Bertie County

Bertie County, North Carolina — key demographics Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 ACS 5-year estimates)

• Population (2020): 17,934
• Age (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Median age: ~46 years
  • Under 18: ~18–19%
  • 65 and over: ~22–23%
• Sex (ACS 2018–2022): ~52% female, ~48% male
• Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; share of total):
  • Black or African American: ~61–62%
  • White: ~33%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3–4%
  • Two or more races: ~1–2%
  • Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: each <1%
• Households (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Total households: ~7,200
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~64% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing units: ~73–75%

Bertie County, NC snapshot (estimates)

• Population 18,000; very rural (24 people per sq. mile). Connectivity is denser around Windsor and along main corridors; more limited in remote farm/river areas.
• Email users: 9,000–11,000 residents use email monthly. Method: ~72–78% internet adoption, and 90–95% of internet users use email.
• Age mix of email users:
  • 13–24: 12–15% (more messaging-first, but use email for school/logins)
  • 25–44: 35–40% (work/school-driven)
  • 45–64: 30–35%
  • 65+: 12–18% (lower access overall; high reliance among those connected)
• Gender split among users: ~53% female, 47% male (tracks local demographics).
• Digital access trends:
  • Fixed broadband subscription roughly 65–70% of households; 15–20% are mobile-only.
  • Smartphone-first usage is common; most email is checked on phones.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) is an important access point.
  • Ongoing state/federal programs are expanding fiber; adoption rising slowly but last‑mile gaps persist.

Notes: Figures are reasoned estimates based on rural NC demographics, ACS-like broadband subscription patterns, and national email adoption rates adjusted for local connectivity.

Below is a concise, county-focused picture of mobile phone usage in Bertie County, NC. Figures are estimates synthesized from recent ACS 5‑year indicators (2019–2023), FCC mobile coverage maps (2024), Pew Research smartphone adoption trends (2023–2024), and typical rural NC patterns. Ranges reflect uncertainty in small‑area data.

Executive snapshot

• Estimated smartphone users: 11,000–12,000 adults (about 80–85% of the county’s roughly 13.5–14.0k adults; total population ≈17.5–18.0k).
• Households with smartphones: 5,900–6,600 of ~7,200–7,600 households.
• Smartphone-/cellular‑only internet households (no fixed home broadband): 18–25% of households (roughly 1,300–1,900), notably higher than the statewide share.
• Typical mobile speeds: often 20–45 Mbps down in populated areas, with lower speeds and dead zones in low-lying, heavily forested, or river-bottom areas; materially below statewide urban/suburban medians.

Demographic usage patterns (how Bertie differs from NC overall)

• Age:
  • Seniors (65+): smartphone take‑up estimated at 60–70%, below NC’s senior average (roughly mid‑70s to low‑80s). This drags down overall adoption relative to the state.
  • Working‑age adults (18–64): high adoption (≈85–95%), but a larger slice rely on mobile data as their primary connection compared with NC overall.
• Race and income:
  • Bertie has a higher share of Black residents than NC overall. Consistent with national patterns, Black households in the county are more smartphone‑dependent and less likely to have fixed home broadband, contributing to the county’s above‑average smartphone-/cellular‑only rate.
  • Lower median incomes relative to NC increase reliance on prepaid plans and budget Android devices; device replacement cycles tend to be longer than the state average.
• Household context:
  • A larger share of households are mobile‑only for internet access, using phone hotspots or tablet plans for home connectivity. This contrasts with North Carolina’s heavier tilt toward fixed broadband plus mobile as a complement.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Coverage mix:
  • 4G LTE is broadly available along primary corridors and towns (e.g., Windsor and main US/NC routes), but there are persistent coverage gaps and weak indoor signal in timbered areas and near the Roanoke/Cashie river bottoms.
  • 5G is present but patchier than state averages; it is mainly low‑band/sub‑6 GHz with modest capacity boosts rather than dense mid‑band found in metros.
• Capacity/backhaul:
  • Lower tower density than state averages means more users per sector and greater sensitivity to congestion. Backhaul is a mix of fiber and microwave; where fiber is absent, peak-hour performance degrades more noticeably than in metro NC.
• Plans and affordability:
  • Prepaid participation is materially higher than the NC average; Lifeline participation is visible, and the ACP wind‑down in 2024–2025 likely pushed more households toward mobile‑only connectivity or lower‑cost tiers.
• Public/anchor connectivity:
  • Schools, libraries, and county facilities provide important Wi‑Fi offload. Residents without fixed service often depend on these sites for high‑bandwidth tasks.

Key ways Bertie County trends diverge from North Carolina overall

• Higher mobile dependence: A substantially larger share of households are smartphone-/cellular‑only for home internet, versus NC’s lower statewide rate.
• Lower senior adoption: Seniors are less likely to own smartphones compared with NC seniors, pulling down overall penetration.
• More prepaid and budget devices: Plan mix skews more prepaid, with longer device lifecycles, than the statewide norm.
• Slower, spottier 5G experience: 5G coverage and median speeds lag metro NC; performance is more variable by location and time of day.
• Greater affordability pressure: Post‑ACP affordability constraints are more acute, increasing reliance on mobile data and hotspotting for essential connectivity.

Methodological notes

• User counts are derived by applying plausible adoption rates (from Pew and rural NC patterns) to Bertie’s adult population and household counts (ACS 5‑year). Cellular‑only household estimates reflect ACS internet subscription categories adjusted toward rural/low‑income county profiles. Mobile speed and coverage characterizations align with FCC maps and third‑party crowd‑sourced testing patterns typical of rural northeastern NC. For planning or funding decisions, verify with the latest ACS table S2801/B2800x, FCC Mobile Broadband Data Collections, carrier coverage disclosures, and local speed-test audits.

Bertie County, NC social media snapshot (2025, estimated)

Context and connectivity

• Population: ~17.7–18.2k residents; adults ~14–15k. County is predominantly rural, with broadband adoption lower than urban NC; mobile-first usage is common.
• Modeling note: County-level platform stats aren’t published. Figures below are estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media patterns, rural user deltas, and Bertie’s age/gender makeup from ACS.

Estimated user base

• Total social media users: ~11–12k (adults ~9.5–10.5k; teens 13–17 ~1.0–1.2k).
• Gender split of users roughly mirrors population (about 52–54% female, 46–48% male).

Most-used platforms among adults (reach, at least monthly; estimated)

• YouTube: 78–85%
• Facebook: 70–78% (highest daily use; Groups and Marketplace heavy)
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Snapchat: 20–28% (concentrated among teens/20s)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female)
• LinkedIn: 15–22% (lower in rural labor markets)
• X (Twitter): 15–22%
• WhatsApp: 12–20% (higher in households with international ties; otherwise modest)
• Reddit: 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 8–15% (availability/uptake varies in rural areas)

Age patterns (who uses what most)

• Teens (13–17): Snapchat and TikTok lead; YouTube ubiquitous; Instagram steady; Facebook minimal except for school/sports announcements.
• 18–29: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube heavy; Snapchat strong; Facebook for events/family.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram for lifestyle/small business; TikTok rising for entertainment/local finds.
• 50–64: Facebook first, YouTube second; Pinterest notable; Instagram/TikTok lighter.
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube for how‑to, church, and local info.

Gender tendencies (directional)

• Women: More likely Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok; drive local shopping and event discovery.
• Men: More likely YouTube, Reddit, X; higher engagement with sports, DIY, auto/outdoors content.

Behavioral trends observed in rural NC counties like Bertie

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy use of Groups (churches, schools/athletics, yard sales, town watch), local announcements, obituaries, fundraisers.
• Marketplace matters: Facebook Marketplace is a primary local commerce channel.
• Video over text: YouTube for tutorials, repairs, farming/outdoor content; short-form TikTok/Instagram Reels for entertainment and local businesses.
• Messaging > posting: Many users “lurk” and share via Messenger/SMS; public posting concentrated among power users and admins.
• Local business discovery: Restaurants, salons, auto services, and home repair rely on Facebook/Instagram for reach; boosted posts outperform organic.
• Event-driven spikes: High school sports, festivals, and weather events drive surges in local engagement and sharing.
• Evening peaks: Engagement typically rises after 6 pm; weekends show stronger Marketplace and events activity.
• Trust in familiar sources: Higher engagement with known individuals, churches, schools, and county/municipal pages than with national news brands.
• Data and access constraints: Spotty broadband pushes mobile-friendly content; shorter videos and image posts perform better than links to external sites.

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (national plus rural-urban patterns).
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (population, age, gender for Bertie County).
• Estimates above adapt Pew platform reach to rural NC context and Bertie’s demographics; treat them as directional ranges, not precise counts.