Gloucester County

Here are current, high-level demographics for Gloucester County, NJ. Unless noted, figures are U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Population

• Total population: ~305,000 (2023 ACS). 2020 Census: 302,294.

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~74%
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American: ~11%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~7%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~4%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Other non-Hispanic race groups (including AIAN, NHPI): <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~112,000
• Average household size: ~2.7
• Family households: ~70–71% of households
• Average family size: ~3.2
• Owner-occupied housing: ~78% of occupied units
• Households with children under 18: ~30–31%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS 1-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and 2020 Decennial Census (P1). Figures are estimates and rounded for readability.

Gloucester County, NJ email usage (estimates)

• Users: 220,000–260,000 residents (≈75–85% of the ≈305k population). Derived from NJ’s high broadband adoption (~91–94%) and Pew findings that >90% of online adults use email.
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • 13–17: ~85–95% (≈6% of users)
  • 18–29: ~95%+ (≈18–20%)
  • 30–49: ~95%+ (≈30–35%)
  • 50–64: ~90% (≈22–26%)
  • 65+: ~75–85% (≈15–18%)
• Gender split: Roughly even; slight female majority among users, reflecting the county’s slight female population skew.
• Digital access trends: High home broadband, growing smartphone-only access among lower-income and senior households. 5G widely available; fiber expanding along major corridors (e.g., Route 42/55, Glassboro/Rowan area). Libraries and schools provide free Wi‑Fi and devices.
• Local density/connectivity: ~900 people/sq mi; suburban core has strong cable coverage (e.g., Xfinity) and selective Verizon Fios/fiber. Rural southwestern townships see lower speeds and more DSL/fixed‑wireless reliance.

Notes: Figures are inferred from recent Census/ACS, FCC, and Pew research applied to county population; use as directional estimates.

Mobile phone usage in Gloucester County, New Jersey — summary with county-specific differences

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, with assumptions made explicit)

• Population baseline: About 305,000 residents and roughly 110,000 households.
• Estimated smartphone users: 220,000–230,000 residents.
  • Method: 77–78% adults (≈235,000) with 85–90% smartphone adoption (≈200,000–214,000), plus ≈18,000 teens ages 13–17 with very high adoption (95%), yielding ≈220,000–230,000 total users.
• Households with at least one smartphone: Approximately 95,000–100,000 households (about 85–90% of households).
• Mobile-only internet households: Likely 10–14% of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet, above the statewide share (often single digits to low teens), due to patchier fiber availability and strong 5G fixed-wireless options.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–29: Near-universal smartphone adoption (>95%), reinforced by the Rowan University student population in Glassboro.
  • 30–49: Very high adoption (~93–97%).
  • 50–64: High adoption (~85–90%).
  • 65+: Lower but rising (roughly 70–85%); Gloucester’s slightly older age profile than New Jersey overall drags down the county’s aggregate adoption a bit relative to the state.
• Income and plan mix
  • Median income trails the state average slightly; this typically correlates with a modestly higher share of prepaid plans, longer device replacement cycles, and greater use of mobile-only internet among lower-income households.
• Commuter profile
  • Many residents commute by car to job centers in Camden/Philadelphia. This skews usage toward in-vehicle navigation, music/podcast streaming, and hotspotting, more so than rail-centric North Jersey counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Cellular networks
  • All three national carriers provide 4G LTE and mid-band 5G across populated areas. 5G coverage and speeds are strongest along I-295, the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 55, and major arterials (e.g., Routes 42, 41, 47).
  • mmWave 5G nodes are limited compared with North Jersey’s dense urban cores; capacity relies mostly on macro sites and mid-band spectrum.
  • Expect the most consistent performance in and around Deptford, Washington Township, Glassboro, West Deptford, and along the Delaware River industrial corridor; more variable signal in lower-density, wooded, or agricultural townships such as Franklin, Elk, South Harrison, and Greenwich.
• Fixed broadband context (impacts mobile substitution)
  • Cable (Xfinity) is the dominant wired broadband in much of the county; Verizon Fios availability is patchy. That gap has accelerated adoption of 5G Home Internet (Verizon, T-Mobile) and increased the share of mobile-only households relative to the NJ average.
  • Around Rowan University and dense retail zones (e.g., Deptford Mall area), capacity is typically augmented with additional sectors and small cells; rural areas rely on wider-spaced macro sites.
• Public sector and resilience
  • County emergency and school districts increasingly depend on LTE/5G device fleets and hotspots for field staff and student connectivity, particularly where home wired broadband is limited.

How Gloucester County trends differ from New Jersey overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration than the NJ average because of an older age structure, but with a pronounced peak among 18–24 due to the Rowan student population.
• Higher propensity for mobile-only or mobile-primary internet use, driven by patchy fiber competition and growing availability of 5G fixed wireless; this substitution effect is stronger than in North/Central Jersey communities with widespread fiber.
• Network build is macro- and mid-band–centric with relatively few mmWave nodes; North Jersey has more dense small-cell/mmWave grids in urban cores.
• Usage patterns tilt more toward highway/auto commuting (voice over LTE, navigation, streaming) than transit-corridor usage seen in the northeast counties.
• Carrier performance has converged recently as mid-band 5G rolled out across South Jersey; historically Verizon had a clearer edge, but T-Mobile’s n41 and Verizon’s C-band deployments have narrowed gaps across populated corridors.

Notes and data to refine these estimates

• Use ACS S2801 (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) 5‑year tables for county-level: households with smartphones; cellular-only internet.
• Compare with NJ statewide ACS S2801 to quantify the differences cited above.
• Cross-check cellular coverage and 5G availability on FCC mobile maps, carrier maps, and crowdsourced apps (e.g., Ookla, OpenSignal) for corridor versus rural tract performance.
• Verify fixed broadband competition using FCC Broadband Map and provider availability checks (Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Verizon/T‑Mobile 5G Home).

Gloucester County, NJ — social media snapshot (estimates)

Population base

• Total population: ~305,000
• Adults (18+): ~238,000; teens (13–17): ~20,000
• Estimated social media users: ~190,000 total (≈170k adults + ≈19k teens)

Most‑used platforms (adult usage; percent of adults; approximate user counts)

• YouTube: 83% (197k)
• Facebook: 68% (162k)
• Instagram: 47% (112k)
• TikTok: 33% (79k)
• Snapchat: 30% (71k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (71k)
• X (Twitter): 23% (55k)
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (24–36k) Note: People use multiple platforms; percentages are not mutually exclusive. Based on Pew U.S. adoption applied to county demographics.

Age‑group patterns (what’s most popular)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube (90%+), TikTok (60%+), Snapchat (60%), Instagram (60%); Facebook markedly lower.
• 18–29: Very high on YouTube (90%+); Instagram (75%+), Snapchat (60%+), TikTok (60%); Facebook still used (~60–70%).
• 30–49: Facebook (75%+), YouTube (90%); Instagram (55–60%), LinkedIn (35–40%), TikTok (~35–40%).
• 50–64: Facebook (70%+), YouTube (80%+); Instagram (45–50%), LinkedIn (30%); TikTok (~15–20%).
• 65+: Facebook (55–60%), YouTube (60%); Instagram (20%); TikTok (10%); LinkedIn (~10%).

Gender breakdown (relative skews among adult users)

• More women: Pinterest (strong), Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook.
• More men: YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit, LinkedIn. Approximate splits by platform:
• Facebook ~54% women / 46% men
• Instagram ~55/45
• TikTok ~60/40
• Snapchat ~58/42
• Pinterest ~75/25
• YouTube ~44/56
• X (Twitter) ~40/60
• LinkedIn ~45/55

Behavioral trends (local patterns you’ll see in Gloucester County)

• Facebook is the community hub: township and school‑district groups, youth sports, HS sports highlights, yard sales, local alerts (storms, closures), and small‑business promos.
• Visual discovery drives foot traffic: Instagram Reels and TikTok for local dining, breweries, farms/orchards, and “South Jersey/Philly suburbs” weekend ideas.
• Teens and young adults favor ephemeral/messaging: Snapchat for daily streaks, event coordination; Instagram DMs; growing TikTok usage for entertainment and local finds.
• Professional/commuter use: LinkedIn engagement among healthcare, education, logistics, pharma/biotech commuters to the Philly–Camden–Wilmington metro.
• Neighborhood chatter: Nextdoor in homeowner areas for contractor recs, lost/found pets, public‑works notices; older demos over‑indexed.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp pockets exist for travel, youth sports teams, and immigrant communities.
• When people check most: morning commute (7–9 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.). Video content peaks in the evening; local alerts/events spike engagement regardless of time.

Method notes

• Figures are best‑fit estimates using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption by age/gender applied to Gloucester County’s population mix (ACS/Census). Real local usage will vary slightly by township and household makeup.