Livingston County

Livingston County, Kentucky — key demographics

Population size

• 8,888 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~8,900 (U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: ~44–45 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

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

• White (non-Hispanic): ~95%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0–1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0–1%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Household data (ACS 5-year)

• Households: ~3,800
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–55% of households
• One-person households: ~28–30%
• 65+ living alone: ~13–15%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~80–82% of occupied units; renter-occupied: ~18–20%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Demographic Profile/PL 94-171) and American Community Survey (most recent 5-year estimates). These are the standard, official data series for county-level demographics.

• Population and density: ~8,900 residents across ~340 sq mi (≈26 people/sq mi), highly rural.
• Estimated email users: 5,800–6,400 residents (≈65–72% of the population), driven by near‑universal use among working‑age adults and lower adoption among seniors and households without home internet.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: 6–7%; 18–29: 13–15%; 30–49: 32–35%; 50–64: 25–28%; 65+: 18–21%.
• Gender split among users: ~50% female, ~50% male (mirrors county sex distribution).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈78–82% (below U.S. average, near rural‑KY norms).
  • No home internet: ≈18–22% of households; smartphone/hotspot reliance is common.
  • Smartphone‑only internet households: ≈17–20%, supporting mobile‑first email access.
  • Connectivity strongest in/near Smithland, Ledbetter, Salem, and Grand Rivers; service is spottier along low‑density roads and river bottoms, reflecting the county’s rural spread and terrain.
• Practical insights: Email reliably reaches most adults 30–64; coverage gaps and lower adoption among 65+ reduce reach at the margins. Combining email with SMS or print boosts penetration in areas with limited fixed broadband or among seniors.

Livingston County, Kentucky — Mobile Phone Usage Summary (2024)

Headline takeaways vs Kentucky overall

• Fewer smartphone owners and iPhone users, more prepaid lines, and more households reliant on mobile data as their primary internet. 5G availability is materially lower than the state average, with mid‑band 5G limited to population centers.

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈9,100
• Adults (18+): ≈7,000
• Households: ≈3,700

User estimates

• Adults with any mobile phone: 6,440 (≈92% of adults; KY ≈96%)
• Adult smartphone owners: 5,600 (≈80% of adults; KY ≈87%)
• Teen smartphone owners (ages 12–17): ≈530
• Total smartphone users (all ages): ≈6,100
• Platform split among smartphone users: Android ≈66%, iOS ≈34% (KY closer to ≈55/45)
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: ≈28% (KY ≈20%), reflecting income mix and patchier postpaid 5G performance outside towns
• Average monthly mobile data per line: ≈16–18 GB (KY ≈20–22 GB), constrained by coverage/speed variability

Demographic breakdown (ownership and usage patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ≈94%; heavy app/video use and mobile payments align with state
  • 35–64: ≈85% ownership; strong messaging/social, moderate hotspot use for work
  • 65+: ≈62% ownership (KY ≈73%); higher basic phone retention, heavier voice/SMS use
• Income:
  • < $35k: smartphone ownership ≈72%; prepaid lines ≈40% within this bracket; higher Android share
  • $35k–$75k: ≈84% ownership; mixed prepaid/postpaid

  • $75k: ≈95% ownership; iOS share rises, upgrade cycles shorter

• Education:
  • High school or less: ≈74% smartphone ownership; more data-capped plans and hotspot reliance
  • Some college/college+: ≈93% ownership; broader app portfolio, more multi‑line postpaid accounts
• Race/ethnicity:
  • County is predominantly White (>90%); smartphone ownership differences by race are smaller than age/income effects due to small non‑White population share

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE population coverage: ≈99%; service gaps still occur in low-lying river bottoms and forested hollows
• 5G population coverage (any band): ≈68% (KY ≈92%)
  • Mid‑band 5G (2.5–3.7 GHz) population coverage: ≈20%, concentrated near Ledbetter/Grand Rivers and along US‑60; most other 5G is low‑band with modest speed gains
• Typical speeds (user‑observed):
  • LTE: ~10–25 Mbps down / 2–6 Mbps up outside towns; 25–50/5–10 Mbps in Ledbetter/Grand Rivers/Smithland corridors
  • 5G low‑band: ~60–120 Mbps down; mid‑band pockets: ~200–350 Mbps down
• Macro cell sites: ≈24 across ~340 square miles (≈7 per 100 sq mi), with clustering along US‑60, KY‑453, and near schools/industrial sites
• Carriers: AT&T and Verizon have the broadest rural LTE; T‑Mobile coverage improving but most robust near population centers. FirstNet (AT&T Band‑14) present along the US‑60 corridor and around the county seat
• Backhaul: Fiber-fed sites near Ledbetter/Grand Rivers/US‑60; microwave backhaul remains common on outlying towers
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile reliance):
  • Fiber-to-the-home: ≈10–20% of addresses (town cores and select subdivisions)
  • Cable (DOCSIS): ≈40–50% of addresses (primarily Ledbetter and denser corridors)
  • DSL: legacy availability is wide but with sub‑25 Mbps service in many areas
  • Fixed wireless ISPs: broad line‑of‑sight coverage but variable speeds; satellite available countywide
  • Households using mobile data as primary home internet: ≈23% (KY ≈14%)

Trends that differ from the state

• Adoption and devices:
  • Smartphone penetration trails Kentucky by ~7 percentage points, driven by an older age structure and lower median income
  • iOS share is lower (≈34% vs state ≈45%); Android dominates due to device cost and MVNO availability
  • Prepaid share is higher (+8 pp vs state) and rising, reflecting price sensitivity and MVNO competition
• Usage patterns:
  • Average per‑line data use is modestly lower than the state; video streaming growth is tempered by patchier mid‑band 5G
  • Hotspot use as a home‑internet substitute is more common, especially in DSL‑only areas
• Infrastructure:
  • 5G availability lags the state (≈68% vs ≈92%), with limited mid‑band deployments outside town centers
  • Greater reliance on microwave backhaul at rural sites leads to variable peak‑hour performance compared with fiber‑backhauled urban Kentucky
• Voice service:
  • Wireless‑only voice households: ≈62% (KY ≈71%); the county’s older demographic maintains a higher rate of landline retention than the state average despite rural norms

Implications

• Network investment that prioritizes mid‑band 5G along US‑60, KY‑453, and outlying schools would yield outsized benefits
• Affordability programs and MVNO offerings are key to upgrades from basic phones and to shifting prepaid users to higher‑capacity plans
• Mobile‑centric service plans and robust hotspot allowances remain important given the relatively high share of mobile‑only home internet households

Notes on methodology

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census/ACS population and household counts, national/state mobile adoption benchmarks (Pew, CDC/NCHS wireless‑only), FCC coverage data and carrier maps through 2024, and rural usage patterns observed in western Kentucky; figures are rounded to maintain clarity.

Social media usage in Livingston County, Kentucky (2024 best-available estimates)

Snapshot

• Total population: ~9,100
• Estimated social media users: ~5,900
• Penetration: ~65% of total population; roughly 82–85% of residents age 13+

Age profile of social media users (share of user base)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 17%
• 30–49: 33%
• 50–64: 24%
• 65+: 17%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Most-used platforms (share of Livingston County social media users using at least monthly)

• Facebook: ~80% (heavy use of local groups and Marketplace; daily use among Facebook users ~70%)
• YouTube: ~76% (broad across ages; daily use ~55–60%)
• Instagram: ~41% (strongest in 18–34; daily use ~55–60% of Instagram users)
• TikTok: ~35% (skews 13–34; daily use ~65–70% of TikTok users)
• Snapchat: ~28% (concentrated 13–29; daily use ~65% of Snapchat users)
• Pinterest: ~27% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): ~12% (niche; news/sports)
• LinkedIn: ~10% (professional niche)
• Reddit: ~9% (younger, hobby/tech)

Behavioral trends observed in rural Kentucky counties of similar size

• Community-first usage: High participation in Facebook Groups tied to schools, churches, county services, youth sports, hunting/fishing, yard sales, and storm/weather updates.
• Marketplace reliance: Facebook Marketplace is a core utility for local buying/selling and service referrals; listings with photos and same-day responses perform best.
• Local news discovery: Facebook and YouTube are primary for local announcements, live streams, and high school athletics; X usage is limited and more spectator than posting.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is the default cross-age DM channel; Snapchat dominates quick messaging for teens and early 20s; WhatsApp penetration is low.
• Video consumption over creation: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) consumption is high, but a minority produce content; most users share or comment rather than post original videos.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 6–9 pm on weekdays and early afternoons on weekends; weather events and school-related moments create sharp, short-lived spikes.
• Trust and recommendations: Word-of-mouth via Groups and personal posts strongly influences local purchasing for home services, autos, and events; business responses within 24 hours materially improve conversion.
• Content that works: For 35+, straightforward photo posts, community involvement, and clear contact info outperform stylized creative; for <35, short vertical video and behind-the-scenes clips drive reach.
• Advertising notes: Radius and ZIP-targeted Facebook/Instagram ads outperform broader interest targeting; simple offers and click-to-call objectives perform well due to high mobile usage.

Method and confidence

• Figures are modeled from 2023–2024 U.S. Census ACS demographics for Livingston County, Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social platform adoption and daily-use rates, DataReportal 2024 U.S. benchmarks, and rural Kentucky usage patterns. County-level platform shares are not directly published; percentages above represent best-available localized estimates aligned to the county’s age mix and rural profile.