This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Most socially connected counties in Georgia
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Georgia using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
#20. Wilkinson County and Twiggs County
- Wilkinson County population: 8,725
- Twiggs County population: 7,691
- Social connectedness index: 13,175,571
#19. Appling County and Jeff Davis County
- Appling County population: 18,457
- Jeff Davis County population: 14,906
- Social connectedness index: 13,261,546
#18. Clinch County and Lanier County
- Clinch County population: 6,746
- Lanier County population: 10,452
- Social connectedness index: 13,528,813
#17. Ware County and Pierce County
- Ware County population: 36,243
- Pierce County population: 20,425
- Social connectedness index: 13,550,796
#16. Talbot County and Meriwether County
- Talbot County population: 5,718
- Meriwether County population: 20,931
- Social connectedness index: 13,850,411
#15. Atkinson County and Coffee County
- Atkinson County population: 8,293
- Coffee County population: 43,317
- Social connectedness index: 13,933,368
#14. Laurens County and Johnson County
- Laurens County population: 49,941
- Johnson County population: 9,282
- Social connectedness index: 14,617,076
#13. Baker County and Mitchell County
- Baker County population: 2,743
- Mitchell County population: 21,114
- Social connectedness index: 16,739,472
#12. Glascock County and Jefferson County
- Glascock County population: 2,954
- Jefferson County population: 15,183
- Social connectedness index: 19,581,144
#11. Crisp County and Dooly County
- Crisp County population: 19,631
- Dooly County population: 10,981
- Social connectedness index: 19,678,855
#10. Schley County and Sumter County
- Schley County population: 4,526
- Sumter County population: 28,890
- Social connectedness index: 19,879,597
#9. Toombs County and Montgomery County
- Toombs County population: 27,040
- Montgomery County population: 8,761
- Social connectedness index: 24,123,263
#8. Taliaferro County and Wilkes County
- Taliaferro County population: 1,609
- Wilkes County population: 9,518
- Social connectedness index: 24,162,288
#7. Telfair County and Wheeler County
- Telfair County population: 10,920
- Wheeler County population: 7,081
- Social connectedness index: 27,124,487
#6. Ben Hill County and Irwin County
- Ben Hill County population: 17,128
- Irwin County population: 9,120
- Social connectedness index: 30,578,501
#5. Early County and Calhoun County
- Early County population: 10,563
- Calhoun County population: 5,457
- Social connectedness index: 32,011,539
#4. Miller County and Seminole County
- Miller County population: 5,747
- Seminole County population: 9,092
- Social connectedness index: 37,326,196
#3. McDuffie County and Warren County
- McDuffie County population: 21,799
- Warren County population: 5,106
- Social connectedness index: 41,721,291
#2. Clay County and Randolph County
- Clay County population: 2,853
- Randolph County population: 6,078
- Social connectedness index: 48,798,155
#1. Stewart County and Webster County
- Stewart County population: 4,674
- Webster County population: 2,337
- Social connectedness index: 54,676,439
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.