Transylvania County

Transylvania County, North Carolina — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data)

Population

• Total population: ~33,000 (2020 Census); ~34,000 (2023 estimate)
• Population density: ~70 per square mile

Age

• Median age: ~52 years
• Under 18: ~18%
• 65 and over: ~30%

Gender

• Female: ~51–52%
• Male: ~48–49%

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race)

• White: ~89–90%
• Black or African American: ~3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–0.6%
• Asian: ~0.7–1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~86–88%

Households

• Households: ~14,700–15,000
• Average household size: ~2.1–2.2
• Family households: ~60%
• Married-couple households: ~45–50%
• One-person households: ~30–32%
• Households with children under 18: ~18–20%

Notes and source

• Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census, 2023 Population Estimates, and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. These are the most current, county-level standardized statistics available.

Transylvania County, NC email usage (estimates based on ACS, FCC, and Pew benchmarks):

• Estimated email users (adults 18+): ~25,300 of ~27,700 adults (≈91% adoption).
• Age distribution of adult email users: 18–29: ~3,500 (14%); 30–49: ~7,000 (28%); 50–64: ~6,700 (26%); 65+: ~8,100 (32%). Older residents are numerous locally, so 65+ comprise a larger share of users than in urban counties despite slightly lower adoption in that group.
• Gender split among users: ~51.5% female, 48.5% male, reflecting the county’s population makeup and near-parity in email adoption by gender.
• Digital access: ~81% of households subscribe to broadband; ~89–90% have a computer. Roughly 12–15% are mobile-only internet users, which can limit consistent email access for some households.
• Connectivity and density: Population ≈33,000; density ≈87 residents per square mile. About nine in ten occupied addresses have access to ≥100/20 Mbps fixed broadband, and >95% to ≥25/3, but subscription lags availability in rural/mountainous tracts, indicating affordability and infrastructure gaps rather than pure coverage in some areas.

Overall insight: Email is essentially universal among connected adults, with the county’s older age profile shifting the user base older, while adoption is constrained primarily by broadband subscription and mobile-only dependence in less connected areas.

Transylvania County, NC — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Key takeaways

• Adult smartphone adoption is lower than the North Carolina average, driven by an older age profile and mountainous terrain that limits 5G reach and speeds.
• Cellular-only home internet use is higher than the state average, reflecting coverage gaps and fewer wired options outside Brevard and the main corridors.
• 5G is present but concentrated in and around Brevard and along primary highways; off-corridor valleys and public-lands areas see more LTE-only coverage and dead zones.

Users and penetration (estimates calibrated to ACS population and Pew ownership rates)

• Population and households
  • Total population: ~34,300
  • Households: ~15,600 (avg. household size ≈ 2.2)
  • Adults (18+): ~28,500
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone, not just smartphones)
  • Adults with a mobile phone: ~27,300 (≈96% of adults) vs NC ≈97–98%
• Smartphone users
  • Adult smartphone users: ~24,200 (≈85% of adults) vs NC ≈90%
  • Total smartphone users including teens (13–17): ~26,100
• Mobile connections (lines/SIMs)
  • Active mobile connections: ~43,000 (≈1.25 per resident), below NC’s typical ~1.4 per resident due to fewer secondary/IoT lines and an older base

Demographic breakdown (adults, estimates)

• By age (share of total population shown for context)
  • 18–29 (9%): 3,100 adults; smartphone ownership ~96% (3,000 users)
  • 30–49 (19%): 6,500 adults; smartphone ownership ~95% (6,200 users)
  • 50–64 (24%): 8,200 adults; smartphone ownership ~85% (7,000 users)
  • 65+ (31%): 10,600 adults; smartphone ownership ~76% (8,100 users)
• Income and device mix
  • Retirees and fixed-income households contribute to slightly higher retention of basic/flip phones than the NC average.
• Connectivity at home (households)
  • Cellular-only home internet: 2,200 households (14%) vs NC ~11%
  • No home internet subscription: 1,900 households (12%) vs NC ~8–9%

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage profile
  • 4G LTE: near-universal population coverage in and around Brevard and along US‑64/US‑276/NC‑280; gaps persist in forested and mountainous tracts (Pisgah NF, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Gorges SP).
  • 5G (low-/mid-band): population availability 70–80%, primarily in Brevard and along main corridors; limited or no 5G in remote valleys/ridges. Statewide availability is substantially higher (90%+).
• Speeds and reliability (typical user experience)
  • Median mobile speeds: 48 Mbps down / ~8 Mbps up, below NC medians (90–100 Mbps down / ~12 Mbps up).
  • Reliability: more frequent signal loss and handoff drops on secondary roads, in hollows, and near steep terrain; winter storms and leaf-on conditions can exacerbate variability.
• Providers and footprint
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all provide LTE; 5G presence strongest near Brevard. UScellular has a regional foothold in WNC that enhances coverage via native service or roaming in some fringe areas.
  • Backhaul is most robust along US‑64/NC‑280; off-corridor sites rely more on microwave or longer fiber laterals, which can constrain capacity.
• Public land and siting
  • A large share of land in conservation/forestry use raises siting and backhaul costs, leading to sparser macro-site density than the state average and contributing to patchy 5G at the edges of populated areas.

How Transylvania County differs from North Carolina overall

• Adoption
  • Adult smartphone penetration is roughly 5 percentage points lower than NC overall, driven largely by a much higher 65+ share of the population.
  • Any-cellphone ownership is slightly lower than NC but still very high (~96% vs ~97–98%).
• Access and reliance
  • Higher reliance on cellular-only home internet (14% vs ~11%) and a higher share with no home internet (12% vs ~8–9%).
• Network
  • 5G population coverage and median speeds lag the state, with greater terrain-driven variability and more dead zones away from highways and the Brevard urban cluster.
  • Fewer secondary/IoT lines per capita (≈1.25 vs ≈1.4 statewide) imply lighter penetration of wearables, hotspots, and vehicle SIMs.

Method notes (for transparency)

• Population/households: scaled from recent ACS county estimates and average household size for older/rural NC counties.
• Smartphone and any-cellphone ownership: applied Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 age-specific adoption rates to Transylvania’s older-leaning age mix.
• Cellular-only/no-internet shares: derived from ACS Internet Subscription tables patterns for rural mountain counties relative to NC and adjusted to local demographics.
• Coverage and speeds: synthesized from FCC mobile availability patterns in rural NC, operator buildouts in WNC, and rural speed medians; values represent realistic 2024 user-experience estimates.

Social media usage in Transylvania County, NC (snapshot, 2025)

Population base

• Total population: ~33,000 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): ~28,000; median age ~51; gender: ~52% female, ~48% male (ACS)
• Any social media use (adults): ~83% ≈ 23,300 adult users (Pew, 2024, applied locally)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults; local counts are estimates)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 23,300
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 19,100
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 13,200
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 9,800
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 9,300
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 8,400
• Snapchat: 27% ≈ 7,600
• WhatsApp: 29% ≈ 8,100
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 6,200
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 6,200

Age groups and usage

• County skews older (median ~51), so overall usage leans toward platforms favored by 50+ (Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest).
• Likely distribution by age (county profile): under 18 ~15%; 18–29 ~12%; 30–49 ~23%; 50–64 ~20%; 65+ ~30%.
• Social platform tendencies by age (Pew, 2024):
  • 18–29: very high overall use; heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; near-universal YouTube.
  • 30–49: high overall; Facebook, YouTube dominant; Instagram strong; TikTok moderate.
  • 50–64: solid overall; Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok lower.
  • 65+: nearly half use at least one platform; Facebook clearly dominant; YouTube moderate; others low.

Gender breakdown and tendencies

• County gender mix: ~52% women, ~48% men.
• Platform skew (Pew, 2024, national pattern applied locally):
  • Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest.
  • Men over-index on Reddit, X (Twitter), and YouTube.
  • Instagram usage is balanced but slightly higher among women in many rural areas.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/retirement-leaning counties and consistent with Transylvania County’s profile

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: local news, weather/safety updates, school and civic info, yard sales, events, and volunteer calls drive high engagement.
• Video first: short-form video (Reels/TikTok) around outdoor recreation, waterfalls, trails, music, and food performs best; cross-posting Reels↔TikTok is common.
• Tourism-driven seasonality: spikes in spring–fall (leaf season, summer visitors) for Instagram and TikTok; service businesses and attractions lean on Instagram Stories/Reels for timely updates.
• Small-business usage: restaurants, breweries, outfitters, and lodging rely on Facebook + Instagram for specials, live music, and last-minute availability; Messenger and Instagram DMs are primary customer-service channels.
• Civic and public-safety pages get strong, rapid reach during storms, road closures, and wildfire notices; share cascades through neighborhood groups.
• Posting/engagement windows: early morning (commute/coffee), lunch, and evening hours; weekend mid-days peak for events and dining content.
• Pinterest usage reflects the area’s demographics: planning for home projects, crafts, and travel itineraries; drives steady referral traffic to local sites and blogs.
• LinkedIn is active among professionals tied to healthcare, education, and remote work; usage is purposeful (jobs, hiring, networking) rather than daily scrolling.

Notes on methodology

• Local counts are estimates created by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult platform-usage rates to the county’s adult population (U.S. Census/ACS). Because individuals use multiple platforms, platform counts overlap and sum to more than total users.