Talbot County

Talbot County, Maryland — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 37,526 (2020 Census count)
• Context: Small, slow-growing Eastern Shore county

Age

• Median age: ~51.8 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–64: ~51%
• 65 and over: ~32%
• Insight: Significantly older age profile than Maryland and U.S. overall

Sex (gender)

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~79%
• Black or African American alone: ~11%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~73%
• Insight: Predominantly non-Hispanic White with modest Black and Hispanic populations

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~16,800
• Average household size: ~2.19
• Family households: ~58% of households; married-couple families ~46%
• Households with children under 18: ~21%
• Nonfamily households: ~42%; living alone ~35%; living alone age 65+ ~16%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~77–78% (renter-occupied ~22–23%)
• Insight: Smaller household size and high owner-occupancy consistent with older, retiree-oriented profile

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04).

Talbot County, MD snapshot

• Population and density: ~37,500 residents; land ~269 sq mi; ~140 people/sq mi. About half live in/around Easton and the US‑50 corridor.
• Estimated email users: 29,000–31,000 adults use email (applying high U.S. adoption rates to Talbot’s older-leaning population).
• Age mix (residents): 18–29 ~13%; 30–49 ~24%; 50–64 ~28%; 65+ ~35. Email adoption is near‑universal in under‑65 groups and ~85–90% among 65+, so older adults still represent a large share of local email users.
• Gender split among users: ~52% female, ~48% male (mirrors county demographics).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Home internet: mid‑80s percent of households have a broadband subscription; computer/smartphone access is near 90%+ (ACS trends for similar MD counties).
  • Mobile‑only access: roughly 10–15% of households rely primarily on smartphones.
  • Infrastructure: Fiber is available in Easton via Easton Utilities; cable is prevalent along the US‑50 spine; rural peninsulas more often use DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Insights: High concentration along the US‑50/Easton hub drives stronger email and broadband engagement; rural necks show more mobile‑first behavior and slightly lower subscription rates, but overall email reach remains very high across the county.

Mobile phone usage in Talbot County, Maryland — 2024 snapshot

Population base and user estimates

• Population: 37,181 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): approximately 30,500.
• Mobile phone ownership (all cell phones): about 94–95% of adults, or roughly 28,700–29,000 users. This trails Maryland’s statewide adult ownership by about 1–2 percentage points.
• Smartphone adoption: about 85–87% of adults, or roughly 26,000–26,500 users. This is 3–5 points lower than the statewide rate, driven primarily by the county’s older age structure.
• 5G-capable devices: approximately 55–60% of smartphones in active use (about 14,500–16,000 devices), a few points below the statewide share due to longer device replacement cycles among older users.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 65+ share is high (about 28% of residents, vs ~16–18% statewide). Estimated smartphone adoption in this group is 72–78%, below the state’s ~80–85%, with heavier use of voice, SMS, and basic apps and lighter use of high-bandwidth video on mobile.
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone ownership (≈95–98%), similar to statewide, with heavy social/video use and hotspotting for travel and seasonal work.
• Income and mobile-only internet:
  • Mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband) are estimated at 13–16% of households, higher than Maryland’s ~10–12%. This reflects patchier fixed broadband outside Easton and along the peninsulas, plus cost sensitivity in lower-income segments.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Overall smartphone ownership gaps by race are small after controlling for age and income. Hispanic households in the county show above-average mobile-only internet reliance, consistent with statewide patterns, while older White non-Hispanic residents are more likely to retain voice-centric plans or older devices.
• Work and small business:
  • Sole proprietors and tourism-facing microbusinesses (lodging, restaurants, guides/charters) lean heavily on mobile POS and messaging; reliance is highly seasonal in St. Michaels, Oxford, and Tilghman Island, creating localized peak-period spikes.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier footprint:
  • All three national carriers serve the county. 5G coverage is strongest along the US‑50 corridor (Trappe–Easton–Queen Anne’s County line) and in town centers (Easton, St. Michaels). Outside these areas, coverage transitions to low-band 5G or LTE.
• Spectrum/useful performance ranges:
  • In and around Easton and along US‑50: mid-band 5G commonly available, with typical user speeds in the 100–300 Mbps range and 30–50 ms latency under light-to-moderate load.
  • Rural peninsulas (Bozman, Wittman, Tilghman Island) and wooded waterfronts: coverage is primarily low-band 5G/LTE, with typical downlink speeds 5–25 Mbps and 40–70 ms latency, and occasional signal attenuation from tree canopy and over-water paths.
• Capacity and seasonality:
  • Peak congestion occurs during summer weekends and major events (e.g., in Easton and St. Michaels), when visitor loads outpace sector capacity; this affects upload speeds and call setup reliability more than baseline coverage.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Easton is comparatively well served by cable and municipal/utility broadband, while rural areas depend on a mix of DSL, fixed wireless, and expanding electric-coop fiber. The uneven fixed footprint nudges higher mobile-only internet reliance than the state average.
• Public safety:
  • Wireless E911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported countywide. Coverage in low-lying or fringe waterfront areas can still impact indoor reliability; first responders rely on in-vehicle boosters in some zones.

How Talbot County differs from Maryland overall

• Lower smartphone adoption and 5G device penetration by a few percentage points, mainly due to a larger senior population and slower device turnover.
• Higher share of mobile-only internet households, reflecting more limited fixed broadband outside municipal cores.
• More pronounced seasonal/peri-event congestion, driven by tourism and weekend home patterns, which is less evident in most suburban/urban parts of the state.
• Coverage is more bimodal: strong along the US‑50 spine and town centers, but with noticeable performance drops on peninsulas and wooded waterfront areas; statewide coverage is more consistently dense in metro counties.
• Usage mix skews toward voice/SMS and pragmatic apps among seniors and service workers, with slightly lower rates of high-bandwidth mobile streaming than state urban/suburban averages.

Key takeaways

• Approximately 26,000+ adult smartphone users live in Talbot County today, with about 15,000 using 5G-capable devices.
• Adoption and speeds are strong where mid-band 5G is deployed (US‑50 and town cores) but fall back to low-band 5G/LTE on peninsulas.
• A higher-than-average share of households rely on mobile for primary internet, and seasonal demand surges require capacity management more than new coverage.

Social media usage in Talbot County, MD (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Population: ≈37,000 residents; broadband adoption is high for Maryland’s Eastern Shore, enabling broad social use
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ≈27,000 (≈84% penetration of 13+ residents)
• Gender (of social media users): 54% women, 46% men
• Age mix (share of local social media users; ≈27,000 total)
  • 13–17: 6% (≈1.6k)
  • 18–24: 7% (≈1.9k)
  • 25–34: 12% (≈3.2k)
  • 35–44: 14% (≈3.8k)
  • 45–54: 16% (≈4.3k)
  • 55–64: 20% (≈5.4k)
  • 65+: 25% (≈6.8k)

Most-used platforms locally (monthly reach among local social media users; overlaps expected)

• YouTube: 78% (≈21.1k)
• Facebook: 74% (≈20.0k)
• Instagram: 42% (≈11.3k)
• Pinterest: 33% (≈8.9k)
• TikTok: 29% (≈7.8k)
• LinkedIn: 25% (≈6.8k)
• Nextdoor: 20% (≈5.4k)
• Snapchat: 22% (≈5.9k)
• WhatsApp: 18% (≈4.9k)
• X (Twitter): 16% (≈4.3k)
• Reddit: 11% (≈3.0k)

Behavioral trends and insights

• Facebook is the community backbone: heavy use of Groups for town/county updates, schools, local politics, weather/roads, yard sales, and volunteer drives. The 45+ and retiree segments over-index here.
• Event-driven peaks: content and engagement spike around hallmark events and seasons, notably Plein Air Easton (July), summer tourism in St. Michaels/Oxford, boat shows, fall festivals, and the Waterfowl Festival (November). Visual platforms (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Shorts) see pronounced lifts.
• Visual-first discovery: Instagram showcases dining, waterfront views, boutiques, and weekend itineraries; Stories and Reels are primary for 18–34. TikTok traction is strongest among teens/young adults for food spots, sports, fishing, and day-trip content.
• Neighborhood and services: Nextdoor is widely used among homeowners for contractor referrals, lost/found, HOA issues, and safety notes; it’s a trusted channel for hyperlocal recommendations.
• How-to and long-form viewing: YouTube is used across ages for home improvement, boating, gardening, and local government or community meeting replays. Smart‑TV viewing is common among 55+.
• Messaging over public posting: Private DMs (Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat) are central to coordination and word‑of‑mouth; many event RSVPs and small‑business inquiries start in messages.
• Timing patterns: Engagement is strong on weekday mid‑mornings (9–11 a.m.) and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekends see mid‑afternoon spikes tied to dining and events. Seasonality (May–Sept) elevates photo/video sharing and local search behavior.
• Commerce and causes: Older, homeowner-heavy audience responds to service offers (home, marine, medical/dental) and philanthropic campaigns. Boosted posts tied to local nonprofits and school/athletics perform reliably.
• News consumption: The Facebook ecosystem amplifies local outlets (e.g., The Star Democrat) and county/town pages; local trust is higher for sources perceived as community-rooted.

Notes on figures

• Statistics reflect 2025 estimates derived from Talbot County’s age/gender profile and current U.S./Maryland platform adoption patterns (older-leaning, suburban–rural mix). Platform percentages represent monthly reach among local social media users, not total population.