Spartanburg County

Spartanburg County, South Carolina — key demographics

Population size

• 351,000 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates, July 1, 2023)
• 2020 Census: 327,997; growth 2020–2023: about +7%

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~51.6%
• Male: ~48.4% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~67%
• Black or African American alone: ~20–21%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.6%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~9% Note: “Hispanic or Latino” is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.

Household data

• Total households: ~132,000 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Persons per household: ~2.60 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average family size: ~3.1 (ACS 2019–2023)

Insights

• The county is growing faster than the state average since 2020.
• Age structure is balanced, with a sizable youth population and a steadily growing 65+ cohort.
• Majority White population with a substantial Black community and a growing Hispanic population; diversity is increasing.

• Scope: Spartanburg County, South Carolina (2023 population ≈346,000; density ≈420 residents per sq mi)
• Estimated email users: ≈250,000 residents (≈73% of total), based on local age mix and typical U.S. adoption by age
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ≈6%
  • 18–34: ≈29%
  • 35–64: ≈46%
  • 65+: ≈19%
• Gender split among email users: ≈52% female, ≈48% male (mirrors county demographics)
• Digital access and devices:
  • Households ≈133,000; broadband subscription ≈85% (≈113,000 households)
  • Households with a computer ≈92% (≈122,000)
  • Smartphone-only internet households ≈9% (≈12,000)
• Trends and implications:
  • Broadband take-up is solid and rising, driven by cable and expanding fiber in and around the I‑85/I‑26 corridor; rural edges show lower adoption and more smartphone-only reliance.
  • Email is near-universal among working-age adults and a primary channel for services, schools, and employers; usage drops but remains strong among seniors.
• Local connectivity facts:
  • Strong cable coverage in urban/suburban areas (Spartanburg, Boiling Springs, Duncan, Greer); patchier fixed broadband in more rural northern/eastern pockets.
  • Spartanburg County Public Libraries provide free Wi‑Fi and computers across branch locations, supporting access for non‑subscribed households.

Spartanburg County, SC — mobile phone usage snapshot (latest available: 2018–2022 ACS for device/subscription; 2024 FCC/industry reports for coverage)

User base and adoption

• Adult smartphone users (estimate): about 240,000–250,000 adults, derived from county population size and ACS/Pew adoption levels typical for the South.
• Households with a smartphone: ~90% (ACS S2801, 2018–2022, Spartanburg County).
• Households with a cellular data plan for a smartphone/tablet/other mobile device: ~80%.
• Households with broadband of any type (wireline or wireless): ~83%.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no wireline at home): ~20%.
• Households with no home internet subscription: ~12%.

How Spartanburg differs from the South Carolina average

• Mobile-only reliance is lower in Spartanburg (≈20%) than statewide (≈23%), reflecting stronger fixed-broadband uptake in the county’s urban/suburban areas.
• Households without any home internet are a bit lower in Spartanburg (12%) than statewide (14%), consistent with better infrastructure density in the Upstate metro corridor.
• Overall smartphone presence is essentially on par (Spartanburg ~90%, SC ~91%), indicating device adoption is not the limiting factor; subscription type is.

Demographic breakdown (patterns within Spartanburg)

• Age: Younger households are near-saturated for smartphones and are the most mobile-dependent. Seniors (65+) show lower smartphone ownership and lower mobile-only rates than younger groups, but seniors in Spartanburg make up a slightly smaller share of the population than statewide, nudging countywide smartphone prevalence slightly upward versus what would be expected from age alone.
• Income: Mobile-only internet is concentrated among lower-income households. In Spartanburg, households under $35,000 are several times more likely to be mobile-only than $75,000+ households, mirroring state and national patterns, but the county’s stronger fixed broadband availability moderates these gaps slightly relative to rural counties elsewhere in SC.
• Race/ethnicity: Black and Hispanic households exhibit higher mobile-only reliance than White households, consistent with statewide trends. Because Spartanburg’s minority populations are concentrated in and around the urban core—where fixed networks are denser—the county’s mobile-only rates for these groups tend to be modestly lower than their statewide averages.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network footprint: FCC mobile coverage maps (2024) show near-universal outdoor 4G LTE coverage across populated parts of Spartanburg County. 5G coverage from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon is extensive along the I‑85 and I‑26 corridors and within the Spartanburg urban area; coverage transitions to LTE in some less-dense northern and eastern tracts.
• Capacity and speeds: Industry testing shows the county’s urban/suburban tracts typically deliver mobile download speeds at or above South Carolina’s statewide median, with speeds tapering in the rural fringe. Mid-band 5G (e.g., C‑band and 2.5 GHz) in the metro corridors drives higher median throughput and lower latency than much of rural SC.
• Backhaul and densification: Ongoing fiber builds (incumbent and new entrants) in and around Spartanburg bolster 5G backhaul and have supported new site deployments and upgrades. This has helped keep the county’s mobile-only share below the state average by making wireline alternatives more attractive where density supports investment.
• Coverage resiliency: The I‑85/I‑26 logistics/manufacturing corridor yields a denser macro-grid and more small-cell/sector upgrades than typical SC rural counties, improving in-building coverage and peak-hour capacity, especially in commercial zones.

Key takeaways

• Spartanburg County looks similar to South Carolina on device adoption but differs on how people connect: fewer households are mobile-only and fewer lack home internet entirely than the state average.
• The urbanized Upstate corridor, stronger backhaul, and denser site grid translate into better 5G availability and performance than many SC counties, which helps shift some households from mobile-only to mixed or wireline-first connectivity.
• Digital equity challenges persist in low-income and some minority communities, but the county’s infrastructure profile reduces the gap versus more rural parts of the state, suggesting targeted affordability and adoption initiatives can have outsized impact when combined with existing network depth.

Spartanburg County, SC social media snapshot

Population baseline (for context)

• Total population (2020 Census): 327,997
• Gender: ~51–52% female, ~48–49% male
• Adults (18+): ~77% of population

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~72% of adults (Pew Research, U.S. benchmark), implying roughly 180,000–200,000 adult users locally
• Teens (13–17) using at least one platform: ~95% (Pew Research, U.S. teens)

Most-used platforms among adults (best local estimates using Pew 2023 U.S. adoption)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~40%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• LinkedIn: ~28%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• Reddit: ~18%

Age-group patterns (platform reach by age, U.S. 2023 benchmarks applied locally)

• Ages 13–17: YouTube 95%, TikTok 67%, Instagram 62%, Snapchat 60%
• Ages 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 78%, TikTok 67%, Snapchat 65%, Facebook 33%
• Ages 30–49: YouTube 91%, Facebook 65%, Instagram 49%, TikTok 35%, LinkedIn 36%
• Ages 50–64: YouTube 83%, Facebook 68%, Instagram 29%, LinkedIn 20%, TikTok 21%
• Ages 65+: Facebook 50%, YouTube 49%, Instagram 15%, LinkedIn 11%, TikTok 11%

Gender breakdown and platform skew

• Population: ~51–52% female, ~48–49% male
• Platform tendencies (national patterns reflected locally):
  • Women over-index on Facebook (75% women vs ~61% men), Instagram (44% vs ~35%), and Pinterest (majority female)
  • Men over-index on YouTube (86% men vs ~81% women), Reddit (25% men vs 8% women), X/Twitter (25% men vs ~19% women), with a slight male tilt on LinkedIn

Behavioral trends in Spartanburg County

• Community-first usage: High engagement with Facebook Groups tied to neighborhoods, schools, churches, youth sports, and local government updates; Facebook Events are a primary discovery tool for festivals and fundraisers
• Transactional behavior: Heavy Facebook Marketplace use for vehicles, furniture, tools, and yard-sale–style listings
• Video-led discovery: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives awareness for local restaurants, events, and small businesses; vertical video generally outperforms static posts in engagement based on national benchmarks
• Messaging expectations: Customer service via Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs is common; fast response times influence local service-provider selection
• Youth communication: Snapchat remains a daily messaging and Stories platform for high school and college audiences; TikTok shapes trends and local venue discovery
• Professional use: LinkedIn adoption is concentrated in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and education—key local sectors—supporting recruiting and employer branding
• Hyperlocal channels: Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook Groups are effective for HOA notices, public safety, and utility/service updates
• Language inclusion: Bilingual (English/Spanish) content increases reach as the county’s Hispanic population grows

Notes on methodology

• County-specific platform shares are not directly published; figures above apply current U.S. adoption rates (Pew Research Center, 2023) to Spartanburg County’s demographic profile for the most reliable local estimates available without platform ads-manager reach data.