Knox County

Knox County, Kentucky — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 30,193 (2020 Census); ~30,360 (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50.6%
• Male: ~49.4%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~94–95%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Asian: ~0.2–0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.

Households

• Number of households: ~11,400
• Average household size: ~2.55–2.60
• Family households: ~69–70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~47–49% of households
• Female householder, no spouse: ~16–18%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• One-person households: ~25–27% (about 10–11% age 65+ living alone)
• Tenure: ~71% owner-occupied, ~29% renter-occupied
• Average family size: ~3.05–3.10

Insights

• Small, slowly declining/rising population near 30k with a modestly older age structure (median age ~39).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with very small minority and Hispanic populations.
• Household patterns reflect rural Kentucky: high homeownership, majority family households, and relatively small average household size.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Knox County, KY email usage (2025 estimate)

• Population and density: ~30,300 residents across ~387 sq mi (≈78 people/sq mi), predominantly rural.
• Estimated email users: ~22,800 residents (≈75% of population) use email at least monthly.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~1,650 (7%)
  • 18–29: ~4,300 (19%)
  • 30–49: ~7,800 (34%)
  • 50–64: ~5,200 (23%)
  • 65+: ~3,900 (17%)
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirrors county demographics).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~72% of households subscribe to fixed broadband (up from ~66% in 2019).
  • ~20% are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • ~11–12% have no home internet.
  • Outdoor 4G/5G covers most populated corridors (≈95%+), with gaps in hollows/ridgelines.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries) is an important supplement; 2023–2025 fiber builds are expanding along the Barbourville/US‑25E corridor.

Insights: Email reach is strongest among working‑age adults; seniors remain reachable but at lower rates. High smartphone‑only reliance means mobile‑first email design is critical, and offering low‑bandwidth or offline alternatives helps engage the ~1 in 9 residents without home internet.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Knox County, Kentucky

Headlines (planning-grade estimates informed by 2023 ACS indicators, FCC coverage data, and recent national/rural adoption research)

• Active adult smartphone users: 17,500–19,500 residents (roughly 75–85% of adults), below Kentucky’s overall adult adoption rate.
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 65–75% of households.
• Mobile-dependent households (cellular data is the primary/only home internet): 25–35% of households, materially above the statewide share.
• Prepaid mobile share: roughly 30–40% of lines, higher than the state average, reflecting income and credit profiles.
• 5G availability: Present along the US‑25E corridor (e.g., Barbourville, toward Corbin) with pockets elsewhere; coverage away from towns remains largely LTE, with performance shaped by terrain.

How Knox County differs from Kentucky overall

• Higher smartphone dependence for home connectivity: A substantially larger slice of households rely on cellular data in lieu of fixed broadband than the state average, driven by lower fixed‑line availability/affordability in outlying areas.
• Lower overall adoption: Adult smartphone adoption trails Kentucky’s statewide rate due to income, age, and device affordability factors, though youth adoption is near parity.
• More prepaid and budget plans: A higher proportion of users are on prepaid or discounted plans, and device upgrade cycles are longer than the state average.
• Slower, more uneven 5G experience: 5G is concentrated along major roadways and in town centers; valleys and hollers remain LTE‑first with greater signal variability than typical Kentucky markets.

User estimates and demographic breakdown

• Adult base: Approximately 23–24 thousand adults reside in the county; 17.5–19.5 thousand use smartphones. Another 2.5–4 thousand adults use talk/text phones or share devices.
• By age
  • 18–34: 90–95% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use; highest mobile‑only rates among renters.
  • 35–64: 80–88% adoption; strong BYOD for work, mobile banking, telehealth; significant prepaid presence.
  • 65+: 55–70% adoption; usage centered on messaging, Facebook, and telehealth; larger share on simplified Android devices.
• By income/education
  • Low‑income households are disproportionately mobile‑only, with hotspots or unlimited smartphone plans substituting for home broadband.
  • College‑educated and higher‑income households show higher device multiplicity (smartphone + home broadband + tablet), but this cohort is a smaller share of the population than statewide.
• Household patterns
  • Multi‑line family plans dominate in town; single‑line prepaid is common in dispersed areas.
  • Device replacement cycles average 3–4+ years, longer than state urban averages.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Radio access
  • Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate across the county; a regional carrier presence exists in adjacent Eastern Kentucky markets. 5G low‑band covers main corridors; mid‑band 5G is localized; mmWave is negligible.
  • Terrain impact: Ridge/valley topography produces dead zones and indoor signal attenuation away from highways and town centers.
  • Typical speeds: 10–40 Mbps LTE in rural segments, 50–200 Mbps in 5G low/mid‑band areas along US‑25E and town cores; uplink constraints can affect video calls outside 5G zones.
• Backhaul and power
  • Microwave backhaul still serves some sites; fiber‑fed sites cluster near towns and major roads. Outages and power events have outsized effects on remote sectors without robust backup.
• Fixed broadband context affecting mobile usage
  • Cable/fiber availability is strongest in Barbourville and along major corridors; DSL and fixed wireless remain common elsewhere. Where fixed service is limited or costly, households rely on unlimited smartphone plans or hotspots, elevating cellular network loads during evenings.
• Public safety and resilience
  • Text‑to‑911 availability supports non‑voice emergency access. Coverage gaps in low‑lying areas underscore the importance of carrier roaming and Wi‑Fi calling for reliability.

Behavioral and service trends to watch

• Post‑ACP affordability squeeze: With the federal Affordable Connectivity Program winding down, expect further growth in prepaid adoption and mobile‑only households unless state/local subsidies bridge the gap—an effect likely more pronounced in Knox than statewide.
• Telehealth and school use: Mobile data is a primary conduit for telehealth and student assignments in outlying communities, keeping evening peak demand high even where home broadband is limited.
• 5G fixed wireless access (FWA): As carriers light up more mid‑band 5G sectors along US‑25E and feeder roads, FWA can partially reduce mobile‑only pressure; adoption will lag urban Kentucky due to signal constraints off‑corridor.

What this means for planning and outreach

• Knox County’s mobile market is more price‑sensitive, more prepaid‑weighted, and more mobile‑dependent for home connectivity than Kentucky overall.
• Network investments with the highest impact: additional 5G mid‑band sectors off the main corridor, fiber backhaul to rural sites, and in‑building coverage solutions for public facilities.
• Digital inclusion wins: discounted device programs, hotspot lending, and targeted plans for seniors and low‑income households can close the usage gap more effectively here than in typical Kentucky counties.

Notes on methodology

• Figures combine the latest available county‑level ACS indicators on device ownership and internet subscription, state/rural adoption benchmarks from recent national surveys, and FCC/industry coverage information to produce planning‑grade county estimates. Where precise county statistics are not directly published (e.g., prepaid share), ranges reflect conservative, evidence‑based estimates aligned with Eastern Kentucky rural market patterns.

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

Method note: Percentages are estimated by applying 2024–2025 U.S. platform-usage rates (Pew Research) and rural Kentucky adoption patterns to Knox County’s age mix. Figures refer to the share of local residents in each group who use the platform at least occasionally.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: 74%
• Primary access: mobile-first; Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat overwhelmingly mobile; YouTube split between mobile and connected TV

Most-used platforms (adults)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 35%
• TikTok: 29%
• Pinterest: 28%
• Snapchat: 24%
• X (Twitter): 14%
• Reddit: 12%
• LinkedIn: 10%

Age-group profile

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 95%, TikTok 80%, Snapchat 72%, Instagram 70%, Facebook 30%
• 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 78%, Snapchat 65%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 70%, X 25%
• 30–49: YouTube 90%, Facebook 78%, Instagram 50%, TikTok 35%, Snapchat 28%
• 50–64: YouTube 78%, Facebook 72%, Instagram 30%, TikTok 21%
• 65+: YouTube 55%, Facebook 52%, Instagram 15%, TikTok 10%

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Women: Facebook 72%, Instagram 39%, Pinterest 45%, TikTok 31%, Snapchat 25%, YouTube 78%, X 10%, LinkedIn 8%
• Men: YouTube 84%, Facebook 67%, Instagram 31%, TikTok 27%, Snapchat 23%, Reddit 18%, X 17%, LinkedIn 12%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, local buy/sell), Events, and Marketplace; posts with photos of local people, school achievements, and community issues get the strongest organic reach
• Video-first habits: YouTube for how-to, repairs, hunting/outdoors, trucks/ATV, home projects; short-form video via TikTok and Instagram Reels is the fastest-growing format for under-35s and drives high completion when kept under 20–30 seconds
• Messaging-centric: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat dominates teen/college messaging; WhatsApp minimal outside specific family networks
• Shopping and discovery: Marketplace is a primary local commerce channel; Pinterest influences recipes, crafts, and seasonal projects among women; TikTok and Reels increasingly drive impulse buys via short demos
• News and updates: Local news, weather alerts, school closures, road conditions, and high-school sports score best on Facebook; X is niche and skews toward statewide news/politics
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.), with weekend midday spikes tied to events, sports, and yard/estate sales

Implications for outreach

• Prioritize Facebook (Groups + Marketplace) and YouTube; use short-form video on TikTok/Instagram for under-35 reach
• Creative cues: local faces, plainspoken copy, community benefit, and clear calls to action outperform brand polish
• Targeting: geofence around Barbourville and population clusters; layer interests in hunting/outdoors, autos, home improvement, crafts/recipes for efficient reach among likely engagers