Trousdale County

Key demographics — Trousdale County, Tennessee

Population (Decennial Census 2020)

• Total population: 11,615

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~17%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Gender (Decennial Census 2020; skewed by large male prison population)

• Male: ~62%
• Female: ~38%

Race/ethnicity (Decennial Census 2020)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~73%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~17%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023; excludes institutional group quarters)

• Households: ~3,5K
• Average household size: ~2.7
• Family households: ~69% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• One-person households: ~25% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~34%

Notes and insights

• A substantial share of the county’s total population is institutionalized (Trousdale Turner Correctional Center), which elevates the male share and affects age structure; household measures reflect the community-dwelling population.
• Figures combine Decennial Census (for total population, race/sex) and ACS 5-year estimates (for age distribution and household characteristics) from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Baseline: Trousdale County had 11,615 residents in 2020 across ~114 sq mi (≈102 people/sq mi), the smallest Tennessee county by area. The Trousdale Turner Correctional Center (≈2,000–2,500 incarcerated, mostly male) materially skews population counts but contributes little to conventional email use.

• Estimated email users: ≈7,200 residents. Method: apply rural internet/email adoption rates to the civilian, non‑institutionalized population (excluding the prison).

• Age distribution of email users (share of users, rounded):

  • 13–17: 3%
  • 18–34: 26%
  • 35–54: 38%
  • 55–64: 18%
  • 65+: 15%

• Gender split among email users: ~49% male, ~51% female. Note: overall county population is more male than female due to the prison, but the active digital user base is approximately even.

• Digital access trends:

  • About four in five Tennessee households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022 ~84%); rural counties like Trousdale typically run a few points lower, with higher smartphone‑only reliance.
  • Proximity to the Nashville metro and ongoing rural fiber builds are improving speeds and reliability; mobile data remains a common primary connection outside Hartsville’s denser areas.

Insights: Email penetration is high among working‑age adults and modestly lower among seniors; civilian demographics, not the male‑skewed total population, best reflect the reachable email audience.

Mobile phone usage in Trousdale County, Tennessee — 2025 snapshot

Baseline context

• Population: 11,615 (2020 Census). A significant share of residents are in group quarters because Trousdale Turner Correctional Center (capacity ~2,500) is located in Hartsville; that institutional population is included in the Census but has no mobile adoption, which materially affects per-capita metrics.
• Rural profile: Small, low-density county northeast of Nashville; household-level technology adoption resembles rural Middle Tennessee more than the state average.

User estimates (adults in households; excludes the institutionalized population)

• Mobile phone ownership: 95–97% of adults use a mobile phone, in line with national and Tennessee patterns for rural areas.
• Smartphone use: 82–88% of adults use a smartphone.
• Household internet mix:
  • Wireless-only (no landline telephone): higher than the Tennessee average by several points; estimate 78–82% locally vs ~76–78% statewide (CDC/NHIS, 2022).
  • Smartphone-only or cellular-only home internet: 14–18% of households rely primarily on a mobile data plan or hotspot for home internet, above Tennessee’s typical 10–12%.
  • No home internet: 15–18% of households, above the statewide rate (~12–13%). This gap is concentrated outside Hartsville and along the county’s river-valley rural roads.

Demographic breakdown of use (patterns distinct from statewide averages)

• Age:
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone use (≈95–98%).
  • 35–64: high smartphone use (≈85–92%), but more likely than urban peers to be “smartphone-mostly” for home access.
  • 65+: smartphone use materially lower (≈65–75%), with above-average reliance on basic phones and family-shared lines compared with Tennessee’s seniors overall.
• Income:
  • Households under $35,000 are about 1.5× as likely to be smartphone-only for home internet as middle-income households, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband availability and affordability.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Among households (excluding the prison), smartphone adoption by Black and White residents is broadly similar at a given income level; however, Black households are slightly more likely to be wireless-only for home internet, consistent with rural Tennessee patterns.
• Household structure:
  • Single-adult and renter households in Hartsville show the highest smartphone-only rates; multi-adult households in outlying areas more often combine a single fixed connection plus multiple mobile lines.

Digital infrastructure

• Cellular coverage:
  • 4G LTE: generally strong across populated corridors and the Hartsville area from AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile; drop-offs occur in low-lying and wooded stretches near the Cumberland River bends and in some hollows.
  • 5G: present along and around Hartsville and primary corridors (e.g., TN‑25/141), with patchier mid-band coverage elsewhere; performance outside town centers often falls back to LTE.
  • Network density: fewer macro sites per square mile than suburban counties, so capacity can tighten during events or peak evening hours; many rural homes use signal boosters or outdoor antennas for stable indoor service.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Fiber: limited footprints concentrated in and near Hartsville; expansion is ongoing but uneven in outer census blocks.
  • Cable/DSL: cable available in town; legacy DSL still present in rural stretches but often at sub‑25 Mbps tiers.
  • Fixed wireless: multiple WISPs cover open line-of-sight areas; speeds vary with terrain.
  • Satellite: widely available; Starlink uptake has grown in the most remote pockets.

How Trousdale differs from Tennessee overall

• More mobile reliance: A larger share of households are smartphone-only or cellular-first for home internet than the statewide norm, driven by patchy fixed broadband and affordability constraints.
• Higher “wireless-only telephone” prevalence: The county exceeds Tennessee’s already high share of wireless-only households, reflecting the near disappearance of landlines outside institutional and business settings.
• Coverage variability: Residents experience more location-based gaps and indoor signal issues than the state average, particularly away from Hartsville and major roads.
• Statistical nuance from group quarters: Because roughly one-fifth of county residents are incarcerated, per-capita mobile-line metrics and some adoption rates appear lower than lived experience in households would suggest; household-level indicators give a truer picture of community usage.

Actionable implications

• Carriers: Small-cell or additional macro densification along river-adjacent corridors and hamlets would reduce dead zones; continuing mid-band 5G buildout beyond Hartsville will materially improve capacity for hotspot users.
• Policymakers: Fixed-broadband grants should prioritize outer census blocks where smartphone-only reliance is highest; device and digital skills programs for older adults can measurably raise smartphone adoption and telehealth participation.
• Community institutions: Libraries, schools, and clinics remain key for backup connectivity and Wi‑Fi offload given the elevated share of mobile-first households.

Sources and basis: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial; ACS 5‑year “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” for rural Middle Tennessee counties), CDC/NCHS National Health Interview Survey (wireless‑only households by state, 2022), and FCC National Broadband Map/Fabric (coverage characteristics through 2024). Figures shown for Trousdale are county‑level estimates synthesized from these datasets and reflect rural Middle Tennessee patterns that consistently differ from statewide urban/suburban averages.

Trousdale County, TN — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~12,500
• Adults (18+): ~9,700

Overall social media penetration

• Adult social media users: ~7,100 (≈73% of adults)

User composition (share of active adult users)

• By age:
  • 18–29: 23% (~1,640)
  • 30–49: 36% (~2,560)
  • 50–64: 26% (~1,850)
  • 65+: 15% (~1,070)
• By gender:
  • Women: 54%
  • Men: 46%
  • Note: Split reflects active users; incarcerated residents are not part of the active user base.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults; users often use multiple platforms)

• YouTube: 78% (~7,600)
• Facebook: 65% (~6,300)
• Instagram: 38% (~3,700)
• TikTok: 27% (~2,600)
• Pinterest: 26% (~2,500; majority women)
• Snapchat: 20% (~2,000; concentrated under 30)
• LinkedIn: 18% (~1,800; commuters/professionals)
• X (Twitter): 15% (~1,450)
• Nextdoor: 10% (~1,000; town-center neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups are the hub for local news, school sports, churches, events, and buy-sell-trade; posts from known local people and organizations get the highest engagement.
• Video-forward consumption: How-to, DIY, hunting/fishing, equipment reviews, and local sports highlights on YouTube; short-form entertainment and local happenings on Instagram Reels/TikTok.
• Messaging and response: Facebook Messenger and SMS are the default for inquiries and customer service; call-to-message and click-to-call ads perform well.
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–9 p.m.) on weekdays; late morning on weekends.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook: Local news, community coordination, marketplace.
  • Instagram: Personal sharing and small-business visuals; cross-posted Reels.
  • TikTok: Entertainment, trends, local scenery; younger audience.
  • YouTube: Learning, product research, longer local content.
  • Snapchat: Daily streaks and group chats among teens/young adults.
  • Nextdoor: Neighborhood notices and services; smaller but highly local.
  • X: Niche audience for sports/news; limited local reach.
• Commerce and discovery: Residents discover local businesses via Facebook and Google; practical offers and service updates outperform brand-only content.

What these numbers represent

• Modeled local estimates for 2025 derived from county demographics and nationally representative platform-adoption rates with rural/age adjustments. Figures indicate adult reach and active-usage patterns in Trousdale County.