Georgetown County

Key demographics: Georgetown County, South Carolina

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Figures rounded.

• Population:

  • 63,404 (2020 Census)
  • ~66,000 (ACS 2019–2023 estimate)

• Age:

  • Median age: ~47 years
  • Under 18: ~19%
  • 18–64: ~56%
  • 65 and over: ~25%

• Gender:

  • Female: ~52%
  • Male: ~48%

• Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race):

  • White (non-Hispanic): ~64%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~31%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~5%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
  • Other races each: <1%

• Households and housing:

  • Households: ~27,000
  • Persons per household: ~2.4
  • Family households: ~66%
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77–78%
  • Median household income: ~$58–60K

Georgetown County, SC email usage (estimates, 2023–2024):

• Estimated users: ~47,000–50,000 adult email users. Basis: ~65k residents, ~80% adults, 90–94% email adoption among adults (Pew-like national rates applied locally).
• Age distribution of users: ~20% ages 18–34, ~50% ages 35–64, ~30% ages 65+. Email is near-universal under 65 and slightly lower—but still high—among 65+.
• Gender split: ~52% women, ~48% men, mirroring county demographics; email adoption is essentially parity by gender.
• Digital access: ~78–82% of households have a broadband subscription; ~88–92% have a computer. Around 10–15% are smartphone‑only for internet; ~12–16% report no home internet subscription (ACS patterns for similar SC counties).
• Trends: Gradual growth in broadband subscriptions and mobile‑only reliance; email remains a primary communication channel across ages, with slightly lower daily use among seniors.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density ~75–80 people/sq. mile (sparse overall, denser along the Waccamaw Neck/US‑17 corridor). Cable/fiber service is strongest in Georgetown city, Pawleys Island, and other coastal tracts; western/rural areas see more DSL/fixed‑wireless dependence and lower top speeds. Public libraries and schools provide reliable Wi‑Fi access points; 4G/5G coverage is solid on main corridors but spottier in forested/rural zones.

Here’s a county-focused picture of mobile phone usage in Georgetown County, South Carolina, with estimates, who’s using what, and the infrastructure that supports it—plus how it diverges from statewide patterns.

Resident user estimates

• Population baseline: Georgetown County has roughly 63–66k residents. Adults make up about three-quarters of that.
• Smartphone ownership: Applying typical rural–coastal SC patterns (high overall mobile ownership, slightly lower smartphone penetration among older/rural adults), an estimated:
  • 43–48k resident smartphone users
  • 2–4k additional residents using basic/feature phones
  • Net: roughly 45–52k resident mobile users
• Seasonal lift: The Waccamaw Neck (Pawleys/Litchfield/Murrells Inlet area) experiences substantial seasonal and weekend population increases from tourism and second‑home owners. Summer peaks can push device counts far beyond resident baselines and create localized congestion even when statewide networks appear uncongested.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 65+: Larger share than the state average; smartphone adoption slightly lower than SC overall. More voice/SMS, health portals, maps, and news than app‑heavy social/video. Higher iPhone share than Android compared with rural inland counties.
  • Working‑age adults (30–64): Usage similar to state norms for messaging, navigation, and commerce. In hospitality and construction, job‑related group messaging and gig‑style apps are common.
  • Teens/young adults: Near‑universal smartphone adoption; data‑heavy social/video use. Some mobile‑only households rely on phones for schoolwork when home broadband is weak.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black residents (notably in Gullah‑Geechee communities) and Hispanic/Latino workers in hospitality/agriculture show higher prevalence of prepaid plans and mobile‑only internet in rural tracts compared with the coastal zip codes. This gap is wider than the statewide average because of the county’s sharper coastal‑rural divide.
• Income and geography
  • Coastal zip codes (Pawleys/Litchfield, Murrells Inlet portion) show higher device quality, postpaid plans, and 5G adoption.
  • Inland/rural areas (Georgetown city outskirts, Andrews area, along the Black, Pee Dee, and Waccamaw rivers) show more prepaid plans, shared devices, and reliance on mobile for home internet. The share of mobile‑only households is likely a few points higher than the SC average in these tracts.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage
  • Strongest along US‑17 and the Waccamaw Neck; dense macro sites and small‑cell infill near commercial corridors.
  • Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/2.5 GHz) is present along the coast; inland areas skew to LTE or low‑band 5G with lower capacity.
  • Notable weak/variable signal in riverine wetlands, timberlands, and low‑lying areas west of Georgetown and near Winyah Bay. These dead zones are more persistent than the state average because of terrain, water, and environmental siting constraints.
• Carriers and access types
  • All three national carriers operate; performance leadership varies by corridor. T‑Mobile and Verizon mid‑band 5G are most visible on US‑17; AT&T strength often noted in and around the city of Georgetown and key highways (US‑701/521), but capacity drops off off‑corridor.
  • Fixed wireless (4G/5G Home) fills broadband gaps for rural households; adoption is above the state average in the inland half of the county.
• Wireline backhaul and fiber
  • Coastal neighborhoods have cable and spotty fiber; inland areas rely more on legacy copper or wireless. The county has more “last‑mile‑challenged” pockets than SC’s metro counties, keeping mobile as a primary access path for many households.
  • Public Wi‑Fi is common in libraries, schools, and civic buildings but thinner in rural community centers; usage spikes after storms or during school deadlines.
• Resilience
  • Storm risk (king tides, hurricanes) drives heavier than average reliance on mobile for emergency information and backup connectivity. Coastal cell sites typically recover quickly, but power and backhaul to inland sites can lag, leading to uneven service post‑event.

How Georgetown County differs from South Carolina overall

• Older population share raises the basic‑phone and iPhone‑leaning mix versus Android in rural peers; statewide, Android holds a larger share in rural counties.
• A sharper coastal–rural split than the SC average:
  • Coastal tracts have metro‑like 5G capacity and device penetration.
  • Inland tracts have below‑average wireline broadband and higher mobile‑only internet reliance.
• Seasonal tourism produces recurring, localized mobile congestion on the Waccamaw Neck (weekends/summer), a pattern less pronounced in many inland SC counties.
• Fixed wireless plays an outsized role as a home‑internet substitute in rural Georgetown; statewide, cable/fiber dominates more households.
• Coverage gaps tied to rivers/wetlands are more persistent than typical SC counties, making signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling more necessary for residents outside the main corridors.

What this means for planning and outreach

• Network investments that matter most locally: more mid‑band 5G capacity and small cells along US‑17 and SC‑707; targeted new sites or sector adds west of Georgetown and near river corridors; hardened backhaul and backup power inland.
• Digital inclusion: mobile‑friendly government and health services, bilingual outreach for hospitality/agriculture workers, and device‑subsidy programs will reach more residents than desktop‑first solutions in inland tracts.
• Emergency communications: prioritize cell-on-wheels staging plans for inland sites and public Wi‑Fi hotspots as part of storm response.

Notes on method

• Estimates synthesize county population, typical smartphone adoption by age/rurality from national/state surveys, and known coastal–rural disparities in SC. Exact figures vary by neighborhood and season; local carrier drive tests, FCC maps, school district tech surveys, and county 911 outage logs can refine these estimates.

Georgetown County, SC social media snapshot (2025)

Topline user stats

• Population: ~66,000 residents; older-leaning age profile.
• Estimated social media users: 45,000–50,000 (roughly 75–80% of residents age 13+).
• Daily use: ~65–70% of users check at least once per day; average person uses 2–3 platforms.
• Note: Figures are estimates based on Pew U.S. platform use, adjusted for Georgetown County’s older age mix, plus ACS demographics and platform ad-reach benchmarks.

Age mix of local social-media users

• 13–24: 16–18% (heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok)
• 25–44: 28–32% (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube; rising TikTok)
• 45–64: 30–34% (Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest; some Instagram)
• 65+: 22–25% (Facebook, YouTube; growing Nextdoor)

Gender breakdown (of users)

• Women: 54–57%
• Men: 43–46%
• Notes: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men slightly higher on YouTube, X/Reddit.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; local estimates)

• YouTube: 75–82%
• Facebook: 70–76%
• Instagram: 32–40%
• Pinterest: 34–39% (strong among women 35+)
• TikTok: 22–28% (fastest growth in 18–34)
• Snapchat: 14–18% (concentrated under 25)
• X/Twitter: 12–16% (news, sports)
• Nextdoor: 15–22% (HOA/POA neighborhoods, safety, services)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (lower than U.S. average)
• WhatsApp: 12–16% (community/faith groups; some international ties)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor drive local info (schools, churches, HOAs, lost/found pets, storm prep, road closures on US-17). Local government, sheriff, and emergency management posts see high engagement during weather events.
• Marketplace culture: Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are very active (home goods, fishing/boating, golf carts).
• Video-forward consumption: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) is the growth format for food spots, real estate, events, and outdoor recreation; 45+ still favors YouTube for how-tos and local news clips.
• Seasonality: Summer tourism lifts Instagram/TikTok views for beaches, dining, and “things to do”; winter “snowbird” months keep Facebook engagement steady.
• Peak times: Early morning (6–8 a.m., 45+), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.). Weekend mornings perform well for community updates and events.
• Content that performs: Weather and tide/flood updates, school activities and sports, fishing reports, restaurant openings, charity drives, local history and wildlife photos.
• Shopping and responses: Users expect quick replies via Facebook/Instagram DMs; coupon and event promos outperform generic ads. Reviews and recommendations in groups heavily influence choices for home services and healthcare.

Use these ranges as planning guardrails; for campaigns, validate with platform ad tools targeted to Georgetown County ZIPs and your own page/group insights.