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1 / 20#20. Hickman County and Dickson County
- Hickman County population: 25,826
- Dickson County population: 56,729
- Social connectedness index: 4,194,202
Most socially connected counties in Tennessee
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 Tennessee 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.
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2 / 20#19. Lauderdale County and Tipton County
- Lauderdale County population: 24,610
- Tipton County population: 62,015
- Social connectedness index: 4,577,349
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3 / 20#18. Fayette County and Hardeman County
- Fayette County population: 44,175
- Hardeman County population: 25,567
- Social connectedness index: 4,585,079
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4 / 20#17. Meigs County and McMinn County
- Meigs County population: 13,691
- McMinn County population: 55,678
- Social connectedness index: 4,621,207
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5 / 20#16. Lawrence County and Wayne County
- Lawrence County population: 46,114
- Wayne County population: 16,066
- Social connectedness index: 5,091,329
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6 / 20#15. Hancock County and Grainger County
- Hancock County population: 6,956
- Grainger County population: 24,681
- Social connectedness index: 5,812,662
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7 / 20#14. Roane County and Morgan County
- Roane County population: 56,096
- Morgan County population: 21,573
- Social connectedness index: 5,813,772
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8 / 20#13. Benton County and Humphreys County
- Benton County population: 16,103
- Humphreys County population: 19,209
- Social connectedness index: 6,172,414
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9 / 20#12. Putnam County and Jackson County
- Putnam County population: 83,844
- Jackson County population: 12,363
- Social connectedness index: 6,238,877
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10 / 20#11. Franklin County and Moore County
- Franklin County population: 44,654
- Moore County population: 6,748
- Social connectedness index: 7,151,409
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11 / 20#10. Crockett County and Haywood County
- Crockett County population: 13,982
- Haywood County population: 17,328
- Social connectedness index: 8,750,242
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12 / 20#9. Grundy County and Marion County
- Grundy County population: 13,955
- Marion County population: 29,382
- Social connectedness index: 8,883,867
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13 / 20#8. Bledsoe County and Sequatchie County
- Bledsoe County population: 15,060
- Sequatchie County population: 17,161
- Social connectedness index: 8,912,073
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14 / 20#7. Hardin County and McNairy County
- Hardin County population: 27,229
- McNairy County population: 26,163
- Social connectedness index: 9,550,249
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15 / 20#6. Trousdale County and Macon County
- Trousdale County population: 12,271
- Macon County population: 26,793
- Social connectedness index: 10,256,975
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16 / 20#5. White County and Van Buren County
- White County population: 28,692
- Van Buren County population: 6,493
- Social connectedness index: 11,616,280
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17 / 20#4. Lake County and Dyer County
- Lake County population: 6,347
- Dyer County population: 36,498
- Social connectedness index: 11,681,701
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18 / 20#3. Perry County and Lewis County
- Perry County population: 8,891
- Lewis County population: 13,066
- Social connectedness index: 12,359,515
Sabrina Janelle Gordon // Shutterstock
19 / 20#2. Stewart County and Houston County
- Stewart County population: 14,222
- Houston County population: 8,393
- Social connectedness index: 12,548,695
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20 / 20#1. Decatur County and Henderson County
- Decatur County population: 11,656
- Henderson County population: 28,070
- Social connectedness index: 16,203,432
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
