Macomb County

Macomb County, Michigan – key demographics

Population

• 881,217 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~874,000 (U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: ~41.5 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS, rounded)

• White alone: ~78–79%
• Black or African American alone: ~12–13%
• Asian alone: ~4–5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~74–75%

Households

• Total households: ~345,000–350,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65% of households; average family size ~3.1
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~74%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Households with someone 65+: ~30%

Insights

• Stable-to-slightly declining population since 2020, with an aging profile (median age ~41.5).
• Predominantly White, but diversity has been increasing (notably Black, Asian, and Hispanic populations).
• Suburban household structure: high homeownership, moderate household size, majority family households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year; Vintage 2023 population estimates).

Macomb County, MI email landscape (2025 snapshot)

• Population and density: ≈875,000 residents; ≈1,830 people per sq. mile, making it one of Michigan’s most densely populated counties.
• Estimated email users: ≈700,000 residents actively use email. Estimate derived by applying current U.S. email adoption to Macomb’s age structure and high broadband availability.
• Age distribution of email use:
  • 15–24: 96% use email
  • 25–44: 98%
  • 45–64: 97%
  • 65+: 86%
• Gender split among adult email users: roughly even—male 49%, female 51%.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • ≈90% of households subscribe to broadband; ≈95% have a computer (ACS-pattern levels for suburban Detroit counties).
  • Smartphone penetration is high (≈85–90%), supporting continuous email access.
  • County is highly urban/suburban with extensive cable and growing fiber coverage, enabling 100+ Mbps service for most households; pockets of lower-density northern townships have comparatively fewer fiber options.
• Trend insights: Email remains near-universal among working-age adults; senior adoption continues to rise with broader smartphone use. Low non-adoption is concentrated among older and lower-income households lacking home internet.

Mobile phone usage in Macomb County, MI: key facts, demographics, and infrastructure, with differences vs. Michigan overall

Scope and headline estimates

• Population and households: Macomb County has roughly 880,000 residents and about 345,000–350,000 households (ACS 2018–2022).
• Connectivity baseline (household level, ACS 2018–2022):
  • Households with a computer (includes smartphones, tablets, desktops/laptops): ~93–94% in Macomb vs. ~93% statewide.
  • Households with a broadband internet subscription (wireline or cellular): ~88–89% in Macomb vs. ~87% statewide.
• Smartphone presence and mobile data plans (ACS S2801, 2022, county-level patterns):
  • Households with at least one smartphone: about 9 in 10.
  • Households with a cellular data plan for a smartphone or other mobile device: low-80s percent.
  • Smartphone-only households (smartphone present, no desktop/laptop at home): about 10–11% in Macomb, modestly higher than Michigan’s ~8–9%.
• Adult user count estimate (synthesizing ACS and Pew adoption patterns):
  • Adult mobile phone users in Macomb: approximately 660,000–690,000.
  • Adult smartphone users: approximately 610,000–650,000.
  • Rationale: adult share of population, near-universal mobile adoption among adults, and ~9-in-10 smartphone penetration reflected in ACS household measures and national adoption patterns.

Demographic breakdown (county-level patterns)

• Age
  • Young adults (18–34): highest smartphone saturation and the highest smartphone-only reliance; roughly the mid-to-high teens percent of this group rely on smartphones as their primary or only computing device at home.
  • Older adults (65+): smartphone ownership is widespread but below younger cohorts; smartphone-only reliance is low single digits to mid-single digits. This group is more likely than others to have mobile phones plus traditional PCs and wireline broadband.
• Income
  • Lower-income households (<$35k): substantially higher smartphone-only rates (often around one-quarter), reflecting cost-conscious substitution of mobile for home PCs/wireline.
  • Middle-income ($35k–$75k): mixed device portfolios; smartphone-only reliance is lower but still notable in rental-heavy census tracts.
  • Higher-income ($75k+): near-universal smartphone ownership with multi-device households; smartphone-only reliance in the low single digits.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic households in Macomb show higher smartphone-only and cellular-first connectivity than White households, mirroring national digital substitution patterns. This is most visible in denser south-central and southeastern parts of the county (e.g., portions of Warren, Eastpointe, Roseville).
• Geography within the county
  • South/inner-ring suburbs (Warren, Eastpointe, Roseville): higher smartphone-only share and cellular data reliance; more renters and cost-sensitive households.
  • North/M-59 corridor (Sterling Heights, Shelby, Macomb Township): higher multi-device and wireline broadband uptake alongside strong 5G availability.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Mobile networks
  • 4G LTE coverage is effectively ubiquitous along the I‑94, I‑696, M‑59, and major arterials; fringe gaps are limited to low-density northern and shoreline pockets.
  • 5G mid-band coverage from all three national carriers blankets the populated areas. Verizon and AT&T C‑band and T‑Mobile n41 provide countywide population coverage that is materially above the Michigan average due to suburban density.
  • Typical user-experienced median mobile download speeds in the Detroit–Warren–Dearborn metro exceed statewide medians; Macomb tracks the metro pattern with triple-digit Mbps medians in mid-band 5G areas and strong uplink for common apps and hotspotting.
• Home internet options shaping mobile behavior
  • Cable broadband (Comcast/Xfinity) is nearly universal across the built-up county; AT&T has broad IPBB/DSL with growing AT&T Fiber in denser zones (Warren, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township), and multiple smaller fiber builds exist in newer subdivisions.
  • 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) from T‑Mobile and Verizon is widely available and has meaningful uptake in Macomb, adding to cellular-first behavior and reducing wireline dependency relative to many Michigan counties.
  • Public Wi‑Fi density (retail, municipal facilities, campuses) is high in commercial corridors, further supporting mobile-first usage patterns.

How Macomb differs from Michigan overall

• Higher connectivity baseline: Macomb’s household broadband and “computer” (device) rates are a point or two above Michigan’s averages, reflecting suburban density and provider competition.
• More smartphone-only households: Macomb’s smartphone-only share is modestly higher than the state average, driven by renter-heavy inner suburbs and strong 5G/FWA availability that makes cellular substitution practical.
• Greater reliance on cellular data plans: A higher share of households maintain a cellular data plan versus the state overall, and multi-line family plans are more prevalent, supporting multi-user mobile access within households.
• Better 5G availability and speeds: Macomb benefits from metro-scale mid-band 5G deployment and backhaul, yielding faster typical speeds and more consistent indoor 5G than many non-metro Michigan counties.
• Fixed wireless adoption: FWA is more accessible and competitive in Macomb than in rural Michigan, nudging some households away from entry-tier cable/DSL and contributing to mobile-first and smartphone-only behaviors.

Actionable implications

• Mobile-first design is essential: Expect a double-digit share of households to be smartphone-only, especially in south/central census tracts; services should be optimized for small screens, variable latency, and metered plans.
• Payments and identity: Higher mobile reliance means stronger uptake of app-based payments, SMS/OTP, and digital ID flows; ensure low-friction, SMS-resilient experiences.
• Content and bandwidth: Mid-band 5G enables HD/4K video for much of the county, but plan for congestion peaks along commute corridors and large venues; adaptive bitrate and offline modes help across cohorts.
• Digital inclusion: Target outreach for older adults and low-income households with training and subsidized plans/devices; public libraries and community centers remain key on-ramps despite strong countywide 5G.

Sources and notes

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 (households with a computer; households with broadband subscription).
• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS S2801/S2802 (2022) for smartphone presence, cellular data plans, and device mix at the county level.
• FCC Broadband Data Collection and carrier 5G deployment disclosures for coverage context; metro speed patterns based on independent testing consortia in the Detroit–Warren–Dearborn market.

Social media usage in Macomb County, MI (modeled 2024)

How many people use social media

• About 72% of residents use social media (≈635,000 of ~881,000 residents; based on 2020 Census population and U.S. adoption rates)
• Average daily social media time (U.S. benchmark applied locally): ≈2 hours 15 minutes

Age breakdown (share of adults using at least one social platform)

• 18–29: ~84%
• 30–49: ~81%
• 50–64: ~73%
• 65+: ~45% These rates reflect suburban U.S./Michigan patterns and map closely to Macomb’s age profile.

Gender breakdown (platform skews)

• Overall adoption is similar by gender, but platform usage skews:
  • More female: Pinterest (strongly), Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat
  • More male: LinkedIn, Reddit, X (Twitter)
• Practical split for planning: Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest audiences lean slightly female; LinkedIn/Reddit/X lean slightly male

Most‑used platforms among adults (share who use each; U.S. Pew Research percentages applied to Macomb)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~23%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• Reddit: ~18%
• Nextdoor: ~13% These percentages indicate relative reach; Macomb’s suburban demographics tend to track national usage closely.

Behavioral trends (Macomb‑relevant)

• Facebook is the local backbone: heavy use of Groups (schools, youth sports, neighborhoods), Events, and Marketplace for community commerce and services.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels are key for 18–34; YouTube Shorts extends reach to 35–54.
• Visual discovery and DIY: Pinterest and YouTube are strong for home improvement, crafts, and auto/DIY—aligned with the county’s homeowner and automotive culture.
• Messaging for coordination: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp pockets exist (immigrant and cross‑border family ties).
• Local news and public safety: High followership of municipal pages, sheriff/police, school districts, and Metro Detroit news outlets; spikes in engagement around weather, road closures, and elections.
• Commerce: Local SMBs rely on Facebook + Instagram for promotions; paid reach increasingly necessary. Reviews and recommendations (Facebook Groups, Google, Nextdoor) strongly influence service selections.
• Youth patterns: Snapchat and TikTok dominate daily communication/entertainment for teens and college‑age; Instagram used for identity and events; YouTube for learning and games.

Notes on method and sources

• County‑specific social media panels are rare; figures above are modeled by applying authoritative U.S. adoption rates to Macomb County’s population and suburban profile.
• Sources: U.S. Census (2020) for population baselines; Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023 (platform adoption by U.S. adults); DataReportal Digital 2024 (time‑spent benchmarks).