Fleming County

Here are core demographics for Fleming County, Kentucky.

Population

• Total population: about 15,100 (2020 Census count 15,082; ACS 2019–2023 shows similar)
• Median age: ~41–42 years

Age structure (ACS 2019–2023)

• Under 18: ~22–24%
• 18 to 64: ~57–60%
• 65 and over: ~18–20%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~94–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Other races (each): <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: about 5,700–5,900
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Households with someone 65+ living alone: ~10–15%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP tables) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101, S1101).

Summary for Fleming County, KY (estimates)

• County context: ~15.5k residents; rural density ≈43 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users: ~11–12k residents use email at least occasionally (driven by ≈85–90% of adults and ~90% of teens 13–17).
• Age distribution of email use (share using email):
  • 13–17: ~90%
  • 18–34: ~95%
  • 35–54: ~92%
  • 55–64: ~85%
  • 65+: ~70%
• Gender split among email users: roughly even; 51% female / 49% male (5.7k women, ~5.5k men).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription likely ~70–75% of households (lower than metro KY due to rural density and last‑mile costs).
  • Smartphone‑only internet users: ~20–25%, which elevates mobile email usage and reliance on webmail apps.
  • Public connectivity remains important (library, schools, community centers) for residents without reliable home service.
  • Fiber and higher‑speed fixed options are expanding but not yet universal; coverage varies outside Flemingsburg and along rural roads.

Notes: Figures are reasoned estimates using recent U.S./rural Kentucky adoption patterns applied to Fleming County’s size and age mix. For planning, validate with local ISP, school district, and library data.

Below is a concise, planning-oriented view of mobile phone usage in Fleming County, Kentucky. Figures are approximate, derived from recent national/rural Kentucky adoption patterns applied to Fleming’s small, rural population (~15,000 residents) and should be treated as directional.

At a glance (user estimates)

• Mobile phone users: ~12,500–13,500 residents (about 85–90% of the population).
• Smartphone users: ~10,000–12,000 residents (roughly 70–80% of the population; 80–88% of adults).
• Mobile-dependent for internet (rely primarily or entirely on smartphones/cellular data rather than home broadband): about 20–30% of adults.
• Prepaid vs. postpaid: higher prepaid share than the Kentucky average, reflecting income and credit profiles.

Demographic usage patterns (how Fleming differs from Kentucky overall)

• Age
  • Teens/young adults: Very high smartphone penetration (≈90–95%), similar to statewide; heavier use of social/video and hotspotting for school/work when home broadband is absent.
  • Mid-life adults (35–64): High smartphone adoption but more cost-sensitive plans and mixed carrier strategies (some households keep lines on different carriers for coverage redundancy) — more common than statewide.
  • Older adults (65+): Lower smartphone ownership than the state average; feature-phone use and minimal-data plans are more common. Digital literacy gaps are larger than statewide.
• Income and affordability
  • Lower household incomes than the state average translate to:
    • More prepaid plans and budget MVNOs.
    • Higher mobile-only internet reliance where fixed broadband is unaffordable or unavailable.
    • Elevated use (and recent loss) of federal subsidies (ACP ended in 2024), increasing risk of service downgrades or churn.
• Education and work
  • Students and remote workers often lean on mobile hotspots due to patchy fixed broadband; this mobile-first behavior is more pronounced than statewide.
  • Small farms and trades use mobile for scheduling, payments, and market/weather apps; adoption of data-heavy precision ag is constrained by coverage and backhaul.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE is broadly available near towns and along primary corridors; coverage drops in valleys and low-density areas.
  • 5G is present but spotty: generally low-band 5G from major carriers around Flemingsburg and along main routes; mid-band capacity is limited compared to urban Kentucky.
  • Compared with the state overall, Fleming has:
    • Lower 5G mid-band availability and fewer contiguous 5G areas.
    • More pronounced indoor coverage issues in outlying areas.
• Carriers
  • AT&T and Verizon generally provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile has improved but remains more corridor/town-centered. Households are more likely than average to mix carriers across family lines for reliability.
• Tower/backhaul reality
  • Fewer towers per square mile than the state’s urban/suburban regions. Terrain (hills/valleys) creates “shadow” zones. This leads to:
    • Greater reliance on Wi‑Fi calling where home internet exists.
    • Notable dead spots on secondary roads and in hollows.
• Home internet substitutes
  • Cable/fiber availability is limited outside town centers; legacy DSL persists. As a result, fixed wireless (T‑Mobile/Verizon home internet) is used where available, but eligibility footprints are patchy. Satellite (including newer LEO options) fills gaps more than in most of Kentucky.
• Community access
  • Libraries, schools, and public buildings act as Wi‑Fi hubs more heavily than the state average; parking-lot Wi‑Fi use remains common for large downloads, homework, and telehealth.

Trends most different from Kentucky statewide

• Higher share of mobile-dependent households; more hotspotting for school/work.
• Greater reliance on prepaid and MVNO offerings; more sensitivity to plan pricing and data caps.
• More frequent multi-carrier strategies within households for coverage redundancy.
• Lower and less contiguous 5G (especially mid-band) coverage; more terrain-driven dead zones and indoor signal challenges.
• Older adult segment with lower smartphone adoption and larger digital skills gap than the state average.
• Greater use of satellite and fixed wireless as substitutes for limited cable/fiber, reinforcing mobile-first behavior.

Implications for planning

• Network investments with the biggest payoff: additional sites or small cells along secondary roads and in known valleys; targeted mid-band 5G in town and near schools/clinics; improved backhaul to existing sites.
• Programs that help: device/digital skills outreach for seniors; low-cost plan partnerships with MVNOs; public Wi‑Fi expansion where fixed broadband lags; continuity options replacing the lapsed ACP (local subsidies, anchor-tenant models).
• Business angle: emphasize reliability and coverage (not just speed), flexible prepaid/postpaid mixes, and rural-friendly features (Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, generous hotspot data).

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot using Fleming County’s size/demographics and rural-U.S./Kentucky social media patterns (primarily Pew Research Center platform usage for adults and U.S. teen patterns). Figures are estimates; county-level platform data isn’t directly published.

Topline user stats

• Population: ~15,000. Adults ~11,500–12,000; teens (13–17) ~900–1,100.
• Estimated social media users:
  • Adults: ~8,500–9,500 (about 70–80% of adults).
  • Teens: ~850–1,050 (90%+ of teens use at least one platform).
• Gender (population): ~51% female, 49% male. Usage patterns: women slightly more active on Facebook and Pinterest; men more on YouTube, Reddit, X.

Most-used platforms (estimated penetration) Adults in Fleming County (modeled from rural U.S. averages; ranges reflect rural adjustments):

• YouTube: 78–82%
• Facebook: 65–70% (Facebook Groups reach: ~60–65%)
• Instagram: 35–40%
• TikTok: 28–33%
• Snapchat: 24–28%
• Pinterest: 25–30% overall (women ~35–40%)
• X (Twitter): 17–22%
• Reddit: 15–18%
• LinkedIn: 12–16% (lower in rural areas)
• Nextdoor: <5% (Facebook Groups fill this role)

Teens (13–17) in Fleming County (mirrors U.S. teen patterns):

• YouTube ~95%
• TikTok ~60–70%
• Snapchat ~60–65%
• Instagram ~50–55%
• Facebook ~25–30%

Age-group usage patterns

• 13–17: Snapchat/TikTok for messaging and short-form video; YouTube for entertainment/how-tos; minimal Facebook except for school/team info.
• 18–34: Heavy Instagram/TikTok + YouTube; Facebook mostly for events, Marketplace, groups.
• 35–54: Facebook dominant (groups, school sports, local businesses) + YouTube; moderate Instagram; growing TikTok/Reels.
• 55+: Facebook first; YouTube for DIY, news, faith content; limited use of Instagram/TikTok.

Behavioral trends (rural Kentucky, small-county context)

• Community hub = Facebook: School and youth sports updates, church and civic groups, community events, fundraisers, obituaries, local news reposts. Marketplace is heavily used for buy/sell/trade within ~20–30 miles.
• Video habits: YouTube for longer how-to, hunting/outdoors, farming, mechanic/DIY; short-form video growth via Facebook Reels and TikTok among under-45s.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are the default private channels; many conversations move from public posts to DMs.
• Trust and discovery: Content shared by known people or local institutions (schools, county gov, churches, boosters) earns the most engagement. Word-of-mouth sharing inside closed groups is common.
• Access patterns: Mobile-first; engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings. Connectivity can be spotty in some areas, which favors shorter videos and compressed images.
• Civic/emergency info: Weather alerts, road closures, school notices primarily flow through official Facebook pages/groups.
• Gender nuances: Women more active in school/parent, church, community service, local shopping and yard-sale groups; men over-index in hunting/outdoors, sports, equipment, and auto groups.

Notes on sources/method

• Platform percentages are derived from recent Pew Research Center U.S. adult platform adoption, adjusted slightly downward for rural usage and upward for Facebook in rural areas; teen figures mirror Pew’s national teen study.
• Population/gender split mirrors recent ACS estimates for Fleming County.