Wilson County

Key demographics — Wilson County, Tennessee

Population

• Total population: ~161,000 (2023 Census Population Estimates)
• 2020 Census: 147,737 (+29% vs. 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~78.5%
• Black/African American, non-Hispanic: ~7.5%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~6.7%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~2.0%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4.4%
• Other (including American Indian/Alaska Native, NH/PI), non-Hispanic: ~0.9%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~58,000
• Average household size: ~2.7
• Family households: ~72% of households
• Married-couple households: ~55%
• Households with children under 18: ~33%
• Homeownership rate: ~76% (owner-occupied); renters: ~24%

Insights

• Rapid growth since 2010 and continued post-2020 expansion
• Family-oriented age structure with high owner-occupancy typical of fast-growing Nashville-area suburbs

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

• Scope: Wilson County, Tennessee (population ≈155,000; density ≈270 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈120,000 residents (driven by high suburban internet adoption near Nashville).

Age distribution of adult email users (≈115,000 adults):

• 18–34: 28%
• 35–54: 38%
• 55–64: 17%
• 65+: 17%

Gender split among email users:

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49% (Reflects the county’s near‑even population mix.)

Digital access and usage trends:

• Household computer access: ~95%
• Household broadband subscription (cable, fiber, or DSL): ~90–92%
• Smartphone adoption among adults: ~85%+
• Mobile‑only internet households: ~10–12% These levels support near‑universal email use among working‑age adults and strong engagement among seniors, with slightly lower uptake in the oldest cohorts.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Strong fiber/cable coverage in Lebanon and Mt. Juliet along the I‑40 corridor supports high‑speed, high‑reliability email access.
• Rural northeastern and eastern tracts see more reliance on DSL/fixed wireless and lower advertised speeds, contributing to modest gaps in email intensity.
• Public institutions (schools, libraries) provide extensive Wi‑Fi, bolstering access for residents without robust home service.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Wilson County, Tennessee (2024)

Scale and user estimates

• Population base: Approximately 158,000 residents (2023 Census estimate for Wilson County).
• Active mobile lines: About 200,000–205,000 subscriptions in the county, derived from CTIA’s national ratio of ~1.27 wireless connections per resident applied to the county population.
• Smartphone users: Roughly 125,000–130,000 people use smartphones in Wilson County. This combines national-level adult and teen adoption benchmarks with the county’s population structure and income profile.

How Wilson County differs from Tennessee overall

• Higher device penetration: Smartphone ownership and multi-line family plans are measurably higher than the statewide average, reflecting Wilson County’s higher household incomes and suburban profile within the Nashville MSA.
• Lower smartphone-only reliance: A smaller share of households rely solely on smartphones for internet compared with Tennessee overall, because fiber/cable broadband is more widely available and adopted in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and along the I-40 corridor.
• Faster 5G uptake and speeds: Mid-band 5G (C-band and n41) is broadly available along primary corridors, producing higher median mobile speeds and more consistent capacity than in rural parts of the state where low-band 5G/LTE dominates.
• Fewer coverage gaps: Coverage is denser than the statewide picture; remaining weak spots are concentrated in the county’s eastern and northeastern rural areas and valleys, not in the main population centers.

Demographic breakdown (directional differences vs. state)

• Age: Younger adults (18–44) in Wilson County have near-universal smartphone adoption, similar to Tennessee, but the 65+ cohort shows higher adoption than the state average because of better device affordability, family plan sharing, and stronger in-home broadband support.
• Income: Higher-income households predominate compared with Tennessee, pushing up smartphone and tablet ownership while reducing smartphone-only internet reliance. Lower-income residents in Wilson resemble statewide patterns, with heavier dependence on unlimited data plans and hotspotting to meet home connectivity needs.
• Households with children: Above-average share of multi-line and device-per-student households; school-related apps, telehealth, and extracurricular coordination drive heavier monthly data usage than state norms.
• Race/ethnicity: Gaps in device adoption across racial and ethnic groups are smaller than statewide because of stronger broadband availability and the prevalence of bundled wireless/home internet offers in major ZIP codes.

Digital infrastructure and market characteristics

• Network coverage and capacity: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE and 5G coverage, with mid-band 5G widely deployed in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and along I-40/US-70. Capacity is reinforced by dense macro sites along commuter corridors and commercial zones.
• Backhaul and fiber footprint: Strong fiber and hybrid-coax backhaul from AT&T and cable operators supports mobile capacity and small-cell placements, a key differentiator from many Tennessee counties. Portions of eastern Wilson also benefit from regional fiber co-ops, improving backhaul resilience.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G Home internet from T-Mobile and Verizon is broadly marketed in the county’s urban/suburban ZIP codes and sees higher take-up than the statewide average, complementing cable/fiber and reducing the need for smartphone-only internet.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet coverage is established along major corridors and within municipal cores, with overlapping commercial 5G providing redundancy. Storm-driven congestion is typically mitigated faster than in rural counties due to better backhaul and site density.
• Congestion patterns: Peak-hour slowdowns center on I-40 commute windows, school arrival/dismissal zones, and large event venues; however, mid-band 5G capacity has reduced severity compared with pre-2022 conditions.

Key statistics to anchor planning

• 200,000+ active mobile lines countywide (CTIA ratio applied to county population).
• Smartphone users on the order of 125,000–130,000 people.
• Household broadband adoption is higher and smartphone-only dependence lower than Tennessee’s statewide rates, reflecting better fiber/cable availability and income mix.
• Mid-band 5G is broadly present in primary population centers and corridors, yielding higher median speeds than the state’s rural counties.

Implications

• Marketing: Family and multi-line plans, device financing, and premium 5G tiers perform better here than in much of Tennessee. Fixed wireless home internet has strong cross-sell potential but competes directly with fiber/cable.
• Network: Continued small-cell densification and C-band/n41 capacity along I-40 and school corridors will yield outsize returns. Rural eastern pockets still benefit from targeted coverage enhancements and microwave/fiber backhaul upgrades.
• Equity: While overall digital access is strong, targeted subsidies and device programs for lower-income and senior populations can close remaining gaps, particularly where home broadband is still absent.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 county population estimates.
• CTIA Annual Survey (wireless connections per capita).
• FCC National Broadband Map (2024) and carrier 5G coverage disclosures for Middle Tennessee.
• ACS 2023 (S2801) and Pew Research mobile adoption benchmarks used to derive county-level estimates aligned with Wilson County’s suburban income and infrastructure profile.

Social media usage in Wilson County, Tennessee — concise snapshot (2025)

Population and user base

• County population: roughly 155,000–160,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates).
• Adults (18+): approximately 115,000–120,000.
• Estimated adult social media users: about 80,000–90,000 (modeled using Pew Research Center’s finding that ~72% of U.S. adults use at least one social platform).

Most-used platforms (reference benchmarks; expect similar local ordering)

• YouTube: 83% of U.S. adults
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• Reddit: 22% Notes: In suburban counties like Wilson, Facebook and YouTube are typically the top two by reach; Instagram places third, with TikTok’s reach and time spent growing fastest, especially among under-30s.

Age-group patterns (local implications based on U.S. usage patterns)

• Teens (13–17): Very high YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat use; Instagram strong. Local implications: short-form video and school/sports content perform best; heavy evening and weekend usage.
• 18–29: Heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube ubiquitous. Facebook used but less central for daily posting.
• 30–49: Split across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; TikTok adoption rising. This cohort drives most local purchasing and event planning via social.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; growing Instagram use. Strong engagement in community groups, churches, youth sports, and local services.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead for news, community updates, and family content; simpler, shareable posts and local information perform best.

Gender breakdown

• County population is close to an even split (slightly more women than men per ACS). Overall social media use is similar by gender.
• Platform skews: Pinterest usage leans female; Reddit and X lean male. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are broadly balanced at the county level.

Behavioral trends observed/expected in Wilson County

• Facebook Groups and Marketplace anchor daily local engagement: HOA and neighborhood groups (Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Watertown), church communities, youth sports, buy/sell/trade, and local services.
• Event-driven spikes: Significant surges around the Wilson County–Tennessee State Fair, high school football, graduation season, holiday parades, severe weather, and traffic/roadwork updates along I‑40/840.
• Short-form video dominance: Reels and TikTok drive the most viral local reach; cross-posted clips (TikTok to Reels/Shorts) perform best when under ~30–45 seconds with clear local hooks.
• Local discovery and trust: Residents rely on Facebook recommendations, Instagram Stories, and Google/Maps reviews in tandem; DMing businesses via Facebook/Instagram is common for quick quotes and availability.
• Time-of-day patterns: Morning scroll (6:30–8:30 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.), and evening prime (7:00–9:30 p.m.). Weekend afternoons trend higher for family and event content.
• Neighborhood and safety chatter: Nextdoor/Facebook neighborhood groups serve as real-time channels for lost pets, utility outages, school notices, and crime/safety updates—high share and comment rates on these posts.
• Visuals that win locally: Youth sports highlights, fair/food content, lake/park scenes (Old Hickory Lake, Cedars of Lebanon), school/booster updates, new business openings, and before/after home services.

What the numbers imply locally

• Roughly 8–9 in 10 social media users in the county can be reached via YouTube or Facebook; Instagram and TikTok are essential for growth and under‑40 reach.
• Community-first posts, short-form video, and participation in local groups consistently outperform generic brand or link-only posts.

Sources and methodology

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey/Population Estimates (2023) for population and age structure.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform reach and teen usage patterns).
• Data are modeled to Wilson County using national usage rates applied to local demographics; platform percentages cited are national benchmarks, with local ordering and behaviors aligned to suburban county patterns.