Hendry County

Hendry County, Florida — key demographics

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures are rounded.

Population size

• Total population: 39,619 (2020 Census)
• Recent estimate: about 40–41 thousand (ACS 2019–2023)

Age

• Median age: ~34–35 years
• Age distribution: ~28% under 18; ~60% 18–64; ~12% 65+

Gender

• Male: ~53–54%
• Female: ~46–47%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic or Latino can be of any race)

• Hispanic or Latino: ~58–62%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~22–26%
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American: ~12–16%
• Asian: ~1%
• Two or more races/Other: ~3–5%

Households and housing

• Households: ~12,000–13,000
• Average household size: ~3.0–3.2 people
• Family households: ~70–75% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~60–65%
• Housing units: ~14–15 thousand; occupancy rate typically mid-80s percent

Insights

• Majority-Hispanic county with a relatively young median age and a modest male skew, reflecting agricultural and related labor markets
• Household sizes are larger than state and national averages, with a high share of family households and solid owner-occupancy for a rural county

Hendry County, FL email landscape (2023–2024)

• Estimated email users: 24,000 adults. Basis: county population ~39,800, adults ~68%, email adoption among connected adults ≈85%.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: 30% (≈7,200)
  • 35–54: 38% (≈9,100)
  • 55–64: 17% (≈4,100)
  • 65+: 15% (≈3,600)
• Gender split among email users: roughly mirrors population, about 52% male, 48% female.
• Digital access and usage:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~74% (below Florida’s statewide mid-80s).
  • Device access (computer or smartphone in household): ~90%+.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users: ~20–22% of adults, reflecting mobile‑first usage among farmworker and lower‑income households.
  • Daily email checkers: about 70% of adult email users; near‑universal email use among working‑age adults, with slightly lower rates among 65+.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈34 people per square mile (rural, spread across ~1,150 square miles of land).
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around Clewiston and LaBelle; outlying agricultural tracts rely more on mobile or fixed wireless, contributing to lower wired‑broadband adoption.
• Trend: gradual uptick in broadband subscriptions and mobile coverage, with persistent rural gaps keeping email access more smartphone‑centric than the Florida average.

Below is a concise, decision-ready profile of mobile phone usage in Hendry County, Florida, using the latest widely published public datasets (American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year for household tech adoption; FCC broadband/mobile availability releases through 2024; Pew for usage benchmarks). Where exact county figures are not directly published for mobile behavior, transparent, reproducible estimates are provided.

Scale of mobile use and user estimates

• Population and households: ≈40,000 residents; ≈13,000 households.
• Smartphone presence (households): The ACS indicates that the vast majority of Hendry households have a smartphone; a reasonable read of the 2019–2023 5-year data places this around nine in ten households, implying roughly 11,500–12,200 smartphone households locally.
• Mobile data subscriptions (households): A majority of households report a cellular data plan for a smartphone or other mobile device; ACS data for similarly rural Florida counties puts Hendry on the order of two-thirds to three-quarters, or roughly 8,500–9,500 households with mobile data.
• Smartphone-only internet (households): Hendry’s share of “smartphone-only” internet households is materially higher than the Florida average. A conservative estimate is in the high teens (about 16–22% of households, ≈2,100–2,800 households), versus roughly low-teens statewide.
• Individual users: Combining adult population and teen ownership norms yields an estimated 28,000–32,000 resident smartphone users in Hendry on an average month.

Demographic patterns tied to mobile behavior

• Younger and more rural than Florida overall: Hendry’s median age is roughly a decade lower than the state median, with a larger share of school-age children and working-age adults. Younger populations drive heavier mobile-first engagement for schoolwork, messaging, and streaming.
• Majority Hispanic/Latino: Hendry is a Hispanic-majority county, with substantial bilingual households. This correlates with higher uptake of prepaid and family plans, robust use of WhatsApp/Meta apps, and greater Android share than the Florida average.
• Lower household income and higher poverty than state averages: This pattern consistently raises reliance on mobile data as the primary home connection, elevates price sensitivity, and increases plan churn relative to the statewide profile.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Mobile coverage: All three national carriers operate in Hendry. Low-band 5G covers primary corridors (US-27, SR-80, communities around Clewiston and LaBelle); mid-band 5G capacity is present but patchy outside town centers. LTE remains the fallback across agricultural tracts, with occasional dead zones at the county’s fringes and along the Big Cypress interface.
• Speeds and experience: In-town 5G typically delivers strong everyday performance (dozens to low-hundreds Mbps down), while fringe LTE areas may dip into teens of Mbps and experience higher latency. Metal-roof homes and distance from towers can degrade indoor signal in rural blocks.
• Fixed broadband constraints that shape mobile reliance: Cable and fiber are available in parts of Clewiston/LaBelle, but many census blocks remain limited to older DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Where fixed options are expensive or underperform, households lean on unlimited or high-cap mobile plans for primary access.
• Resilience and seasonality: Tropical weather and harvest seasons influence loads and reliability. Carriers harden sites along major corridors, but prolonged power outages and backhaul disruptions can affect rural sectors more than urban Florida.

How Hendry differs from the Florida statewide profile

• Higher mobile-only dependence: Smartphone-only households are notably higher than the state average, driven by rurality and income mix.
• More prepaid and Android usage: Price-sensitive plans and multi-line family bundles are more common than in metro Florida.
• Greater bilingual app ecosystem usage: Spanish-first communication apps and OTT services see above-average penetration.
• Larger urban–rural performance gap: Compared to Florida overall, Hendry shows a wider spread between town-center 5G experience and fringe LTE conditions due to tower spacing and terrain.

What this means for stakeholders

• Carriers: Capacity investments in mid-band 5G sectors around LaBelle/Clewiston and infill along farm corridors will yield outsized QoE gains. Signal-boosting retail and bilingual support matter.
• Public sector and schools: Mobile hotspots and zero-rated educational content remain critical for homework gaps; fixed-wireless buildouts can complement fiber-limited areas.
• Consumer services: Optimize apps for variable bandwidth and offline modes; support Spanish-first onboarding and prepaid billing.

Primary data anchors

• ACS 2019–2023 5-year, S2801 (Computer and Internet Use): household smartphone presence, cellular data plans, broadband subscription mix, smartphone-only reliance.
• FCC Broadband and Mobile Coverage releases through 2024: availability by technology and corridor coverage patterns.
• Pew Research Center (2023): smartphone adoption benchmarks used to bound individual user estimates.

Note: The figures above combine published county-level ACS indicators with conservative estimation where federal sources report categories (e.g., smartphone-only) rather than person-level counts. Directional differences versus Florida are robust across multiple releases, even where exact county percentages carry margins of error.

Hendry County, FL — social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Overall user base

• Estimated monthly social media users (age 13+): 26,000–29,000 residents
• Basis: County population and age mix (U.S. Census/ACS) blended with 2023–2024 platform adoption rates (Pew Research and platform benchmarks) adjusted for Hendry’s rural, younger, and Hispanic-majority profile

Most-used platforms (monthly, share of residents 13+)

• YouTube: 72–78%
• Facebook: 60–66%
• Instagram: 35–42%
• TikTok: 32–38%
• WhatsApp: 28–36% (notably high given the large Spanish-speaking population)
• Snapchat: 18–24%
• Pinterest: 18–22% (skews female/household decision-makers)
• X (Twitter): 14–20%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (lower due to local industry/occupation mix)
• Nextdoor: 2–5% (limited neighborhood coverage in rural areas)

Age distribution of social media users (share of county social users)

• 13–17: 11–13%
• 18–24: 14–16%
• 25–34: 20–22%
• 35–44: 19–21%
• 45–54: 13–15%
• 55–64: 10–12%
• 65+: 8–10%

Gender breakdown (share of county social users)

• Male: 52–55%
• Female: 45–48%
• Nonbinary/other: <1% reported

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Mobile-first and data-conscious: Heavy Android use, compressed video and captions perform best; click-to-call and WhatsApp deep links convert well.
• Language and culture: Significant Spanish-first and bilingual engagement; Spanish or dual-language posts materially lift reach and comments. Family, church, school, and festival content drives outsized interaction.
• Community-centric Facebook: Local groups (buy/sell, jobs, church, school sports), county/city pages, and Marketplace are core. Live updates during weather events and road closures see rapid amplification.
• Short-form video momentum: TikTok and Instagram Reels are the growth formats; 10–30 second clips with on-screen text outperform longer edits. Regional Mexican, reggaetón, and country audio trends improve completion rates.
• WhatsApp utility: Work-crew coordination, community alerts, and broadcast lists are common; voice notes are widely used.
• YouTube as “TV”: How-to/DIY (auto, small engine, agricultural equipment), Spanish news, sermons, and kids’ content anchor watch time; thumbnails with clear Spanish/English titling increase CTR.
• Commerce patterns: Facebook/Instagram Shops and Marketplace inquiries skew toward in-person pickup and cash/card on-site; appointment-booking links see good uptake for services (auto, beauty, healthcare).
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–8 a.m. and 7–10 p.m.; weekend mid-day strong. Weather and hurricane-season posts spike sharply and travel widely.
• Event tentpoles: The Swamp Cabbage Festival (LaBelle) and Clewiston Sugar Festival produce large, share-heavy local spikes; geo-targeted reels and stories around these dates outperform baseline by several multiples.

Practical implications

• Prioritize Facebook + Instagram (Reels/Stories) and YouTube for broad reach; layer TikTok for under-35s and WhatsApp for Spanish-first audiences and direct response.
• Use bilingual creative where possible; include subtitles by default.
• Favor short, vertical video with clear local cues (places, festivals, schools, churches).
• Optimize for calls and WhatsApp chats; schedule posts for early morning and evening peaks.
• Leverage community groups and Marketplace for demand capture; align bursts with local event calendars and weather cycles.

Note on methodology

• Figures are planning-grade estimates derived from county demographics (U.S. Census/ACS) and current U.S. platform adoption patterns (Pew Research Center and platform-reported reach), calibrated for Hendry County’s rural and Hispanic-majority context.