Broward County

Key demographics: Broward County, Florida (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates — primarily 2023 ACS 1-year; rounded)

• Population

  • Total: ~1.98 million

• Age

  • Median age: ~42
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18–64: ~61%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Gender

  • Female: ~52%
  • Male: ~48%

• Race and ethnicity

  • White alone: ~61% (Non-Hispanic White ~32%)
  • Black or African American alone: ~31%
  • Asian alone: ~4%
  • Two or more/Other: ~4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~35%
  • Note: Hispanic can be of any race; race-alone shares may overlap with Hispanic.

• Households

  • Total households: ~750,000
  • Average household size: ~2.6
  • Average family size: ~3.3
  • Family households: ~62% of households (married-couple ~44%)
  • Households with children under 18: ~28%
  • Tenure: ~63% owner-occupied; ~37% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and Population Estimates Program.

Broward County, FL email usage snapshot

• Estimated users: 1.35–1.45 million residents. Basis: county pop ~1.96M; ~79–80% adults; Pew shows ~90–95% of adults use email; ACS shows ~88–90% of households have broadband.
• Age: Email is near-universal among younger/middle adults and slightly lower for seniors.
  • 18–49: ~93–97% use email
  • 50–64: ~90–93%
  • 65+: ~85–90%
• Gender split among email users: roughly mirrors population (≈51% female, 49% male); research shows no meaningful gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access trends (ACS/FCC/Pew):
  • 90%+ of households have a computer; ~88–90% have a broadband subscription.
  • ~15–20% of households are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • Adoption and speeds have risen since 2018, but lower‑income tracts show higher “no home internet” rates.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Highly urbanized Atlantic corridor; county density ~1,600 people per sq. mile overall, with the western Everglades area sparsely populated.
  • Near‑universal cable coverage and expanding fiber from major ISPs in populated areas.
  • Robust public access: countywide libraries and municipalities provide free Wi‑Fi.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS (Computer and Internet Use), Pew Research Center (email adoption), FCC broadband availability. Estimates reflect the latest available pre-2024 data.

Below is a concise, county-focused snapshot that highlights how Broward County differs from Florida overall. Figures are rounded estimates, synthesized from recent ACS “Computer and Internet Use” indicators, FCC mobile-broadband filings, and major network performance trackers through 2024. Treat as planning-level, not regulatory-grade, and verify before use.

Headline user estimates

• Residents/households: ~2.0 million people; ~760,000 households.
• Smartphone users: ~1.5–1.7 million adult users (slightly above Florida’s average penetration due to Broward’s urban density and younger mix than the state overall).
• Households with a cellular data plan: roughly 4 in 5 households.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): roughly 16–19% of households, likely a touch higher than Florida’s average, driven by renter-heavy areas and price-sensitive segments.
• BYOD/work lines and secondary SIMs push total active mobile lines well above the number of adult users in employment hubs (airport/port/hospitality).

Demographic patterning (how Broward differs from Florida)

• Age: Broward skews slightly younger than Florida overall; smartphone adoption among 18–44 is near-universal. Seniors’ smartphone adoption is high but more likely to be mobile-only versus fixed broadband than the Florida average, reflecting condo/renter living and smaller households.
• Income and housing: Higher renter share than the state average correlates with higher prepaid/MVNO usage and higher mobile-only reliance in low-to-moderate income tracts, especially along the inland urban corridor.
• Race/ethnicity and language: Larger Hispanic and Caribbean Black populations than the state average. These groups show:
  • Heavy use of over-the-top messaging/voice (e.g., WhatsApp) and international calling plans.
  • Above-average prepaid plan adoption and family-plan line sharing.
• Education and work: Large service, logistics, and healthcare workforce supports significant shift-based mobile usage, with elevated daytime cell traffic around FLL, Port Everglades, hospital campuses, and tourism districts.

Usage and behavior trends vs. Florida statewide

• Higher 5G availability and faster typical speeds than the state average (tri-county urban density and plentiful mid-band spectrum deployments). This supports greater use of video, social, and real-time apps on mobile compared with rural Florida counties.
• Mobile-only is elevated in specific ZIPs despite strong fiber/cable availability, reflecting housing churn and price sensitivity rather than infrastructure scarcity.
• International connectivity needs are more prominent (roaming SIMs, international add-ons, and Wi‑Fi calling in multilingual households) than the Florida average.
• Seasonal and event-driven surges (cruise/airport/tourism) produce more pronounced peak-load patterns than statewide averages.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage: Near-universal 4G LTE; extensive 5G, including mid-band, from the national carriers. Dense small-cell/DAS presence in coastal high-rises, entertainment districts, and transport hubs.
• Performance: Urban corridor (Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood) typically outperforms Florida’s statewide median mobile speeds; capacity is strongest along major arterials (I‑95, I‑595, Florida’s Turnpike).
• Fiber and cable: Broad cable coverage (virtually countywide) and significant fiber passings (AT&T Fiber, Hotwire in multifamily, plus competitive overbuilds). Fixed options are not the main limiter; adoption cost and renter turnover are.
• Public sector and anchor institutions:
  • Libraries and schools support device lending and hotspot programs; school districts and nonprofits mitigate student connectivity gaps.
  • County and cities operate robust fiber backbones for traffic signals, facilities, and public Wi‑Fi in selected parks/civic spaces.
  • Emergency readiness is a priority (hurricane risk): carriers harden macro sites, deploy COWs/COLTs when needed, and public safety relies on P25 radio with FirstNet coverage; residents increasingly depend on WEA/alerts on mobile.
• Transit and travel nodes: FLL and Port Everglades drive high-density small-cell and indoor systems; bus corridors and Brightline stations see curated capacity.

What to watch (near-term implications)

• Affordability programs (ACP successor policies) will materially affect mobile-only rates in renter-dense tracts; Broward is more sensitive to these shifts than Florida overall.
• Continued 5G mid-band densification and fixed-wireless offers could keep some households mobile-first, even where fiber is available.
• Multilingual outreach and international-plan competition will remain more salient in Broward than in the average Florida county.

Social media snapshot: Broward County, FL (2025)

Baseline

• Population: ~1.95M total; ~1.55–1.60M adults (18+).
• Overall reach: ~72–80% of adults use at least one social platform (≈1.1–1.3M adults). If counting YouTube as “social,” total reach is closer to ~80%+.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of Broward adults) Note: Percentages extrapolate from recent U.S. adult usage (Pew Research, 2024) with South Florida adjustments where regional behavior is well-documented. Ranges reflect uncertainty and local variation.

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• WhatsApp: ~35–45% (higher than U.S. average due to large Hispanic and Caribbean communities)
• TikTok: ~33–38%
• Pinterest: ~30–35%
• LinkedIn: ~28–32%
• Snapchat: ~25–30%
• X (Twitter): ~20–25%
• Reddit: ~20–25%
• Nextdoor: ~15–20% (higher in suburban neighborhoods/HOAs)

Age group patterns (usage and behavior)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy on TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Instagram for school/teams; frequent private messaging and short-form video; local trends around sports, music, and beach/nightlife content.
• 18–29: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok dominant; Snapchat strong; WhatsApp for group chats; high Reels/Stories engagement; discovery-driven (food, events, nightlife).
• 30–49: Facebook and Instagram core; WhatsApp widely used for family/community; YouTube for how-to and product research; increasing TikTok use for tips, local businesses, and parenting content.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest for projects/recipes; Nextdoor/FB Groups for neighborhood/HOA; WhatsApp adoption growing in bilingual households.
• 65+: Facebook for family/news and YouTube for tutorials; Nextdoor for local info; more likely to engage with local government/emergency updates.

Gender skews (directional)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; strong Instagram Stories/Reels usage; active in local FB Groups and Marketplace.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; slightly higher LinkedIn usage in tech/aviation/logistics sectors.
• Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok: broadly balanced, with slight female lean on Instagram and slight male lean on Reddit/X.

Behavioral trends in Broward

• Multilingual communication: High use of Spanish and Haitian Creole—WhatsApp and Facebook Groups are central for family, church, school, and neighborhood coordination. Bilingual content performs best.
• Community-first: Facebook Groups, Nextdoor, and WhatsApp groups drive hyperlocal chatter (HOAs, schools, youth sports, local services).
• Storms and public safety: Spikes in Facebook/YouTube/X engagement during hurricane season for official updates, closures, and preparedness; local media pages see rapid growth in reach during events.
• Video-first discovery: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) dominates restaurant, real estate, boating, and tourism discovery; captions/subtitles increase completion rates.
• Private over public: DMs, group chats, and Stories often outperform public posts for engagement and conversion.
• Marketplace and services: Facebook Marketplace is a go-to for moving sales, vehicles/boats, and home services; reviews and neighborhood referrals matter.
• Seasonality: Snowbird months (roughly Nov–Apr) lift engagement for events, hospitality, and local attractions; ad costs and competition can rise accordingly.
• Creator economy: Local micro-influencers (food, fitness, travel, boating) drive measurable foot traffic; UGC and creator whitelisting perform well for SMBs.

Notes and method

• There is no official, public county-level census of social media users. Figures are estimated from Pew Research (2024) U.S. adult usage and ACS population, with South Florida adjustments (notably higher WhatsApp/Instagram/TikTok usage). Use these as planning benchmarks, then validate with your own analytics and ad-platform audience estimates for Broward ZIPs.