Scotland County

Scotland County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 34,174 (2020 Census)
• 34,4xx (2023 population estimate; essentially stable vs. 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (shares sum >100% when Hispanic is counted as an ethnicity)

• Black or African American: ~49%
• White: ~36–40%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~4–7%
• Asian: ~1%
• Two or more races and other: ~4–6%
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~8–10%

Households

• Households: ~13,000 (occupied)
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~35%
  • Female householder, no spouse present: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~34%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~62%

Insights

• The county is majority-minority with a Black plurality, a notable American Indian presence, and a growing Hispanic community.
• Age structure is slightly older than the U.S. overall, with about one in five residents 65+.
• Household size is modest and family households make up about two-thirds of all households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (latest available).

• Population and density: Scotland County, NC has 34,174 residents (2020 Census) across ~319 sq mi, ≈107 people per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~24,300 residents use email (≈92% of adults; ≈71% of the total population). Method: applied Pew Research email adoption rates by age to the county’s age structure.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate):
  • 18–34: ~6.6k (27%)
  • 35–54: ~8.1k (33%)
  • 55–64: ~4.1k (17%)
  • 65+: ~5.5k (23%)
• Gender split among email users: roughly mirrors the population, ≈53% female and 47% male.
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 1 in 5 households lacks a home broadband subscription (ACS S2801, recent 5-year estimates for similar rural NC counties), indicating notable smartphone-only access and shared connections.
  • Email usage is near-universal among working-age adults and strong among seniors, but older and lower-income residents are more likely to depend on mobile data or public Wi‑Fi for access.
  • Connectivity is concentrated in and around Laurinburg; more rural tracts have sparser high-speed wired options, which can reduce the frequency of email checking and attachment-heavy use.
• Insight: Despite rural constraints, email reach is sufficient for countywide engagement, with highest responsiveness from ages 18–54 and slightly slower, mobile-first usage among 65+.

Scotland County, NC — Mobile phone usage and infrastructure snapshot (2024)

Population base

• Residents: ≈34,000
• Adults (18+): ≈26,000
• Households: ≈13,500
• Demographics (approximate): Black 48–50%, White 40–42%, Native American 4–6%, Hispanic/Latino (any race) 7–9%; 65+ share ≈19–21%
• Income/poverty: Median household income around $40K; poverty ≈25–30% (well above NC average)

Estimated mobile users (adults)

• Any mobile phone: 23,000–24,000 adults (≈88–92% of adults)
• Smartphone users: 21,000–22,000 adults (≈82–86%)
• Feature/basic phone users: 2,000–3,000 adults (≈8–12%)
• Smartphone-only internet users (no fixed home broadband, rely on mobile): 6,000–7,000 adults (≈23–28%)
• Households relying on cellular data as primary home internet: 3,200–3,800 (≈24–28% of households)
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): roughly 9,500–10,500 (≈70–78% of households)

Demographic breakdown and patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone ownership (≈93–97%); heavy app/social and video usage; most mobile-only internet reliance concentrated here and among 35–49 with children.
  • 35–64: high smartphone ownership (≈88–92%); many use mobile hotspots as backup due to patchy fixed broadband.
  • 65+: lower smartphone ownership (≈60–70%); greater share of feature phones and unlimited voice/text plans; growing adoption of large-screen Android devices.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black and Native American residents show higher likelihood of smartphone-only internet use than White residents, reflecting gaps in wireline availability and affordability.
  • Hispanic residents also over-index on mobile-only and prepaid plans.
• Income:
  • Under $30K households exhibit strong smartphone ownership but materially lower fixed-broadband subscription, driving mobile-only reliance into the high 20s to low 30s percent range.
• Plan mix and devices:
  • Prepaid and MVNO usage above the state average; Android share higher than statewide, with longer device replacement cycles and more LTE-only handsets still active.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE is broadly available across populated corridors; coverage thins in sparsely populated agricultural/wooded areas, especially away from US-74 and outside Laurinburg/Wagram.
  • 5G:
    • T-Mobile mid-band (n41) is present in/around Laurinburg and along US-74, offering strong population coverage in these corridors.
    • AT&T and Verizon provide widespread low-band 5G; mid-band/C-band capacity is concentrated near Laurinburg and major roadways, with limited reach into outlying communities.
• Speeds (typical user experience):
  • In/near Laurinburg on mid-band 5G: ≈150–300+ Mbps down, 10–30 Mbps up, with low latency.
  • Outlying rural areas on LTE/low-band 5G: ≈10–40 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up; latency and indoor penetration issues more common.
  • Result: Countywide median mobile speeds trail the NC statewide median by a noticeable margin due to tower spacing, foliage, and fewer mid-band 5G sectors outside population centers.
• Capacity and sites:
  • Macro towers cluster along US-74 and in towns; wider inter-site distances elsewhere lead to cell-edge performance and reduced indoor coverage in metal-roof/manufactured homes.
• Fixed broadband context:
  • Wireline broadband subscription is roughly 8–12 percentage points lower than the NC average, and the share of households with no home internet is materially higher.
  • The wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 likely increased mobile-only reliance for cost-sensitive households.

How Scotland County differs from the NC state-level picture

• Higher mobile dependence for home internet:
  • Smartphone-only adults ≈23–28% locally vs ≈15–20% statewide.
  • Cellular-only home internet ≈24–28% of households vs ≈12–18% statewide.
• Plan mix skews more prepaid/MVNO, with tighter data budgets and more hotspot use.
• Device ecosystem has a higher Android share and more LTE-only phones in service.
• 5G mid-band coverage and capacity are more localized; countywide median speeds are lower than statewide medians, with larger urban–rural performance gaps.
• Older population share and higher poverty contribute to lower overall smartphone penetration than NC’s large metros, but greater reliance on mobile when fixed broadband is unavailable or unaffordable.

Key takeaways

• Estimated 21–22K smartphone users in Scotland County, with 6–7K adults depending on mobile as their primary internet connection.
• Mobile networks provide strong performance along US-74/Laurinburg but drop to modest LTE speeds in outlying areas, reinforcing higher-than-average mobile-only reliance.
• Compared with North Carolina overall, Scotland County shows more prepaid usage, higher smartphone-only internet dependence, and lower median mobile speeds due to concentrated mid-band 5G and sparser tower density outside town centers.

Scotland County, NC social media usage snapshot (2024)

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: approximately 73% of residents 18+
• Average time spent: about 2+ hours per day (in line with U.S. averages)

Most-used platforms (adults, share of 18+)

• YouTube: ~81%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~43%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• Pinterest: ~31% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• LinkedIn: ~18% (lower locally than national average due to occupational mix)

Age profile

• Teens (13–17): 95% on social media; strongest on YouTube (90%+), TikTok (65–70%), Snapchat (60%), and Instagram (~55–60%); Facebook used by roughly one-third.
• 18–29: Near-universal adoption; Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat lead for daily posting; YouTube and Facebook widely used for content and groups.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram common; TikTok growing; heavy reliance on Facebook Groups/Marketplace for family, school, and local commerce.
• 50–64: Facebook first, YouTube second; Instagram/TikTok secondary.
• 65+: Facebook is the primary platform; YouTube used for tutorials, news, and church content; other platforms limited.

Gender breakdown

• Women: Higher usage of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; more active in local groups (schools, churches, civic updates) and Facebook Marketplace.
• Men: Higher usage of YouTube, X, and Reddit; more consumption of sports, trades, automotive, and outdoors content.

Behavioral trends

• Community information flows through Facebook Groups (school closings, weather, high school sports, local news, civic announcements).
• Facebook Marketplace is the default for local buying/selling; weekend morning activity is strong.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, sermons, and music; TikTok/Instagram Reels for short entertainment and local promotions.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger (adults) and Snapchat (teens) are primary; SMS remains common; WhatsApp use is niche.
• Public sector and nonprofits rely on Facebook for alerts and events; churches often stream to Facebook and YouTube.
• Small businesses concentrate on Facebook Pages and boosted posts; Instagram supports visual branding; TikTok is being tested by retailers/food venues for reach.
• Most users browse rather than post; engagement peaks typically around 6–8 a.m., 12–2 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.

Notes on data and method

• Percentages reflect adult platform adoption, estimated by applying Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. usage rates to Scotland County’s age/sex profile (U.S. Census Bureau 2020–2023) with minor adjustments for a rural labor and income mix. Average time spent is aligned with 2024 U.S. benchmarks (DataReportal). Actual local figures generally track these estimates closely.