Flagler County

Do you prefer a specific data vintage (e.g., 2023 ACS 1-year vs. 2019–2023 ACS 5-year vs. 2020 Decennial)? If no preference, I’ll use the most recent available Census Bureau estimates (ACS 2023 1-year for toplines and 2019–2023 5-year for detailed breakdowns). Also, for “household data,” should I include number of households, average household size, family vs. nonfamily share, and owner-occupied rate?

Flagler County, FL email usage (estimates; scaled from ACS, FCC, and Pew benchmarks to local demographics)

• Estimated users: 95,000–110,000 residents use email (roughly 75–85% of all residents; 85–92% of adults).
• Age mix of email users (county skews older):
  • 13–17: 5–7%
  • 18–34: 15–20%
  • 35–54: 25–30%
  • 55–64: 15–20%
  • 65+: 28–35% (adoption ~75–85% in this cohort)
• Gender split: ≈52–54% female, 46–48% male; minimal gap in usage rates by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with a computer: ~90–95%.
  • Home broadband subscription: ~82–88%.
  • Smartphone-only internet users: ~12–18% of adults.
  • Continued expansion of cable/fiber in population centers; fixed wireless/DSL more common in sparsely populated western areas; 5G covers major corridors.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density roughly 200–230 per sq. mile, with most residents in and around Palm Coast/Flagler Beach/Bunnell—areas with strong cable/fiber availability and typical speeds 100–300 Mbps via cable.
  • Public libraries, schools, and municipal buildings offer free Wi‑Fi; storm season can elevate outage risk.

Use these ranges for planning; refine with the latest ACS 1‑year county tables and FCC Broadband Map for project-specific precision.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Flagler County, Florida (with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Headline estimates (rounded, 2024 planning ranges; based on ACS population, Pew smartphone adoption, carrier coverage maps)

• Population baseline: ~125,000–135,000 residents; adult share is high (≈84–86% of residents).
• Unique mobile phone users (any handset): ~105,000–115,000 individuals (about 80–86% of total population). This penetration is a few points lower than Florida’s statewide share, primarily due to Flagler’s older age structure.
• Smartphone users:
  • Adults: ~95,000–100,000 (≈86–88% of adults; slightly below Florida’s ~90%+).
  • Teens (12–17): ~8,000–9,500 (≈90–95% of teens).
  • Feature-phone users skew older; estimate 6,000–8,000 individuals, above the state’s proportional share.

Demographic patterns that shape usage (and how they differ from Florida overall)

• Age:
  • Flagler has a substantially older profile (roughly 30–33% age 65+) versus Florida (~21–22%).
  • Effects: slightly lower smartphone adoption; higher persistence of voice/SMS and simpler devices; stronger interest in health/telemedicine apps but slower uptake of app-based wallets and multi-factor authenticator apps among the oldest cohorts.
• Income and plan mix:
  • Median household incomes are around, or slightly below, the Florida median; retirees are a large segment.
  • Effects: prepaid/MVNO share is healthy, but many retirees prefer postpaid bundles with in-store service. Spectrum Mobile has an outsize footprint (see infrastructure) relative to many Florida counties.
• Race/ethnicity and language:
  • Lower Hispanic share than the Florida average and a higher White non-Hispanic share.
  • Effects: smaller proportion of Spanish-preferred mobile users than statewide; English-only outreach performs better here than in South/South-Central Florida.
• Seasonal population:
  • Notable winter “snowbird” influx and beach/weekend day-trippers lift cell traffic Jan–Mar and on fair-weather weekends.
  • Effects: larger seasonal swings in cell-site load than the state average, especially along A1A, Flagler Beach, and I-95 exits.

Usage behaviors and service choices

• Mobile-only internet:
  • Countywide: modestly above statewide in pockets, driven by weaker wired options west of US-1. Expect higher mobile hotspot and fixed wireless (5G home internet) usage in western tracts; lower “mobile-only” reliance in Palm Coast where cable is strong.
• Device/OS mix:
  • iOS share likely at or slightly above national norms, similar to Florida overall; Android stronger among price-sensitive and MVNO users.
• Emergency communications:
  • Hurricane-season readiness is salient; residents are accustomed to power outages. Text and app-based alerts see strong engagement; voice quality can degrade when cells are power- or backhaul-constrained.

Digital infrastructure and performance (local specifics)

• Coverage geography:
  • Strongest along the I-95 corridor and in Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, and Bunnell.
  • Patchier service in conservation areas and the far-western agricultural zones (e.g., around Haw Creek/Dead Lake, Princess Place Preserve, Bulow Creek State Park, and near Crescent Lake).
• 5G deployments:
  • Mid-band 5G (T-Mobile n41; Verizon/AT&T C-band) is broadly available in Palm Coast and along I-95/US-1, delivering 200–600 Mbps under good conditions.
  • Low-band 5G/LTE dominates rural west and some coastal pockets; speeds can drop to single-digit Mbps under load or foliage.
• Capacity and seasonality:
  • Cells along A1A, Flagler Beach pier area, and I-95 interchanges show weekend/holiday congestion spikes more than the state average because the baseline population is smaller and seasonal swings are larger.
• Backhaul and resilience:
  • Macro sites in town generally have fiber backhaul; farther west, some sites rely on microwave, which can bottleneck during peaks.
  • Carriers stage COWs/COLTs for storm recovery; extended power outages still create inland and coastal dead zones until fuel/logistics stabilize.
• In-building coverage:
  • Modern construction in Palm Coast can attenuate mid-band; hospitals and larger civic buildings may use DAS/neutral-host solutions. Small-cell presence is concentrated along commercial corridors, less so in residential neighborhoods.
• Competitive dynamics:
  • Cable MVNO is unusually strong: Spectrum is the dominant fixed ISP in populated areas, and Spectrum Mobile (Verizon network) bundles are popular—more so than in many Florida counties without a single dominant cable provider.
  • 5G fixed wireless (especially T-Mobile) has gained traction as an alternative where fiber is absent and cable prices are high; adoption likely above Florida average in west-county tracts.

How Flagler differs most from Florida overall

• Older population drives:
  • Slightly lower smartphone penetration and slower adoption of advanced app ecosystems.
  • Higher persistence of voice/SMS and feature phones.
• Sharper seasonal demand swings:
  • More pronounced capacity strain in specific beach and highway cells during winter season and weekends than the state average.
• More uneven infrastructure:
  • Big performance gap between the well-served I-95/Palm Coast corridor and the rural west, resulting in higher reliance on mobile hotspots and 5G home internet in those underserved areas.
• Strong cable-MVNO presence:
  • Spectrum Mobile’s share is meaningfully higher than statewide norms, shaping pricing expectations and churn patterns.
• Language mix:
  • Lower Spanish-preferred segment than statewide, affecting outreach, support, and content localization strategies.

Planning notes and data confidence

• Figures are planning estimates synthesized from 2020–2023 Census/ACS trends, Pew Research smartphone adoption, FCC/carrier coverage disclosures, and known deployment patterns through 2024. Local drive tests, FCC BDC maps, and the latest ACS 1-year tables should be used to calibrate neighborhood-level decisions.

Flagler County, FL — social media snapshot (short)

Topline user stats (estimates)

• Population: ~125–130k residents; older-skewing (median age ~50+; ~30% age 65+)
• Internet access: mid-80s% of households with broadband
• Social media users: ~75–90k residents (about 60–70% of total population; ~70–80% of ages 13+)

Age mix of social media users (share of local users)

• 13–17: 6–8% (heavy TikTok/Snap/YouTube)
• 18–29: 18–22% (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
• 30–49: 28–32% (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; Messenger)
• 50–64: 22–26% (Facebook, YouTube; some Nextdoor, Pinterest)
• 65+: 18–22% (Facebook, YouTube; Facebook Groups, Nextdoor)

Gender breakdown (among active users)

• Female: ~53–57%
• Male: ~43–47% Note: Skews slightly female due to the county’s older age structure.

Most-used platforms locally (share of online adults; estimates)

• YouTube: 75–82%
• Facebook: 65–72% (strongest for local news/groups)
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Pinterest: 20–28% (notably women 35–64)
• Snapchat: 18–25% (younger cohorts)
• LinkedIn: 15–22% (professionals/commuters)
• X (Twitter): 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 12–20% (neighborhood/HOA-heavy Palm Coast areas)
• Reddit: 10–15%

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Very active Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for HOA updates, lost/found pets, hurricane prep, road closures, yard sales, contractor referrals.
• Local news/weather drive spikes: Storm tracks, school alerts, beach/flag conditions, and power outages see outsized engagement.
• Video wins: Short vertical video (reels/TikTok) of local eateries, beaches, events, and real estate performs best; YouTube used for DIY, home services, boating/fishing, and church streams.
• Service discovery: Facebook/Nextdoor are key for home services, healthcare, auto, and senior-focused offerings; recommendations and reviews matter.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 7–9am and 7–10pm; notable seasonal upticks with winter “snowbirds” and during hurricane season.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is common for local businesses; WhatsApp used for family ties across states/countries.
• Creative cues: Before/after visuals, community giveaways, event calendars, and concise how-to clips outperform generic promos.

Notes on method/sources

• Figures are county-level estimates derived by weighting national platform adoption by age (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024; DataReportal Digital 2024: USA) to Flagler’s age profile (U.S. Census/ACS). Local behaviors validated by Florida and suburban community patterns (Facebook Groups/Nextdoor). Percentages are indicative ranges rather than precise counts due to limited platform data at county granularity.