Lexington County

Lexington County, South Carolina — key demographics (latest Census data)

Population size

• Total population (2023 estimate): 315,000

Age

• Median age: 39.1 years
• Age distribution: Under 18: 23.0%; 18–64: 60.7%; 65 and over: 16.3%

Gender

• Female: 51.3%
• Male: 48.7%

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive)

• White, non-Hispanic: 72.0%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 15.5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 7.0%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: 2.7%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 2.2%
• Other, non-Hispanic (includes American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Some Other Race): 0.6%

Households

• Total households: 121,400
• Average household size: 2.62
• Family households: 72% of households
• Married-couple households: 51% of households
• Households with children under 18: 31%
• Nonfamily households: 28%; living alone: 23%; living alone age 65+: 8%

Insights

• The county’s age profile is close to the U.S. overall (median ~39), with a modestly smaller 65+ share than South Carolina statewide.
• Household size is slightly above the national average, and family households constitute a solid majority.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Population Estimates; 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year/2019–2023 ACS 5-year.

• Scope: Lexington County, South Carolina (population ≈310,000; adults 18+ ≈242,000).
• Estimated email users: ≈222,000 adults (assumes ~92% email adoption among U.S. adults).
• Age distribution of email users (rounded):
  • 18–34: ≈65,000 (~29%)
  • 35–54: ≈80,000 (~36%)
  • 55–64: ≈34,000 (~15%)
  • 65+: ≈43,000 (~19%)
• Gender split: County population is roughly 51% female, 49% male; email users mirror this (~113,000 female, ~109,000 male), as email adoption is near-parity by gender nationally.
• Digital access and device context (ACS-style indicators, county-level):
  • Households with a computer: ≈93%
  • Households with a broadband internet subscription: ≈88%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈16–18%
  • Trend: broadband subscriptions have risen in recent years, while smartphone-only access persists among lower-income and rural households, indicating a remaining quality-of-access gap.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈420 residents per square mile (based on ~699 sq mi of land).
  • Connectivity is strongest in suburban corridors tied to the Columbia metro (I‑20/I‑26/US‑1), with thinner fixed-broadband uptake in rural western and southern tracts.

Lexington County, SC: mobile phone usage snapshot (most recent ACS 2018–2022 5‑year estimates, FCC and industry datasets through 2024)

User estimates

• Smartphone households: 94% of households have a smartphone (vs 91% statewide). With roughly 120–125k households in the county, that equates to about 113k–118k smartphone‑equipped households.
• Internet via cellular data: 78% of households have a cellular data plan (vs 74% statewide). About 15% rely on cellular data only (no fixed broadband), lower than the state’s ~20%.
• No internet subscription: ~10% of households (vs ~15% statewide).
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 93% of adults use a smartphone, implying on the order of 220k–235k adult users given the county’s adult population size.
• Active mobile connections: applying contemporary U.S. connection density to the county’s population yields roughly 400k–450k active mobile lines (phones, tablets, IoT), consistent with suburban/metro counties.

Demographic breakdown (how Lexington differs from South Carolina overall)

• Age:
  • 18–34: near‑universal smartphone adoption (>97%), similar to the state.
  • 65+: ~82% smartphone adoption in Lexington vs ~78% statewide; seniors in Lexington are less likely to be “mobile‑only” and more likely to bundle mobile with home broadband.
• Income:
  • <$25k: smartphone adoption around 90% in Lexington (higher than the state’s high‑80s); cellular‑only internet reliance is materially lower than the state among low‑income households.
  • ≥$75k: ~98% smartphone adoption and the highest 5G usage; fixed‑mobile complementarity (mobile plus fiber/cable) is more common than elsewhere in SC.
• Education:
  • Bachelor’s or higher: ~97% smartphone adoption (above state). Lexington’s higher share of college‑educated residents contributes to higher 5G take‑up and lower mobile‑only dependency.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black and Hispanic households show very high smartphone adoption in the county (mid‑90%s), with lower mobile‑only internet reliance than statewide averages, reflecting better fixed access in the Columbia–Lexington suburban core.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide county‑wide LTE and population‑wide 5G coverage; mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz, Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is broadly live in the Lexington, West Columbia, Irmo, and Cayce corridors, extending along I‑20, I‑26, and I‑77. Southwestern rural pockets (Pelion, Swansea, Gaston) are primarily low‑band 5G/LTE with fewer mid‑band sectors.
• Capacity/backhaul: Dense fiber along the I‑20/I‑26 spine (AT&T, Lumen, regional providers) and cable plant (Spectrum) support robust macro and small‑cell backhaul in the metro portion of the county, enabling higher 5G capacity than in many rural SC counties.
• Sites: The county hosts a dense grid of registered macro towers and rooftops concentrated around commercial corridors and interstates, with sparser sites toward the agricultural southwest; this translates to fewer coverage gaps and better indoor service than the state’s rural regions.
• Speeds: In the urban/suburban core, median 5G downloads typically run in the 100–200 Mbps band with mid‑band carriers, dropping to roughly 30–80 Mbps in rural edges on low‑band 5G/LTE. This is consistently faster than statewide rural medians and broadly on par with other large SC metros.

Key trends that diverge from the state

• Higher adoption and lower exclusion: Lexington outperforms SC on smartphone ownership (+3 percentage points), any‑broadband (+4 pp), and has fewer households with no internet (−5 pp).
• Less mobile‑only reliance: Cellular‑only households are ~5 pp lower than the state, reflecting stronger availability and uptake of cable/fiber. Mobile is used as a complement to fixed more often than a substitute.
• Earlier and broader mid‑band 5G: The county’s inclusion in the Columbia metro brought earlier mid‑band 5G upgrades, yielding higher median mobile speeds and capacity than much of South Carolina outside the major metros.
• Smaller urban–rural gap within the county: While rural southwest areas lag, the performance and adoption gap inside Lexington County is narrower than the statewide urban–rural gap, owing to proximity to the Columbia core and interstate backbones.
• Demographic lift: Higher income and education profiles translate into higher 5G device penetration, more multi‑line family plans, and greater use of mobile for work/education, distinguishing Lexington from lower‑income, rural SC counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022 (S2801/S2802 Computer and Internet Use), FCC mobile coverage and licensing datasets (2023–2024), carrier public 5G deployment disclosures, and independent speed/performance aggregations for the Columbia–Lexington metro through 2024.

Social media usage in Lexington County, South Carolina — 2025 snapshot

Demographic base

• Population: about 315,000 (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)
• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male
• Age structure: ~23% under 18; ~77% adults 18+; ~18% are 65+

Most‑used platforms (share of U.S. adults using each; a strong proxy for Lexington County’s suburban profile, Pew Research Center 2024)

• YouTube ~83%
• Facebook ~68%
• Instagram ~47%
• Pinterest ~35%
• TikTok ~33%
• WhatsApp ~29%
• LinkedIn ~30%
• Snapchat ~27%
• X (Twitter) ~22%
• Reddit ~22%
• Nextdoor ~19–20% (not universal, but notably higher in suburban neighborhoods)

Practical local read‑through

• Expect Facebook and YouTube to reach the broadest share of Lexington County adults, with Instagram and TikTok strong among 18–39; Nextdoor is impactful at the neighborhood/HOA level; LinkedIn reach is material given the Columbia metro’s government, healthcare, education, and manufacturing workforce.
• Applying the above benchmarks to Lexington’s adult base (≈ 240k adults) yields approximate reachable audiences: Facebook 160k+, YouTube 195k+, Instagram 110k+, TikTok 80k+, LinkedIn 70k+, Snapchat 65k+, Pinterest 80k+, WhatsApp 70k+, X/Reddit ~50k each, Nextdoor ~45k. These are estimates, not unique deduplicated users.

Age group usage patterns (directional, aligning with national trends)

• Teens to 29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near‑universal; Facebook limited but used for events and marketplace.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram and TikTok growing; LinkedIn relevant for career; WhatsApp common in multicultural households.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest and Nextdoor gain importance; Instagram moderate.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube remain primary; Nextdoor useful for local info; lighter Instagram/TikTok adoption.

Gender tendencies

• Women in the county skew higher on Facebook Groups, Pinterest, and Instagram Stories/Reels for lifestyle, schools, and local shopping.
• Men skew higher on YouTube (how‑to, sports, outdoor content), Reddit, and X for news/sports; Facebook still widely used for groups and marketplace.

Behavioral trends and content habits

• Community‑first: Facebook Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, buy/sell/trade, public safety) are central to local information flow and commerce.
• Video‑led consumption: Short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery; 5–15 second clips with captions/subtitles outperform static posts.
• Local utility posts win: Weather updates, traffic/road closures, school news, festival and high‑school sports highlights see outsized engagement.
• Private sharing shift: Messenger/WhatsApp/IG DMs carry a large share of link and flyer sharing; fast responses to DMs materially improve conversion.
• Nextdoor for services: Home services, lost/found pets, HOA notices, contractor recommendations, and neighborhood safety updates.
• Marketplace behavior: Strong Facebook Marketplace activity for vehicles, furniture, tools, and seasonal goods.
• Small‑business playbook: Instagram Reels + Facebook cross‑posting; geofenced ads around schools, parks, shopping corridors; creator partnerships with local athletes, coaches, and food/lifestyle pages.
• Timing patterns: Morning commute (7–9 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evening (6–9 p.m.) peaks; weekend afternoons for events and retail.
• Trust anchors: Posts from local government, school districts, first responders, and well‑known local media personalities drive shares and follow‑on discussion.

Notes on figures

• Demographic percentages are from U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Lexington County (latest available); platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use report. County‑specific platform shares are not directly published; estimated local reach applies Pew’s rates to the county’s adult population for planning purposes.