Tarrant County

Key demographics (Tarrant County, Texas)

Population size

• Total population: 2,227,000 (July 1, 2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~35 years (2023 ACS 1-year)
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~13%

Gender

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2%

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; Hispanic can be of any race)

• Hispanic or Latino: ~31%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~39%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~17%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~6%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~5%
• Other race groups (non-Hispanic, including American Indian/Alaska Native and NHPI): ~1–2%

Household data

• Households: ~800,000 (2023 ACS 1-year)
• Average household size: ~2.8
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple families: ~47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~35%
• One-person households: ~25–26%
• Average family size: ~3.4

Insights

• Large, fast-growing county (over 2.2 million residents) with a relatively young age profile.
• Majority-minority population with substantial Hispanic and Black communities and a growing Asian population.
• Household structure is family-oriented with above-national-average household size.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (1-year) and 2023 Population Estimates Program.

• Scale: Tarrant County’s 2023 population is about 2.2 million (3rd-most populous in Texas), with roughly 74% adults (≈1.63M). Land area ≈864 sq mi → ~2,400 people/sq mi, indicating dense, highly connected urban/suburban coverage (Fort Worth–Arlington).
• Estimated email users: ≈1.50–1.55 million adults (≈92–93% adoption), based on Pew Research’s national adult email adoption applied to the county’s adult population.
• Age distribution (population): under 18 ≈26%, 18–64 ≈61%, 65+ ≈13% (U.S. Census). Email adoption by age (Pew): 18–49 ≈98–99%, 50–64 ≈92%, 65+ ≈86%. That implies ≈235–240k email-using seniors locally.
• Gender split: population ≈50.3% female, 49.7% male. Email usage is nearly even (female ≈93%, male ≈92%), yielding ≈760k female and ≈745k male adult email users.
• Digital access: About 94–95% of households have a computer and ~90–92% subscribe to home broadband (ACS). Roughly 1 in 10 households lacks home internet; gaps are larger among low-income and senior households. Urban density and provider competition drive high availability and speeds across most addresses, with widespread cable and expanding fiber plus extensive 5G coverage supporting strong email accessibility.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Tarrant County, Texas (2023–2024)

Headline numbers

• Population and households: ~2.23 million residents; ~780,000 households; ~1.66 million adults (18+).
• Adult mobile users: ~1.59 million adults with a cellphone (≈96%); ~1.49 million adult smartphone users (≈90%).
• Home internet via cellular only (mobile-only): ~14–17% of households (≈110,000–130,000).
• Households with no home internet subscription: ~6–8% (≈47,000–62,000).

Demographic breakdown of usage

• By age (adults, estimated from Pew ownership rates applied to local age mix):
  • 18–29: ~320,000 smartphone users (≈97% adoption).
  • 30–49: ~570,000 (≈98%).
  • 50–64: ~375,000 (≈90%).
  • 65+: ~250,000 (≈75–80%).
  • Teens 13–17: ~125,000 smartphone users (≈90–95% adoption).
• By income:
  • Mobile-only home internet is disproportionately concentrated among lower-income households and renters. In Tarrant’s lowest-income brackets (under ~$35,000), mobile-only reliance is several times higher than in higher-income brackets, mirroring national patterns.
• By race/ethnicity and language:
  • Tarrant’s population skews less Hispanic and more Black than the Texas average. Mobile-only reliance is notably higher among Hispanic and Black households and in Spanish-dominant households, concentrating mobile-first behavior in specific neighborhoods (e.g., portions of East Fort Worth, Stop Six, East Arlington, Riverside) despite the county’s overall strong connectivity.
• Urban/suburban pattern:
  • Because Tarrant is overwhelmingly urban/suburban, device ownership is high and gaps are driven more by affordability and plan choice than by physical coverage limitations.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network coverage:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) provide near-ubiquitous 4G LTE and broad 5G coverage to >98% of the county’s population.
  • Mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile n41; Verizon/AT&T C‑band n77) blankets most of Fort Worth, Arlington, H‑E‑B, Mansfield, and the I‑820 loop; exurban fringes show more variability.
• Speeds and capacity:
  • Typical median outdoor 5G download speeds in the DFW metro (which includes Tarrant) are in the 100–200+ Mbps range, with T‑Mobile generally leading, and Verizon/AT&T markedly improved since C‑band activation; urban peaks often exceed 300–500 Mbps, while exurban pockets can drop to 20–50 Mbps.
• Hotspots and densification:
  • High‑capacity small‑cell and mmWave nodes cluster around AT&T Stadium/Globe Life Field/Texas Live, Downtown Fort Worth, the Stockyards, medical centers, university campuses, and the DFW Airport/Alliance logistics corridors.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Dense fiber from AT&T and expanding competitive fiber (e.g., Frontier and others) underpin vigorous 5G small‑cell buildouts; cable footprints add additional backhaul paths. This fiber density is higher than the Texas average, enabling better mobile capacity and resilience.
• Public and government assets:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established countywide for public safety. Libraries, community centers, and select transit facilities provide public Wi‑Fi that supplements mobile access for homework, job search, and telehealth.

How Tarrant County differs from Texas overall

• More 5G mid‑band availability and higher median 5G speeds than the statewide average, reflecting DFW’s status as a top‑priority buildout market.
• Lower share of “no home internet” households than the state average, but more pronounced neighborhood‑level pockets of mobile‑only reliance tied to income, rental housing, and language.
• A higher prevalence of postpaid and employer‑provided lines (due to large corporate footprints in logistics, aviation, defense, and healthcare), which skews usage toward higher‑cap data plans and business apps relative to many Texas counties.
• Fewer coverage‑driven gaps than Texas overall (given Tarrant’s urbanization), with the digital divide shaped far more by affordability and plan/device choices than by radio access, whereas many Texas counties still confront basic coverage and backhaul constraints.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Population and household counts: U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates for Tarrant County.
• Device ownership baselines: Pew Research Center 2023 (≈96% of U.S. adults own a cellphone; ≈90% a smartphone). Counts for Tarrant are derived by applying these rates to the county’s adult population.
• Household internet mix (cellular-only vs. other): American Community Survey (ACS) 2022–2023 “Computer and Internet Use” patterns for large urban Texas counties, scaled to Tarrant’s household count; range reflects year‑to‑year sampling variance and metro heterogeneity.
• Coverage and speeds: FCC Broadband Data Collection 2024 filings and major speed-test aggregates (e.g., Ookla) for the DFW metro, which closely represent Tarrant performance due to contiguous network planning.

Tarrant County, TX social media snapshot (modeled 2024–2025)

How many users

• Adults using social media (any major platform): ≈1.36 million (about 82% of the county’s ~1.66 million adults)

Most-used platforms among Tarrant County adults (share of adults; count ≈ users)

• YouTube: 83% (~1.13M)
• Facebook: 68% (~0.93M)
• Instagram: 47% (~0.64M)
• TikTok: 33% (~0.45M)
• Pinterest: 35% (~0.48M)
• Snapchat: 27% (~0.37M)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~0.41M)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~0.30M)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~0.29M)

Age mix of adult social media users

• 18–29: ~24%
• 30–44: ~34%
• 45–59: ~24%
• 60+: ~18%

Gender breakdown of adult social media users

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Behavioral trends to know

• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels, TikTok) dominates discovery among 18–34; YouTube is the top channel for longer local news, how‑to, and sports highlights across ages.
• Facebook remains the local utility: Strong usage for neighborhood groups, school/parent communities, events, and Facebook Marketplace; community engagement is notably high in suburban cities across the county.
• Messaging over public posting: Heavy use of DMs (Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp) for coordination; public posting frequency is lower than viewing/engagement.
• Local commerce and recommendations: High reliance on peer recommendations in Facebook Groups and Instagram Stories; resale and bargain-hunting behavior is pronounced via Marketplace.
• Work and career networking: Above-average LinkedIn engagement for the region’s healthcare, aviation/defense, logistics, and tech workers; weekday daytime activity is common.
• Bilingual reach matters: A sizable Spanish-speaking population lifts engagement with Spanish-language content on Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
• When people engage most: Evenings and weekends show the highest engagement, with weekday lunchtime micro-sessions on mobile.

Method note: County-level percentages are modeled from 2023–2024 Pew Research U.S. platform adoption rates applied to Tarrant County’s adult population and age/sex mix (ACS), triangulated with typical platform reach patterns for large Texas metros. Figures represent directional county estimates rather than platform-reported uniques.