Jefferson County

Key demographics for Jefferson County, Tennessee (latest available):

• Population (2023 estimate): ~57,200
• Age:
  • Median age: ~43
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 18–64: ~60%
  • 65 and over: ~19%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~50.8%
  • Male: ~49.2%
• Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race):
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~87%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~6%
  • Black/African American (non-Hispanic): ~3%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native and other: <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~22,000
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~69% of households
  • Housing tenure: ~76% owner-occupied, ~24% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (2023) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Figures rounded; ACS estimates include sampling error.

Jefferson County, TN snapshot

• Population and density: ~58,500 residents; land ≈274 sq mi; ~213 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~42,000 adults (assumes ~78% of residents are 18+ and ~92% of U.S. adults use email).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):
  • 18–29: ~8,000 (19%)
  • 30–49: ~13,900 (33%)
  • 50–64: ~10,900 (26%)
  • 65+: ~9,200 (22%)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (21,400) and 49% male (20,600), mirroring the county’s population balance.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • ~81% of households subscribe to broadband; ~90% have a computer; ~12% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • Broadband is strongest in Jefferson City, Dandridge, and along the I‑40/I‑81 corridor; rural and lakeshore areas rely more on cellular/fixed‑wireless.
  • Adoption continues to rise, with fiber expanding in pockets but not countywide; seniors’ adoption trails younger adults, shaping usage patterns.

Insights: Email penetration is effectively mainstream across working‑age adults, with a sizeable and growing 65+ user base. Coverage concentration along transport corridors and moderate population density support robust access, while smartphone‑only households signal ongoing reliance on mobile connectivity.

Jefferson County, Tennessee — mobile phone usage summary (focus on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Headline usage estimates (2023–2024, modeled from ACS S2801 5‑year county data, TN state benchmarks, and Pew adoption rates):

• Estimated adult smartphone users: ~38,000–39,000 (about 85% of ~44,500 adults), plus ~3,500 teen users (ages 13–17), yielding roughly 41,000–42,000 residents age 13+ with smartphones.
• Households with a smartphone: ~20,200 (about 90% of ~22,500 households).
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~18,200 (≈81%).
• Cellular-only internet households (rely on smartphone/hotspot; no fixed broadband): ~3,300–3,500 (≈15%).
• Households with no home internet subscription of any kind: ~4,000 (≈18%).

How Jefferson County differs from Tennessee overall

• Cellular-only reliance is higher: ~15% of households in Jefferson County vs ~12% statewide. The county leans more on mobile data as a primary home connection.
• Smartphone presence at the household level is slightly lower: ~90% vs ~92% statewide, reflecting an older age profile and more rural settlement.
• Fixed broadband take-up is a bit weaker, and mobile networks shoulder more of the everyday connectivity load than in metro/suburban Tennessee.
• Off-corridor mobile performance and reliability lag the state average due to terrain and a sparser tower grid; peak speeds on interstates are competitive, but valley/lakeshore coverage is patchier.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns and implications)

• Age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (≈95%+), in line with state norms.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈90%), slightly below urban Tennessee.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈65–70%) than the state average for seniors, contributing to the county’s marginally lower overall smartphone saturation. Seniors who do adopt are more likely to be cellular-only for home access than seniors in metro TN.
• Income:
  • Lower-income households are over-represented compared with the state average and are more likely to be cellular-only. Expect a larger share using prepaid/MVNO plans and prioritizing data-efficient apps.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county is majority White non-Hispanic, with smaller Black and Hispanic communities than the state average. Device ownership rates across groups are broadly similar, but cellular-only reliance tends to be highest among lower-income households regardless of race/ethnicity.
• Geography within the county:
  • Towns (Jefferson City, Dandridge, White Pine, New Market) show near-statewide adoption patterns.
  • Outlying and lakeshore areas display higher cellular-only reliance and more coverage variability, especially indoors and in hollows.

Digital infrastructure points

• Carrier footprint:
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all provide LTE countywide. 5G coverage is strongest along I‑40/I‑81 and in/around Jefferson City, Dandridge, and White Pine. Verizon’s 5G coverage is more corridor-centric; AT&T and T‑Mobile show broader 5G along major roads and town centers.
• Performance:
  • On-corridor outdoor speeds are typically strong and competitive with statewide medians; off-corridor rural areas commonly see lower throughputs and more variability, especially indoors. This performance gap relative to state averages is more pronounced than in suburban counties.
• Terrain effects:
  • The Appalachian foothills and the shorelines of Douglas and Cherokee Lakes create signal shadowing and small dead zones, increasing network variability versus flatter Tennessee counties.
• Public safety and institutions:
  • AT&T FirstNet serves public safety. Schools and libraries provide important Wi‑Fi offload; this offloading role is more critical locally because cellular-only households are more common.
• Near-term outlook:
  • Ongoing fiber and fixed wireless builds (funded by state and federal broadband programs) are expected to reduce cellular-only reliance by mid‑decade, but mobile will remain a primary access path for a sizable minority, especially in outlying areas.

Key takeaways for planning and outreach

• Plan for a higher share of cellular-only users than the Tennessee average; optimize services for variable bandwidth and indoor coverage challenges.
• SMS and lightweight app experiences matter more here than in urban Tennessee; offline-capable features help.
• Engagement that leans on 5G-dependent experiences will perform best along the I‑40/I‑81 corridor and in town centers; provide fallbacks for rural users.

Social media usage in Jefferson County, Tennessee — 2025 snapshot

Definitive local demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020):

• Population: 54,683
• Gender: 51% female, 49% male
• Community profile: Largely suburban–rural with an older-than-U.S.-average age mix (skew toward 45+)

Estimated platform penetration among adults in Jefferson County (Method: Applied Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s older age profile and suburban–rural setting; use as best-available local estimates.)

• Facebook: 70%
• YouTube: 80%
• Instagram: 42%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 22%
• Pinterest: 36% (notably higher among women)
• WhatsApp: 23%
• X (Twitter): 24%
• Reddit: 18%
• Nextdoor: 14%

Age-group usage patterns (localized from national behavior)

• 13–24: High on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook used mainly for groups/events and family. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) dominates.
• 25–44: Heavy on Facebook (Groups/Marketplace), YouTube (DIY, reviews), Instagram (Reels). TikTok moderate, often for entertainment and local recommendations.
• 45–64: Facebook is the hub (community groups, churches, schools, youth sports, Marketplace). YouTube strong for how-to, local news clips. Pinterest active among women.
• 65+: Facebook for community and family updates; YouTube for tutorials, faith content, and news recaps. Lower adoption of Instagram/TikTok but growing via Reels cross-posts.

Gender notes

• Women: Higher likelihood of Facebook Group engagement and Pinterest; strong participation in community/parent groups, church networks, local events.
• Men: Strong YouTube usage (DIY, automotive/outdoors), higher-than-average Reddit among tech/hobby segments; Facebook for local news and Marketplace.

Most-used platforms (ranked, estimated adult share)

1. YouTube (80%)
2. Facebook (70%)
3. Instagram (42%)
4. Pinterest (36%)
5. TikTok (28%)
6. X/Twitter (24%)
7. WhatsApp (23%)
8. Snapchat (22%)
9. Reddit (18%)
10. Nextdoor (14%)

Behavioral trends observed in counties like Jefferson (applies locally)

• Community-first Facebook behavior: Very high engagement in local Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, festivals, yard sales). Marketplace is a top driver of daily opens.
• Video is king: YouTube for “how-to” and product research; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) increasingly cross-posted by local businesses for reach.
• Local news and alerts: Weather, road closures, school announcements, and high-school sports drive spikes in engagement, often via Facebook shares.
• Event discovery and attendance: Fairs, seasonal festivals, and charity events are promoted and discovered via Facebook Events and group posts.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; Snapchat dominates teen peer messaging; WhatsApp adoption is lower than national average but used within certain communities and for small-business customer comms.
• Shopping and recommendations: Marketplace plus “ISO” (in search of) posts in groups; short-form video product demos influence impulse buys. Review-seeking happens on Facebook comments and YouTube.
• Posting cadence: Evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends see peak local interactions; weekday mornings used for news/alerts.

Notes on sources and method

• Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau (Jefferson County, TN, 2020 Census) for population and gender.
• Platform usage: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2024). County percentages are modeled estimates derived from national adoption rates adjusted for Jefferson County’s older age mix and suburban–rural characteristics.