Boyd County

Here’s a concise snapshot of Boyd County, Kentucky (latest Census/ACS estimates):

• Population: ~48,000 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~42 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 65 and over: ~20%
• Sex: ~52% female, ~48% male
• Race/ethnicity:
  • White (alone): ~92–93%
  • Black/African American (alone): ~3%
  • Asian (alone): ~0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~1–2%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~20,000
  • Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
  • Family households: ~60% (married-couple ≈ mid-40%)
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Summary for Boyd County, Kentucky (estimates)

• Email users: ~34,000–36,000 residents (about 70–75% of the total population ≈48,000). Method: county population x adult share x typical U.S. email adoption, plus some teen users (13–17).
• Age pattern (usage rates among each group):
  • 18–34: ~95–98% use email
  • 35–54: ~94–97%
  • 55–64: ~88–92%
  • 65+: ~75–82%
  • Under 18: lower overall; many teens have email, most children do not
• Gender split: Population is roughly 51–52% female, 48–49% male; email use is similar by gender, so users mirror this split.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with home broadband: roughly 78–82%
  • Smartphone‑only internet households: ~12–16%
  • Notable pockets without subscriptions correlate with lower income and older housing; public libraries and schools help fill gaps with free Wi‑Fi and devices.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈280–320 people per square mile, concentrated in and around Ashland/Catlettsburg along the Ohio River.
  • Urban core has cable/fiber options; outlying areas more reliant on DSL, fixed wireless, or cellular. 4G/5G coverage is strongest along major corridors (US‑23, I‑64).

Notes: Figures are synthesized from Census/ACS population and national email adoption research and should be treated as planning estimates.

Below is a concise, decision-ready snapshot of mobile phone usage in Boyd County, Kentucky, with user estimates, demographic patterns, and key infrastructure notes. Figures are estimates derived from publicly available national and state benchmarks (e.g., ACS/Pew/FCC) scaled to Boyd County’s population profile; treat them as planning ranges, not official counts.

Quick take

• Estimated smartphone users: 33,000–36,000 residents
• Adult penetration: roughly 80–85% of adults (slightly below or on par with Kentucky overall), offset by strong 5G availability in the Ashland urban core
• Distinctive local pattern vs Kentucky: higher cross‑border mobility and better mid‑band 5G in the Tri‑State urban area, but older age structure and lower incomes push up “mobile‑only” internet reliance

How the estimate was built (assumptions)

• Population base: about 48,000 residents; roughly 37,000 adults
• Adoption rates: US adult smartphone ownership ~80–85% (rural a bit lower, urban higher); teen ownership high. Applying these to Boyd’s older age and income mix yields about 29,000–32,000 adult users, plus several thousand teen users.

Demographic breakdown (directional)

• Age
  • 18–29: near‑universal smartphone use (>90%)
  • 30–49: very high (~85–90%)
  • 50–64: high but lower (~75–85%)
  • 65+: materially lower (~60–70%); Boyd skews older than Kentucky overall, pulling down the county’s aggregate a point or two versus state average
• Income and affordability
  • Lower median incomes than the state average translate to higher prepaid share and higher “mobile‑only” internet reliance (cellular data as primary/only home internet). Expect Boyd’s mobile‑only share to be above the Kentucky average.
  • The end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) support in 2024 likely depresses handset upgrades and data plan sizes here more than statewide averages because eastern Kentucky counties had above‑average ACP enrollment.
• Education and disability
  • Smartphone reliance (vs home broadband) is higher among residents with a high school diploma or less.
  • Disability prevalence is higher than the state average; accessibility features and larger‑screen devices are comparatively important.

Usage patterns and behaviors that differ from state‑level

• Cross‑border mobility: Daily travel across the Ohio River within the Huntington–Ashland–Ironton Tri‑State drives more roaming/hand‑off events and multi‑carrier household mixes than typical Kentucky counties.
• Mobile‑only dependence: A noticeably larger slice of households rely primarily on smartphones for internet access compared to the Kentucky average, due to affordability and housing mix.
• Network experience: In and around Ashland/Catlettsburg and along the river and I‑64, mid‑band 5G capacity is stronger than in much of rural eastern Kentucky, so median mobile speeds locally can exceed statewide rural medians even if adoption lags slightly due to demographics.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and spectrum
  • 5G presence from all three national carriers in the Ashland urban area; mid‑band (e.g., C‑band/n41) is commonly live along core corridors (I‑64, US‑23, riverfront), improving capacity and indoor coverage in town.
  • Terrain effects: Moving south and southeast from the river valley into hillier areas introduces pockets of weaker LTE/5G, especially off main corridors; in‑building penetration can be an issue in older structures.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • The Tri‑State urban core benefits from multiple fiber routes along the Ohio River and major highways; KentuckyWired/middle‑mile and carrier fiber near Ashland support robust backhaul for towers compared to many eastern Kentucky counties.
• Tower siting and densification
  • Macro sites are concentrated along river and highway corridors; small cells and rooftop nodes are comparatively more common in the downtown medical/retail zones (e.g., around hospitals and malls) than in rural Kentucky counties.
• Public facilities and anchors
  • Libraries, schools, and medical campuses are important anchor institutions with strong connectivity; they act as demand drivers for nearby commercial 5G capacity.

Implications

• Boyd County’s urban adjacency yields better 5G capacity and speeds than much of eastern Kentucky, but an older, lower‑income profile tempers overall adoption and increases price sensitivity.
• Expect higher demand for affordable plans, robust prepaid options, and strong indoor coverage in hospitals, schools, and retail hubs.

Below is a concise, planning-friendly snapshot. Note: County-level platform data are rarely published; figures are estimates based on 2023–2024 Pew Research Center platform usage applied to Boyd County’s demographics (ACS), plus rural Kentucky patterns.

At-a-glance

• Population: ~49,000 (adult population ~38,000)
• Estimated social media users: ~30,000–32,000 total (about 70–75% of adults; 60–65% of total population)

Age breakdown (share using at least one platform)

• Teens 13–17: 90–95%
• 18–29: 85–90%
• 30–49: 80–85%
• 50–64: 70–75%
• 65+: 45–55% Notes: Audience skews older than the U.S. average on Facebook; teens/20s dominate Snapchat and TikTok.

Gender snapshot

• Overall usage is roughly even. Slight female skew on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest; slight male skew on YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit.
• Practical planning assumption: local user base ≈ 52% women, 48% men.

Most-used platforms (adults; percent using each platform)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~70–75% (most dominant local community platform)
• Instagram: ~40–50%
• TikTok: ~35–45%
• Pinterest: ~30–35% (mostly women)
• Snapchat: ~25–30% overall; 60%+ among teens/early 20s
• X (Twitter): ~15–20%
• LinkedIn: ~15–20% (professionals, job-seeking)
• Reddit: ~10–15%
• Nextdoor: <5%

Teens specifically (quick view)

• YouTube 95%+, TikTok 60–70%, Snapchat 60–65%, Instagram 55–60%, Facebook 20–25%, X 10–15%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the town square: heavy use of Groups for school updates, sports, road/weather alerts, church and community events, local buy/sell (Marketplace), obituaries, and city/county notices.
• Local news flows through Facebook first (e.g., TV stations and The Daily Independent pages); shares and comments drive reach.
• Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) has surged; local creators and small businesses cross-post to Facebook and Instagram for older audiences.
• YouTube is used widely for how-to, music, sermons, sports highlights, hunting/fishing, and home repair.
• Snapchat is a primary messaging/social channel for high-school and college-age residents; private stories are common.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger dominates; WhatsApp adoption is low; GroupMe shows up for school teams and clubs.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local deals; event promos with short video outperform static flyers.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; noticeable bumps during weather events and school announcements.
• Content that performs: local faces and names, high-school sports, church/community service, severe-weather info, practical how‑tos, giveaways, and “what’s new” at local eateries/shops.

Use these as planning estimates; adjust with your own page insights and ad reporting to fine-tune Boyd County targeting.