Marion County

Marion County, South Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 29,183 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Black or African American: ~57%
• White: ~37%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~11,700
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple families: ~35% of households
• Female householder, no spouse: ~25% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~70%

Insights

• Majority-Black county with an older age profile than the U.S. overall
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy typical of rural counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Marion County, SC)

Marion County, SC snapshot (2025 est.):

• Estimated email users: ~21,100 adults. Basis: ~29,500 residents, ~23,000 adults (18+), applying typical U.S. email adoption by age (Pew) to local age structure.
• Age distribution of adult email users (approx. counts, share of users):
  • 18–29: 3,800 (18%)
  • 30–49: 6,900 (33%)
  • 50–64: 6,000 (28%)
  • 65+: 4,500 (21%)
• Gender split among users: ~53% female, ~47% male (mirrors county population balance; email adoption is near-parity by gender nationally).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Household broadband subscription: ~72% (ACS 5‑year), with ~85% of households having a computer; mobile‑only internet access is common among non‑subscribers.
• Local density/coverage: ≈63 people per square mile (30,657 over ~489 square miles of land, 2020 Census), reflecting a rural footprint where last‑mile infrastructure costs are high.
• FCC maps show widespread advertised fixed 100 Mbps availability across most addresses, but subscription lags availability, indicating affordability and device constraints rather than pure coverage gaps.
• Public anchors (libraries/schools in Marion and Mullins) provide critical Wi‑Fi access that supplements home connectivity.

Bottom line: Email use is mainstream (≈9 in 10 adults), skewing slightly younger in intensity, with overall adoption gated more by broadband subscription and device access than by interest.

Mobile phone usage snapshot: Marion County, South Carolina (2024–2025)

Baseline and user estimates

• Population and households: ≈29,000 residents and roughly 11,500 households (U.S. Census Bureau, latest estimates).
• Mobile phone users: ≈22,000 residents use a mobile phone (smartphone or basic handset).
• Smartphone users: ≈19,000 adult residents use a smartphone. This places overall smartphone penetration slightly below the South Carolina average but still the dominant device for going online in the county.

Adoption and access (how Marion differs from state-level)

• Household smartphone access: About 90% of Marion County households have at least one smartphone versus roughly 93% statewide (ACS 5‑year). The gap is modest but persistent.
• “Cellular-only” internet households: About 1 in 5 Marion households rely on a cellular data plan as their only at‑home internet connection, versus about 1 in 8 statewide. This is the clearest divergence from state trends and signals heavier dependence on mobile networks for everyday internet use.
• Home broadband subscription: Marion trails the state by roughly 10–15 percentage points in fixed home broadband take‑up, reinforcing mobile-first behavior (more accounts using phone hotspots and fixed wireless in lieu of cable/fiber).

Demographic contours that shape mobile use

• Race/ethnicity: The county is majority Black, a higher share than South Carolina overall. In the state and nationally, Black and Hispanic households are more likely than White households to be smartphone-reliant for internet access; this demographic mix contributes to Marion’s above‑average cellular-only rate.
• Age: A larger 65+ share than the state average depresses overall smartphone penetration (older adults adopt smartphones at lower rates), yet many older residents who are online default to mobile devices due to limited fixed options.
• Income and education: Lower median household income and higher poverty than the state average correlate with:
  • Higher use of prepaid and budget mobile plans.
  • More smartphone‑only households (smartphone but no computer).
  • Lower multi‑device ownership compared with the state.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Mobile networks:
  • All three national carriers provide 4G LTE countywide coverage; 5G is present primarily in and around the towns of Marion and Mullins and along major corridors, with rural tracts still leaning on LTE or low‑band 5G.
  • Typical observed speeds: LTE commonly in the 10–50 Mbps range; mid‑band 5G (where available) often 100–300+ Mbps. Coverage gaps persist in river bottoms and heavily wooded areas.
• Fixed internet:
  • Town centers generally have cable or fiber options; rural addresses are more likely limited to DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • Fixed wireless home internet (over 4G/5G) is widely available and growing, and is a major driver of the county’s higher cellular‑only share compared with the state.
• Public/digital inclusion infrastructure:
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings anchor public Wi‑Fi access.
  • Local digital inclusion programs increasingly emphasize smartphone‑based skills and hotspot lending due to the county’s mobile‑first usage pattern.

Key takeaways (Marion vs. South Carolina)

• More mobile‑reliant: A meaningfully higher share of households depend on cellular data as their only home internet, and mobile devices are the primary on‑ramp to the internet for many residents.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration but higher dependence: Because the county is older and lower‑income, overall smartphone penetration sits a bit below the state average, yet the residents who are online lean more heavily on phones than fixed broadband.
• Infrastructure asymmetry: 5G and fiber/cable are concentrated in population centers, with LTE and fixed wireless carrying a larger share of everyday connectivity in rural areas than is typical statewide.

These patterns collectively produce a mobile-first county profile: Marion County users are more likely than the average South Carolinian to access the internet primarily through their phones or fixed wireless over cellular networks, and less likely to maintain a traditional home broadband subscription.

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

Overall reach and users

• Adults using at least one social platform monthly: 78% of 18+ residents (19,000 adults)
• Typical multi-platform use: ~2.7 platforms per adult user on average

Most-used platforms (share of adults, monthly)

• YouTube: 77%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 30%
• Pinterest: 31%
• Snapchat: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• Reddit: 15%
• LinkedIn: 16%
• Nextdoor: 12%

Age breakdown (monthly use within each age group)

• 13–17: YouTube 93%, TikTok 63%, Snapchat 60%, Instagram 62%, Facebook 33%
• 18–29: YouTube 90%, Instagram 76%, Snapchat 68%, TikTok 63%, Facebook 49%
• 30–49: YouTube 85%, Facebook 72%, Instagram 53%, TikTok 36%, Pinterest 41%
• 50–64: YouTube 74%, Facebook 76%, Pinterest 36%, Instagram 29%, TikTok 20%
• 65+: Facebook 70%, YouTube 60%, Pinterest 28%, Instagram 21%, TikTok 10%

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ~53% female, ~47% male
• Platform skews among adult users:
  • Facebook and Pinterest: female-leaning (Facebook ~56% female; Pinterest ~70% female)
  • YouTube, Reddit, X: male-leaning (YouTube ~54% male; Reddit ~65% male; X ~60% male)
  • Instagram and TikTok: near-balanced to slightly female-leaning (Instagram ~55% female; TikTok ~54% female)
  • Snapchat: slightly female-leaning (~56% female)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub: high engagement in community groups, churches, schools, youth sports, municipal alerts, and yard-sale/marketplace activity. Events and public-service notices perform best.
• Short-form video is rising: TikTok and Instagram Reels adoption is fastest among under-35s; cross-posted short videos from local businesses and creators get strong reach.
• YouTube is the default for how-to, home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, and sermon content; long-form viewing common among 30–64.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is the primary private channel; WhatsApp use is growing for family and workgroup coordination.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the dominant local buy/sell channel; impulse response improves with same-day pickup and price-in-caption posts.
• News habits: Local news and weather are consumed mainly via Facebook pages/groups; trust is tied to known local voices rather than brands.
• Time-of-day peaks: Evenings (7–10 pm) and lunch hours (11:30 am–1 pm) produce the highest interaction; weekend mornings see strong Marketplace and events traffic.
• Creative that works: Plain-language copy, faces, before/after visuals, short vertical video (15–45s), and clear calls-to-action outperform polished brand spots. Seasonal hooks (school year, sports, hunting season, holidays) lift engagement.

Method note

• Figures are the best-available county-specific estimates modeled from 2024 Pew Research platform usage, rural-South adjustments, South Carolina demographics (2023 ACS), and major platform ad-reach tools. Expect a ±3–5 percentage point margin on platform shares.