Putnam County

Putnam County, Florida – key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• 73,321 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~73,300 (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~68%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~17%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0.1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~28,800
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77%
• Median household income (in 2022 dollars): ~$46,000–$47,000
• Persons in poverty: ~20%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

• Population baseline: ~74,000 residents (Putnam County, FL).
• Estimated email users: ~50,000 residents (≈80% of adults), reflecting near-universal email among internet users and local internet adoption levels.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):
  • 13–17: 2,000 (4%)
  • 18–29: 6,000 (12%)
  • 30–49: 14,000 (28%)
  • 50–64: 15,000 (30%)
  • 65+: 13,000 (26%)
• Gender split of email users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and device trends:
  • Households with any internet: ~83%
  • Households with fixed broadband: ~72%
  • Cellular-data–only households: ~17–20%
  • Computer in household: ~85%; smartphone access: ~90%+
  • Remote-work share is modest, consistent with rural infrastructure and occupational mix.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Land area ~827 sq mi; population density ~89 residents/sq mi, raising last‑mile costs and slowing fiber build‑out outside population centers like Palatka.
  • Broadband availability exceeds subscription, indicating an adoption gap driven by affordability, device access, and reliance on mobile data.
• Insight: Email penetration is strong across all adult ages, but older-skewing demographics and rural dispersion mean a sizable cohort accesses email primarily via smartphones on cellular networks rather than fixed home broadband.

Mobile phone usage in Putnam County, Florida — 2024 snapshot

Context

• Population and households: ~74,000 residents and ~29,500 households (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year).
• Rural profile with below‑median household income and an older age structure relative to Florida overall; these factors shape device ownership, plan selection, and network reliance.

User estimates and adoption

• Households with a smartphone: approximately 80–85% in Putnam County, versus ~90% statewide (ACS S2801). This translates to roughly 23,500–25,000 local households with at least one smartphone.
• People using smartphones: using average household size (~2.4–2.5), an estimated 56,000–62,000 residents use smartphones locally.
• Smartphone‑only internet dependence (households that rely on cellular data for home internet with no fixed subscription): about 20–22% in Putnam County, notably higher than Florida’s ~13–15% (ACS S2801). This is a key divergence from the state.
• Any broadband subscription (home fixed or cellular): roughly low‑70s% in Putnam versus mid‑80s% statewide (ACS S2801), indicating greater dependence on mobile connectivity to fill fixed‑broadband gaps.

Demographic breakdown shaping mobile use

• Age: Adults 65+ comprise roughly a quarter of residents in Putnam (vs ~21% statewide). Senior smartphone adoption is lower and upgrade cycles are longer, which suppresses countywide smartphone penetration relative to Florida.
• Income: Lower median household income than the state average correlates with higher use of prepaid plans, shared data plans, and hotspotting in lieu of fixed broadband.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is majority White with significant Black and smaller Hispanic populations; statewide patterns show Black and Hispanic households are more likely than White households to be smartphone‑dependent for internet access. In Putnam’s more urban tracts (e.g., around Palatka), this elevates mobile‑only reliance above the county average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile provide countywide 4G LTE coverage across primary corridors (US‑17, SR‑20, SR‑100). All three advertise 5G service, but performance tiers differ.
• 5G availability: Low‑band 5G is present on major routes and population centers; mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz) is concentrated in and near Palatka and along denser corridors. mmWave is effectively absent. Compared with Florida overall—where mid‑band 5G is widely deployed in metro areas—Putnam’s mid‑band 5G footprint is sparse.
• Coverage gaps and weak‑signal areas: Western and forested tracts (near Etoniah Creek State Forest and the Ocala National Forest fringe) and some low‑density stretches between small communities experience weaker signal and capacity, with more frequent LTE fallback.
• Practical speeds: Typical rural LTE performance and low‑band 5G throughput are adequate for basic streaming and hotspotting but lag urban Florida mid‑band 5G speeds. This reinforces the county’s higher share of households using cellular as their primary home internet.
• Public access: Fewer public Wi‑Fi nodes and library/school hotspots per capita than urban Florida counties make mobile plans and phone‑based tethering more critical for everyday access.

How Putnam County differs from Florida overall

• Higher smartphone‑only internet dependence: ~20–22% vs ~13–15% statewide, reflecting patchier fixed broadband and economic constraints.
• Lower household smartphone penetration and lower “any broadband” subscription rates than the state, driven by older age structure and income mix.
• Slower 5G progression: Mid‑band 5G coverage and capacity trails the state’s metro‑led buildouts; LTE remains the workhorse technology across much of the county.
• Plan mix skews prepaid and budget tiers, with longer device replacement cycles and more frequent use of mobile hotspotting to serve entire households.

Key takeaways

• Mobile phones are the primary on‑ramp to the internet for a sizable share of Putnam County households, far more so than in Florida overall.
• Network investment is improving baseline coverage, but capacity (especially mid‑band 5G) lags urban Florida, reinforcing reliance on LTE and limiting peak performance.
• Demographics—older population, lower incomes—translate into slightly lower smartphone household penetration but significantly higher dependence on mobile for home connectivity.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year (Table S2801: Computer and Internet Use); FCC mobile coverage maps and carrier public coverage disclosures (accessed 2023–2024). Figures are rounded to reflect margins of error typical for county‑level ACS estimates.

Social media snapshot: Putnam County, FL

• Population and makeup (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023): roughly mid‑70,000 residents; older-than-state-average profile with about one-quarter age 65+; gender close to even split (~51% female, ~49% male).
• Overall reach: In line with national patterns, expect the large majority of adults to use at least one social platform; local usage skews slightly older, boosting Facebook and suppressing TikTok/Snapchat relative to national averages.

Most-used platforms (benchmarks from Pew Research Center, U.S. adults, 2024; Putnam County usage closely mirrors these, with Facebook a bit higher and TikTok/Snapchat a bit lower due to the county’s older age structure)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68% (locally likely in the low–mid 70s)
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33% (locally likely in the mid–20s)
• Pinterest: 35% (skews female)
• LinkedIn: 30% (lower in rural/older areas)
• WhatsApp: 29% (higher among multilingual/Latino communities)
• Snapchat: 27% (lower locally given age mix)
• X/Twitter: 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• Nextdoor: ~20% (varies by neighborhood coverage)

Age groups (local tendencies)

• Teens: Heaviest on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Instagram strong; Facebook limited.
• 18–29: Broad multi-platform use; Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat lead; YouTube universal; Facebook used but not central.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram growing; TikTok used for entertainment and product discovery.
• 50–64: Facebook is primary (Groups, Marketplace); YouTube for how‑to/news; Pinterest for projects/recipes.
• 65+: Facebook first (friends/family, local news/church/community groups); YouTube second; limited TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (directional patterns consistent with Pew)

• Female: Higher likelihood of Pinterest and Facebook Groups/Marketplace participation; Instagram steady.
• Male: Higher likelihood of Reddit, YouTube tech/DIY, and X/Twitter; Facebook steady.
• Overall Facebook and Instagram usage are near parity by gender; Pinterest skews female; Reddit and X skew male.

Behavioral trends in Putnam County

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for local news, schools, churches, yard sales, events (e.g., festivals on the St. Johns River), lost/found, and public-safety updates.
• Marketplace-driven commerce: Strong Facebook Marketplace activity for vehicles, boats, tools, furniture, and local services.
• Video preference: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts; YouTube used for DIY, home repair, auto/marine, fishing/hunting, and product reviews.
• Event discovery: Instagram and Facebook Events commonly drive attendance; Reels and Stories boost awareness in the 18–44 segment.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for local businesses; WhatsApp pockets of usage among multilingual households; click‑to‑call remains important.
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evening (6–9 p.m.), with weekend mid‑day spikes; weather and seasonal events (hurricane season, school calendar, holidays) reliably move attention.
• Trust and amplification: Local pages, neighborhood admins, and community organizations act as key influencers; cross-posting into Groups materially increases reach.

Notes on interpretation

• Platform percentages are definitive national figures (Pew Research Center, 2024) used as the best available proxy; Putnam County’s older/rural profile typically means slightly higher Facebook and slightly lower TikTok/Snapchat versus national averages, with YouTube strong across all ages.