Beaufort County

Here are key demographics for Beaufort County, South Carolina (latest available Census/ACS estimates; figures rounded):

Population

• Total population: ~205,000

Age

• Median age: ~44–45 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Sex

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin

• White, non-Hispanic: ~66–68%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~16–18%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~9–11%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Other, non-Hispanic: ~1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~85,000
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~23–25%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–78%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (most recent 1-year estimates) and related Census population estimates. Estimates have margins of error.

Beaufort County, SC — email usage snapshot

• Estimated users: ~155,000–170,000 people use email at least occasionally. Basis: ~200k residents (ACS 2023 est.), high adult email adoption in the U.S. (roughly 90–95%), and Beaufort’s older-skewing age mix.

• Age distribution (approx. users):

  • 18–49: near‑universal (≈95%); ~80k–85k users.
  • 50–64: very high (≈90–95%); ~38k–42k users.
  • 65+: slightly lower but strong (≈85–90%); ~45k–50k users. Note: Beaufort has a larger 65+ share than the U.S. average, slightly lowering overall penetration vs. younger counties.

• Gender split: Essentially even; email adoption shows minimal gender gap nationally (<2 percentage points). Expect male/female users near 50/50.

• Digital access trends:

  • Household broadband subscription is high for South Carolina (roughly upper‑80s to low‑90s percent), with rising fiber and strong cable coverage in population centers (Hilton Head, Bluffton, Beaufort).
  • Smartphone‑only internet households likely ~10–15%.
  • Seasonal population surges (tourism) and military bases (Parris Island, MCAS Beaufort) drive robust connectivity needs.

• Local density/connectivity facts:

  • Population density ~330–360 residents per square mile (land area basis), concentrated along the US‑278 corridor.
  • Most households have 100/20 Mbps availability; rural islands and pockets (e.g., St. Helena, Daufuskie, Sheldon area) see spottier fixed options and greater cellular reliance.

Below is a county-focused, state-compared snapshot. Figures are estimates grounded in recent public surveys (e.g., Pew on smartphone adoption), ACS demographics, and known local conditions; exact counts vary by season because tourism and the military presence change daytime populations.

High-level takeaways unique to Beaufort County

• Older and more affluent than South Carolina overall, which lifts mobile adoption among seniors and boosts premium-network use, yet leaves small pockets of coverage and affordability gaps on the Sea Islands.
• Seasonal tourism and major events (e.g., PGA tournament week on Hilton Head) drive atypical peak loads and the use of temporary capacity, a pattern less pronounced in most SC counties.
• Military bases (MCAS Beaufort, MCRD Parris Island) anchor strong public-safety and FirstNet coverage and in‑building systems, shaping the local infrastructure footprint more than in most SC counties.
• Barrier-island geography and environmental/historic permitting constraints complicate tower siting and backhaul on St. Helena, Hunting, and Daufuskie—issues that differ from inland SC’s rural gaps.

Estimated users (order-of-magnitude, with assumptions)

• Population base: roughly 205,000–215,000 residents; an older age mix than SC overall.
• Mobile phone users (any cell phone): about 175,000–190,000 people.
  • Method: near‑universal adult cell ownership (mid‑ to high‑90% nationally) adjusted for Beaufort’s older profile; plus most teens.
• Smartphone users: about 160,000–175,000 people.
  • Method: overall adult smartphone ownership ~90%; seniors 65+ in Beaufort likely a few points higher than SC peers due to income and family/telehealth usage; teen ownership very high.
• Mobile-only households (smartphone as primary home internet): roughly 10%–14% of households in Beaufort vs about 18%–22% statewide.
  • Why lower locally: higher income and greater availability of cable/fiber in populated corridors; exceptions exist in cost-burdened and island communities.

Demographic patterns vs the state

• Age: Seniors (65+) are a larger share than SC average, but with higher-than-state smartphone adoption and heavier use of telehealth, messaging, and navigation. This narrows the usual “senior digital gap.”
• Income and education: Above-state medians correlate with higher data-plan tiers, more 5G device penetration, and lower prepaid share than the SC average.
• Race/ethnicity and workforce: Growth among Hispanic residents and service‑sector workers increases smartphone‑centric access (hotspots, prepaid family plans). Gullah Geechee and other Sea Island communities show higher mobile dependence where fixed broadband options are limited or costly.
• Military: On‑base personnel and families tend to have strong coverage and device turnover; FirstNet/AT&T penetration among public safety is notably higher than typical counties.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and capacity
  • Dense, high-capacity 4G/5G along the Bluffton–Hilton Head US‑278 corridor, Beaufort/Port Royal, and on/near the bases. Mid‑band 5G is common in these areas; mmWave appears only in select high-traffic spots.
  • Performance drops at the edges of St. Helena, Hunting, and especially Daufuskie Island due to siting limits, salt‑marsh propagation challenges, and sparse backhaul.
  • Seasonal surges (summer tourism, golf week) trigger temporary cells and added sectors—much less of a factor in most SC counties.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Strong fiber along US‑278/SC‑170 and into resort, healthcare, and commercial nodes supports robust mobile capacity.
  • Sea Islands have thinner fiber plant; microwave backhaul and longer fiber laterals constrain upgrade pace compared with inland suburbs.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet Band 14 coverage is emphasized around bases and critical corridors; local agencies make active use of priority/preemption during storms and evacuations.
  • Hurricane risk drives generator deployments, quick‑deploy COWs/COLTs, and roaming arrangements; outage risk is highest on barrier islands where power restoration and transport are slower.
• In‑building and venue systems
  • Distributed antenna systems (DAS) are common in resorts, hospitals, and large venues on Hilton Head and in Bluffton; this venue density is higher than in many SC counties.
• Fixed alternatives shaping mobile use
  • Cable and growing fiber availability in populated areas reduce smartphone‑only dependence.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) from major carriers is gaining traction in fast‑growing Bluffton neighborhoods and small businesses, often bundled with mobile—less a “rural stopgap,” more a competitive alternative to cable.

What’s notably different from South Carolina overall

• Higher senior smartphone adoption and usage intensity than the state average.
• Lower overall share of mobile‑only households, but sharper micro‑pockets of mobile dependence on the Sea Islands and among cost‑burdened workers.
• More pronounced seasonal capacity planning and event‑driven network augments.
• Military and public-safety footprints materially influence carrier priorities (especially FirstNet), unlike in most SC counties.
• Geographic and permitting barriers, not just distance/rurality, are the main drivers of coverage gaps.

Beaufort County, SC — social media snapshot (modeled to 2024–2025)

Overview

• Population: roughly 200k–210k
• Estimated social media users: 145k–160k (about 70–78% of total population; roughly 80–85% of residents age 13+)
• Median age skews older than U.S. average (large retiree base on Hilton Head; strong growth in Bluffton); sizable military presence (Parris Island, MCAS Beaufort)

Most‑used platforms in the county (estimated share of residents age 13+ using each)

• YouTube: 75–80%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• TikTok: 28–35%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (female‑leaning; strong for home, food, DIY)
• Snapchat: 22–28% (concentrated under 30)
• LinkedIn: 22–28% (professionals/relocators; Bluffton/HHI)
• Nextdoor: 18–25% of households (neighborhood adoption varies; strongest in HOA communities)
• Reddit: 12–18%

User age mix (approximate share of social media users)

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–24: 9%
• 25–34: 14%
• 35–44: 16%
• 45–54: 17%
• 55–64: 17%
• 65+: 20%

Gender breakdown (approximate among social media users)

• Female: 53–55%
• Male: 45–47%
• Notes: Facebook and Pinterest skew slightly female; Reddit and YouTube skew slightly male. Overall county population is slightly female‑majority.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the town square: Heavy use of local Groups (neighborhoods/HOAs, buy‑sell, school, church, volunteer, hurricane prep), and Marketplace due to frequent moves/seasonal turnover.
• Seasonal surges: Spring–summer tourism drives spikes in Instagram Reels/TikTok around beaches, dining, events; hurricane season pushes high engagement with county emergency management, sheriff, and local news pages.
• Visual discovery drives spending: Short‑form video of restaurants, golf, boating, and “things to do” in Hilton Head/Bluffton performs strongly; user‑generated content and reviews heavily influence choices.
• Military/moving households: Active Facebook group use for housing, childcare, swaps; late‑evening activity patterns common. Snapchat and TikTok popular with younger service members.
• Older residents are highly online: Facebook for civic life and groups; YouTube for how‑tos, local government streams, faith services; Nextdoor for HOA/watch alerts.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–8am, 11:30am–1pm, and 7–9pm; Sunday evenings are strong for planning content; major weather/traffic events produce immediate spikes.
• Language and culture: Growing Spanish‑language engagement in Bluffton/HHI service sectors; posts reflecting Gullah‑Geechee culture and local history earn strong organic reach.
• Ads and targeting: Hyperlocal geotargeting (Hilton Head vs. Bluffton vs. Beaufort/St. Helena) outperforms county‑wide; offers and time‑bound promos work; short vertical video outperforms static creative for hospitality/retail.

Notes on method and confidence

• Exact county‑level social media usage is not publicly reported. Figures above are modeled from: 2023–2024 ACS demographics for Beaufort County, Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age, and known platform skews, adjusted for the county’s older age structure and military/tourism mix. Treat percentages as directional ranges rather than precise counts.