Bath County

To ensure I give you the most accurate figures, do you want:

• 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates (best for small counties; includes households, age, sex, race/ethnicity), or
• 2020 Decennial Census counts (exact counts but limited detail on households)?

If ACS is fine, I’ll provide the latest population, age distribution (median, under-18, 65+), gender split, race/ethnicity percentages, and household counts/average size with citations.

Email usage in Bath County, KY (estimates)

• Population ~12.7k; adults ~9.9k. Estimated email users: 7,000–8,500 residents (based on rural KY internet and email adoption rates).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~70–80%
  • 18–34: ~90–95%
  • 35–54: ~90–95%
  • 55–64: ~80–85%
  • 65+: ~65–75%
• Gender split: roughly even, about 51% women / 49% men among users (reflecting population mix).

Digital access trends

• Home broadband subscriptions likely 65–75% of households; 15–25% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Email access skews to smartphones; webmail dominates over desktop clients.
• Connectivity weakens outside Owingsville and along rural routes; many homes rely on DSL or fixed wireless, with fiber concentrated in town centers and along main corridors. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) helps fill gaps.
• Local density/connectivity context: ~280 sq mi area with ~45 people per sq mi and dispersed housing increases last‑mile costs, slowing fiber upgrades. State/federal rural broadband investments are gradually extending higher‑speed options.

Notes: Figures are derived from Census population and typical rural Kentucky/Pew internet-use patterns; treat as directional estimates, not precise counts.

Below is a practical, county-level snapshot based on the latest public research trends (Pew, FCC coverage filings, state broadband reports) and demographic patterns for rural Kentucky. Figures are estimates; small counties rarely have official, carrier-verified breakouts.

Topline

• Population context: ~13,000 residents; roughly ~10,000 adults; ~5,000 households. Older and lower-income than the Kentucky average, and largely rural outside the I-64 corridor.
• Bottom line: Mobile service is widely used but less uniformly strong than statewide. Adoption is slightly lower, prepaid/MVNO use is higher, and more households lean on mobile data as their primary internet due to patchy fixed broadband.

User estimates

• Any mobile phone (adults): ~90–95% (near-universal, but a few points lower than Kentucky’s urbanized counties).
• Smartphone ownership (adults): ~80–85% in Bath vs mid-to-high 80s statewide. The gap is driven by an older age profile and tighter budgets.
• 5G-capable devices: ~45–55% of smartphones vs ~60–70% statewide. Many residents keep devices longer and upgrade less frequently.
• Mobile-as-primary internet: ~18–25% of households in Bath rely mainly on mobile plans/hotspots vs ~12–15% statewide, reflecting limited or costly wired options in outlying areas.
• Prepaid/MVNO share: ~30–45% of lines (Cricket, Straight Talk/TracFone, Metro, Boost, Assurance/Lifeline, etc.) vs ~25–30% statewide, tied to income sensitivity and flexible credit requirements.

Demographic drivers that differ from the state

• Age: Older-than-average population depresses smartphone adoption and 5G device penetration relative to Kentucky overall, especially among 65+.
• Income/affordability: Household incomes trail the state median. Lifeline participation is relatively high. The end of ACP subsidies in 2024 likely pushed some residents to lower-cost prepaid plans, reduced data buckets, or intermittent service.
• Work patterns: More outdoor and shift work (ag, trades, service, logistics on I-64) increases dependence on reliable corridor coverage and hotspot use during travel.
• Education/skills: Lower four-year degree attainment than the state average correlates with slower uptake of newer devices/plans and greater reliance on in-person support from local retailers.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s different in Bath)

• Network mix:
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the primary coverage footprint; T-Mobile coverage is strongest along I-64/towns and thins in hollows.
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) buildouts along the corridor have improved resilience for public safety and marginally for consumers.
• 4G vs 5G reality:
  • 4G LTE remains the workhorse outside the I-64/municipal areas.
  • 5G is mostly low-band/DSS along main roads; mid-band 5G capacity is spotty. mmWave is not a factor.
• Terrain constraints:
  • Ridges and hollows create dead zones away from I-64 and US/KY highways; indoor coverage can be inconsistent in metal-roofed or older structures.
• Backhaul and capacity:
  • Towers near I-64 and Owingsville typically have fiber backhaul and better capacity; more remote sites may still rely on microwave backhaul, which limits peak speeds.
• Fixed alternatives and spillover effect:
  • Kinetic/Windstream and other incumbents provide DSL and some localized fiber in town centers; coverage thins rapidly in rural stretches.
  • Where wired service is slow or unavailable, residents lean on mobile hotspots. T-Mobile/Verizon “home internet” fixed-wireless offerings may be available around the corridor but fall off in outlying areas.
• Seasonal/peak loads:
  • Traffic spikes on travel weekends and around nearby recreation areas (e.g., toward Cave Run Lake/I-64 interchanges) can congest sectors more than typical for Kentucky as a whole.

Usage patterns vs statewide norms

• More conservative data use: Average per-line data consumption runs lower than state urban averages due to cost constraints and constrained capacity in fringe areas; public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, county buildings) plays a bigger role.
• Plan selection:
  • Higher propensity for prepaid/MVNO plans and “basic” unlimited tiers with hotspot caps.
  • Greater carrier diversification within households (e.g., one AT&T, one Verizon line) to hedge against localized dead zones—more common than in Kentucky’s metros.
• Device ecosystem:
  • Older handset mix and longer replacement cycles; accessory purchases (signal boosters for homes/vehicles) are more common than statewide.

Trends to watch (distinctive locally)

• Post-ACP affordability pressure: Expect continued migration to prepaid, shrinking data allowances, or intermittent service—more so than the state average.
• Incremental 5G mid-band fill-in along I-64 could meaningfully improve Bath’s user experience even if rural valleys remain LTE-first.
• Fixed-wireless home internet will likely expand around the corridor and small towns faster than fiber reaches the most rural roads, keeping mobile networks central to home connectivity longer than in many Kentucky counties.

What this means

• Compared with Kentucky overall, Bath County shows: slightly lower smartphone/5G adoption, higher prepaid/MVNO reliance, greater dependence on mobile for home internet, and a sharper divide between “good” corridor coverage and rural dead zones. Improvements that matter most locally are mid-band 5G/capacity adds on existing towers, strategic infill sites off-corridor, and sustained affordability programs.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Bath County, KY. Precise county-level platform stats aren’t publicly published, so figures are estimates based on Pew Research (U.S./rural users), Kentucky patterns, and typical rural-county behavior.

Population and user snapshot

• Residents: ~13,000; adults (18+): ~10,000
• Estimated active social media users (any platform, monthly):
  • Adults: ~6,500–7,200 (65–72% of adults)
  • Including teens: ~7,200–7,900 total users
• Access: Predominantly mobile-first; fixed broadband patchy outside towns

Most-used platforms (estimated share of adults using monthly; people use multiple)

• Facebook: 60–70%
• YouTube: 65–75%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 20–30%
• Snapchat: 15–25%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (female-skewed)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• LinkedIn: 5–10%

Age breakdown (share using any social monthly and leading platforms)

• 13–17: 85–95%; YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram
• 18–29: 90–95%; YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook for local groups
• 30–49: 80–85%; Facebook, YouTube; some Instagram/TikTok; Pinterest (women)
• 50–64: 70–75%; Facebook dominant; YouTube secondary; limited Instagram/TikTok
• 65+: 45–55%; Facebook primary; some YouTube

Gender

• Population roughly 51% female, 49% male; overall social use similar by gender
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram (female); Facebook (slight female tilt); YouTube/Reddit/X (male); TikTok (slight female, strong among younger women); Snapchat (mixed, younger)

Behavioral trends

• Community hub: Facebook Groups (schools, sports, churches, yard sales) and local news pages
• Marketplace: Heavy Facebook Marketplace usage (vehicles, farm/outdoor gear, furniture)
• High-engagement content: Weather/road alerts, school updates, high school sports, festivals, missing pets, fundraisers
• Formats: Short-form video rising (Facebook Reels/TikTok); cross-posting common
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat for day-to-day communication
• Timing: Peak engagement evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; morning/lunch spikes for notices
• Businesses: Emphasis on Facebook Pages and boosted posts; Instagram for boutiques/beauty; little LinkedIn presence
• What works: Local faces and names, practical info, giveaways, before/after projects, pets, local history photos

Note: Use these ranges as planning guides; validate locally by sampling engagement in key Bath County Facebook Groups/Pages and via platform ad tools’ audience estimates.