Edgefield County

Here are key demographics for Edgefield County, South Carolina. Figures are the most recent decennial Census (2020) and American Community Survey (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year) estimates; values rounded.

Population size

• Total population: 25,657 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41.6 years (ACS)
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~53%
• Female: ~47% (ACS)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; Hispanic can be any race)

• White alone, non‑Hispanic: ~54%
• Black or African American alone, non‑Hispanic: ~35%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6%
• Two or more races, non‑Hispanic: ~3%
• Asian, non‑Hispanic: ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non‑Hispanic: ~0.3%
• Other, non‑Hispanic: ~0.6% (2020 Census)

Household data (ACS)

• Number of households: ~9,900
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~69% of households
• Married‑couple households: ~50% of households
• Owner‑occupied housing rate: ~79% of occupied units

Note: ACS figures are multi‑year estimates and may differ slightly from single‑year releases. If you need a different data vintage (e.g., 2019–2023 ACS or 2023 population estimate), say the word and I’ll tailor it.

• Estimated email users: 15,000–18,000 adults. Method: ~26K population; ~80% adults; ~80–85% with internet access; ~92% of online adults use email (Pew), yielding the range.
• Age distribution (approx. share of email users):
  • 18–34: 20–25%
  • 35–54: 30–35%
  • 55–64: 15–20%
  • 65+: 20–25% Notes: Email adoption remains high across ages (≈95% among under 55; ≈85–90% for 65+), but the county’s older profile nudges a larger senior share of users versus urban areas.
• Gender split: Roughly even (about 50/50). Women may be a slight majority among active users, mirroring marginally higher internet adoption among women nationally.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription is around three-quarters in similar rural SC counties (ACS), with notable mobile-only access.
  • Reliance on smartphones and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) remains important for lower-income households.
  • Fixed broadband availability has improved, but some rural tracts still face limited provider choice and sub‑100 Mbps options (FCC rural broadband patterns).
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈50 people per square mile; dispersed housing increases last‑mile costs and slows fiber build‑out.
  • Small town centers (Edgefield, Johnston, Trenton) tend to have better wired options than outlying areas.

Sources: Pew Research Center (email/internet use), U.S. Census ACS, FCC broadband data.

Below is a high-level, evidence‑informed summary for Edgefield County, South Carolina. Figures are estimates synthesized from common benchmarks (Pew smartphone adoption, FCC coverage maps through 2024, ACS county demographics, rural adoption research). Use as planning ranges; local carrier and county reports should be used to validate before final decisions.

County snapshot (context)

• Population: roughly 26–28k; largely rural with small towns (Edgefield, Johnston, Trenton) and commuters toward the Augusta, GA metro.
• Demographics (approx.): older-than-state age profile; higher Black share than SC overall; lower median income and higher poverty than the state average.

Estimated mobile users

• Unique mobile handset users: 21k–24k residents with an active mobile phone line.
• Smartphone users: 17k–20k (roughly 80–85% of adults; teens push this higher).
• Feature/basic phones and secondary lines (tablets, hotspots, wearables): 3k–5k additional lines.
• Smartphone‑only home internet households: materially higher than statewide (Edgefield likely in the low‑to‑mid 20% range vs SC ~15–18%), reflecting limited wired broadband in rural tracts.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age
  • Under 35: very high smartphone adoption (≈95%), heavy app/social/video use; common prepaid or budget postpaid plans.
  • 35–64: near‑universal smartphone use; more multi‑line family plans; growing use of fixed‑wireless home internet bundled to mobile.
  • 65+: lower smartphone adoption than SC overall, but rising; more basic Android devices; higher reliance on voice/text and Facebook/WhatsApp rather than a wide app mix.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black residents comprise a larger share than the SC average. Mirroring national patterns, Black adults show higher smartphone‑only internet reliance where wired options are sparse, leading to heavier mobile data dependence.
  • Hispanic population is smaller but growing; high WhatsApp usage and bilingual plan support needs; prepaid penetration above average.
• Income
  • Lower‑income households skew prepaid/MVNO (Cricket, Metro by T‑Mobile, Straight Talk/Tracfone). The sunset of the federal ACP in 2024 likely increased plan downgrades, churn, or line consolidation among cost‑sensitive users.
• Geography
  • Strongest usage and network performance cluster along US‑25 and in/around the three towns. Northern and forested areas see more signal boosters, Wi‑Fi calling, and offline media habits due to spotty coverage.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and technology
  • All three nationals present. 4G LTE is broadly available along main corridors and towns; dead zones persist in sparsely populated/forested tracts.
  • 5G:
    • T‑Mobile: wide low‑band (600 MHz) footprint countywide; good reach, variable capacity.
    • Verizon: strong LTE; mid‑band (C‑band) 5G appears concentrated near towns/corridors; rural gaps remain.
    • AT&T: broad low‑band 5G/LTE; FirstNet presence benefits public safety; mid‑band 5G more limited outside town centers.
• Capacity/backhaul
  • Fiber backhaul aligns with regional routes toward Augusta and Greenwood; several rural towers still rely on microwave backhaul, which can constrain peak speeds.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • T‑Mobile Home Internet covers a substantial share of addresses (especially towns and US‑25 corridor), typical speeds 50–200 Mbps where signal quality is good.
  • Verizon 5G Home/4G LTE Home is available near certain sectors; coverage is more patchy than T‑Mobile’s low‑band footprint.
• Wireline context (affects mobile reliance)
  • Legacy DSL remains in rural tracts; cable or fiber availability is limited outside towns, raising smartphone‑only and hotspot usage.
  • BEAD‑funded builds (2025–2028) may reduce mobile‑only dependency over time if projects target unserved pockets.
• Public sector and anchors
  • School and library hotspots persist as a safety net; E‑911/FirstNet improvements have boosted AT&T reliability for first responders.

How Edgefield differs from South Carolina overall (key trends)

• Higher smartphone‑only internet reliance: Due to sparser cable/fiber, more households depend on mobile data for home connectivity than the statewide average.
• Slightly lower senior smartphone adoption: Older age structure depresses the overall county adoption rate vs SC, but seniors’ uptake is rising.
• More prepaid/MVNO penetration: Income mix and coverage parity across carriers drive heavier use of prepaid and discount plans than in urban SC counties.
• Coverage quality is more bimodal: Very good along corridors/towns; notable dead zones in the north/forested areas—contrasting with more uniformly dense coverage in SC metros.
• 5G mid‑band rollout lags metros: Edgefield sees broader low‑band 5G but thinner mid‑band capacity compared with Columbia, Greenville, or Charleston.
• FWA plays a larger role: Mobile carriers’ home internet offers are a meaningful substitute where cable/fiber is absent, a smaller factor in better‑served SC counties.

Planning notes and watch‑items for 2025–2026

• Monitor BEAD and state broadband grant awards for new fiber that could shift households away from smartphone‑only access.
• Expect continued C‑band/NR capacity infill near towns and along US‑25; performance gains will be uneven elsewhere without new backhaul.
• ACP’s lapse may increase price sensitivity; demand for low‑cost prepaid and ad‑supported plans likely to rise until new subsidies or competitive promos fill the gap.

Method notes (how these numbers were derived)

• Population and age/race structure from ACS patterns for rural SC counties of similar size; smartphone adoption anchored to Pew Research (2023–2024) with rural downward adjustments.
• Coverage/infrastructure synthesized from FCC mobile broadband maps through 2024 and known carrier spectrum strategies in rural SE; local topography explains dead zones.
• FWA availability inferred from carrier footprints and reported serviceable addresses in comparable rural SC counties.

If you can share any local data (school district device counts, 911 call handoff stats, tower permits, or carrier retail activations), I can tighten the ranges and quantify the differences from SC statewide with higher confidence.

Below is a concise, locally tuned snapshot. Because platforms rarely publish county-level figures, percentages are estimates extrapolated from Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. social media data, South Carolina/rural usage patterns, and Edgefield County’s age/gender mix.

Snapshot

• Population baseline: ~26–27K residents; age 13+ ≈ 21–23K.
• Estimated social media users (13+): 17–19K (≈75–85% of 13+). Weekly active: ~15–17K.

Age groups (estimated share who use social media)

• 13–17: ~95%
• 18–29: ~92%
• 30–49: ~85%
• 50–64: ~75%
• 65+: ~55–60%

Gender breakdown (overall user base)

• Roughly mirrors the county: ~52% female, ~48% male.
• Platform skews locally:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok (slight).
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), Discord.
  • Balanced: WhatsApp, Nextdoor.

Most-used platforms in Edgefield County (share of social media users using each at least monthly; approximate)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–60%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (notably higher among women 25–54)
• TikTok: 30–35% (strong among teens/20s; growing in 30–49)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (heavily 13–24)
• LinkedIn: 20–25% (concentrated among 25–49 professionals/educators/healthcare)
• WhatsApp: 15–20% (pockets among multigenerational and Hispanic households)
• X (Twitter): 12–18% (news/sports followers)
• Nextdoor: 10–15% in and around Edgefield/Johnston/Trenton (coverage varies by neighborhood)
• Reddit/Discord: 10–15% (younger male skew)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural SC counties and likely in Edgefield

• Facebook is the community backbone: heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, public safety), Marketplace, and event posts. Local issues and high school sports drive peaks.
• Video-first consumption: short vertical video (15–60s) performs best on Facebook, Instagram Reels, and TikTok; YouTube used for how‑to, outdoor/recreation, equipment repair, and church services.
• Evenings/weekends matter: engagement peaks 6–9 pm ET and weekends; farm/shift schedules create early-morning spikes.
• Trust and familiarity: real people, recognizable places, and practical utility (weather alerts, road closures, school updates) outperform polished brand content.
• Messaging over public posting: coordination often moves to Messenger/WhatsApp group chats; many are “lurkers” who read far more than they post.
• Commerce and fundraising: Marketplace is active; local businesses rely on Facebook Pages, boosted posts, and event RSVPs; school/booster fundraisers see strong shares.
• Youth split: teens on Snapchat/TikTok/YouTube; Instagram for aesthetics and sports highlights; Facebook mainly for groups/parents.
• Low X (Twitter) penetration: used mostly for breaking news, college/pro sports, and state politics.
• Nextdoor is patchy but useful for hyperlocal notices where adoption exists.

Notes on methodology

• County-level platform shares are inferred by applying 2024 Pew U.S. adoption rates to Edgefield’s demographics and adjusting for rural SC patterns (higher Facebook/YouTube, lower X/LinkedIn, moderate TikTok growth). Figures should be treated as directional, not census counts.