New Castle County

Key demographics — New Castle County, Delaware (latest available Census estimates, ACS 2023; figures rounded)

Population

• Total population: ~575,000
• Growth context: Largest and most urbanized county in Delaware

Age

• Median age: ~39 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~62%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Sex

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and Hispanic origin (sums to ~100%)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~51%
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American: ~27%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~11%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~7%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~3%
• Other (non-Hispanic, incl. AIAN, NHPI, Some Other): ~1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~225,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Average family size: ~3.1
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Tenure: ~68% owner-occupied, ~32% renter-occupied

Insights

• Majority non-Hispanic White with a large Black population and growing Hispanic and Asian communities
• Age structure is relatively young for the Mid-Atlantic, with just under two in five residents under 35 and about one in six age 65+
• Household composition is predominantly family-based, with a strong owner-occupancy share

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 (1-year) and 2019–2023 (5-year) estimates.

New Castle County, DE snapshot (2023–2024 data, estimates using ACS demographics/broadband and Pew email adoption):

• Estimated email users: ≈470,000 residents (≈81% of total population; ≈95% of adults).
• Gender split among email users: ≈52% female, 48% male (mirrors county population).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 7%
  • 18–29: 21%
  • 30–49: 33%
  • 50–64: 24%
  • 65+: 15%
• Adoption by age (approx.): 18–29 ~99%, 30–49 ~98%, 50–64 ~95%, 65+ ~80–85%.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~90–92% of households have a broadband subscription; ~95% have a computer device.
  • Mobile-only internet households ~7–8%, reflecting growing smartphone reliance.
  • Statewide median fixed download speeds exceed 200 Mbps; cable and fiber (Xfinity, Verizon Fios) are widely available along the Wilmington–Newark corridor.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population ≈580,000; density ≈1,300–1,350 residents per square mile—Delaware’s most densely populated and best-connected county.
  • Extensive public Wi‑Fi via county/municipal libraries and higher-ed sites (e.g., University of Delaware) supports high digital engagement.

Insight: Email is mature and near-universal among working-age adults, with the small remaining gap concentrated in the 65+ cohort and mobile-only households.

Mobile phone usage in New Castle County, Delaware — 2024 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Residents: about 580,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate).
• Households: about 220,000.
• Smartphone penetration: approximately 92–94% of households report having at least one smartphone (ACS S2801), implying roughly 500,000–520,000 individual smartphone users countywide.
• Cellular-only internet: about 15–17% of households rely on a cellular data plan with no other home internet service in New Castle County, a higher share than Delaware overall (roughly 12–15%).

Demographic patterns

• Urban vs suburban: Wilmington and the I‑95 corridor (Wilmington–Newark–Bear) show the highest smartphone and mobile-only reliance, reflecting denser housing, renters, and student populations; suburban North Wilmington, Pike Creek, Hockessin, and Middletown show higher rates of mixed connectivity (mobile plus fixed broadband).
• Income: Mobile-only internet reliance is concentrated in lower-income tracts in Wilmington and parts of Route 9/US‑13; higher-income suburbs skew toward multi-line family plans paired with fixed broadband.
• Age: Adults under 35 are near-universal smartphone users and are overrepresented in mobile-only households; adults 65+ show the fastest recent gains in smartphone adoption but remain more likely than other groups to maintain a fixed broadband line alongside mobile.
• Race/ethnicity: Consistent with national patterns, Black and Hispanic households in the county have higher rates of smartphone-only internet access than White, non-Hispanic households; this contributes to New Castle County’s above‑state mobile‑only share because the county has a larger share of these populations than the rest of Delaware.
• Students and commuters: The University of Delaware (Newark) and heavy daily commuting on I‑95/US‑202/US‑13 increase daytime mobile data demand relative to downstate counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G footprint: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide 5G, with dense mid‑band deployments across Wilmington, Newark, Elsmere, New Castle, Bear, and along I‑95/I‑495/US‑13/DE‑1/US‑301. Mid‑band (C‑band for Verizon/AT&T; 2.5 GHz for T‑Mobile) underpins higher median speeds here than in Kent or Sussex.
• Capacity hotspots: Small‑cell and sector‑splitting are concentrated downtown Wilmington, around the Riverfront, major retail clusters (Christiana Mall/DE‑1/DE‑7), and the University of Delaware campus.
• Edge/weak areas: Coverage can be patchier along the Delaware River/DE‑9 corridor (marshlands near Port Penn/Delaware City) and on lightly populated rural edges, where low‑band 5G/LTE dominates.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Comcast Xfinity is ubiquitous; Verizon Fios fiber is available across substantial parts of Wilmington, Newark, and nearby suburbs, with gaps filled by cable, DSL, or 5G fixed‑wireless (notably T‑Mobile 5G Home, with some Verizon 5G Home availability). The presence of robust cable/fiber in much of the county reduces mobile‑only reliance in higher‑income suburbs.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Strong public Wi‑Fi and digital access points at New Castle County libraries (e.g., Wilmington, Newark, Bear, Route 9, Appoquinimink) and municipal buildings support off‑peak and homework usage.

How New Castle County differs from Delaware overall

• Higher smartphone and mobile-only adoption: The county’s smartphone penetration is slightly above the state average, and its cellular‑only household share is several points higher, driven by denser urban neighborhoods, renters, and student/worker mobility.
• Better 5G capacity and speeds: Due to heavier mid‑band 5G deployment and more small‑cell sites along I‑95 and in Wilmington/Newark, median mobile performance is typically stronger than in downstate counties.
• More pronounced digital divide within the county: While affluent suburbs enjoy abundant fiber/cable options paired with multi‑line mobile plans, several Wilmington and Route 9 corridor tracts rely disproportionately on smartphones as a primary connection, highlighting intra‑county inequality more than statewide figures suggest.
• Daytime load and mobility: Commuter and campus dynamics produce higher daytime mobile traffic than the state average, influencing network design (capacity sites and small cells) in ways less common in Kent/Sussex.

Sources and methods: U.S. Census Bureau 2023 population estimates; American Community Survey S2801 (types of computing devices and internet subscriptions) for household smartphone and cellular‑only rates; FCC broadband data and carrier public coverage maps through 2024 for infrastructure context. Figures are rounded to reflect survey margins while providing definitive magnitudes.

New Castle County, DE social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Population and users

• Population: ~572,000 residents (ACS 2023 est.)
• Social media users (all ages): ~400,000 (≈70% of total population)
• Adults (18+): ~446,000; adult social media users ≈365,000–370,000 (≈82–83%)
• Teens (13–17): ~35,000; teen social media users ≈33,000 (≈95%)

Age groups (estimated adoption by bracket)

• 13–17: ~95% use; ≈33k users
• 18–29: ~95% use; ≈87k users
• 30–49: ~91% use; ≈130k users
• 50–64: ~80% use; ≈92k users
• 65+: ~58% use; ≈56k users

Gender breakdown

• Overall county population is ~52% female / 48% male; social media users track closely to this split
• Platform skews seen nationally (mirrored locally):
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest (Pinterest heavily female)
  • More male: YouTube (slight), LinkedIn (slight), Reddit, X (Twitter)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adult population; New Castle County counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: ~83% (≈370k)
• Facebook: ~68% (≈303k)
• Instagram: ~47% (≈210k)
• TikTok: ~33% (≈147k)
• Snapchat: ~30% (≈134k)
• LinkedIn: ~30% (≈134k)
• Pinterest: ~31% (≈138k)
• WhatsApp: ~29% (≈129k)
• X (Twitter): ~27% (≈120k)
• Reddit: ~25% (≈112k) Note: Users are multi‑platform; counts overlap.

Teen platform preferences (13–17; share of teens; county counts)

• YouTube ~95% (≈33k), TikTok ~67% (≈23k), Instagram ~62% (≈22k), Snapchat ~60% (≈21k), Facebook ~33% (≈12k)

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local groups for schools (Red Clay, Christina, Brandywine), township alerts, traffic and weather; high engagement during storms and major I‑95/Route 1 incidents
• Short‑form video is mainstream: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery for restaurants, local events, and small businesses; cross‑posting between TikTok and Instagram is common
• University of Delaware effect (Newark): elevated Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram activity; late‑evening peaks and event‑driven spikes around campus life and sports
• Professional corridor (Wilmington–Newark–Philly): steady LinkedIn usage among finance, healthcare, chemicals, logistics; lunchtime and early‑evening engagement windows perform well
• Shopping and services: strong Facebook/Instagram ad responsiveness for tax‑free retail (Christiana Mall area), home services, and seasonal offers; Marketplace is widely used for resale
• Neighborhood networks: Nextdoor and Facebook Groups active in suburbs (Middletown, Hockessin, Pike Creek) for HOA, local contractors, pet/lost‑and‑found, and public safety
• Messaging and diaspora: WhatsApp common among Latin American, African, and South Asian communities for family, church, and community coordination; Spanish‑language content sees higher share rates
• Usage rhythms: mobile‑first; highest engagement evenings (7–10 pm), with secondary bumps during commute windows (7–9 am, 4–6 pm) and lunchtime (12–1 pm); weekends see longer dwell times on video

Methodological note

• Counts and percentages are 2023–2024 estimates modeled from ACS 2023 county population and Pew Research Center U.S. platform adoption by age/gender, plus widely reported platform skews; teen figures reflect Pew’s national teen usage. Local behavior notes reflect patterns typical of Wilmington–Newark suburbs and comparable mid‑Atlantic counties.