Van Buren County

Van Buren County, Tennessee — Key Demographics

Population size

• 6,168 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~44.5 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: under 18: ~20%; 18–24: ~7%; 25–44: ~24%; 45–64: ~28%; 65+: ~21% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male: ~50.4%
• Female: ~49.6% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (shares of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~94%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3% (2020 Census; ACS 2018–2022)

Household data

• Households: ~2,500 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons
• Family households: ~68–70% of households; married-couple households: ~52%
• With own children under 18: ~27%
• One-person households: ~28%; living alone age 65+: ~12% (ACS 2018–2022)

Insights

• Small, rural county with a population just over 6,100 and an older-than-state/national median age
• Predominantly White non-Hispanic population with a small but present Hispanic/Latino community
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a sizable share of single-person households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Van Buren County, TN (population ≈6,500; land area ≈273 sq mi) has low density ≈24 people and ≈9–10 households per square mile, shaping connectivity and adoption.

Estimated email users: ≈4,700 adults (≈92% of adults) and ≈4,900 residents age 13+. Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male.

Age distribution of email users (share of total users; usage rates applied to local age mix):

• 18–34: ≈25% (≈96% use email)
• 35–54: ≈33% (≈95%)
• 55–64: ≈17% (≈93%)
• 65+: ≈25% (≈87%)

Digital access and trends:

• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈70% (ACS 2018–2022), up ~8 percentage points since 2016.
• Households with a computer: ≈88–90%; smartphone-only internet households: ≈12–15%.
• Public access: County library and civic sites provide free Wi‑Fi, mitigating gaps for non‑subscribers.
• Rural topology and low household density increase per‑mile build costs, slowing fiber expansion; adoption is rising but uneven between town centers and outlying areas.

Connectivity insight: With ~30% of households lacking fixed broadband subscriptions, email use remains strong via mobile data, but reliability and multi-user access are better where fixed broadband is available.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS (2018–2022), FCC broadband data, Pew Research Center.

Mobile phone usage in Van Buren County, Tennessee (2024 snapshot)

Context

• Population: ≈6.4k residents (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year). Age structure skews older than the state average, with a relatively high 65+ share and lower median income than the state.
• Sources blended for estimates: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, Pew Research Center device ownership (2023), FCC coverage/broadband map (2023–2024), Tennessee broadband program releases, and rural/Tennessee-specific adoption gaps. Figures below are county-level estimates calibrated to rural TN benchmarks and the county’s demographic mix.

User estimates (people and households)

• Adults with any mobile phone: 4.7k–5.0k (≈95% of adults; slightly below TN’s ≈97%).
• Adult smartphone owners: 4.0k–4.3k (≈80–83% of adults; TN ≈85–88%).
• Teen smartphone penetration (13–17): ≈85–90% (in line with rural U.S.; slightly below statewide).
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband, rely on cellular data/hotspots): 17–22% (TN ≈12–14%).
• Households with a smartphone present: ≈85–88% (TN ≈90%+).
• Wireless share of 911 calls: ≈85–90% of all emergency calls (comparable to statewide, toward the high end because of limited landline reliance in rural areas).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and plan patterns)

• By age:
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ≈94–97%; heavy app/social use; hotspot use common among renters.
  • 35–64: ≈87–90% smartphone ownership; family plans dominant; significant work-related mobile use among trades/drivers.
  • 65+: ≈60–65% smartphone ownership; flip/feature phones remain more common than statewide; larger share on voice/text + minimal data plans.
• By income/education:
  • < $35k household income: smartphone ownership ≈73–78%; prepaid share elevated; higher incidence of data-capped plans and mobile-only home internet.
  • Some college or higher: adoption ≈88–92% with greater use of multi-line postpaid and premium devices.
• By platform/plan:
  • Device mix: Android ≈55–60%, iOS ≈40–45% (Android share higher than statewide).
  • Plan types: Prepaid/MVNO ≈32–38% of lines (TN ≈24–28%); postpaid family plans remain popular for multi-line households.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage along TN‑111, TN‑30, and around Spencer and Fall Creek Falls State Park; persistent gaps and weak indoor signal in wooded hollows and ridge/valley terrain.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G from major carriers present on primary corridors and town centers; mid-band 5G (C‑band/2.5 GHz) is limited and non-contiguous; mmWave essentially absent.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Typical daytime mobile downlink in settled areas: moderate, with noticeable congestion during summer weekends and holidays near Fall Creek Falls (the park draws ≈1 million visits annually, materially spiking traffic).
  • Uplink and indoor performance can be constrained in metal-roof structures and low-lying areas; Wi‑Fi calling is commonly used to compensate for indoor signal weakness.
• Backhaul and towers:
  • A small number of macro sites serve the county, concentrated near highways, Spencer, and park facilities; terrain limits line-of-sight and contributes to dead zones between sites.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Fiber is available in parts of the county (notably around Spencer and along certain roads) via regional providers/co-ops; outside fiber footprints, DSL and fixed wireless are common, and many households default to cellular for primary internet.
  • Unserved/underserved locations remain meaningfully higher than the state average; grant-funded fiber builds underway regionally are reducing gaps but not yet universal.

Usage patterns and behaviors

• Higher reliance on mobile hotspots for homework, telehealth, and streaming in fiber-scarce pockets.
• Text-first communication remains strong, especially among older adults; OTT messaging dominant among younger users when Wi‑Fi is available.
• Tourism-driven seasonality (Fall Creek Falls) produces predictable weekend/holiday slowdowns on nearby sectors, unlike most TN counties without a comparable attraction.

How Van Buren County differs from Tennessee overall

• Lower smartphone adoption (by ≈3–6 percentage points).
• Higher prepaid/MVNO share (by ≈7–10 percentage points).
• Higher proportion of mobile-only internet households (by ≈5–8 percentage points).
• More coverage variability and indoor signal challenges due to terrain and sparse tower density.
• Lower availability of mid-band 5G and lower typical median speeds than urban/suburban TN counties.
• More pronounced seasonal congestion due to state-park traffic, which is atypical for most counties of similar size.

Outlook (2025–2026)

• Continued regional fiber buildouts (state/federal grants) should reduce mobile-only dependence and improve backhaul to some towers, lifting consistency.
• Carriers are incrementally extending mid-band 5G along primary corridors; expect better capacity on TN‑111/TN‑30 nodes first, with outlying dead zones persisting without new macro or targeted small-cell solutions.
• Device mix will gradually shift older cohorts to smartphones, narrowing (but not eliminating) the county-state adoption gap.

Notes on confidence

• Figures are best-available county-level estimates as of 2024, grounded in ACS demographics, rural Tennessee adoption differentials, and FCC coverage data. They are designed to be operationally useful for planning and service evaluation in Van Buren County.

Social media usage in Van Buren County, TN — concise snapshot (2025)

County and access context

• Population: 6,168 (2020 Census; very rural, low-density).
• Internet access: Rural infrastructure and income mix mean adoption skews toward mobile data plans and fixed wireless; household broadband subscription is below the Tennessee statewide average (ACS 2018–2022).

User base and demographics

• Age mix: Older-leaning compared with the U.S. overall. Roughly one in five residents are under 18 and about one in four are 65+. This age profile amplifies Facebook and YouTube usage and dampens TikTok/Snapchat penetration.
• Gender: About evenly split (≈49–51% female/male). Female users over 35 are especially active in Facebook Groups and Marketplace.

Most-used platforms (rank and share, with best-available benchmarks)

• The platform order below reflects what’s most used locally; percentages shown are the latest U.S. adult usage rates for reference, which closely track rural Tennessee patterns.
  1. YouTube — 83% of U.S. adults (Pew, 2024). Dominant across all ages; primary video source for how‑to, local sports clips, equipment repairs, and hunting/fishing content.
  2. Facebook — 68% of U.S. adults. Highest daily use locally, especially among 30–70+. Heavy reliance on Groups (schools, churches, community boards) and Marketplace.
  3. Instagram — 47% of U.S. adults. Active among teens and 18–44, especially women; Reels consumption growing but below urban levels.
  4. Pinterest — 35% of U.S. adults. Strong among women for recipes, crafts, home projects.
  5. TikTok — 33% of U.S. adults. Solid teen/young‑adult reach; overall county penetration lower due to older population share.
  6. Snapchat — 30% of U.S. adults. Concentrated in teens/20s; limited reach beyond.
  7. WhatsApp — 29% of U.S. adults. Niche; used for family chats and work crews.
  8. X (Twitter) — 27% of U.S. adults. Small local core focused on sports, news, weather.
  9. LinkedIn — ~30% of U.S. adults. Light usage; relevant for healthcare, education, and public-sector professionals rather than mass consumer reach.
• Note: In older, rural counties like Van Buren, Facebook’s actual local penetration and daily time-on-platform tend to exceed the U.S. average relative to TikTok/Snapchat. YouTube retains the broadest overall reach.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Tennessee counties (and evident locally)

• Community-first engagement: Facebook Groups for schools, youth sports, churches, county alerts, lost & found, and local events drive the highest comments and shares.
• Marketplace-centric commerce: High activity for vehicles, equipment, farm supplies, furniture, and seasonal items; buyer responses peak evenings and weekends.
• Local video preference: Short, straight-to-the-point videos (YouTube and Facebook) outperform polished ads; practical “how-to” and updates from recognizable local figures do best.
• Event- and season-driven spikes: Hunting seasons, school calendars, fair/festival weekends, and weather events create distinct engagement peaks.
• Messaging > public posting for transactions: Many negotiations move quickly into Messenger/SMS after initial contact.
• Timing: Engagement skews to early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.); Sunday late afternoon is strong for event recaps and listings.
• Trust signals matter: Real photos (not stock), clear prices, and named local admins/page owners increase response rates and reduce spam concerns.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; ACS 2018–2022 for broadband context). Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform percentages shown). Data reflect rural Tennessee usage patterns; platform percentages are national benchmarks used to contextualize local rank and behavior.