Monroe County

Monroe County, Tennessee — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 46,250 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~48,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, V2023)

Age (ACS 2019–2023, 5-year)

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Sex (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; race alone; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White: ~92%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~0.5–1%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~19,000
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~68%
• Married-couple families: ~52–55%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–79%
• Average family size: ~2.9

Insights

• Small but growing population since 2020.
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with more than one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly White, with modest racial/ethnic diversity.
• High homeownership and largely family-based household structure.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program V2023. Figures are rounded for clarity.

Monroe County, TN email usage snapshot (2025):

• Estimated users: ≈35,000 residents use email (based on ~47,000 population and national adult email adoption ~90%+).
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 5%; 18–29: 17%; 30–49: 33%; 50–64: 27%; 65+: 18% (older adults participate slightly less than younger groups but remain substantial).
• Gender split: Women 51%, Men 49% among email users (mirrors population and near-equal adoption).
• Digital access trends:
  • ≈78–82% of households have an internet subscription.
  • ≈64–68% subscribe to fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber).
  • ≈18–22% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • Computer access in households ≈85–88%.
  • Mobile connectivity is widespread; public/library Wi‑Fi and school networks supplement access in towns such as Madisonville, Sweetwater, and Tellico Plains.
• Local density/connectivity context: Population density ≈70–75 people per sq. mile across ~650 sq. miles—significantly sparser than the Tennessee average—making last‑mile broadband more challenging and driving higher reliance on mobile data and community Wi‑Fi.

Implication: Email is mainstream across all ages, with strongest engagement among 30–64. Rural dispersion shapes access patterns, but ongoing fiber and mobile coverage keep email reachable for most households.

Mobile phone usage in Monroe County, Tennessee — 2024 snapshot

How many users

• Population and households: About 48,000 residents and roughly 19,000 households (2023 estimates based on recent Census/ACS trends).
• Estimated smartphone users: Approximately 32,000 residents use a smartphone (about two-thirds of the total population, reflecting the county’s older age profile and rural makeup).
• Mobile-only internet households: About 3,200 households (roughly 1 in 6) rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet, noticeably higher than the statewide share. Fixed-wireline gaps and income constraints are the main drivers.

Demographic breakdown of mobile adoption and behavior

• Age tilt: Monroe County is older than Tennessee overall, with a sizable 65+ cohort. Smartphone take-up among residents 65+ lags the state average, pulling the county-wide adoption rate below Tennessee’s. Younger adults mirror statewide adoption, but older adults are more likely to use basic/voice-and-text devices or share plans within households.
• Income and plan mix: Median household income trails the state average, contributing to higher prepaid/MVNO usage and tighter data budgets. Households are more likely than the state as a whole to rely on a single mobile plan shared across multiple users and to substitute mobile hotspots for home broadband.
• Rural residency: A larger rural share than the state average correlates with more mobile-only households and wider variance in service quality by location. Farm, forestry, and outdoor recreation workers show above-average dependence on voice coverage and SMS in low-signal areas.
• Work and school connectivity: Off-campus and off-site work/schooling often depend on mobile hotspots. The school community and first responders make frequent use of AT&T’s FirstNet where available, reflecting emergency coverage priorities in mountainous terrain.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all serve Monroe County. Coverage and capacity are strongest along the I-75/US-11 corridor (Sweetwater area) and in/around Madisonville and Vonore. Service quality is more variable toward Tellico Plains and along the Cherohala Skyway where topography creates dead zones and handoff challenges.
• 5G footprint: All three national carriers provide 5G on main corridors and in town centers. Mid-band 5G (especially T-Mobile’s 2.5 GHz) is the main source of higher speeds; AT&T and Verizon supplement with low-band 5G/DSS beyond towns and C-band along primary routes. Outside these areas, LTE remains the de facto layer.
• Fixed wireless and mobile substitution: Verizon and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet are available at many addresses, and are used as a substitute for cable/fiber where those are limited or unaffordable. This drives the county’s above-state mobile-only share.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet (AT&T) Band 14 coverage is prioritized for emergency communications; it is an important backstop in remote areas. The county 911 system supports text-to-911, with mobile handsets often the only reliable means to reach emergency services from trailheads and forest roads.
• Backhaul and tower siting: Tower density is lower outside the I-75 corridor and towns. Sites tend to cluster along highways and on ridge tops; valleys and forested hollows can see signal shadowing. New build and co-location activity has focused on filling corridor gaps rather than deep-forest coverage.

How Monroe County differs from Tennessee overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A notably larger slice of households depend on a cellular plan (hotspot or phone tethering) as their primary home internet compared with the state average.
• Wider quality gap by location: The performance spread between “on-corridor/in-town” and “off-corridor/mountain” areas is greater than the statewide pattern due to terrain and tower spacing.
• Older user base: A larger 65+ population lowers overall smartphone adoption and increases voice/text-centric usage compared with Tennessee’s younger metro counties.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO share: Price sensitivity and patchy fixed broadband tilt the market toward prepaid plans and data management behaviors (e.g., Wi‑Fi offload when in town).

Bottom line

• Around 32,000 residents in Monroe County use smartphones, with roughly one in six households relying primarily on mobile data for home connectivity.
• The county’s terrain and rural settlement pattern create sharper contrasts in coverage and speeds than the Tennessee average, concentrating robust 5G along I‑75 and town centers while leaving pockets of weaker LTE or no service toward the national forest.
• These conditions make mobile service both essential and, for many households, the default internet on which work, school, and emergency communications depend.

Monroe County, TN social media snapshot (2025, planning-grade estimates)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~47,000 (ACS 2023 estimate)
• Estimated social media users: ~31,000–33,000 total
  • Adults: ~72% of adults use social media (Pew Research, 2024)
  • Teens (13–17): ~90–95% use social media (Pew Research, 2022–2023)
• Device reality: Usage is predominantly mobile; most engagement occurs evenings and weekends

Most-used platforms (adult usage; apply as local planning benchmarks)

• YouTube: 83% of adults
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35% (female-skewed)
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27% (younger-skewed)
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21% (Source for platform shares: Pew Research Center, 2024 U.S. adult platform use; applied to Monroe County adults)

Age groups (who uses what)

• 13–17: Near-universal social media use; heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram; Facebook mostly for family, school, and sports updates
• 18–29: >90% on social media; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat lead; YouTube daily; Facebook present but not central
• 30–49: ~80%+; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram sizable; TikTok growing for short-form and local recommendations
• 50–64: ~70%+; Facebook is the hub for news, community, Marketplace; YouTube for how-to and product research
• 65+: ~45–50%; Facebook primary; YouTube for practical videos and church streams; limited Instagram/TikTok

Gender breakdown

• County population split: roughly 51% female, 49% male (ACS)
• Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; Instagram slightly female-skewed; TikTok near-even

Behavioral trends in-county

• Facebook Groups and Marketplace are the community backbone: buy/sell/trade, school/PTA, churches, youth sports, lost & found, local events, and small-business promos
• Local news and safety content overperform: sheriff’s office, emergency management, schools, weather, road closures, and storm updates
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for DIY, automotive, outdoor, and faith content; TikTok/Reels for local events, business teasers, and creator clips
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger for family and event coordination; Snapchat widely used among teens/college-age; group coordination still leans on FB + SMS
• Commerce: Marketplace drives secondhand sales; small businesses rely on boosted posts and geo-targeted Facebook ads more than search ads
• Timing and format: Engagement peaks evenings (7–9 pm ET) and weekend mornings; concise posts with people-centric photos, school/church/community angles, and clear calls-to-action outperform generic ads
• Local culture tie-ins: Outdoor recreation (Cherohala Skyway, Tellico, fishing/hunting), school sports, and church/community service content consistently drive shares and comments

Notes on methodology

• County-level figures are modeled from U.S. Census ACS (population/age) and Pew Research Center (2022–2024) adoption rates; treat as planning-grade estimates suitable for media planning and outreach strategy.