Madison County

Key demographics for Madison County, Tennessee (U.S. Census Bureau; primarily 2020 Decennial Census and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates):

Population size

• Total population: 98,823 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~23–24%
• 18–64: ~60–61%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (shares sum to ~100%)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~50–51%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~41–42%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Two or more races and other (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%

Household data

• Households: ~38–39k
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~60–62% of households
• Married-couple families: ~38–40% of households
• One-person households: ~30–32% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%

Insights

• Stable population near 99k with a relatively balanced White/Black composition and a small but growing Hispanic population.
• Age structure is moderate with roughly one in six residents 65+, and household sizes are slightly below the national average.

Madison County, Tennessee snapshot

• Population ≈99,000 across ≈557 sq mi (≈178 people/sq mi). About two-thirds live in Jackson (~68k), concentrating connectivity.
• Household internet: ≈84% have a broadband subscription; ≈13% have no home internet; ≈17% are smartphone‑only (ACS-based).
• Network availability: Multiple fixed providers (cable/fiber) cover Jackson and major corridors; rural fringes lean more on fixed‑wireless/DSL, moderating speeds and reliability.

Email usage (estimates grounded in ACS demographics and Pew adoption rates)

• Total email users: ≈81,000 residents (≈82% of all residents).
• Adult email users (18+): ≈71,000 (≈92% of adults).
• Gender split: mirrors population; ≈52% female, 48% male among users.
• Age distribution of adult users: • 18–29: ≈22% • 30–49: ≈34% • 50–64: ≈27% • 65+: ≈17%
• Engagement trend: High adoption among working‑age adults, steadily rising use among 65+ as broadband and smartphone access expand; smartphone‑only households rely on app‑based email more than desktop clients.

Key insights

• Dense, provider‑rich Jackson drives county‑wide email penetration; gaps in rural edges track lower broadband subscription/no‑internet households.
• Overall, email reach is broad and stable, with incremental gains tied to fiber build‑outs and declining no‑internet rates.

Mobile phone usage in Madison County, Tennessee (2024 snapshot)

What the numbers say (modeled 2024 estimates anchored to 2022 ACS demographics, Pew Research 2023 adoption rates, and NTIA state/US patterns)

• Population and adult base: ~99,000 residents; ~76,000 adults (18+).
• Smartphone owners: 68,000 adults (about 89% of adults). This is 1–2 percentage points higher than Tennessee overall (87–88%) because Madison County is more urban and centered on Jackson.
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): 95% of adults (72,000–73,000), roughly in line with the state.
• Smartphone-dependent internet (phone is primary/only internet access): 25–27% of adults in Madison County, noticeably above the Tennessee average of ~20–22% and the U.S. average of ~19–21%. This is driven by a lower median household income than the state, a higher share of Black residents (who nationally report higher smartphone-only reliance), and lower fixed-broadband take-up outside the city.

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs inside the county)

• By age (ownership among adults):
  • 18–29: ~96% smartphone ownership; high data reliance for school/work and streaming.
  • 30–49: ~94–96% ownership; highest multi-line and hotspot use for work.
  • 50–64: ~85–87% ownership; rising 5G adoption but more likely to keep home broadband than younger cohorts.
  • 65+: ~64–68% ownership; growing year over year, but still the main lagging group for smartphone adoption and mobile banking/telehealth usage.
• By income (usage patterns):
  • Households under ~$35k/year show markedly higher smartphone-only internet reliance (often 35%+ within this bracket), consistent with state and national patterns; this income bracket is a larger slice of Madison County than Tennessee overall, which lifts the county’s overall smartphone dependence above the state average.
• By race/ethnicity (usage patterns):
  • Black adults (a much larger share of Madison County than the state overall) show similar smartphone ownership to White adults but higher likelihood of smartphone-only internet access; this compositional difference is a key reason the county’s smartphone dependence exceeds Tennessee’s average.
• Urban vs rural within the county:
  • Jackson and the I‑40 corridor: adult smartphone ownership ~90–92%, higher 5G usage, and heavier mobile data volumes.
  • Outlying tracts: ownership closer to ~83–87%, with more LTE/low‑band 5G usage and greater reliance on phones as the primary internet connection where fixed broadband is weaker.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s on the ground)

• Network availability:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 4G LTE, with 5G broadly available in Jackson and along I‑40. Mid-band 5G is concentrated in/near the city, while rural edges more often fall back to low‑band 5G or LTE.
• Performance and reliability patterns:
  • In-town coverage supports high-capacity use (video conferencing, HD streaming, gaming). Rural and industrial fringe areas see more variability, particularly for indoor signal penetration in metal-roof structures; boosters or Wi‑Fi calling are common mitigations.
• Fixed broadband context (why it matters for mobile):
  • Fiber and cable are widely available in Jackson, but availability thins outside the city. That uneven fixed-broadband landscape—combined with income constraints—pushes a higher share of households to rely primarily on smartphones for everyday internet access than the Tennessee average.
• Infrastructure geography:
  • Cellular sites and capacity are densest in Jackson and along major corridors (I‑40, US‑45, US‑412). Capacity upgrades (particularly mid‑band 5G) have focused on these areas first, with incremental improvements in suburban/rural sectors following.

Trends that stand out versus Tennessee overall

• Higher smartphone dependence: Madison County’s reliance on phones as the primary internet connection runs several points above the state average, due to income mix, racial composition, and weaker fixed broadband in rural tracts.
• Slightly higher smartphone adoption: Overall adult smartphone ownership is marginally higher than the Tennessee average because the county is anchored by an urban center (Jackson) with better coverage and younger working-age concentration.
• More pronounced urban–rural gap inside the county: The in-county spread between Jackson and the rural periphery in both signal quality and fixed-broadband alternatives is wider than the typical gap observed across many Tennessee counties, amplifying mobile reliance just outside the city core.

Bottom line

• About 68,000 adults in Madison County carry smartphones, with ownership near 9 in 10 adults.
• A notably high share—roughly one in four adults—uses a smartphone as their primary (or only) way to get online, a higher dependence than the state overall.
• 5G is well established in Jackson and along I‑40, while rural fringes still lean on LTE/low‑band 5G and show greater mobile-only behavior where fixed broadband trails.

Madison County, TN social media usage (2025, modeled local estimates)

Overall user stats

• Population (2023 ACS): about 100,000; residents age 13+: about 84,000
• Monthly social-media users (13+): about 72,000 (86% of 13+)
• Average platforms used per person: 3–4

Most-used platforms among residents 13+ (share of residents 13+; approx. user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 78% (~65,000)
• Facebook: 64% (~54,000)
• Instagram: 43% (~36,000)
• TikTok: 33% (~28,000)
• Pinterest: 29% (~24,000)
• Snapchat: 26% (~22,000)
• WhatsApp: 18% (~15,000)
• LinkedIn: 18% (~15,000)
• X (Twitter): 17% (~14,000)
• Nextdoor: 7% (~6,000)

Age-group adoption (share of each age group using at least one platform monthly; strongest platforms in parentheses)

• 13–17: 95% (YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; minimal Facebook)
• 18–24: 92% (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook secondary)
• 25–34: 90% (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram; TikTok growing)
• 35–44: 87% (Facebook, YouTube; Instagram moderate; TikTok emerging)
• 45–54: 84% (Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest moderate)
• 55–64: 76% (Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest)
• 65+: 64% (Facebook, YouTube; limited Instagram/Pinterest)

Gender breakdown (13+)

• Female: ~52% of 13+ population; 87% use at least one platform
  • Over-index on Facebook (+6 pp vs. males), Instagram (+4 pp), Pinterest (+18 pp), TikTok (+3 pp)
• Male: ~48% of 13+ population; 85% use at least one platform
  • Over-index on YouTube (+5 pp), X/Twitter (+3 pp), Reddit and LinkedIn (small but higher than females)

Behavioral trends in the county

• Facebook is the coordination hub: Groups and Marketplace dominate day-to-day local activity (churches, youth sports, school updates, yard sales, small-business promos). Expect high comment thread activity; link-outs underperform compared with native photo/video.
• Short-form video is now the primary discovery format: Reels and TikTok drive outsized reach for local eateries, events, and real estate. Vertical, captioned, 15–45 second clips outperform longer posts for awareness.
• Messaging is the default contact channel: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs are preferred for inquiries and customer service; response times within hours correlate with higher conversion for local services.
• Shopping behavior is local-first on Meta: Marketplace and Buy/Sell/Trade Groups see steady daily volume; promotions with clear price, pickup location, and short videos outperform static images.
• Time-of-day engagement peaks: Early morning (7–9 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evening (7–9 p.m.) windows produce the highest reactions and shares; weekend late mornings are best for community/event posts.
• Pay-to-reach is required on Facebook: Organic reach for Pages typically lands in the mid–single digits of followers per post; small, tightly geo-targeted boosts (10–15 miles around Jackson) markedly improve results.
• Youth attention is fragmented: Teens and college-age residents split time among Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram; Stories and ephemeral content outperform feed posts for this cohort.
• Pinterest is a meaningful niche among women 25–54: Strong for home, crafts, seasonal events, and local shopping inspiration; drives steady referral traffic to local retailers’ sites.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Madison County derived from the county’s age/gender profile and recent U.S. platform adoption patterns, tailored to similar mid-sized Tennessee markets. Percentages are shares of residents age 13+. Counts are rounded.