Laurens County

Laurens County, South Carolina – key demographics

Population

• Total population (2020 Census): 67,539
• Female: 51.5%; Male: 48.5%

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 5: ~5%
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~64%
• Black or African American alone: ~26%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%

Households and families

• Households: ~26,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66–67% of all households
• Married-couple families: ~45% of households
• Householder living alone: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~74%

Insights

• The county is majority White with a substantial Black population and a small but growing Hispanic community.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the U.S. overall, with about one-fifth aged 65+.
• Household composition is predominantly family-based, with relatively high homeownership.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year; Population Estimates Program). Figures rounded for clarity.

• Population baseline: ~68,500 residents across ~714 sq mi (≈96 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~50,000 people (≈73% of residents; ≈90% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users (count, share):
  • 18–34: ~13,500 (27%)
  • 35–54: ~16,500 (33%)
  • 55–64: ~7,500 (15%)
  • 65+: ~12,500 (25%) Insight: Working-age adults show near‑universal adoption; seniors participate substantially but at lower rates.
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and usage trends:
  • ~77% of households subscribe to fixed home broadband; ~87% have any home internet.
  • ~18% are smartphone‑only internet households, shaping mobile‑first email behavior.
  • ~13% of households lack home internet, indicating ongoing access gaps.
  • Fixed 25/3 Mbps service is available to roughly ~89% of addresses; fiber is concentrated in Laurens and Clinton, with rural areas relying more on cable/DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • Public access: Laurens County Library System branches (Laurens and Clinton) provide free Wi‑Fi and computers, supporting residents without home service.
• Bottom line: Email is the default communications channel for most adults in Laurens County, with usage strongest in working ages and constrained in rural, lower‑connectivity pockets.

Laurens County, SC — Mobile phone usage summary (latest available official estimates, ACS 2019–2023 and FCC broadband data, 2024/2025)

Snapshot

• Smartphone access is widespread but slightly below the South Carolina average; reliance on phones as the primary way to get online is notably higher than statewide.
• Coverage is strong along I-26 and I-385 and in incorporated places (Laurens, Clinton, Gray Court), with more variability in sparsely populated lake/timber areas.
• Median mobile speeds are lower than the statewide median, but capacity has improved with recent 5G deployments.

User estimates

• Population and households: ~68,000 residents; ~26,000 households.
• Adults with a smartphone: ~46,000–50,000 (roughly 85–90% of adults).
• Households with a smartphone subscription: ~23,000–24,000 (about 88–92% of households).
• Mobile-dependent (smartphone and/or cellular data plan without a fixed home broadband subscription): ~3,300–3,900 households (about 13–15%).
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: ~4,000 (about 15–17%).

Demographic patterns (how usage breaks down)

• Age: Younger adults (18–34) are near-universal smartphone users; adults 65+ show meaningfully lower adoption and higher smartphone-only reliance than the state average, reflecting both income and availability factors.
• Income: Lower-income households are more likely to be mobile-only and less likely to maintain a fixed broadband subscription; the gap versus higher-income households is wider than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity: Smartphone access is high across groups, but Black and Hispanic households in the county are more likely to be smartphone-only than White households, mirroring statewide patterns but with a slightly larger “mobile-only” tilt due to rural availability and cost constraints.
• Urban/rural: Incorporated towns have high smartphone adoption plus better access to fiber/cable; rural areas show strong smartphone adoption but lower fixed broadband availability, elevating mobile-only use.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE with expanding 5G. Coverage is most consistent along I-26, I-385, US-76, US-221, and in/around Laurens and Clinton. Rural gaps and weaker indoor signal persist near the Lake Greenwood fringe and heavily forested/low-density pockets.
• 5G: T-Mobile mid-band is the most broadly available; AT&T and Verizon 5G includes low-band countywide and concentrated mid-/C-band around population centers and highway corridors.
• Speed and capacity: Typical daytime mobile download speeds in populated areas are moderate-to-good; county medians trail the SC statewide median by a clear margin, especially off-corridor where sites are more sparsely spaced.
• Sites/backhaul: Dozens of registered macro towers serve the county, with newer sector equipment and microwave/fiber backhaul upgrades along the interstates and in towns. Rural sectors can be spectrum- or backhaul-constrained at peak times.
• Fixed broadband backdrop (relevant to mobile reliance): Cable and fiber are available in town centers; many rural addresses remain on legacy DSL, fixed wireless, or have no 100/20 Mbps option. The share of locations with 100/20 Mbps service is a few points below the statewide figure, sustaining higher smartphone-only use.

How Laurens County differs from South Carolina overall

• Higher smartphone-only reliance: By roughly 3–6 percentage points above the state average, driven by rural geography, lower median income, and patchier fixed broadband.
• Slightly lower overall household internet subscription rate: Laurens runs several points below the statewide rate, even though smartphone ownership is high.
• Larger senior digital gap: Adults 65+ are less likely to have both a smartphone and fixed broadband than their peers statewide.
• Lower median mobile speeds: Coverage is broad, but performance off the main corridors lags the state median more often, reflecting site density and spectrum mix.
• More pronounced urban–rural split: Town centers resemble state averages; outlying areas show significantly greater dependence on mobile data for everyday connectivity.

Practical implications

• Mobile networks are central to everyday internet access for a sizable minority of households, so capacity upgrades (mid-band 5G, additional sectors/backhaul) in rural cells will yield outsized benefits.
• Programs that combine device affordability with discounted fixed broadband (or high-cap mobile plans) will disproportionately improve access for seniors and lower-income households.
• Continued fiber/cable buildouts in the rural fringe would reduce mobile-only dependence and improve overall digital resilience.

Laurens County, SC social media snapshot (2025 modeled estimates)

Baseline

• Population: ~68,000 (2024 estimate). Residents aged 13+: ~57,800.
• Social media penetration (any platform, monthly): 81% of residents 13+ (~46,900 people).
• Daily social media users: 63% of residents 13+ (36,400).

Age breakdown (share using any social, monthly)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 91%
• 30–49: 87%
• 50–64: 74%
• 65+: 58%

Gender breakdown

• Among all social media users: ~54% women, 46% men.
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok.
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), LinkedIn.

Most-used platforms in Laurens County (share of residents 13+ using at least monthly; approximate user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 68% (~39.3k)
• Facebook: 62% (~35.8k)
• Instagram: 31% (~17.9k)
• Pinterest: 26% (~15.0k)
• TikTok: 24% (~13.9k)
• Snapchat: 18% (~10.4k)
• X (Twitter): 12% (~6.9k)
• WhatsApp: 12% (~6.9k)
• LinkedIn: 11% (~6.4k)
• Reddit: 10% (~5.8k)
• Nextdoor: 7% (~4.0k)

Daily use (share of residents 13+)

• Facebook: 48% (~27.7k)
• YouTube: 41% (~23.7k)
• Instagram: 19% (~11.0k)
• TikTok: 16% (~9.2k)

Platform-by-age tendencies

• Teens (13–17): YouTube (90%), Instagram (70%), TikTok (73%), Snapchat (68%), Facebook (~35%).
• Young adults (18–29): YouTube (93%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (60%), TikTok (62%), Facebook (~70%).
• 30–49: Facebook (78%), YouTube (88%), Instagram (47%), TikTok (34%), Pinterest (~40%).
• 50–64: Facebook (69%), YouTube (71%), Instagram (29%), Pinterest (32%), TikTok (~16%).
• 65+: Facebook (66%), YouTube (58%), Instagram (15%), Pinterest (22%), TikTok (~7%).

Behavioral trends in Laurens County

• Facebook-first community: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for local news, schools, churches, high school sports, civic updates; Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are highly active.
• Short-form video growth: Reels and TikTok are rising for local businesses (restaurants, real estate, auto) and community highlights; strongest engagement from 18–49.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger dominates for family and community coordination; Snapchat is the default among teens/college-age; WhatsApp is concentrated among Hispanic residents and recent transplants.
• Local information loop: Residents follow county/city departments, schools, and local media primarily on Facebook; weather and emergency posts drive large spikes.
• Shopping and recommendations: Marketplace, group recommendations, and “yard-sale” culture influence local purchasing; coupon/discount posts perform well.
• Timing: Peak activity evenings and weekends, with notable Sunday spikes tied to church and family routines.
• Content themes that perform: Community events, youth sports, church/faith, local restaurant specials, job openings, hunting/fishing/outdoors, and feel-good local stories.

Source and method

• Figures are modeled 2025 estimates for Laurens County derived by calibrating recent Pew Research Center social-media adoption rates with the county’s age/gender mix from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and South Carolina rural-urban patterns. Percentages refer to residents aged 13+ unless noted.