Mcnairy County

Key demographics – McNairy County, Tennessee

Population

• Total: 25,866 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~86%
• Black or African American: ~7–8%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• All other groups (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, etc.): <1% each

Households and housing

• Households: ~10,600
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Average family size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~7,300 (≈69% of households)
• Married-couple households: ~50% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77–79% (renters ~21–23%)

Notes: Figures are rounded for clarity. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population total) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics).

McNairy County, TN email landscape (modeled from 2020 Census/ACS and Pew adoption benchmarks)

• Population/density: 25,600 residents across ~563 sq mi (45 people/mi²).
• Estimated email users: ~20,000–21,000 residents (≈78–82% of total; ≈90–92% of adults).
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male (usage parity by gender).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users; adoption is highest in mid‑age cohorts):
  • 13–17: ~7–8%
  • 18–29: ~18–20%
  • 30–49: ~32–34%
  • 50–64: ~22–24%
  • 65+: ~14–16%
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~75–80%; computer access in households: ~85–90%.
  • Mobile-only internet households: ~12–15%; no home internet: ~18–20% (cost and coverage are primary barriers).
  • Fiber availability is expanding via state broadband grants; fixed service at ≥100/20 Mbps now reaches much of the population centers (Selmer/Adamsville) with rural gaps.
  • 4G LTE covers most populated corridors; 5G service is present along main highways, with patchier rural reach. Insight: Email penetration is effectively universal among working-age adults and strong even among seniors, but subscription affordability and last‑mile gaps temper usage in the most rural parts of the county.

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

Headline estimates

• Population and households: ~25,600 residents and ~10,200 households (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates)
• Adult smartphone users: 16,000–17,300 adults, or roughly 82–88% of adults (lower than the statewide adult rate near 89–91%)
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~86–90% (point estimate ~88%)
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ~18–22% (vs Tennessee ~14%); about 1 in 5 local households rely on a phone data plan as their primary home internet
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~76–82% (vs Tennessee ~84–86%)

Demographic breakdown (estimates derived from ACS device-ownership tables, state benchmarks, and rural adjustments)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~5,100 residents; smartphone adoption ~95% (≈4,900 users)
  • 35–64: ~9,000 residents; adoption ~90% (≈8,100 users)
  • 65+: ~5,600 residents; adoption ~68–75% (≈3,800–4,200 users). Senior adoption is 10–15 points below the state average, raising the county’s overall digital gap
• Income
  • Median household income trails the state by a wide margin; among households under $35k, smartphone‑only reliance is elevated (25–30%) versus the county average (20%)
• Race/ethnicity
  • Population is majority White with smaller Black and Hispanic communities. Smartphone ownership rates are broadly high across groups, but smartphone‑only reliance is several points higher among Black and Hispanic households than the county average, reflecting affordability and access constraints
• Household profile
  • Households with children are more likely to have multiple smartphones and hotspot devices, but are also disproportionately represented among smartphone‑only homes where wired broadband is unavailable or unaffordable

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE coverage: Broad along US‑45, US‑64, TN‑57, and in/around Selmer and Adamsville. Pockets of weak or no signal persist in sparsely populated tracts and low-lying/forested areas
• 5G availability
  • Low‑band 5G (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) is now present across most populated areas, improving reach but not always capacity
  • Mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; AT&T/Verizon C‑Band) is concentrated in and around Selmer and along primary corridors; coverage drops quickly outside towns
• Performance
  • Typical outdoor downloads: ~30–120 Mbps depending on proximity to mid‑band 5G; indoor speeds in older or metal‑sided structures can fall below 10–20 Mbps
  • County median mobile speeds are notably below the statewide median, reflecting limited mid‑band density and fewer sectorized rural sites
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro cell sites: on the order of 50–65 registered macro locations countywide, a modest tower density for 563 square miles
  • Backhaul mix (microwave and fiber) is improving but remains thinner than in metro Tennessee, constraining peak capacity on some sectors
• Fixed wireless and fiber context
  • 5G fixed‑wireless home internet (T‑Mobile, Verizon) is available to a minority of addresses, often near town centers and major roads
  • Fiber availability is materially lower than the state average (roughly one‑third of locations vs roughly half statewide), pushing more households toward mobile‑only connectivity

How McNairy County differs from Tennessee overall

• Lower overall adult smartphone adoption by a few percentage points, driven primarily by a larger senior share and affordability constraints
• Significantly higher smartphone‑only internet reliance (≈18–22% vs ≈14% statewide), reflecting gaps in wired broadband availability and cost
• Lower mid‑band 5G density and fewer high‑capacity sites than state averages, producing lower median mobile speeds and more pronounced indoor‑coverage challenges
• Higher dependence on mobile hotspots for schoolwork, telehealth, and streaming in areas lacking fiber or reliable cable/DSL
• Uptake of prepaid and budget plans is higher than the statewide mix, aligning with income levels and coverage variability

Key takeaways

• About 9 in 10 households have at least one smartphone, but roughly 1 in 5 are effectively mobile‑only for home internet
• Seniors and lower‑income households account for much of the remaining smartphone adoption gap
• Mobile networks cover the main corridors well, but capacity falls off outside towns; targeted mid‑band 5G infill and additional backhaul would materially improve user experience
• Expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless eligibility would likely reduce the county’s above‑average smartphone‑only reliance and bring usage patterns closer to the state norm

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau (2023 pop/household estimates), ACS device and subscription indicators (2018–2022), FCC National Broadband Map (2024) for infrastructure availability, and national/rural smartphone adoption benchmarks (Pew Research 2023). County figures shown as point estimates or narrow ranges derived by applying these sources to McNairy County’s demographic and rural profile.

Social media usage in McNairy County, TN (2025 snapshot)

Overview and user stats

• Population 13+ (est.): ~22,000. Active social media users: ~18,000 (about 80–85% of residents 13+). Daily users: ~13,000 (roughly 70–75% of users).
• Primary access: smartphone ~92% of users; desktop/laptop ~38%; connected TV viewing of YouTube ~45%.
• Engagement windows: highest activity 6–8 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; Sunday afternoons are strong for local posts and church/live streams.

Age distribution of social media users

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–29: ~20%
• 30–49: ~36% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: ~23%
• 65+: ~13%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female ~54%; male ~46%
• Skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X.

Most-used platforms (share of county social media users using monthly)

• YouTube ~88%
• Facebook ~78%
• Facebook Messenger ~66%
• Instagram ~45%
• TikTok ~42%
• Pinterest ~32% (strong female skew)
• Snapchat ~29% (teen/young adult heavy)
• WhatsApp ~11% (low but slowly rising)
• X (Twitter) ~9%
• Reddit ~8%
• Nextdoor ~5% (limited neighborhood coverage)

Platform-by-age tendencies (share within each age group)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~74%, Snapchat ~68%, Instagram ~55%, Facebook ~28%
• 18–29: YouTube ~96%, Instagram ~72%, TikTok ~70%, Snapchat ~63%, Facebook ~64%
• 30–49: Facebook ~86%, YouTube ~91%, Instagram ~48%, TikTok ~46%, Pinterest (women) ~45%
• 50–64: Facebook ~88%, YouTube ~84%, TikTok ~28%, Instagram ~32%
• 65+: Facebook ~80%, YouTube ~70%, TikTok ~12%, Instagram ~18%

Behavioral trends

• Local-first use: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for school sports, church events, yard sales/Marketplace, lost-and-found pets, road/utility updates, weather alerts, and county government notices. Known local admins and pages carry outsized trust.
• Video shift: Short-form video (TikTok/Reels) consumption and cross-posting to Facebook are up; YouTube long-form and church/live streams are common, often on connected TVs.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is a primary local classifieds channel; Messenger is the default for inquiries, holds, and meetups; Instagram and Facebook ads drive foot traffic to local businesses more than X or Reddit.
• Youth patterns: Teens favor Snapchat for messaging and TikTok for entertainment/creation; they maintain Facebook mainly for Groups or events. YouTube dominates for music, sports highlights, and how-to content.
• Older adults: Facebook is the hub for community updates and faith content; sharing and commenting outweigh original posting. Scam awareness is a recurring topic in Groups.
• Content that performs: Faces and names locals recognize, school sports highlights, church/benefit events, local history nostalgia, seasonal yard sales, high-impact weather updates. Overtly political content spikes near elections but otherwise underperforms versus local life topics.
• Posting rhythm: Cross-posts are common (TikTok to Reels to Facebook). Weeknight posts after 7 p.m. and weekend mid-mornings achieve above-average comment rates.

Momentum (last 12–18 months)

• Rising: TikTok and Instagram Reels usage (+8–12 points combined reach among under-40s), Facebook Marketplace activity, YouTube on connected TVs.
• Flat to down: Facebook among under-30s (stable or slightly declining), X usage (low and concentrated among news/sports followers), Reddit (niche hobbyist use).
• Steady: High Facebook usage among 50+, steady Pinterest engagement among women 25–54.

Notes on estimates

• Figures are 2025 county-level estimates synthesized from recent U.S. platform adoption data, rural South/Tennessee usage patterns, and McNairy County’s demographic profile. Expect a margin of ±3–5 percentage points on platform shares and ±2–3 points on age/gender splits.