Gregg County

Gregg County, Texas — key demographics

Population size

• 124,239 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: roughly 128,000–129,000 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates), indicating modest growth since 2020

Age

• Median age: about 37 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; ACS 2019–2023 and 2020 Census patterns)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~54–56%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~20%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~20–22%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–1.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races and other, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~47,000
• Persons per household: ~2.64
• Family households: ~68%
• Married-couple families: ~45%
• Households with children under 18: ~30%

Insights

• Population has grown modestly since 2020.
• Age structure skews slightly younger than the U.S. median, with a sizable working-age share and about one in six residents 65+.
• The county is racially and ethnically diverse for East Texas, with roughly one-fifth Black and about one-fifth Hispanic residents.

Gregg County, TX (pop. 124,239; ~276 sq mi; ~450 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users

• ~95,000 residents (ages 13+), about 76% of total population

Age distribution of email users

• 13–17: 6% (5,700)
• 18–34: 27% (25,700)
• 35–54: 33% (31,400)
• 55–64: 15% (14,300)
• 65+: 19% (18,000)

Gender split among email users

• Female ~51%
• Male ~49%

Digital access and connectivity

• Households with a computer: ~92%
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~85%
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~11%
• Households without any home internet: ~15%

Trends and local context

• Email usage is near-universal among working-age adults and growing among seniors as smartphone adoption rises.
• Broadband subscription rates have edged upward since 2019, with cable and expanding fiber in Longview supporting higher speeds; rural fringes rely more on DSL or fixed wireless.
• Population density and the Longview urban core concentrate connectivity, enabling strong email adoption for commerce, education, and services.

Gregg County, TX — mobile phone usage overview (2024)

Population and users

• Population baseline: 124,239 (2020 Census). Roughly 46,000 households.
• Adult base: about 93,000 residents age 18+.
• Estimated unique mobile phone users: ~95,000–100,000 (about 76–80% of total population).
• Estimated adult smartphone users: ~83,000–86,000 (applying current U.S. adult smartphone adoption of ~90%+ to the county’s adult population).
• Wireless-only households (no landline): majority share, consistent with Texas’ high wireless substitution; local reliance is likely a few points above the statewide average owing to lower landline retention and rural edges.

Demographic context that shapes usage (how Gregg differs from Texas)

• Older population mix: Gregg County skews older than the Texas average (larger 65+ share). This slightly dampens overall smartphone adoption compared with large metro Texas counties, but the gap is offset by high adoption among working-age residents.
• Race/ethnicity: Black share is materially higher than the Texas average, while Hispanic share is lower. Nationwide patterns show smartphone adoption is high across groups, but home wireline broadband subscription is lower for Black households—translating locally into higher smartphone-only internet reliance.
• Income and education: Median household income is notably below the Texas median, and the bachelor’s degree share is lower. This correlates with:
  • Higher prepaid plan usage.
  • More multi-line family plans to control cost.
  • Greater likelihood of cellular-only home internet and mobile hotspot use.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Near-universal population coverage from all three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon).
• 5G:
  • Low-band 5G covers the populated areas of the county.
  • Mid-band 5G (capacity layers) is live in and around Longview and along the I-20 corridor, with expansion radiating along U.S. 259 and U.S. 80.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Stronger signal density and speeds in Longview, Kilgore, and along I-20; thinner macro coverage and more foliage/terrain impacts toward rural precincts can lead to peak-time congestion and indoor coverage variability.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G-based home internet from mobile carriers is available to many addresses in and around Longview and transport corridors, providing a substitute where cable/fiber is absent or costly.
• Wireline backdrop (relevant to mobile dependence):
  • Cable broadband is widely available in urbanized areas; fiber exists in pockets but is not ubiquitous countywide.
  • Rural fringes rely more on older DSL or satellite—conditions that increase cellular data-plan uptake and hotspot use.

How Gregg County’s usage trends differ from the Texas average

• Higher smartphone dependence for home internet:
  • A larger slice of households rely on smartphones and cellular data plans as their primary connection than the statewide share, driven by lower wireline availability outside the core and lower incomes.
• More prepaid and cost-sensitive behavior:
  • Plan mix skews more toward prepaid and budget MVNOs than in Texas’ large metros; BYOD and promotional switching are common.
• Coverage quality is more bimodal:
  • Urban/transport corridors enjoy dense 5G with mid-band capacity; rural edges experience more variability. This contrast is sharper than in Texas’ largest counties, where mid-band 5G is more uniformly built out.
• Device mix:
  • Slightly older-device skew (longer replacement cycles) compared with metro Texas, though 5G-capable share has risen quickly with carrier promotions.

Key takeaways

• About 95,000–100,000 residents in Gregg County actively use mobile phones, with more than 80,000 adult smartphone users.
• Mobile networks provide near-universal 4G and broad 5G, with strongest capacity in Longview and along I-20.
• Compared with Texas overall, Gregg County shows higher cellular reliance for home connectivity, more prepaid usage, and more uneven performance outside core corridors—differences largely explained by demographics, income, and the patchier fiber footprint.

Social media usage in Gregg County, Texas (2025 snapshot)

Population base

• Residents: ≈126,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS)
• Adults (18+): ≈96,000; Teens (13–17): ≈8,400
• Social media users (any platform): ≈69,000 adults (≈72% of 18+), ≈8,000 teens (13–17), ≈77,000 total 13+

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated local share and user counts)

• YouTube: 83% of adults ≈ 79,000
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 65,000
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 45,000
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 34,000
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 32,000
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 29,000
• WhatsApp: 29% ≈ 28,000
• Snapchat: 27% ≈ 26,000
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 21,000
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 21,000
• Nextdoor: 20% ≈ 19,000

Age-group patterns (adult usage; local rates expected to mirror U.S. patterns)

• 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 78%, Snapchat 65%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 33%
• 30–49: YouTube 92%, Facebook 73%, Instagram 49%, TikTok 39%, Snapchat 24%
• 50–64: YouTube 83%, Facebook 76%, Instagram 29%, TikTok 17%
• 65+: YouTube 60%, Facebook 58%, Instagram 15%, TikTok 7%
• Teens (13–17): Very high YouTube usage (~95%); strong Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok adoption

Gender breakdown

• County population: ~51% women, ~49% men; social media users reflect a similar split
• Platform skews (U.S. adult patterns applied locally):
  • Pinterest: women ~50% vs men ~20% (female-led)
  • TikTok: women ~40% vs men ~25% (female-leaning)
  • Snapchat: women ~31% vs men ~23% (female-leaning)
  • Instagram: women ~50% vs men ~45% (slight female tilt)
  • Reddit: men ~29% vs women ~15% (male-led)
  • Facebook: near parity (≈69% women, 66% men)
  • YouTube: slight male tilt (≈86% men, 81% women)

Behavioral trends in Gregg County

• Community and local commerce: Facebook is the hub for community groups, school/booster updates, churches, civic announcements, and Facebook Marketplace buy/sell activity. Nextdoor is used in subdivisions for neighborhood alerts, services, and lost/found.
• Video-first engagement: Short-form video (TikTok, Instagram Reels) and YouTube drive the most time-on-platform. How‑to, local food, youth sports, outdoor/recreation, and faith content perform well.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for most adults; Snapchat messaging is common among under‑30; WhatsApp is notable among bilingual/Hispanic households and for family communications.
• Local news and events: Older adults lean on Facebook Pages/Groups and YouTube live/clips; younger adults discover via TikTok/Instagram Reels, then click through to publishers.
• Purchasing and discovery: Facebook/Instagram are primary for discovering local businesses, events, and promos; Marketplace influences resale and entry-level purchases; Nextdoor converts well for home services and trades.
• Cross-posting and redundancy: Small businesses often cross-post the same creative to Facebook and Instagram; short 10–30s vertical video outperforms static posts in reach and engagement.

Notes on method and sources

• Population and age/gender makeup: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (Gregg County, TX).
• Platform usage rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults). Local counts are derived by applying Pew’s platform percentages to Gregg County’s 18+ population; teen usage references Pew’s 2023/2024 teen technology findings. Percentages represent overlapping user bases (individuals often use multiple platforms).