Warren County

Warren County, Tennessee — key demographics

Population size

• 40,953 (2020 Census; +2.8% vs. 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~40.8 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive; Hispanic is any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~79%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~12%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~2%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~0.5%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.4%
• Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~15,900
• Average household size: ~2.58 persons
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Single-person households: ~27%
• Households with children under 18: ~29%
• Tenure: ~71% owner-occupied, ~29% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics).

• Population and density: Warren County, TN has ~41,000 residents, ~95 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: ~31,000 residents age 13+ (≈76% of total population).
• Age adoption rates (share of each age group using email): 13–17: ~92%; 18–29: ~98%; 30–49: ~96%; 50–64: ~90%; 65+: ~76%.
• User base by age (share of all email users): 13–17: ~8%; 18–49: ~51%; 50–64: ~23%; 65+: ~18%.
• Gender split among users: Female ~51%, Male ~49% (mirrors county sex mix).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription: ~83% of households; smartphone-only internet households: ~18%.
  • Fiber and gigabit service are expanding via Ben Lomand Connect; cable broadband is prevalent in McMinnville, with slower or costlier options in rural pockets.
  • Email is near-universal among students and working-age adults due to school/work requirements; seniors’ usage lags but is rising with smartphone adoption.
  • The 2024 end of the Affordable Connectivity Program likely reduced affordability for some low-income households, pressuring adoption at the margins.
• Connectivity insight: Town centers and fiber-fed areas see consistent high-speed access supporting heavy email use, while lower-density areas experience patchier fixed broadband and greater reliance on mobile data.

Mobile phone usage in Warren County, Tennessee — 2024 snapshot

User base (estimates are for residents; rounded to nearest hundred)

• Population: ~41,500; adults (18+): ~32,000
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~30,400 (≈95% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ~26,900 (≈84% of adults)
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): ~2,400–2,600 (≈90–95% of teens)
• Total resident smartphone users (all ages): ~29,500–30,500

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • Seniors (65+) are a larger share than the state average; smartphone adoption among seniors is lower (≈65–70% vs ≈75–80% statewide), so the age mix pulls down overall smartphone penetration despite high adoption among younger adults and teens.
• Income and plan type
  • Median household income is below the Tennessee median, correlating with higher prepaid and MVNO usage and tighter data budgets. Expect higher incidence of data caps and hotspot reliance than statewide.
• Household internet mix
  • Mobile-only home internet (cellular data plan without fixed broadband): ≈18–22% of households in Warren County vs ≈12–15% statewide. This reflects both rurality and cost sensitivity.
• Language and workforce
  • A meaningful Hispanic/Latino population employed in agriculture and manufacturing boosts reliance on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and bilingual plan support; messaging-first behavior is more pronounced than the statewide average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks and coverage
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide countywide 4G LTE; 5G low-band is broadly available in and around McMinnville and along US‑70S/SR‑55 corridors, with patchier 5G away from population centers and in hillier terrain.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity is strongest near McMinnville and major routes; valleys and river corridors (e.g., Collins River) see more signal variability and fallbacks to LTE.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical 5G downloads in town: ~75–150 Mbps; rural LTE/5G outskirts: ~15–60 Mbps. Peak speeds and consistency are lower than the Tennessee statewide median, reflecting fewer high-capacity sites and more challenging terrain.
• Tower and backhaul context
  • Macro sites cluster around McMinnville, industrial areas, and primary roadways; fewer sites serve low-density tracts, so sector loading during school release hours and shift changes is noticeable.
  • Strong local fiber presence from Ben Lomand Connect improves wireless backhaul near served areas, but fixed-fiber availability still trails urban Tennessee, reinforcing the higher mobile-only share.
• Emergency and coverage resilience
  • E‑911 and WEA support is standard; weather and power events can degrade rural sectors faster than in urban Tennessee due to sparser grid redundancy.

How Warren County differs from Tennessee overall

• Higher reliance on mobile for home internet: roughly 3–7 percentage points above the state average, driven by rural addresses and affordability.
• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration, primarily due to an older age profile; youth adoption is on par with or above the state.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO penetration and budget-conscious data behavior; heavier use of messaging apps and Wi‑Fi offload where available.
• Network performance is more uneven: good 5G in McMinnville and along main corridors, but more LTE dependence and signal variability in outlying areas compared with the state’s metro counties.

Key takeaways

• Approximately 30,000 residents in Warren County use smartphones, with near-universal mobile access among adults.
• Mobile networks are the primary internet path for nearly one in five households, notably higher than the state average.
• Investments that matter most locally: additional mid-band 5G sectors outside McMinnville, rural infill sites to reduce LTE congestion and dead zones, and continued fiber backhaul expansion to stabilize capacity.

Warren County, TN social media snapshot (2024 modeled estimates)

Topline usage

• Population ~41,500; adults (18+) ~32,160
• Internet use: ~92% of adults
• Smartphone ownership: ~86% of adults
• Social media users: ~81% of adults ≈ 26,050

Age profile of social media users (share of all users)

• 18–29: ~21%
• 30–49: ~35%
• 50–64: ~27%
• 65+: ~17%

Gender breakdown (share of all users)

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~48% Notes: Women slightly more likely to use Facebook and Pinterest; men slightly more likely to use Reddit/X.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~65%
• Instagram: ~39%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• TikTok: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~26%
• Also used: X (Twitter) ~20%, WhatsApp ~19%, Reddit ~16%, LinkedIn ~14% Notes: Facebook and YouTube dominate across ages; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat skew under 35; Pinterest skews female and home/DIY oriented.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community-first on Facebook: Heavy reliance on Groups and Pages for school updates, church activities, youth sports, local government notices, storm and road alerts; Facebook Events drive RSVPs for fairs, festivals, and ballgames.
• Marketplace culture: High engagement with Facebook Marketplace for vehicles, tools, farm/garden equipment, and household items; price and proximity drive response.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) is the primary discovery format for under-35; how-to/DIY, horticulture and landscaping tips, small-engine repair, and local sports highlights perform strongly on YouTube.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for local businesses and buyers/sellers; WhatsApp use is notable among Hispanic residents for family and work coordination.
• Timing patterns: Peak check-ins before work (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend mid-day spikes for event content and Marketplace browsing.
• Trust signals: Authentic, local faces outperform polished ads; recommendations inside community Groups and visible customer comments/reviews drive decisions; offer-style posts (limited-time specials, coupons) get above-average clicks and shares.
• Generational split:
  • Under 35: Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat for discovery and DMs; respond to short, conversational video, behind-the-scenes, and creator-style posts.
  • 50+: Facebook is the hub for news, weather, church, and civic info; link posts and photo albums still see strong engagement.
• Device reality: Social activity is overwhelmingly mobile; vertical video and tappable stories outperform desktop-first creative.

Methodology and sources

• Adult population and device/connectivity context from U.S. Census Bureau ACS (latest available county profiles) with Tennessee rural adjustments.
• Platform and age/gender adoption rates grounded in Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media benchmarks, adjusted to a rural county profile to produce county-level estimates.