Newberry County

Newberry County, South Carolina — Key demographics (latest Census/ACS 2019–2023 5‑year estimates and 2023 population estimates):

Population

• Total population: ~37,900

Age

• Median age: ~41–42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~62%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: ~28%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~14,800
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~2/3 of all households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74–75%

Key insights

• Stable population with an older age structure than the U.S. overall.
• Majority White with a substantial Black population and a growing Hispanic community.
• Housing is predominantly owner-occupied with modest household sizes.

Newberry County, SC email usage snapshot

• Population and density: ~38,200 residents (2023 est.), ~59 people per square mile; predominantly rural, which raises last‑mile connectivity costs.
• Estimated email users: ~27,400 adult users. Method: ~78% of residents are 18+, and ≈92% of U.S. adults use email; applied locally to Newberry’s adult population.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–34: ~28%
  • 35–54: ~35%
  • 55–64: ~15%
  • 65+: ~22% Notes: Email adoption by age is very high (≈95% for 18–54, ≈92% for 55–64, ≈85% for 65+), and Newberry’s older tilt slightly lowers overall penetration vs. urban counties.
• Gender split: ~51% female, ~49% male among users, mirroring the county’s population and near‑equal adoption by gender in national data.
• Digital access trends:
  • 80% of households have a broadband subscription; ~10–15% are smartphone‑only; ~10–15% lack home internet. Device access is high (90% of households have a computer or tablet).
  • Fixed broadband and fiber availability have been expanding through state/federal rural buildouts, improving speeds and reliability, but sparse settlement still leaves pockets with limited options or higher costs.

Overall: Email is essentially ubiquitous among connected adults; gaps track areas with lower broadband availability and older populations.

Mobile phone usage in Newberry County, South Carolina (2025 snapshot)

Headline usage estimates

• Population base: ~37,900 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023); ~30,050 adults 18+.
• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile phone): ~28,900 (≈96% of adults), applying current U.S. adoption rates by age to Newberry’s age structure.
• Adult smartphone users: ~24,700 (≈82% of adults), weighted by age (higher ownership under 45; notably lower among 65+).
• Households: ~14,300 (ACS 2018–2022). Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed broadband, internet primarily via cellular data): ≈2,500–2,600 (≈18% point estimate), higher than the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (ownership and dependence)

• By age (estimates, applying Pew Research Center 2023 adoption rates to local age mix):
  • 18–44: ~11,500 smartphone users (≈95% ownership in this cohort).
  • 45–64: ~8,400 smartphone users (≈83%).
  • 65+: ~4,800 smartphone users (≈61%).
  • Implication: Overall smartphone penetration is pulled down by a relatively large 65+ segment compared with South Carolina’s average.
• Income and smartphone dependence:
  • Median household income in Newberry County is several thousand dollars below the state median (ACS 2018–2022). Lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet, which aligns with the county’s elevated smartphone-only rate.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Newberry’s sizable Black population and growing Hispanic population (Census) correlate with higher smartphone dependence for home internet nationally, reinforcing the above-average smartphone-only share locally.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and technologies:
  • All three national MNOs (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 4G LTE. 5G coverage is established along the I‑26 corridor and around the City of Newberry/Prosperity, with mid‑band 5G capacity (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; AT&T/Verizon C‑band) strongest near highways and population centers. Outlying agricultural/forested areas rely more on low‑band spectrum (600/700/850 MHz) for reach, with lower peak speeds.
• Performance pattern:
  • Median mobile speeds trail South Carolina’s urban counties; users commonly see good 5G/LTE performance along primary corridors and more variability west/south of Newberry away from major roads.
• Fixed-broadband context that drives mobile use:
  • FCC and state broadband mapping (2024) continue to show unserved and underserved pockets in rural Newberry. That gap sustains higher smartphone-only and cellular‑home‑internet uptake versus state averages. Fixed‑wireless home internet via mobile networks (T‑Mobile/Verizon) is a notable option where cable/fiber is absent.
• Resilience:
  • Coverage redundancy is best near I‑26 and municipal centers with multiple macro sites; single‑carrier pockets and terrain/vegetation effects create localized dead zones in more rural tracts, influencing reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and external antennas for stable service.

How Newberry County differs from state-level trends

• Lower adult smartphone penetration than the South Carolina average due to an older age structure; the county’s estimated ~82% adult smartphone ownership sits below typical statewide figures concentrated by younger urban/suburban populations.
• Higher smartphone-only home internet reliance (≈18% of households locally vs a lower statewide share), driven by rural fixed-broadband gaps and income mix.
• Greater performance disparity between primary corridors and rural interiors: 5G availability and mid‑band capacity are more concentrated along I‑26 and town centers than in many SC metro counties, producing a wider urban–rural speed gap within the county.
• Heavier use of cellular home internet and Wi‑Fi calling in rural blocks than seen statewide, reflecting infrastructure constraints.

Method notes and sources

• Population, households, age structure, and income: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; Vintage 2023 estimates; ACS 2018–2022).
• Smartphone/mobile ownership rates by age applied to local demographics: Pew Research Center (2023).
• Coverage and infrastructure characterization: FCC/National Broadband Map (2024), statewide broadband reports, and carrier spectrum deployments current through 2024.
• All figures are rounded; user counts are derived estimates based on the above sources and Newberry County’s demographic mix.

Social media in Newberry County, SC — concise 2025 snapshot

Core user stats

• Population baseline: about 37,600 residents (U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2023). Residents aged 13+ ≈ 31,600.
• Estimated social media users: ~26,500 people (about 84% of residents 13+), derived from Pew Research Center 2024 adoption rates (adults and teens) weighted by Newberry’s age profile.

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+, rounded)

• YouTube: 78% (24,600 users)
• Facebook: 70% (22,100)
• Instagram: 40% (12,600)
• TikTok: 30% (9,500)
• Pinterest: 32% (10,100)
• Snapchat: 22% (7,000)
• WhatsApp: 22% (7,000)
• X (Twitter): 16% (5,100)
• LinkedIn: 20% (6,300)

Users by age group (share of local social media users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~33%
• 50–64: ~22%
• 65+: ~14%

Gender breakdown among users

• Women: ~54%
• Men: ~46% Note: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and X.

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, city/county and school updates, churches, civic groups, youth sports, yard-sale/Marketplace activity, and event promotion dominate engagement.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, faith services, local sports highlights; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is rising for restaurants, boutiques, and event recaps.
• Generational split: Teens/college-age lean TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; 30+ rely more on Facebook and YouTube; 50+ skew heavily to Facebook, with steady YouTube use.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is the default for local business/customer contact; WhatsApp usage is concentrated among Hispanic households and for family networks.
• Content that performs: hyperlocal faces/places, high school and college athletics, church and family milestones, hunting/fishing/outdoors, and practical “how-to” content. Posts that tag neighbors or reference local landmarks see above-average interaction.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace use is high for vehicles, equipment, furniture, and seasonal items; local offers and events convert best when tied to community identity and visuals.

Method notes

• Figures are county-level estimates produced by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption by age to Newberry County’s population and age structure (ACS 2023). Platform percentages are rounded and reflect typical rural/older-skew adjustments observed by Pew (e.g., higher Facebook, slightly lower Instagram/TikTok than national averages).