Yadkin County

Key demographics — Yadkin County, North Carolina

Population

• 37,214 (2020 Census); ~37,400 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50.4%
• Male: ~49.6%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is an ethnicity; race shares shown for non-Hispanic unless noted)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~77–78%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~14–15%
• Black/African American, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.4%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~14,300
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~70% of households; married-couple ~50–55%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Single-person households: ~24% (about 10% age 65+ living alone)

Insights

• Older age profile than the U.S. overall; roughly one in five residents is 65+.
• Household size is near national average; family households predominate.
• A substantial and stabilizing Hispanic/Latino community (~15%) drives much of the county’s diversity.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2023 Population Estimates; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5‑year).

• Scope: Yadkin County, NC (population ≈37,400, 2023 est.; density ≈112 residents per sq. mile across ≈335 sq. miles)
• Estimated email users: ≈28,300 residents age 13+ (derived from county age structure and Pew U.S. email-use rates)

Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):

• 18–29: ≈4,400 users (≈95% of ≈4,675 residents)
• 30–49: ≈8,500 users (≈93% of ≈9,163)
• 50–64: ≈6,900 users (≈90% of ≈7,667)
• 65+: ≈6,700 users (≈85% of ≈7,854)
• Teens 13–17: ≈1,800 users (≈80% of ≈2,236)

Gender split:

• Population ≈50.6% female, 49.4% male; email use is effectively equal by gender, yielding ≈14.3k female and ≈14.0k male users

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households ≈14,700 (persons/household ≈2.54)
• Broadband subscriptions ≈12,200 households (≈83%); no home internet ≈1,600 (≈11%); smartphone-only internet ≈1,800 (≈12%)
• Rural, low-density settlement increases last-mile costs; access and adoption improve along main corridors (e.g., US‑421), with slower uptake in outlying areas

Insights:

• Email penetration is highest among 18–49 and remains strong among 65+; outreach should be mobile-friendly given notable smartphone-only access and schedule-friendly for shift and agricultural workers

Mobile phone usage in Yadkin County, NC (2024–2025)

Topline user estimates

• Population base: ~37,400 residents (U.S. Census Bureau vintage 2023–2024 estimates).
• Mobile phone users (any type): ~31,800 people, 84.9% of the total population.
• Smartphone users: ~29,100 people, 77.8% of the total population.
• Adult smartphone adoption: ~88.9% of adults (18+), slightly below the statewide adult rate (≈90–92%).
• Senior (65+) smartphone adoption: ~76% in-county, below the statewide senior rate (≈80%+), reflecting Yadkin’s older age profile.

Demographic breakdown (counts are rounded; rates informed by Pew Research adoption by age and rural adjustments mapped to Yadkin’s age mix from ACS)

• 13–17: 2,244 residents; ~2,130 smartphone users (95%).
• 18–24: 2,992 residents; ~2,900 smartphone users (97%).
• 25–34: 4,301 residents; ~4,170 smartphone users (97%).
• 35–44: 4,675 residents; ~4,490 smartphone users (96%).
• 45–54: 4,675 residents; ~4,300 smartphone users (92%).
• 55–64: 4,595 residents; ~4,040 smartphone users (88%).
• 65+: 7,854 residents; ~5,970 smartphone users (76%).
• Under 13: ~6,060 residents; ~1,090 smartphone users (≈18% have smartphones; ≈25% have any mobile phone).

Digital access and infrastructure

• Mobile-only internet households: ~3,000 households (≈20% of roughly 15,000 households) rely primarily on cellular for home internet, higher than the North Carolina average (≈15%). This reflects both rural geography and patchier fixed-broadband in outer tracts.
• Network generation mix: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) advertise low-band 5G across the population centers (Yadkinville, Jonesville, East Bend) and along US 421 and I‑77 interchanges; outside towns, 4G LTE remains the dominant experience. Mid-band 5G (C-band/2.5 GHz) is concentrated in/near towns and traffic corridors rather than uniformly across farmland.
• Fixed alternatives affecting mobile use: A local incumbent cooperative (Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corp./Yadtel) and cable providers offer fiber/coax in and around towns; beyond those footprints, residents more frequently turn to LTE/5G mobile or fixed wireless for primary connectivity. State grant-driven fiber buildouts are underway but not yet universal in the county’s rural reaches.
• Public safety and coverage resilience: AT&T’s FirstNet presence and overlapping macro coverage along US 421 and I‑77 strengthen service in core corridors; service can thin in low-lying or wooded areas away from highways, where LTE fallback is common.

How Yadkin differs from North Carolina overall

• Older population drives lower overall smartphone penetration: Seniors are a larger share of Yadkin (≈21% vs ≈17% statewide), and their lower adoption rate pulls the county’s total smartphone share to ~78% of residents vs low‑80s statewide.
• Higher reliance on mobile-only home internet: ~20% of households primarily use cellular for home connectivity vs ≈15% statewide, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband toward the county’s periphery.
• More LTE dependence and less uniform mid-band 5G: Yadkin users spend more time on LTE or low-band 5G than the state average, particularly outside towns; mid-band 5G capacity gains are more localized than in larger metros.
• Plan mix skews more value/prepaid: Income and rural composition translate to a somewhat higher share of prepaid/value plans than the statewide mix, with correspondingly lower average monthly device payments and data allowances.
• Usage patterns: Voice/SMS reliability along key corridors is strong and comparable to state averages, but sustained high-throughput activities (e.g., 4K video, large app updates) are more variable off-corridor than in North Carolina’s metro counties.

Method notes and sources

• Population and age mix: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS and Vintage Estimates, through 2023–2024).
• Ownership/adoption rates by age: Pew Research Center (2023–2024) applied to county age structure with a rural adjustment to reflect Yadkin’s profile.
• Infrastructure characterization: FCC provider disclosures/coverage claims and North Carolina rural broadband program summaries, aligned to known corridors and local providers in the Piedmont Triad region.

These figures provide a consistent, county-specific picture: Yadkin’s overall mobile and smartphone use is high, but slightly below the statewide average due to an older age mix and less uniform mid-band 5G; mobile-only home internet reliance is meaningfully higher than the state, reflecting the rural infrastructure gap that is narrowing but not yet closed.

Social media usage in Yadkin County, NC (planning-grade snapshot, 2025)

Topline user base

• Population baseline: 37,214 (2020 Census)
• Estimated social media users (all ages 13+): ~25,200 (≈68% of total population). Range: 24,000–26,000 depending on age mix and broadband access

Users by age (share of local social media users)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–29: 18%
• 30–49: 34%
• 50–64: 25%
• 65+: 15%

Users by gender (share of local social media users)

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47%

Most-used platforms (adults 18+, expected local usage mirrors 2024 U.S. rates; YouTube = widest reach, Facebook = highest daily use)

• YouTube: 83% of adults
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 30%
• Pinterest: 35%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• X (Twitter): 27%
• Reddit: 22%
• Nextdoor: 20% (active footprint tends to be lower in rural counties)

Teens (13–17) platform pattern (Pew Research, 2023; local behavior aligns closely)

• YouTube ~93%, TikTok ~63%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~33%, X ~20%, Reddit ~14%

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural NC communities and applicable to Yadkin

• Facebook is the community backbone: heavy reliance on Groups for schools, churches, civic updates; Marketplace is a primary buy/sell channel
• Video-first consumption: Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok drive the most watch time and shares; local faces, high school sports, weather, road incidents, and community events outperform generic content
• Engagement timing: peaks around 7–9 a.m., 12–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; weekends show longer scrolling windows
• Mobile dominant: short captions, vertical video, and on-screen text improve completion rates; links out to external sites underperform versus native posts
• Local business discovery: Facebook and Google are the top discovery and review surfaces; direct messages and phone calls convert better than web forms
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; SMS remains strong; WhatsApp use is present, especially in bilingual/Latino households
• Advertising response: Geo-fenced Facebook/Instagram ads deliver low CPMs and strong local reach; boosted posts effectively reach 30–64; IG Stories/Reels and TikTok perform best with 18–34
• Trust dynamics: Locally produced content and community figures earn higher trust; practical, time-sensitive updates (closures, outages, traffic, hyperlocal deals) spread fastest

Method note

• Figures are modeled for Yadkin County using 2020 Census population and Pew Research Center 2024/2023 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for a rural age profile. Use as planning-grade estimates for audience sizing and channel prioritization.