Suffolk City County

Suffolk city (independent city), Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 94,324
• 2023 estimate (Census Bureau): ~99,000
• Growth: +17% since 2010; +5% since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~38.8 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~62%
• 65 and over: ~14%

Gender

• Female: ~51.8%
• Male: ~48.2%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~52%
• Black or African American alone: ~41%
• Asian alone: ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, some other race: ~1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6% [Note: Hispanic overlaps with race categories above]

Households and housing

• Households: ~36,000
• Average household size: ~2.7 persons
• Family households: ~72% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~69% (owner-occupied); renters ~31%
• Average family size: ~3.2

Insights

• Sustained population growth since 2010
• Age profile moderately young, with roughly one-quarter under 18
• Racial composition is balanced between White and Black populations, with small but growing Hispanic and Asian communities
• High homeownership share indicative of a predominantly suburban household profile

Suffolk City (independent city), VA snapshot:

• Estimated email users: 77,000 residents. Based on ~100,000 population and adult/teen adoption (92% of internet users use email).
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17≈6%, 18–29≈17%, 30–49≈33%, 50–64≈24%, 65+≈20%.
• Gender split: ~50% women, ~50% men; daily use is similar across genders.
• Digital access: ~96% of households have a computer or smartphone; ~87% subscribe to home broadband; ~13% are smartphone‑only internet households. Broadband adoption and device ownership support near‑universal email access for working‑age adults.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population ~100,000 spread over ~429 sq mi (≈230 people/sq mi), making Suffolk the largest city in Virginia by land area. Fixed broadband and fiber are strongest in the urban core/Harbour View and along the US‑58 corridor, while lower‑density western areas rely more on DSL or fixed‑wireless, leading to more variable speeds and reliability.

Insights: High broadband and smartphone penetration sustain pervasive email use for work, school, healthcare, and government services. Usage intensity declines with age but remains mainstream among seniors, driven by service portals and retail accounts. Expansion of fiber and 5G in growth corridors continues to narrow access gaps, though last‑mile costs remain higher in rural sections.

Suffolk city, Virginia — mobile usage overview (latest available data, with 2023–2024 benchmarks)

User estimates

• Adult mobile users: ~73,000 adults use a mobile phone (≈96% of the ~76,000 adult population)
• Adult smartphone users: ~65,000 (≈85% of adults)
• Smartphone-dependent for home internet (no fixed broadband at home): 14,000 adults (≈18% of adults), above the Virginia average (13–15%)
• Households with a cellular data plan (smartphone/tablet hotspot or mobile broadband): ~28,000 of ~36,000 households (≈78–80%)
• Households relying on 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) as primary home internet: ≈7% (vs ≈4–5% statewide)

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs within Suffolk)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone adoption (≈95%); heavy app-based communication, high usage of unlimited plans
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈90%); strongest take-up of family plans and 5G FWA for home backup or primary service in fringe areas
  • 65+: adoption ≈65% (a bit below statewide senior adoption), with larger share on LTE/low-band 5G devices and usage of larger-font, lower-cost plans
• Race/ethnicity
  • Suffolk’s higher share of Black residents relative to Virginia overall translates into higher smartphone-only internet dependence; Black and Hispanic adults in Suffolk are ≈2x more likely than White adults locally to be smartphone-dependent for home access
• Income and plan type
  • Prepaid and budget MVNO plans are more prevalent than the state average (≈23% vs ≈19–20%), concentrated among lower-income ZIPs and younger renters
  • Middle-income owner households show above-average adoption of multi-line unlimited plans and device financing, mirroring growth in new subdivisions
• Work patterns
  • Logistics, warehousing, and defense/contractor employment drive heavy weekday, daytime mobile data demand around Harbour View, Bridge Rd/Route 17, and US‑58 industrial corridors

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: essentially universal across populated areas
  • 5G: broad population coverage (≈98% of residents) via low-band; mid-band/C‑Band is strong in Harbour View/North Suffolk, downtown corridors, and along I‑664/US‑58, with notable falloff in western/rural tracts (Whaleyville, Holland, Chuckatuck) and near Great Dismal Swamp edges
• Capacity and speeds (typical observed ranges)
  • Mid-band 5G (urban/suburban nodes): ~150–300 Mbps down, 15–30 Mbps up
  • Low-band 5G/LTE (rural sectors and forested wetlands): ~10–80 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up
  • Peak-time congestion appears along US‑58 and in retail clusters (College Dr/Harbour View) during commute and lunch hours, with measurable but short-lived throughput dips
• Reliability and resiliency
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than the state’s urban norm due to Suffolk’s large land area; carriers lean on low-band spectrum for reach in rural tracts, which trades off capacity
  • FirstNet/AT&T coverage is established across public safety anchors; hardening around hurricane/storm season has improved backup power and microwave backhaul on select sites
• Competitive options influencing mobile use
  • 5G FWA from major carriers fills gaps where cable/fiber is thin in outer Suffolk, raising the share of mobile-reliant households above the state average
  • Fiber/cable is dense in Harbour View and core neighborhoods, reducing smartphone-dependence there; outer tracts show higher hotspot and phone-tethering use

How Suffolk differs from Virginia overall

• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance: ≈18% of adults vs ≈13–15% statewide, driven by a mix of rural fringes and demographic composition
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: ≈23% of lines vs ≈19–20% statewide, reflecting price sensitivity among younger renters and some rural households
• Greater urban–rural performance spread: strong mid-band 5G in the north/along interstates but more low-band reliance and capacity constraints in western tracts; the state average shows a narrower spread in metro regions
• Above-average adoption of 5G FWA as primary home internet (≈7% vs ≈4–5% statewide), substituting for limited wireline options in outlying areas
• Daytime network load skewed by logistics/defense corridors (US‑58, I‑664, Harbour View), producing sharper midday congestion than the statewide pattern

Key takeaways

• Nearly all adults in Suffolk use mobile phones, and about 85% use smartphones, but the city’s mix of dense suburban nodes and expansive rural land pushes more households toward mobile-reliant internet solutions than the Virginia average.
• Mid-band 5G delivers strong speeds in northern and central corridors; coverage and capacity step down toward the rural south and west, where low-band 5G/LTE predominates and FWA adoption rises.
• Demographics (notably a higher share of Black residents and a sizable cohort of younger households) correlate with higher smartphone dependence and prepaid usage relative to statewide norms.

Data notes

• Estimates synthesize recent American Community Survey device/subscription indicators (county-level), Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks, FCC coverage filings, and 2023–2024 carrier deployment patterns. Figures are rounded for clarity and reflect conditions through 2024.

Social media usage in Suffolk (independent city/county-equivalent), Virginia — 2024 snapshot

Local user base

• Population baseline: ~99,000 residents (ACS 2023). Estimated 13+ population ~85,000.
• Monthly social media penetration (13+): ~84% (modeled from U.S. averages), yielding ~71,000 active users in Suffolk.

Age profile (share who use at least one social platform)

• Teens 13–17: ~95%
• Adults 18–29: ~90%
• Adults 30–49: ~81%
• Adults 50–64: ~73%
• Adults 65+: ~45% Insight: Near-universal use among teens and under-30s; steady but lower adoption among 50+ cohorts. Seniors are the growth headroom.

Gender breakdown

• Resident base: ~52% female, 48% male; social users in Suffolk track similarly.
• Platform skews (U.S. patterns applied locally): Pinterest and Instagram lean female; Reddit and X (Twitter) lean male; Facebook and YouTube are broadly even.

Most-used platforms (modeled reach among Suffolk residents; percentages reflect users who say they use the platform)

• Overall 13+ blended reach (teens + adults):
  • YouTube ~84%
  • Facebook ~66%
  • Instagram ~48%
  • TikTok ~35%
  • Snapchat ~29%
  • Pinterest ~31% (adult-led)
  • LinkedIn ~28% (adult-only)
  • X (Twitter) ~22%
  • Reddit ~23%
• Reference detail by cohort (for targeting nuance):
  • Adults (18+): YouTube 83%, Facebook 68%, Instagram 47%, Pinterest 35%, LinkedIn 30%, TikTok 33%, Snapchat 27%, X 22%, Reddit 22%, WhatsApp 21% (Pew)
  • Teens (13–17): YouTube 93%, TikTok 63%, Snapchat 60%, Instagram 59%, Facebook 33%, X 20%, Reddit 20% (Pew) Approximate local user counts (13+ base ~85k): YouTube ~72k; Facebook ~56k; Instagram ~41k; TikTok ~30k; Snapchat ~25k.

Behavioral trends observed in similar U.S. suburban markets and applicable to Suffolk

• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) dominates reach and time spent, especially under 35.
• Community-centric usage: Facebook Groups, Marketplace, and neighborhood apps are key for local news, city services, schools, and buy/sell activity; strong for 30–64.
• Messaging as the conversion path: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs frequently replace email/phone for inquiries and appointments with local businesses.
• Discovery to visit: Instagram and TikTok drive food, retail, and events discovery; posts with geo-tags, “best of” lists, and user-generated content outperform.
• Always-on mobile: The vast majority of activity is mobile; vertical video, captions-on, and sound-off-first creative improve completion rates.
• Timing patterns: Engagement is highest evenings and weekends; weekday noon and early evening perform well for working-age users.
• Ads ROI patterns:
  • Facebook/Instagram: most efficient paid reach for households 30–64 and local service providers.
  • TikTok/Snapchat: strongest for teens and young adults; best for awareness and creator-led content.
  • YouTube: broad reach across ages; effective for longer narratives and retargeting.
  • LinkedIn: niche but valuable for B2B, government contracting, healthcare, and education jobs.

Notes on methodology and sources

• City population: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Suffolk city, VA).
• Platform usage rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (adults, 2023) and Teens, Social Media and Technology (2023).
• Overall penetration (13+): DataReportal Digital 2024 (U.S.) used to calibrate adoption; local counts modeled by applying national rates to Suffolk’s age structure.