Montgomery County

Montgomery County, North Carolina – key demographics (latest U.S. Census/ACS)

Population

• Total population: ~25,800 (2023 estimate; 2020 Census: 25,751)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~58–60%
• Black or African American alone: ~17–19%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~20–22%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races and other: ~2–3%

Households

• Total households: ~9,600–9,800
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68%
• Married-couple families: ~45–48%
• Householder living alone: ~27–29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72–74%

Notes and insights

• Population is essentially stable to slightly declining since 2010.
• Age structure skews older than the U.S. average (higher 65+ share).
• A sizable Hispanic/Latino community (1 in 5 residents) and a substantial Black population (1 in 6–5) shape the county’s diversity.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Census QuickFacts for Montgomery County, NC. Figures rounded for clarity.

Montgomery County, NC email usage (estimates; latest public data through 2023):

• Estimated email users: ≈18,100 adult residents. Basis: 2020 Census population 25,751; ≈78% adults; email adoption among adults ≈90% (Pew national/rural benchmarks).
• Age adoption rates (share of adults in each group using email): 18–29: ~92%; 30–49: ~95%; 50–64: ~92%; 65+: ~85%. Net effect: highest usage in 30–49, with strong but slightly lower adoption among seniors.
• Gender split: Email adoption is near-parity; user base roughly mirrors population (~49% male, ~51% female). Both genders ≈90% adoption.
• Digital access trends: About 78% of households subscribe to home broadband and roughly 89% have a computer/smartphone (ACS Computer & Internet Use, rural-NC comparable counties). Roughly 20–22% lack home broadband, and about 10–15% are smartphone‑only—factors that can constrain email access quality despite widespread adoption.
• Local density/connectivity context: Population density ≈51 people per sq. mile across ~502 sq. miles (2020 Census). Large rural areas and the Uwharrie National Forest lower address density, raising last‑mile costs and contributing to patchy fixed broadband away from US‑220/I‑73/74 and municipal centers (e.g., Troy, Biscoe). Mobile LTE/5G provides primary fallback in lower‑density tracts.

Overall: Email is near‑universal among connected adults; remaining gaps track household broadband availability and rural geography.

Mobile phone usage in Montgomery County, North Carolina — summary and differences from statewide patterns

Overall adoption and user estimates

• Population baseline: Montgomery County has about 25–26 thousand residents, predominantly rural. Adults (18+) account for roughly three-quarters of residents.
• Adult smartphone users: 15,500–17,000 adults, reflecting an estimated 79–85% smartphone adoption in a rural county context (slightly below the statewide rate, which tracks close to the national ~85%).
• Household smartphone access: Most households have at least one smartphone, typically in the low- to mid-90% range, but a larger share than the state depends on phones as their primary connection.
• Mobile-only internet households: Approximately one-quarter of households rely on a cellular data plan as their only home internet connection, a notably higher share than the statewide average (generally closer to the mid-teens). This gap is one of the clearest differences from North Carolina overall.

Demographic patterns shaping mobile use

• Age: Older residents make up a slightly larger share of the population than the state overall. Smartphone adoption among adults 65+ lags the state average by a few points, but many older users in the county still rely on mobile for core tasks (messaging, telehealth portals, banking) due to weaker fixed broadband options in some areas.
• Income: Median household income is lower than the state median, which is correlated with higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only internet. Households under $35,000 are disproportionately likely to use a phone plan as their primary or only connection.
• Race and ethnicity: The county’s Hispanic/Latino share is materially higher than the North Carolina average. Spanish-speaking and bilingual households commonly prioritize smartphones for connectivity, messaging, and media, contributing to higher mobile dependence than the state as a whole.
• Education and work: A sizable share of service, agriculture, and light manufacturing employment means mobile phones are central for shift scheduling, payments, and workplace communications. Mobile data usage spikes around commuting corridors and shift changes, a pattern less pronounced statewide.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage mix: 4G LTE coverage from the national carriers is broadly available along primary corridors (US 24/27, I‑73/74/US‑220, and town centers such as Troy, Biscoe, Star, and Mt. Gilead). 5G coverage is present but is dominated by low-band footprints; mid-band 5G capacity is increasingly available in and around town centers and along highways but remains patchy in the more remote parts of the county.
• Terrain effects: The Uwharrie topography and forested areas create dead zones and fluctuating signal quality off-corridor. As a result, outdoor coverage maps tend to overstate consistent indoor performance in hollows and low-density areas.
• Backhaul constraints: Cellular site capacity is variable. Sites anchored to fiber backhaul along the main corridors perform well; off-corridor sites sometimes fall back to lower-capacity backhaul, reducing peak speeds during busy periods.
• Fixed broadband context: Cable and fiber are available in town centers and some subdivisions, but coverage thins quickly outside those zones. The uneven fixed-broadband footprint materially contributes to the county’s higher mobile-only household share.
• Emergency and public-safety use: E-911 and first-responder communications leverage dedicated bands and roaming arrangements, but consumer networks still see congestion during incidents or weather disruptions, especially where single macro sites serve large rural sectors.

How Montgomery County differs from North Carolina overall

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: By roughly 8–12 percentage points compared with the state average. This is the most consistent divergence.
• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption rate than statewide, driven by an older age mix and rural residence, but still high in absolute terms (near or above four in five adults).
• Greater prepaid-plan penetration and data budgeting behavior, linked to lower median incomes and more price-sensitive users than the state average.
• Heavier dependence on mobile for essential services (school platforms, telehealth, benefits portals) because fixed broadband options are limited or unaffordable in parts of the county.
• More pronounced performance gaps between highways/towns and outlying areas due to terrain and backhaul, whereas urban North Carolina sees more uniform 5G mid-band capacity and indoor performance.

Actionable insights

• Improving mid-band 5G and fiber backhaul to existing macro sites would yield outsized benefits, stabilizing peak-hour performance and indoor coverage.
• Targeted fixed wireless access (FWA) using licensed mid-band spectrum can close service gaps where cable/fiber buildouts are uneconomic, reducing the county’s mobile-only burden.
• Device and plan affordability programs aimed at lower-income and Spanish-speaking households would likely have higher-than-average uptake and measurable impacts on digital inclusion.
• Coordinating school, healthcare, and county services around low-bandwidth mobile experiences (offline-capable apps, SMS-based notifications) aligns with current usage realities and can improve service access without waiting for full infrastructure parity with urban areas.

Social media usage in Montgomery County, NC — 2025 snapshot

How many residents use social media

• Adults (18+): ~81% use at least one social platform (Pew Research Center, 2024 US benchmark; Montgomery County adults align closely with national adoption)
• Teens (13–17): ~95% use at least one platform (Pew, 2023–2024 teen benchmarks)
• Combined takeaway: The large majority of residents 13+ are active on at least one platform; participation is near-universal among under-30s and solidly mainstream among older adults

Most-used platforms among adults (share who use the platform)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21% Note: Figures reflect Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage; Montgomery County patterns track these closely given similar age/gender mix and rural NC media habits.

Age-group usage patterns

• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are core daily apps; Facebook is used but less central than for older groups
• 30–49: Highest multi-platform use; Facebook and YouTube dominate, Instagram is strong; TikTok use is material but below under-30s
• 50–64: Facebook remains primary; YouTube widely used for how‑to/news; Instagram/TikTok are secondary
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube are the primary platforms; most others see low adoption (Examples from Pew 2024: YouTube reaches roughly 90% of 18–29 and about 60% of 65+; Facebook reaches roughly three-quarters of adults 30–64 and about three-in-five 65+.)

Gender breakdown

• County population split (ACS, latest available): approximately 49% female, 51% male
• Social media adoption is broadly similar by gender overall
• Platform skews (Pew 2024): Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; LinkedIn shows a slight male tilt

Behavioral trends observed in rural NC counties like Montgomery

• Facebook is the community backbone: school updates, local government notices, churches, high school sports, buy‑sell‑trade groups, and event promotion see strong engagement; Messenger is heavily used
• YouTube is a go-to for DIY, home/auto repair, outdoor recreation, faith content, and local business discovery; long-tail “how‑to” and sermon uploads perform reliably
• Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is the growth format for under‑40s; local sports highlights, food spots, and “day-in-the-life” work content draw above-average watch time
• Instagram is the showcase platform for small businesses (reels, stories, and UGC); shopping features and DMs convert for boutiques, home services, and food trucks
• Snapchat maintains a strong teen/young-adult streak for private messaging and local friend networks; public Stories are less central than private snaps
• WhatsApp and group messaging see elevated use in Hispanic/Latino households for family, church, and work coordination
• Engagement timing: Evenings (7–10 pm ET) and weekend mid‑days are the highest-activity windows; weather events, school closings, and local sports drive spikes
• Mobile-first consumption dominates; short videos and vertically shot clips perform best; clear captions/subtitles lift completion for auto-play viewers

Sources and methodology

• Platform percentages and age/gender skews: Pew Research Center Social Media Use in 2024 (adults) and Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023/2024 update
• Demographic context (gender split): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (latest available for Montgomery County, NC)
• County-level usage mirrors national rates due to similar demographic structure; when precise county surveys are unavailable, nationally representative Pew rates provide the most reliable benchmark for local planning and forecasting.