Lake County

Lake County, Tennessee — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• Total population: 7,005 (2020 Census)
• Note: Population has edged down since 2020 per annual estimates

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: Under 18 ~16–17%; 18–64 ~70%; 65+ ~13–14% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male ~72%
• Female ~28% (2020 Census; skew reflects the large state correctional facility in Tiptonville)

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~56–57%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~36–38%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Other groups (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander): each <1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~2,000
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~64–66% of households
• Housing tenure: ~70–72% owner-occupied; ~28–30% renter-occupied

Contextual insight

• A substantial share of residents are in group quarters (state prison), which inflates the male share and affects age and race distributions. Household-based metrics more closely reflect the non-institutionalized community.

Lake County, Tennessee (2020 pop. 7,005; land area ~166 sq mi; ~42 people/sq mi) has a large incarcerated population (Northwest Correctional Complex), so email use is best gauged among civilian adults.

Estimated email users: ~3,500 civilian adults (≈90% of ~3,800 civilian adults use email).

Age distribution of email users (est. counts):

• 18–29: ~640
• 30–49: ~1,090
• 50–64: ~910
• 65+: ~870

Gender split:

• Overall residents skew heavily male (due to the prison, total population is majority male).
• Among civilian adult email users: ~50% female, ~50% male.

Digital access and trends (ACS-like benchmarks for rural TN and Lake County):

• ~84% of households have a computer.
• ~71% have a home broadband subscription (trails the TN average by ~8–10 points).
• ~14% are cellular-only internet households.
• Smartphone ownership is widespread; email is commonly accessed via mobile.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Very low population density and extensive water/wetlands around Reelfoot Lake increase last‑mile costs and limit wireline buildout; access clusters around Tiptonville and primary corridors.
• These constraints depress home broadband take‑up versus the state, but mobile email access remains robust.

Mobile phone usage in Lake County, Tennessee (latest available estimates, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year and leading national tech adoption surveys; figures rounded)

Headline findings

• Mobile is the default on-ramp to the internet for many households in Lake County, significantly more so than statewide. Fixed broadband adoption lags, and 5G mid-band capacity is confined to the two population centers (Tiptonville and Ridgely).
• Compared with Tennessee overall, Lake County has a higher share of mobile-only households, more coverage variability near Reelfoot Lake and the Mississippi River floodplain, and lower typical mobile speeds due to sparse mid-band 5G and challenging terrain.

User estimates

• Households: about 2,500.
• Households with a cellular data plan (smartphone or other mobile device): about 72% (≈1,800 households). Tennessee statewide is closer to 80%.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no wireline at home): about 22% (≈560 households). Statewide ≈16%.
• Households with no home internet subscription of any kind: about 16% (≈400 households). Statewide ≈11%.
• Adult smartphone users: roughly 3,800 out of about 4,500 adults (≈85%). Rural Tennessee adults generally range ~84–88%, urban Tennessee ~90%+.

Demographic breakdown (who relies on mobile, and how)

• By age
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption; mobile is primary internet for ~25%. Estimated users ≈1,000.
  • 35–64: ~90% smartphone adoption; mobile-only ~22%. Estimated users ≈2,250.
  • 65+: ~65% smartphone adoption; mobile-only ~18% (fixed broadband affordability and availability drive higher reliance on phone plans). Estimated users ≈650.
  • Compared with Tennessee overall, adoption among seniors is a few points lower, but seniors who do have smartphones are more likely to be mobile-only in Lake County.
• By income
  • Under $25,000: ~32% mobile-only at home.
  • $25,000–$50,000: ~24% mobile-only.
  • Over $50,000: ~12% mobile-only.
  • Low-income reliance on mobile in Lake County exceeds the statewide pattern by roughly 4–6 percentage points, reflecting both affordability constraints and patchier fixed broadband.
• By race/ethnicity
  • White households: ~20% mobile-only.
  • Black households: ~28% mobile-only.
  • Hispanic households (small share of the county): ~30% mobile-only.
  • The race gap in mobile-only reliance is wider than the statewide average, largely because fixed-wire alternatives are thinner outside the two towns.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 4G LTE coverage with low-band 5G across most populated areas.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity (e.g., 2.5 GHz, C-band) is concentrated in and around Tiptonville and Ridgely; mmWave 5G is not present.
  • Coverage weak spots persist along portions of Reelfoot Lake, the refuge, and the Mississippi River bottomlands due to wetlands, protected areas, and backhaul constraints.
• Cell sites and backhaul
  • The county relies on a small number of macro towers with multi-carrier co-location, supplemented by limited small cells in town centers. Backhaul is a mix of fiber-fed sites along primary corridors (notably TN-78) and microwave-fed sites serving the lake and river edges.
  • Tower spacing is wider than the state average, which reduces mid-band 5G availability and lowers peak capacity in outlying areas.
• Typical user experience
  • Populated areas: median mobile downloads commonly 30–80 Mbps with 5–25 Mbps uplink and 30–60 ms latency.
  • Lake shore, refuge, and river levee zones: speeds often fall below 10–20 Mbps, with greater variability and occasional signal loss.
  • Tennessee urban areas routinely exceed these speeds (especially on mid-band 5G), underscoring Lake County’s capacity gap.
• Public assets
  • Libraries, schools, and county offices in Tiptonville and Ridgely provide the most reliable public Wi‑Fi access; these locations are frequently used by mobile-only households for large downloads, updates, and homework.

How Lake County differs from Tennessee overall

• Higher dependence on mobile-only internet: about 22% of households vs roughly 16% statewide.
• Lower overall home internet subscription and a higher “no-internet” share (≈16% vs ≈11% statewide), pushing more everyday tasks onto smartphones.
• Older household profile and lower median income produce a split pattern: slightly lower smartphone adoption among seniors, but higher mobile-only reliance among low-income adults.
• Sparser mid-band 5G footprint and fewer fiber-fed towers than the state average limit speeds and capacity, particularly outside town centers.
• Greater geographic coverage challenges (wetlands, wildlife refuge, floodplain) create persistent dead zones and capacity constraints that are uncommon in most Tennessee counties.

Notes on methodology

• Household subscription figures are derived from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” and scaled to Lake County’s household counts; mobile-only refers to households reporting a cellular data plan and no wireline subscription.
• Adult smartphone adoption and demographic splits are estimated by applying rural adoption rates from major national surveys to Lake County’s age and income structure, then aligned to ACS household subscription totals to avoid double counting.

Lake County, TN social media snapshot (2025)

Method note: Lake County has a substantial incarcerated population; the figures below reflect modeled estimates for the civilian, non‑institutional population, calibrated to Pew Research Center 2024 social media benchmarks, rural U.S. patterns, and Tennessee demographics.

Overall penetration

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈66% of civilian adults (range 60–70%).
• Teen usage (13–17): ≈90–95% use at least one platform.

Age breakdown (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 90–95%
• 18–29: 88–92%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 68–75%
• 65+: 40–50%

Gender breakdown (among active users; platform skews in parentheses)

• Women: ~52–55% of active users (higher presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Men: ~45–48% (higher presence on YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of all civilian adults)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 62–68%
• Instagram: 32–40%
• Pinterest: 25–32%
• TikTok: 23–30%
• Snapchat: 18–25%
• X/Twitter: 15–20%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• LinkedIn: 12–18%
• WhatsApp: 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (coverage is limited in sparsely populated areas)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, schools/athletics, churches, civic groups, and Facebook Marketplace drive frequent check‑ins and comments.
• Video first: YouTube is used for local sports highlights, how‑to/repair, hunting/fishing, agriculture, and weather; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) is growing among under‑35s.
• Messaging > public posting: Many interactions move to Messenger, SMS, and Snapchat; WhatsApp adoption remains modest.
• Trust and relevance win: Content from known local people/orgs, practical tips, deals, and event information outperform generic ads.
• Youth split: Teens gravitate to TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram; Facebook usage among teens is limited to groups/events.
• Seasonality: Engagement spikes around school calendars, severe weather, planting/harvest, hunting seasons, and community festivals.
• Employment/commerce: LinkedIn usage is comparatively low; Facebook groups and Marketplace are primary channels for local hiring, buying/selling, and service discovery.

Notes and limits

• Lake County’s overall census counts include incarcerated individuals who are not active on social media; the figures above reflect the reachable civilian population.
• Percentages are best‑available county‑level estimates derived from recent national/rural surveys; platform shares can shift several points year to year.