Lincoln County

Lincoln County, North Carolina — key demographics

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

• 86,810 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: about 43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Sex

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS, percent of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~80%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~6%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Two or more races/other: ~4–5%

Households and housing

• Households: ~35,000
• Average household size: ~2.6 persons
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78%
• Family households: ~70%

Insights

• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a growing Hispanic population.
• Older-than-national median age, indicating an aging population profile.
• High homeownership and family-household share consistent with exurban/adjacent-to-metro counties.

• Population and density: ~94,000 residents; ~300 people per square mile (countywide).
• Estimated email users: ~74,000 residents (≈87% of people age 13+).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: 6%; 18–34: 26%; 35–54: 34%; 55–64: 16%; 65+: 17%.
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male.
• Digital access and devices (ACS-based estimates): 87–89% of households subscribe to broadband; 91–93% have a computer or tablet at home; 12–15% are smartphone‑only internet households.
• Connectivity pattern: Strongest fixed broadband along the Lincolnton–Denver–NC‑16 corridor; rural north/west pockets show lower fixed coverage and greater use of DSL or fixed‑wireless. Cable is prevalent in incorporated areas; fiber is expanding but not yet countywide. 4G/5G mobile coverage reaches the vast majority of populated corridors.
• Trend insights: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults and growing among seniors as telehealth and government services digitize. Smartphone‑only access modestly reduces daily multi‑account use but does not materially limit basic email engagement.
• Practical takeaway: With high household broadband and dense coverage in population centers, email reliably reaches nearly nine in ten teen-and‑older residents across Lincoln County.

Mobile phone usage in Lincoln County, North Carolina: key estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from the state

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 65,000–75,000 residents (derived by applying recent Pew smartphone adoption rates to Lincoln County’s adult population size and age structure from the Census).
• Households with any cellular data plan: roughly 70–75% of households.
• Smartphone-only (cellular-only) internet households: approximately 14–18% of households; on the order of 5,000–7,000 households.
• Households with no home internet subscription: about 9–12% (a mix of cost barriers, older residents with lower adoption, and coverage gaps in the county’s northwest and exurban areas).

Demographic breakdown (drivers of differences within the county)

• Age: Lincoln County skews older than the North Carolina average, and smartphone adoption is markedly lower among adults 65+. This slightly pulls down overall smartphone adoption vs. the state, and increases the share without home internet. Younger adults (18–34) remain near-saturation for smartphone ownership, mirroring statewide levels.
• Income: Lower-income households in Lincoln County are more likely to be smartphone-only (cellular-only) for home internet than higher-income households, especially in rural census tracts; this rate is a few points higher than the statewide average for similar income bands due to limited fixed-broadband options in pockets of the county.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is majority White with smaller Black and Hispanic populations than North Carolina overall. National and state patterns show Hispanic households have higher smartphone-only reliance; in Lincoln County, that pattern appears as well, but it affects a smaller absolute number of households because the Hispanic share of the population is lower than the state average.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: 4G LTE is effectively countywide from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. 5G coverage (particularly mid-band) is strong along NC-16, US-321, and within Lincolnton and Denver, extending from the Charlotte metro buildout. Coverage weakens in low-density northwestern areas and around Lake Norman’s less-developed edges, where LTE fallback and lower signal quality are more common.
• Capacity and speeds: In and around Lincolnton/Denver, typical 5G median download speeds are in the 100–200 Mbps range with sub-50 ms latency; rural tracts often operate on LTE with 10–30 Mbps, higher latency, and more pronounced evening congestion. This urban-rural split is sharper than the state average because Lincoln County’s population is concentrated along a few transportation corridors with rapid growth but sparser backhaul elsewhere.
• Backhaul and siting: Tower density and microwave/fiber backhaul are strongest along NC-16 and US-321. Newer permits and upgrades since 2022 have focused on mid-band 5G and sector capacity increases along growth corridors; fewer greenfield sites have been added in the northwest, where terrain and zoning slow deployment.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Cable/fiber availability is strong in and near Lincolnton, Denver, and along major corridors; DSL or fixed wireless are more common in outlying tracts. Where fixed broadband choices are limited or costly, smartphone-only reliance is elevated relative to the state average.

How Lincoln County differs from North Carolina overall

• Slightly older age profile leads to:
  • Marginally lower overall smartphone adoption than the state average.
  • A somewhat higher share of households with no home internet.
• Higher smartphone-only reliance in rural pockets than North Carolina’s statewide average for similar rural income bands, driven by patchier fixed-broadband options and cost sensitivity.
• Faster 5G mid-band buildout along primary corridors than many similarly sized NC counties, due to adjacency to the Charlotte market; however, the county’s northwest lags more than the state average in 5G quality and capacity.
• More pronounced urban-rural performance gap: town/corridor users experience state-competitive 5G performance, while outlying areas see LTE speeds and higher peak-time congestion than the statewide median.

Bottom line

• Mobile usage in Lincoln County is high and broadly in line with North Carolina’s urban/suburban markets along its main corridors, but the county shows two distinct deviations from the statewide picture: a slightly higher share of smartphone-only and unconnected households in rural zones, and a sharper intra-county gap in 5G performance tied to infrastructure concentration along NC-16/US-321.

Sources and methods

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census Bureau ACS (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions; age and household demographics), FCC Broadband Data Collection (2024 coverage filings), North Carolina Broadband Infrastructure Office county data, and Pew Research Center smartphone adoption rates. Percentages are converted to county-level estimates using the county’s household and age structure from the most recent ACS releases.

Lincoln County, NC social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~95,000 (ACS 2022/2023 estimates)
• 13+ population: ~82,000
• Active social media users: ~70,000–74,000 (≈75–80% of residents; ≈85–90% of 13+)
• Gender among social users: ≈52–54% female, 46–48% male (reflects slightly higher female use on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest)

Age mix of social users (share of total social users)

• 13–24: 22–25%
• 25–44: 35–38%
• 45–64: 24–27%
• 65+: 14–16%

Most-used platforms (estimated share of residents 13+ using monthly; platform skews in parentheses)

• YouTube: 72–78% (broad across all ages; strong in 25–64 for how‑to, local sports, DIY)
• Facebook: 60–66% (female‑leaning; dominant for groups, schools, churches, Marketplace)
• Instagram: 35–42% (younger adults; Reels growth)
• TikTok: 28–34% (teens/younger adults; short‑form video discovery)
• Snapchat: 22–27% (teens/college‑age; messaging/Stories)
• Pinterest: 24–29% (predominantly women; home, crafts, recipes)
• X/Twitter: 18–22% (news/sports; male‑leaning)
• LinkedIn: 16–20% (commuters/professionals tied to the Charlotte job market)
• Nextdoor: 18–22% (homeowners/suburban neighborhoods; local alerts)

Behavioral trends observed locally and in comparable NC suburban counties

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor drive information on schools, youth sports, county services, weather/power outages; Marketplace is a top local commerce channel.
• Video is the default: YouTube for how‑to, home/auto, outdoor and lake activities; TikTok/Instagram Reels for short, entertainment-first content; cross‑posting of short video on Facebook performs well with 25–44.
• Peak engagement windows: Weekdays 6–9 am and 7–10 pm; weekend afternoons for events, sports, and Marketplace.
• Messaging ecosystems: Facebook Messenger is the primary DM channel for businesses and community pages; Snapchat dominates teen messaging; WhatsApp usage present among bilingual/immigrant households.
• Event- and season-driven spikes: Back‑to‑school, high school sports, festivals, and severe weather produce pronounced engagement surges on Facebook/Nextdoor.
• Purchase paths: High “call,” “directions,” and in‑person conversion from Facebook/Instagram; Pinterest saves precede weekend retail and DIY purchases; short‑form video boosts discovery for boutiques, food trucks, and services.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Counts and percentages are modeled for Lincoln County using: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (population and age/sex structure), Pew Research Center Social Media Use (platform penetration by age/gender, 2023–2024), Edison Research The Infinite Dial (audio/video social adoption), and major ad platform audience estimates observed in 2024–2025 (Meta, Snap, Nextdoor, LinkedIn). Figures represent conservative midpoints adjusted to the county’s older‑than‑U.S.‑median age profile and suburban Charlotte usage patterns.