Chesterfield County

To keep this accurate: do you want the latest American Community Survey (2019–2023 5-year) estimates, the 2020 Decennial Census counts, or the Census Bureau’s 2024 population estimate? I’ll summarize population, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household stats accordingly.

Chesterfield County, SC — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated users: 31,000–34,000 adults use email regularly. Basis: county population ≈45–46k; ~77% adults; 85–92% of adults use email (Pew/U.S. averages adjusted for rural access).
• Age pattern:
  • 18–29: ~88–92% use email
  • 30–49: ~94–97%
  • 50–64: ~88–92%
  • 65+: ~75–85%
• Gender split: Roughly even (near the county’s ~51% female / 49% male population mix); email adoption by gender differs by only 1–2 percentage points.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a computer: ~87–90%
  • Broadband subscription: ~72–78% of households; ~20–25% have no home internet
  • Smartphone‑only internet: ~12–18% of households (common in rural areas)
  • Daily email use remains high among working‑age adults; seniors’ usage rising with smartphone adoption.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Low density (~55–60 residents per square mile across ~800 sq mi) makes fixed‑line build‑outs costlier; fastest wired options cluster in towns (Cheraw, Pageland, Chesterfield).
  • Many outlying areas lean on 4G/5G for primary access; ongoing state/federal rural broadband programs are expanding fiber to unserved/underserved pockets.

Notes: Figures synthesized from recent ACS “Computer and Internet Use” data and Pew Research on email/internet adoption, scaled to local population.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Chesterfield County, South Carolina

How Chesterfield differs from the state

• More mobile‑dependent internet use: A higher share of residents rely on smartphones as their primary or only internet connection than South Carolina overall, driven by lower home‑broadband adoption and affordability constraints.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration than the state average, reflecting an older age profile and more rural households.
• Heavier use of prepaid and assistance plans than statewide; the sunset of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in 2024 likely increased reliance on prepaid mobile data and hotspotting.
• 5G coverage is present but more skewed to low‑band in rural areas, with mid‑band (faster) 5G concentrated in towns; overall tower density and capacity are lower than the state’s metros and coastal counties.

User estimates (order‑of‑magnitude, modeled from ACS/Pew/FCC patterns for rural SC)

• Population base: ~46,000 residents; ~35,000 adults (18+).
• Smartphone users: roughly 29,000–31,000 adults (about 83–88% of adults; statewide nearer 88–92%).
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or feature phone): ~33,000–34,000 adults.
• Feature‑phone‑only users: ~2,000–3,000 adults, concentrated among 65+ and very low‑income groups.
• Smartphone‑only (no home broadband) adults: ~8,000–11,000 (about 23–30% vs ~18–22% statewide).
• Prepaid share of lines: roughly one‑third in the county vs about one‑quarter statewide.
• Mobile hotspots/home internet via cellular: materially higher than the state average, especially for student households after ACP ended.

Demographic patterns of use

• Age: A larger 65+ share than the SC average dampens overall smartphone adoption and boosts feature‑phone retention; however, older adults who do adopt smartphones tend to rely on simpler plans and larger‑screen devices.
• Income: Median household income is below the state average, correlating with higher prepaid adoption, Lifeline participation, and data‑constrained usage (e.g., streaming over Wi‑Fi when available, off‑peak downloading).
• Race/ethnicity: Black and Hispanic residents—who make up a larger share in Chesterfield than in some SC rural counties—are more likely to be smartphone‑only for internet access than White residents, aligning with statewide and national patterns.
• Households with children: Elevated reliance on mobile hotspots and phone tethering for homework where cable/fiber is unavailable or unaffordable; school and library Wi‑Fi play an outsized role.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern: Strongest signals along the main corridors and towns (Cheraw, Chesterfield, Pageland; US‑1, US‑52, SC‑9, US‑601). Coverage thins in sparsely populated tracts and near forested areas (e.g., Sandhills region), where indoor service can drop to 1–2 bars or LTE‑only.
• 5G:
  • T‑Mobile low‑band 5G is broadly available, giving wide coverage but modest speeds in rural zones.
  • AT&T and Verizon mid‑band (C‑band) 5G is mainly in and around town centers; many rural towers still rely on LTE or low‑band 5G.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Towns: Typical 50–200 Mbps down on mid‑band 5G; congestion at school release and early evenings.
  • Rural areas: 5–25 Mbps common, with occasional single‑digit speeds indoors or during peak times; uplink is often the bottleneck for video calling.
• Towers and backhaul: Macro towers are spaced farther apart than in urban SC; fewer small cells. Backhaul is a mix of fiber along highways and microwave links off‑corridor, which can limit capacity compared with the state’s metros.
• Cross‑border effects: Northern/eastern edges can favor North Carolina sites; residents commuting or shopping across the border see variable performance and occasional carrier handoffs.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage is solid in towns and on major routes, spottier in heavily wooded areas; agencies lean on vehicle repeaters in fringe zones.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Cable and fiber availability is patchy outside towns; ongoing rural fiber builds (state/BEAD/ARPA funded) are improving options but not yet at statewide coverage levels, sustaining above‑average mobile reliance in the interim.
• Community access: Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings remain key Wi‑Fi anchors; they mitigate data caps and help offset ACP’s end.

Trends to watch

• As rural fiber expands, total smartphone ownership won’t shift much, but smartphone‑only dependence should slowly decline—likely lagging the state by 1–3 years.
• Continued mid‑band 5G upgrades on key towers will lift peak speeds in towns; rural improvements will depend on additional sites and backhaul upgrades.
• Prepaid and value MVNO growth should persist due to price sensitivity, even as some households migrate back to fixed broadband with new promotions and subsidies.

Notes on method: Figures are county‑level estimates inferred from recent Census/ACS population structure, Pew Research mobile adoption rates, FCC carrier coverage patterns, and rural SC benchmarks. They are intended for planning and sizing rather than precise counts.

Below is a concise, data‑informed snapshot for Chesterfield County, SC. Because true county‑level platform stats aren’t published, figures are estimates based on local age/sex makeup (ACS patterns for rural SC), plus Pew Research’s 2024 U.S. social media usage. Treat as directional planning numbers.

County snapshot and user stats

• Population: ~45,000 residents
• 13+ population: ~37,000
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~31,000 (range 29–33k)
  • Adults (18+): ~28–29k users (about 82–84% of adults)
  • Teens (13–17): ~2.5–2.7k users (about 95% of teens)

Most‑used platforms in Chesterfield County (estimated reach among residents 13+)

• YouTube: 83% (31,000 people)
• Facebook: 69% (26,000)
• Instagram: 44% (16,000)
• TikTok: 32% (12,000)
• Pinterest: 29% (11,000)
• Snapchat: 26% (10,000)
• X (Twitter): 15% (5,600)
• LinkedIn: 13% (4,900)
• Reddit: 13% (4,900)

Age groups and platform skews (approximate share of 13+ population)

• 13–17 (≈7%): Very high on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; light Facebook use (mainly for events/teams).
• 18–34 (≈20%): Mix of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; Snapchat still relevant; Facebook for groups/marketplace.
• 35–54 (≈28%): Facebook dominant (Groups, Events, Marketplace); YouTube for how‑tos and entertainment; Instagram growing.
• 55+ (≈45%): Facebook and YouTube dominate; lower Instagram/TikTok adoption but rising via Reels/shorts.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• County: ~52% female, 48% male.
• Platform tendencies:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram (slight), Pinterest (strong).
  • More male: YouTube (slight), Reddit, X.
  • Near‑parity: TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger.

Notable behavioral trends locally

• Facebook is the community hub:
  • Heavy use of Groups and Marketplace (buy/sell/trade, yard sales, church, booster clubs).
  • Event discovery and reminders (e.g., festivals, school sports) via Events and community pages.
  • Local news, weather, road closures, obituaries see strong engagement and sharing.
• Video is rising everywhere:
  • YouTube for DIY, hunting/fishing, auto repair, sermons, and cord‑cut TV alternatives.
  • TikTok/Reels for short local clips (small business behind‑the‑scenes, high school sports highlights, local personalities).
• Messaging behaviors:
  • Facebook Messenger is the default DM; Snapchat is the teen/young‑adult messaging staple.
• Commerce and local business:
  • Marketplace + Facebook Pages drive discovery and lead‑gen for local services (contractors, auto, beauty, food).
  • Instagram helps boutiques, salons, food trucks with Stories/Reels; hashtags and geotags (#Cheraw, #Pageland, #ChesterfieldSC) aid discovery.
• Trust and amplification:
  • Word‑of‑mouth via shares/comments from known community members outperforms polished ads.
  • User‑generated photos/videos and live streams perform well for events and fundraising.
• Timing and devices:
  • Mobile‑first consumption; evenings and early mornings see peak checks. Keep video sizes light for variable rural connectivity.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook for community + transactions; YouTube for learning/entertainment; Instagram for visual brand presence; TikTok for reach among under‑35; X used mainly for sports scores, weather, emergency info by a smaller crowd; LinkedIn niche (white‑collar/professional roles).

How these estimates were built

• Started with county population structure typical of rural SC.
• Applied Pew’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, then adjusted for an older‑skewing, rural market (raising Facebook/YouTube, trimming LinkedIn/X/Snapchat slightly among adults, keeping teen patterns high on TikTok/Snapchat/IG).
• Combined adult and teen weights to get approximate 13+ reach.