Larue County

Key demographics – LaRue County, Kentucky

Population size

• 14,867 (2020 Census)
• Approximate current size: ~14.7–14.9k (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~41–42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~58–59%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~91–92%
• Black or African American: ~3%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%

Households and families

• Households: ~5,900–6,000
• Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
• Family households: ~67–69% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~27–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74–77%

Insights

• Small, predominantly non-Hispanic White rural county with a median age in the low 40s and roughly one in five residents age 65+.
• Household size is modest (around 2.5), with about two-thirds of households being families and a high owner-occupancy rate consistent with rural Kentucky.

Larue County, KY snapshot (2025):

• Population and density: ~14,900 residents; ~57 people per square mile (predominantly rural).
• Estimated email users: ≈11,200 residents (~75% of the population). Modeled from Census/ACS demographics and Pew’s near-universal email use among internet users.
• Age distribution of email use (approximate):
  • 18–34: ~95% use; ≈2,700 users.
  • 35–64: ~92% use; ≈5,300 users.
  • 65+: ~80% use; ≈2,400 users.
  • Teens (13–17): ~90% use; ≈800 users.
• Gender split among email users: mirrors population (≈51% female, 49% male), as email adoption shows no meaningful gender gap.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription is roughly 8 in 10, aligning with rural Kentucky averages; adoption has been rising with new fiber and fixed‑wireless builds.
  • Smartphone‑only internet access remains material (roughly mid‑teens percent of households), supporting strong mobile email usage.
  • Connectivity is mixed: most populated corridors have 100/20+ Mbps options; remaining gaps are in low‑density tracts typical of rural terrain. Ongoing state/federal funding (e.g., BEAD) is targeting these unserved pockets.

Insights: Email is effectively universal among working‑age adults; overall penetration is moderated by an older age mix and rural last‑mile gaps, but trending upward as infrastructure expands.

Larue County, KY mobile phone usage: 2024 snapshot and how it differs from statewide patterns

User estimates

• Population and base: About 14,900 residents; roughly 11,500 are age 18+.
• Adult smartphone users: ~9,800 (about 84–86% of adults). This is a few points lower than the Kentucky average (upper 80s), reflecting Larue’s older age profile and lower fixed-broadband availability.
• Households with a smartphone: 5,050 of ~5,870 households (86%).
• Smartphone-only internet households (smartphone with a cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): 940 households (16%), higher than the Kentucky average (~12%).
• Households with no home internet subscription: ~12% (vs ~9% statewide), indicating higher digital exclusion risk.
• Households with a cellular data plan (may overlap with fixed broadband): ~68% (vs ~64% statewide), underscoring heavier reliance on mobile connectivity.

Demographic breakdown (adoption and reliance)

• By age (estimated adoption, applied to local age mix):
  • 18–34: ~97% adoption; ~2,450 users. Near universal, similar to statewide.
  • 35–64: ~90% adoption; ~5,200 users. Slightly below statewide.
  • 65+: ~65–70% adoption; ~2,100 users. A wider gap vs Kentucky seniors overall; this group drives the county’s lower overall rate.
• Income and access:
  • Households under $35k: smartphone-only reliance ~20–25% (notably above state), reflecting affordability and fixed-broadband gaps.
  • Households $75k+: smartphone-only ~8–10%.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Non-White and Hispanic households (small absolute numbers locally) show above-average smartphone-only use, concentrated around Hodgenville, mirroring statewide patterns but amplified by local fixed-broadband constraints.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology mix:
  • 4G LTE: Broad outdoor coverage across populated areas; primary workhorse for voice/data in outlying parts of the county.
  • 5G: Present in and around Hodgenville, Buffalo, and along US‑31E/KY‑61; mid-band 5G (fastest variant) is spottier than in Kentucky’s metro corridors. Residents more often fall back to low-band 5G or LTE than the state average.
• Carriers and spectrum utilization:
  • AT&T and Verizon: Strong low-band coverage; limited C‑band presence countywide compared with larger Kentucky metros.
  • T‑Mobile: Best mid-band 5G reach among carriers but still discontinuous outside town centers/ridge lines; 600 MHz low-band extends basic 5G broadly.
• Performance expectations (typical rural central‑KY ranges):
  • Low-band 5G/LTE: ~10–80 Mbps, with wide variability indoors and in hollows.
  • Mid-band 5G (where available): ~150–300 Mbps near sites; coverage falls off quickly.
• Resilience and public safety:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established along primary corridors and in town; backup power and backhaul diversity remain thinner than in larger counties, so extended outages can localize service loss more than is typical statewide.

How Larue County differs from Kentucky overall

• More mobile-dependent households: Smartphone-only internet use is meaningfully higher (≈16% vs ≈12% statewide).
• Lower fixed-broadband take-up: ~73% vs ~79% statewide, pushing residents toward cellular for primary internet.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption: Driven by a larger 65+ share and affordability constraints.
• 5G quality gap: Availability from at least one carrier is common in towns, but mid-band 5G breadth and density lag state metro areas; users see more frequent reversion to LTE.
• Affordability sensitivity: Higher share of prepaid plans and MVNO use than statewide averages, consistent with income mix and device-financing patterns.

Implications

• Mobile is the essential on‑ramp: Elevated smartphone-only use means county services, healthcare, and schools should optimize for mobile data constraints and offline functionality.
• Targeted upgrades matter most along rural roads and valleys: Small-cell infill or additional low-band sites would disproportionately improve real-world reliability compared with metro-style capacity builds.
• Senior adoption gap is the lever for gains: Outreach on device setup, affordability programs (ACP successors), and telehealth basics could lift overall adoption faster than in the state at large.

Sources and methodology

• Figures combine 2020–2024 ACS device and subscription patterns, Kentucky statewide benchmarks, and carrier deployment trends in central Kentucky. County-level counts are derived by applying recent ACS 5‑year rates to Larue County’s population and household totals and aligning with observed rural Kentucky performance ranges.

Social media usage snapshot — LaRue County, Kentucky

County context (latest federal data)

• Population: 14,867 (2020 Census); median age ~42; gender: ~50.5% female, ~49.5% male (ACS)
• Adults active on any social platform: ~83% of adults. In a county of this size, that’s roughly 9,500–10,000 adult users (modeled using Pew Research Center 2024 adoption rates applied to local demographics)

Most-used platforms (share of adults; localized estimates using Pew 2024 adoption)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• LinkedIn: ~33%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22% Notes: In rural Kentucky counties like LaRue, Facebook and YouTube typically over-index slightly versus national averages; X and Reddit tend to under-index. Facebook Groups and Marketplace are disproportionately important for local information and commerce.

Age-group usage patterns (localized from national behavior)

• Teens (13–17): Snapchat and TikTok dominant; Instagram secondary; heavy DM and Stories use
• 18–29: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube heavy; Snapchat still strong; Facebook used for events/groups
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram growing; TikTok moderate (short-form how-tos, humor)
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominant; Pinterest for projects/recipes; limited TikTok adoption
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube for news, sermons, DIY; minimal use of other platforms

Gender breakdown and platform tilt

• Overall population: ~50.5% women, ~49.5% men
• Women in LaRue typically over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; strong engagement with local groups, school/church pages, events, and Marketplace
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; strong interest in local sports, automotive, farming, outdoors, and DIY content

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the local hub: community groups (buy/sell/trade, yard sales, school sports, church), obituaries, local government updates, and event coordination drive daily repeat visits
• Marketplace-first shopping: frequent local listings; price-sensitive, pickup-oriented transactions
• Video-first habits: YouTube for longer DIY/farm/auto content and local sports uploads; TikTok/Reels for quick tips, humor, and regional lifestyle content
• Messaging over posting: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat streaks among teens/young adults; many interactions happen in DMs
• Trust and locality: posts from known people, churches, schools, booster clubs, and local businesses outperform brand-only content; UGC and event photos get high engagement
• Timing: engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm ET) and early mornings (6–8 am), with strong weekend activity; school-year schedules and sports seasons visibly shift activity patterns

Implications for outreach

• Prioritize Facebook (Pages + Groups + Events + Marketplace) and YouTube; use Instagram Reels and TikTok for 18–39 reach
• Lean into hyper-local cues (names, places, teams, churches), short native video, and group sharing
• For women 25–54: Facebook + Pinterest recipes, classroom/sports support, local deals
• For men 25–64: YouTube how-tos, equipment reviews, local sports/highlights
• Keep creative mobile-first, under 15 seconds for short-form; include subtitles and clear local identifiers

Sources and method: U.S. Census/ACS for demographics; Pew Research Center (2024) platform adoption applied to LaRue County’s adult population to localize platform shares and behavior.