Anson County

Here are concise, recent Census-based snapshots for Anson County, North Carolina.

Population

• Total: 22,055 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~21,800 (Census Population Estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (Note: presence of a state correctional facility skews male share upward.)

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race; ACS 2018–2022)

• Black or African American: ~48%
• White: ~45%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~5%
• Two or more/other races: ~2% (Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native each <1%)

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~8,600
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~66% (married-couple ~40%)
• Households with children under 18: ~26–27%
• One-person households: ~30%

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

Here’s a practical, benchmark-based snapshot for Anson County, NC (pop. ~22,000):

• Estimated email users: ~15,000 adults. Method: adults ≈ 75–78% of residents; 85–90% of U.S. adults use email. That yields roughly 14.5k–16k; midpoint shown.
• Age pattern:
  • 18–49: very high email use (≈90–95%).
  • 50–64: high (≈85–90%).
  • 65+: lower (≈70–80%). Anson skews older than urban NC, so seniors modestly reduce overall penetration.
• Gender split: near 50/50; national surveys show minimal difference in email adoption and frequency.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription likely below NC’s statewide average, typical of rural counties (roughly mid-60s to low-70s percent of households).
  • Mobile-only internet is common (on the order of 10–15% of households), making smartphones a primary email device for many.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, municipal buildings) plays an important role for residents without reliable home service.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Low population density (~40 people per square mile) increases last‑mile costs and contributes to patchy service outside towns.
  • Best fixed-line options cluster around Wadesboro/US‑74; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or cellular data, with fiber buildouts more limited.

Below is a concise, decision-ready snapshot of mobile phone usage in Anson County, NC, with estimates and the key ways local patterns diverge from statewide trends.

Headline takeaways

• High but not universal adoption: Smartphone access is widespread, but a bit lower than the North Carolina average.
• More mobile-dependent households: A notably higher share of residents lean on cellular data as their primary or only internet connection.
• Infrastructure is improving but lags metro NC: 5G coverage exists along main corridors, yet capacity and indoor coverage remain uneven outside towns.

User estimates (household-level unless noted)

• Smartphone ownership
  • Anson County: roughly 86–89% of households have at least one smartphone (about 7,600–8,000 of ~8,700–9,100 households).
  • North Carolina: roughly 90–92%.
  • Difference: Anson is about 2–4 percentage points lower than the state average.
• Cellular data as primary/only home internet
  • Anson County: approximately 18–24% of households rely mainly on a cellular data plan (mobile hotspot or phone tethering) for home internet.
  • North Carolina: approximately 11–14%.
  • Difference: Anson runs 5–10 points higher than the state, indicating greater mobile dependence.
• Prepaid and discount programs
  • Anson County shows higher reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and on Lifeline/ACP-style discounts relative to NC overall, reflecting stronger price sensitivity. The wind-down of ACP in 2024 likely caused above-average plan downgrades or churn locally.

Demographic breakdown (directional patterns)

• Age
  • Adults 65+: Lower smartphone adoption than younger groups; in Anson, the share of older adults without smartphones is likely a few points higher than the state average, widening the local digital gap among seniors.
• Income
  • With lower median household income than NC overall, Anson has a larger segment choosing mobile-only internet for affordability. Budget carriers and data-capped plans are more common.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Anson has a sizable Black population. Consistent with statewide and national patterns, Black and Hispanic residents are more likely to be smartphone-dependent for internet access. Given county demographics, this lifts the overall rate of mobile dependence above the state average.
• Households with children
  • Elevated mobile reliance for school communication and homework in households without fixed broadband, leading to heavier evening and weekend cellular use and offloading to public Wi‑Fi.

Digital infrastructure points (where Anson differs from state-level)

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal outdoor coverage on major carriers, but indoor performance can drop off in low-lying or sparsely populated areas.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G is present along the US‑74 corridor and in/near Wadesboro/Polkton; mid-band 5G (faster) is spottier than in NC metros. Result: more variable speeds and fewer mid-band nodes than the state average.
• Capacity and congestion
  • Lower tower density and more microwave backhaul outside corridors can create peak-time slowdowns (after school, weekends, events). This capacity gap is more pronounced than in metro NC.
• Backhaul and fiber adjacency
  • Fiber runs parallel to US‑74 and into town centers, but lateral reach to rural sites is limited. As a result, some cell sites rely on microwave, contributing to inconsistent 5G throughput compared with state hotspots.
• Public and community access points
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings are important Wi‑Fi offload sites for mobile users—used more heavily than in urban NC counties.
• Resilience and emergency coverage
  • FirstNet buildouts have improved coverage for public safety, but commercial in‑fill is still behind urban counties; power/backhaul redundancy is thinner in outlying areas.

How Anson’s trends diverge from North Carolina overall

• Adoption: Slightly lower smartphone household penetration.
• Dependence: Significantly higher share of mobile-only or mobile‑primary internet users.
• Affordability: Greater reliance on prepaid and subsidy programs; the end of ACP likely had a larger local impact.
• Performance: Mid-band 5G footprint and backhaul depth lag state metro areas, causing more variable speeds and indoor coverage.
• Equity: Gaps are more concentrated among seniors and lower‑income households, with smartphone dependence higher among Black and Hispanic residents—effects amplified by Anson’s demographic mix.

Data notes and where to validate

• Household smartphone and cellular-data subscription rates: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (Computer and Internet Use, table S2801/DP02) for Anson County and North Carolina.
• Mobile coverage and technology layers: FCC Mobile Coverage Maps and carrier coverage maps for 4G/5G along US‑74 and town centers.
• Infrastructure/backhaul context: NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need, NC Department of Information Technology Broadband Office, local middle‑mile and grant filings.
• Demographic smartphone dependence patterns: Pew Research Center and NTIA Internet Use Survey for age/income/race differentials.

Anson County, NC social media snapshot (estimates)

Population context

• Residents: ~22,000; adults (18+): ~17,000
• Home internet/smartphone access: moderately high but below urban NC; older age profile than state average

Overall usage

• Adults using any social platform at least monthly: 72–78% (12–13k adults)
• Daily social users: ~58–65% of adults

Age mix of active users (share of social users; leading platforms)

• 13–17: ~7–8%; YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok
• 18–29: ~18–20%; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Facebook for events/groups
• 30–49: ~35–38%; Facebook, YouTube; Instagram rising; Messenger/Marketplace heavy
• 50–64: ~26–28%; Facebook dominant; YouTube; Pinterest
• 65+: ~12–15%; Facebook primary; YouTube; minimal TikTok/Instagram

Gender breakdown (among active social users)

• Female: ~54–56%
• Male: ~44–46%
• Platform skews: Facebook/Pinterest skew female; YouTube/X skew male; Instagram/TikTok near parity, slightly female

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated monthly reach)

• YouTube: ~75–82%
• Facebook: ~60–68%
• Facebook Messenger: ~55–60%
• Instagram: ~35–42%
• TikTok: ~25–32%
• Pinterest: ~22–30%
• Snapchat: ~18–25%
• X (Twitter): ~10–15%
• WhatsApp: ~12–18% (higher among Hispanic residents)
• Reddit: ~8–12%
• Nextdoor: ~3–6% (limited rural uptake)

Behavioral trends

• Local information: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups/pages for schools, county services, churches, youth sports, weather. High resharing of local news.
• Marketplace-first mindset: Strong Facebook Marketplace usage for autos, furniture, farm/outdoor gear; preference for DMs and local pickup.
• Video habits: YouTube for how‑to, home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, local sports; short‑form via Facebook Reels and TikTok growing for 18–49.
• Messaging: Coordination via Messenger; WhatsApp pockets among Hispanic community; older adults still comfortable with SMS/phone.
• Participation: Majority are browsers/lurkers; a small local “power user” group posts frequently. Severe weather, school updates, and community events drive spikes.
• Timing: Peak activity 7–9 pm; secondary bump around lunch; Marketplace browsing rises on weekends.
• Trust and conversion: Highest trust in local people, churches, schools, and county agencies. Ads perform better with click‑to‑call or message objectives, clear local presence, and radius targeting around Wadesboro/Polkton/Peachland.

Notes on method

• Figures are best‑effort estimates combining Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform usage, adjusted for Anson County’s older/rural profile, and ACS age/sex distribution. Precise, platform‑verified county‑level stats are not publicly released.