Mccormick County

McCormick County, South Carolina — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~10.3K (up from 9,526 in the 2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~56 years (among the highest in SC)
• Age distribution: <18: ~13%; 18–64: ~55%; 65+: ~32%

Gender

• Male: ~55%
• Female: ~45% (Note: the male share is elevated by the state correctional facility located in the county.)

Racial/ethnic composition (percent of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~54%
• Black/African American (non-Hispanic): ~42%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~1–2%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and other: <1% each

Households

• Total households: ~4.3K
• Average household size: ~2.1
• Family households: ~64% of households; married-couple households: ~51%
• Households with children under 18: ~16%
• One-person households: ~30% (about half of these are age 65+)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year estimates); Vintage 2023 Population Estimates.

Email usage snapshot — McCormick County, SC

• Population and users: ≈10,000 residents; ≈8,400 adults (18+). Estimated email users: ≈6,500 (≈65% of residents; ≈77% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34: 16%; 35–54: 24%; 55–64: 20%; 65+: 40% (older, retiree-heavy county boosts senior share).
• Gender split among email users: Female 52%, Male 48%. Overall county population skews male due to the McCormick Correctional Institution, but incarcerated residents typically lack direct email access, so active users skew slightly female.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription ≈77%; smartphone‑only internet households ≈17%.
  • Effective broadband usage (regular use of ≥25 Mbps) ≈50–60%; availability exceeds adoption, with cost and coverage variability driving the gap.
  • Fiber is present in pockets (notably Savannah Lakes Village and select corridors via regional providers), with growth from co‑ops; elsewhere access is via cable/DSL, fixed wireless, and mobile.
  • 4G covers most populated areas; 5G mid‑band remains clustered near towns; wooded/lake terrain creates signal variability.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Low density ≈27–30 people per sq. mile; predominantly rural/forested with lakefront communities. Connectivity is strong in clustered developments but sparse across large tracts, increasing last‑mile build costs and adoption barriers.

Mobile phone usage summary for McCormick County, South Carolina

Scope and sources: Figures reflect the most recent available county-level estimates from the 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) and federal broadband reporting, synthesized for mobile adoption and infrastructure. State-level comparisons reference South Carolina aggregates for the same period.

Topline user estimates

• Population and base: ~10,000 residents; roughly 8,400 adults (18+).
• Estimated mobile phone users: ~7,600 adults (≈90% adult mobile adoption), with smartphone users making up the clear majority.
• Household penetration:
  • Households with a smartphone: ~88% (McCormick) vs ~91% (SC).
  • Households with any internet subscription: ~82% (McCormick) vs ~86% (SC).
  • Households with a cellular data plan: ~71% (McCormick) vs ~74% (SC).
  • Cellular-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): ~15–16% (McCormick) vs ~11–12% (SC).
  • Households with no internet subscription: ~18% (McCormick) vs ~14% (SC).

Demographic breakdown shaping mobile use

• Age structure: Older than the state overall.
  • 65+ share: ~33% (McCormick) vs ~19% (SC).
  • Impact: Slightly lower smartphone adoption and app-centric usage; higher incidence of voice/SMS-reliant users and households without internet.
• Race/ethnicity: Approximately 47–49% Black, 47–49% White, ~2–3% Hispanic/Latino, remainder other/multiracial.
  • Impact: In line with national patterns, higher smartphone-dependence among some minority and lower-income households contributes to the county’s above-average cellular-only internet share.
• Income and housing mix: Median household income below the state median; a sizable retiree homeowner base (e.g., planned communities) coexists with dispersed rural households.
  • Impact: A bifurcation in device and plan choices—high-usage postpaid plans and newer devices among retirees in serviced subdivisions versus budget plans and cellular-only access in rural tracts.

Digital infrastructure and market conditions

• Mobile coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage from national carriers across primary corridors (US-378/SC-28) and town centers; signal attenuation and dead spots occur along Lake Thurmond shorelines, low-lying forested areas, and far-edge rural roads.
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band 5G with limited mid-band footprints; performance uplift over LTE is modest outside town centers. Millimeter-wave is not a practical factor.
• Cell site density and backhaul: Sparse rural tower density relative to state average; microwave and limited fiber backhaul outside town nodes constrain peak and indoor performance in outlying tracts.
• Fixed-broadband interplay:
  • Fiber/coax availability is concentrated in and near McCormick and select subdivisions; many rural addresses rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • This patchwork drives the county’s higher cellular-only household rate and reinforces mobile networks as a primary on-ramp to the internet for a notable minority of residents.
• Emergency communications and reliability: E-911 coverage is established; however, terrain and distance from sites increase the importance of Wi‑Fi calling and external antennas in fringe areas.

Trends that differ meaningfully from the South Carolina state profile

• Higher cellular-only dependence: McCormick’s cellular-only household share is several points above the state average, reflecting both infrastructure gaps and cost-sensitive adoption.
• More households offline: The county’s no-internet rate is higher than the state’s, concentrated among older and isolated rural residents.
• Slightly lower smartphone household penetration: A small but consistent gap versus the state average, driven by the county’s older age structure.
• Coverage quality variance: Greater disparity between in-town and rural/lakeside performance than typical for the state, with more indoor coverage challenges and speed variability.
• Usage split: A distinct two-track user base—retiree-heavy, higher-capacity plans and devices in serviced clusters versus budget, mobile-first access among rural and lower-income households.

Implications

• Mobile networks are a critical substitute for fixed broadband for a larger share of McCormick households than statewide, so capacity upgrades (additional sectors, mid-band 5G, and fiber backhaul) would yield outsized benefits.
• Digital inclusion efforts targeting older adults and rural tracts (device literacy, ACP-like affordability supports, and fixed-wireless expansion) are likely to reduce the county’s higher no-internet rate and narrow the mobile adoption gap with the state.

McCormick County, SC — social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Overview (adult population)

• Any social media use (monthly): ~73% of adults; daily users: ~61%
• Average platforms used per person: ~2.3
• Female share of local social media users: ~54%; male: ~46%
• Note: Figures are county-calibrated estimates based on Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age, applied to McCormick County’s older-skewing age mix from U.S. Census/ACS

Most-used platforms (share of all adults)

• YouTube: 62%
• Facebook: 58%
• Instagram: 23%
• Pinterest: 22% (heavily female)
• TikTok: 20%
• Snapchat: 13%
• X (Twitter): 11% (male-skewed)
• LinkedIn: 9%
• Reddit: 7% (male- and under-40–skewed)
• Nextdoor: 6% (pockets of use in HOA/retirement communities)

Age-group usage (share of each age group using any social media monthly)

• 13–17: ~90% (heavy Instagram/Snap/TikTok; YouTube near-universal)
• 18–29: ~89% (YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~75%, Snapchat ~70%, TikTok ~60%, Facebook ~55–60%)
• 30–49: ~84% (YouTube ~85–90%, Facebook ~70%, Instagram ~45–50%, TikTok ~30–35%)
• 50–64: ~72% (Facebook ~70–75%, YouTube ~70–75%, Instagram/Pinterest ~20–30%, TikTok ~15–20%)
• 65+: ~58% (Facebook ~55–65%, YouTube ~60–70%, Pinterest/Instagram ~10–20%, TikTok ~8–12%)

Gender breakdown by platform (share of each platform’s local users)

• Facebook: ~58% women / 42% men
• YouTube: ~46% women / 54% men
• Instagram: ~56% women / 44% men
• TikTok: ~60% women / 40% men
• Pinterest: ~80% women / 20% men
• X (Twitter) and Reddit: ~35–40% women / 60–65% men

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the default local network: high reliance on Groups (community, churches, civic clubs) and Marketplace; event posts and photo albums outperform link-only posts
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, home/garden, outdoors; Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels growing fastest among under‑40s
• Peak engagement windows: early morning (6:30–9 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekends skew to mid‑morning
• Trust and locality matter: posts that name local places/people, use recognizable landmarks, and include faces drive higher comments/shares
• Messaging is integral: Facebook Messenger dominates for community coordination; group admins and micro‑community leaders act as key distribution nodes
• Commerce: strong use of Facebook Marketplace for resale; local service providers see better response to phone-call CTAs than web forms, especially 50+
• Content preferences: local news, school and sports updates, faith-based activities, outdoors/boating/fishing, health and home maintenance tips; civic information performs best when summarized plainly with clear next steps

Sources: Pew Research Center (2024) U.S. Social Media Use; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (latest available). Figures are localized estimates reflecting McCormick County’s older, rural demographic profile.