Hertford County

Hertford County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 21,552
• 2023 estimate (U.S. Census Bureau): ~21,200, continuing a long-run decline from 24,669 in 2010

Age

• Median age: ~43 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: roughly 21% under 18, ~60% 18–64, ~19% 65+

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic can be of any race; ACS 2019–2023)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~58–60%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~34–36%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian and other groups: <1% each

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~8,000
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~63–65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~34–36% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%
• Seniors (65+) living alone: ~12–14% of households

Insights

• Majority-Black, rural county with a modest Hispanic population
• Aging population with a median age in the low 40s and about one-fifth aged 65+
• Household sizes are modest and a sizable share are nonfamily or single-householder homes

Notes: Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates) and rounded for clarity.

Hertford County, NC snapshot (2023/2024 estimates)

• Population and density: ~21,600 residents; ~61 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: ~16,000 adult users (≈90% of adults) and ~16,800 total when including teens.
• Age distribution of email users (rounded):
  • 18–29: ~2,700 (≈17%)
  • 30–49: ~5,000 (≈31%)
  • 50–64: ~4,400 (≈28%)
  • 65+: ~3,900 (≈24%)
• Gender split: Population is ~52% female, 48% male; email use is near-parity, yielding ≈8,300 female and ≈7,700 male users.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~69% (ACS 2018–2022).
  • Households with a computer/smartphone: ~88–90%.
  • Adoption outpaces infrastructure in towns (Ahoskie, Murfreesboro) with fiber/cable; outskirts rely more on DSL/fixed wireless. Mobile 4G is countywide; 5G present along main corridors.
  • Low population density increases last‑mile costs, contributing to lower subscription vs. availability; public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, civic sites) is an important access point. Insights: Email penetration is effectively universal among working‑age adults, with slightly lower use among seniors. Connectivity gaps are driven more by affordability and rural last‑mile constraints than outright service absence, suggesting outreach and low‑cost plans can lift email use among older and lower‑income residents.

Hertford County, NC — mobile phone usage snapshot (distinct from statewide patterns)

Key user estimates

• Active smartphone users: approximately 15,000 residents, or roughly 72% of total population and close to 88–90% of adults. This is modestly below North Carolina’s statewide adult smartphone penetration, reflecting the county’s older age profile and lower household incomes.
• Mobile-only internet households: about 1,700–1,900 households (roughly 20–25% of households) rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet. That share is notably higher than the statewide average (roughly low-to-mid teens), indicating a stronger dependence on mobile connectivity in lieu of fixed broadband.
• Daily mobile data demand: concentrated around Ahoskie, Murfreesboro, and along US-13/US-158 corridors, with lighter, more variable demand in the county’s forested and river-bottom areas where LTE remains the fallback.

Demographic context that shapes usage

• Population profile: Majority Black community (about 55–60%), with White non-Hispanic roughly one-third and a small but growing Hispanic/Latino population. The county skews older (median age low-40s; roughly one in five residents 65+), and median household income is well below the state median, with higher-than-average poverty.
• Implications: Lower incomes and a higher senior share translate to more prepaid plans, longer device replacement cycles, and greater reliance on mobile as the primary internet connection compared with the state overall.

Adoption and usage patterns versus North Carolina

• Smartphone adoption: High but a few points below the state average, driven by age and income. Younger cohorts mirror statewide usage; gaps appear among seniors and lower-income households.
• Mobile-only reliance: Meaningfully higher than the state. This is the clearest divergence from statewide trends and reflects limited fixed broadband options outside town centers and the historic popularity of subsidized plans (e.g., Lifeline, and previously ACP).
• Application mix: Heavier reliance on messaging, social, and streaming over cellular, with video quality and app updates more often constrained by data caps or weak signal than in metro NC.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) operate in the county. Low-band 5G broadly reaches populated areas; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in and around Ahoskie/Murfreesboro and along primary highways, with LTE prevailing in low-density and heavily wooded zones.
• Coverage nuance: Signal reliability is generally strong along US-13/US-158 and in town centers; pockets of weaker indoor coverage persist in the Chowan/Meherrin river bottoms and dispersed rural areas, producing a wider urban–rural performance gap than the state average.
• Speeds: Typical median mobile downloads in town centers land in the 40–60 Mbps range with mid-band 5G, dropping to 10–30 Mbps LTE in outer areas. Statewide medians are higher (often 100+ Mbps in metro corridors), underscoring the county’s capacity gap.
• Backhaul and fiber: Core middle-mile routes (including the state research/education network that connects K–12, the community college, and Chowan University in nearby Murfreesboro) underpin carrier backhaul in town centers. Outside those areas, sparser fiber and longer microwave hops contribute to the observed capacity limits.
• Tower density: Fewer macro sites per square mile than in urban NC, resulting in larger cells and more frequent LTE fallback. New sites and sector upgrades have focused on the Ahoskie–Murfreesboro axis rather than remote tracts.

What’s changing

• Gradual 5G capacity infill: Carriers are extending mid-band sectors along main corridors and densifying sites near population clusters, narrowing but not eliminating the gap with statewide performance.
• Fixed–mobile substitution: As fiber-to-the-home expands slowly from town cores and electric co-op builds, some households will shift off mobile-only. Until then, mobile remains a primary on-ramp for many residents.
• Post-ACP environment: With ACP funding lapsing in 2024, cost sensitivity has increased; expect sustained prepaid uptake and continued use of community Wi‑Fi assets (libraries, schools) relative to the state.

Bottom line

• Hertford County’s mobile landscape is defined by broad coverage but lower average capacity and a distinctly higher dependence on cellular as the main household internet connection than North Carolina overall. Demographics (older, lower-income, majority-Black) and rural infrastructure realities drive slightly lower adoption rates, more prepaid usage, and wider performance variability than seen statewide.

Social media usage in Hertford County, NC (concise 2024 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Total population: 21,552 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Adults (18+): ~16,700–17,000 (≈78–79% of population)
• Gender mix (ACS): ~52% female, ~48% male
• Overall social media adoption among adults (modeled from Pew rural/U.S. rates): ~11,700–12,400 adults, or ≈70–73% of 18+

Age composition and impact on usage

• County skews older than the state average; approximate population shares:
  • Under 18: ~20–22%
  • 18–34: ~18–20%
  • 35–64: ~38–42%
  • 65+: ~20–22%
• Resulting social audience is older-leaning versus the U.S.: roughly 45–50% of local social users are 50+, which boosts Facebook and YouTube and tempers Instagram/TikTok.

Gender breakdown among social users (directional)

• Females: ≈53–56% of social users (higher usage of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Males: ≈44–47% (higher usage of YouTube, X/Twitter, Reddit)

Most-used platforms among adults in Hertford County (modeled local penetration)

• YouTube: ~72–78% of adults
• Facebook: ~62–68% of adults
• Instagram: ~28–36% of adults
• TikTok: ~24–30% of adults
• Snapchat: ~18–24% of adults
• Also notable: Pinterest ~24–30% (skews female), X/Twitter ~15–20%, WhatsApp ~15–20% Notes: Figures are derived by applying Pew Research Center 2023 U.S./rural adoption patterns by age and gender to Hertford County’s ACS age/gender mix. Rankings reflect local older skew.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub: heavy use of Groups (community news, churches, schools/athletics, buy–sell–trade), Marketplace, and event promotion.
• Video is pervasive: YouTube for how‑to content, church services, local sports, and news; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) growing for small business promotion and civic messaging.
• Youth behavior: Teens/20s concentrate on Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram is secondary; Facebook mainly for family/groups and Marketplace.
• Posting/engagement rhythms: Peaks in early morning (commute/school window) and evenings; weather events, school notices, and local public safety updates drive spikes.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates for community coordination; WhatsApp used within family networks; Snapchat for peer messaging among younger users.
• Content that performs: Local faces and places, high school sports, church/community events, service spotlights, and practical info (jobs, services, closures) outperform generic brand content.

Sources and methodology

• Population and demographics: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial; ACS 5‑year).
• Platform adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2023/2024).
• County-level platform percentages are modeled estimates created by weighting Pew’s age/gender adoption rates by Hertford County’s demographic structure.