Shelby County

Shelby County, Tennessee — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Census; 2023 American Community Survey 1-year estimates)

Population size

• 2020 Census: 929,744
• 2023 estimate (ACS): ~929,000

Age

• Median age: ~37.0 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~52.6%
• Male: ~47.4%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Black or African American (alone): ~53%
• White (alone): ~36%
• Asian (alone): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~35%

Household and housing

• Households: ~371,000
• Average household size: ~2.56
• Family households: ~63%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~55%
• Median household income: ~$61,000
• Persons in poverty: ~18%

Insights

• Majority-Black county with a growing Hispanic population
• Median age in the mid-30s, with roughly one in seven residents 65+
• Homeownership and incomes trail Tennessee averages, while poverty is higher than the state average

Shelby County, TN snapshot (2025)

• Estimated email users: ~600,000 adults. Basis: ~920,000 residents, ~77% adults, with ~86% of adults using email.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29: 24%; 30–49: 37%; 50–64: 24%; 65+: 15%. Email use is near-universal among under-50s and strong but lower among seniors.
• Gender split among email users: Women ~53%, Men ~47% (mirroring the county’s adult demographics; usage rates are effectively parity by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~85% of households subscribe to broadband; ~92% have a computer. About 13% are smartphone‑only for home internet, steering more email access to mobile.
  • Mobile-first usage continues to grow; seniors show gradual uptake, narrowing the age gap.
  • Subscription gaps persist in lower-income tracts, affecting consistency of access and frequency of use, not overall adoption.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ≈1,200 people per square mile; the county is overwhelmingly urban (Memphis-dominant), with robust fiber/cable coverage along major corridors and strong public-access options (libraries, schools, community centers), supporting high email reach and reliability.

Mobile phone usage in Shelby County, TN — key statistics and trends distinct from the state

User base and penetration

• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 630,000–660,000 adults in Shelby County use a smartphone, reflecting roughly 88–92% adult penetration. This is a few points higher than the Tennessee average due to the county’s urban profile.
• Cellular-only home internet: About 20–24% of Shelby County households rely primarily or exclusively on a cellular data plan for home internet (roughly 70,000–85,000 households). This share is materially higher than the statewide average (typically mid-teens), indicating stronger smartphone dependence locally.
• Wireless-only telephony: Adults in wireless-only households (no landline) are the clear majority in Shelby County, plausibly in the low-to-mid 80% range, outpacing the Tennessee average by several points.

Demographic breakdown of mobile dependence

• By income and housing: Mobile-only internet reliance is concentrated among lower-income and rental households in neighborhoods such as South Memphis, Frayser, North Memphis, and parts of Whitehaven. Owner-occupied suburban areas (Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett) show higher rates of dual connectivity (wireline plus mobile).
• By race/ethnicity: Black and Hispanic households in Shelby County exhibit higher smartphone dependence than White households, driven by affordability constraints and lower wireline subscription rates in several majority-minority tracts. This disparity is wider than the statewide gap because Shelby’s urban neighborhoods have larger concentrations of these communities than most Tennessee counties.
• By age: Ages 18–44 approach near-universal smartphone adoption and are the most likely to be mobile-first for broadband. Adults 65+ have lower smartphone adoption but are steadily closing the gap; their mobile adoption in Shelby runs somewhat higher than the Tennessee average due to better 5G coverage and family plan adoption in the metro.

Usage behavior and device mix

• Prepaid and Android skew: Prepaid plans and Android devices have a higher share in Shelby County than statewide, reflecting income mix and strong competition among carriers and MVNOs in the Memphis metro. iPhone share remains high but is a bit lower than the state average.
• Mobile video and social media: Time spent on mobile video, messaging, and social platforms is above the state average, especially among younger adults and in households without wireline broadband. Spanish-language and international calling/messaging usage is meaningfully higher in Hispanic communities centered in Southeast Memphis and Parkway Village.
• Work/education on mobile: A larger slice of students and gig-economy workers use smartphones as their primary device for school portals, navigation, delivery/rideshare apps, and scheduling than the state average, a byproduct of the county’s higher mobile-only connectivity.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G footprint: All three national carriers provide countywide 5G, with extensive mid-band deployments (T-Mobile 2.5 GHz; AT&T and Verizon C-band) across the Memphis core and major corridors (I‑240, I‑40, I‑55, US‑78). Outdoor 5G coverage is effectively universal in the urban core; fringe areas toward Arlington, Lakeland, and north of Millington see more variability but still broadly covered.
• Capacity and performance: Mid-band 5G delivers routine median downloads well above LTE, supporting robust video and hotspot use. Peak speeds are strongest downtown, the medical district, University of Memphis, and near the airport; indoor performance can dip in older brick buildings and larger multifamily complexes without in-building systems.
• Fixed options that shape mobile reliance:
  • AT&T Fiber is present across much of the city but remains incomplete in pockets of North and South Memphis; Xfinity serves most of the metro. Where fiber/cable is absent or too costly, households lean on mobile data plans.
  • 5G Home/Fixed Wireless from T-Mobile and Verizon is broadly available in the urban area and has grown quickly as a lower-cost wireline alternative, indirectly reinforcing a mobile-first ecosystem.
• Affordability programs: High enrollment in subsidized connectivity programs through 2024 concentrated in Shelby County. With federal subsidies reduced in 2024, local reports indicate some churn from wireline to mobile-only and fixed wireless, widening the county’s mobile dependence gap versus the state.

What’s notably different from Tennessee overall

• Higher smartphone dependence: Shelby County has a clearly higher share of cellular-only households and mobile-first users than the state average.
• Stronger prepaid presence: Competitive prepaid and MVNO adoption exceeds the statewide mix, tied to price sensitivity and urban retail availability.
• Greater racial/ethnic and neighborhood disparities: The mobile-versus-wireline gap by race, income, and rental status is wider in Shelby than statewide, intensifying digital inequities at the census-tract level.
• Faster 5G adoption: Earlier and denser mid-band 5G rollouts in the Memphis core have accelerated the shift to mobile-centric usage compared with many Tennessee counties with more rural terrain.
• Heavier mobile use for work, education, and streaming: The county’s labor mix and student population, coupled with patchy wireline affordability, produce higher rates of mobile hotspotting and app-based work than the state average.

Bottom line

• Shelby County is more mobile-first than Tennessee overall: roughly nine in ten adults use smartphones, and around one in five households rely primarily on cellular data at home. Dense 5G coverage and competitive prepaid options support this usage pattern, while uneven wireline availability and affordability in specific neighborhoods push households toward mobile-only solutions. The result is a county with strong mobile performance and adoption, but also sharper neighborhood-level disparities in broadband quality and affordability than the Tennessee average.

Shelby County, TN social media snapshot (2024)

• Population context

  • Total population ≈ 0.93M (ACS 2023). Adults (18+) ≈ 720,000; teens (13–17) ≈ 56,000.
  • Estimated social media users (13+): ≈ 570,000 (adult usage applied from Pew + teen usage from Pew).

• Adoption by age (local estimates mirroring U.S. patterns, Pew Research)

  • Teens 13–17: ≈ 95% use at least one platform.
  • Adults 18–29: ≈ 84%.
  • Adults 30–49: ≈ 81%.
  • Adults 50–64: ≈ 73%.
  • Adults 65+: ≈ 45%.

• Gender breakdown

  • County population: ≈ 52% female, 48% male (ACS 2023).
  • Platform skews (Pew patterns reflected locally): women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X. Overall social media participation is broadly similar by gender.

• Most-used platforms (adults; platform reach among U.S. adults from Pew applied to Shelby County’s ~720k adults)

  • YouTube: 83% → ≈ 598k adult users
  • Facebook: 68% → ≈ 490k
  • Instagram: 47% → ≈ 338k
  • Pinterest: 35% → ≈ 252k
  • TikTok: 33% → ≈ 238k
  • LinkedIn: 30% → ≈ 216k
  • Snapchat: 30% → ≈ 216k
  • X (Twitter): 22% → ≈ 158k
  • Reddit: 22% → ≈ 158k
  • WhatsApp: 21% → ≈ 151k
  • Nextdoor: 20% → ≈ 144k
  • Note: Among teens, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are near-saturation and used daily.

Behavioral trends observed locally (consistent with county demographics and national platform norms)

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for neighborhoods, schools, churches, civic updates; Marketplace is a major local commerce channel. Engagement skews 30+ and peaks around evenings and weekends.
• Instagram and TikTok drive discovery: short-form video about food, music, and events performs best; Reels/TikTok dominate reach for 18–34. Geo-tags and local hashtags amplify exposure.
• YouTube is ubiquitous and utility-driven: music, local sports highlights, church services, DIY/home improvement, and how‑tos. High watch time across all ages.
• Snapchat is a daily messaging staple for teens/college-age, with stories and location features used around schools, games, and events.
• X (Twitter) is niche but real-time: spikes for breaking news, severe weather, traffic, and local sports (e.g., game nights); used heavily by journalists and highly engaged residents.
• Nextdoor is neighborhood-specific: safety alerts, city services, HOA and contractor recommendations; strongest in suburban areas; posts prompt practical, service-oriented responses.
• LinkedIn is employment-focused: recruiting and professional networking in healthcare, logistics, education, and public sector; strongest midday, weekday usage.
• Private sharing channels matter: WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger facilitate family/community groups, especially among immigrant and multilingual communities.
• Commerce and calls-to-action: Facebook/Instagram Shops and Marketplace conversions outperform cold outreach; event posts and limited-time offers see above-average click-through when geo-targeted within the county.

Method and sources

• Population and age/sex mix: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023.
• Social media adoption rates and platform reach: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adults) and Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (teens). Adult platform percentages were applied to Shelby County’s adult population to produce local user estimates.