Sumter County

Sumter County, Florida — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 129,752
• 2010–2020 growth: +38.9%
• 2023 estimate (Census Population Estimates Program): ~151,000

Age

• Median age: ~68 years (among the highest in the U.S.)
• 65 years and over: ~58%
• Under 18: ~8%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Non-Hispanic White: ~83%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~6%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~8%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~1–2%
• Non-Hispanic Two or More Races and other groups: ~1–2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~64,000
• Average household size: ~2.0 persons
• Family households: ~60% of households; married-couple majority
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~88%
• Median household income: mid-to-high $60,000s
• Notable: Large retiree population; household structure skews toward smaller, owner-occupied, married-couple households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey; 2023 Population Estimates). Figures rounded for clarity.

Sumter County, FL email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~136,000 adults (out of ~156,000 residents), based on adult share and typical U.S. email adoption.
• Age distribution of email users: 65+ 58% (79k); 45–64 22% (30k); 25–44 14% (19k); 18–24 6% (8k). The county has one of the nation’s oldest age profiles, so email skews heavily to seniors.
• Gender split among email users: 52% female (71k), 48% male (65k), mirroring the population’s senior-weighted female majority.
• Digital access trends: ~89% of households have a broadband subscription; ~91% have a computer or smartphone; ~13% are smartphone‑only internet households. Email remains the primary digital communication channel for older residents, with strong engagement and high deliverability compared with social platforms.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density ≈285 people/sq mi; most residents cluster in The Villages, where cable/fiber (100+ Mbps) is widely available. Rural tracts and areas west of I‑75 show more reliance on DSL/fixed wireless and lower peak speeds, while 4G/5G mobile coverage is strongest along the I‑75 and Florida’s Turnpike corridors.

Overall, a large, older, and connected population makes email a high-reach, high-response channel countywide.

Mobile phone usage in Sumter County, Florida — 2025 snapshot

Key takeaways that differ from Florida overall

• Older user base drives slightly lower smartphone penetration and far fewer mobile‑only households than the state average.
• Network build is strong in and around The Villages and along I‑75/Florida’s Turnpike, with patchier 5G off the main corridors; fixed‑wireless 5G home internet is widely marketed in The Villages, signaling high mobile network capacity there.

User estimates

• Estimated adult smartphone users: roughly 110,000–125,000 countywide in 2025.
• Estimated adult smartphone penetration: about 82–86% (lower than major Florida metros, largely due to age mix).
• Who the users are:
  • About one‑half of all smartphone users in the county are age 65+ (unusually high share; in Florida overall the 65+ cohort is a much smaller slice of smartphone users).
  • Basic/feature‑phone use is concentrated among the oldest residents; among working‑age adults, smartphone adoption is near national norms.

How these estimates were derived

• Sumter County has the oldest population profile in the U.S. (median age around 68; roughly three in five residents are 65+ per recent ACS). Applying age‑specific smartphone ownership rates from recent Pew Research (higher than 95% for 18–49, around 90% for 50–64, and mid‑70s for 65+) to Sumter’s skewed age distribution yields an overall adult penetration in the low‑to‑mid 80s and the 110k–125k user count range.

Demographic breakdown shaping mobile use

• Age structure:
  • Sumter County: approximately 60% age 65+, median age ~68.
  • Florida overall: roughly 20–22% age 65+, median age low‑40s.
• Household composition:
  • High owner‑occupancy and many one‑ to two‑person households in retirement communities lead to more single‑line postpaid accounts and fewer large family plans than the Florida average.
• Mobile‑only internet households:
  • Sumter County: materially below the Florida average because older households are more likely to retain cable/fiber broadband at home.
  • Florida overall: mobile‑only internet households are substantially more common (per ACS “Cellular data plan only” indicators).

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence and 5G:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE coverage in populated areas, with 5G in and around The Villages, Wildwood, and along I‑75 and Florida’s Turnpike.
  • Mid‑band 5G (the capacity layer used for fast data and fixed‑wireless access) is notably strong in The Villages; both T‑Mobile and Verizon market 5G Home Internet across key ZIPs (e.g., 32162, 32163), which is a practical indicator of surplus mobile capacity.
• Where coverage is strongest:
  • The Villages’ town centers, major commercial corridors (CR‑466/466A, SR‑44), and highway corridors (I‑75, Turnpike) have dense macro coverage with growing 5G footprints.
• Where coverage is thinner:
  • Rural and conservation areas toward the county’s western and southern edges have more LTE‑only pockets and fewer mid‑band 5G sectors; indoor coverage can vary in large concrete‑block homes without in‑home Wi‑Fi calling.
• Public safety and reliability:
  • AT&T’s FirstNet Band 14 overlays serve public‑safety users along major corridors and population centers; hurricane‑season hardening has prioritized macro sites on I‑75/Turnpike and around The Villages.
• Backhaul and capacity:
  • Ongoing residential build‑out south of SR‑44 has been accompanied by new and upgraded macro sites and fiber backhaul, sustaining capacity for both mobile broadband and fixed‑wireless services.

Behavioral and usage patterns vs Florida average

• Daytime usage is relatively higher (telehealth, messaging, navigation, community apps) and late‑night streaming loads are relatively lower than in younger, urban Florida counties.
• App adoption for services oriented to retirees (health portals, golf and community scheduling, local news) is high; ride‑hailing and micromobility usage is comparatively low.

Bottom line

• Sumter County’s very old age profile—unique in Florida—produces a smartphone market that is large but slightly less saturated than the state’s urban counties, with a disproportionate share of users age 65+. Infrastructure is strong where people live and travel (especially The Villages and major highways), and the presence of multiple 5G fixed‑wireless offerings signals ample mobile capacity in core population centers, while rural edges remain more LTE‑dependent.

Social media usage in Sumter County, Florida (2025 snapshot)

Headline usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~73% of residents age 18+
• Platform reach among adults (share who use each platform):
  • YouTube: 65%
  • Facebook: 61%
  • Instagram: 28%
  • Nextdoor: 27%
  • Pinterest: 25%
  • TikTok: 20%
  • WhatsApp: 19%
  • X (Twitter): 13%
  • Snapchat: 12%
  • Reddit: 11%

Age mix of local social-media users

• 65+: 53% of all local social-media users
• 55–64: 16%
• 35–54: 21%
• 18–34: 10%

Gender breakdown of local social-media users

• Female: ~56%
• Male: ~44%

Behavioral trends and content preferences

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for HOA updates, neighborhood safety, lost-and-found, and local service recommendations.
• Commerce: Strong Facebook Marketplace activity (notably home goods, services, golf carts) and recommendation-seeking posts on Nextdoor.
• Video habits: YouTube used for how‑to content, product research, church/government streams; 2–10 minute informative videos perform best with 55+ audiences; short vertical clips (15–60 seconds) see modest but growing use.
• Tone and format: Clear, practical, locally relevant posts outperform entertainment or slang-heavy content; high-contrast text and captions aid engagement.
• Timing: Engagement skews to early morning (6–9 a.m.) and early evening (6–9 p.m.); midday and late-night activity are lower than national norms.
• Trust and safety: Above-average sensitivity to scams; verified pages, BBB badges, and visible local reviews increase response rates.
• Advertising implications: Facebook remains the most efficient local buy for reach + action (Events, Lead Ads, Marketplace). Nextdoor is effective for hyperlocal service providers. YouTube pre-roll works for education-led offers. Instagram and TikTok are secondary reach drivers, strongest among 35–54 and new in-migrants.

How Sumter County differs from the U.S. overall

• Over-indexes on Facebook and Nextdoor; under-indexes on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat.
• YouTube remains broadly used but skews toward instructional and community-stream content rather than entertainment.
• Older-skewing user base means more group/utility behavior and less creator/viral trend participation.

Methodology

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates specific to Sumter County using 2023 ACS demographics (notably a majority 65+ population) combined with 2024 Pew Research Center platform adoption rates by age; Nextdoor is adjusted upward to reflect HOA/neighborhood density. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers.