Richmond County

Richmond County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 42,946 (2020 Census)
• Down from 46,639 in 2010 (−7.9%), indicating gradual population decline

Age

• Median age: ~40.7 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22.8%
• 18–64: ~59.5%
• 65 and over: ~17.7%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Race (2020 Census, alone): White 56–57%; Black or African American ~34%; American Indian/Alaska Native ~1%; Asian ~0.6%; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander ~0.1%; Some other race ~3%; Two or more races ~4–5%
• Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino (any race) ~9–10%
• Non-Hispanic White approximately low-50% range, reflecting rising multiracial/Hispanic shares

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~16.7k
• Average household size: ~2.49
• Family households: ~66% of all households
• Homeownership rate: ~66–67% (owner-occupied); renters ~33–34%
• One-person households: roughly ~28–30%

Insights

• Aging profile with a median age around 41 and nearly 18% aged 65+
• Racial makeup is majority White with a substantial Black population and a growing Hispanic share
• Household structure is predominantly owner-occupied, small-to-midsize households, consistent with rural North Carolina counties

Richmond County, NC snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~28,500 residents (ages 13+), based on county age mix, internet access, and national email adoption.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–34: ~30%
  • 35–54: ~32%
  • 55–64: ~13%
  • 65+: ~18%
• Gender split of users: ~52% female, ~48% male, mirroring the county’s demographics.

Digital access and usage trends

• About 4 in 5 households have an internet subscription; roughly three quarters have fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber), with the remainder relying on cellular-only data plans.
• Approximately 1 in 5 households lack home internet and depend on smartphones, work/school networks, or public Wi‑Fi for email.
• Smartphone ubiquity keeps email usage high even where home broadband is missing; school-issued accounts drive teen adoption.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population ~43,000 over ~474 sq mi (≈91 residents per square mile), raising last‑mile costs in outlying areas.
• Strongest wired coverage in Rockingham and Hamlet along US‑74/US‑220 corridors; rural Sandhills areas lean more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite. Note: Estimates synthesize U.S. Census Bureau ACS computer/internet subscription data and Pew Research email adoption patterns applied to Richmond County’s age structure.

Mobile phone usage in Richmond County, North Carolina — 2024 snapshot

Core population base (definitive)

• Total population: 42,946 (2020 Census)
• Working estimate of adults (18+): ~33,000 (using the typical NC adult share of the population)

User estimates (modeled from nationally reported rural adoption and device trends applied to the county’s adult base)

• Adults with any mobile phone: ~31,000–32,000 (about 93–97% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ~27,000–28,000 (roughly 80–85% of adults; rural rate applied)
• Prepaid lines: ~7,500–9,000 (about 25–30% of lines; higher than NC’s largely postpaid mix)
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~3,600–4,300 (about 20–24% of ~18,000 households; higher than statewide)
• 5G-capable device share in use: ~62–68% (below statewide urban corridors, reflecting older device retention)

How Richmond County differs from North Carolina overall

• Higher prepaid reliance: Income and rural retail mix drive a larger prepaid share than the state’s urban/suburban centers, where postpaid family plans dominate.
• More smartphone-only connectivity: A notably higher share of households rely on smartphones as their primary or only internet connection than the NC average, due to patchier fixed broadband options outside Rockingham/Hamlet and price sensitivity.
• Slower 5G uptake: A lower share of 5G-capable devices and slower upgrade cycles than in metro NC keep county-level 5G usage below statewide levels, despite signal availability along main corridors.
• Platform skew: Android holds a modest edge over iOS locally (roughly 55–60% vs. 40–45%), reversing the statewide urban tendency where iOS is at or above parity; price points and prepaid plans are the drivers.
• Usage profile: Average monthly mobile data consumption is constrained relative to NC urban counties, with heavier offloading to public Wi‑Fi and community anchors, and more conservative video/streaming usage on cellular.

Demographic breakdown and implications for usage

• Age: A larger share of older adults than in NC’s largest metros contributes to:
  • Lower smartphone penetration among 65+ vs. younger cohorts
  • Longer device replacement cycles and a higher proportion of LTE-only handsets
• Income: Lower median household income than the NC average correlates with:
  • Higher prepaid adoption
  • Greater smartphone-only home internet reliance
  • Greater sensitivity to promotional pricing and data allowances
• Race/ethnicity: Richmond County has a higher share of Black and Native American residents than the NC average. Given national adoption patterns, smartphone ownership is broadly high across groups, but cost-driven behaviors (prepaid, Android, shared plans) are more pronounced where incomes are lower.

Digital infrastructure points (on-the-ground characteristics)

• Coverage footprint: 4G LTE covers most populated areas, with 5G primarily along US 74/I‑74, US 1, and in/around Rockingham and Hamlet. Low-band 5G provides broad reach; mid-band capacity is concentrated near highways and town centers.
• Capacity and reliability: Rural spacing between macro sites leads to weaker indoor signal at the edges, foliage/terrain sensitivity, and variable congestion near schools, industrial sites, and during events.
• Backhaul and fiber: Fiber backhaul follows highway and utility corridors; outside town centers, limited fiber density constrains some 5G capacity deployments compared with NC’s Triangle/Triad/Charlotte metros.
• Fixed broadband competition: Cable/fiber options are strong in town but thin out quickly, increasing reliance on mobile data and fixed wireless access (FWA) in outlying communities. This dynamic differs from many NC urban counties with near-ubiquitous cable/fiber.
• Public connectivity: Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings act as critical Wi‑Fi anchors that mitigate data caps and fill evening peak needs for students and lower-income households.

Actionable insights

• Network strategy: Additional mid-band 5G sectors and small cells in Rockingham/Hamlet and along US 74 would unlock outsized gains, while targeted in‑building solutions at public anchors would improve real-world experience.
• Plan mix: Maintaining aggressive prepaid offers and entry-level 5G devices will capture the county’s price-sensitive segments; family plan discounts can shift multi-line households from prepaid to value postpaid.
• Digital inclusion: Partnerships for device upgrades and subsidized plans, combined with fixed wireless expansion, will reduce smartphone-only dependence and improve homework/work-from-home outcomes.

Method notes

• County population is from the 2020 Census. Adoption, prepaid share, platform mix, and smartphone-only figures are model-based estimates applying Pew Research and industry-reported rural/low-income patterns to Richmond County’s adult base and household count. These estimates are designed to highlight local-versus-state differences rather than exact subscriber totals.

Richmond County, NC social media snapshot (2025)

County baseline

• Population: ≈43,000 (2023 est.); adults (18+): ≈33,000
• Demographics (ACS-based): female ≈52%, male ≈48%; age mix roughly under 18 ≈23%, 18–34 ≈20%, 35–64 ≈38%, 65+ ≈19%

Most-used platforms locally (share of adults; modeled estimates)

• YouTube: ~80% (≈26.5k adults)
• Facebook: ~70% (≈23.2k)
• Instagram: ~40% (≈13.2k)
• Pinterest: ~30% (≈9.9k)
• TikTok: ~25% (≈8.3k)
• Snapchat: ~20% (≈6.6k)
• X (Twitter): ~16% (≈5.3k)
• WhatsApp: ~15% (≈5.0k)
• LinkedIn: ~15% (≈5.0k) Notes: These are best-available local estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by age to Richmond County’s 2023 ACS age structure; rounded to whole percentages.

Age patterns (platform usage tendencies applied locally)

• 18–29: Heavy on YouTube (90%+), Instagram (75–80%), Snapchat (60–65%), TikTok (60%); Facebook lower (~50%).
• 30–49: YouTube (90%), Facebook (70%+), Instagram (50%), TikTok (35%), Snapchat (~25%).
• 50–64: Facebook (70%+), YouTube (80%+); Instagram (30%) and TikTok (10%) are secondary.
• 65+: Facebook (60%+) and YouTube (60%) dominate; minimal Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social user base skews slightly female (≈54% women, 46% men) given platform mix.
• Skews by platform: Pinterest and Instagram more female; Facebook roughly balanced but female-leaning in this market; YouTube and X slightly more male; Snapchat and TikTok lean female among adults but are youth-driven overall.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural NC counties and applicable locally

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups (yard sale, schools, churches, sports), Marketplace, local news, event coordination; peak engagement early morning and after 6 pm.
• YouTube is the “how-to and hometown” channel: DIY, auto, hunting/fishing, sermons, and high school sports highlights; longer watch times, strong search-driven discovery.
• Instagram revolves around Stories/Reels: local boutiques, salons, fitness, and food; cross-posting to Facebook is common to expand reach.
• TikTok is growing with 18–34s: short local clips (restaurants, county fair, sports moments); discovery via For You; creator content outperforms overt ads.
• Snapchat concentrates among teens/young adults: messaging, location check-ins, and event-driven spikes (games, festivals).
• Pinterest is a planning tool for women 25–54: home projects, crafts, recipes; saves and outbound clicks outperform comments.
• X (Twitter) remains niche: news, politics, weather/emergency updates; limited broad consumer reach.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp usage present but smaller, centered on family and church circles.
• Content cadence: local news/events and Marketplace perform best evenings; retail/food does well Thu–Sun; video consistently outperforms static posts.

Key takeaways

• Reach: Facebook and YouTube provide the broadest adult reach; a two-platform baseline covers most residents.
• Growth lanes: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is the fastest-rising format among 18–34s.
• Conversion paths: Marketplace, Groups, and Messenger drive direct responses for local businesses.
• Creative: Authentic, place-specific visuals and faces outperform polished creative; video first, captions concise.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (population, age, sex).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by age/gender).
• Local platform estimates produced by applying Pew’s age-specific adoption rates to Richmond County’s ACS age structure; results rounded and presented as best-available county-level approximations.