Washington County

Washington County, North Carolina – key demographics

Population

• Total population: 11,003 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~10,8k–10,9k (continued gradual decline)

Age

• Median age: mid‑40s (approx. 45–47 years)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race)

• Black or African American: ~47–50%
• White: ~44–46%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~4,600–4,800
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: ~2/3 of households
• Single-person households: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: roughly 70–75%

Insights

• Small, rural county with a shrinking and aging population.
• Slight female majority.
• Racial composition is roughly split between Black and White residents, with a small but growing Hispanic population.
• Household sizes are modest, with a sizable share of single-person and older adult households.

Washington County, NC snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~8,000 adults. Basis: 2023 population ≈10,800, adult share typical for rural NC ≈80–82%, with ~92% of adults using email nationally.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–29: ~1,300
  • 30–49: ~2,100
  • 50–64: ~2,300
  • 65+: ~2,300
• Gender split among email users: roughly even, 51% female (4,100) and 49% male (3,900), reflecting minimal gender differences in U.S. email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • About seven in ten households have a broadband subscription and more than eight in ten have a computer (ACS 2018–2022 patterns for similar rural NC counties), indicating improving connectivity but adoption below the state average.
  • Smartphone-only access is notable (roughly one in six households), signaling mobile reliance for email.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈31 residents per square mile of land (≈10,800 people over ~348 sq mi), underscoring rural dispersion that raises last‑mile costs and slows broadband adoption.
  • Coverage has expanded via state and federal rural broadband programs, but affordability and aging infrastructure continue to depress subscription rates relative to urban NC.

Figures are derived from Census/ACS baselines combined with current U.S. email adoption rates to localize estimates.

Washington County, NC mobile phone usage (2024–2025)

Population and household baseline

• Population: ≈10,900 residents; ≈4,900 households (U.S. Census 2023 estimates)
• Rural, older, and lower-income profile relative to North Carolina overall:
  • Age 65+: ≈24% (higher than NC)
  • Median household income: ≈$40–45k (below NC median)
  • Poverty: ≈23–25% (above NC)
  • Race/ethnicity: Black ≈48%, White ≈45%, Hispanic/Latino ≈3%

User estimates and adoption

• Estimated smartphone users: ≈7,300–7,700 residents
  • Method: county age structure applied to current rural smartphone adoption rates (adults ≈80–85%; teens ≈90–95%)
• Households with a smartphone: ≈80–85% (≈3,900–4,200 households)
• Households with a cellular data plan: ≈68–72% (≈3,300–3,500 households)
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan and no fixed broadband): ≈18–22% (≈900–1,100 households)

How Washington County differs from North Carolina overall

• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet: ≈18–22% vs ≈11–14% statewide. This is driven by lower fixed-broadband availability/affordability and an older, more rural demographic.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration by household: ≈80–85% vs ≈87–92% statewide.
• Greater age gap in mobile use:
  • 18–34: near-saturated smartphone adoption (≈90–95%), similar to NC.
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈80–88%), a few points below NC due to income and coverage constraints.
  • 65+: materially lower adoption (≈60–70%), versus low-70s statewide.
• By income and race:
  • Mobile-only dependence is concentrated among lower-income households and is more common among Black households locally because fixed broadband adoption lags; the county’s higher share of Black residents amplifies this countywide trend relative to NC.

Usage patterns inferred from local conditions

• Higher share of budget and prepaid plans than statewide, reflecting income mix and credit access.
• Heavier mobile data substitution for home internet (video streaming, government services, telehealth) compared with NC average, especially in households without cable/fiber.
• More pronounced indoor coverage variability in outlying areas, increasing use of Wi‑Fi calling where fixed service exists.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: near-ubiquitous outdoor coverage along US‑64 and town centers (Plymouth, Roper, Creswell); patchier signal in low-density zones and around Lake Phelps/Pocosin Lakes refuge.
  • 5G: primarily low-band. T‑Mobile’s extended-range 5G covers most populated areas; AT&T and Verizon low-band 5G along US‑64 and town centers; mid-band 5G capacity is limited outside corridors.
• Typical performance (outdoor, user-experienced)
  • 4G/low-band 5G: ≈25–75 Mbps down, 3–12 Mbps up; latency ≈30–60 ms.
  • Inside older, wood-frame homes and at the edges of coverage, speeds can fall below 10–20 Mbps without signal boosters.
• Resilience and public safety
  • AT&T FirstNet presence along primary corridors; backup power and hardening are better on main sites than on remote fills, which can lengthen restoration times after storms.
• Backhaul and fixed-network interplay
  • Limited fiber backhaul outside towns constrains peak mobile capacity compared with NC’s urban counties.
  • Recent state and federal grants have prioritized nearby counties and select pockets of Washington County for fiber expansion; until those builds mature, mobile networks shoulder a larger share of home internet demand than the NC average.

Implications

• Mobile is the primary on-ramp to the internet for roughly 1 in 5 households—considerably higher than the statewide share—so plan affordability, data caps, and coverage reliability have outsized impact on digital inclusion.
• The wind-down of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in 2024 disproportionately affects Washington County; expect some households to shift further toward mobile-only service or reduce usage compared with the state trend.
• Targeted improvements with the highest payoff:
  • Add or upgrade mid-band 5G carriers on existing towers near outlying communities to raise capacity.
  • Expand fiber backhaul to rural sites to stabilize peak speeds.
  • Pair new fixed broadband builds with outreach in older and low-income segments to reduce mobile-only dependence.

Bottom line

• Washington County’s mobile phone usage is robust in absolute terms (≈7.5k users) but is characterized by higher mobile-only dependence, slightly lower household smartphone penetration, and more variable performance than North Carolina overall. These differences are explained by the county’s rural geography, older age profile, lower incomes, and limited mid-band 5G and fiber backhaul outside main corridors.

Washington County, NC — Social Media Snapshot (2025) Note: Figures are modeled local estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates by age/gender to Washington County’s 2023 ACS age/sex profile. Percentages refer to residents 18+ unless stated.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: 72–75% (≈ three in four adults)
• Device mix among users: smartphone-first (≈85%+), with desktop/laptop for longer posts and Facebook Marketplace browsing

Age mix of social media users

• 18–29: 18%
• 30–49: 34%
• 50–64: 28%
• 65+: 20%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: 54%
• Male: 46%

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 65%
• Instagram: 40%
• Pinterest: 32%
• TikTok: 30%
• Snapchat: 26%
• WhatsApp: 22%
• Reddit: 17%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• LinkedIn: 13%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups for county updates, schools, churches, youth sports, and buy/sell (Marketplace). Event-driven spikes around weather alerts, graduations, homecomings, and local government notices.
• Video-first consumption: Short, captioned video (YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, TikTok) outperforms static posts; cross-posting the same clip across platforms extends reach.
• Older adults are loyal Facebook users: 50+ primarily use Facebook for news, local services, and health/community info; lower adoption of TikTok/Snapchat but increasing YouTube use for how‑to and church/livestream content.
• Younger residents are multi‑platform: 18–29 gravitate to Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for entertainment, messaging, and local happenings; X/Reddit used by a smaller, more news/tech‑oriented minority.
• Local trust dynamics: Posts from known local institutions (county agencies, schools, churches, volunteer fire/EMS) and recognizable individuals earn higher engagement than national sources.
• Messaging over public posting: Many interactions move into private channels (Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat), especially for organizing events, swap/sell, and sensitive community topics.
• Timing: Engagement clusters evenings and weekends; school-year calendars and high school sports drive predictable weekly attention cycles.
• Access constraints shape behavior: Rural connectivity patterns favor compressed video, shorter sessions, and offline-saving on YouTube; image carousels and text posts remain effective when bandwidth is limited.

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024) by platform, age, and gender, blended with Washington County’s ACS 2023 age/sex profile to yield county-level modeled estimates. Figures are rounded for clarity.