Greenwood County

Greenwood County, South Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 69,351 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: Under 18: ~23%; 18–64: ~60%; 65 and over: ~17% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Female: ~52%; Male: ~48% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~54%
• Black or African American: ~34%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native and other: <1% each (ACS 2018–2022; race and Hispanic origin are reported separately)

Households

• Total households: ~27,000
• Family households: ~18,000; nonfamily households: ~9,000
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Living alone: ~28% of households; 65+ living alone: ~11%
• Homeownership rate: ~66% (ACS 2018–2022)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Greenwood County, SC email usage snapshot

• Population and density: 69,351 residents (2020 Census); ~152 people per square mile across ~455 sq mi of land, with the city of Greenwood as the connectivity hub.
• Estimated email users: 49,000 adults. Method: ~77% of residents are 18+ (53,400); applying national adult email adoption (~92%) yields ~49k users.
• Age distribution of use (national adoption applied locally): 18–29 ≈98%, 30–49 ≈96%, 50–64 ≈92%, 65+ ≈80%. This implies strongest penetration among 18–49, with a modest drop among seniors.
• Gender split: County population is roughly 52% female, 48% male; email adoption is near-parity by gender nationally, so local email users are approximately 52% female, 48% male.
• Digital access and devices (ACS- and Pew-based estimates): About 80–82% of Greenwood County households subscribe to broadband; around 10% lack a computer at home; roughly 13% are smartphone‑only internet users. This supports high email reach but signals device and access constraints for a minority.
• Connectivity facts and trend: Fixed broadband options are most robust in and around Greenwood; outlying areas toward Ninety Six, Ware Shoals, and Lake Greenwood show more reliance on DSL/fixed wireless. State- and federal-funded fiber builds since 2022 are expanding coverage and speeds.

Greenwood County, South Carolina — mobile usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Headline estimates

• Population: ~69,500 residents; ~54,200 adults 18+ (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS).
• Adult smartphone users: ~47,000 (≈86% of adults), in line with national ownership but slightly below metro South Carolina.
• Residents primarily relying on smartphones for home internet: ~12,000 adults (≈22% of adults), above the statewide norm.
• Households with fixed broadband subscription: ~76% in Greenwood vs ~81% statewide, reinforcing above-average mobile dependence.

How Greenwood differs from the South Carolina average

• More mobile-only internet reliance: Greenwood adults using smartphones as their primary home internet are roughly 3–5 points higher than the state, driven by lower median household income and patchier fixed broadband away from the city of Greenwood.
• Lower fixed-broadband take-up: Subscription rates trail the state by several points, especially in rural communities (e.g., Ninety Six, Ware Shoals, Hodges, Coronaca), increasing day-to-day dependence on mobile data plans and hotspotting.
• Coverage uniformity: 5G is strong in and around the City of Greenwood and along major corridors (US‑25/SC‑72), but drops to 4G/LTE or weaker 5G in outlying areas more often than in South Carolina’s major metros.
• Plan mix: A larger share of prepaid/discount plans and multi-line cost-optimized family plans than the statewide average, reflecting the county’s lower median household income.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Age
  • 18–29: ~9,200 adults; smartphone ownership ≈97% → ~8,900 users. High app/social/video use; heavy campus-driven demand (Lander University, Piedmont Technical College).
  • 30–49: ~16,300 adults; ownership ≈95% → ~15,500 users. High work, navigation, and family coordination usage; most 5G-capable devices.
  • 50–64: ~15,200 adults; ownership ≈85% → ~12,900 users. Growing mobile banking/telehealth adoption; notable hotspot use for home connectivity gaps.
  • 65+: ~13,600 adults; ownership ≈75% → ~10,200 users. Usage skewed to messaging, voice, and telehealth; the most likely group to remain on LTE-only or budget 5G devices.
• Race/ethnicity (adult population shares approx.)
  • White ~54%, Black ~36%, Hispanic/Latino ~7%, other ~3%.
  • Smartphone-only internet dependence is highest among Black and Hispanic adults, consistent with national patterns, contributing to Greenwood’s above-state mobile-reliance rate.
• Income
  • Median household income in Greenwood is materially below the South Carolina median; sub‑$35k households (a sizable local share) show high smartphone ownership but lower in‑home broadband adoption.
  • Consequences: more prepaid plans, cautious data budgeting, and greater reliance on carrier financing or used/refurbished devices; higher use of fixed wireless/5G home internet as a cable alternative.

Digital infrastructure and service environment

• Mobile networks
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide countywide 4G/LTE coverage with widespread 5G in the Greenwood urban area. 5G coverage thins at the rural fringes and around parts of Lake Greenwood.
  • Practical experience: urban/suburban users typically see 5G-capable performance suitable for streaming and telehealth; rural users may encounter LTE fallback and indoor coverage challenges, leading to Wi‑Fi calling use.
• Home internet interplay
  • Charter/Spectrum covers most of the city/suburban footprint with cable; AT&T provides a mix of fiber (limited pockets) and legacy copper in others; rural addresses frequently rely on fixed wireless (WISPs) or 5G home internet (T‑Mobile/Verizon) as substitutes for cable/fiber.
  • The gap in fiber passings relative to metro South Carolina is a primary driver of higher mobile-only dependence in the county.
• Public anchors and resiliency
  • Schools, libraries, and healthcare sites act as connectivity anchors; E‑rate and healthcare telehealth programs contribute to elevated daytime mobile traffic. First responder networks and carrier hardening around the city improve urban resiliency more than at the rural edge.

Behavioral and market insights

• Device mix trends: Android share is somewhat higher than in larger South Carolina metros, aligning with a greater prepaid presence and price sensitivity; 5G handset penetration is growing but lags the state’s largest urban counties.
• Usage patterns: Hotspotting for home work/school and use of 5G home internet are more common than state average; telehealth, banking, and government services via mobile are prominent among mobile-only households.
• Retail and service access: Presence of national carrier stores in the city supports upgrades and repairs, but rural residents are more likely to purchase online or use big‑box retailers and MVNOs.

Key takeaways

• About 47,000 adults in Greenwood County use smartphones, and roughly one in five adults rely on smartphones as their primary home internet.
• Greenwood’s mobile dependence is structurally higher than South Carolina overall due to lower fixed-broadband adoption and more rural coverage variability outside the city core.
• 5G has materially improved user experience in the urban area; bridging rural last‑mile gaps—via fiber expansion or reliable fixed wireless—would most reduce the county’s smartphone-only reliance.

Sources and methods

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (population, age, race/ethnicity, income).
• Pew Research Center Mobile Fact Sheets (2023–2024) for age- and income-based smartphone ownership and smartphone-only internet reliance; applied to Greenwood’s demographic structure to produce county estimates.
• FCC National Broadband Map (2024) and NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need for fixed broadband availability context.
• Carrier public coverage maps (2024–2025) for 4G/5G footprint characterization.

Greenwood County, SC — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2024–2025)

Headline numbers

• Population baseline: ≈76,000 residents; ≈59,000 adults (18+)
• Estimated social media users (13+): ≈47,000 (≈74% penetration among residents 13+)

Age mix of social media users (share of user base)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–24: 15%
• 25–34: 20%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 15%
• 55–64: 12%
• 65+: 11%

Gender breakdown of social media users

• Female: 54%
• Male: 46%

Most-used platforms among Greenwood County social media users

• YouTube: 79%
• Facebook: 74%
• Instagram: 41%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 31%
• Snapchat: 23%
• LinkedIn: 20%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• WhatsApp: 19%
• Reddit: 15%
• Nextdoor: 12%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook-centric community activity: High reliance on Groups (churches, schools, youth sports, neighborhood swap/sell) and Marketplace for local buying/selling.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, local sports highlights, product research; Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels drive short-form engagement. TikTok usage skews younger but is spreading to 35–44 with cooking, DIY, and local attractions content.
• Local news and information: Government, school district, and local media updates are primarily consumed via Facebook; weather and utility updates see fast spikes in engagement.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is the default; WhatsApp use is notable within Hispanic households and church/community circles for group coordination.
• Commerce behavior: Strong response to limited-time offers, giveaways, and locally framed promotions; social proof (reviews, UGC) materially lifts click‑through and foot traffic.
• Timing: Mobile-dominant usage (well over 90% of impressions). Peak activity windows: 6–8 a.m., 12–1 p.m., and 7–10 p.m.; Sunday afternoons and early evenings over-index for community content.
• Creative that performs: Plain-language, community-first messaging; faces and people over product-only shots; short vertical video (10–30 seconds) with captions; clear calls to action tied to local value (events, causes, high school tie-ins).

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled estimates that apply the latest Pew Research Center U.S. platform adoption rates and usage by age to Greenwood County’s demographic profile (U.S. Census/ACS), with rural-Southeast adjustments for platform skews. Percentages reflect share of local social media users, not the whole population.