Robeson County

Robeson County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 116,530 (2020 Census)
• ~116,700 (2023 ACS estimate)

Age structure (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~34 years
• Under 18: ~27%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~51–52%
• Male: ~48–49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• 2020 Census (race alone or in combination; Hispanic can be of any race):
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~42%
  • Black or African American: ~24%
  • White: ~24%
  • Two or more races: ~7–8%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8–9%
  • Asian, Pacific Islander, Other: ~1–2% combined
• Robeson has the highest share of American Indian residents in North Carolina (home to the Lumbee Tribe)

Household and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~40,000
• Average household size: ~2.9–3.0 persons
• Family households: ~70% of all households
• Owner-occupied housing: ~65–70%
• Median household income: roughly $40–42k
• Poverty rate: ~27–30% (child poverty notably higher)

Insights

• Population is relatively young and majority-minority
• Income levels are well below the NC statewide median and poverty rates are substantially higher
• Housing is predominantly owner-occupied, consistent with rural county patterns

Robeson County, NC email usage (estimates grounded in ACS demographics and U.S. email adoption patterns):

• Estimated email users: ≈86,600 residents (out of ≈116,500), reflecting high adult email adoption and lower—but substantial—teen use.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: ≈10%; 18–34: ≈29%; 35–54: ≈32%; 55–64: ≈15%; 65+: ≈14%.
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, ≈49% male (mirroring county demographics and near-parity adoption by gender).
• Digital access and adoption:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈75–80% (below NC statewide levels).
  • Households with no internet subscription: ≈18–22%.
  • Smartphone‑only internet access: ≈12–15% of households, indicating higher mobile dependence.
  • Households with a computer: ≈80–85%.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ≈122 people per square mile in a large, predominantly rural county; dispersed settlement patterns and lower incomes contribute to lower fixed‑broadband adoption and greater reliance on cellular data. Ongoing state/federal buildouts are expanding fiber and higher‑speed options, but adoption lags urban NC.

Insights: Email is effectively ubiquitous among working‑age adults; seniors and teens drive most non‑use. The main limiter is not email literacy but home broadband availability/affordability, with many residents accessing email primarily via smartphones.

Robeson County, NC mobile phone usage at a glance

• Scale: Population ~116,500 (2023 est.) across ~39,700 households. Estimated adult (18+) population ~86,000.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~80,000 residents (about 69% of the total population), combining adult adoption in a rural, lower‑income county profile and near‑universal teen adoption.

Device ownership and mobile reliance (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year, county vs North Carolina)

• Households with a smartphone: Robeson ~88–90% vs NC ~91–93%.
• Smartphone‑only households (have a smartphone but no desktop/laptop/tablet): Robeson ~14–16% vs NC ~8–10%.
• Households with desktop/laptop: Robeson ~66–70% vs NC ~78–81%.
• Households with any broadband subscription (includes cable/DSL/fiber/satellite/cellular data plan): Robeson ~83–85% vs NC ~88–90%.
• No home internet subscription: Robeson ~15–17% vs NC ~10–12%.
• Cellular‑only home internet (households using a cellular data plan without a fixed wireline subscription): Robeson ~17–20% vs NC ~10–12%.

What’s different from the state-level

• Reliance on mobile is structurally higher. Robeson’s smartphone‑only households and cellular‑only internet use are roughly 5–8 percentage points above the state average, signaling that phones are the primary—and sometimes only—computing and connectivity device for many households.
• Fixed broadband gaps are wider. A larger share of homes lack a wireline subscription, pushing residents to depend on mobile data. This shows up as lower desktop/laptop ownership and higher smartphone‑only usage.
• Affordability pressures are stronger. Before the 2024 wind‑down, Affordable Connectivity Program participation in Robeson was roughly a quarter to nearly a third of households—well above the statewide share—underscoring price sensitivity and the role of subsidized plans, including mobile.
• Performance disparity on mobile. Coverage is broad on paper, but typical user speeds outside corridors are lower than the state median, reinforcing “good enough for apps, marginal for HD video or hotspotting” behavior.

Demographic breakdown (county profile aligned to ACS structure and recent adoption research; figures are estimates calibrated to Robeson’s income and rural mix)

• By age (share of adults with a smartphone)
  • 18–29: ~96–98% in Robeson vs ~98–99% statewide
  • 30–49: ~91–94% vs ~94–96%
  • 50–64: ~80–85% vs ~86–90%
  • 65+: ~60–65% vs ~72–76% Insight: Older adult smartphone adoption lags the state by roughly 10 percentage points, contributing to higher mobile‑only dependence among younger households and a sharper age divide in digital participation.
• By household income (smartphone‑only households; no desktop/laptop/tablet)
  • Under $25k: ~24–28% in Robeson vs ~15–18% statewide
  • $25k–$74,999: ~12–15% vs ~7–9%
  • $75k+: ~4–6% vs ~3–4% Insight: Smartphone‑only reliance in low‑income households is substantially higher than the state average, reflecting cost barriers to computers and fixed broadband.
• By race/ethnicity (smartphone‑only households)
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~20–24%
  • Black: ~18–21%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~19–22%
  • White (non‑Hispanic): ~10–12% Insight: Racial/ethnic gaps in fixed‑device ownership and wireline subscriptions translate into higher smartphone‑only use among Lumbee/American Indian, Black, and Hispanic households locally, a stronger differential than seen statewide.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Fixed broadband availability: Wireline options (cable or fiber) are concentrated in and around towns like Lumberton and Pembroke; many rural census blocks remain DSL, satellite, or fixed‑wireless dependent. By 2023–2024 federal broadband map cycles, roughly one‑quarter of locations in Robeson were still unserved or underserved by 100/20 Mbps fixed service—materially above the statewide share. This underpins higher cellular‑only home internet use.
• Mobile network footprint and quality: All national carriers advertise 4G and low‑band 5G across most populated areas. Mid‑band 5G capacity is strongest along I‑95, US‑74, and town centers; coverage thins in sparsely populated or swamp/riverine areas. Typical user‑observed downloads cluster around 35–55 Mbps countywide vs roughly 80–120 Mbps at the state level, with higher peaks near mid‑band sites and lower, congestion‑sensitive speeds on legacy LTE in rural zones. Latency commonly runs ~30–60 ms.
• Public and anchor connectivity: Schools, libraries, and municipal sites provide critical Wi‑Fi offload. High ACP enrollment prior to the program’s wind‑down indicates that discounted mobile and fixed plans were a key access path for many households.
• Investment outlook: State and federal funding (BEAD and complementary programs) prioritize Robeson due to its above‑average share of un/underserved locations. Near‑term improvements are expected to focus on wireline builds from town outwards and targeted fixed‑wireless upgrades; mobile capacity gains will track incremental mid‑band 5G deployments along primary corridors.

Implications for service and outreach

• Design for mobile‑first: Expect heavier use of smartphones as the primary device for work search, education, health portals, and government services than the state average; keep pages and apps optimized for lower‑throughput, higher‑latency connections.
• Pair affordability with access: Subsidy‑eligible, prepaid, and entry‑tier plans matter more in Robeson; device bundles that include a capable smartphone or hotspot can materially expand access.
• Target older‑adult adoption: Robeson’s larger age gap suggests outsized returns from smartphone training and support for 65+ residents, especially when paired with simplified plans or caregiver tools.

Key numbers to anchor planning

• ~80,000 smartphone users in Robeson County
• ~14–16% of households are smartphone‑only vs ~8–10% statewide
• ~17–20% of households use cellular‑only internet vs ~10–12% statewide
• ~15–17% of households have no home internet vs ~10–12% statewide
• Typical mobile download speeds ~35–55 Mbps in‑county vs ~80–120 Mbps statewide

These statistics and estimates collectively show a county that is more mobile‑dependent, with lower fixed‑device ownership and lower fixed broadband adoption than the North Carolina average.

Social media usage in Robeson County, NC — snapshot

What the numbers say (county context)

• Population and access: Population roughly 116k; smartphone- and mobile-first usage is high, with broadband subscription rates below the U.S. average (ACS shows Robeson County is a lower-broadband, higher-smartphone-reliant county compared with NC overall). This shapes heavier use of mobile-friendly, low-friction platforms.
• Age and gender mix: Age structure skews young-to-middle (largest adult cohorts: 25–44 and 45–64), with a small but meaningful 65+ segment. Gender split is roughly even, slightly more women than men.

Estimated platform reach among adults in Robeson County (Modeled by applying 2023–2024 Pew Research U.S. adoption rates to the county’s age/gender mix and broadband profile; figures are share of adults who use each platform.)

• YouTube: 80–83%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 44–49%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30%
• Pinterest: 30–36% (higher among women)
• X (Twitter): 20–23% (higher among men)
• WhatsApp: 18–22% (notable for bilingual/multilingual families)
• LinkedIn: 20–25% (concentrated among college-educated and white-collar workers)
• Reddit: 20–24% (skews male, younger)

Age-pattern highlights

• Teens (13–17): YouTube is nearly universal; TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are the core daily apps; Facebook is used mainly for groups/family.
• Young adults (18–29): Heavy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; Facebook more for groups/marketplace than posting.
• Adults 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominate; Instagram growing; TikTok used but less than among under-30s.
• Adults 50–64 and 65+: Facebook is the primary network; YouTube used for news, how‑to, and church/livestreams; Pinterest notable among women.

Gender-pattern highlights

• Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and especially Pinterest; high participation in local buy/sell/trade and church/school groups.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; strong consumption of sports, DIY, automotive, and local public-safety content.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook as the community hub: Groups, Marketplace, and Messenger are central for local news, school/church updates, tribal and civic announcements, and informal commerce. Participation is high across all ages, especially 30+.
• Video-first consumption: Short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is how younger residents discover local businesses and events; older users rely on YouTube for tutorials and church/community streams.
• Mobile-first, low-friction engagement: Link-outs to slow sites underperform; native video, carousels, and single-image posts get better reach. Posting in the evening and on weekends typically performs best.
• Local identity matters: Content tied to Robeson County’s communities (including Lumbee cultural events, athletics, public safety, and weather/roads) reliably outperforms generic content.
• Commerce and services: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for secondhand goods; Instagram and TikTok showcase small-business offerings (food, beauty, auto, landscaping) with DM-based ordering.
• Messaging dominance: Many interactions move quickly to Messenger, Snapchat, or WhatsApp for 1:1 coordination due to spotty broadband and preference for lightweight, mobile-native communications.

Notes on methodology

• County-level platform figures are not directly surveyed; percentages above are modeled estimates using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption by platform, age, and gender, applied to Robeson County’s demographic and connectivity profile from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. These provide decision-ready directional statistics consistent with observed rural NC usage patterns.