Lenoir County

Key demographics — Lenoir County, North Carolina (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population: ~55,800
• Population density: ~113 per sq. mi.

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Female: ~52.5%
• Male: ~47.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~52%
• Black or African American alone: ~39%
• Asian alone: ~0.6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.6%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~9% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.

Households and housing

• Households: ~23,000
• Average household size: ~2.36–2.38
• Family households: ~64–66% of households
• Owner-occupied housing: ~60–63% of occupied units
• Renter-occupied housing: ~37–40%

Insights

• Older age profile (median age ~43; about 1 in 5 residents is 65+).
• Racial composition is predominantly White and Black, with a growing Hispanic/Latino population.
• Household sizes are modest and a majority of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

• Estimated email users: ~40,000–43,000 residents (roughly three‑quarters of the county), derived from Lenoir’s ~55K population and typical U.S./NC adult email adoption (≈90%+ of internet‑using adults).
• Age distribution of email users (estimate):
  • 13–17: 2–3K users (high school smartphone/email adoption is high but not universal)
  • 18–29: 6–7K
  • 30–49: 12–13K
  • 50–64: 9–10K
  • 65+: 9–10K (slightly lower adoption than younger groups, but still majority users)
• Gender split among users: ~52% female, ~48% male, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and devices (Lenoir County context using ACS-style benchmarks for similar NC rural counties):
  • Households with a computer: ~88–92%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~75–82%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~10–15%
  • No home internet: ~15–20%
  • Trend: gradual gains in broadband and mobile‑only access; seniors’ adoption rising, narrowing the gap.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population ~55K; density roughly 130–140 residents per sq. mile; urban concentration in Kinston.
  • Cable/fiber coverage is strongest in and around Kinston/US‑70 corridors; outlying rural tracts rely more on DSL/fixed‑wireless, with lower speeds and higher no‑subscription rates, which modestly suppresses email usage outside the urban core.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Lenoir County, North Carolina

Headline estimates (2023–2024)

• Total population: about 55,000; adults (18+) about 43,000
• Adult mobile phone users: about 40,000–41,000 (≈95% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: about 37,000–38,000 (≈86–88% of adults)
• Households: about 22,000–23,000
• Households with a smartphone: about 19,500–20,500 (≈88–90%)
• Households with any cellular data plan: about 15,000–16,000 (≈68–72%)
• Cellular data–only (mobile-only) home internet: about 3,800–4,200 households (≈17–19%) versus ≈12–14% statewide
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: about 3,200–3,800 (≈14–17%) versus ≈10–12% statewide

What differs from North Carolina overall

• Heavier reliance on mobile-only internet: roughly 4–6 percentage points higher than the state, translating to ~1,000 more mobile-only households than expected on a state-average basis
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration: about 2–4 points below the statewide rate due to an older age profile and lower median incomes
• Larger share with no internet subscription: about 3–5 points higher than North Carolina overall
• Network performance and 5G footprint lag the state average, with more areas served primarily by low-band 5G and LTE and fewer mid-band 5G capacity zones

Demographic context and usage patterns

• Age structure (skews older than NC): seniors (65+) are a larger share of residents, which pulls down smartphone penetration and increases basic/voice-first usage. Approximate adult smartphone adoption by age: 18–34 ≈95%+, 35–64 ≈90%, 65+ ≈70–78%
• Income: a higher poverty rate than the state average contributes to more prepaid use, hotspotting, and mobile-only home internet. Mobile-only reliance is notably higher among households under $25,000 income
• Race/ethnicity: the county’s sizable Black and growing Hispanic populations show higher mobile-only and prepaid use compared with White households, driven by affordability and housing type patterns
• Urban–rural split: Kinston and the US-70 corridor show near-ubiquitous LTE and usable 5G; rural southern and western tracts see more LTE dependence, lower capacity, and greater household reliance on mobile hotspots

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular provide near-universal LTE coverage; 5G is concentrated in Kinston and along US-70, with patchier availability in outlying communities such as Deep Run, Pink Hill–adjacent areas, and rural tracts west of Kinston
• Capacity and speeds: typical LTE performance ranges from mid-teens to a few dozen Mbps in rural zones; mid-band 5G in town and along major corridors can be many times faster, but coverage is not as extensive as state urban averages. Uplink performance and indoor penetration are more constrained outside Kinston
• Backhaul and fiber: fiber backhaul follows state highways and municipal corridors; cable broadband is common in Kinston, while many rural households face legacy DSL or fixed wireless, reinforcing mobile reliance when fixed service is unavailable or unaffordable
• Public access: libraries, schools, and some municipal sites provide Wi‑Fi that complements mobile usage in lower-income neighborhoods

Behavioral and market implications

• Mobile-only households are a defining feature: roughly 1 in 5 households rely on cellular data for home internet, materially above the state norm
• Device turnover is slower than in metro NC counties, contributing to a larger installed base of older Android handsets and budget devices, which affects app performance and security update reach
• Text and light-data channels are universally reachable; heavy video and large app bundles see more throttling and data-cap–driven avoidance in rural tracts
• Emergency communications and public alerts reach a predominantly wireless audience; wireline-only reach is limited

Bottom line Lenoir County’s mobile landscape is characterized by near-universal mobile phone use but higher-than-average dependence on mobile data as a primary home connection, modestly lower smartphone penetration than North Carolina overall, and a 5G footprint concentrated around Kinston and major corridors. Affordability, age structure, and uneven fixed broadband availability drive usage patterns that are more mobile-first than the state average, especially in rural parts of the county.

Lenoir County, NC social media snapshot (2025)

How to read this: County-level platform stats aren’t directly published by platforms. Figures below are modeled estimates calibrated to Lenoir County’s age and rural profile using U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023) demographics and Pew Research Center (2023–2024) social media adoption baselines.

Headline usage

• Adult social-media adoption: 73–78% of adults use at least one platform; 65–70% use daily
• Teen adoption (13–17): ≈95% use at least one platform; heavy daily use
• Household broadband subscription: ≈80–83%; smartphone ownership among adults: ≈90%+
• Average platforms used (adult users): 3–4

Most-used platforms (share of adult internet users)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 68–72%
• Instagram: 42–48%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (strong among women 25–54)
• Snapchat: 25–30% (skews under 35)
• WhatsApp: 15–20% (higher among Hispanic residents)
• X/Twitter: 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (below U.S. average given local industry mix)
• Nextdoor: 10–12% (neighborhoods in/around Kinston)

Age group patterns (share using each platform)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube ~95%; TikTok 67–70%; Snapchat ~60%; Instagram ~60%; Facebook ~30%
• Ages 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram 70–80%; Snapchat 60–70%; TikTok 60–65%; Facebook 55–65%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube ~90%; Facebook 73–78%; Instagram 50–55%; TikTok 35–40%; Snapchat 25–30%; Pinterest ~35%
• Ages 50–64: Facebook 70–75%; YouTube 80–85%; Instagram ~30%; TikTok 18–22%; Pinterest 32–36%
• Ages 65+: Facebook 50–55%; YouTube 55–60%; Instagram 15–20%; TikTok 10–12%; Pinterest 18–22%

Gender breakdown

• Overall adoption: women 78–80%; men 70–72% (women slightly higher overall)
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook (70–75% of adult women), Instagram (50%), Pinterest (45–50%); men over-index on YouTube (85–88%), X/Twitter (18–22%), Reddit (15–18%)
• Resulting share of adult social-media users: roughly 54–56% women, 44–46% men, reflecting county’s slightly female-leaning population

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement in local Groups (churches, schools, youth sports, buy/sell/trade, farm and yard equipment), county and city updates, weather/hurricane alerts, obituaries, and crime/news posts
• Short-form video is rising: TikTok and Instagram Reels used for local food spots, small-business promos, school sports highlights; many creators cross-post to Facebook for reach
• Marketplace matters: strong use of Facebook Marketplace for secondhand goods and local services; significant lead source for small businesses
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp adoption growing within Hispanic communities; SMS remains common for business follow-up
• Timing patterns: engagement typically peaks 6–8 a.m. and 7–10 p.m.; Sunday afternoon spikes for community and church-related content; lunch-hour upticks for short videos on weekdays
• Content that performs: familiar faces, hyperlocal news, limited-time offers under $25, high school/rec sports spotlights, clear calls to call/text (helpful where broadband is inconsistent)
• Ads and targeting: best results from geo-fencing within 15–20 miles of Kinston; lookalike audiences built from page engagers outperform interest-only targets; older audiences respond to clear offers and static images, younger to vertical video with music/effects
• Trust signals: official county/city pages and regional TV news pages act as validators during storms, closures, and public-safety events; active group moderation reduces spam and rumor spread

Sources and method: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 for local demographics; Pew Research Center reports on U.S. social media use (2023–2024). Percentages are modeled estimates adjusted to Lenoir County’s demographic and rural profile.