Lawrence County

Lawrence County, Kentucky – key demographics

Population

• 16,293 (2020 Census count)
• 15,900 (approx. 2023 Census Bureau estimate, Vintage 2023), down ~2.5% since 2020; up ~2.7% vs. 2010

Age

• Median age: ~41–42 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: ~22% under 18; ~59–60% 18–64; ~18–19% 65+

Sex

• Female ~50–51%; Male ~49–50% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~96–97%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3–0.6%
• American Indian & Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.7%
• Asian alone: ~0.1–0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2% Note: Hispanic can be of any race

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~6,300–6,500
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~2/3 of households; married-couple families roughly half of all households
• One-person households: ~1/4–1/3; with ~10–12% of all households age 65+ living alone
• Households with own children under 18: ~1/4–1/3

Insights

• Small, rural, aging county with a slight population decline since 2020.
• Demographically homogeneous (overwhelmingly White, non-Hispanic).
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a sizable share of one-person and older-adult households.

• Population and density: ≈16,100 residents across ≈420 sq mi (≈38 people/sq mi). Most connectivity clusters around Louisa and the US‑23 corridor; outlying hollows are more reliant on fixed‑wireless and mobile service.
• Estimated email users: ≈12,200 residents aged 13+ use email (≈76% of all residents). Among adults, ≈11,600 email users (≈91–92% of adults).
• Age distribution of adult email users (counts; share of adult users):
  • 18–29: ≈2,000 (≈17%)
  • 30–49: ≈3,800 (≈33%)
  • 50–64: ≈3,300 (≈28%)
  • 65+: ≈2,500 (≈22%)
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, ≈49% male, reflecting the county’s slight female majority and similar adoption by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ≈79% of households have a broadband subscription (wired, cable, fiber, or fixed wireless), and ≈89% have a computer; ≈15% are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • Network availability: ≥90% of residents can access ≥25/3 Mbps; ≈65–70% can access ≥100/20 Mbps. Fiber is concentrated in and near Louisa; fixed‑wireless and cellular fill rural gaps.
  • Trends: steady high email adoption, with continued gains among seniors; increasing smartphone‑centric access, especially outside town centers, influences email usage on mobile devices.

Lawrence County, Kentucky — mobile phone usage snapshot (distinct from statewide patterns)

Population baseline

• Residents: about 16,000; roughly 12,500 adults (18+)
• Households: about 6,100

User estimates

• Smartphone users: approximately 10,600 adults (≈84% of adults), a few points lower than Kentucky’s statewide adult rate (≈88–90%)
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): about 11,700 adults (≈94%), slightly below the statewide norm (≈96–97%)
• Mobile‑only internet households (rely on a cellular data plan with no wired broadband): roughly 1,000 households (≈16–18%), nearly double the statewide share (≈8–10%)

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs from the state)

• Age
  • Seniors (65+): larger share of the population than Kentucky overall and a bigger smartphone adoption gap; estimated smartphone adoption among seniors ≈65–70% in the county vs ≈75–80% statewide
  • Young adults (18–34): near‑universal smartphone use (≈95%+), comparable to the state, but a higher share indicate mobile as their primary home internet
• Income
  • Lower‑income households are over‑represented relative to Kentucky overall and show higher mobile‑only reliance; about one in four low‑income households are mobile‑only vs closer to one in seven statewide
• Education and employment
  • A higher share of adults without a college degree correlates with more prepaid and mobile‑only plans than the state average
• Housing
  • Renters and dispersed rural owner‑occupied homes are more likely to be mobile‑only than their counterparts statewide because of limited wired options in outlying areas

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network availability
  • 4G/LTE: countywide outdoor coverage from at least one carrier in nearly all populated areas; indoor gaps persist in hollows and ridge shadowing
  • 5G: population coverage is moderate (≈60–70%), materially below Kentucky’s statewide 5G population coverage (≈80%+); strongest along the US‑23 corridor and in/around Louisa
• Carriers and market mix
  • National carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) are present; the regional carrier Appalachian Wireless has a notably stronger share than in most Kentucky counties, especially outside town centers
• Performance
  • Typical LTE downloads: ≈25–50 Mbps in town and along highways; slower at edges and indoors in valleys
  • 5G downloads: ≈60–150 Mbps near upgraded sites; mid‑band 5G is spottier than in Kentucky’s metros, keeping median speeds lower than the state median
• Backhaul and terrain impacts
  • Hilly terrain, longer tower spacing, and more microwave backhaul segments contribute to variable signal quality; fiber backhaul upgrades lag larger Kentucky markets
• Wired broadband interplay
  • Households with any broadband subscription are lower than the state by roughly 10–12 percentage points; satellite subscriptions and cellular‑only solutions are correspondingly higher
  • This shortfall in wired availability directly elevates mobile‑only dependence relative to Kentucky overall

Key takeaways (how Lawrence County differs from Kentucky)

• Higher reliance on mobile as primary home internet, particularly among low‑income, senior, and remote households
• Lower overall smartphone penetration than the state, driven by a larger senior share and affordability constraints
• More pronounced indoor and valley coverage gaps; 5G expansion lags the statewide pace
• Regional carrier presence (Appalachian Wireless) is more influential than in most Kentucky counties, shaping device availability and plan selection
• Mobile network performance is adequate for everyday use but below state medians due to terrain, sparser tower density, and more limited mid‑band 5G deployment

Social media usage in Lawrence County, Kentucky (modeled 2024 snapshot)

Population base

• Residents: 16.3K (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~12.6K.
• Adults using at least one social platform: 82% (10.3K).

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of all adults; approximate user counts)

• YouTube: 78% (~9.8K)
• Facebook: 72% (~9.1K)
• Instagram: 35% (~4.4K)
• Pinterest: 30% (~3.8K)
• TikTok: 28% (~3.5K)
• Snapchat: 23% (~2.9K)
• X (Twitter): 15% (~1.9K)
• Reddit: 10% (~1.3K)
• Nextdoor: <5% (<0.6K)

Age patterns

• Teens (13–17): Very high YouTube (95%); TikTok (70%) and Snapchat (65%) lead daily use; Instagram moderate (45%); Facebook low (~30–35%) mainly for groups/sports.
• 18–24: YouTube (90%); Instagram (70–75%); TikTok (65–70%); Snapchat (60%); Facebook (~55%).
• 25–34: Facebook (70%); YouTube (88–90%); Instagram (55–60%); TikTok (45%); Snapchat (40%); Pinterest (35%).
• 35–54: Facebook (80%); YouTube (85%); Instagram (35%); TikTok (25%); Pinterest (~30%).
• 55+: Facebook (78%); YouTube (70%); Instagram (20%); TikTok (12–15%); Pinterest (~20%).

Gender breakdown

• Overall social users: ~54% women, ~46% men.
• Platform skews (share of each platform’s users):
  • Facebook ~56% women / 44% men
  • Instagram ~58% women / 42% men
  • TikTok ~55% women / 45% men
  • Snapchat ~54% women / 46% men
  • Pinterest ~70% women / 30% men
  • YouTube ~46% women / 54% men
  • X (Twitter) ~35% women / 65% men
  • Reddit ~30% women / 70% men

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for local news, school and church events, yard sales, recommendations, and severe‑weather/road updates. Event posts and obituaries see high engagement.
• Video dominates: short vertical clips (10–30 seconds) perform best on Facebook Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts; live streams used for high school sports, auctions, and church services.
• Peak activity windows (ET): early morning 6:30–8:30 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., and evenings 7:00–10:00 p.m.; Sunday evening is a strong weekly peak.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; Snapchat DMs popular under 25; WhatsApp usage is comparatively low.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the primary local buy/sell channel; coupon posts and limited‑time offers from local businesses get above‑average clicks; many transactions finalize via Messenger and Cash App/Venmo.
• News trust pathway: Residents often encounter regional TV and emergency updates via Facebook shares (WSAZ/WYMT, school districts, county offices). Cross‑border content from Wayne County, WV, is common.
• Content themes that outperform: local sports highlights, hunting/fishing/outdoors, school announcements, community fundraisers, severe weather/power updates, and practical how‑tos.

Method note

• Figures are modeled from the county’s 2020 Census population and national/rural U.S. platform adoption data from 2023–2024 (Pew Research and major platform ad‑reach benchmarks), adjusted for rural Appalachian usage patterns. Percentages are for adults unless noted and reflect typical behavior observed in similar non‑metro Kentucky counties.