Lewis County

Key demographics for Lewis County, Tennessee (latest available Census Bureau data)

Population size

• 12,387 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Change since 2010: modest growth (approximately +2%)

Age (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

• Median age: about 43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; mutually exclusive)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~90–92%
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~2–4%
• Non-Hispanic Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and other: each <1% (combined ~1%)

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: roughly 4,800–4,900
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
• With children under 18: ~25–30% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45–50% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%
• Average family size: ~3.0

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Figures are rounded ACS estimates where applicable.

Lewis County, Tennessee (2020 Census: 12,161 residents) is a low-density rural county at roughly 43 people per square mile.

Estimated email users: ~9,200 residents. This reflects near‑universal use among adults with internet access and substantial teen adoption.

Age distribution of email users (approx.):

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–34: 24%
• 35–54: 32%
• 55–64: 18%
• 65+: 19%

Gender split of email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors local demographics).

Digital access and usage trends:

• About three‑quarters of households maintain a home broadband subscription, with an additional ~10–15% relying primarily on smartphone‑only internet; affordability pressures increased after the 2024 wind‑down of the federal ACP subsidy.
• Connectivity is strongest in and around Hohenwald via cable and growing fiber; Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative’s MLConnect and Spectrum have expanded fiber/cable coverage, improving speeds and reliability.
• Outlying hollows and sparsely populated areas still see gaps, where fixed wireless or legacy DSL are common.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Sparse settlement patterns raise last‑mile costs and slow buildout compared with metro Tennessee, but ongoing fiber projects are steadily increasing availability and stabilizing email access across households and small businesses.

Mobile phone usage in Lewis County, Tennessee — 2024–2025 snapshot

Context and scale

• Population: ≈12,300 (2023), with roughly 9,500 adults 18+; rural, nonmetropolitan county centered on Hohenwald.
• Households: ≈4,700.
• Demographics (ACS-style profile, 2019–2023 5-year): older and lower-income than Tennessee overall. Median age ≈44–45 (TN ≈39); median household income ≈$48k (TN ≈$65k); poverty ≈19–21% (TN ≈15%); bachelor’s degree or higher ≈14–16% (TN ≈29%); largely White, small Black and Hispanic minorities.

User estimates and adoption

• Adult mobile phone users: ≈9,000 (roughly 93–95% of adults), consistent with high mobile penetration in rural U.S.
• Adult smartphone users: ≈8,100 (≈85% of adults). Adoption is near-universal under age 55, with lower rates among 65+.
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband, rely on cellular data plans/hotspots): ≈26% of households, higher than the Tennessee average (≈17–18%).
• Typical plan mix: above-average reliance on prepaid and discount offerings and on shared/limited data plans; Lifeline participation present. The end of new Affordable Connectivity Program funding in 2024 increased bill pressure and contributed to churn toward lower-cost mobile plans and mobile-only access.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Cellular networks:
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the most consistent LTE coverage countywide; T‑Mobile covers Hohenwald and primary corridors and continues to fill rural gaps.
  • 5G is present primarily as low-band (coverage-first) 5G from AT&T and T‑Mobile in and around Hohenwald and along US‑412/primary state routes. Mid-band 5G capacity sites are limited; mmWave is not a factor.
  • Terrain-driven dead zones persist in wooded hollows and along parts of the Natchez Trace area; in-building coverage can drop off outside town centers.
  • Public safety: AT&T FirstNet Band 14 presence improves rural reliability for first responders and incidentally benefits consumer coverage where deployed.
• Wireline backhaul and offload:
  • MLConnect (Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative) has deployed fiber-to-the-home across most of Lewis County, supplying backhaul to cellular sites and enabling high-quality Wi‑Fi offload where households subscribe.
  • Spectrum offers cable broadband in Hohenwald; AT&T legacy DSL lingers in pockets; satellite (including Starlink) fills remote locations.
  • Despite broad fiber availability, take-up is constrained by affordability for some households, sustaining a higher-than-average mobile-only segment.
• Community and anchor connectivity: Schools and the public library provide high-capacity connections (E‑rate-supported), acting as important offload points for students and low-income residents.

Demographic breakdown of usage patterns

• Age: Older age structure lowers smartphone adoption and app intensity among 65+, but working-age adults show usage on par with urban peers. Households with school-age children exhibit heavy hotspot use during homework hours if fixed service is unaffordable or unavailable.
• Income: Lower incomes drive higher prepaid share, more conservative data usage (metered plans), and delayed device replacement cycles. Android devices dominate among cost-sensitive users.
• Education and work: Lower bachelor’s attainment correlates with more mobile-first job search and social platforms, and less specialized enterprise app use compared with metro Tennessee.
• Race/ethnicity: Given the county’s small minority populations, usage disparities by race are less pronounced locally than statewide; economic status is the primary differentiator.

How Lewis County differs from Tennessee overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: ≈26% of households depend on cellular data for home internet vs ≈17–18% statewide, reflecting affordability constraints despite new fiber availability.
• Slower 5G capacity rollout: Low-band 5G coverage is present, but mid-band 5G capacity sites are fewer than in Tennessee’s urban counties, so real-world speeds often resemble strong LTE outside the town core.
• More prepaid and subsidy-linked plans: Prepaid share and participation in Lifeline are meaningfully higher than the state average; the ACP wind-down disproportionately affected local fixed-broadband adoption, nudging some homes back to mobile-only.
• Device and upgrade cadence: Higher Android share and longer device lifecycles than statewide averages due to income mix; iPhone penetration is solid among younger users but lags among seniors.
• Coverage variability: Larger rural dead zones than the state average persist away from highways and Hohenwald, making carrier choice more consequential and leading some households to retain a landline or VOIP as a fallback.

Practical implications

• Mobile networks are the default internet on-ramp for a sizable minority of households, so plan affordability and rural radio upgrades (particularly mid-band 5G) have outsized impact on digital equity.
• Continued MLConnect fiber buildout and adoption support will reduce mobile-only dependence over time; pairing sign-up assistance with low-income plans can accelerate that shift.
• For organizations operating in the county, assume mixed connectivity: robust Wi‑Fi at many homes in town, but LTE/low-band 5G dependence and data caps in outlying areas. Design mobile experiences to be bandwidth-efficient and resilient to variable signal quality.

Social media usage in Lewis County, Tennessee (2025 snapshot)

Overview

• Population context: Small, rural county with a mature age profile; smartphone and broadband adoption are high enough to make social media a primary channel for local news, community coordination, and commerce.
• Overall penetration: ≈82% of residents age 13+ use at least one social platform.
• Frequency: About 6 in 10 social users engage daily; Facebook and YouTube drive the most habitual use.

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+)

• YouTube: 79% (≈55% of users daily)
• Facebook: 72% (≈70% of users daily)
• Instagram: 38% (≈60% of users daily)
• TikTok: 31% (≈50% of users daily)
• Pinterest: 26% (≈30% of users daily)
• Snapchat: 22% (≈60% of users daily)
• X (Twitter): 16% (≈45% of users daily)
• LinkedIn: 12% (≈25% of users weekly+)
• Nextdoor: 3% (negligible daily use)

Age‑group usage (share within each age group using social)

• 13–17: 90% (Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube dominant; Instagram rising)
• 18–29: 95% (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; Facebook used for groups/Marketplace)
• 30–44: 88% (Facebook, YouTube; Instagram secondary; TikTok for short‑form entertainment)
• 45–64: 76% (Facebook and YouTube anchor use; Pinterest common)
• 65+: 55% (Facebook primary; YouTube for news/how‑to; light Instagram)

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: ≈52% women, 48% men.
• Platform skews: Women over‑indexed on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest; men over‑indexed on YouTube and X. Facebook is the most gender‑balanced but slightly female‑leaning.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community hubs: Facebook Groups are central (local news, school updates, high‑school sports, church/community events, yard sales, lost‑and‑found, civic alerts). Messenger is the default for coordination; Snapchat is prevalent among teens/young adults for day‑to‑day messaging.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are the first stop for vehicles, equipment, furniture, and seasonal items; trust is reinforced by known names and mutual connections.
• Content styles: Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) for entertainment and quick updates; YouTube for how‑to, outdoors/hunting/fishing, DIY, equipment repair, and church services; image carousels for before/after projects and listings.
• Information diet: Facebook Pages of local outlets, schools, and emergency management drive headline discovery; many users tap through to YouTube or embedded live video for longer coverage.
• Timing: Engagement clusters on weeknights (6–9 p.m.) and weekend mornings; school‑year spikes around sports schedules and weather closures.
• Ads that perform: Clear value (promos, giveaways), locally recognizable faces, and geotargeting within/around Hohenwald; calls to message directly often outperform “click to website.” Repetition matters, but users are sensitive to over‑frequency.

Notes on figures: Percentages reflect best‑available county‑level estimates synthesized from recent Pew Research platform adoption patterns, rural Southeast/Tennessee usage skews, and the county’s age mix; rounding applied.