Harnett County

Harnett County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population

• 2023 population estimate: 146,800 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program)
• 2020 Census count: 133,568
• Growth since 2010: roughly +28% (fast-growing county in the Sandhills region)

Age

• Median age: ~32.5 years (ACS 2023 1-year)
• Under 18: ~25.5%
• 18 to 64: ~63%
• 65 and over: ~11–12%

Gender

• Female: ~50.3%
• Male: ~49.7%

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race; ACS 2023 1-year)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~56%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~21%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~13–14%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): ~0.3%
• Two or more races and other (non-Hispanic): ~6–7%

Households and housing (ACS 2023 1-year)

• Households: ~51,700
• Average household size: ~2.8
• Family households: ~72% of households; with children under 18: ~36–38%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~68%; renter-occupied: ~32%

Insights

• Young, family-oriented profile relative to North Carolina overall (lower median age, larger household size).
• Racial/ethnic diversity is rising, with notable Hispanic growth.
• Strong population growth since 2010, supported by proximity to the Fayetteville/Fort Liberty area and the Raleigh-Durham region.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (1-year), 2020 Census (Demographic Profile), and 2023 Vintage Population Estimates. Estimates have margins of error.

Harnett County, NC — email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~100,000 adults. Basis: 2023 pop. ≈143,000; ≈76% adults; ~92% of U.S. adults use email (Pew), applied locally.
• Age distribution of adult email users (estimated):
  • 18–29: ~24%
  • 30–49: ~36%
  • 50–64: ~23%
  • 65+: ~17% Adoption is near‑universal under 65 and modestly lower among 65+.
• Gender split (estimated): ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring county demographics; email adoption is similarly high for both genders.

Digital access and trends

• Households with a computer: ~92%.
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~86%.
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ~7–9%.
• Trajectory: broadband subscription rates have risen several points since 2018; smartphone‑only access has grown slightly, indicating continued reliance on mobile for some low‑density areas.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density: ≈238 people per square mile (≈143k residents across ~601 sq mi).
• Fixed broadband availability is widespread in town centers (Lillington, Dunn, Erwin, Angier), with cable/fiber most common there and DSL/fixed‑wireless filling rural gaps; 4G/5G mobile coverage is strong along US‑401/US‑421 and main corridors.
• State and federal programs (e.g., NC GREAT grants) are expanding fiber into underserved pockets, supporting continued gains in email and general internet use.

Harnett County, NC — Mobile phone usage snapshot and how it differs from the state

Key user estimates

• Population baseline: About 145,000 residents (2023 estimate), with a large share of adults in the 18–44 range due to the Fort Liberty/Fayetteville influence and Campbell University.
• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 90,000–100,000 adults use smartphones in Harnett County (modeled from county age mix and current Pew Research U.S. adoption rates).
• Mobile-only internet households: Harnett has a visibly higher share of households that rely on a cellular data plan as their only home internet than the North Carolina average, consistent with American Community Survey patterns for rural/suburban counties. In practical terms, that means low-to-mid teens percentage of households are mobile-only in Harnett versus lower-teens statewide.

What’s different in Harnett versus North Carolina overall

• Higher mobile dependence: A younger population, more renters, and more rural pockets raise the likelihood of smartphone-first and mobile-only internet use compared to the statewide mix.
• Commute-driven usage intensity: Substantial daily flows to/from Wake and Cumberland counties produce peak mobile usage along corridors (US‑421, US‑401, NC‑210, I‑95 near Dunn), with heavier reliance on mobile data during commute times than the state average.
• Greater coverage variability: Populated centers (Lillington, Dunn, Erwin, Angier, Buies Creek) see strong 4G/5G, while river valleys and low-density western and far-southern tracts have more frequent dead zones and capacity dips than typical urban/suburban NC counties.
• Faster uptake of fixed‑wireless/5G Home Internet: Where mid‑band 5G is present, households adopt 5G Home Internet at higher rates than the statewide average, driven by price sensitivity and limited wired alternatives in certain tracts.

Demographic breakdown shaping mobile use

• Age: Younger-than-state profile increases near-universal smartphone ownership in 18–44 cohorts and heavy app-based communication, streaming, and mobile payments.
• Military and student presence: Military-affiliated households and Campbell University students drive higher device turnover, hotspot usage, and multi-line family plans.
• Income and housing: Lower median household income than the Triangle metros and higher renter share in towns correlate with more prepaid/MVNO lines and mobile-only home internet among cost-conscious households.
• Language and outreach: A notable Hispanic/Latino community and Black communities in and around Dunn/Erwin benefit from carriers’ bilingual retail and community-based marketing; device financing and ACP-replacement discounts have outsized impact locally.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and technology: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide 4G LTE, with broad 5G availability in towns and along major roads. T‑Mobile’s mid‑band 5G is widely present; Verizon and AT&T mid‑band 5G coverage has expanded since 2023 along primary corridors and population centers.
• Capacity hotspots: Strong performance in Lillington, Dunn/I‑95 area, Erwin, Angier, Coats, and Buies Creek; campus and hospital areas see dense small‑cell or sectorized macro coverage.
• Known weak spots: Pockets along the Cape Fear River basin and low-density farm roads in western and southern Harnett experience weaker indoor signal and lower uplink throughput than suburban NC averages, especially during weather events.
• Home broadband substitutes: 5G Home Internet and fixed‑wireless (CBRS/LTE) are meaningful alternatives where cable/fiber is sparse; satellite (Starlink and others) fills remaining gaps.
• Backhaul and fiber: Fiber backhaul follows state routes and the I‑95/Dunn area; ongoing regional fiber builds improve tower capacity and reduce congestion relative to pre‑2022 conditions, but last‑mile wired options remain uneven outside towns.

Usage patterns and implications

• Mobile-first workflows: Messaging, social, short‑form video, mobile banking, and telehealth see above-average engagement among 18–44 residents compared to statewide norms.
• Mobile-only households: A higher-than-state share relies on smartphones and hotspots for all home connectivity, affecting data plan selection (higher deprioritization thresholds, hotspot add‑ons) and driving demand for unlimited plans.
• Emergency communications: Weather-related outages and river-adjacent shadow zones raise the importance of multi-carrier redundancy for public safety and schools.

Bottom line

• Harnett County’s mobile landscape is more mobile-dependent than the North Carolina average, with broader 5G availability in towns but sharper urban–rural performance contrasts. Younger demographics, military/student presence, and uneven wired broadband access translate into more smartphone-first behavior, higher mobile-only household rates, and strong uptake of 5G fixed‑wireless where available.

Sources and methods

• Estimates synthesize the latest available American Community Survey “Computer and Internet Use” data (household smartphone and cellular-only indicators), FCC mobile coverage maps, North Carolina Broadband Office materials, carrier 5G deployment disclosures, and Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks. Figures are presented as county-scaled estimates to reflect Harnett’s age mix and rural/suburban settlement pattern.

Harnett County, NC — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Overall usage

• Adult social media penetration: 80–85% of adults use at least one platform; 70–75% of the total population uses social monthly.
• Daily users: roughly 60–65% of adults use social media daily.
• Mobile-first: >95% of local social activity occurs on smartphones.

Most-used platforms (adults; share of adults who use the platform)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 60–68%
• Instagram: 40–48%
• TikTok: 30–38%
• Snapchat: 25–35% overall; 65–75% among 13–24
• Pinterest: 30–35% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 18–23%
• LinkedIn: 18–22% (higher among college-educated and white‑collar workers)
• Reddit: 14–18%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (highest in suburban neighborhoods)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): Near-universal YouTube; heavy TikTok and Snapchat; Instagram common; Facebook minimal except for school/athletics updates.
• 18–24: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat dominate; YouTube universal; Facebook used for groups/marketplace.
• 25–34: Mix of Facebook + Instagram; strong YouTube; TikTok growing; heavy use of Messenger/WhatsApp for coordination.
• 35–49: Facebook is primary (news, school, sports, community groups); YouTube for how‑to and local info; Instagram secondary.
• 50–64: Facebook leads; YouTube common; Pinterest notable; gradual TikTok adoption via short-form video.
• 65+: Facebook for family and local updates; YouTube for tutorials and church/community content.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base roughly even (≈51% women, 49% men).
• Platform skews: women are overrepresented on Facebook and Pinterest; men are overrepresented on YouTube and Reddit; Instagram and TikTok are near parity.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook Groups are the hub for community coordination: school notices, weather alerts, church events, high‑school sports, county services, and buy/sell posts drive the highest local engagement.
• Marketplace behavior is strong: yard sales, vehicles, rentals, and contractor leads move primarily through Facebook Marketplace and group cross‑posts.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels are rapidly gaining reach for local food, small business promos, and real‑estate walk‑throughs; native video outperforms link posts.
• Event‑driven spikes: storms, traffic incidents on US‑421/NC‑87, school closings, and county commission news trigger rapid engagement surges on Facebook and X.
• Trust and tone: content featuring recognizable local faces (coaches, pastors, business owners) and clear service value (openings, specials, deadlines) outperforms branded stock content.
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekend mornings show peak engagement; weekday lunch hours perform well for quick updates.
• Messaging-first service: Residents expect responses via Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs; businesses that reply within an hour see notably higher conversion from inquiries.
• Visuals matter: Before/after photos, short tutorials, and locally relevant reels drive saves and shares; long captions underperform unless tied to timely news.
• Cross‑posting to niche groups (parent groups, sports boosters, neighborhood watch, yard sales) expands reach more effectively than broad Page posts alone.

Notes on figures: County‑level platform splits are not directly published; percentages above are derived from recent U.S. adult usage benchmarks (Pew/Datareportal) adjusted for Harnett’s age mix and typical suburban–rural patterns, and should be treated as well‑grounded local estimates.