Warren County

Warren County, North Carolina — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 18,642 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: 17,943 (U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: 48.3 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: Under 18: 19.2%; 18–24: 6.4%; 25–44: 22.1%; 45–64: 31.5%; 65+: 20.8%

Gender

• Female: 51.7%
• Male: 48.3% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive; ACS 2019–2023)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): 49.8%
• White (non-Hispanic): 37.0%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 8.4%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): 3.0%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): 1.2%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): 0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): 0.1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: 7,925
• Average household size: 2.26
• Family households: 61% (married-couple: 39%; female householder, no spouse: 17%)
• Nonfamily households: 39%
• Households with children under 18: 21%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 75%

Insights

• Small, rural county with a majority-Black population, older age structure (median age ~9 years above the national median), modest household size, and high owner-occupancy. Population has declined slightly since 2020.

Warren County, NC is rural (2020 population 18,642; ≈43 residents per sq. mile). Applying ACS computer/Internet access and Pew email adoption benchmarks to local demographics:

• Estimated email users: ≈13,000 adults (about 85% of ≈15,300 adults; ≈70% of total residents).
• Age profile of users: Near-universal among 18–49 (≈95%); high among 50–64 (≈90%); lower among 65+ (≈80%). With roughly one-quarter of residents aged 65+, seniors account for most non-use.
• Gender split: Essentially even; women are about 1–2 percentage points more likely to use email than men.

Digital access trends:

• About three-quarters of households subscribe to home broadband, roughly 9 in 10 have a computer, and about 1 in 5 are smartphone‑only—signaling growing mobile‑first access. Home internet subscription has risen gradually, with smartphone reliance increasing fastest.
• Email usage is highest in areas with cable/fiber; DSL/fixed‑wireless zones show more gaps among older and lower‑income residents.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Access is strongest in and around Warrenton and Norlina and along the I‑85/US‑1 corridors; outlying areas near Lake Gaston and Kerr Lake are more reliant on DSL/fixed wireless, which dampens adoption and speed-sensitive activities.

Mobile phone usage in Warren County, North Carolina — summary with county-specific estimates and contrasts to statewide patterns

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: Warren County has roughly 18–19 thousand residents and about 7,800–8,300 households (ACS 2019–2023, 5‑year).
• Adult mobile users: Approximately 12,500–14,000 adults use a mobile phone, based on county age structure and smartphone adoption rates reported in ACS device/subscription tables (S2801).
• Household smartphone penetration: About 85–88% of households have at least one smartphone (NC statewide: ~92–93%).
• Cellular data plans: Roughly 65–70% of households maintain a cellular data plan for internet access (NC: ~78–82%).
• Smartphone‑only internet households (no home fixed broadband): Estimated 20–25% in Warren (NC: ~13–16%). This mobile‑first reliance is a key difference from statewide norms.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns (county vs state trends)

• Age profile:
  • Warren has an older age distribution than NC overall. Households headed by adults 65+ show distinctly lower smartphone and home-internet adoption than those under 65.
  • Practical effect: higher share of basic/older smartphones, slower 5G device upgrade rates, and more limited use of data‑heavy applications among seniors relative to the NC average.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • With a larger share of Black residents than the state average, Warren exhibits higher smartphone‑dependence for home internet access (consistent with ACS trends showing Black and Hispanic households more likely to be smartphone‑only).
  • Implication: county smartphone‑only share is elevated vs the state despite similar overall smartphone ownership.
• Income and rurality:
  • Lower median household incomes and more dispersed settlement patterns than the NC average correlate with lower fixed‑broadband subscription and greater reliance on cellular data to meet internet needs.
  • Prepaid and budget mobile plans are more prevalent than statewide, and households are more price‑sensitive regarding data caps.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology mix:
  • 4G LTE from all three nationwide carriers is present along primary corridors (US 1, US 158, NC 58) and in population centers (Warrenton, Norlina, Littleton).
  • 5G coverage is available in and around towns and along main highways but remains spotty in low‑density tracts and along some lake and forested areas; outdoor coverage is meaningfully better than indoor coverage in fringe zones.
• Backhaul and towers:
  • Macro tower infrastructure is concentrated near highways, town centers, and lake communities; coverage gaps persist in sparsely populated pockets where tower spacing is wider and backhaul options are limited.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is present on select sites, improving public safety and spillover coverage near those sectors.
• Performance:
  • Typical user experience: LTE speeds in the mid‑teens to mid‑20s Mbps in rural/fringe areas, with 5G mid‑band delivering higher bursts where available; congestion can depress speeds at peak times in lake‑area communities and school/work commute windows.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Fiber and cable footprint is uneven, with significant areas still reliant on legacy DSL or satellite; this raises the share of households substituting cellular for primary internet access, unlike metro NC counties where fixed broadband predominates.

Key differences from statewide trends

• Higher mobile‑first reliance: Warren’s smartphone‑only household share (≈20–25%) exceeds the NC average (≈13–16%).
• Lower overall adoption of home internet subscriptions: A smaller fraction of households hold fixed‑broadband plans, increasing dependence on cellular data plans (65–70% vs ~78–82% statewide).
• More pronounced rural coverage gradients: Larger gaps between corridor/town coverage and fringe‑area indoor reliability than the NC average.
• Slower 5G device and plan uptake: Driven by age and income mix, Warren lags urban NC counties in 5G migration and in adoption of higher‑tier data plans.

Actionable implications

• Network build priorities that close tower spacing in identified fringe tracts would disproportionately improve indoor reliability.
• Targeted device and plan affordability programs (and any successor to ACP) would likely reduce the high smartphone‑only share by enabling complementary fixed‑broadband uptake.
• Public safety and education stakeholders benefit from co‑locating assets and leveraging FirstNet‑equipped sites to extend reliable coverage in low‑density areas.

Notes on data sources and methodology

• Household device and subscription shares are drawn from the latest available American Community Survey “Computer and Internet Use” (ACS 5‑year, table S2801, 2019–2023), with county estimates benchmarked to North Carolina statewide values from the same series.
• Coverage and infrastructure points reflect FCC mobile coverage filings (2023–2024), state broadband inventories, carrier public coverage maps, and observed rural NC deployment patterns.

Warren County, NC social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: 18,642 (2020 Census)
• Adults (18+): ≈14,500

How many residents use social media

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈10,300 (≈71% of adults)
• Daily users (any platform): ≈6,200 (≈42% of adults)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of all adults; non‑exclusive)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~67%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~31%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~24%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• LinkedIn: ~19%
• WhatsApp: ~19%

Estimated audience sizes (apply the above shares to ≈14,500 adults; overlapping by design)

• YouTube ≈11.6k; Facebook ≈9.7k; Instagram ≈5.5k; TikTok ≈4.5k; Pinterest ≈4.4k; Snapchat ≈3.5k; X ≈2.9k; LinkedIn ≈2.8k; WhatsApp ≈2.8k

Age group usage patterns (adults)

• 18–29: Near‑universal social use (95%); heaviest on YouTube (95%), Instagram (75–80%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (60%); Facebook lower but still common (65–70%)
• 30–49: Very high adoption (85–90%); YouTube (90%+), Facebook (75–80%), Instagram (45–50%), TikTok (~35–40%); WhatsApp/LinkedIn moderate
• 50–64: Majority on social (70–75%); Facebook (70%+), YouTube (80%+); Instagram/Pinterest (30–35%); TikTok (~20%+)
• 65+: About half on social (50–55%); Facebook (50%+), YouTube (60%); Instagram/TikTok low (10–15%)

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base skews slightly female (≈52–54% women, reflecting county demographics)
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram lean female; Facebook slightly female; YouTube, X, LinkedIn lean male

Behavioral trends in Warren County (rural profile)

• Facebook is the community hub: high reliance on Groups, local government/schools, churches, high‑school sports, yard sales, and Marketplace
• Video first: Short vertical video (TikTok/Reels/YouTube Shorts) drives reach; how‑to, local events, and “faces you know” outperform polished ads
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger dominates for resident–business and resident–resident communication; WhatsApp present but secondary
• Peak engagement: Evenings (roughly 7–10 pm) and weekend mornings; weather, school, and event updates spike attention
• Discovery is social: Word‑of‑mouth via shares/tags is a primary driver of awareness; local micro‑influencers (pastors, coaches, civic leaders) carry outsized trust
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are key; promotions with clear local value (giveaways, limited‑time offers, event tie‑ins) convert best
• Access pattern: Smartphone‑dominant usage; concise posts with clear calls‑to‑action, phone numbers, and maps outperform long captions or link‑outs

Notes on method

• Figures combine U.S. Census Bureau counts for Warren County with Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S./rural social media adoption rates scaled to the county’s adult population. Percentages are non‑exclusive across platforms and represent best‑available local estimates.