Graves County

Key demographics for Graves County, Kentucky (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

• Population

  • Total population: 37,121 (2020 Census)

• Age

  • Median age: ~41
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 18 to 64: ~57%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Gender

  • Female: ~51%
  • Male: ~49%

• Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~84%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~5%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4–5%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.2–0.3%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

• Households and housing

  • Households: ~14,700
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~65% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%
  • Median household income: ~$54,000
  • Persons below poverty: ~18%
  • Median gross rent: ~$790

Insights: The county is predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but meaningful Black and Hispanic communities, an aging age structure (median age ~41, nearly one-fifth 65+), high homeownership, and median household income and poverty levels consistent with rural western Kentucky profiles.

• Scope: Graves County, Kentucky (2020 Census population 37,121; land area ~557 sq mi; density ~67 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~30,000 residents use email at least monthly (≈80% of total), modeled from county internet-subscription levels and U.S. email adoption among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users (modeled to local demographics):
  • 13–17: 5%
  • 18–34: 22%
  • 35–54: 35%
  • 55–64: 18%
  • 65+: 20%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors the county’s slight female-majority population; email adoption shows minimal gender gap).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Computer access: roughly 88–90% of households have a computer (ACS 5-year pattern for similar rural KY counties).
  • Internet subscriptions: roughly 78–82% of households maintain an internet subscription; fixed broadband is lower in the most rural tracts, with higher mobile-only reliance.
  • Smartphone-driven access sustains email use even where fixed broadband lags; library, school, and workplace connections in Mayfield bolster access.
  • Ongoing fiber builds and rural broadband grants are improving speeds and availability, narrowing gaps outside Mayfield.
• Insight: Email penetration in Graves County is high and broadly distributed across ages, but seniors and the most rural households show slightly lower adoption tied to fixed-broadband availability.

Mobile phone usage in Graves County, Kentucky — summary with local estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline metrics

• Population and households: 37,121 residents (2020 Census), approximately 14,300 households (estimated from average household size).
• Estimated adult smartphone users: about 24,000–25,000 adults, based on rural U.S. smartphone ownership rates in 2023 (roughly mid-80s percent among adults) applied to Graves County’s adult population.
• Mobile-dependent households: approximately 2,500–3,000 households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for internet at home (smartphone hotspot or mobile router), a higher share than the Kentucky average for mobile-only reliance.
• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and T-Mobile provide countywide 4G LTE with expanding 5G; regional fiber from WK&T and cable from Spectrum underpin backhaul and fixed service options that interact with mobile usage.

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone penetration (around mid-90s percent), comprising an estimated 7,500–8,000 users, aligning with national young-adult patterns.
  • 35–64: high penetration (upper-80s percent), an estimated 11,000–12,000 users.
  • 65+: lower but substantial penetration (around 70–75 percent), an estimated 5,000–5,500 users; this group shows the largest local gap in app-based services and video calling compared with statewide urban counties.
• Income and plan type
  • A larger share of prepaid and MVNO lines than the state overall, reflecting county median incomes below the statewide median; this correlates with higher mobile-only internet reliance and tighter data budgets.
  • Households without fixed broadband are more likely to be low-to-moderate income, pushing day-to-day connectivity onto smartphones and hotspotting.
• Children and teens
  • Teen smartphone access is widespread and near national norms, which elevates total device counts per household even when fixed broadband is absent.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: effectively countywide from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, with occasional dead zones in low-lying farmland and along lesser-traveled county roads.
  • 5G: low-band 5G covers Mayfield and primary corridors (e.g., I‑69/parkway and U.S. 45/US 80). Mid-band 5G (faster n41/n77) is present but more limited, concentrating near Mayfield and along main transport routes.
• Capacity and speeds (typical user experience)
  • LTE: roughly 10–50 Mbps in-town; can drop below that at the rural cell edge during peak hours.
  • 5G low-band: generally 30–100 Mbps with good reach.
  • 5G mid-band where available: often 150–300+ Mbps, supporting home internet substitution.
• Backhaul and fixed networks that shape mobile experience
  • WK&T’s ongoing fiber buildouts and Spectrum cable plant in and around Mayfield improve tower backhaul and give households alternatives to mobile-only use.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) offers from T‑Mobile and Verizon are increasingly available and adopted, particularly in areas lacking cable or fiber, easing smartphone hotspot dependence.
• Resiliency
  • Post‑2021 tornado restoration brought site hardening (backup power, microwave/fiber redundancy) on key towers around Mayfield, improving uptime and recovery compared with pre‑event conditions.

How Graves County differs from Kentucky’s statewide trends

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A meaningfully larger share of Graves County households depend on cellular data as their primary home connection than the state average, driven by rural geography and income mix. This is visible in heavier hotspot use and prepaid data plans.
• Slower mid-band 5G saturation: While Kentucky’s metros see broader mid-band 5G, Graves County’s fastest 5G remains concentrated near Mayfield and transport corridors, with low-band 5G doing most of the coverage work in rural tracts.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: Budget-conscious plan selection is more common locally than in the state’s urban counties, influencing average data consumption and throttling thresholds.
• Faster uptake of FWA as a substitute: Compared with the statewide average, Graves shows stronger interest in 5G home internet where fiber or cable is unavailable or costly, reducing smartphone-only reliance in the areas where it’s adopted.
• Older user base impact: A slightly older age structure than the state average dampens smartphone feature adoption (telehealth apps, mobile banking) and video-heavy usage among seniors, even as overall device ownership remains high.

Actionable insights

• Network investments that add mid-band 5G sectors beyond Mayfield and along county roads will materially lift user experience and reduce peak-hour slowdowns.
• Expanding fiber-to-the-home and promoting FWA in remaining unserved blocks will continue to pull households off mobile-only internet, narrowing the local gap with the state.
• Outreach and training targeted to 65+ users can unlock higher-value mobile use (patient portals, emergency alerts, banking) in a demographic where devices are present but utilization lags.
• Prepaid and budget-friendly family plans, plus generous hotspot buckets, will continue to see outsized demand relative to Kentucky’s urban counties.

Graves County, KY — social media snapshot (modeled 2025) Method note: Figures are modeled for Graves County’s adult population using the county’s age/gender mix from recent ACS/Census estimates and Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption rates. They reflect realistic local penetration given an older, rural-leaning profile.

Overall reach

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~75% of adults
• Usage is predominantly mobile, with video the dominant content format

Most‑used platforms (share of adults who use each at least monthly)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~42%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~25%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• WhatsApp: ~24%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• LinkedIn: ~18%
• Reddit: ~16%

Age profile (share of local social-media users by age)

• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~34%
• 50–64: ~26%
• 65+: ~18% Penetration by age (any platform): 18–29 ~95%; 30–49 ~88%; 50–64 ~72%; 65+ ~50%

Gender breakdown (share of local social-media users)

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47% Platform skews: Facebook and Pinterest lean female; YouTube, Reddit, and X lean male; Instagram and TikTok are mixed but younger‑skewed.

Behavioral trends observed in rural west Kentucky markets (applies strongly in Graves County)

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups for schools, youth sports, churches, civic updates, and buy‑sell‑trade; Marketplace drives local commerce.
• Short‑form video first: Reels/TikTok get the highest completion and share rates; clips under 30–45 seconds with captions outperform.
• Messaging over public posting: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for direct contact; WhatsApp has niche family/intl use.
• Local information dependence: Severe weather, road closures, school notices, and local news see rapid engagement and high trust when posted by familiar institutions and personalities.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m. CT); strong Sunday activity; lunch‑hour micro‑spikes on weekdays.
• Discovery and conversion: Residents respond to geo‑relevant hooks (mentions of Mayfield, local landmarks, county events); “call/text now” and map links outperform long web forms. Facebook is best for 35+ conversions; TikTok/Instagram for under‑35 reach; Snapchat excels for teen/young adult reminders.
• Device and connectivity: Mobile‑first consumption; design for variable bandwidth (vertical video, subtitles, clear thumbnails) and quick loading.
• Commerce: Seasonal spikes for ag/yard, back‑to‑school, and holidays; local eateries and services benefit from consistent short video + pinned info posts.

Notes on interpretation

• Compared with national averages, Graves County skews slightly higher on Facebook and slightly lower on Instagram/Snapchat due to its older age profile; YouTube remains ubiquitous across ages.
• Teen behavior mirrors U.S. patterns: near‑universal YouTube use, with TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram dominant for daily social activity.