Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County, Florida — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• 1.53 million (2023 Census estimate)
• +4.9% since the 2020 Census (1,459,762)

Age

• Median age: 37.1 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~63%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Race alone (shares may not sum to 100 due to rounding):
  • White: ~67%
  • Black or African American: ~18%
  • Asian: ~5%
  • Two or more races: ~5%
  • Some other race: ~4%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native and NHPI: ~0.7% combined
• Ethnicity:
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~31%
  • Not Hispanic or Latino: ~69%

Household data

• Households: ~585,000 (2023)
• Average household size: ~2.60
• Family households: ~63% (≈29% with children under 18)
• Homeownership rate: ~56%
• Median household income: ~$73,000
• Poverty rate: ~13%

Insights

• Fast-growing, topping 1.5M residents post-2020.
• Younger than Florida overall (state median age ~43), with sizable working-age share.
• Diverse population with a large Hispanic community (~31%).
• Homeownership below the state average; incomes above the state median.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates Program; 2023 American Community Survey 1-year).

Hillsborough County, FL snapshot (2023–2024):

• Estimated email users: ≈1.12 million adult residents (about 93% of ~1.19M adults; total population ≈1.52M).
• Age distribution of adult email users:
  • 18–29: ~21% of users; adoption ≈98%
  • 30–49: ~34% of users; adoption ≈97%
  • 50–64: ~24% of users; adoption ≈95%
  • 65+: ~22% of users; adoption ≈88%
• Gender split: Email usage is near-parity; user base mirrors population (~51% female, ~49% male).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a computer: ~94%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~90%
  • Fixed broadband availability (≥100 Mbps): >98% of residents have access (FCC data); multiple cable/fiber ISPs across urban and suburban areas.
  • Smartphone adoption: ~90% of adults; smartphone-only internet users: ~13%
  • 5G coverage from major carriers is countywide, supporting high mobile email engagement.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Population density ≈1,500 residents per square mile (land area ≈1,020 sq mi).
  • Urban core (Tampa) and major corridors (I‑4/I‑75) are well served by fiber backbones and dense cellular networks, supporting consistent email access across work, school, and home.

Mobile phone usage in Hillsborough County, Florida (Tampa–Plant City–Temple Terrace) is among the strongest in the state, reflecting a younger, denser, and more enterprise-heavy market than Florida overall. Below is a concise, data-forward summary using the latest available public datasets (ACS 2023, FCC/industry reporting 2023–2024) and standard industry modeling where required.

Headline user estimates and adoption

• Population and lines: ~1.51 million residents (2023). Estimated ~2.2 million active cellular connections in the county (about 1.45 lines per resident, in line with large-metro U.S. and slightly above Florida’s average).
• Households with a smartphone: ~94% in Hillsborough vs ~92% statewide (ACS 2023).
• Smartphone-only households (no fixed home broadband): ~14% vs ~16% statewide (ACS 2023).
• Households with any broadband internet: ~91% vs ~89% statewide (ACS 2023).
• Households with fixed broadband (cable/fiber/DSL): ~83% vs ~80% statewide (ACS 2023).
• 5G device/user penetration: materially above the Florida average, driven by strong mid-band 5G availability and enterprise adoption in the Tampa urban core.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns and gaps)

• Age:
  • Adults 18–44: near-universal smartphone use (>97%), mirroring U.S. urban norms.
  • Adults 65+: 78% smartphone adoption in Hillsborough vs ~75% statewide; the county’s lower senior share (16% vs Florida’s ~21%) lifts overall adoption.
• Income:
  • Low-income households (<$25k): higher reliance on smartphones as primary internet. Smartphone-only ~29% in Hillsborough vs ~32% statewide; better fixed-broadband availability and discount offerings locally narrow the gap.
• Race/ethnicity (pattern, ACS 2023):
  • Black households: smartphone-only ~22% (Hillsborough) vs ~24% (Florida).
  • Hispanic/Latino households: smartphone-only ~20% vs ~22% statewide.
  • Non-Hispanic White households: smartphone-only ~11% vs ~12% statewide.
  • The county’s more extensive cable/fiber footprint and urban service competition temper smartphone-only reliance across groups relative to the state.
• Education:
  • Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher show the lowest smartphone-only rates and highest multi-device ownership; this segment is larger in Hillsborough than in many Florida counties, supporting higher multi-line and 5G uptake.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G coverage:
  • T-Mobile (n41 mid-band), Verizon (C-band), and AT&T (C-band) each cover ≥95% of the county’s population with 5G, with mmWave nodes concentrated in downtown Tampa, stadium districts, and high-density venues.
• Network performance (Tampa metro, 2024 median—indicative):
  • T-Mobile: ~260 Mbps download
  • Verizon: ~200 Mbps download
  • AT&T: ~150 Mbps download
  • These medians sit modestly above Florida’s statewide medians, reflecting denser site grids and strong mid-band deployments in the metro.
• Cell sites and radio infrastructure:
  • Approximately 1,150 FCC-registered antenna structures in Hillsborough County, plus hundreds of small cells (particularly in central Tampa, Westshore, USF area, and along I‑275/I‑4 corridors) supporting 5G capacity.
• Fiber and backhaul:
  • Multiple long-haul and metro fiber providers (e.g., Lumen/Level 3, Zayo, AT&T, Verizon, Crown Castle) furnish extensive backhaul and enterprise connectivity; robust fiber density underpins the county’s superior mid-band 5G performance and capacity.
• Enterprise and private networks:
  • Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, healthcare campuses, and university zones host dense DAS and small-cell systems; CBRS/private LTE is in use in logistics/industrial nodes, boosting localized mobile performance and IoT adoption.
• Data centers and peering:
  • Several multi-tenant data centers (e.g., Flexential, vXchnge, QTS) in the Tampa area shorten content paths and improve latency for mobile users versus many Florida regions.

How Hillsborough differs from Florida overall

• Higher adoption: Smartphone penetration among households is a couple of points higher than Florida’s average; smartphone-only reliance is a couple of points lower due to better fixed-broadband availability.
• Younger mix: A smaller 65+ share than Florida’s average elevates overall smartphone and 5G usage.
• Better mid-band 5G: Earlier and denser mid-band deployments produce higher median mobile speeds and more consistent 5G availability than the statewide average.
• Denser site grid: More macro sites plus extensive small-cell/DAS in urban corridors lift capacity and peak speeds relative to much of the state, especially rural counties.
• Enterprise uplift: Concentrations of healthcare, aviation, port/logistics, and education contribute to higher multi-line, IoT, and private-network activity than Florida’s baseline, nudging per-capita connection counts upward.

Key takeaways

• Hillsborough County is a high-adoption, high-capacity mobile market: smartphone ownership is pervasive, 5G coverage is near-universal, and median speeds outpace Florida’s average.
• Digital divide remains but is narrower than the state’s: smartphone-only dependence is concentrated among lower-income and some minority households, yet is slightly less prevalent than statewide thanks to stronger fixed-broadband options.
• Continued densification and fiber investment, coupled with enterprise/private 5G deployments, are likely to keep Hillsborough’s mobile user experience ahead of the Florida average over the next few years.

Hillsborough County, FL — Social Media Snapshot (2024–2025)

Population and baseline

• Population: ~1.51 million (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 estimate)
• Adults (18+): ~1.18 million (≈78% of population)
• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male (ACS)
• Age structure (ACS, approx.): Under 18 ~21%, 18–29 ~17%, 30–49 ~29%, 50–64 ~19%, 65+ ~14%

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated local reach)

• Method: Applied Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage rates to Hillsborough’s adult population to estimate users; overlap across platforms is expected.
• YouTube: ~83% of adults ≈ 979k
• Facebook: ~68% ≈ 802k
• Instagram: ~50% ≈ 590k
• Pinterest: ~35% ≈ 413k
• TikTok: ~33% ≈ 389k
• Snapchat: ~30% ≈ 354k
• LinkedIn: ~30% ≈ 354k
• WhatsApp: ~29% ≈ 342k
• X (Twitter): ~22% ≈ 260k
• Reddit: ~22% ≈ 260k

Age dynamics (usage patterns reflect national behavior mapped to local demographics)

• Teens/18–29: Very high on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook is secondary but still used for groups/events.
• 30–49: Omnichannel; Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram strong; TikTok growing; LinkedIn prominent for professionals.
• 50–64: Facebook-centric with frequent YouTube; Pinterest notable (home, food, DIY); WhatsApp usage present via family networks.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; lower but rising Instagram adoption; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender patterns (national usage skews applied locally)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong engagement with local groups, school/parent networks, lifestyle content.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), LinkedIn; higher participation in sports, gaming, finance, and tech communities.
• Engagement formats: Women interact more in private groups/DMs; men engage more with creators, forums, and live sports/news feeds.

Behavioral trends specific to Hillsborough County

• Community and neighborhoods: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and neighborhood apps for HOA updates, school info, local services, and safety alerts (Brandon, Carrollwood, Westchase, SouthShore). Nextdoor has a material presence for hyperlocal alerts and recommendations.
• Events and local culture: Instagram Reels and Facebook Events drive discovery for Tampa/Ybor City/Hyde Park arts, restaurants, festivals, and nightlife; Stories and short-form video outperform static posts for reach.
• Sports-driven spikes: Buccaneers, Lightning, and Rays content triggers real-time engagement surges on X, Instagram, and YouTube; watch-party and highlight clips perform strongly.
• Higher-ed influence: USF student population amplifies TikTok and Instagram trends countywide; campus and young-professional neighborhoods (Tampa/Temple Terrace) skew younger and video-first.
• Bilingual audiences: Large Hispanic/Latino community supports elevated Facebook and WhatsApp usage for family, community, and cross-border communication; Spanish-language content increases reach and share rates.
• Commerce and recommendations: Local SMBs see outsized results via Instagram Reels/TikTok for food, beauty, fitness; Facebook Groups function as de facto local review/referral engines; Pinterest effective for home improvement and décor.
• Timing and format: Late afternoon through evening and weekend posting sees strongest consumer reach; short-form video and live updates outperform links; geo-tagging (e.g., Tampa, Channelside, Ybor, Brandon) measurably improves local discovery.

Key takeaways

• Facebook and YouTube deliver the broadest adult reach countywide; Instagram is essential for under-45 reach; TikTok is now mainstream among under-35s and growing in 30–45.
• Women-driven engagement on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest shapes local commerce and community conversations; men cluster on YouTube/Reddit/X for sports, news, and tech.
• Short-form, location-anchored video plus participation in neighborhood groups yields the best organic visibility.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS/QuickFacts (Hillsborough County, 2023) for population, age, and gender.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 for U.S. adult platform adoption rates; applied to local adult population to estimate platform user counts.