Levy County

Levy County, Florida — key demographics

Population

• 42,915 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~44k (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate), indicating modest growth since 2020

Age (2019–2023 ACS)

• Median age: ~50 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~55%
• 65 and over: ~26%

Sex (2019–2023 ACS)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Decennial Census; Hispanic can be any race)

• White alone: ≈ 80–85%
• Black or African American alone: ≈ 9–11%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Asian: <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Two or more races: ≈ 3–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ≈ 7–9%

Households and housing (2019–2023 ACS)

• Households: ~17.5–18k
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
• One-person households: ~25–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80%+
• Housing units: ~21–22k

Insights

• Small, slowly growing, and older-than-state-average population
• Predominantly White, with a modest Black and Hispanic presence
• High homeownership and relatively small household size consistent with rural/retirement patterns

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (ACS). Figures are rounded; ACS values carry margins of error.

Levy County, FL email usage (estimates based on 2023 ACS and recent Pew research)

• Population ~45,000; land density ~40 people per sq mi (rural).
• Adults ~36,000; estimated email users ≈33,000 (≈73% of residents; ~92% of online adults).

Age distribution of email users (approx. counts):

• 18–34: ~7,800
• 35–54: ~10,300
• 55–64: ~6,100
• 65+: ~8,800

Gender split of email users:

• Female 51% (16,800)
• Male 49% (16,200)

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with an internet subscription ≈80%.
• Households with a computer ≈88%.
• Smartphone-only internet households ≈15%.
• No home internet ≈20%.
• Rural spread and longer last‑mile builds depress wired adoption relative to Florida’s average; residents lean more on mobile data and public Wi‑Fi than urban counties.

Trends and insights:

• Email is near-universal among working-age adults; adoption among 65+ is high and growing.
• Mobile-first access remains common, shaping email engagement on phones.
• Expanded fixed wireless and incremental fiber/cable upgrades are improving coverage, but subscription uptake lags availability in sparsely populated tracts.

Mobile phone usage in Levy County, Florida — 2024 snapshot

Topline

• Residents: ~44,800; households: ~19,200 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5‑year).
• Adult smartphone users: ~29,000 (≈80% of adults), versus ≈88–90% at the Florida state level (Pew Research Center age-adjusted to ACS demographics).
• Cellular‑only internet households: ~18% in Levy vs ~11% statewide (ACS S2801), indicating heavier reliance on mobile data in place of wireline.

User estimates

• Adults (18+): ~36,700.
  • Any cellphone: ~34,100 adults (≈93%).
  • Smartphones: ~29,000 adults (≈80%).
  • Feature‑phone users: ~4,700 adults (≈13%).
  • No cellphone: ~2,600 adults (≈7%).
• Teens (12–17): ~2,700; smartphone users ≈2,600 (≈95%).
• Total smartphone users (age 12+): ~32,000.

Demographic breakdown (ownership rates applied from Pew 2023 to Levy’s age mix from ACS S0101)

• 18–29: ~5,100 adults; ~96% smartphone → ≈4,900 users.
• 30–49: ~8,800 adults; ~95% smartphone → ≈8,400 users.
• 50–64: ~10,300 adults; ~83% smartphone → ≈8,100 users.
• 65+: ~12,500 adults; ~61% smartphone → ≈7,600 users.
• Age structure differs from Florida (Levy has ≈29% 65+ vs ≈21% statewide), which lowers overall smartphone penetration locally.
• Income tilt: Levy’s median household income trails the state (Levy ≈$50k vs Florida ≈$69k; ACS S1901), increasing prepaid adoption and smartphone‑only internet use; about 38% of Levy households are under $35k vs ~29% statewide (ACS), a bracket where smartphone ownership is lower and mobile‑only access is more common.

Digital infrastructure and access (ACS S2801; FCC Broadband Data Collection 2024)

• Household internet mix in Levy County:
  • Any internet subscription: ~83% of households.
  • Wireline broadband (cable/DSL/fiber): ~61%.
  • Cellular data plan in household: ~78%.
  • Cellular‑only (no wireline): ~18%.
  • No home internet: ~17%.
• Compared with Florida overall:
  • Any internet: ~89%; wireline broadband: ~75%; cellular‑only: ~11%.
• Mobile coverage and capacity:
  • 4G LTE is effectively available across populated corridors (U.S. 19/98, U.S. 27/41), with persistent gaps in sparsely populated coastal wetlands and forested areas.
  • 5G availability reaches an estimated low‑to‑mid‑80% of the county’s populated areas, below Florida’s ~95% population coverage. Mid‑band 5G capacity is concentrated around Chiefland, Williston, and Bronson and drops off in rural tracts, contributing to lower typical throughputs than state medians.
• Fixed broadband constraints—limited fiber and patchy cable outside town centers—push a higher share of households to depend on mobile hotspots or smartphone tethering for primary access, a pattern far less common in metro Florida.

How Levy County differs from Florida’s statewide trends

• Lower smartphone penetration: ≈80% of adults vs ≈88–90% statewide, driven by an older age profile and lower incomes.
• Greater mobile‑only reliance: ~18% of households use cellular as their sole subscription vs ~11% statewide, reflecting sparser wireline options.
• Coverage quality gap: 5G is available to most residents but with less mid‑band capacity than urban Florida, yielding lower typical speeds and more variability at the rural edges.
• Higher share of feature‑phone and no‑phone adults: ≈20% combined in Levy vs low‑teens statewide, concentrated among seniors and very‑low‑income residents.

Sources and methods

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5‑year: population, age mix (S0101), income (S1901), and household internet and subscription types (S2801).
• Pew Research Center (2023) smartphone ownership by age and income; applied to Levy’s ACS age and income structure to produce county‑level estimates.
• Federal Communications Commission, Broadband Data Collection (BDC) 2024: relative 4G/5G availability and rural coverage characteristics.

Social media usage in Levy County, FL (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Estimated social media users (age 13+): 28,000–31,000 (about 70–76% of residents age 13+)
• Gender split of users: ~52% female, ~48% male
• Age mix of users:
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–29: ~20%
  • 30–44: ~25%
  • 45–64: ~30%
  • 65+: ~17%

Most‑used platforms (share of adults using each at least monthly; local estimates)

• YouTube: ~75–82%
• Facebook: ~62–70%
• Instagram: ~35–42%
• TikTok: ~25–32%
• Pinterest: ~28–35% (skews female)
• Snapchat: ~18–24% (teens/20s)
• WhatsApp: ~18–25%
• X (Twitter): ~15–20%
• Reddit: ~15–20%
• LinkedIn: ~18–24%
• Nextdoor: ~5–10% (limited rural coverage)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first on Facebook: Strong reliance on local Groups (schools, youth sports, civic/government updates), Marketplace, and word‑of‑mouth recommendations; posts with names/faces and clear calls get outsized engagement.
• Video habits: Heavy YouTube use for DIY, home/land improvement, hunting/fishing, auto/tractor repair; short, captioned clips outperform longer videos due to patchy connectivity.
• Younger cohorts diversify: Teens/20s split attention across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat; cross‑posting short vertical video drives incremental reach.
• Practical discovery: Residents often decide via Facebook comments/reviews and Google Maps; phone‑number CTAs and clear hours/location matter more than deep funnels.
• Timing: Engagement typically peaks evenings (7–9 pm) and weekends; early‑morning spikes for weather, school, and public‑safety updates.
• Content style: Plain‑spoken, utility‑driven posts (promotions, event reminders, service updates) beat highly polished creative; local faces, outdoor scenes, and before/after visuals over‑index.
• Ads that work: Hyper‑local geo‑targeting (10–25 miles), seasonal hooks (storms, outdoor season), and value offers; Facebook/Instagram deliver the broadest efficient reach, with YouTube for top‑of‑funnel video.

Notes and method

• Figures are best‑available local estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center and DataReportal U.S. platform adoption rates to Levy County’s age/sex profile from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS (2019–2023). Ranges reflect the county’s older age mix and rural connectivity.