Jones County

Jones County, Texas — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population (2020 Census): 20,202
• 2023 estimate: ~19,900

Age

• Median age: ~37 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Sex

• Male: ~60%
• Female: ~40% Note: The county’s sizable institutionalized population (state correctional facilities) skews the sex ratio toward males.

Race and Hispanic origin (shares sum to ~100 using “Hispanic of any race” + non-Hispanic race-alone groups)

• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~32%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~51%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~12%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4%

Households

• Number of households: ~6,600–6,700
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Married-couple households: ~47%
• Nonfamily households: ~38%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (Tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

• Scope and basis: Estimates use latest Census population for Jones County (~20.3k) combined with Pew/ACS adoption rates for rural Texas.
• Estimated email users: 14.8k–16.0k (73–79% of residents; roughly 86–92% of adults).
• Age distribution among email users:
  • 13–17: 6–8%
  • 18–34: 24–27%
  • 35–54: 34–37%
  • 55–64: 12–14%
  • 65+: 18–21%
• Gender split among email users: Female 51–52%; Male 48–49% (reflects county’s slight female population majority and near-parity in email adoption by gender).
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~78–82%.
  • Smartphone-only internet users: ~18–22% of adults, making mobile the primary email channel for many.
  • Daily email use among users: ~70%+; older adults show slower but steady growth, with strongest gains among 55+.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈21 people per square mile (sparse, rural).
  • Access tends to be strongest in/around Anson, Stamford, Hamlin, and Hawley; fixed wireless and 4G/5G help fill gaps between towns.
  • Adoption lags urban Texas but is converging as mobile coverage and fixed wireless expand.

Jones County, Texas: Mobile phone usage summary (2023–2024)

Headline takeaways

• Mobile adoption is high but trails Texas averages, reflecting an older, more rural population and patchier mid-band 5G.
• A notably larger share of households rely on mobile data as their primary home internet compared with the state.
• Coverage is strong along major corridors near Abilene and towns like Anson, Hawley, Hamlin, and Stamford, with weaker service in sparsely populated north/east sections.

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~20,000 residents; ~15,000 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (all handsets): approximately 13,500–14,000 adults (about 90–93% of adults). This is a few points lower than Texas’ adult mobile-ownership level, which is typically in the mid-90s.
• Smartphone users: roughly 12,000–13,000 adults (about 80–86% of adults), about 4–9 percentage points below the Texas average (upper 80s to ~90% among adults).
• Mobile-only internet households: approximately 18–24% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet, versus roughly 13–15% statewide. This is one of the clearest local deviations from state trends.

Demographic drivers of usage

• Age structure: Jones County has a larger 65+ share than Texas overall. Given smartphone adoption among seniors in the mid-70% range (vs ~95%+ for under-50 adults), the older profile pulls down overall smartphone penetration relative to the state.
• Income and rurality: Lower median household income and greater distances to wired broadband increase reliance on prepaid plans and “phone-as-home-internet” behavior, elevating mobile-only households relative to Texas.
• Race/ethnicity mix: The county skews more non-Hispanic White and less Hispanic than Texas overall. While device adoption differences by race/ethnicity have narrowed statewide, the local age and income mix still explains most of the gap with Texas.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access networks
  • 4G LTE: Broadly available in towns and along US-83/277, TX-6, and major farm-to-market roads; performance tapers in low-density areas.
  • 5G low-band: Present on major carriers along primary corridors and population centers; practical coverage reaches most residents but with LTE-like speeds.
  • 5G mid-band (C-band/2.5 GHz): Concentrated closer to the Taylor County line/Abilene influence (e.g., Hawley area) and select town centers; relatively sparse north of Stamford/Anson. This contrasts with much wider mid-band footprints in Texas metros.
• Backhaul and tower density
  • Macro sites cluster around towns and highways; north/east ranchland relies more on microwave backhaul where fiber laterals are thin, which constrains mid-band 5G buildout compared with Texas urban counties.
• Fixed alternatives and substitution
  • Cable/DSL availability is limited outside town grids, leading to higher uptake of fixed wireless and satellite. This, in turn, sustains heavier mobile data use and a larger mobile-only segment than the Texas norm.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet coverage is established along the main corridors and towns; off-corridor dead zones are more common than in suburban Texas counties, affecting both public-safety redundancy and consumer reliability.

How Jones County differs from Texas statewide

• Adoption: Adult smartphone ownership is several points lower than the state, primarily due to an older population and lower wired-broadband availability.
• Access pattern: A meaningfully higher share of households depend on mobile data for home internet, driving heavier on-device and hotspot usage.
• Network quality: 5G mid-band availability is patchy and largely corridor/town-centered, unlike the broader mid-band footprints seen across Texas’ metro and suburban counties. Average real-world speeds and indoor coverage are therefore more variable than the statewide experience.
• Investment cadence: Tower densification and fiber backhaul expansion lag urban Texas, so performance gains arrive more gradually and are tied to specific corridors and town buildouts.

Implications

• Expect steady, corridor-first improvements (especially where backhaul is upgraded), but persistent performance gaps in low-density tracts.
• Mobile-only and mobile-first behaviors will remain elevated unless wireline last-mile or fixed wireless with licensed mid-band spectrum expands deeper into rural areas.
• Targeted mid-band 5G infill around Anson, Stamford, Hawley, and Hamlin, plus additional fiber-fed sites north/east of these towns, would close most of the performance and reliability gap with state averages.

Jones County, TX social media snapshot (modeled 2025)

Overall user stats

• Residents: ≈20,000; adults (18+): ≈15,500
• Adults using any social media: ≈72% (≈11,000–11,500 adults)
• Teens (13–17) using social media: ≈95%

Age-group adoption (share of people in each age group who use social media)

• 18–29: ~90%
• 30–49: ~82%
• 50–64: ~73%
• 65+: ~45%

Gender breakdown among adult users

• Female: ~51% of adult users
• Male: ~49% of adult users
• Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit

Most-used platforms (adult users; share using each platform at least monthly)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~42%
• TikTok: ~32%
• Pinterest: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~28%
• WhatsApp: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~23%
• Reddit: ~18%
• LinkedIn: ~12%
• Nextdoor: ~7%

Teens (13–17) platform mix (share using)

• YouTube: ~95%
• TikTok: ~66%
• Instagram: ~62%
• Snapchat: ~60%
• Discord: ~30%
• Twitch: ~25%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the public square: school districts, churches, sheriff/city updates, and buy/sell/swap groups drive the most consistent engagement; comments and shares outperform link clicks.
• Short-form vertical video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) is the discovery engine for local food, boutiques, and events; authentic, face-to-camera clips beat polished creatives.
• YouTube is practical: ranching/DIY and repair how-tos, hunting/fishing, and local sports highlights see longer weekend watch times.
• Messaging habits: families use Facebook Messenger; WhatsApp is common in Spanish-speaking households; teens default to Snapchat for day-to-day communication.
• Activity peaks: mornings (7–9 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); Sunday afternoons perform well for community content.
• X (Twitter) usage spikes around severe weather and high school sports; LinkedIn and Reddit remain niche.
• Trust dynamics: posts from known local institutions or recognizable community members travel farther; official pages frequently step in for rumor control during storms, road closures, and elections.

Notes on method

• Figures are modeled estimates for Jones County using 2023–2024 Pew Research Center social media adoption benchmarks by age and the county’s census/ACS demographic profile; numbers are rounded for clarity and intended for planning. Actual local metrics will vary by town, platform analytics, and campaign targeting.