Jackson County

Jackson County, North Carolina — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population: ~45,900
• Median age: ~36.5 years

Age distribution

• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–24: ~22% (elevated due to Western Carolina University)
• 25–44: ~25%
• 45–64: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~78%
• Black or African American alone (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone (non-Hispanic): ~8–9%
• Asian alone (non-Hispanic): ~1–2%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~5–7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–6%

Households

• Number of households: ~17,700
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~55%
• Nonfamily households: ~45% (one-person households ~30%+)
• Households with children under 18: ~22%
• Notable context: A sizable share of the population lives in group quarters (college housing), which increases the 18–24 population and nonfamily household share

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (released 2024)

Jackson County, NC email usage (estimates)

• User base: ≈37,000 residents use email at least monthly, reflecting ~88–92% adoption among adults in a county of roughly 45,000 residents.
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • 13–17: 80–85%
  • 18–29: 97–99% (boosted by Western Carolina University)
  • 30–49: 95–97%
  • 50–64: 88–92%
  • 65+: 72–80%
• Gender split: Near parity; women ~92–94% vs men ~90–92% use email, yielding an essentially even user mix.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~82–86%; computer access ~88–92%.
  • Smartphone‑only internet households: ~12–16%; mobile drives a growing share of email use.
  • Public Wi‑Fi is extensive around Cullowhee/Sylva (WCU campus, libraries, civic buildings), supporting high daily email engagement.
  • Fiber and 5G coverage have expanded along the US‑74 corridor since 2020, though mountainous terrain leaves pockets with weaker fixed broadband and lower email frequency.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density is roughly 90–95 people per square mile across ~495 square miles; connectivity is strongest in the Sylva–Cullowhee corridor and thins in remote hollows, contributing to a modest but persistent rural digital divide.

Jackson County, NC mobile phone usage — 2023–2024 snapshot (modeled from Census/ACS demographics, FCC deployment data, and Pew age-specific mobile adoption rates)

Executive summary

• Population: ~44,600; adults (18+): ~37,000; households: ~19,400.
• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile): ~35,400 (≈95% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~32,700 (≈88% of adults).
• Mobile-only home internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on smartphones/hotspots): ~3,500 (≈18% of households).

How Jackson County differs from North Carolina overall

• Younger skew due to Western Carolina University: a much larger 18–24 share versus the state, lifting smartphone ownership and data consumption above statewide averages for young adults.
• More mobile-only internet reliance: household mobile-only share around 18% vs statewide closer to the low–mid teens, reflecting rural broadband gaps and student/seasonal populations.
• Patchier rural coverage and slower mid-band 5G rollout: strong service along primary corridors and in towns, but more dead zones and indoor coverage issues than the state’s urban/suburban counties; broader use of Wi‑Fi calling.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO uptake and longer device replacement cycles than statewide averages, driven by a lower median income mix and student budgets.
• Pronounced seasonality: network load spikes during the academic year (Cullowhee/WCU) and summer tourism (Cashiers/Glenville), a pattern less pronounced at the state level.

Demographic breakdown of smartphone use (estimates)

• 18–24 (≈8,500 adults): ~98% smartphone adoption → ~8,300 users.
• 25–44 (≈12,000 adults): ~94% adoption → ~11,300 users.
• 45–64 (≈10,300 adults): ~86% adoption → ~8,800 users.
• 65+ (≈6,200 adults): ~68% adoption → ~4,250 users.
• Under 18 (≈7,600 residents): phone ownership rises steeply in high school; an estimated ~70% smartphone access among ages 12–17 contributes materially to total device count but is not included in the adult user totals above.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage pattern:
  • 4G LTE is reliable in population centers (Sylva, Dillsboro, Cullowhee/WCU, Cashiers) and along US‑23/74, NC‑107, and US‑64.
  • 5G availability: low‑band 5G from all three national carriers in towns/corridors; mid‑band 5G (higher capacity) is concentrated around Sylva–Cullowhee and select stretches of US‑23/74 and NC‑107; mmWave is effectively absent.
  • Mountain terrain creates persistent no‑service or weak‑signal pockets in remote valleys, ridge roads, and along parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway; indoor coverage can be challenging in older or metal‑roof structures.
• Typical user experience (median conditions):
  • LTE downloads ~10–60 Mbps in towns/corridors; often single‑digit Mbps in remote areas.
  • Mid‑band 5G nodes deliver ~150–400+ Mbps where available; low‑band 5G behaves closer to LTE for capacity.
  • Call reliability is solid in town centers and along highways, with Wi‑Fi calling widely used off‑corridor.
• Network build focus:
  • Macro towers cluster along river valleys/highways; infill and small cells/DAS around WCU and commercial districts.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) overlays along primary routes and public safety sites, improving emergency comms coverage.
  • Backhaul is fiber‑dependent along the US‑23/74 spine; winter storms and backhaul cuts can create localized outages until redundancy routes pick up.
• Device/SIM trends: high eSIM and BYOD usage among students; notable prepaid/MVNO share (Visible, Cricket, Metro, Google Fi) to optimize cost and coverage; hotspot use spikes where fixed broadband is unavailable.

Adoption and usage patterns

• Students and younger workers drive higher‑than‑state rates of:
  • Smartphone penetration, app‑based messaging, and video/social streaming.
  • Wi‑Fi offload (campus networks, libraries, cafes) to manage mobile data caps.
• Older adults trail state smartphone adoption but are closing the gap via larger‑screen devices and carrier senior plans; medical and telehealth use is rising as coverage and device familiarity improve.
• Mobile-only households are more common than statewide, especially among off‑campus students, renters, and rural homes lacking affordable fixed broadband.

Bottom line

• About 35,000 adults in Jackson County use a mobile phone, and roughly 33,000 of them use smartphones.
• The county’s university‑driven youth share and rural terrain produce a distinct profile versus North Carolina overall: higher youth‑driven smartphone intensity and mobile‑only reliance, but also more coverage variability and slower mid‑band 5G saturation outside the main corridors.

Jackson County, NC social media snapshot (2025)

Population and access

• Population: ~45.3k (2023 Census estimate). Adults (18+): ~37.8k.
• Households with broadband subscription: ~87% (ACS 2019–2023).
• Smartphone-centric use; Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and Snapchat are the primary messaging layers locally.

Overall social media reach (adults)

• Adults using at least one social platform: 82% (31k people).

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled to local age mix)

• YouTube: 85% (~32.1k)
• Facebook: 69% (~26.1k)
• Instagram: 50% (~18.9k)
• TikTok: 38% (~14.4k)
• Pinterest: 34% (~12.9k)
• Snapchat: 33% (~12.5k)
• LinkedIn: 28% (~10.6k)
• X (Twitter): 26% (~9.8k)
• WhatsApp: 24% (~9.1k)
• Reddit: 23% (~8.7k)

Age-group usage patterns (adults; share using each platform)

• 18–24: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~78–85%; Snapchat ~70–80%; TikTok ~65–75%; Facebook ~35–45%.
• 25–34: YouTube ~92–95%; Facebook ~73–78%; Instagram ~60–67%; TikTok ~45–55%; Snapchat ~40–50%.
• 35–49: YouTube ~88–92%; Facebook ~77–82%; Instagram ~54–60%; TikTok ~32–40%.
• 50–64: YouTube ~83–86%; Facebook ~73–76%; Pinterest ~41–46%; Instagram ~32–38%; TikTok ~20–28%.
• 65+: Facebook ~57–60%; YouTube ~49–55%; Pinterest ~30–36%; Instagram ~20–28%.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ~52% women, ~48% men (tracks county demographics).
• Platform skew:
  • More women: Facebook (female 55%), Instagram (52–55%), TikTok (55–58%), Snapchat (55%), Pinterest (~70–75%).
  • More men: YouTube (52–55% male), Reddit (65–70% male), X/Twitter (~55–60% male).
  • LinkedIn: roughly balanced.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• College-driven usage: Western Carolina University concentrates 18–24 users, lifting TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube above national averages and slightly lowering Facebook share in that cohort.
• Facebook as community backbone: Groups and Marketplace dominate for local news, events, yard sales, jobs, school updates, and weather/emergency information; county and town pages see strong reach.
• Short-form video first: TikTok and Instagram Reels are key discovery channels for dining, student life, and outdoor spots; peak engagement evenings (7–11 pm) and midday between classes.
• Place-based content: High engagement for Smokies/Blue Ridge hikes and waterfalls, WCU athletics and campus life, seasonal leaf/river content, and winter weather posts.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger prevalent across age groups; Snapchat heavy among students; WhatsApp active in international/student communities and some service sectors.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the primary peer-to-peer channel; Instagram DMs widely used by local small businesses for inquiries and bookings.
• Politics/civics: Spikes in Facebook discussion and sharing around local elections, school board issues, and weather-related closures.

Notes on method and sources

• Population, broadband: U.S. Census Bureau, Jackson County (QuickFacts; ACS 2019–2023).
• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024; adjusted to Jackson County’s age mix (college-heavy) to produce local estimates and counts. Percentages reflect share of adults; counts are approximations based on the ~37.8k adult population.