Davie County

Here are the latest high-level demographics for Davie County, North Carolina.

• Population size:

  • About 45,000 (July 1, 2023 estimate; up from 42,712 in the 2020 Census)

• Age:

  • Median age: roughly 45 years
  • Under 18: about 22%
  • 65 and over: about 22%

• Gender:

  • Female: about 51%
  • Male: about 49%

• Race and Hispanic/Latino origin (ACS share; percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding):

  • White alone: ~84%
  • Black or African American alone: ~6%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–1%
  • Asian alone: ~1%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~7%

• Households:

  • ~17,000–18,000 households
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~70% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80%

Sources:

• U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (county estimate as of July 1, 2023).
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics).

Davie County, NC snapshot (estimates; ACS 2022–2023 + Pew national patterns)

• Population: ~43–44k; density ~160 people/sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: 33–35k residents age 13+ (≈92% of adults; ~80% of teens 13–17).

Email users by age (share of users)

• 13–17: ~6%
• 18–34: ~22%
• 35–54: ~34%
• 55–64: ~16%
• 65+: ~22%

Gender split among users

• Female ~51%; Male ~49% (mirrors county population).

Digital access and trends

• ~90–92% of households have a computer; ~83–87% have an internet subscription; 10–14% are smartphone‑only.
• Broadband adoption and speeds are strongest around Mocksville and the I‑40/US‑158 corridor; rural tracts in western/southern parts see more gaps and lower-speed plans.
• Multiple providers (cable, fiber/DSL, fixed wireless) serve most populated areas; 4G LTE and expanding 5G cover main corridors, aiding smartphone‑only access.
• Roughly 8–12% of households likely lack home internet, aligning with rural NC patterns.

Notes: Counts and percentages are inferred from county demographics and national email usage rates; local connectivity figures reflect ACS “Computer and Internet Use” ranges and FCC-reported availability patterns for rural NC.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Davie County, NC (with emphasis on how it differs from the North Carolina average)

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, rounded)

• Population base: About 43,000–46,000 residents; roughly 33,000–36,000 adults (18+).
• Smartphone owners: Approximately 31,000–34,000 residents (adult ownership in the mid‑80% range; teen ownership >90%).
• Mobile-only internet users (smartphone as primary home internet): Estimated 20–24% of households in Davie vs roughly 17–19% statewide, reflecting more rural blocks with limited wired options.
• Prepaid share: Likely higher than the NC average (roughly 25–35% of lines in Davie vs ~20–25% statewide), consistent with rural patterns and price sensitivity.
• Basic/flip‑phone retention: Noticeably higher among residents 65+, leading to a slightly larger non‑smartphone share than statewide, though still a minority of lines overall.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: Davie skews older than the NC average. That yields:
  • High but slightly lower smartphone adoption among seniors (65+) relative to statewide.
  • More voice/SMS‑centric use and simpler devices in the oldest cohorts.
• Income and affordability:
  • A sizable group uses budget and prepaid plans; device upgrade cycles tend to be longer than in urban NC counties.
  • After the wind‑down of federal affordability support, some lower‑income and rural households appear to rely more on phone hotspots or fixed wireless from mobile carriers for home connectivity.
• Race/ethnicity: Davie is less diverse than NC overall; Hispanic households locally are more likely than non‑Hispanic white households to report mobile‑only internet use, following national patterns.
• Work and commute:
  • Commuting to Winston‑Salem/Mocksville/Bermuda Run concentrates mobile data demand along I‑40 and major arterials at peak hours more than in many rural NC peers.
  • Small business and trades usage is prominent (dispatch, maps, payments), often on Verizon or AT&T for perceived rural coverage reliability.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (how Davie differs from statewide)

• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G covers most populated corridors, but true mid‑band 5G (the main driver of 200+ Mbps mobile speeds) is concentrated along I‑40, Mocksville, and Bermuda Run/Advance. Coverage thins faster into agricultural and low‑density areas than in urban NC.
  • Result: Median mobile speeds are typically below the statewide median outside the I‑40 corridor; LTE is still common in outlying pockets.
• Carrier strengths:
  • Verizon and AT&T tend to be favored for wide‑area coverage into rural tracts; T‑Mobile performs well near the interstate and town centers but is more variable on back roads. This mix skews more “coverage‑first” than the statewide urban average.
• Fixed wireless as home broadband:
  • Faster uptake of 4G/5G fixed‑wireless home internet (from mobile carriers) than in NC’s metros, due to patchy cable/fiber beyond town limits. This contributes to the higher mobile‑only/phone‑hotspot reliance.
• Backhaul and tower distribution:
  • Macro sites cluster along I‑40 and town centers; fewer sites serve large rural blocks, so sector loading can spike at commute/school hours compared to urban counties with denser site grids.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is a planning priority for rural response, which nudges some agencies and contractors toward AT&T or multi‑carrier devices. Redundancy is generally thinner than in large NC metros.

Trends that stand out vs North Carolina overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration driven by an older age profile.
• Higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile‑only or phone‑hotspot internet for home use.
• Greater dependence on Verizon/AT&T style “coverage‑first” networks; T‑Mobile usage is more corridor‑centric.
• Slower, spottier mid‑band 5G expansion beyond the interstate and towns; more LTE fallback.
• More pronounced peak‑hour congestion along a few primary corridors rather than distributed urban capacity.

Method notes (how estimates were derived)

• Population and age structure are based on recent Census/ACS trends for Davie County and NC; adoption rates draw from Pew and industry research for rural vs urban differences.
• Smartphone counts = adult population × adult smartphone adoption (mid‑80%) plus teens × teen ownership (>90%), expressed as a range to reflect uncertainty.
• Mobile‑only and prepaid shares are benchmarked to rural‑county patterns in NC and the Southeast; presented as conservative ranges rather than single points.
• Coverage and performance characterizations reflect typical rural NC deployment patterns: low‑band 5G wide‑area with mid‑band focused near population centers, plus observed commuter‑corridor demand effects.

Social media in Davie County, NC (short 2025 snapshot; modeled estimates)

Overall user base

• Population: ~44,000 residents
• Social media users (13+): ~30,000–32,000 residents (≈80–85% of those 13+)

Age mix of users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: ~6–7%
• 18–29: ~15–18%
• 30–49: ~32–36% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: ~24–28%
• 65+: ~14–18%

Gender breakdown (of local social users)

• Female ~52%
• Male ~48%
• Notes: Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook skew more female; Reddit, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn skew more male.

Most‑used platforms (estimated monthly reach among Davie social media users)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–60%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 35–40% (heavy 13–29)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (very strong in teens/early 20s)
• Pinterest: 28–35% (skews female, 25–54)
• LinkedIn: 20–25% (professionals/commuters)
• X (Twitter): 18–22% (news/sports/weather)
• WhatsApp: 15–20% (family, small groups)
• Reddit: 12–15% (younger/male skew)
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (higher in Advance/Bermuda Run neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local hub: community groups (yard sale, schools/athletics, churches, civic clubs), county/town updates, and Marketplace drive daily usage among 30+.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for DIY, hunting/outdoors, home projects, sermons; Reels/Shorts/TikTok for quick local food, events, and sports highlights.
• Youth patterns: Instagram + TikTok for discovery; Snapchat for daily chat and school-life sharing; limited Facebook posting but they still use Messenger.
• Neighborhood chatter: Nextdoor and HOA Facebook groups for safety, lost pets, utilities, and contractor recommendations; strongest in suburban pockets along the I‑40 corridor.
• Shopping and local business: Facebook/Instagram dominate; short vertical video outperforms static posts. Marketplace is a key channel for person‑to‑person sales.
• Information flow: Weather and school/traffic updates spike engagement; local sports and church content travel well via shares.
• Posting vs lurking: Older adults share/reshare community and news; younger users prefer ephemeral or private messaging.
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work/school (6:30–8:30 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekends lean toward events, real estate, and dining.

Notes on method

• Davie County lacks published platform-level counts. Figures are modeled from U.S. and North Carolina benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research Center 2023–2024, DataReportal 2024) scaled to Davie’s demographics (U.S. Census/ACS). Treat percentages as directional, not exact.