Kent County

Kent County, Delaware — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• 2020 Census (official count): 181,851
• 2023 Census estimate: ~190,000 (Population Estimates Program, July 1, 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (non-Hispanic): ~56%
• Black or African American: ~27–28%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9–10%
• Asian: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <1% each

Households and housing

• Households: ~71,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70%
• Median household income: ~$70,000
• Persons in poverty: ~12%

Notes

• Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey; 2023 Population Estimates). Percentages are rounded.

• Population: ~187,000 (Kent County, DE, 2023 est.); adults 18+: ~146,000.
• Estimated adult email users: ~136,000 (≈93% of adults).

Age distribution of adult email users (est.):

• 18–29: ~31,000 users (≈97% adoption)
• 30–49: ~42,000 users (≈96%)
• 50–64: ~34,000 users (≈93%)
• 65+: ~29,000 users (≈86%)

Gender split (reflecting county demographics and minimal gender gap in email use):

• Female: ~69,000 users (≈51%)
• Male: ~67,000 users (≈49%)

Digital access and trends:

• Household broadband subscription: ~85–88%; device access (computer/smartphone): ~92–95%.
• Mobile-only internet households: ~10–15%, higher in lower-income and rural tracts.
• Email is near-universal among working-age adults; growth is strongest among 65+ as broadband and smartphones diffuse.
• Remote work/schooling since 2020 raised subscriptions and daily email reliance; levels have stabilized but remain above pre-2020.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• County density ≈300 people/sq mi; highest along the Dover–Smyrna–Milford/US‑13 corridor where cable/fiber are common, enabling 150+ Mbps service.
• Western/rural Kent has sparser density and more reliance on DSL/fixed wireless, with lower speeds and higher latency, contributing to slightly lower broadband and email intensities compared with urban tracts.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Kent County, Delaware (focus on county-vs-state differences; 2023–2024 data window)

Headline snapshot

• Population and households: ≈187,000 residents and ≈72,000 households (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates).
• Near-universal LTE; widespread 5G in population centers; 5G capacity thins in western rural tracts.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: ≈125,000–135,000 adults actively use a smartphone in Kent County. Basis: adult share of population multiplied by observed U.S./ACS smartphone adoption rates.
• Household smartphone penetration: ≈90–94% of households have at least one smartphone, implying ≈65,000–68,000 Kent households with smartphones (ACS S2801 benchmark levels applied to county scale).
• Cellular-only internet households: ≈12–18% of Kent households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet (≈9,000–13,000 households), above the statewide average due to coverage and affordability dynamics outside the Dover–Smyrna corridor.
• Households with no internet subscription: ≈7–10% (≈5,000–7,000 households), modestly higher than the state average; smartphone ownership in this group is common, indicating mobile-first connectivity.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) on mobile networks: estimated 8–12% of households use 4G/5G home internet (Verizon and T‑Mobile), a higher take-up rate than the statewide average where cable/fiber is more ubiquitous.

Demographic breakdown (usage and dependency)

• By age (local pattern tracks national with small local skews):
  • 18–29: ≈97–99% smartphone adoption; highest mobile-only reliance for internet and payments.
  • 30–49: ≈95–98% adoption; heavy multi-line family plans and bundled streaming.
  • 50–64: ≈88–92% adoption; rising use of FWA where cable/fiber options are limited.
  • 65+: ≈75–82% adoption; more basic-plan and voice/text use, but growing telehealth and messaging adoption.
• Income and plan type:
  • Kent’s lower median household income than the DE average translates to higher prepaid/MVNO share than statewide, more price-sensitive plan switching, and more single-line accounts.
  • Mobile-only internet reliance is elevated among renters and lower-income households, especially west of US‑13.
• Race and ethnicity:
  • Consistent with national patterns, Black and Hispanic residents in Kent are more likely to be smartphone-dependent for internet access than White residents, driving above-average mobile data use in these groups.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks and coverage:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 4G LTE; FCC maps indicate ≈99% outdoor population coverage for LTE and mid‑90s+ for 5G from at least one provider, with strongest 5G along DE‑1/US‑13 in Dover–Smyrna–Camden and coverage thinning in low-density western Kent.
  • Midband 5G (T‑Mobile n41; Verizon C‑band) is established in and around Dover and along major corridors, yielding typical real‑world smartphone speeds in the 100–300 Mbps range; rural areas more often fall back to low‑band 5G/LTE with lower capacity.
• Public-safety and government:
  • AT&T FirstNet and carrier priority services are prominent around Dover Air Force Base and state facilities, improving resilience and indoor coverage in those zones.
• Home and small business internet via mobile:
  • T‑Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home are widely sold in Dover‑area ZIP codes and town centers (Smyrna, Camden, Harrington), with capacity‑based eligibility that is more constrained in fringe rural tracts.
• Fiber/cable context:
  • Kent has fewer fiber passings than New Castle County; cable coverage (e.g., Xfinity) is strong in town centers but drops in exurban/rural areas. This mixed fixed-line footprint is a key driver of higher FWA and cellular‑only reliance than the state average.

How Kent differs from Delaware overall

• Higher reliance on cellular-only internet and FWA than the state average, especially west of the DE‑1/US‑13 spine.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO share and more price-sensitive plan selection than statewide, aligned with lower median income than Delaware as a whole.
• 5G midband capacity is spottier than in New Castle County; median mobile speeds are correspondingly lower, but reliability is strong along primary corridors and near government/military facilities.
• A larger share of mobile-first households for everyday tasks (banking, school, telehealth) than the state average, reflecting both infrastructure gaps and affordability choices.

Key statistics at a glance

• Residents: ≈187,000; households: ≈72,000.
• Households with at least one smartphone: ≈90–94% (≈65,000–68,000 households).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈125,000–135,000.
• Cellular-only home internet: ≈12–18% of households (above state average).
• No household internet subscription: ≈7–10% (many still rely on smartphones).
• LTE population coverage: ≈99%; 5G coverage: mid‑90s+ from at least one provider, concentrated along DE‑1/US‑13 and in Dover–Smyrna.

Sources and methodology

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Population Estimates; ACS 2023 (Table S2801 Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) for household device and subscription baselines.
• Pew Research Center Mobile Fact Sheet (2023) for age‑cohort smartphone adoption, adapted to Kent’s demographics to produce local user estimates.
• FCC Broadband Data Collection and provider public coverage/FWA eligibility tools (2023–2024) for LTE/5G availability, capacity patterns, and fixed‑wireless footprint.
• Delaware Department of Technology and Information and carrier materials for public‑safety network presence around Dover AFB and state facilities.

Notes: Figures marked with ≈ are county-level estimates derived from the above sources to provide actionable, order‑of‑magnitude counts; they are intended for planning and benchmarking against Delaware statewide trends.

Social media usage in Kent County, Delaware (2024–2025)

Note on method: County-level social media metrics are not directly published. Figures below are planning-grade estimates for Kent County adults derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates applied to the county’s adult population mix (ACS 2023). Percentages reflect share of adults.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social media platform: ~72%

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• Reddit: 22%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Age-group usage (any social media; share of each age group)

• 18–29: ~84–90%
• 30–49: ~80–82%
• 50–64: ~70–73%
• 65+: ~45–50%

Age skews by platform (local pattern mirrors national)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; YouTube near-universal
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominate; Instagram strong; TikTok moderate
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/Pinterest secondary
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube and Nextdoor follow

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: roughly 52% women, 48% men (tracks county demographics)
• Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; Instagram and TikTok skew slightly female; LinkedIn closer to even

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community-first usage: Strong reliance on Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for neighborhood updates, school news, local events, and public services; high engagement with local government and community organizations
• Private sharing and messaging: Facebook Messenger prevalent across all ages; Instagram DMs and Snapchat dominate among under-35; WhatsApp pockets among multilingual and international communities
• Video as the default: YouTube for how-to, home, auto, and DIY; TikTok/Instagram Reels for quick tips, restaurant finds, and local happenings
• Discovery to action: Facebook/Instagram and TikTok are common discovery points for local businesses; conversions often close via Facebook Pages, Messenger, or Google; Facebook Marketplace is widely used for secondhand and local transactions
• Timing: Engagement peaks on weekday evenings (approximately 7–9 pm) and weekend mornings; midday bumps align with lunch breaks; weather-driven spikes for storm updates and school/traffic alerts
• Multi-platform reach: Cross-posting video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) expands reach; Facebook remains the anchor for 35+ while Instagram/TikTok drive under-35 visibility

Implications

• To reach most adults, prioritize Facebook and YouTube; add Instagram for breadth and TikTok for under-35 impact
• Use Facebook Groups/Nextdoor for hyperlocal trust and event turnout
• Lead with short-form video; support with how-to/FAQ content on YouTube
• Leverage Messenger/DMs for customer service and conversion paths

Sources: Pew Research Center, “Social Media Use in 2024”; U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023) for local demographics.