless-only households, on par with or modestly above the Tennessee average. Rural residents are less likely to maintain a legacy landline, and post-flood network hardening has reinforced confidence in mobile as a primary voice channel.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-saturation smartphone use (≈94–97%); accounts for a disproportionately high share of heavy data consumption and 5G adoption relative to its share of the county’s population.
  • 35–64: High smartphone use (≈85–90%), with many using hotspotting or fixed wireless as backup to or substitute for wired broadband.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone use (≈60–70%), nudging down the countywide average versus Tennessee. Feature phones and basic plans remain more common; device financing and simplified plans have outsized impact on uptake in this segment.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower-income households show higher rates of prepaid and MVNO subscriptions and higher likelihood of mobile-only home internet. Participation in ACP (prior to funding lapse) was notable; its phase-down increases price sensitivity and churn risk.
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county’s population is majority White with small Black and Hispanic/Latino communities; observed differences in smartphone adoption by race are smaller than differences by age and income. Coverage and affordability, not ethnicity, are the primary drivers of variation.
• Work patterns
  • A higher share of outdoor, transport, and shift work than the state average raises the value of wide-area voice reliability and midband coverage over ultra-fast millimeter-wave 5G.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage
  • 4G LTE: Broad population coverage across main corridors (I‑40, US‑70, TN‑13) and towns. Terrain-induced gaps persist along river valleys and sparsely populated southern tracts.
  • 5G: Concentrated in and around Waverly and along I‑40 and major highways; coverage thins quickly in low-density areas. County 5G availability lags the statewide footprint, which is fuller in metro areas.
• Speeds and capacity
  • Typical rural LTE downlink 10–40 Mbps; 5G low/mid-band 50–300 Mbps in covered zones. Peak speeds are below Tennessee’s metro averages due to fewer sectors, more deprioritization on congested spectrum, and longer inter-site distances.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Fiber expansion by Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (MLEC Fiber) has been accelerating, improving tower backhaul resilience and enabling new small cells in and near Waverly. Charter Spectrum provides cable in town; outside of town, options are limited, sustaining higher mobile and fixed-wireless dependence.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • Verizon and T‑Mobile 5G Home/FWA are available in and around Waverly and along the interstate corridor; availability falls off in outlying areas. Take‑up is growing faster than statewide averages because it fills gaps where DSL or cable are absent or underperforming.
• Network hardening and resiliency
  • Post‑August 2021 flood restoration included FirstNet/AT&T and other carrier hardening, generator deployments, and backhaul diversity, improving reliability for public safety and general users. Nevertheless, localized power and backhaul outages remain the biggest risk in remote areas.

How Humphreys County differs from Tennessee overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: Countywide adult smartphone use is estimated 5–8 points below the state average, driven by older age structure and lower incomes.
• Higher reliance on mobile for home internet: Cellular-only home internet and FWA adoption are both higher than the statewide average because fiber/cable availability is patchier outside town centers.
• Slower and spottier 5G: 5G coverage and median speeds lag statewide levels; users experience more fallbacks to LTE, especially away from the I‑40/US‑70 corridors.
• More prepaid and MVNO usage: Price sensitivity and intermittent credit constraints increase prepaid share relative to statewide patterns, with higher churn and deal-driven porting.
• Voice and coverage value outweigh peak speed: Residents prioritize reliable voice/SMS and broad coverage over top-end 5G throughput, contrasting with metro TN markets where speed tiers are a stronger driver.

Actionable insights

• Network build that emphasizes midband coverage layers (e.g., 600/700 MHz anchor plus 2.5/3.45 GHz where feasible) will yield better real-world gains than additional millimeter-wave in town.
• Targeted offers for 65+ and lower-income households (simplified plans, affordable 5G handsets, and bundled FWA) will close much of the remaining smartphone adoption gap.
• Backhaul diversity and permanent power backup at valley and river-adjacent sites mitigate the county’s principal outage risks more than additional spectrum alone.

Methodological notes and sources

• Population and household counts: U.S. Census (2020) and ACS five-year profiles for county-level demographics.
• Device ownership baselines: Pew Research Center national age-cohort smartphone ownership, benchmarked to Tennessee; rural penalty applied to estimate county-level rates.
• Home internet by access type: ACS Computer and Internet Use (table S2801) used to infer higher cellular-only reliance in rural counties versus statewide averages.
• Wireless-only telephony baseline: CDC National Health Interview Survey state estimates, adjusted for rural counties.

Humphreys County, TN social media snapshot (2025)

Key user stats

• Population baseline: roughly 19,000 (U.S. Census estimate). Adult share is typical of rural Tennessee.
• Estimated social media users: 12,500–13,500 residents (about 80–85% of adults; roughly 65–72% of total population).
• Device mix: usage is predominantly mobile; video is the most-consumed format.

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled share of residents using each platform)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 68–72%
• Instagram: 35–40%
• TikTok: 28–33%
• Snapchat: 25–30% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 28–32% (female-skewed)
• X (Twitter): 18–22% (male-leaning, news/sports heavy users)
• LinkedIn: 12–15% (skews to commuters/professionals)
• Reddit: 10–12%
• Nextdoor: under 10% (limited rural coverage)

Age-group adoption patterns (share using at least one platform; platform highlights)

• Teens (13–17): 90%+ use social media; heavy Snapchat and TikTok; YouTube near-universal; little Facebook posting.
• 18–29: 95%+ overall; YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat 65–70%, TikTok 60–65%, Facebook 65–70%.
• 30–49: around 90%; Facebook 75–80%, YouTube 90%+, Instagram 55–60%, TikTok 35–40%.
• 50–64: 75–80%; Facebook 70–75%, YouTube 78–82%, Instagram 30–35%, TikTok ~20–25%.
• 65+: 65–70%; Facebook 50–55%, YouTube 55–60%, Instagram 12–18%, TikTok 8–12%.

Gender breakdown

• Users are roughly balanced overall, aligning with county demographics, with a slight female tilt among active social media users (about 52–55% female, 45–48% male).
• Platform skews: Pinterest is predominantly female (~75–80%); Facebook slightly female-leaning; YouTube and Reddit male-leaning; TikTok slightly female-leaning; Instagram near even but younger-female skew in posting.

Behavioral trends

• Community coordination lives on Facebook: Groups for schools, churches, civic updates, storm/flood information, and yard sales; Marketplace is a primary channel for local commerce.
• Video-first consumption: short-form video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) continues to rise; how-to, outdoors, fishing/boating, DIY, and automotive content over-index on YouTube.
• Messaging over public posting for younger users: Snapchat and Instagram DMs/stories drive daily interactions; older cohorts rely on Facebook Messenger.
• Timing: local engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday spikes around lunch are common for quick video scrolls.
• Local business usage: restaurants, real estate, automotive, contractors and home services prioritize Facebook and Instagram; boosted posts with 15–25 mile geo-targeting capture most practical reach.
• Trust dynamics: posts from official local pages and recognized group admins guide narratives during weather and emergency events; photo/video proof and links to county or state sources increase credibility and sharing.

Notes on method

• Figures are the best-available local estimates derived from Humphreys County demographics (U.S. Census/ACS) and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social platform adoption rates, adjusted for rural counties. Percentages refer to adults unless noted and represent modeled ranges rather than platform-published county counts.