Madison County

Madison County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 21,193 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: about 47 years
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~94–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0.4–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–4% (overlaps with race categories)

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~8,700
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Single-person households: ~30%
• Households with children under 18: ~22%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78% (renters ~22%)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP02/DP04).

Madison County, NC is a rural, mountainous county of about 21,200 residents (population density ≈47 per sq. mile). Estimated adult email users: ~15,000.

Age distribution of email users (estimated):

• 18–29: 14% (~2,100)
• 30–49: 34% (~5,100)
• 50–64: 28% (~4,200)
• 65+: 24% (~3,600)

Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male (mirrors county demographics).

Digital access and trends:

• Roughly 85–90% of households have a computer.
• About 70–78% of households maintain a home broadband subscription; smartphone‑only access is common for roughly 10–12% of households.
• Fixed broadband coverage is strongest in and around Mars Hill and Marshall; remote hollows and ridgelines have patchier service and slower speeds, with some households relying on fixed‑wireless or satellite.
• Ongoing fiber builds by regional co‑ops and cable providers since 2020 are improving availability and speeds, narrowing—but not eliminating—the rural gap.
• Public Wi‑Fi via libraries, schools, and Mars Hill University supplements access for students, seniors, and lower‑income residents.

Implications: Email use is near‑universal among working‑age adults; older adults participate widely but are most affected by access gaps in the county’s sparsely populated areas.

Mobile phone usage in Madison County, NC — 2024 snapshot

Overall adoption and user estimates

• Population and households: ~21,700 residents and ~8,900 households.
• Mobile users: ~17,500–18,500 residents use a mobile phone of any kind.
• Smartphone users: ~14,500–15,500 residents use a smartphone.
• Household smartphone access: roughly 83–87% of households have at least one smartphone (American Community Survey “Computer and Internet Use,” most recent 5‑year data; county-level rates in rural western NC typically land a few points below the statewide average).

Demographic patterns

• Age: Adults 18–34 exceed 95% smartphone adoption; residents 65+ are closer to 75–80%. Madison’s older age mix pulls overall adoption a bit below the state average.
• Income and smartphone-only access: An estimated 18–22% of households rely on a cellular data plan without a home fixed broadband subscription (“smartphone-only”), higher than the North Carolina average (roughly 12–15%). This pattern is concentrated among lower-income and single‑person households.
• Education and students: Mars Hill University nudges youth adoption and app-centric usage (messaging and streaming) above what would be expected for a rural county, offsetting some of the age-driven drag.
• Race/ethnicity: Differences by race within the county are smaller than the age and income effects; adoption gaps are driven more by affordability and geography than by race.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular operate in the county. 4G LTE covers most populated corridors; topography causes gaps in hollows and along forested ridges (notably in parts of Spring Creek, Shelton Laurel, and other river valleys).
• 5G footprint: Predominantly low‑band 5G across populated areas, with mid‑band 5G clustered near the I‑26 corridor (around Mars Hill) and along US‑25/70 (Marshall toward Asheville). Coverage is notably spottier than statewide, where mid‑band 5G is widespread in metros.
• Speeds (typical user experience):
  • 4G LTE: ~15–50 Mbps down in towns and corridors; can drop to single digits in challenging terrain.
  • 5G low‑band: ~40–120 Mbps; mid‑band pockets reach ~150–300 Mbps where available.
• Reliability: Signal variability is higher than the state average because of mountainous terrain. In‑vehicle coverage along primary highways is strong; off‑corridor reliability declines more quickly than in the Piedmont or coastal plain.
• Backhaul and buildout: Fiber backhaul follows the same highway corridors, improving capacity at macro sites near Marshall and Mars Hill. Outlying sites rely more on microwave or older fiber laterals, constraining peak speeds.
• Public safety and redundancy: E‑911 and primary sites cover towns and schools well; redundancy across carriers is weaker in outer townships than state norms, so single‑carrier dead zones are more common than in urban NC.

How Madison County differs from the North Carolina statewide picture

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption: The county trails the state by a few percentage points, driven by an older age profile and rural affordability constraints.
• Higher smartphone-only dependence: Madison’s share of households relying solely on cellular data is several points higher than the state average, reflecting patchier fixed broadband options and budget tradeoffs.
• More uneven 5G experience: Mid‑band 5G is limited to a few travel corridors; statewide, mid‑band has broad urban and suburban reach. As a result, Madison’s median mobile speeds are lower and more variable than the state median.
• Greater terrain-driven gaps: Geographic coverage (land area) is meaningfully below the state’s, even when population coverage looks similar. Dead zones appear quickly once off main roads, a pattern far less common in the Piedmont metros.
• Carrier mix: UScellular maintains a more visible footprint in this part of the mountains than in most of the state, giving residents an additional rural-focused option not as prevalent in urban NC.

Key takeaways

• Mobile connectivity is the de facto internet on the move and, for about one in five households, the only internet at home.
• Investment priorities that would close the gap with statewide performance include: more mid‑band 5G sites beyond primary corridors, added backhaul to edge towers, and targeted infill along hollow/valley settlements.
• Demographically, the county’s older population keeps overall adoption just below state levels, but the university presence sustains high youth usage, ensuring strong demand for capacity in and around Mars Hill and Marshall.

Madison County, NC social media snapshot (2025)

Core user stats

• Population: ~22,000; adults (18+): ~18,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS estimate)
• Internet access: ~80–85% of households with a broadband subscription (ACS; rural, Appalachian profile)
• Active social platform users among adults: ~75–80% (Pew Research Center national usage applied to local age mix)
• Gender among social users: ~52% women, ~48% men (women over-index on Facebook/Instagram; men over-index on YouTube/X)

Most‑used platforms (share of Madison County adults; estimates mapped from Pew 2024 usage by age to local age profile; counts rounded)

• YouTube: 82% (~14,700 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~12,200)
• Instagram: 40% (~7,200)
• TikTok: 32% (~5,800)
• Snapchat: 23% (~4,100)
• X (Twitter): 18% (~3,200)
• Nextdoor: 17% (~3,100)

Age-group patterns (adult residents)

• 18–29: Very high adoption across platforms; strongest on YouTube (95%), Instagram (75%), TikTok (60%), Snapchat (65%); Facebook used but not dominant.
• 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; YouTube (90%) and Facebook (70%+) lead; Instagram (50%) and TikTok (40%) meaningful.
• 50–64: Facebook (70%+) and YouTube (80%+) anchor usage; Instagram (30%) and TikTok (25%) as secondary.
• 65+: Facebook (65%) and YouTube (60%) are primary; lighter use of Instagram (15%) and TikTok (10%).

Gender breakdown by platform (local mix follows national patterns)

• More women than men on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; expect women to be ~55–60% of local users on these.
• More men than women on YouTube and X; expect men to be ~52–60% of local users there.
• Nextdoor tilts to homeowners 30+, with modest female skew.

Behavioral trends in Madison County

• Facebook is the community hub: local groups, schools, churches, events, and Marketplace drive routine engagement; county/town alerts and weather updates perform strongly.
• YouTube is a “how‑to” channel: DIY, homesteading, auto repair, farming, and outdoor content tied to Hot Springs/Appalachian Trail and Pisgah region see consistent viewing.
• Instagram and Reels matter for tourism and small business: galleries, farm-to-table, lodging, outfitters; visually led posts and Reels outperform static images.
• TikTok is youth/college-driven (Mars Hill University): short, humorous, and local-interest clips work; cross‑posting to Reels expands reach.
• Snapchat is primarily for teen/young‑adult messaging; organic presence > ads, but geofilters at festivals and games can spike use.
• X is niche: followed for regional news, sports, DOT/EM updates; limited general reach.
• Nextdoor supports hyperlocal needs in Marshall, Mars Hill, and Hot Springs: lost/found, contractor recs, safety notes; effective for service providers and civic info.

Sources and method

• Platform percentages derived from Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2024) by age/gender, mapped to Madison County’s older-leaning age profile (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS). Counts are rounded estimates for the ~18,000 adult population.