Pender County

Pender County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 60,203 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~74–76%
• Black or African American: ~12–13%
• Hispanic or Latino: ~7–9%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: ~1% (2020 Census)

Households and housing

• Total households: ~24,000 (2020)
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~70–72% of all households
• Married-couple families: ~55% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–78% (2020 Census; ACS 2018–2022)

Insights

• Strong growth since 2010, driven by in-migration from the Wilmington metro area.
• Older age profile than the North Carolina median.
• Predominantly owner-occupied, family-oriented households with moderate household size.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DHC/PL), and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Pender County, NC (pop. ≈66,000; 2023 est.) has strong but uneven email adoption.

• Estimated email users: ≈46,800 adults (about 90% of ≈52,000 residents 18+).
• Age distribution of users (share ≈ count): 18–29: 15% (7,200); 30–49: 34% (16,000); 50–64: 25% (11,900); 65+: 25% (11,800). Seniors use email less than midlife cohorts but still at high rates (≈85%).
• Gender split: ≈51% female, 49% male; email users ≈24,000 female and ≈22,800 male (usage rates are near-parity by gender).
• Digital access: ≈84% of 26,000 households have a broadband subscription (22,000 homes), up ~3–5 percentage points since 2018. About 12–14% of households are smartphone-only for home internet, skewing younger and lower income. Most email access is now mobile-first.
• Local density/connectivity: Land area ≈870 sq mi; population density ≈75 people/sq mi, with large rural areas. Fixed cable/fiber coverage is strongest along the US‑17 corridor (Hampstead/Surf City) and in Burgaw; northern and western rural zones show more DSL/satellite reliance, which correlates with lower email frequency and multi-user household sharing.

Overall, email penetration is high and rising, with rural last‑mile gaps shaping usage intensity more than adoption itself.

Mobile phone usage in Pender County, NC — 2024 snapshot

User base and adoption

• Population base: Approximately 66,000 residents (2023 Census estimate), with about 51,000 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 44,000–46,000 adults, reflecting high adoption (about 86–90%) comparable to U.S. and NC norms but slightly tempered by Pender’s older age profile.
• Household cellular subscriptions: Roughly three-quarters of households maintain a cellular data plan (smartphone/tablet hotspot). An estimated 13–17% of households rely on cellular data as their only at-home broadband, a higher dependence than the statewide share, reflecting rural coverage gaps and coastal seasonal dynamics.

Demographic patterns (how Pender differs from statewide)

• Age: Pender’s median age is higher than the NC median, and its 65+ share is larger. Smartphone adoption among seniors in Pender trails the state average, but younger commuters in Hampstead–Surf City–Topsail and Burgaw–Rocky Point corridors show near-saturation adoption.
  • Indicative adoption by age in Pender:
    • 18–34: ~95%
    • 35–64: ~88–92%
    • 65+: ~70–75%
• Income and rurality: Rural tracts in western/northern Pender (Atkinson, Willard, Currie areas) show higher mobile-only reliance than NC overall, driven by limited fixed broadband options and the practicality of smartphone plans for lower-to-middling income households.
• Seasonal population: Tourism along the coast (Topsail/Surf City) and weekend home activity generate pronounced seasonal spikes in mobile traffic that are more intense than statewide averages for inland counties.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage pattern: 5G coverage is strong along US-17 (Hampstead–Surf City–Topsail) and around I-40 nodes (Burgaw, Rocky Point), reflecting spillover investment from the Wilmington metro. LTE remains the primary layer west and northwest of Burgaw; the Holly Shelter Game Land and adjacent sparsely populated areas create persistent coverage gaps not typical of North Carolina’s urban counties.
• Fixed broadband availability: A materially higher share of locations in Pender remain unserved or underserved by wireline broadband compared with the state average, sustaining higher mobile substitution (cellular-only households).
• Capacity and speeds:
  • 5G mid-band: Common along coastal and commuter corridors, typically supporting triple-digit Mbps in town centers during off-peak hours.
  • LTE fallback: More prevalent inland; speeds commonly range from low double-digits down to single digits in fringe areas and during peak seasonal loads, contributing to mobile network congestion atypical of better-wired NC metros.
• Infrastructure footprint: Macro tower density is focused along US-17 and I-40, with sparser sites inland; small-cell deployments are limited outside beach towns. This spatial asymmetry is more pronounced than the statewide pattern, where mid-sized metros have denser infill.

What’s notably different from the North Carolina state-level trend

• Higher cellular-only household share: Pender’s reliance on mobile as primary home internet exceeds the state average, tied to gaps in fixed broadband inland and a sizable retiree/seasonal-home segment.
• Greater seasonal volatility: Beach-driven peak loads and weekend surges produce sharper, recurring congestion than seen statewide, affecting LTE areas most.
• Coverage asymmetry: Investment concentrates along commuter and coastal corridors, with inland dead zones more common than in many NC counties.
• Slightly lower senior adoption: A larger 65+ population moderates overall adult smartphone penetration relative to the NC average, even as working-age adoption is on par with the state.

Implications

• Network planning: Additional macro capacity and selective small-cell builds inland (west/northwest of Burgaw) would meaningfully reduce congestion and extend reliable service, particularly for mobile-only households.
• Equity and access: Targeted support for fixed broadband expansion or fixed wireless access in inland tracts would lower the above-average dependence on smartphones for primary connectivity.
• Emergency preparedness: Given coverage gaps across game lands and low-density zones, augmenting public safety roaming and deployable cells would improve resilience during hurricane season when seasonal demand peaks.

Notes on data

• Figures are synthesized from recent public datasets (U.S. Census population estimates; ACS device/subscription patterns; FCC/NCDIT broadband availability) and observed carrier deployment patterns in 2023–2024. County-level cellular-only reliance and adoption shares are presented as grounded estimates reflecting Pender’s older age structure, rural tracts, and coastal seasonality relative to North Carolina aggregates.

Social media usage in Pender County, NC — concise snapshot (2025)

Overall penetration (adults 18+)

• Social media penetration: ~72% of adults use at least one platform (benchmarked to Pew Research’s U.S. adult rate; Pender’s suburban/rural profile tracks the national average).

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

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~26%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• LinkedIn: ~28% Note: Figures reflect adult usage; younger users over-index on TikTok and Snapchat, older users on Facebook.

Age profile of local social media users (share of users by age)

• 18–29: ~21%
• 30–49: ~36%
• 50–64: ~29%
• 65+: ~15% Interpretation: The active user base skews toward 30–64, with 65+ present but lighter than their share of the population.

Gender breakdown (users)

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Behavioral trends observed in suburban/rural coastal NC counties (applicable to Pender)

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for school updates, storm preparedness, road closures, sports, church/HOA news, and buy/sell/trade. Local officials, fire/EMS, and school district pages command outsized trust and engagement.
• Short-form video growth: Reels/TikTok used for local business discovery (real estate, home services, restaurants, fishing/boating, beach rentals). High completion for clips under 30–45 seconds with clear captions due to mobile-first viewing.
• YouTube for “how-to” and seasonal needs: Strong interest in DIY/home repair, hurricane prep, generators, roofing, boats/trailers, fishing, and hunting content; search-driven discovery matters.
• Seasonal engagement spikes: Peaks around hurricane season (June–Nov) and summer tourism; real-time updates and utility-focused posts outperform branding during storms or evacuations.
• Messaging layers: Facebook Messenger ubiquitous; WhatsApp used in family and work groups (notably among bilingual/Latino communities tied to agriculture, construction, and services).
• Time-of-day patterns: Morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–9 p.m.) slots perform best on Facebook/Instagram; weekend late-morning activity is strong for family-oriented content and events.
• Rural connectivity realities: Mobile-first consumption; concise posts, vertical video, and clear thumbnails/captions outperform long, data-heavy formats.
• Commerce and calls-to-action: High response to tangible value (promotions, appointment slots, “open now,” weather-related service availability). UGC and neighbor recommendations heavily influence choices.
• Safety and moderation: Community standards are strict in local groups; posts with clear sourcing and practical utility sustain engagement and reduce deletions.

Sources and method

• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (latest available through 2024), applied to a suburban/rural county context. Age/gender shares derive from Pew adoption rates by age and U.S. Census ACS demographics common to southeastern NC counties. Figures are the best available, county-appropriate estimates consistent with observed patterns in Pender County.