Johnson County

Johnson County, Kentucky — Key demographics

Population size

• 22,680 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (non-Hispanic): ~96%
• Black/African American: ~0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Household data

• Households: ~9,000
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~64%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~75%

Notable insights

• Population is small and predominantly non-Hispanic White.
• Older age profile relative to the U.S., with nearly one in five residents 65+.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high owner-occupancy and modest household sizes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Email users (Johnson County, KY, pop ≈22,000): ≈13,500 active users. Estimate combines adult share, rural KY broadband subscription (~75–82%), and email adoption (≈92% of online adults; ≈80% of teens).

By age (estimated users):

• 13–17: ≈1,100
• 18–34: ≈3,200
• 35–54: ≈4,200
• 55–64: ≈1,900
• 65+: ≈3,100

Gender split among users: ≈51% female (≈6,900), 49% male (≈6,600). Differences in adoption by gender are minimal; age and connectivity drive variation more than gender.

Digital access and trends:

• Rural Appalachian county with low density (≈85 people per sq. mile) and hilly terrain, raising last‑mile costs and producing patchy fixed service in hollows.
• Most reliable fixed and mobile coverage clusters along the US‑23 corridor and in/around Paintsville; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Household broadband subscription is lower than the U.S. average but improving; fiber buildouts and BEAD-funded projects are accelerating, lifting speeds and reliability.
• Mobile-only internet reliance is material (≈12–18% of households), so a notable share access email primarily via smartphones.
• Public libraries and schools provide essential Wi‑Fi for residents without robust home service, sustaining email access for students and older adults.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Johnson County, Kentucky

Scope and approach

• Sources relied on: U.S. Census (Decennial 2020), American Community Survey (ACS 2018–2022, Computer and Internet Use tables), FCC mobile coverage filings, and well-established market patterns in rural Appalachia. Where county-level figures are limited, clearly labeled estimates are provided using the best-available public benchmarks and Johnson County’s demographic profile.

Topline user estimate

• Population base: 22,680 (2020 Census).
• Estimated mobile phone users (any mobile phone): 18,000–20,000 residents.
  • Rationale: U.S. adult cellphone ownership is near universal; adjusting downward modestly for the county’s older age profile and rural terrain yields a county penetration in the low-to-mid 80% of total population.
• Estimated smartphone users: 15,000–17,000 residents.
  • Rationale: Household-level smartphone presence in Kentucky is high, but rural counties with older age structures run a few points below the state; applying that delta to the county’s population produces this range.

Demographic breakdown and how it differs from Kentucky overall

• Age-driven adoption gap (larger than state average):
  • Johnson County skews older than Kentucky overall; seniors (65+) are a larger share of the population. Expect a 10–15 percentage-point gap in smartphone adoption between 18–64 vs. 65+ locally, wider than Kentucky’s statewide gap.
• Income and plan mix (more prepaid, more Android):
  • Median household income in Johnson County trails the Kentucky average, which typically correlates with higher prepaid usage, lower incidence of premium iOS devices, and lower-average monthly spend per line than the state average.
• Access modality (more cellular-data-only households):
  • Rural eastern Kentucky counties show higher reliance on cellular data plans for home internet versus wired broadband. Johnson County fits this pattern, exceeding the statewide share of households that rely on a smartphone/cellular data plan as their primary or only connection.
• Youth and working-age penetration (on par with state):
  • Among teens and working-age adults, mobile and smartphone adoption is broadly comparable to Kentucky averages; the county’s aggregate lag is primarily a function of age structure and income.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (local specifics)

• Carriers present:
  • National: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile operate in the county.
  • Regional: Appalachian Wireless (East Kentucky Network) has a strong footprint in Johnson County and neighboring counties, particularly along US-23 and in/around Paintsville.
• Radio access and 5G:
  • 4G LTE: Strongest and most consistent along the US-23 corridor (Paintsville, Hager Hill) and town centers; coverage degrades in hollows and ridge-shadowed roads away from main corridors.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G is present from national carriers in and around Paintsville and key corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is spotty and more limited than Kentucky’s metro corridors (e.g., Lexington/Louisville/NKY).
• Performance:
  • Median mobile speeds and indoor coverage are lower and more variable than Kentucky’s urban/suburban counties due to Appalachian terrain, lower tower density off-corridor, and fewer mid-band 5G sectors.
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • AT&T FirstNet is deployed in the county; coverage hardening has improved on main corridors, but terrain-driven dead zones persist off the arterial network.
• Fixed wireless home internet:
  • Availability from national carriers is present but patchy; eligibility is concentrated near existing 5G and strong-LTE sectors. Penetration is higher than in Kentucky’s fiber-rich metros, reflecting fewer wired options in some parts of the county.

Behavioral and usage patterns vs. the state

• Greater reliance on mobile as primary internet: Share of households depending on cellular data plans (including smartphone-only homes) is meaningfully higher than Kentucky’s statewide share.
• Heavier SMS/voice and data-frugal behavior: Average monthly data use per line trends lower than urban Kentucky due to coverage variability and cost sensitivity; Wi‑Fi offload is common where wired broadband exists.
• Device lifecycle: Longer device replacement cycles than the state average, with more budget and refurbished devices in use.
• App mix: Higher reliance on essential communications, payments/benefits, and local services apps; lower uptake of high-bandwidth entertainment apps off Wi‑Fi compared with state metros.

What this means for planning and service delivery

• Network investment that matters most locally:
  • Additional sectors and small cells along US‑23 and in Paintsville deliver outsized benefit.
  • Fill-in sites or repeaters in ridge-shadowed pockets materially improve reliability relative to statewide averages.
• Digital equity focus:
  • Senior-oriented smartphone training, low-cost plans, and device upgrade programs will close a larger share of the local gap than in Kentucky overall.
• Product strategy:
  • Prepaid, ACP-aligned, and budget-friendly unlimited plans see above-average traction.
  • Fixed wireless home internet has higher addressable demand where fiber/cable is thin, even when peak speeds are modest.

Notes on figures and reliability

• Population: 2020 Census (22,680).
• User counts are estimates consistent with ACS 2018–2022 household device and subscription patterns and the county’s age/income profile. They are intended for planning and sizing; observed activations may vary with carrier pricing, device promotions, and ongoing network upgrades.

Johnson County, KY social media snapshot (2024)

Overall usage (residents age 13+)

• Estimated penetration: 75% use at least one social platform
• Primary access: smartphone-first (>90% of social users)

Age mix of the county’s social audience (share of total users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 20%
• 30–49: 36%
• 50–64: 22%
• 65+: 13%

Gender breakdown (social users)

• Female: 53%
• Male: 47%

Most‑used platforms (share of residents age 13+ who use each)

• YouTube: 79%
• Facebook: 70%
• Facebook Messenger: 68%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 32%
• Pinterest: 30% (skews female, 35–64)
• Snapchat: 27% (skews 13–29)
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 14%
• LinkedIn: 13%
• Nextdoor: <5%

Age-by-platform tendencies

• Teens (13–17): TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube dominate; Instagram secondary; Facebook minimal except for school updates
• Young adults (18–29): YouTube and Instagram lead; TikTok and Snapchat strong; Facebook used for groups/Marketplace more than posting
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram growing; TikTok moderate
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominant; Pinterest notable (especially women)
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube for how‑to, church, health; minimal on TikTok/Snapchat

Behavioral trends

• Community-first: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for school sports, church announcements, local government updates, buy/sell/trade, and yard‑sale communities
• Marketplace commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for local buying/selling; payments often handled via Cash App/PayPal
• Video shift: Short‑form vertical video (TikTok/Reels/Shorts) steadily rising; cross‑posting is common among local creators and small businesses
• Messaging hubs: Facebook Messenger for family, teams, and church groups; Snapchat DMs among teens/20s; SMS/GroupMe used for sports/booster coordination
• Local news and alerts: Weather, road closures, school closings, and emergency updates spread fastest via Facebook pages and shares; event‑driven spikes are common
• Civic engagement: Comment activity surges around county elections, school board decisions, and infrastructure topics; participation is higher in closed groups than on public pages
• Time‑of‑day: Peak scrolling 7–10 pm; lunchtime bump on weekdays; older adults show morning check‑ins
• Trust dynamics: Higher engagement with information from known local figures, schools, churches, and county offices; rumor control frequently handled by group admins/moderators

Method note: Figures are modeled for Johnson County using rural Kentucky/US adoption benchmarks and the county’s age profile; percentages reflect estimated resident reach rather than platform-reported accounts.