Saint Marys County

Key demographics — St. Mary’s County, Maryland

Population size

• 113,777 (2020 Census)
• 114,8K (2023 Census estimate)

Age (ACS 2018–2022 unless noted)

• Under 5: ~6.1–6.3%
• Under 18: ~24.3%
• 65 and over: ~13.0%
• Median age: ~36

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~48.3%
• Male: ~51.7%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; race alone unless noted)

• White: ~70%
• Black or African American: ~16–17%
• Asian: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~6–7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6–7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~65%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~41,000
• Persons per household: ~2.77
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72%

Insights

• Modest growth since 2020; population skews younger than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly White with notable Black community and growing multiracial/Hispanic shares.
• Household structure leans family-oriented with high owner-occupancy.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year; 2023 Population Estimates Program).

• Estimated email users: ~88,000 of ~114,000 residents (2024), based on local internet adoption and U.S. email usage rates.
• Age distribution of email users (count, share):
  • 13–17: ~6,000 (7%)
  • 18–34: ~26,000 (29%)
  • 35–54: ~32,000 (36%)
  • 55+: ~24,000 (28%)
• Gender split among users: 51% male (45,000), 49% female (43,000), mirroring the county’s population mix; usage rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access and usage trends:
  • ~91% of households subscribe to broadband; >95% have a computer or smartphone; ~13% are smartphone‑only internet households.
  • Email engagement is mature and stable, with near‑universal adoption among working‑age adults and strong usage among older adults.
  • Fiber/cable availability and 5G build‑outs have improved speeds in population centers; mobile access fills gaps in rural edges.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈320 people per square mile, concentrated along the MD‑235/MD‑5 corridor (Lexington Park–California–Leonardtown–Mechanicsville) where wired broadband is strongest.
  • Rural southern peninsulas (e.g., Ridge–Scotland–St. George Island area) show sparser wired options and greater reliance on cellular or satellite, which can slightly depress email intensity relative to the corridor.

Saint Mary’s County, MD: Mobile phone usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Headline user estimates

• Population base: ~114,000 residents. Adults (18+) ~86,000; teens (13–17) ~7,400.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~84,000 (about 74% of total population; ~97% of 18–34, ~92% of 35–64, ~72% of 65+, ~95% of 13–17).
• 5G-capable devices: ~75–80% of smartphones in active use.
• iOS vs. Android: ~60/40 share, skewing slightly more iOS than the Maryland average due to higher median income and employer-issued devices.
• Subscriptions: 100,000–115,000 personal mobile lines (unique users commonly carry 1.1–1.3 lines when including wearables/tablets); employer-issued phones materially add to line counts because of the defense/military workforce.
• Prepaid share: roughly 13–15% of lines (below the statewide mix, which trends higher).

Demographic breakdown (how usage is distributed)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~31% of county smartphone users; near-universal adoption (≈97%); heavy 5G and app usage, high video/social traffic.
  • 35–64: ~48–50% of county smartphone users; adoption ≈92%; highest multi-line and employer-issued phone incidence.
  • 65+: ~13% of county smartphone users; adoption ≈72% and rising; accelerated by telehealth and family communications.
  • Teens (13–17): ~8% of smartphone users; ~95% adoption; significant family plan penetration.
• Income and employment
  • Above-average median household income (six figures) correlates with newer devices, iOS tilt, and strong 5G upgrade rates.
  • Defense and contractor presence (NAS Patuxent River) drives higher rates of employer-provided devices, mobile device management (MDM), and dual-SIM/dual-phone users than the state overall.
• Race/ethnicity
  • High adoption across groups in line with Maryland norms; younger age structure among nonwhite and Hispanic residents pushes 5G-capable device share slightly above the statewide average for those groups.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier footprint
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) offer countywide 4G LTE with expanding 5G. Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/n41) is strongest along the MD‑235/Three Notch Rd corridor (Lexington Park–California–Great Mills), Leonardtown, and north toward Charlotte Hall/Mechanicsville. Low‑band 5G fills in most other areas.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is present and heavily used by public safety and base-adjacent agencies; priority and preemption are meaningful differentiators in this market.
• Performance pattern
  • Fastest sustained mobile speeds and capacity occur in the MD‑235 commercial spine and around major schools/health facilities; weakest performance appears at the southern peninsulas and waterfront edges where tower siting and backhaul are harder.
  • In-building coverage challenges remain in older concrete/brick structures and certain school and government facilities; active DAS/small-cell solutions are concentrated in the Lexington Park and Leonardtown areas.
• Notable gaps and congestion
  • Coverage weak spots and fluctuation: Ridge, Dameron, Scotland, St. George Island, parts of Piney Point and Valley Lee, and inside Point Lookout State Park. Maritime and shoreline zones see signal fade due to terrain, tree cover, and limited siting.
  • Daytime congestion spikes align with NAS Patuxent River operations and MD‑235 retail strips; evening disperses to northern bedroom communities.
• Backhaul and resilience
  • Mid‑band 5G sites rely on fiber backhaul concentrated along MD‑235/MD‑5; southern peninsulas rely more on microwave hops. Weather and power events can disproportionately impact those edges until generators and COWs/COLTs are deployed.
• Fixed‑wireless interplay
  • 5G Home/Fixed Wireless (Verizon, T‑Mobile) uptake is higher than Maryland’s urban counties, substituting for cable/DSL at the rural edges. This increases mobile network load relative to the state average during evening streaming peaks.

How Saint Mary’s County differs from Maryland overall

• More employer-issued and dual-device users: The defense/contractor workforce elevates corporate-liable and MDM-managed devices above state averages, lowering prepaid share and raising iOS share.
• Higher 5G Home/Fixed Wireless adoption: Rural edges and peninsulas create stronger FWA demand than in the fiber- and cable-dense Baltimore–Washington corridor.
• More pronounced edge coverage gaps: Shoreline and low-density peninsulas produce dead zones and variability not typical in Maryland’s urban/suburban counties.
• Usage peaks are base‑centric rather than commuter‑rail/subway‑centric: Midday/early‑afternoon cell load aligns with NAS Patuxent River operations and MD‑235 commercial activity instead of the big-city rush-hour patterns.
• Slightly younger working‑age footprint with high incomes: This combination accelerates 5G device turnover and iOS adoption versus the statewide mix, despite the county’s rural characteristics.

Actionable implications

• Capacity investments pay off most along MD‑235 and near NAS Patuxent River; targeted small cells and C‑band overlays mitigate peak congestion.
• New macro sites or sector upgrades on the southern peninsulas and waterfronts deliver outsized reliability gains relative to population counts due to geographic constraints.
• FirstNet enhancements and hardened backhaul/power at coastal sites improve storm resilience and public safety continuity.
• Retail and care providers benefit from strong Wi‑Fi calling and in‑building solutions in older structures where low‑band 5G/LTE struggles to penetrate.

Method note: Estimates combine county population and age structure with current U.S./Maryland smartphone adoption benchmarks and observed carrier footprints in the county; figures are rounded to reflect practical planning ranges.

Social media usage snapshot — Saint Mary’s County, MD (2025 estimates)

Headline numbers

• Residents: ~115,000
• Active social media users: ~70,000–75,000 (about 61–65% of residents; roughly 75–80% of those age 13+)
• Daily use among platform users (typical): Facebook ~70% daily; Instagram ~60% daily; TikTok ~60% daily; Snapchat ~60% daily; YouTube ~55% daily

Age mix of local social media users

• 13–17: ~10%
• 18–24: ~14%
• 25–44: ~38% (largest cohort, reflecting the defense/aerospace workforce)
• 45–64: ~29%
• 65+: ~9%

Gender breakdown of users

• Male: ~50–52%
• Female: ~48–50% Notes: The county’s slightly higher male population is moderated by higher platform usage propensity among women on Facebook/Instagram.

Most-used platforms locally (share of social media users; approximate user counts)

• YouTube: ~80–85% (≈57k–64k)
• Facebook: ~62–66% (≈44k–50k)
• Instagram: ~45–50% (≈32k–38k)
• TikTok: ~33–38% (≈23k–28k)
• Snapchat: ~28–32% (≈20k–24k)
• Pinterest: ~27–30% (≈19k–22k)
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% (≈18k–22k)
• X (Twitter): ~20–23% (≈14k–17k)
• Nextdoor: ~10–12% (≈7k–9k)
• WhatsApp: ~23–26% (≈16k–19k)

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages anchor local engagement (schools, county government, buy/sell/trade, traffic/incident updates along MD-235/MD-5, events at/around NAS Patuxent River).
• Short-form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery for local restaurants, festivals, youth sports, fishing/boating on the Chesapeake, and small retailers; content performance favors behind-the-scenes, event highlights, and creator-style storytelling.
• Visual platforms for lifestyle: Instagram and Pinterest skew toward food, home projects, weddings, and waterfront life; consistent weekend spikes tied to events and leisure.
• Utility and learning: YouTube is heavily used for DIY, boating maintenance, hunting/fishing, home improvement, and product research; longer watch sessions in evenings.
• Professional footprint: LinkedIn engagement is above typical rural counties due to defense/engineering and contractor roles tied to NAS Pax River; recruiting and security-cleared roles get strong traction.
• Youth behaviors: Snapchat and TikTok dominate among teens and early 20s for messaging, streaks, and school/sports updates; location-based lenses/filters see high use during games and events.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is near-universal among Facebook users; WhatsApp adoption is meaningful among international/military families and contractors; Discord pockets exist among gamers and STEM clubs.
• Time-of-day peaks: Evenings (6–9 pm) for most platforms; morning scroll (7–9 am) for news/traffic in Facebook Groups; weekend peaks around community events.
• Content drivers: Hyperlocal news, weather alerts, school system announcements, base-related updates, youth sports schedules, and seasonal activities (crabbing, oyster season, summer festivals) consistently outperform generic content.

How these figures were derived

• Counts and percentages are modeled from the county’s population and age/sex profile (U.S. Census/ACS) and applied platform adoption/daily-use rates from recent U.S. adult and teen studies (e.g., Pew Research Center, 2023–2024). Local platform shares are adjusted to reflect Saint Mary’s age and workforce mix.