Greenville County

Greenville County, South Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 559,189 (July 1, 2023 estimate)
• Up 6.4% from 525,534 at the 2020 Census

Age

• Median age: ~38.6 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Racial and ethnic composition

• White alone: ~74%
• Black or African American alone: ~18–19%
• Asian alone: ~2.5–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–0.6%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~11%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~63–64%

Households

• Households: ~225,000 (2018–2022 ACS)
• Average household size: ~2.53
• Family households: ~65% of households; married-couple households ~47% (approx.)
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~69%
• Median household income (2018–2022 dollars): ~$70,000

Insights

• Greenville County is the most populous county in South Carolina and is growing faster than the state average.
• The population is moderately young with a sizable working-age share, and racial/ethnic diversity—especially Hispanic/Latino—continues to increase.
• Household structure skews toward family households with relatively high homeownership for a growing metro county.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP), July 1, 2023.
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households, tenure, income).
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (baseline population).

Greenville County, SC email usage snapshot (2024)

• Estimated email users: ≈390,000 adults. Basis: county pop ≈546,000, adults ≈425,000 (≈78%); email adoption ≈92% of adults (Pew-level U.S. rates applied locally).
• Age distribution (email adoption rates):
  • 18–29: ≈98%
  • 30–49: ≈96%
  • 50–64: ≈92%
  • 65+: ≈85% These high rates imply near-universal email use among working-age adults, with modest drop-off among seniors.
• Gender split: Essentially even and mirrors the adult population; ≈49% male and ≈51% female among email users (about 192k men, 198k women).
• Digital access trends (ACS S2801-style metrics, 2022–2023):
  • Households with a computer: ≈93%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈89%
  • Cellular-only internet households: ≈12–14%
  • No home internet subscription: ≈11% Strong device ownership and broadband uptake support sustained email engagement; cellular-only access indicates some mobile-first usage.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈690 people/sq mi, with dense corridors along I‑85 (Greenville–Greer–Simpsonville) supporting extensive cable and fiber footprints.
  • Fixed broadband availability is widespread (≥97% of residents have at least 25/3 Mbps options), with fiber coverage strongest in urban/suburban areas; coverage thins in northern rural tracts.

Greenville County, SC: mobile phone usage, users, demographics, and infrastructure (with county-versus-state contrasts)

Scope and timing

• Unless noted, figures reflect 2022–2024 public datasets (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year, ACS 2022 1‑year, Pew Research on smartphone adoption through 2023/2024, FCC carrier disclosures through 2024). Where exact county data are not published, estimates are derived transparently from those sources and Greenville’s population/household profile.

User estimates

• Population baseline and households: Greenville County’s population is roughly mid‑540,000s in 2022, with about 210,000–220,000 households.
• Estimated smartphone users: About 400,000–420,000 residents use a smartphone regularly in Greenville County. Method: apply typical adult smartphone adoption rates (mid‑80s% nationally; higher in urban counties) to Greenville’s adult population, plus near‑universal adoption among teens.
• Smartphone‑dependent (phone‑only internet) population: On the order of 65,000–75,000 residents rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet. Method: apply ACS “cellular‑only” household share typical for a large urban SC county (low‑to‑mid teens %) to Greenville’s household count, then scale by household size.
• Overall mobile phone penetration (any mobile, not just smartphones): effectively near‑universal among working‑age adults; smartphone specifically is the dominant device class.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: near‑universal smartphone ownership (mid‑ to high‑90s%), heavy mobile‑first media and commerce behavior.
  • 35–64: very high adoption (low‑ to mid‑90s%) with strong bring‑your‑own‑device and hybrid‑work usage.
  • 65+: adoption materially below younger cohorts but rising quickly; Greenville’s seniors are a few points higher than the statewide senior average owing to higher income and education in the metro.
• Income and education
  • Higher‑income, degree‑holding households in Greenville are more likely to have both a smartphone and fixed broadband/fiber, use multiple lines/devices, and subscribe to premium data plans and 5G devices. Greenville has a larger share of these households than South Carolina overall, which lifts its multi‑device and 5G‑device penetration above the state average.
  • Lower‑income households show higher smartphone‑dependence (cellular‑only internet). This segment exists in Greenville but is a smaller share of the county than statewide because Greenville’s income distribution skews higher than the state median.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Consistent with national patterns, Black and Hispanic households in Greenville are more likely than White, non‑Hispanic households to be smartphone‑dependent for home internet; however, because the county’s fixed‑broadband availability is strong, the gap narrows compared with many SC counties.
• Urban–rural within the county
  • Urban/suburban cores (City of Greenville, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Taylors) show dense 5G availability and faster median speeds; northern mountainous and exurban areas (e.g., Travelers Rest and Blue Ridge foothills) have more coverage variability and more reliance on low‑band 5G/LTE.

Digital infrastructure points

• Carrier presence and 5G: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all operate 5G across Greenville’s urban/suburban areas. Mid‑band 5G (C‑band for AT&T/Verizon and n41 for T‑Mobile) is broadly available along the I‑85/I‑385 corridors, downtown Greenville, and major employment/retail zones; low‑band 5G covers the countywide footprint including exurbs.
• Capacity and speeds: Urban Greenville benefits from layered spectrum (low + mid + LTE anchor), yielding higher median 5G speeds and capacity than the statewide average, particularly around I‑85/I‑385, GSP airport environs, and large campuses. Exurban/northern areas lean more on low‑band 5G and LTE with lower throughput but better range.
• Backhaul and fiber: Robust fiber backbones from AT&T and Charter/Spectrum support dense small‑cell and macro‑site backhaul in the metro. AT&T Fiber and cable DOCSIS penetration is high in populated tracts, which reduces household smartphone‑dependence compared with statewide norms and enables effective Wi‑Fi offload.
• Public safety and enterprise: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established countywide; Greenville’s concentration of healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and higher ed drives strong private‑LTE/CBRS testing and dense in‑building cellular solutions relative to most SC counties.

How Greenville County differs from South Carolina overall

• Higher smartphone ownership and 5G device penetration: The county’s younger median age and higher income/education mix push smartphone and 5G‑capable device adoption a few points above the statewide average.
• Lower share of “cellular‑only” households: While phone‑only internet is present, Greenville’s rate sits below the South Carolina average because fixed broadband/fiber availability and take‑up are stronger in the metro.
• Faster, denser 5G: Mid‑band 5G density and backhaul are stronger than the statewide mean, especially along the I‑85 economic corridor, resulting in higher typical speeds and better capacity during peak hours.
• Smaller unserved pockets: Coverage gaps are primarily topographical in the far‑north foothills; the proportion of residents experiencing weak or no mobile broadband is lower than for South Carolina overall.
• More multi‑line and multi‑device households: Greenville households more commonly maintain multiple smartphones, tablets, and wearables per household, and subscribe to higher‑tier data plans, boosting per‑user mobile data consumption beyond state averages.

Key takeaways

• Greenville County is a high‑adoption, high‑capacity mobile market within South Carolina: roughly 400k+ smartphone users, strong 5G availability where people live and work, and lower reliance on phone‑only internet than the state overall.
• The digital divide persists but is narrower than statewide: smartphone‑dependent households exist, concentrated in lower‑income tracts and some exurban/foothill areas, yet represent a smaller slice of the county than across South Carolina.
• Infrastructure investment is paying off locally: dense mid‑band 5G, strong fiber backhaul, and urban infill create a mobile experience that is measurably better than the state average on availability, speeds, and capacity.

Social media usage in Greenville County, South Carolina (2025 snapshot)

Scope and method note: Direct, platform-published county-level figures are not released. Percentages below are modeled from the latest Pew Research Center U.S. social media adoption (2024) adjusted for Greenville County’s age mix and broadband/smartphone access from recent ACS/Census indicators. Where possible, figures are given as percentages of adults and accompanied by estimated user counts.

County baseline

• Population: ≈550,000 residents; adults 18+: ≈430,000
• Broadband and devices: High household broadband and smartphone access support near-national social media adoption
• Overall social media penetration: ~82% of adults use at least one platform (≈350,000 adults); ~70% use social daily (≈300,000)

Most-used platforms by adults (modeled share of adult population; daily use in parentheses)

• YouTube: ~82% (daily ~45–50%)
• Facebook: ~67% (daily ~45–50%)
• Instagram: ~44–47% (daily ~30%)
• TikTok: ~32–35% (daily ~25%)
• LinkedIn: ~30–35% (daily ~8–10%)
• Pinterest: ~30–33% (daily ~15%)
• Snapchat: ~28–30% (daily ~20% among under 35)
• X (Twitter): ~20–22% (daily ~10–12%)
• WhatsApp: ~20–22% (daily ~12–15%)
• Nextdoor: ~18–22% (usage concentrated in suburban neighborhoods; check weekly more common than daily)

Age profile of social users (share of each age group using any social platform; local estimates reflect national patterns)

• 18–29: ~95% use; heavy daily use, multi-platform (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube)
• 30–49: ~88–90% use; Facebook, Instagram, YouTube core; TikTok growing for parents and small-business discovery
• 50–64: ~70–75% use; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable among women; LinkedIn for professionals
• 65+: ~50–55% use; primarily Facebook and YouTube; rising comfort with Nextdoor for neighborhood info

Gender breakdown

• Adult population is roughly balanced (≈51% female, 49% male), and overall social usage mirrors this (≈52% female, 48% male among users)
• Platform skews locally mirror national patterns:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Nextdoor
  • More male: Reddit, X (Twitter), YouTube; LinkedIn leans slightly male in technical/manufacturing roles

Behavioral trends in Greenville County

• Community-centric usage: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are key for school/PTA, neighborhood safety, city services, local buy/sell, and event coordination
• Discovery and local commerce: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive restaurant, coffee, fitness, arts, and weekend activity discovery; short-form video outperforms static posts for local businesses
• Professional networking: LinkedIn is disproportionately active for engineering, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and corporate services; recruiters and jobseekers are highly engaged
• Video-first consumption: YouTube and Facebook video remain primary for long-form local content (church services, city meetings, DIY/home projects)
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is default for community and marketplace follow-up; WhatsApp adoption is strong among Hispanic and international residents for family and small-business communication
• Temporal patterns: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; weekday lunch hours show measurable spikes for short-form video and Stories
• Content that performs: Event promos, giveaways, hyperlocal storytelling (neighborhood updates, high school sports, local causes), and practical tips (home services, trails, parks) achieve above-average reach and shares
• Ad targeting best practices: Geo-fenced boosts around retail corridors and suburbs perform well; creatives with clear local cues (landmarks, neighborhood names) and short-form video drive higher CTR and saves

Key takeaways

• Penetration is high and broadly mirrors U.S. norms, with Facebook and YouTube as daily staples across ages
• Under-40 audiences are video-first and discovery-driven on Instagram/TikTok; over-50 remains anchored to Facebook/YouTube
• Neighborhood and family life strongly shape usage; Groups, Nextdoor, and Messenger are essential for hyperlocal reach
• For B2B and hiring, LinkedIn is more influential than raw user share suggests due to Greenville’s professional/industrial base