Volusia County

Volusia County, Florida — key demographics

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: approximately 600,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, V2023)
• 2020 Census: 553,543

Age

• Median age: about 47 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and over: ~26–27%

Sex

• Female: ~51–52%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White alone: ~84–85%
• Black or African American alone: ~11%
• Asian alone: ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~14–16%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~67–69%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~240,000
• Persons per household: ~2.3
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72%

Insights

• Older age profile with about one-quarter of residents 65+, driving smaller household sizes (~2.3).
• Predominantly White non-Hispanic, with growing Hispanic population and a roughly one-ninth Black population.
• Homeownership is the majority tenure, consistent with an older, suburban/retiree-leaning county.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Population Estimates Program V2023; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year; 2020 Census).

Volusia County, FL email usage (estimates, ACS 2019–2023; Pew Research Center 2023):

• Estimated email users: ≈485,000 residents.
• Basis: Population ≈590,000; adults ≈498,000; adult email adoption ≈92% (458,000) plus teens 13–17 (35,000) at 75% (26,000).

Age mix among email users:

• 13–17: ~5%
• 18–34: ~23%
• 35–64: ~43%
• 65+: ~28%

Gender split among users:

• ~52% female, ~48% male (mirrors county demographics).

Digital access and devices:

• ~84% of households have a broadband subscription.
• ~92% have a computer (desktop/laptop/tablet).
• ~12–14% are smartphone‑only internet households.
• ~9–10% have no home internet subscription.

Connectivity and density context:

• Population density ≈520 people per square mile (countywide).
• Broadband is strongest along the I‑95/I‑4 corridor (Daytona Beach–Deltona–DeLand), where most addresses have 100 Mbps+ cable/fiber; slower DSL/fixed‑wireless remains in western rural pockets, contributing to the ~10% without home internet.
• High senior share (≈27% of residents) means a sizable portion of email users are 65+, but adoption remains high among seniors (~85–90%), supporting heavy email reliance for healthcare, government services, and commerce.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Volusia County, Florida (with contrasts to statewide patterns)

Headline usage and access (ACS S2801/S2802, 2022–2023; rounded)

• Households with a smartphone: Volusia ≈ 90% (Florida ≈ 92%). Slightly lower than the state, driven by the county’s older age profile.
• Households with any broadband subscription (wireline, fixed wireless, or cellular): Volusia ≈ 83% (Florida ≈ 86%).
• Households relying on a cellular data plan for internet (with or without another subscription): Volusia ≈ mid‑70% (Florida ≈ upper‑70%). Within this, cellular‑only internet use is higher in Volusia (17%) than the state (15%).
• Households with no home internet subscription: Volusia ≈ 12% (Florida ≈ 9–10%).

User estimates (derived from ACS population/household structure and adoption rates)

• Total households ≈ 250,000; households with a smartphone ≈ 225,000.
• Adult population ≈ 490,000; estimated adult smartphone users ≈ 430,000 (assumes ~87% adult adoption, consistent with national patterns adjusted downward for Volusia’s older age mix).
• Estimated households primarily dependent on cellular (cellular‑only home internet) ≈ 42,000.
• Households without any internet ≈ 30,000.

Demographic patterns that differ from the Florida average

• Older population: About 27–29% of Volusia residents are 65+ (Florida ≈ 21–22%). This weighs down overall smartphone and home broadband subscription rates; the age 65+ segment shows the lowest smartphone and broadband adoption in the county.
• Income mix: Share of households under $25,000 is modestly higher than the Florida average. This is associated with a higher likelihood of cellular‑only internet and lower rates of wireline broadband, especially in parts of Daytona Beach, Deltona, DeLand, and other working‑class tracts.
• Race/ethnicity profile: Volusia has a lower Hispanic share (≈ 14%) than Florida (~27%) and a higher non‑Hispanic White share. While smartphone ownership is high across groups, subscription type differs: cellular‑only internet and prepaid mobile plans are over‑represented in lower‑income and renter‑heavy tracts along the urban coast and I‑4 corridor.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide broad low‑band 5G coverage along the I‑95/I‑4 corridors and urban coast (Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach–Port Orange, Deltona, DeLand). Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/2.5–3.45 GHz) now covers most populated areas; countywide mid‑band population coverage is lower than Florida’s largest metros but strong on the coast. Rural western and conservation areas (e.g., around Lake Woodruff NWR, Osteen, and near the Ocala NF edge) show the most persistent weak‑signal pockets.
• Capacity and speeds: Median mobile downlink speeds in the built‑up coastal corridor typically range ~75–110 Mbps with mid‑band 5G; they drop in inland pockets where bands revert to LTE/low‑band 5G. Florida’s statewide medians are slightly higher due to very fast large‑metro footprints (Miami, Tampa, Orlando). Event‑driven surges (Daytona 500, Bike Week, spring break) create peak congestion; carriers regularly deploy temporary COWs/COLTs around Daytona International Speedway and beach venues to stabilize capacity.
• Tower and backhaul density: Macro‑site density is highest along the coast and major arterials (I‑95, I‑4, US‑92/ISB, SR‑40). Robust metro fiber along transportation and rail rights‑of‑way underpins 5G backhaul on the coast; inland and conservation tracts have sparser fiber, constraining mid‑band 5G reach and keeping some areas LTE‑heavy compared with Florida’s denser metros.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): 5G home internet (T‑Mobile/Verizon) is widely marketed in the urbanized parts of Volusia. Take‑up is measurably higher than the state average in tracts with limited or costly wireline options, contributing to the county’s above‑average cellular‑only home internet share.
• Public safety and resiliency: FirstNet (AT&T) presence across critical facilities and staged temporary capacity during major events/hurricane season is a notable operational emphasis compared with most Florida counties, reflecting Volusia’s event concentration and coastal storm risk.

Trends that stand out versus the Florida average

• Slightly lower smartphone and broadband subscription rates overall, primarily due to a larger 65+ population share.
• Higher reliance on cellular‑only home internet and prepaid mobile plans in lower‑income and renter‑dense areas, producing a more pronounced split between the coastal urban strip and western exurban/rural tracts.
• Greater seasonality in network load (Daytona 500, Bike Week, tourism peaks) and correspondingly frequent use of temporary mobile infrastructure, a pattern less marked in most Florida counties outside major tourist/event hubs.
• Faster recent expansion of mid‑band 5G along the coast relative to the inland west; this intra‑county gap is wider than the average urban–rural gap observed statewide in larger metros with more uniform fiber backhaul.

Implications

• Closing the remaining adoption gap will hinge on senior‑focused digital inclusion (device training/support) and sustaining affordable offers that can transition cellular‑only households to higher‑capacity options where available.
• Continued mid‑band 5G build‑out toward western census tracts and incremental fiber backhaul will be key to narrowing the within‑county performance gap and bringing Volusia’s median speeds and adoption patterns closer to the statewide profile.

Volusia County, FL — Social media usage snapshot (2025)

How this was built

• County-level platform stats are not directly published. Figures below are modeled for Volusia using: Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. platform adoption and daily use; U.S. Census/ACS 2023 age/sex mix for Volusia; and adjustments for the county’s older age profile. Numbers are planning-grade estimates.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈71% of adults
• Gender among active users: ≈53% female, 47% male (skews slightly female due to older population)
• Age mix among active users:
  • 18–29: ≈22%
  • 30–49: ≈34%
  • 50–64: ≈25%
  • 65+: ≈19%

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use the platform, estimated)

• YouTube: ≈80%
• Facebook: ≈70%
• Instagram: ≈42%
• TikTok: ≈28%
• Pinterest: ≈30%
• LinkedIn: ≈24%
• X (Twitter): ≈20%
• Snapchat: ≈18%
• Nextdoor: ≈22%
• WhatsApp: ≈17%
• Reddit: ≈16%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: Local groups (neighborhoods, schools, churches), hurricane prep/response, lost-and-found pets, and Marketplace are highly active. Engagement spikes around major local events (Daytona 500, Bike Week, Biketoberfest, Spring Break) and during storm season.
• YouTube is the how-to and hobby hub: DIY/home projects, boating/fishing, motorsports, and RV content over-index, with strong use among 35+ and retirees. Local businesses increasingly use Shorts for reach.
• Instagram and TikTok drive discovery for tourism and hospitality: Reels/TikTok featuring beaches, springs, festivals, and food guide most out-of-town consideration. User-generated content with geo-tags (Daytona Beach, New Smyrna, DeLand, Ormond) performs best.
• Nextdoor and Facebook Groups for neighborhood coordination: HOA updates, public safety alerts, contractor referrals, and city notices see high trust and participation among homeowners 35+.
• Messaging and private sharing: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp handle family and community micro-groups; WhatsApp use is notable among bilingual households and service workers coordinating shifts.
• Time-of-day patterns: Morning (7–9 a.m.) news/utility scroll; midday (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) short-form video; evening (7–10 p.m.) the peak for comments, shares, and live updates. Weekend afternoons favor event and beach-related content.
• Content formats: Short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) outperforms static posts; carousels on Instagram and long-form “explainer” YouTube videos perform well for home, auto, and outdoor categories.
• Vertical interests that over-index locally: Motorsports and powersports, boating/fishing, beach and surf conditions, DIY home/yard, local dining/beer, education/school athletics, and hurricane/tide updates.
• Demographic skews by platform:
  • Women 35–64: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram; heavy in local groups and Marketplace
  • Men 35–64: YouTube (how‑to, reviews), Facebook (groups), X for sports/news
  • 18–29: TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat; campus clusters around Embry‑Riddle, Stetson, Daytona State
  • 65+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Nextdoor for neighborhood info

Notes and sources

• Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024); U.S. Census Bureau/ACS 2023 (Volusia age/sex composition). Platform shares are modeled to the county’s demographics; actual brand ad platforms (Meta, Google, Snap, TikTok) will report higher “reachable” audiences due to account duplication and travelers.