Haywood County

Haywood County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• Total population (2023 estimate): ~63,000

Age

• Median age: ~48 years
• Under 18: ~18%
• 65 and over: ~25%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; Hispanic can be any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~92%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0.1%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4–5%

Household data

• Households: ~27,000
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~60% of households; married-couple households ~45–50%
• Households with children under 18: ~20–25%
• Living alone: ~30% of households; 65+ living alone: ~12–14%
• Homeownership rate: ~75–78%
• Median household income: roughly $55,000–$60,000
• Persons in poverty: roughly 12–13%

Insights

• Older-than-state age profile with a large 65+ share and small youth share
• High owner-occupancy and small average household size typical of mountain counties
• Racially homogeneous (predominantly non-Hispanic White) with a modest but growing Hispanic population

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households, income, poverty, tenure)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP), July 1, 2023 (total population)

Haywood County, NC snapshot

• Population and density: ~62,000 residents; ~112 people per sq. mile.
• Digital access (ACS estimates): ~90% of households have a computer; ~82% have a broadband subscription. About 10–12% are effectively smartphone‑only for internet access.
• Estimated email users: ~46,000 adult residents use email regularly (applying national adoption rates to local age structure).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate):
  • 18–29: 8,600 users
  • 30–49: 14,300 users
  • 50–64: 12,000 users
  • 65+: 11,300 users Lower adoption among 65+ reduces their share despite a large senior population.
• Gender split among users: ~51% women, ~49% men, mirroring the county’s population.
• Trends and connectivity insights:
  • Broadband subscription rates trail urban NC but have risen with incremental fiber and fixed‑wireless build‑outs.
  • Mountainous terrain and dispersed settlements create last‑mile gaps; public anchors (libraries, schools, municipal Wi‑Fi) remain important access points.
  • Smartphone reliance is notable in lower‑income and remote areas, shaping email access via mobile apps more than desktop clients.

Overall, email use is widespread among adults, with near‑universal uptake under age 65, slightly lower among seniors, and access primarily constrained by rural broadband availability rather than interest.

Mobile phone usage in Haywood County, North Carolina — 2025 snapshot

Key counts and adoption

• Population baseline: roughly 63,000 residents (2023 estimate). About 27,000 households.
• Unique mobile subscribers: about 52,000 (≈82–85% of residents carry an active mobile line; excludes IoT lines).
• Smartphone users: 45,000–48,000 (≈72–76% of total population; ≈85–88% of adults).
• Smartphone‑only internet households (no fixed home broadband): approximately 5,000–6,000 households (≈20–24% of households), higher than the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (how Haywood differs from North Carolina overall)

• Age structure drives usage:
  • Haywood has a markedly older profile (65+ accounts for roughly a quarter of residents versus about a fifth statewide). Smartphone adoption among seniors locally is lower (≈70–75%) than among younger adults (mid‑ to high‑90s), pulling down the county’s overall rate by roughly 3–6 percentage points versus the North Carolina average.
  • Working‑age adults (30–64) show high smartphone adoption (≈85–95%) but rely more on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi calling than peers in metro NC due to spotty coverage outside towns.
• Income and access:
  • Median household income trails the state average, and wired broadband availability is patchier in outlying areas; both factors raise the share of smartphone‑dependent households. Low‑ and moderate‑income households are notably more likely to be mobile‑only for internet access than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county is less diverse than North Carolina overall; differences in mobile usage by race/ethnicity that appear at the state level are muted locally simply because the population is predominantly White and rural.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint:
  • 4G LTE is effectively universal along primary corridors (I‑40; US‑23/74; NC‑209) and in population centers (Waynesville, Canton, Maggie Valley, Lake Junaluska) but remains inconsistent in mountain valleys and sparsely populated areas (e.g., Cataloochee, Fines Creek, Cruso).
  • 5G is present from all three national carriers in towns and along major highways. Coverage is mostly low‑band 5G for reach; mid‑band capacity (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; AT&T/Verizon C‑band) is concentrated around Waynesville/Canton and interstate corridors and falls off quickly with terrain.
• Typical real‑world speeds and reliability:
  • Town centers and highway corridors: 5G low‑band commonly delivers 50–120 Mbps down; mid‑band pockets can exceed 200 Mbps.
  • Rural valleys and ridgelines: LTE is the norm; speeds frequently range 5–35 Mbps with higher latency and greater variability. Dead‑zone pockets persist where line‑of‑sight to towers is obstructed.
  • Compared with statewide metro medians, Haywood’s typical mobile download speeds are lower and more variable, reflecting both terrain and sparser mid‑band 5G.
• Backhaul and middle‑mile:
  • Fiber backbones run along the US‑23/74/I‑40 corridors via regional and national providers. Tower sites off the main corridors may still rely on limited backhaul, constraining 5G capacity despite radio upgrades.
• Complementary access:
  • Public libraries, schools, and town facilities provide Wi‑Fi that offsets mobile coverage gaps for residents and visitors. Satellite broadband and fixed wireless are meaningful supplements in unserved areas and contribute to smartphone offload via home Wi‑Fi.

Usage patterns and trends distinct from the state

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption due to an older population and rural geography; higher reliance on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi calling than in North Carolina’s metro areas.
• Higher share of smartphone‑only households, driven by affordability and gaps in wired broadband, particularly outside Waynesville/Canton.
• Capacity and coverage are more sensitive to seasonality: tourism peaks (Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains access) create weekend and seasonal congestion not seen in most of the state.
• Device and network mix skews more toward budget and LTE‑only handsets than the state’s urban counties, slowing the transition to mid‑band 5G experiences.
• 5G expansion is proceeding but remains corridor‑centric; the practical benefit is improved reach and reliability rather than consistently high speeds county‑wide, unlike in the Triangle/Charlotte metros where mid‑band density is much higher.

Bottom line

• About 52,000 residents in Haywood County use mobile phones, with 45,000–48,000 using smartphones. Adoption is strong among working‑age adults but tempered by a large senior population and challenging terrain.
• Compared with North Carolina overall, Haywood shows: lower smartphone penetration by several points, more smartphone‑only households, narrower mid‑band 5G availability, and greater performance variability.
• Continued gains will come less from new coverage and more from densifying mid‑band 5G on existing corridors, improving tower backhaul off‑corridor, and expanding affordable fixed broadband to reduce smartphone‑only dependence.

Social media usage in Haywood County, North Carolina (2025 snapshot)

Baselines

• Population: ~63,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
• Adults (18+): ~51,700 (approx. 82% of residents)
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~72% of adults ≈ ~37,000 people (Pew Research Center, Social Media Use 2024)

Most‑used platforms among adults in Haywood County (modeled from Pew U.S. adult usage applied to the local adult base)

• YouTube: 83% of adults ≈ ~42,900 users
• Facebook: 68% ≈ ~35,200
• Instagram: 47% ≈ ~24,300
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ ~18,100
• TikTok: 33% ≈ ~17,100
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ ~15,500
• Snapchat: 27% ≈ ~14,000
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ ~11,400

Age-group patterns (Pew 2024 age-specific adoption applied locally; percentages are share of adults in that age group who use the platform)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~76%; Snapchat ~65%; TikTok ~62%; Facebook ~32%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~91%; Facebook ~73%; Instagram ~49%; TikTok ~39%; LinkedIn ~40%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube ~83%; Facebook ~69%; Instagram ~29%; Pinterest ~33%; TikTok ~15%
• Ages 65+: Facebook ~50%; YouTube ~49%; Instagram ~15%; Pinterest ~25%; TikTok ~7%

Gender breakdown (directional skews consistent with national patterns; local adult population is ~51% female, ~49% male)

• Women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest (Pinterest users are predominantly female; roughly two-thirds female nationally)
• Men over-index on Reddit and X (Twitter); YouTube has a slight male skew
• Instagram and TikTok are near-balanced, with a slight female tilt

Behavioral trends observed in rural Western NC counties like Haywood

• Facebook as the local public square: High engagement in community groups, churches, schools, youth sports, local government, weather and emergency updates; Facebook Marketplace is heavily used for buy/sell/trade
• Short-form video growth: Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts drive discovery for dining, events, hiking, and “things to do” content; cross-posting the same vertical video performs well
• Tourism seasonality: Content and engagement spike in leaf season (Sept–Oct) and summer; hospitality, outdoor recreation, and small retail see strong returns from Instagram/TikTok and Google + Facebook retargeting
• Messaging as conversion: Many residents initiate purchases/appointments via Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs; pages with “Message” CTAs and fast replies convert better than those pushing outbound links
• Local news reliance on social: Regional outlets (e.g., The Mountaineer, Smoky Mountain News) and town/county agencies reach residents primarily via Facebook; event posts and school updates travel fastest there
• Youth behavior: Teens skew toward Snapchat for communication and TikTok/YouTube for entertainment; brand interactions are more likely via TikTok/Instagram than Facebook
• Timing and formats: Evenings (7–10 pm) and early mornings (6–9 am) see the highest local activity; native video, photo carousels, and concise text outperform link-outs

Notes on methodology

• County totals (population/adults) come from U.S. Census estimates; platform percentages come from Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media adoption rates. County platform user counts are modeled by applying Pew adoption rates to Haywood County’s adult population; they should be used as planning-grade estimates rather than exact headcounts.