Greene County

Greene County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 20,451 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~20,100 (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic is of any race)

• White alone: ~49%
• Black or African American alone: ~35%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~20%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~1% combined

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~7,200
• Persons per household: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~66%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~70%

Insights

• Population is essentially stable to slightly declining since 2010.
• Age structure is near the North Carolina median, with a modestly smaller 65+ share than many rural peers.
• Racial/ethnic mix is diverse for a rural county, with sizable Black and Hispanic populations.
• Household size is slightly above the U.S. average, and homeownership is high, typical of rural counties.

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

Greene County, NC (pop. ~20,500; ~77 residents/sq. mile across ~266 sq. miles) is a rural market with widespread but uneven digital access.

Estimated email users: ~14,800 adults.

• By age (users): 18–29 ~2,800 (≈97% of group), 30–49 ~4,900 (≈96%), 50–64 ~3,800 (≈93%), 65+ ~3,200 (≈88%).
• By gender: ≈51% female, 49% male, yielding ~7,500 women and ~7,300 men using email.

Access and device context (ACS 2018–2022, county-level estimates):

• Households: ~7,900. About 72–76% have a broadband subscription (any type, including cellular data plans).
• Roughly 16–20% rely on cellular-data–only at home, indicating strong mobile-first email behavior.
• About 10–12% of households lack a computer; ~22–26% have no wired home broadband, reinforcing reliance on smartphones and public access points (schools, libraries).

Trends and implications:

• Email penetration is very high among working-age adults; seniors lag but remain majority adopters.
• Rural density and patchy wired broadband mean mobile-optimized, lightweight email is critical.
• Local connectivity is improving, yet gaps persist in wired subscriptions; outreach that pairs email with SMS and community Wi‑Fi venues will maximize reach.

Greene County, NC — mobile phone usage snapshot (latest public data circa 2022–2024)

Headline user estimates

• Adult smartphone users: about 13,700 out of ~15,900 adults (≈86% adoption), slightly below North Carolina overall (≈89–90%).
• Households with at least one smartphone: ≈90% of ~7,500 households (≈6,750 homes).
• Households with a cellular data plan (mobile broadband): about 74% (≈5,550 homes), a bit below the state average but with greater reliance as the primary connection.
• Cellular-only internet homes (use mobile data plan without cable/fiber/DSL at home): about 22% (≈1,650 homes), meaningfully higher than North Carolina overall (≈14%).
• Homes with no internet subscription: about 14% (≈1,050), higher than the state average (≈11%).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: near-saturation smartphone adoption (>95%); heavier mobile video and social usage; most lines are wireless-only for voice.
  • 35–64: high adoption (~92–94%); strong bring‑your‑own‑device and employer-paid lines among commuters.
  • 65+: lower but rising adoption (~70–75%); more basic and prepaid plans, fewer unlimited lines; greater use of voice/SMS and telehealth apps.
• Income and education
  • Lower-income households over-index on mobile-only internet and prepaid plans; price sensitivity leads to higher churn and multi-line MVNO bundles.
  • Households with a bachelor’s degree or higher are more likely to maintain both fixed broadband and postpaid family plans.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Hispanic households are more likely than the county average to be mobile-first for home internet and to use bilingual customer support and international-calling add‑ons.
  • Black households also show above-average mobile-first reliance relative to the state, reflecting cost and availability factors.
• Device mix and usage
  • Android share is higher than the state average; iOS share grows in younger cohorts.
  • Average monthly mobile data per smartphone is modestly above the state average due to mobile-first homes (roughly high-teens GB per line), with visible off-peak streaming and hotspot use.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks and spectrum
  • All three national carriers operate countywide 4G LTE with near-universal population coverage; 5G low-band spans most populated areas.
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band n77 for AT&T/Verizon; n41 for T‑Mobile) is present but patchier than statewide, concentrated along primary corridors and near town centers; indoor 5G performance relies heavily on low-band.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is deployed for public safety, improving rural resilience and priority access.
• Performance
  • Typical rural LTE/5G median downloads are lower than statewide medians; daytime speeds in the 30–50 Mbps range are common in town centers, with slower edges and indoor signal challenges in metal-roof buildings.
  • Uplink capacity and mid-band availability lag state averages, which affects video calling and hotspot performance at peak times.
• Backhaul and build-outs
  • Ongoing state and federal fiber projects in and around Greene County are improving tower backhaul; this is gradually lifting capacity and 5G mid-band reach.
  • New macro and small upgrades are trending toward infill rather than greenfield towers; coverage gaps persist along low-density, forested stretches.

How Greene County differs from the North Carolina average

• Higher mobile-first dependence: A larger share of households rely on cellular data as their primary or only home internet, driven by cost and limited fixed-broadband options in pockets of the county.
• Slightly lower adoption in older adults: 65+ smartphone adoption trails the state, though it is growing steadily with telehealth and messaging apps.
• More prepaid and MVNO usage: Budget-conscious plans and multi-line discounts are more common than statewide, increasing churn and price sensitivity.
• Slower typical speeds and patchier mid-band 5G: Overall coverage is broad, but capacity and mid-band 5G depth lag urban and suburban North Carolina, yielding lower median speeds and more variability at the edges of towns.
• Language and international calling add-ons are more utilized than the state average, reflecting Greene County’s demographic mix.

Key takeaways

• Roughly nine in ten households have a smartphone, and nearly three-quarters have a cellular data plan; about one in five households are cellular-only for home internet—well above the statewide rate.
• Investment in fiber backhaul and mid-band 5G will have outsized benefits locally, lifting speeds for mobile-first homes and improving reliability for telework, telehealth, and education.
• Targeted outreach to seniors and low-income households—affordability programs, device financing, and digital literacy—will close the remaining adoption gap faster than in higher-income North Carolina counties.

Social media usage in Greene County, NC (modeled local estimates)

• Population context: ≈20.4K residents; rural, with a sizable family and older-adult share. Figures below are modeled from 2023 ACS county demographics and 2024 Pew platform adoption for rural U.S. adults.

Overall user stats

• Social media penetration (age 13+): 82% use at least one platform monthly
• Share of local social media users by age:
  • 13–17: 10%
  • 18–29: 19%
  • 30–49: 34%
  • 50–64: 22%
  • 65+: 15%
• Gender breakdown of users: 53% female, 47% male

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users who use each at least monthly)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 74%
• Instagram: 41%
• TikTok: 35%
• Snapchat: 28%
• Pinterest: 27%
• WhatsApp: 20%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• LinkedIn: 13%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy reliance on Groups for schools, churches, youth sports, buy–sell–trade, and county alerts. Posts with people, local wins, and service info outperform link posts.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form clips (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drive the most reach and shares; how‑to, local events highlights, and high school sports perform best.
• Messaging over public posting: Many links and event details circulate via Messenger and WhatsApp, especially in family and work groups.
• Age-skewed platform use:
  • Teens (13–17): Snapchat and TikTok dominant; Instagram close behind; minimal Facebook use.
  • Young adults (18–29): Instagram/TikTok primary; YouTube daily; Snapchat for friends; selective Facebook for groups/events.
  • 30–49: Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram growing; Pinterest strong among moms; WhatsApp use higher in bilingual households.
  • 50–64 and 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; steady morning news/video habits; engagement peaks around early evening.
• Content that moves locally: School updates, severe weather and road closures, local sports, festivals and fairs, church events, small‑business promos, and healthcare/clinic information. Spanish‑language posts see above‑average engagement in relevant neighborhoods.
• Timing: Highest engagement Tue–Thu 7–10 pm; secondary peaks around lunchtime; older users skew to early mornings.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023) for county demographics; Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2024) for platform adoption. Figures are localized estimates calibrated to rural usage patterns and Greene County’s age/household profile.