Knott County

Knott County, Kentucky – Key Demographics

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

Population size and trend

• Total population (2020 Census): 14,251
• Direction: Continued decline from 2010 to 2020; ACS shows ongoing gradual decrease post‑2020

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Age distribution:
  • Under 18: ~21–22%
  • 18 to 64: ~59–60%
  • 65 and over: ~19–20%

Sex

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (of total population)

• White alone: ~97–98%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.1–0.2%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~0.7–1.0%
• White, non‑Hispanic: ~96–97%

Households and housing

• Households: ~5,700–5,900
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons
• Family households: ~65–70% of households; average family size ~2.9
• Single-person households: ~28–30%; seniors living alone: ~11–13%
• Housing tenure: Owner-occupied ~75–80%; renter-occupied ~20–25%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a median age in the low 40s and a relatively large 65+ share.
• Racial/ethnic composition is overwhelmingly White, with very small minority shares.
• Household structures skew toward family households, with high owner-occupancy typical of rural Appalachia and modest household sizes.

• Scope: Knott County, Kentucky (≈14,000 residents over ≈353 sq mi; ≈40 residents/sq mi).
• Estimated email users (adults): ≈8,200. Method: county adult population (~10.9k) × rural internet adoption (≈82%) × email use among internet users (≈92%).
• Age distribution of adult email users (approx.):
  • 18–29: 20% (≈1.7k)
  • 30–49: 31% (≈2.6k)
  • 50–64: 25% (≈2.1k)
  • 65+: 23% (≈1.9k)
• Gender split: roughly even, ≈51% female and 49% male among users.
• Digital access and devices:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈78–80% of households.
  • Computer access: ≈75–80% of households have a desktop/laptop; tablet/smartphone access higher.
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance: ≈10–15% of households.
• Connectivity and trends:
  • Rugged terrain and low density increase last‑mile costs, yielding lower fixed-broadband adoption than Kentucky metros.
  • Affordable Connectivity Program wind‑down in 2024 likely reduces subscriptions among low‑income households (local poverty ≈30%), risking email access for cost‑sensitive users.
  • State/federal builds (e.g., BEAD‑funded fiber) are expected to improve coverage/speeds through 2026–2028, supporting higher email reliability and usage.

Mobile phone usage in Knott County, KY — 2025 snapshot

Overview

• Knott County is a rural, mountainous Appalachian county with lower fixed-broadband availability than the Kentucky average. As a result, residents rely more heavily on mobile phones—both for voice and as a primary means of internet access—than the state overall. Coverage is strongest along primary corridors (KY-80, KY-160, KY-15 access via adjacent counties) and weaker in hollows and ridge-shadowed areas.

User estimates (best-available, county-scaled from ACS device/subscription patterns for rural Eastern Kentucky, 2018–2022, and 2020 Census population)

• Total mobile phone users: roughly 12,000–13,000 residents use a mobile phone regularly, including nearly all teens and adults.
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 9,000–10,500 adults use smartphones.
• Smartphone-only households (no home fixed broadband; rely on cellular data plans/hotspots): about 22%–30% of households, materially higher than the Kentucky statewide rate (typically mid-teens to around 20%).
• Households with at least one smartphone: about 80%–88%, slightly below the statewide urban average but in line with rural Eastern Kentucky peers.
• Prepaid share is elevated relative to the state: prepaid and regional-carrier plans account for a notably larger slice of lines than in urban Kentucky, reflecting income sensitivity and coverage-driven carrier choice.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns (compared to the Kentucky average)

• Age
  • 13–17: near-universal smartphone access (roughly 95%+), similar to the state.
  • 18–44: high smartphone ownership (roughly upper 80s to low 90s percent), but more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet than statewide peers.
  • 65+: ownership materially lower (roughly 60%–70%), lagging the state average; feature phones and shared family plans are more common.
• Income and affordability
  • Low-income households show the highest smartphone-only reliance and greater use of prepaid or regional plans; participation in ACP-era discounts drove adoption, and the wind-down has increased plan churn and hotspot sharing.
• Education and work
  • Students and remote workers rely disproportionately on mobile data where cable/fiber is unavailable; hotspot use is common for homework and telehealth.
• Disability and caregiving
  • Higher disability prevalence than the state average contributes to increased use of voice/SMS, telehealth apps, and emergency alerts, but device accessibility needs can slow 5G phone turnover.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, T-Mobile footprint via roaming/limited native sites, and Appalachian Wireless (a major regional provider in Eastern Kentucky) all serve the area; Appalachian Wireless and AT&T tend to offer the most dependable rural coverage.
• Network generation
  • 4G LTE: broad coverage along main corridors and towns; pockets of weak or no service persist in narrow valleys and at elevation-shadowed homes.
  • 5G: available in and around Hindman and along key routes, but far less contiguous than statewide urban markets; low-band 5G provides coverage, while mid-band capacity is spotty.
• Capacity and speeds: median speeds are lower and more variable than the Kentucky average due to terrain, sparser site density, and fewer mid-band 5G sectors; peak-hour congestion is common near schools and community centers.
• Backhaul and middle mile: KentuckyWired’s middle-mile network anchors county institutions (courthouse/schools) and improves backhaul options for ISPs and carriers; however, last-mile and tower infill remain the bottlenecks.
• Resilience: 2022 flood impacts led carriers to harden select sites (backup power, higher equipment placements) and stage portable cells for future disasters, improving but not eliminating outage risk.

How Knott County differs from the Kentucky statewide picture

• Higher smartphone-only reliance: a significantly larger share of households use mobile as their primary or only home internet connection than the state average.
• More regional-carrier usage: Appalachian Wireless has a stronger presence than in most Kentucky counties, shaping device availability and plan mix.
• Lower 5G contiguity and capacity: 5G coverage is patchier and mid-band capacity scarcer than in metro counties; practical user experience often defaults to LTE.
• Greater terrain-driven gaps: dead zones persist off main corridors; in-home coverage problems are more frequent, increasing demand for Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters.
• Slower device upgrade cycles: cost sensitivity and coverage priorities extend handset replacement intervals longer than statewide norms.

Practical implications

• Public safety and healthcare benefit from AT&T FirstNet and carrier hardening, but in-home coverage gaps mean continued need for Wi‑Fi calling and battery backups.
• Education and workforce programs should plan for smartphone-first delivery and subsidized hotspots, not just fixed broadband.
• The fastest improvements will come from targeted tower infill on ridge lines, additional mid-band 5G sectors near schools/clinics, and leveraging KentuckyWired backhaul to lower carrier transport costs.

Knott County, KY — Social media usage snapshot (2025)

Headline user stats

• Estimated social media users: ≈9,300 residents
• Share of residents using social media: ≈67% of total population; ≈78% of internet users
• Device mix: >90% mobile-first; low multi-device switching compared with urban areas

Age groups (share of social media users)

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–24: 11%
• 25–34: 17%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 17%
• 55–64: 16%
• 65+: 14% Adoption by age (use at least one platform): 13–17 ≈90%, 18–24 ≈95%, 25–34 ≈92%, 35–44 ≈86%, 45–54 ≈79%, 55–64 ≈71%, 65+ ≈54%.

Gender breakdown (among social media users)

• Female: 52%
• Male: 48%

Most-used platforms (monthly reach among local internet users)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 74%
• Facebook Messenger: 62%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 35%
• Snapchat: 27%
• Pinterest: 26%
• Reddit: 8%
• X (Twitter): 11%
• LinkedIn: 7%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups (swap/yard-sale, school sports, church, emergency updates). Marketplace and local “buy/sell/trade” activity are primary engagement drivers.
• Video dominates: YouTube for how-to, DIY, hunting/fishing, small engine repair, ATV/off-road, local music. Short-form video (TikTok and Facebook Reels) surging among under-35 for humor, music, and “rural life” content.
• Messaging > links: Conversations and transactions often move to Facebook Messenger; click-to-call and “Send Message” outperform website clicks for local businesses.
• Local news and weather: High trust and engagement with county agencies, school districts, volunteer fire/rescue, and regional media pages, especially during storms/flooding.
• Snapchat niche: Strong among teens/young adults for private communication; limited brand reach unless using geofilters/lenses around school or event hotspots.
• Pinterest utility: Used by women 25–54 for recipes, crafts, home projects; translates to steady but quiet referral traffic to local vendors and events.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 7–10 p.m.; secondary bump around lunch (11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.). Weekends show midday spikes for Marketplace and events.
• Content that performs: High-school sports spotlights, community fundraisers, church events, local business giveaways, before/after project photos, and short vertical videos with captions. Authentic local voices beat polished creative.
• Ad response norms: Lower CPMs than urban KY; best CTAs are message/call, event responses, and coupon/offer posts. Geo-targeting within adjacent counties extends reach for events and trades.

Notes on figures

• Figures are 2025 county-level estimates derived from U.S. Census/ACS demographics and Pew Research Center rural adoption rates, adjusted for Eastern Kentucky patterns; platform shares represent monthly usage among internet users.