Henry County

Henry County, Kentucky — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Census and 2018–2022 ACS 5-year estimates)

• Population:

  • Total: 15,678 (2020 Census)
  • Estimated: ~16,300 (2018–2022 ACS)

• Age:

  • Median age: ~41 years
  • Under 18: ~24%
  • 65 and over: ~17%

• Gender:

  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%

• Race and ethnicity (shares of total population):

  • White (non-Hispanic): ~89%
  • Black or African American: ~3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and other races: each <1%

• Households and housing:

  • Households: ~6,200
  • Average household size: ~2.6 persons
  • Family households: ~68% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~30%
  • Owner-occupied: ~79%
  • Renter-occupied: ~21%

Insights:

• Small, gradually growing county with a median age around 41, indicating a modestly aging population.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a small but growing Hispanic population.
• High homeownership and mostly family households, typical of rural/small-county Kentucky.

Henry County, KY email usage snapshot

• Population: 15,678 (2020); density ≈54 people/sq mi across 291 sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈10,000 residents use email regularly, derived from the adult population, rural broadband adoption, and national email use among internet users.
• Age distribution of users: 13–17 ~3%; 18–29 ~18%; 30–49 ~37%; 50–64 ~28%; 65+ ~14%.
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, reflecting local demographics.
• Digital access and trends: About 4 in 5 households have a broadband subscription; roughly 12% are smartphone-only, and 8–10% have no home internet. Email adoption is near-universal among adults under 65 and remains a solid majority among 65+. Low population density raises last‑mile costs, so the highest‑capacity options cluster around town centers and major road corridors, with fixed wireless and satellite covering outlying farms. Ongoing fiber expansion in rural Kentucky is gradually lifting speeds and reliability, supporting steady year‑over‑year gains in email and online account usage.

Henry County, KY mobile phone usage summary (with county-specific estimates and how they differ from Kentucky overall)

Headline numbers

• Population baseline: ≈16,100 residents (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau). About 6,300 households, assuming average household size ≈2.55.
• Smartphone users: ≈12,000 residents use smartphones (about 75% of total population). Method: age-structured application of Pew Research Center 2023 ownership rates to Henry County’s age profile from ACS 2018–2022.
• Adults carrying smartphones: ≈11,100 (about 91% of adults), plus ≈1,000 teens (13–17).
• Wireless-only (no landline) adults: ≈73% in Henry County, translating to about 9,000 adults; slightly below Kentucky’s 76–79% range (CDC/NCHS wireless substitution).
• Smartphone-only home internet households (no fixed broadband): ≈24% of households (about 1,500–1,600), above Kentucky’s ≈18–20% range (ACS device and subscription indicators).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and usage composition)

• By age (ownership rates applied to county age mix):
  • 18–29: ~2,030 smartphone users (≈97% of this cohort)
  • 30–49: ~3,710 (≈96%)
  • 50–64: ~3,290 (≈90%)
  • 65+: ~2,030 (≈76%)
  • Teens 13–17: ~990 (≈93%) Insight vs state: Henry County skews slightly older than Kentucky overall, which pulls down overall smartphone penetration and wireless-only share a bit, but the under‑50 segments mirror state‑level uptake.
• By income/education (inferred from ACS and Pew patterns):
  • Lower-income households in Henry County are about 2x as likely to be smartphone‑only for home internet as $75k+ households. Because the county’s median income and bachelor’s attainment trail Kentucky averages, smartphone‑only reliance is measurably higher than statewide.
• By race/ethnicity (composition rather than large gaps in adoption):
  • County user composition broadly mirrors population: roughly 85–90% White, 3–5% Black, 3–5% Hispanic/Latine, remainder multiracial/other.
  • Ownership gaps by race are modest (single‑digit percentage points) and smaller than the age‑driven differences; the county’s overall ownership level is driven more by age and rurality than by race.

Digital infrastructure and performance (mobile)

• Coverage footprint:
  • 4G LTE: functionally countywide outdoors on major roads and in towns (New Castle, Eminence, Campbellsburg, Pleasureville, Smithfield). Indoor coverage varies in low‑density areas.
  • 5G: low‑band 5G is broadly available; mid‑band 5G capacity is concentrated along the I‑71 corridor and in/around towns, tapering in outlying farmland and along the Kentucky River bluffs. This creates a pronounced corridor‑centric capacity pattern not seen in Kentucky’s larger metros.
• Speeds and capacity (typical ranges from crowdsourced rural‑KY observations applied to local conditions):
  • 4G LTE: ~20–40 Mbps down / 5–15 Mbps up in towns; slower at the rural edges.
  • 5G low‑band: ~30–80 Mbps down; mid‑band where present: ~100–300 Mbps down.
  • Peak‑hour slowdowns are more acute off the interstate because fewer sites serve larger areas; fiber backhaul is more limited away from I‑71.
• Network build pattern:
  • Macro towers cluster along I‑71, KY‑55, and KY‑146; fewer sites cover broad agricultural tracts. Small‑cell/densification is minimal outside town centers.
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) operate; T‑Mobile’s mid‑band 5G shows its biggest relative advantage along I‑71, while AT&T and Verizon tend to hold steadier LTE/5G low‑band coverage east/southeast of New Castle. This split is sharper here than in Kentucky’s urban counties, where all three are denser and more uniform.
• Reliability and gaps:
  • Dead zones persist in pockets of low‑lying terrain near the Kentucky River and on some secondary rural roads. Signal reliability drops indoors in metal‑roof structures and at farm outbuildings—more noticeably than statewide averages reported for mixed urban‑rural counties.

How Henry County differs from Kentucky overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration driven by an older age structure, yet higher smartphone‑only home internet reliance because fixed broadband options thin out quickly beyond the towns. That combination—older population but higher smartphone‑only reliance—is more pronounced here than in Kentucky’s metro‑adjacent counties.
• Wireless‑only (no landline) share is a few points below the state average for the same reason (older residents retain landlines at higher rates), even as younger and lower‑income households lean harder on mobile for home internet.
• Capacity and 5G performance are more corridor‑dependent than the state average. The I‑71 spine lifts speeds and reliability locally, but off‑corridor areas exhibit bigger drops than typically seen in Kentucky’s more urban counties.
• Carrier differentiation is stronger: mid‑band 5G leadership along I‑71 versus broader low‑band coverage elsewhere produces larger between‑carrier performance swings than in Louisville/Lexington/NKY.

Actionable implications

• Demand growth will concentrate first along I‑71 and in town centers; outlying tracts will remain coverage‑adequate but capacity‑constrained without added mid‑band 5G or new sites.
• Public services, agriculture, and logistics users in rural tracts should plan for external antennas or signal boosters for reliable indoor connectivity.
• Programs that expand fiber backhaul to rural towers (and fixed broadband to homes) will directly reduce smartphone‑only dependence and improve peak‑hour mobile speeds.

Sources and method notes

• Population and household baselines: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year; 2023 county population estimate).
• Smartphone ownership rates: Pew Research Center (2023) by age; applied to county age structure to derive user counts.
• Wireless‑only adults (no landline): CDC/NCHS National Health Interview Survey (2022) state benchmarks, adjusted for county age mix.
• Smartphone‑only home internet share: derived from ACS device/broadband subscription indicators and rural Kentucky differentials; expressed as a county estimate based on local infrastructure conditions.

Social media usage in Henry County, Kentucky (planning baseline)

Population baseline

• Total population: 15,678 (2020 Census)
• Estimated residents age 13+: ~13,480

Most-used platforms (estimated share of residents age 13+ using each at least monthly; counts are non‑exclusive)

• YouTube: 84% (~11,300 people)
• Facebook: 65% (~8,760)
• Instagram: 48% (~6,470)
• TikTok: 36% (~4,850)
• Pinterest: 34% (~4,580)
• Snapchat: 30% (~4,040)
• WhatsApp: 28% (~3,780)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~2,970)
• Reddit: 19% (~2,560)

Age-group profile of social media users (share of local social audience)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–29: 17%
• 30–49: 33%
• 50–64: 23%
• 65+: 19%

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: ~51% female, 49% male (in line with county demographics)
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest (Pinterest strongly female)
  • More male: YouTube (slight), X (Twitter), Reddit
  • Snapchat, WhatsApp: roughly balanced to slightly female

Behavioral trends and content habits

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups, Marketplace, school and youth sports updates, church and civic events, local news and weather alerts; event posts and urgent updates drive rapid spikes in reach.
• Video first: YouTube for how‑to, DIY, equipment repair, outdoor/recreation content; short‑form Reels/Shorts/TikTok perform best for under‑35s and for local businesses showcasing products, food, or behind‑the‑scenes.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is common among adults; Snapchat dominates peer‑to‑peer among teens; WhatsApp appears in family and workgroup coordination but is secondary to Messenger/SMS.
• Shopping and discovery: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are primary; Pinterest is influential for home, crafts, recipes, and seasonal projects; Instagram/TikTok are key for restaurants, boutiques, salons, and events.
• Timing and cadence: Peaks typically in early morning, lunch, and 7–10 pm; weekends are strong for events and retail. Consistent posting, clear local relevance, and recognizable faces/places improve engagement.
• Trust signals: Posts from local institutions (schools, county/city pages, first responders, churches) and known small businesses earn higher shares and comments; user‑generated photos from community events help reach beyond page followers.

Notes on method

• Figures are modeled local estimates derived from: 2020 U.S. Census population for Henry County and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for a rural/older age mix. Counts overlap because individuals use multiple platforms. Use as directional baselines for planning and targeting.