Beaufort County

Beaufort County, North Carolina — key demographics

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5‑year estimates, circa 2018–2022).

Population size

• Total: 44,652 (2020 Census). Recent estimates remain around 44–45k.

Age

• Median age: about 47–48 years
• Under 18: about 20%
• 65 and older: about 25%

Gender

• Female: about 51%
• Male: about 49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: about 68%
• Black or African American alone: about 27%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): about 6%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1% (Note: “Hispanic” is an ethnicity and can overlap with race categories.)

Household data

• Households: about 19–20k
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.3
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~75–76%
• Households with children under 18: ~22–24%
• Nonfamily households: roughly one-third

Beaufort County, NC snapshot (estimates)

• Population/density: ~44,000 residents; largely rural at roughly mid‑50s people per square mile, concentrated around Washington and Chocowinity.
• Email users: ~30,000–35,000 residents (about 70–80% of the population). Basis: roughly three‑quarters to four‑fifths of households have internet, and >90% of internet users use email.
• Age pattern of email use:
  • 18–34: 90–95% use email regularly.
  • 35–64: ~90%+.
  • 65+: ~70–85%, increasing as smartphone adoption grows.
• Gender split among users: roughly mirrors population (~52% female, 48% male).
• Digital access trends:
  • Broadband adoption is around the mid‑ to high‑70% of households; computer access near mid‑80s%. About 10–15% are smartphone‑only.
  • Best fixed broadband/fiber availability is in and near Washington/US‑17; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, with lower speeds and reliability.
  • Affordability pressures rose after the 2024 wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which may slow new subscriptions.
• Connectivity context: Rural spread and river/coastal geography create last‑mile buildout challenges; public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) supplements access. Overall email reach is high but uneven outside town centers.

Mobile phone usage in Beaufort County, NC — summary with county–state contrasts

Context

• Rural, older, and lower‑income than the NC average. Population roughly mid‑40,000s, with a higher share of residents 65+ than the state and a lower share living in urbanized areas (Washington/Chocowinity are the main population and network hubs).

User estimates (transparent, order‑of‑magnitude ranges)

• Residents with any mobile phone: about 38,000–42,000 (roughly 88–95% of residents).
• Adult smartphone users: about 26,000–30,000 (roughly 78–85% of adults; a few points below statewide averages).
• Smartphone‑only internet households (smartphone but no home broadband): about 4,000–5,300 households, or roughly 22–28% of households, notably above the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (how Beaufort differs from NC overall)

• Age:
  • 18–29: very high smartphone take‑up (≈95%+), close to state levels.
  • 30–49: high (≈90–94%), near state levels.
  • 50–64: moderate‑high (≈78–85%), a bit below state.
  • 65+: lower (≈55–65%), materially below state; flip/basic phones remain more common.
  • Net effect: Older age mix in Beaufort pulls overall smartphone adoption a few points below NC’s average.
• Income:
  • Ownership is high across incomes, but reliance on phones as primary internet is substantially higher below $35k. Estimated smartphone‑only share: 30–40% for lower‑income households in Beaufort vs roughly low‑20s statewide.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black and Hispanic residents show smartphone ownership on par with or slightly above county average but have lower home‑broadband subscription rates, so smartphone‑only dependence runs higher than the county average.
• Plan type/affordability:
  • Prepaid and budget MVNO plans are used more than the state average (price sensitivity, variable credit, and patchy wired broadband drive this). Family‑plan penetration is lower outside Washington/Chocowinity.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage pattern:
  • Strongest along US‑17/US‑264 and in/around Washington and Chocowinity.
  • Pockets of weak or inconsistent signal persist in low‑lying, forested, and water‑adjacent areas (e.g., east and south of Washington and along the Pamlico/Pungo river corridors). This is more pronounced than in most NC metro counties.
• 5G availability and quality:
  • Low‑band 5G covers town centers and main corridors; mid‑band 5G capacity is concentrated along the principal highways and in Washington/Chocowinity. Outside those areas, users fall back to LTE more often than the state average.
  • Fewer small cells and sparser mid‑band sites than in NC metros translates to more variable 5G performance and indoor coverage gaps.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA):
  • 5G/LTE home internet from national carriers is available in and around Washington/Chocowinity and selectively along major roads. Take‑up is higher than the state average in unserved/underserved pockets as a substitute for cable/DSL/fiber.
• Backhaul and resiliency:
  • Backhaul follows highway/utility corridors; rural spans and river crossings create single‑path dependencies. During storms and outages, recovery and capacity are slower than in urban NC, so residents rely heavily on mobile for alerts but face more congestion and downtime.
• Public access points:
  • Libraries, schools, and civic buildings provide important Wi‑Fi and charging hubs; they are more critical to connectivity continuity here than in many NC urban counties.

Key ways Beaufort County differs from North Carolina overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption driven by an older population.
• Significantly higher smartphone‑only internet reliance due to patchy or costly home broadband outside town centers.
• Greater use of prepaid/budget plans and older handsets; slower upgrade cycles.
• More frequent LTE fallbacks and coverage gaps; slower deployment of mid‑band 5G and fewer small cells.
• Higher marginal value of FWA as a primary home connection, especially beyond the Washington/Chocowinity corridor.

Notes on method

• Estimates triangulate state and national survey rates (e.g., Pew Research on smartphone ownership by age/income), ACS data on broadband subscription, and typical rural vs urban differentials, then are scaled to Beaufort County’s population and age mix. Ranges reflect uncertainty and local variation by neighborhood and carrier.

Beaufort County, NC social media snapshot (short, planning-ready)

At-a-glance user stats (adults)

• Any social media: about 70–75% of adults use at least one platform; most check daily (roughly 60–65% of adults use social media daily).
• Gender mix of active users: approximately 54–56% female, 44–46% male (older, rural counties skew slightly female online).
• Most-used platforms (share of adults using each, estimated from Pew 2024 patterns adjusted for Beaufort’s older/rural profile):
  • YouTube: 76–82%
  • Facebook: 65–72%
  • Instagram: 32–40%
  • TikTok: 26–34%
  • Pinterest: 26–34% (strong female skew)
  • Snapchat: 16–24% (younger skew)
  • X/Twitter: 11–15%
  • Reddit: 10–14% (male skew)
  • LinkedIn: 12–18%
  • Nextdoor: 5–9% (mainly neighborhoods in/near Washington, Chocowinity)

Age-group highlights

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%, TikTok 70–80%, Snapchat 60–75%, Instagram 60–70%; Facebook low but used for events/Marketplace. Heavy private messaging, short-form video, school/youth sports updates.
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%, Instagram ~70%, TikTok ~60%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~50%. Strong creator/video consumption; DMs preferred for inquiries; high response to Reels/Shorts.
• 30–49: Facebook ~80%, YouTube ~85%, Instagram ~45%, TikTok ~35–40%. Very active in local groups (schools, youth sports, buy-sell); regular Marketplace use; event discovery.
• 50–64: Facebook ~75%, YouTube ~70%, Pinterest ~40%, Instagram ~25%, TikTok ~20%. Follows local news, churches, civic groups; responds to practical how-to and local business updates.
• 65+: Facebook ~60%, YouTube ~55%, Pinterest ~25%. Uses social for community updates, local government/safety info, obituaries; prefers clear, text-forward posts and phone contact options.

Gender patterns

• Women: Over-index on Facebook Groups, Marketplace, Pinterest, Instagram Stories/Reels; higher engagement on community, school, health/wellness, local retail content.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X; strong interest in local sports, boating/fishing, autos/equipment, storm/power updates.

Behavioral trends specific to Beaufort County

• Facebook is the community backbone: high participation in buy/sell, yard sale, and neighborhood groups; strong reliance on local institutions (county agencies, schools, sheriff/emergency mgmt) for storm and closure updates.
• Marketplace matters: frequent local transactions (vehicles, boats, farm/yard equipment); listings with photos, price, and pickup details perform best.
• Event-driven spikes: Waterfront festivals, youth sports seasons, and weather events trigger sharp engagement jumps; timely posts and live updates outperform.
• Video wins: Short, vertical video (Reels/Shorts) significantly outperforms static posts across age groups; cross-posting to Facebook + Instagram + YouTube is effective.
• Messaging-first behavior: Many users prefer Facebook Messenger for appointments and quick questions; include click-to-message and phone options.
• Timing: Best engagement typically evenings (7–9 pm) and weekend mornings (8–10 am); post more frequently during weather alerts and community events.
• Trust and social proof: Local faces, customer testimonials, and recognizable landmarks increase click-through; “support local” framing works.
• Geography: Target around Washington, Chocowinity, Belhaven, Bath for density; consider geofencing near schools, churches, marinas, and the medical corridor.

Notes and method

• Figures are estimates modeled from Pew Research (2024) and other national benchmarks, adjusted for Beaufort County’s older, rural profile; they’re suitable for planning but not official counts. For precise reach, validate with platform ad tools (Facebook/Instagram/YouTube) using Beaufort County geotargeting and age/gender filters.