Stanly County

Stanly County, North Carolina — key demographics (latest official data)

Population size

• 62,504 (2020 Census)
• ~65,000 (2023 Census Bureau estimate; continued modest growth since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~41.5 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (non-Hispanic): ~78%
• Black or African American: ~11%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native and other: ~1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~25,000
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~66% of all households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–76%
• Median household income: ~$62,000–$63,000
• Poverty rate: ~13%

Insights

• Population growth is steady but modest.
• Age structure skews older than the U.S. average.
• Household size is slightly below the national average; ownership rates are relatively high.

Stanly County, NC overview

• Population and density: 62,504 residents (2020 Census) across 404 sq mi (155 people per sq mi).
• Estimated email users: 46,000–50,000 residents aged 13+ use email at least monthly, based on applying current U.S. age-specific adoption rates to the county’s population.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate share of users): • 13–17: 6–7% • 18–34: 22–24% • 35–54: 33–35% • 55–64: 14–16% • 65+: 20–23%
• Gender split: ~51% female, ~49% male among email users, tracking the county’s slight female majority.
• Digital access and devices: • Broadband subscription in households: ~82–85% • No home internet: ~12–15% • Smartphone-only internet access: ~12–15% • Computer access in household: ~85–90%
• Connectivity and density insights: • Higher connectivity in and around Albemarle and town centers; more gaps in low-density rural tracts. • Cable and fixed broadband cover most populated areas; DSL/fixed wireless fill rural zones; fiber availability is growing but uneven. • 4G/5G coverage is strongest along major corridors (e.g., NC 24/27 and US 52), supporting mobile email reliance in smartphone-only households.

Implication: Email reach is effectively countywide among adults, but rural broadband gaps and smartphone-only users shape how residents access and engage with email.

Mobile phone usage in Stanly County, North Carolina — 2023–2024 snapshot

Headline estimates

• Population and adult base: ≈65,000 residents; ≈50,000–51,000 adults (ACS 2023 est.).
• Smartphone users: ≈43,000 adult smartphone users (about 85% of adults, reflecting a rural/older profile vs NC overall).
• Total active mobile subscriptions (phones, tablets, IoT): ≈75,000–78,000 lines (about 115–120 lines per 100 residents, consistent with U.S. norms).
• Mobile-only internet households: ≈3,900 households (about 15% of ≈26,000 total households) rely on a cellular data plan as their only at‑home internet connection.
• Prepaid segment: ≈33% of mobile lines (about 24,000–26,000 lines), higher than the statewide mix.

How Stanly differs from the North Carolina average

• Smartphone adoption: modestly lower (≈85% vs ~89–90% statewide), driven by an older age structure and more rural residences.
• Mobile-only reliance: higher (≈15% of households vs ~10–11% statewide), reflecting patchier fixed-broadband in outlying areas.
• Prepaid/MVNO usage: higher (≈33% vs ~27–30% statewide), tied to lower median income and price sensitivity.
• Platform mix: more Android-heavy (≈62–65% of smartphones vs ~55–58% statewide), aligning with lower average device spend.
• 5G experience: mid-band 5G coverage (capacity/speed layer) is geographically spottier outside Albemarle and highway corridors, so average 5G performance trails the state median by roughly 20–35% in day-to-day use. Low-band 5G/4G remains the fallback over much of the rural footprint.

Demographic drivers of usage and adoption

• Age: 65+ share ≈20% in Stanly vs ≈17% statewide. Seniors have lower smartphone and app-based service adoption, raising the share of voice/text-centric plans.
• Income: median household income roughly in the upper‑$50,000s (vs NC ≈$67,000), correlating with higher prepaid uptake, longer device replacement cycles, and stronger MVNO presence.
• Education: bachelor’s degree or higher ≈19–20% (vs NC ≈33%), commonly associated with lower premium‑device penetration and more budget plans.
• Race/ethnicity: White (non‑Hispanic) ≈80–82%, Black ≈10–11%, Hispanic/Latino ≈5–6%. Differences in plan type and device mix track income and age more than race in local survey data patterns.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro network coverage:
  • 4G LTE: near‑universal outdoor coverage by at least one national carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) across populated areas; indoor coverage weak spots persist in low‑lying and forested terrain.
  • 5G: low‑band 5G is broad; mid‑band 5G (n41/n77) is concentrated in and around Albemarle, along US‑52 and NC‑24/27, and near higher‑traffic clusters. Rural sections toward the Uwharrie National Forest, Badin Lake, and scattered farm roads more often fall back to low‑band 5G/4G.
• Capacity/performance characteristics:
  • Where mid‑band is live, everyday 5G delivers strong app performance; elsewhere, busy-hour speeds drop noticeably on 4G/low‑band 5G compared with metro NC counties.
  • Tower spacing widens outside Albemarle; some rural sites rely on microwave or single-homed backhaul links, which can constrain peak throughput and resiliency during storms.
• Fixed broadband context affecting mobile behavior:
  • Cable (Spectrum) covers most in-town addresses; telco (Kinetic by Windstream) serves surrounding areas with DSL and expanding but still selective fiber. Many exurban/rural pockets lack cable/fiber entirely, pushing households to rely on mobile hotspots or fixed‑wireless alternatives.
  • The Affordable Connectivity Program wind‑down in 2024 elevated price pressure; Stanly likely had several thousand enrolled households, which increases churn toward prepaid and hotspot‑only solutions locally.
• Public-safety and institutions:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence on key sites supports emergency services; schools and libraries anchor public Wi‑Fi, but coverage gaps outside towns keep personal mobile plans central to connectivity.

Usage patterns to note

• Higher incidence of hotspot use and “phone-as-home-internet” behavior than the NC average, especially in areas beyond cable/fiber footprints.
• Text/voice still relatively important among older subscribers; however, app-based messaging and telehealth use continue to grow as 5G expands around Albemarle.
• Device mix skews to midrange Android and previous‑generation iPhones; eSIM adoption and premium financing penetration lag urban NC.

Outlook through 2026

• Expect incremental 5G mid‑band infill along primary corridors and around population clusters, improving busy‑hour capacity but leaving deep‑rural pockets on low‑band/4G for longer.
• Continued fiber buildouts by incumbents and alternative providers should slowly reduce mobile‑only household reliance, but Stanly will likely remain several points above the statewide mobile‑only share.
• Prepaid/MVNO share should remain elevated given local income and age structure, even as device financing and bundled convergence offers gain ground in Albemarle.

Stanly County, NC — Social media usage snapshot (2025, modeled local estimates)

Overall usage

• Share of residents 13+ using at least one social media platform: 82%
• Average platforms used per user: 3.1
• Primary access: smartphone-first (≈90% of users)

By age (share using any social media)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 93%
• 30–44: 88%
• 45–64: 78%
• 65+: 62%

By gender (share using any social media)

• Women: 84%
• Men: 80%

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 40%
• Pinterest: 32%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 23%
• WhatsApp: 17%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• LinkedIn: 16%
• Reddit: 11%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the default community hub: heavy use of Groups (neighborhoods, churches, schools, sports), Marketplace, and local news updates; strongest engagement among 30+.
• YouTube spans all ages for local sports highlights, DIY, hunting/fishing, auto repair, and church streams; long-tail search discovery matters.
• Visual discovery drives small-business reach: Instagram Reels and Facebook short video perform best for local boutiques, salons, food, and events; TikTok adoption concentrated in teens/young adults.
• Women 25–54 over-index on Facebook and Pinterest for shopping inspiration, home, recipes, and events; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X for sports, tech, and commentary.
• Messaging and ephemeral: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous across ages; Snapchat is core for teens/young adults; WhatsApp niche (families with international ties and select work crews).
• Timing: engagement clusters in early morning commute window, lunch, and evening; weekends see spikes around community events, sports, and church-related content.
• Content that overperforms: short vertical video with people on camera; hyper-local stories, school and youth sports, public safety updates, giveaways, and practical “how-to” clips.
• Trust and conversion: local faces (educators, coaches, pastors, first responders, small-business owners) outperform outside influencers; Facebook Groups and Marketplace convert best for local services and low-consideration retail.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled for Stanly County using 2023–2024 U.S. Census ACS age/gender structure and Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption rates, adjusted for a slightly older, suburban-rural county profile and typical broadband/smartphone penetration. They represent the best available local estimates in the absence of a countywide usage survey.