Leslie County

Leslie County, Kentucky — key demographics

Population

• 2020 Census: 10,513
• 2023 estimate (ACS 2019–2023): ~9,960

Age

• Median age: ~44.7 years
• Under 18: ~21.5%
• 18–64: ~57.6%
• 65 and over: ~20.9%

Sex

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~97.1%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0%
• Some other race alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~2.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1.1%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~96.2%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~4,080
• Persons per household: ~2.43
• Family households: ~67% (married-couple families: ~49%)
• Households with children <18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%; living alone: ~28% (65+ living alone: ~12%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78%
• Housing units: ~4,850; vacancy ~16%

Insights

• Small, declining population with an older age profile.
• Overwhelmingly White, very low racial/ethnic diversity.
• Predominantly owner-occupied, small household sizes, and a sizable share of nonfamily/individual households.

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

Leslie County, KY (2020 population 10,513 across ~404 sq mi; ~26 people/sq mi) is highly rural, which shapes digital access and email use.

• Estimated email users: ~5,900 adults (≈72% of adults), derived from local internet subscription levels and the near‑universal use of email among connected adults.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated): 18–34: 22%; 35–54: 36%; 55–64: 19%; 65+: 23%. Older residents are less connected but still substantial users via smartphones.
• Gender split: roughly 51% female, 49% male among email users, mirroring the county’s population; usage rates are effectively even by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • About 72–75% of households have a home internet subscription; roughly 84–87% have a computer or smartphone.
  • Mobile reliance is high: ~25% of households are smartphone‑only for internet, which supports email use but can limit multi‑account management.
  • Fixed broadband availability is uneven; mountainous terrain and low density increase last‑mile costs, leaving pockets below standard 25/3 Mbps service.
  • Adoption trails Kentucky’s statewide averages by ~8–10 percentage points but has been inching upward as cellular coverage improves.
• Connectivity context: Predominantly rural settlements outside Hyden mean longer loops for wired service and greater dependence on LTE/5G for everyday email access.

Leslie County, KY mobile phone usage: summary, estimates, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Core population context

• Population baseline: 10,513 (2020 Census). Rural, mountainous terrain with small population centers around Hyden and along the Hal Rogers Parkway (KY‑80) and US‑421.
• Implications: Sparse population and steep topography create more coverage shadowing and lower tower density than typical Kentucky counties, shaping usage and network performance.

User estimates (adults and households)

• Adult base (estimated): ~8,200–8,500 adults. Derived from the county’s size and rural age mix.
• Smartphone users: 6,300–7,000 adult smartphone users (roughly 76–82% adult adoption), below Kentucky’s urban/suburban-heavy average and slightly below national rural adoption, reflecting older age profile and lower incomes.
• Mobile lines in service: 8,500–10,000 active cellular lines across smartphones, basic phones, hotspots, and tablets (many residents maintain multiple lines/SIMs for coverage redundancy).
• Mobile-only reliance:
  • Voice: Kentucky is among the highest “wireless‑only” states; Leslie County aligns with or exceeds that pattern. A majority of adults rely on mobile phones as their primary or only voice line.
  • Internet: Smartphone-only internet households are materially higher than the Kentucky average, driven by limited fixed broadband availability/affordability. Expect smartphone-only reliance in roughly one-quarter of households, versus mid‑teens statewide.

Demographic usage patterns (how Leslie differs from Kentucky overall)

• Age tilt: A larger share of residents are 50+ than the state average. That depresses smartphone ownership and especially mobile data usage among older adults relative to Kentucky’s urban counties.
• Income and plan mix: Lower median household income steers a higher share of users to prepaid/MVNO plans and budget Android devices. Postpaid family-plan penetration is lower than in Lexington/Louisville/Northern Kentucky.
• Work/education use: Mobile data usage spikes around schools, clinics, county facilities, and retail clusters that offer Wi‑Fi, indicating substitution when home broadband is absent or unreliable. This pattern is stronger than statewide norms.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers present: National carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) operate in and around Leslie County; regional carrier Appalachian Wireless (East Kentucky Network) is a significant provider with LTE coverage designed for Eastern Kentucky terrain and public‑safety partnerships.
• Network generation mix:
  • 4G LTE remains the primary coverage layer countywide.
  • 5G low‑band is present in limited corridors (notably near Hyden and along major roadways), with sparse or no 5G in hollows and side valleys. Mid‑band 5G capacity is far less prevalent than in Kentucky’s metro counties.
• Coverage geography:
  • Strongest along KY‑80/Hal Rogers Parkway, US‑421, and around Hyden’s public facilities.
  • Frequent shadowing in narrow hollows; ridge lines host many of the macro sites but do not fully clear dead zones.
  • Residents commonly keep secondary SIMs or rely on Wi‑Fi calling to bridge carrier‑specific gaps—more than is typical statewide.
• Typical performance envelope (observational norms for rural Eastern Kentucky):
  • LTE: 5–40 Mbps down in populated corridors; 1–5 Mbps at cell edges or under load. Upload 1–10 Mbps.
  • Low‑band 5G: 30–120 Mbps where available; still constrained by backhaul and spectrum compared with Kentucky’s city centers.
  • Latency: 35–80 ms on LTE/low‑band 5G; higher in fringe areas.
• Reliability and resiliency:
  • Weather and power events can isolate valleys; backup power and microwave backhaul on some sites mitigate but do not eliminate outages. Redundancy is less robust than in metro Kentucky.
  • Public‑safety/FirstNet coverage is prioritized on AT&T sites serving government corridors; Appalachian Wireless also supports regional emergency communications.

Adoption and behavior by group (estimated)

• Under 35: High smartphone penetration (~90%+). Heavy mobile data use; gaming/video streaming concentrated near better signal.
• 35–64: Broad smartphone adoption (~80–90%). Greater use of prepaid/MVNO and hotspotting when fixed broadband is lacking.
• 65+: Solid but lower adoption (~60–70%), with voice/text dominant; data use rises where family plans and subsidized devices are available. This cohort’s larger share in Leslie County pulls overall adoption below the Kentucky average.

Trends that notably diverge from Kentucky statewide

• Lower overall 5G footprint and mid‑band capacity; LTE is the workhorse layer longer than in urban counties.
• Higher reliance on mobile as the primary internet connection due to patchier and less affordable fixed broadband.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage and Android share; fewer postpaid multi‑line premium plans.
• Greater need for multi‑carrier strategies (dual‑SIM, hotspots) to manage coverage gaps, a behavior far less common in Louisville/Lexington/NKY.
• Peak‑time slowdowns are more pronounced relative to metros because fewer sites carry more geographic load and backhaul is sparser.

Infrastructure outlook (2025 horizon)

• State and federal funds (e.g., BEAD, ARPA) target fixed broadband first, but fiber backhaul expansion and tower‑site upgrades should indirectly improve mobile capacity and 5G reach along main corridors through 2026–2028.
• Expect incremental 5G low‑band infill and selective mid‑band activations near Hyden and along KY‑80 as backhaul improves; hollows will continue to depend on LTE and Wi‑Fi calling in the near term.

Key takeaways

• Leslie County’s mobile ecosystem is shaped by rugged geography and an older, lower‑income population, yielding slightly lower smartphone adoption, heavier prepaid reliance, and stronger mobile‑only internet use than Kentucky overall.
• Coverage is dependable on main roads and around Hyden, with persistent dead zones in side valleys; 4G LTE remains the backbone, and 5G is present but limited.
• Investments improving backhaul and corridor coverage will lift speeds and reliability, but widespread mid‑band 5G parity with Kentucky’s metro areas is unlikely in the near term.

Leslie County, KY — social media snapshot (2025)

Baseline

• Population: ~10,500 residents (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~8,100.
• Estimated total social media users: ~6,300 residents (about 60% of the county), combining ~5,700 adults and ~600 teens.

Most‑used platforms in the county (share of local social media users)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~73%
• Facebook Messenger: ~66%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~25%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• Reddit: ~12%
• LinkedIn: ~12%

Age profile and adoption

• Teens (13–17): ~90–95% on at least one platform; heaviest on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Instagram common; Facebook used mainly for events/family.
• 18–29: ~85–90% on social media; YouTube and Instagram strong; TikTok/Snapchat widely used; Facebook still relevant for local ties.
• 30–49: ~80–85%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram mid‑tier; Pinterest usage notable among women.
• 50–64: ~70–75%; Facebook primary; YouTube for news/how‑to; lighter Instagram/TikTok.
• 65+: ~45–50%; Facebook and YouTube are the mainstays; other platforms minimal.

Gender breakdown among local social users

• Overall: ~53% women, ~47% men.
• Platform skews: Women over‑indexed on Facebook (+5–8 points) and Pinterest (~70% female user base locally); men over‑indexed on YouTube (+5–7 points), Reddit, and X.

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: Local groups, school and church updates, obituaries, high‑school sports, weather alerts; heavy use of Messenger for communication; Facebook Marketplace is a primary buy/sell channel.
• Video behavior: Short‑form dominates under 35 (YouTube Shorts, TikTok). How‑to, hunting/fishing, auto/ATV, home repair, and gospel/bluegrass content trend on YouTube across ages.
• Access and devices: Social is overwhelmingly mobile‑first (>90% of usage via smartphones). Intermittent broadband means some residents prefer compressed/short video and offline‑friendly features.
• Time‑of‑day peaks: Early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.) engagement spikes; weekend afternoons perform well for Marketplace and event posts.
• Trust and discovery: Word‑of‑mouth amplified through Facebook groups; local administrators and known community figures act as de‑facto gatekeepers for attention. Business discovery skews to Facebook pages and Google/YouTube; LinkedIn plays a minor role.
• Ads and conversion: Boosted Facebook posts/events outperform multi‑platform campaigns for most local SMBs; Messenger replies and phone calls are common conversion paths. Giveaways and community sponsorships drive participation more than coupon codes.

Notes on method

• Figures are modeled for Leslie County using its population structure (U.S. Census) and 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption rates (Pew Research and comparable national panels), with rural/Appalachian adjustments. Percentages reflect share of local social media users unless stated otherwise; allow a margin of ±3–5 percentage points by platform and age cohort.