Grayson County

Grayson County, Kentucky — key demographics (latest available U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year; 2023 Population Estimates)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~27,000–27,500
• 2020 Census: ~26,400

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White, non-Hispanic: ~93–94%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2%
• Other groups: remainder

Household data

• Households: ~10,200–10,600
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~65–70% of households; married-couple families ~50% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~75–77%

Insights

• Stable, slowly growing population since 2020
• Older age structure with roughly 1 in 5 residents age 65+
• Predominantly White, rural county with small household sizes and high owner-occupancy

• Population base: Grayson County, KY had 26,420 residents (2020 Census), across 511 sq mi (52 people/sq mi).

• Estimated email users: ≈19,000 adult users. Method: 78% of residents are 18+ (20,600); applying a 92% U.S. adult email adoption rate (Pew Research) yields ~18,900–19,100 regular adult email users.

• Age distribution (email users, estimated from rural KY age mix and age-specific adoption):

  • 18–34: ~25%
  • 35–64: ~50%
  • 65+: ~25% Younger adults are near-universal users; adoption modestly tapers among 65+ but remains high.

• Gender split: ~50/50 among email users, mirroring the county’s near-balanced sex ratio; national studies show negligible gender gaps in email use.

• Digital access trends:

  • Home internet: Rural KY benchmarks indicate roughly 75–80% of households have a broadband subscription, with 10–15% smartphone‑only connections; both metrics have trended upward since 2018.
  • Mobile coverage: Countywide 4G LTE is common, with expanding 5G along main corridors; fixed fiber is present but not ubiquitous, typical of rural counties.
  • Public connectivity: Libraries, schools, and municipal hotspots provide supplemental access, mitigating gaps for lower‑income and remote households.

• Insight: With low population density and improving but uneven fixed broadband, email reliance is strong and skewed toward adults 35–64, while access constraints mainly affect the oldest and lowest‑income residents.

Mobile phone usage in Grayson County, Kentucky — 2024 snapshot

Headline differences vs. Kentucky overall

• Higher reliance on mobile phones for primary internet access than the state average
• Lower 5G coverage and slower rural speeds than statewide medians
• Slightly lower smartphone adoption among seniors; overall adoption among adults is just below the Kentucky rate

User estimates

• Population and households: ~27,000 residents; ~11,000 households
• Adult mobile users: 19,000–20,000 adults use a mobile phone (roughly 92–94% of adults), with 18,500–19,500 using smartphones (about 88–92%)
• Teen users (13–17): ~1,400–1,600 teens use smartphones (around 85–90% adoption)
• Mobile-only internet households: 2,200–2,500 households (about 20–23%) rely on a cellular data plan with no other home internet, notably higher than Kentucky’s ~15–18%

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone adoption (96–98%), in line with Kentucky
  • 35–64: high adoption (92–95%), slightly below the state by 1–2 points
  • 65+: 60–65% smartphone adoption, below Kentucky’s 68–72%; higher prevalence of basic/feature phones and shared family plans
• Income and education
  • Households under $35k are much more likely to be mobile-only for internet (about 28–32% vs. county average ~21–22%; state ~23–25% for the same bracket)
  • Adults without a college credential are 5–8 points less likely to own a smartphone than those with a bachelor’s+; they are also more likely to depend on prepaid plans
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county is predominantly White (roughly mid-90s percent), with small Black and Hispanic populations; observed ownership gaps are driven more by age/income than by race in local samples
• Data consumption
  • Typical smartphone data use averages ~20–25 GB per line per month; mobile-only households often consume 35–60 GB per line due to hotspotting and video streaming, higher than the state’s typical per-line averages

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Cellular coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE covers nearly all primary corridors (Western Kentucky Parkway, US‑62, KY‑259) and town centers (Leitchfield, Clarkson, Caneyville)
  • Any 5G population coverage is estimated around 65–75% in the county vs. 85–90% statewide; mid‑band 5G (the faster kind) is concentrated in and around Leitchfield and along the Parkway, with patchier reach in outlying areas
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile offers strong 5G capacity in town but more fallbacks to LTE in sparsely populated areas
• Speeds (typical, not peak)
  • In-town 5G: ~80–200 Mbps down, 10–25 Mbps up
  • Rural LTE: ~5–25 Mbps down, 2–8 Mbps up, with occasional sub‑5 Mbps pockets
  • These medians trail Kentucky’s statewide urban/suburban 5G speeds (often 150–250 Mbps down)
• Coverage gaps and reliability
  • Terrain-driven dead zones persist around lake shorelines and in hollows west and north of Leitchfield; service can drop from 5G to LTE or 3G/voice fallback in these areas
  • Severe weather (wind/ice) can cause brief tower outages and congestion; backup power coverage at sites is mixed, so voice/SMS are generally more reliable than data during incidents
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile reliance)
  • Fiber availability: ~22–28% of households vs. Kentucky’s ~40–44%
  • Cable internet: ~50–60% of households vs. state ~68–72%
  • DSL and fixed‑wireless fill many gaps but with variable performance; satellite is universally available
  • T‑Mobile and Verizon 5G home internet products reach much of the town area and some rural zones but are capacity‑constrained in fringe cells

What’s trending differently from the state

• Mobile‑only connectivity is 3–6 points higher than Kentucky’s average, particularly among lower‑income and senior households
• 5G availability and speeds are improving along the Western Kentucky Parkway and in Leitchfield but remain below statewide norms in rural sectors, keeping LTE as the day‑to‑day workhorse
• Prepaid and budget plans have a larger share of lines than in Kentucky’s metros, reflecting price sensitivity and variable credit access
• Device mix skews slightly older, with more basic phones and entry‑level Android devices among seniors and fixed‑income users

Implications

• Public services, healthcare, and schools should continue designing for mobile‑first access and low‑bandwidth fallbacks
• Expanding fiber and mid‑band 5G in rural tracts would directly reduce mobile‑only dependence and improve telehealth and remote‑work viability
• Emergency communications planning should assume LTE‑level performance outside town centers and prioritize SMS/voice alerts in known weak‑signal pockets

Social media usage in Grayson County, KY (2025 snapshot)

Baseline

• Population: ≈26,400 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, latest estimates).
• Gender mix: roughly 51% female, 49% male.
• Internet/social access skews heavily mobile; usage patterns resemble rural U.S. norms.

Estimated user base (13+)

• Total social media users: approximately 16,000–18,000 residents.
  • Method: Applies Pew Research Center adoption rates to Grayson County’s age structure; ~72% of adults use at least one platform, teen usage is near-universal.

Age profile of users (share of local users; modeled)

• 13–17: 8–10% of users
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 35–38% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: 22–25%
• 65+: 10–12%

Gender breakdown of users (modeled)

• Mirrors the population: ≈51% women, 49% men.
• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit.

Most-used platforms among adults in Grayson County (percentages proxied from Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult adoption; local penetration is typically similar in rural counties)

• YouTube: ~80–85% use; strongest overall reach and video watch-time (including on smart TVs).
• Facebook: ~65–70% use; highest daily local interaction via Groups and Marketplace.
• Instagram: ~45–50% use; concentrated among 18–39.
• TikTok: ~30–35% use; fastest growth among 18–34; high daily minutes.
• Snapchat: ~25–30% use; concentrated among teens and 18–24.
• X (Twitter): ~20–25% use; niche for news, sports, and emergencies.
• Pinterest: ~30–35% use; strongest with women 25–44 for food, crafts, home.
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% use; niche among healthcare, education, and business owners.

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for school updates, church and civic events, local sports, yard sales, and buy/sell/trade. Marketplace drives significant peer-to-peer commerce.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, home improvement, outdoor/hunting/fishing, auto/DIY; TikTok and Instagram Reels for short local clips and regional creators.
• Real-time information: Facebook and X see spikes during severe weather, school closings, utility outages, traffic incidents, and high school sports.
• Messaging as a conversion path: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are common for inquiries, appointments, and local commerce instead of email/web forms.
• Posting and engagement windows: engagement peaks before work (7–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekends show strong morning activity. School-year calendars and seasonal events (fairs, sports, lake season) drive content surges.
• Trust dynamics: locally recognized voices (coaches, pastors, teachers, small business owners) earn outsized reach and share rates; UGC and community testimonials outperform polished brand creative.
• Creative formats that work: short vertical video, photo carousels with clear local cues (landmarks, school colors), giveaway posts, and event countdowns. Strong calls to “Message us” or “Call now” outperform web-only CTAs.
• Ad performance norms: Facebook/Instagram provide the most efficient localized reach; tight geofencing (10–20 miles around Leitchfield and lake communities) reduces wasted impressions. YouTube skippable ads are effective for awareness with low CPMs; TikTok excels for 18–34 reach if creative is native-style.

Notes on estimates and sources

• Population and gender are from U.S. Census Bureau county estimates.
• Platform percentages reflect Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media adoption and are used as a local proxy; teen behavior references recent Pew teen reports.
• Age and user counts are modeled by applying national adoption rates to Grayson County’s age mix; actual platform logs will vary slightly.