Caroline County

Here are current, high-level demographics for Caroline County, Maryland.

Population size

• 33,293 (2020 Census)
• ~33,700 (2023 estimate, Census PEP)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50.6%
• Male: ~49.4%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~69%
• Black or African American: ~15%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~10%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Asian: ~0.6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.7%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~12,100
• Persons per household: ~2.74
• Family households: ~71% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program). Figures rounded; use for general planning.

Email usage in Caroline County, Maryland (estimates)

• Population context: ~33.5k residents; ~25k adults. Population density ~100–105 people per square mile (rural Eastern Shore county).
• Estimated email users: ~22–23k adults (≈88–92% of adults use email, in line with Pew’s national rates).
• Age distribution of adult email users (approx.):
  • 18–34: ~5.5–6k
  • 35–54: ~7–8k
  • 55–64: ~3.5–4k
  • 65+: ~4.5–6k Adoption is highest among 18–54 (≈90%+), slightly lower for 65+ (≈80–88%).
• Gender split: Near even; ~49% male, ~51% female among users (email adoption shows minimal gender difference).
• Digital access trends:
  • Households: ~12k; broadband subscription ≈80–87% (ACS-style benchmarks), implying ~9.5–10.5k connected households.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: roughly 10–15% (higher in rural areas), indicating some residents rely on mobile data for email.
  • Connectivity pattern: Strongest fixed broadband in and around Denton, Federalsburg, Ridgely; patchier high-speed options in outlying farmland, with fiber and fixed wireless expanding. Most locations have at least 25/3 Mbps options; fewer have 100/20+ everywhere. Sources: U.S. Census/ACS for population and household connectivity; Pew Research Center for email adoption; FCC broadband maps for availability patterns. Figures are approximations.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Caroline County, Maryland

County context

• Rural, low-density county on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a small population and below-state median income. Dispersed settlement patterns and agriculture-heavy land use shape coverage and adoption.

User estimates (best-available estimates derived from national usage benchmarks, rural adoption patterns, and county demographics)

• Adult mobile phone owners: roughly 23,000–26,000 residents (mobile phone ownership among adults is near-universal, but slightly lower than the statewide average due to age and income mix).
• Adult smartphone users: about 20,000–22,000 (roughly 80–87% of adults, a few points lower than Maryland’s overall rate).
• Total active mobile lines (consumer + work + hotspots/tablets): approximately 30,000–36,000 lines (about 0.9–1.1 lines per resident), reflecting multi-line households and device tethering where fixed broadband is limited.
• Mobile-only or mobile-primary internet households: materially higher than Maryland’s average. Expect roughly 20–30% of households to rely primarily on mobile data (vs. low- to mid-teens statewide), driven by gaps in affordable, reliable wired service outside town centers.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–49: smartphone adoption is very high (approaching statewide levels).
  • 50–64: strong adoption but below state average; more budget-conscious plans.
  • 65+: adoption lags the state more noticeably; a sizable segment uses basic phones or smartphones mainly for voice/text.
• Income
  • Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and lower-cost Android devices than the state average; slower device upgrade cycles.
  • Hotspot use and shared family plans are common strategies to manage costs where fixed broadband is unavailable or expensive.
• Race/ethnicity and place
  • Communities in and around Federalsburg and Denton show higher smartphone-dependence for home internet than the state average, echoing national patterns for working-class and minority households.
• Work patterns
  • Out-commuting and seasonal traffic corridors shape carrier choice; residents often pick providers based on corridor reliability rather than absolute top speeds.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence
  • Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all serve the county. FirstNet (AT&T) supports public safety.
• 4G/5G
  • 4G LTE is the baseline almost countywide.
  • 5G low-band coverage is present (especially via T-Mobile), but mid-band/capacity 5G is much more limited than in Maryland’s metro counties; fastest 5G is concentrated near towns and along major corridors (e.g., MD 404).
• Capacity and performance
  • Lower tower density than the state average; more variability indoors and at the edges of farm/wooded areas and river corridors.
  • Seasonal congestion occurs along the beach-traffic route (US/MD 404).
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Ongoing rural fiber builds (e.g., Choptank Fiber and state-supported projects) are expanding, but many outlying roads still lack robust wired options; where fiber arrives, households become less mobile-only.
• Community connectivity
  • Public Wi‑Fi/hotspots at libraries and municipal buildings in towns like Denton, Federalsburg, and Ridgely help fill gaps.
• Emergency services
  • NG911 and FirstNet participation improve resilience, but outdoor-to-indoor signal gaps persist in some low-density areas.

How Caroline County differs from Maryland statewide trends

• Adoption
  • Slightly lower smartphone adoption overall, with a larger gap among seniors.
  • Higher share of prepaid/MVNO users; lower share on premium unlimited plans.
• Access and dependence
  • Significantly higher reliance on mobile data as a primary home internet solution due to patchier fixed broadband.
  • More hotspot/tethering use for school and work tasks.
• Network quality
  • Coverage is broad but thinner; more dead spots and indoor-reception issues than the statewide norm.
  • 5G is more often low-band for coverage rather than mid-/high-band for speed; top speeds and capacity lag metro Maryland.
• Device mix and upgrade cadence
  • Higher Android share and slower upgrade cycles than the state average, reflecting cost sensitivity.
• Temporal variability
  • Noticeable seasonal congestion along MD 404 during summer beach travel—an issue that is far less pronounced in most of the state.

What to watch next (2025–2027)

• Continued rural fiber buildouts (BEAD and state Office of Statewide Broadband awards) could reduce mobile-only dependence.
• Incremental carrier infill sites and additional mid-band 5G sectors along MD 404 and around Denton/Federalsburg should improve capacity.
• Affordability programs (ACP successor programs, Lifeline, or carrier-led discounts) will influence plan choices and data usage patterns more than in higher-income Maryland counties.

Caroline County, MD social media snapshot (estimates)

How many people use social

• Residents: ≈34,000; about 77% are 18+ (≈26,000 adults).
• Active social media users: 70–75% of adults (≈18,000–20,000). Including teens, ≈20,000–22,000 residents use social monthly.
• Broadband access: ≈80% of households, which shapes when/where people engage.

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; ranges reflect rural adjustments)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 25–35% (concentrated under 35)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (mostly under 30)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (skews women 25–54)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (smaller in rural areas)
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (varies by town/neighborhood)

Age patterns (who uses what)

• Teens (13–17): Very high use overall; heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; Facebook is low.
• 18–29: Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lead; Facebook still common; YouTube near‑universal.
• 30–49: Facebook dominant; Instagram second; TikTok growing; YouTube strong; Pinterest notable among women.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube primary; moderate Pinterest; lighter Instagram/TikTok.
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; minimal on TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown

• County population: roughly 49% men, 51% women.
• Among social users, women likely 53–55% (higher use of Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest); men over‑indexed on YouTube, Reddit, X.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Heavy use of Facebook Groups for school/sports updates, town info, events, and buy/sell; Marketplace is a top local commerce channel.
• Video wins: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) boosts reach even for small businesses, events, and local causes.
• Local news and safety: Residents follow county/town pages and weather/emergency updates on Facebook; share rates spike during storms, closures, and road incidents.
• Shopping discovery: Instagram/Facebook drive “where to eat/shop this weekend”; Pinterest for home, crafts, gardening.
• Youth messaging: Snapchat is the default for high‑school/college communication; Messenger common across ages; WhatsApp present among Hispanic families.
• When to post: Evenings 7–10 pm and weekend mornings perform best; school-year schedules and high‑school sports calendars influence spikes.

Notes on method: County‑level platform stats aren’t directly published. Figures above are estimates blended from Pew Research Center (2023–2024 U.S. use by platform/age/urbanicity), U.S. Census/ACS for Caroline County population and broadband, and rural‑county adjustments.