Lee County

Lee County, Kentucky – key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• 7,395 (2020 Census)
• 7,240 (approx. 2023 Census estimate), indicating slight decline since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~41–42 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~19–20%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Male: ~55%
• Female: ~45% (Note: the male share is elevated relative to state/national averages, influenced by correctional population)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~89%
• Black or African American alone: ~6–7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~88%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~2,800–2,900
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~60–65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~40–45% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~35–40% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70–75%

Insights

• Small, aging, predominantly White county with a slightly male-skewed population.
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a substantial share of nonfamily households; owner-occupancy is high for a rural county.

Lee County, KY overview

• Population and density: ~7,300 residents; ~35 people per square mile (rural Appalachian county centered on Beattyville).
• Estimated email users: ~4,900 adults (≈86% of the 18+ population), reflecting rural Kentucky norms.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–34 ≈1,400 (29%); 35–54 ≈1,700 (35%); 55–64 ≈700 (14%); 65+ ≈1,100 (22%). Seniors participate at lower rates but are steadily increasing.
• Gender split: Usage is effectively even (≈49% male, 51% female among users).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a computer: ~85–90%.
  • Home broadband subscription: ~70% of households; smartphone‑only internet: ~15–20%.
  • Fixed broadband (≥25/3 Mbps) reaches roughly 85–90% of residents; fiber is present in and around Beattyville, with DSL and fixed‑wireless common in outlying areas.
  • LTE coverage is broad along primary roads; 5G availability is limited to town centers.
  • Adoption is rising as state/federal investments (e.g., KentuckyWired/BEAD) extend middle‑mile and last‑mile capacity; public Wi‑Fi at libraries/schools remains an important access point. Insight: Lower density and terrain increase last‑mile costs, keeping adoption below state averages, but fiber buildouts and mobile improvements are closing the gap.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Lee County, Kentucky (distinct from statewide patterns)

Population baseline used for estimates

• Residents: roughly 7,300–7,500 (2020 Census base; small decline since 2020 typical for the area)
• Adults (18+): about 5,500–5,700
• Households: about 2,800

User estimates

• Adults with any mobile phone: 5,000–5,300 (about 90–93% of adults), a few points below Kentucky’s overall adult mobile-phone rate (typically mid-90s)
• Adult smartphone users: 4,200–4,500 (roughly 74–79% of adults), about 6–10 percentage points below Kentucky statewide
• Total smartphone users including teens (13–17): approximately 4,700–5,000
• Smartphone-only internet households (no home wired broadband, rely on cellular data): about 24–28% of households in Lee County versus roughly 15–18% statewide

What drives the difference from state-level

• Older age structure: Lee County has a higher share of residents 65+ than Kentucky overall, and senior smartphone adoption lags (roughly half of seniors use smartphones consistently). This pulls down overall smartphone penetration relative to the state.
• Lower incomes and higher poverty: A substantially larger share of households fall under 200% of the federal poverty line than Kentucky overall. That pushes more households into smartphone-only internet and prepaid plans, and away from bundled home broadband plus mobile service.
• Limited fixed broadband: Fewer addresses have fiber or modern cable service than the Kentucky average. That increases dependence on mobile data for everyday connectivity (school portals, benefits, work messaging, telehealth).
• Terrain-induced coverage variability: Mountain hollows and ridgelines create more indoor and valley dead zones than in much of the state’s Bluegrass and urban corridors, shaping usage toward texting and asynchronous apps over live video.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use (distinctive skews)

• Seniors (65+): Larger share of population than state; smartphone adoption materially lower than state seniors. Voice/SMS reliance is higher; video calling is less common without Wi‑Fi.
• Low-income households (<$25k): Much higher smartphone-only internet reliance than the state average (often around one-half of such households), with heavier use of data-capped or prepaid plans.
• Working-age adults (25–54): Near-parity with state in basic smartphone ownership, but lower use of data-intensive services at home due to weaker indoor coverage and fewer unlimited premium plans.
• Students: School-issued devices and library Wi‑Fi help, but a greater share of homework and messaging is done over cellular data compared to the state as a whole.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile serve the county; MVNOs ride these networks. AT&T’s FirstNet public-safety footprint covers primary corridors and facilities.
• 4G LTE: Broad outdoor coverage along KY‑11, KY‑52, Beattyville, and other populated corridors; more gaps off-corridor and in steep hollows than the statewide pattern.
• 5G availability: Low‑band 5G is present along main corridors, but mid‑band 5G capacity (the faster layer) is sparse compared with Kentucky’s metro areas. As a result, LTE remains the workhorse in many locations, and typical speeds lag state medians.
• Capacity and speeds: In and around Beattyville and on ridgelines, users commonly see workable but modest throughput; speeds degrade indoors and in valleys. Evening congestion is more noticeable than in urban Kentucky due to fewer sectors and limited backhaul to some towers.
• Indoor service: More dependence on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters than the state average because building penetration and terrain often reduce reliable indoor signal.
• Public connectivity: County buildings, the public library, and schools are key Wi‑Fi anchors; fewer commercial hotspots than typical statewide outside of metro areas.
• Resilience: Power/backhaul disruptions during severe weather can isolate pockets of the county more readily than in most of Kentucky, elevating the importance of text/SMS for 911 and status checks.

Behavioral and plan mix differences

• Higher prepaid share and tighter data budgeting than the Kentucky average, reflecting income mix and variable coverage that discourages paying for premium unlimited tiers that cannot be fully utilized everywhere.
• Greater smartphone-only reliance for government services, benefits recertification, messaging apps, and telehealth. Video is used more selectively than statewide because of data caps and indoor signal constraints.
• Text-first communication patterns are stronger than statewide due to coverage variability; residents lean on asynchronous apps that tolerate low bandwidth and brief outages.

Program and policy context affecting use

• The wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 increased cost pressure on home internet locally more than statewide, likely nudging additional households into smartphone-only service or lower-cost prepaid plans.
• E‑911 texting and FirstNet coverage are important complements to voice calls in terrain-limited areas, playing a bigger role than in flatter parts of the state.

Bottom line

• Lee County’s mobile phone landscape features high but not universal adoption, materially lower smartphone penetration than Kentucky overall, and significantly higher smartphone-only internet reliance. Coverage is adequate on main corridors but less consistent off‑corridor, with limited mid‑band 5G capacity compared with state urban centers. Demographics (older, lower income) and geography (mountainous terrain) combine to produce more conservative, text‑heavy mobile usage and heavier dependence on cellular data in lieu of home broadband than is typical across Kentucky.

Social media usage in Lee County, KY (2024–2025 snapshot)

Baseline and user stats

• Population baseline: ~7,300 residents; adults (18+) ~5,600
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~78% of adults ≈ 4,350 users
• Teens (13–17): social-media users ~90% of teens (national rural benchmark), adding a few hundred highly active users to the local audience

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult population; multi-platform use is common)

• YouTube: 75% (4,200 adults)
• Facebook: 66% (3,700)
• Instagram: 34% (1,900)
• TikTok: 28% (1,600)
• Pinterest: 24% (1,350)
• Snapchat: 18% (1,000)
• WhatsApp: 14% (800)
• X (Twitter): 11% (620)
• LinkedIn: 11% (620)
• Reddit: 9% (500)
• Nextdoor: 6% (340)

Age patterns (share of local social-media users)

• 13–17: ~10%; platforms: YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~65–70%, Snapchat ~60%, Instagram ~60%, Facebook ~30%
• 18–29: ~20%; YouTube 90%+, Instagram ~70%, TikTok ~55–60%, Snapchat ~45–50%
• 30–49: ~35%; Facebook ~80%, YouTube ~85%, Instagram ~45%, TikTok ~35–40%
• 50–64: ~22%; Facebook ~75%, YouTube ~70%, Instagram ~25–30%, TikTok ~15–20%
• 65+: ~13%; Facebook ~60%, YouTube ~50%; other platforms low single digits to low teens

Gender breakdown (of active local users; patterns mirror U.S. rural norms)

• Women ~56%, men ~44%
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Kentucky/Appalachian counties

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local Groups (news, school updates, church and civic events, buy/sell/trade, emergency alerts), Marketplace, and Facebook Messenger for contacting local businesses
• Video-first consumption: short vertical video (Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, TikTok) drives the highest organic reach; simple phone-shot clips outperform polished creative for local topics
• Trust and engagement: posts from local institutions (county government, schools, EMS, churches) and known community figures get above-average reach and shares; “who posts” matters as much as “what’s posted”
• Timing: engagement peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.), lunchtime (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m. ET); weekend mid-days are strong for events and Marketplace
• Commerce and services: strong response to practical, place-based content (auto repair, HVAC, hunting/fishing, trucking, home services, restaurants); promotions tied to school sports and seasonal events perform well
• News and information: reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for hyperlocal news; low X usage means breaking-news reach is best via Facebook and SMS/email lists
• Messaging > comments for conversions: many residents prefer Messenger for quotes, orders, and scheduling; enable click-to-message CTAs
• Multi-platform strategy: cross-posting Facebook→Instagram helps reach under-40 adults; TikTok adds incremental reach in the 13–35 bracket, especially for behind-the-scenes and event content
• Low LinkedIn/X utility locally: niche audiences (educators, healthcare, public sector) are present but small; prioritize Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/YouTube for reach

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county-modeled estimates using Pew Research Center 2022–2024 platform adoption by age, national teen usage data, and rural-versus-urban splits applied to U.S. Census/ACS population profiles for Lee County. Percentages refer to share of the adult population unless specified.