Bamberg County

Key demographics — Bamberg County, South Carolina (U.S. Census Bureau; latest available)

• Population size: ~13,000 (2023 estimate; 2020 Census: 13,311)
• Age
  • Under 5 years: ~5%
  • Under 18 years: ~21%
  • 65 years and over: ~21%
  • Median age: ~41–42 years
• Gender
  • Female: ~52%
  • Male: ~48%
• Race/ethnicity (share of total population)
  • Black or African American: ~60–61%
  • White: ~34–36%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
  • Two or more races: ~2%
  • Asian: <1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Household data (ACS 2019–2023, rounded)
  • Total households: ~5,200–5,400
  • Average household size: ~2.35–2.40
  • Family households: ~70% of households
  • With children under 18: ~25% of households
  • Single-person households: ~30% (with ~12–13% age 65+ living alone)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates; Census QuickFacts (2023 population estimate). Figures rounded for clarity.

Bamberg County, SC snapshot (approximate)

• Population: ~14,000 residents; low density ~35–40 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: 9,000–11,000 residents (primarily 13+), based on rural internet adoption and typical email usage among connected adults.
• Age mix of email users:
  • Teens (13–17): ~8–10%
  • 18–34: ~22–25%
  • 35–54: ~30–33%
  • 55–64: ~15–18%
  • 65+: ~15–18% (lower usage than younger adults)
• Gender split: roughly mirrors the population (about 52–55% female, 45–48% male), with slightly higher email adoption among women.
• Digital access trends:
  • Around 70–75% of households have a home broadband subscription; a notable share are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Connectivity is stronger in/near Bamberg and Denmark (anchored by Voorhees University and Denmark Technical College) and along major corridors; more gaps in sparsely populated tracts.
  • Ongoing rural fiber builds (e.g., BEAD‑funded projects) are expanding coverage; the wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program may pressure low‑income subscription rates.
  • Public Wi‑Fi and library access remain important for residents without reliable home service.

Note: Figures are estimates derived from recent rural SC patterns and census‑based population levels for Bamberg County.

Bamberg County, SC: mobile phone usage snapshot

Context

• Rural, aging, and lower-income county of roughly 13,000 residents, with a majority Black population and a small college presence (Denmark). Population density and incomes are below the South Carolina average; wireline broadband options are patchy outside the towns.

User estimates (transparent, order-of-magnitude)

• Total mobile phone users (any mobile): about 10,000–11,000 people.
• Smartphone users:
  • Adults (18+): roughly 8,300–8,700 users (about 80–84% of adults).
  • Teens (13–17): roughly 900–1,000 users (about 90–95% of teens).
  • Overall (13+): about 9,200–9,700 users.
• Mobile-only internet households (primarily use cellular data and no home broadband): estimated 20–30% of households in the county, vs low-teens statewide. How these were derived: applied age-specific smartphone adoption typical for rural, lower-income areas to a 13,000 population with an age mix of about 21% under 18, 59% ages 25–64, and 20% 65+. Adult smartphone adoption here is assumed a few points below state average due to age and income; teen adoption is high and near universal.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–44: highest smartphone penetration (roughly 90%+). Heavy app and social/video use; many rely on mobile as primary internet.
  • 45–64: solid but slightly lower penetration (mid-80s%). More mixed use of voice/text plus apps.
  • 65+: materially lower penetration (about 60–65%), below the state average for seniors. More basic phone use persists; where smartphones are used, data plans are often lighter or shared.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Majority Black county. In line with national patterns, Black adults here are more likely than White adults to be mobile-dependent (mobile-only internet) because of lower availability/affordability of wireline broadband in certain neighborhoods.
• Income/plan type
  • Prepaid plans and Lifeline/Affordable Connectivity-like subsidies play a bigger role than statewide. Expect a higher share of Android devices, multi-line family bundles, and unlimited prepaid data plans.
  • Bill predictability and coverage reliability often outweigh “top-speed 5G” in plan choice.
• Students
  • College and high-school students (Denmark area) drive strong smartphone and app usage; campus and library Wi‑Fi are important offloads.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and capacity
  • 4G LTE is the workhorse; 5G low-band is present around the main towns and corridors, but mid-band 5G is spotty. Indoor coverage challenges persist in metal-roof homes and larger buildings.
  • Tower density is lower than state average; there are still dead zones near county lines, low-lying areas, and forested stretches.
• Carriers and technologies
  • All three national carriers operate, with FirstNet (Band 14) improving public-safety coverage where deployed. Fixed wireless home internet (4G/5G) is available in/near towns and is increasingly used where DSL or cable is poor.
  • Satellite (e.g., modern LEO options) fills gaps for remote households.
• Wireline backdrop
  • Legacy DSL is common outside town centers; limited cable and growing but discontinuous fiber builds along main rights-of-way. These gaps drive higher mobile-only and fixed wireless reliance than the SC average.
• Public connectivity
  • Libraries, schools, and campuses provide key Wi‑Fi offload points; some town facilities offer limited public Wi‑Fi.

How Bamberg differs from South Carolina overall

• Higher mobile-only internet dependence (about 20–30% of households vs low-teens statewide).
• Slightly lower overall adult smartphone adoption, driven by an older age profile and lower incomes; senior adoption lags the state.
• Greater reliance on prepaid, subsidy-supported plans, and Android devices.
• More frequent coverage holes and indoor signal issues; 5G mid-band availability lags urban/suburban SC.
• Heavier use of fixed wireless for home broadband than the state average because wireline upgrades are uneven.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Totals are estimates based on 2020–2023 census demographics, typical rural adoption rates from national/state surveys (e.g., Pew, ACS), and known rural coverage patterns in SC. For precision (e.g., exact 5G footprints, tower counts, or household mobile-only rates), consult the latest FCC/Broadband maps, carrier coverage tools, and ACS microdata at the county level.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot of social media use in Bamberg County, South Carolina. Figures are local estimates based on the county’s size/age structure (ACS/Census) blended with recent U.S./South Carolina rural usage patterns from Pew Research (2023–2024) and platform ad‑reach benchmarks.

Population baseline

• Residents: ~13,500
• 13+ population: ~11,500
• Estimated internet/smartphone access: 75–85% of households; mobile-first usage common

Estimated social media user base

• Total social media users: ~9,500–10,800 residents (about 70–80% of the total population; ~85–90% of internet users)

Most‑used platforms (share of local social media users)

• Facebook: 72–80% (dominant for news, groups, Marketplace)
• YouTube: 70–78% (entertainment, how‑tos, sermons, school/athletics clips)
• Instagram: 35–45% (younger adults; local businesses and events)
• TikTok: 28–35% (short video, trends, local businesses; strongest under 35)
• Pinterest: 25–32% (DIY, recipes; mostly women)
• Snapchat: 18–25% (teens/young adults; messaging)
• X/Twitter: 12–18% (sports, state/national news)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (smaller white‑collar segment) Note: Facebook Messenger used by ~60–70% of social media users; WhatsApp ~8–12%.

Age and gender breakdown (share of social media users)

• By age
  • 13–17: 8–10% (Snapchat, TikTok; YouTube)
  • 18–24: 12–14% (TikTok, Instagram; Snapchat)
  • 25–34: 16–18% (Instagram, Facebook; TikTok rising)
  • 35–44: 17–19% (Facebook, YouTube; some Instagram)
  • 45–64: 28–32% (Facebook first; YouTube second)
  • 65+: 15–18% (Facebook primary; lighter YouTube)
• By gender
  • Female: ~54–56% of local social media users (slight over‑index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
  • Male: ~44–46% (slightly higher on YouTube, X)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook Groups are central: churches, schools/athletics, local government alerts, buy/sell/yard‑sale groups.
• Marketplace is heavily used for practical, price‑sensitive purchases.
• Local content wins: high school sports, community events, church activities, weather/alerts, lost/found pets, local business promos.
• Video growth: short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) outperforms static posts; cross‑posting Reels to Facebook and Instagram helps reach.
• Messaging over comments: many interactions move to Facebook Messenger/SMS; Snapchat for teens.
• Timing: engagement tends to peak evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; secondary spikes at lunch hour on weekdays.
• Geo‑reach: people routinely follow pages within a ~15–25 mile radius (spillover to Orangeburg, Barnwell, Allendale), so geo‑target slightly beyond county lines.

Notes on method

• County totals and age mix approximate ACS/Census; platform shares are scaled from Pew Research’s U.S. adult platform usage and rural Southeast patterns, adjusted for Bamberg’s older‑leaning population. Treat figures as directional estimates suitable for planning and targeting.