Stokes County

Key demographics – Stokes County, North Carolina Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates; 2023 population estimates)

Population size

• Total population: ~45,900 (2023 estimate)
• 2020 Census count: ~45,500

Age

• Median age: ~46 years
• Under 18: ~20–21%
• 18 to 64: ~57–59%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~86–88%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–4%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~18,000–18,500
• Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
• Family households: ~68–72% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–55% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~24–27%
• Homeownership rate: ~78–82%
• Median household income (in 2023 dollars): roughly $58,000–$62,000
• Per capita income (in 2023 dollars): roughly $29,000–$31,000
• Persons below poverty level: ~12–15%

Insights

• Stokes County is a small, predominantly non-Hispanic White, largely owner-occupied county with an older-than-state-average population (median age ~46).
• Household composition skews toward married-couple and family households, with modest household sizes typical of rural/suburban counties.
• Income and poverty levels are close to statewide rural norms; high homeownership underscores a stable, low-density housing market.

Email usage in Stokes County, NC (2025 estimate)

• Population baseline: ~45,900 residents across ~456 sq mi (≈100 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~32,500 residents (≈71% of total; ~88–90% of connected adults).
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring county demographics.

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–34: ~24%
• 35–54: ~33%
• 55–64: ~17%
• 65+: ~18%

Digital access and trends:

• ~82% of households have a broadband subscription; ~11% report no home internet; ~14% are smartphone‑only for home access.
• Adoption is highest in and around the more densely populated towns (e.g., King, Walnut Cove) and lower in sparsely populated northern and western tracts, consistent with rural last‑mile challenges.
• Ongoing state and federal investments (e.g., rural broadband grants) are expanding fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage; public libraries and schools provide important Wi‑Fi access points.

Insights:

• Email penetration closely tracks overall internet access; improving last‑mile broadband is the biggest lever for increasing email adoption among seniors and lower‑income households.
• Working‑age adults (35–54) form the largest email user block, while seniors’ usage is rising but constrained by access gaps.

Mobile phone usage in Stokes County, North Carolina — summary and how it differs from statewide patterns

Scope note: Headline statistics below are the latest available from federal datasets (2020–2023), and user counts are model-based estimates grounded in standard adoption rates for rural counties and applied to Stokes County’s demographics.

Topline picture

• Population and setting: Stokes County is a largely rural Piedmont/foothills county of about 45,600 residents (2020 Census), anchored by King (partly in Forsyth), Walnut Cove, and Danbury. Its older age profile and lower household density shape both adoption and network build-out.
• Core difference vs North Carolina overall: Stokes shows slightly lower smartphone penetration and 5G coverage than the state average, higher reliance on cellular data as a primary connection in rural tracts, and more variability in indoor service due to terrain (Sauratown Mountains/Hanging Rock area).

User estimates (people and households)

• Residents using a mobile phone (any type): approximately 34,000–36,000.
  • Method: adult population (~36,000) × rural mobile adoption (95–97% for any cellphone).
• Residents using a smartphone: approximately 28,000–31,000.
  • Method: adult population × rural smartphone adoption (80–86%).
• Households with at least one smartphone: about 15,000–16,000 out of roughly 18,000 total households.
• Households primarily relying on cellular data for home internet (“cellular-only”): approximately 2,500–3,000, a higher share than the statewide average due to limited wired options in many northern and eastern tracts.

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• Age: Stokes County’s median age is notably higher than North Carolina’s (~mid-40s vs ~39 statewide). Consequences:
  • Higher share of basic/voice-first users among 65+ residents.
  • Lower smartphone penetration in older cohorts; county-wide smartphone adoption runs several percentage points below the state average.
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s attainment are below the statewide averages.
  • Effects: greater prevalence of prepaid and budget plans, more single-line accounts, and higher sensitivity to data caps; slightly higher share of smartphone-only internet users.
• Race/ethnicity and geography: The county is majority non-Hispanic White with small but growing Hispanic communities, particularly around King/Walnut Cove. Rural settlement patterns (dispersed housing north of NC-89 and east toward the Dan River) increase the cost per served location, slowing fiber and small-cell densification relative to metro counties.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage patterns:
  • 4G LTE is broadly available outdoors along primary corridors (US-52, NC-8, NC-66, NC-89). Indoor coverage weakens in valleys and low-density areas north of Hanging Rock State Park and along the Dan River.
  • 5G mid-band capacity (e.g., T-Mobile n41, Verizon/AT&T C-band) is strongest around King and Walnut Cove and along US-52; much of the northern half of the county still falls back to LTE or low-band 5G.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Statewide 5G performance has improved rapidly; Stokes lags metro counties due to fewer C-band/mid-band sectors and lower site density. Expect noticeably lower median speeds and greater variability during peak hours than the statewide median, with the most consistent performance along US-52.
• Tower siting and terrain:
  • Sauratown Mountains and ridgelines near Hanging Rock create shadowed zones; carriers compensate with ridge-top sites and sector tilts, but indoor penetration remains uneven. This terrain-driven variability is a larger factor here than in most of the state’s coastal plain or urban Piedmont.
• Carriers and public-safety networks:
  • All three national MNOs (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) operate countywide. FirstNet (AT&T) supports public safety; coverage is strongest near towns/corridors with some gaps in remote recreation areas.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Cable broadband (e.g., Spectrum) covers town centers and denser suburbs; legacy DSL and pockets of fiber (e.g., Kinetic/Windstream and other regional providers) serve parts of the rural areas. Where fiber/cable is absent, households more often lean on unlimited or high-cap prepaid mobile plans for home connectivity.
  • State and federal funds (ARPA/BEAD-era projects) are in progress to extend fiber along primary corridors and unserved clusters; as these complete (2024–2027), smartphone-only reliance should ease in the most rural tracts.

How Stokes County differs from the North Carolina average

• Adoption level: Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration (by roughly 3–7 percentage points) due to age and rurality; basic phone use remains more common among seniors.
• Connection mode: Higher share of smartphone-only and cellular-primary households than the state average, particularly outside King and Walnut Cove.
• Network experience: More LTE fallback and fewer mid-band 5G sectors than metro counties; speeds and indoor reliability are more variable, especially north of NC-89 and near parklands.
• Plan mix and affordability: Higher prevalence of prepaid/budget plans and multi-year device cycles; this dampens the pace of 5G device turnover compared with urban counties.

Implications and practical insights

• For providers: The most effective upgrades are additional mid-band 5G sectors and small cells along US-52/NC-66 corridors and targeted infill north and east of Hanging Rock to mitigate terrain shadows.
• For public agencies: Continued last-mile fiber buildouts will directly reduce smartphone-only dependence and improve telehealth/education outcomes in older and low-income cohorts.
• For residents and organizations: Signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling materially improve indoor reliability in valleys; choosing carriers based on local tower proximity (rather than statewide marketing coverage) yields better outcomes in outlying tracts.

Stokes County, NC — Social Media Snapshot (2025)

User base

• Population: ≈45,000 residents
• Social media users: ≈31,500 (about 70% of residents)
• Adult social media users (18+): ≈28,900
• Gender among social media users: ~53% women, ~47% men

Age mix (share of social media users)

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–49: ~31%
• 50–64: ~25%
• 65+: ~18%

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users using the platform at least monthly)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~75%
• Instagram: ~40%
• TikTok: ~32%
• Pinterest: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~24%
• WhatsApp: ~22%
• LinkedIn: ~18%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• Reddit: ~12%
• Nextdoor: ~10%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook-first for community: Heavy reliance on local Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, buy/sell/yard-sale, county alerts). Facebook Marketplace is a key commerce channel.
• Video is dominant: YouTube widely used for how‑to, hunting/fishing, DIY, local church services, and streaming local events. Short-form (Reels/TikTok) consumption rising among under‑35s.
• Messaging over posting: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for day‑to‑day communication; WhatsApp usage present but secondary.
• Younger cohorts split attention: Teens and 18–29s lean into TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for entertainment and peer interaction; Facebook still used for community coordination and events.
• Older cohorts stick to Facebook: 50+ primarily on Facebook for news, community info, and Marketplace; Pinterest popular among women 25–54 for home, recipes, and crafts.
• Low LinkedIn/X penetration: Limited white-collar clustering keeps LinkedIn usage modest; X is niche and skewed to news/politics watchers.
• Mobile‑first usage: Majority of engagement via smartphones; rural broadband gaps increase dependence on cellular data and caching/downloading behavior for video.
• Engagement cadence: Peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; strong spikes around school announcements, weather events, local government updates, church/community fundraisers, and high‑school sports.
• Content that performs: Local faces and names, event reminders, short vertical video, before/after DIY, giveaways/coupons from small businesses, and clear calls to action (RSVP, message, call).
• Ads that work locally: Geo‑targeted Facebook/Instagram boosts, Marketplace listings, event ads within 10–25 miles, and YouTube pre‑roll targeted to home improvement, outdoors, and auto interests.

Notes on figures: Estimates are modeled from 2023–2024 Pew Research platform adoption, U.S. rural usage patterns, and Stokes County demographic composition to provide county‑level numbers and percentages.