Lyon County

Lyon County, Kentucky — key demographics (latest Census Bureau data: 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 ACS; 2023 Population Estimates)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~8.6K
• 2020 Census: 8,680

Age

• Median age: ~48 years
• Under 18: ~14%
• 65 and over: ~28%

Gender

• Male: ~57%
• Female: ~43%

Race/ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White alone: ~85%
• Black or African American alone: ~10–11%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: each <1%

Household data (ACS, household population)

• Total households: ~3.1K–3.2K
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.1–2.2
• Family households: ~64%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79%

Notes

• Figures are rounded; ACS values reflect multi-year estimates.
• Institutionalized population (notably a state prison) materially raises the male share and affects age/race composition; household metrics describe the non-institutionalized population.

• Scope: Lyon County, Kentucky (population 8,210; U.S. Census 2020).
• Estimated email users: 7,000 residents (≈85% of the population). Basis: near‑universal U.S. adult email adoption (92%, Pew Research) adjusted for Lyon County’s older, rural profile and non‑institutional population.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users, estimated):
  • 13–29: ~27%
  • 30–49: ~30%
  • 50–64: ~23%
  • 65+: ~20%
• Gender split among email users: approximately 51% female, 49% male. Note: The county hosts the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville; institutionalized residents have restricted internet/email access and are not meaningful contributors to civilian email usage.
• Digital access trends:
  • Strong reliance on smartphones and mobile data in rural households; fixed‑wireless and satellite fill gaps outside town centers.
  • Incremental fiber/cable buildouts concentrate along the I‑24/US‑62 corridor serving Eddyville and Kuttawa; lakefront and Land Between the Lakes areas see more variable fixed‑broadband availability and speeds.
  • Seasonal tourism around Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley produces intermittent peak‑load effects on local networks.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Low population density with residents clustered in Eddyville and Kuttawa; large water/forested areas and dispersed housing increase last‑mile costs and reduce uniform broadband coverage, shaping how residents access email (mobile‑first behavior outside town centers).

Mobile phone usage in Lyon County, Kentucky — 2025 snapshot

Scope and methods

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates derived from: 2020 Census population, 2018–2022 ACS (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions), Pew Research 2023 smartphone ownership by age/rurality, and 2024 FCC mobile coverage filings. Estimates are rounded and expressed as ranges where appropriate to reflect sampling error and rural variability.

Population base

• Total population: ~8,700
• Adults (18+): ~6,700–6,900
• Note: The county hosts a major state correctional facility; incarcerated adults are included in population counts but do not use personal mobile devices, so effective “addressable” adult mobile market is slightly smaller than raw adult counts suggest.

User estimates

• Resident adult smartphone users: ~5,500–5,900 (roughly 80–85% of adults), a few points below the Kentucky average (≈85–88%)
• Total resident mobile devices in use (smartphones plus basic phones/tablets with cellular): ~6,500–7,200
• Household smartphone-only internet reliance (no fixed broadband at home): ~20–24% of households, higher than the statewide average (≈15–18%)
• Household with a cellular data plan (any device): ~70–76% of households, slightly below the statewide rate (≈74–80%)

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~93–96% (near state levels)
  • 35–64: ~88–92% (1–3 points below state)
  • 65+: ~70–76% (notably below the statewide senior rate ~76–80%), reflecting the county’s older age profile
  • Implication: Seniors lift voice/SMS share and lower app/video intensity vs state averages
• Income and device dependence
  • Low-to-moderate income households show higher smartphone-only dependence (≈25–35%) than the statewide norm, driven by gaps in affordable fixed broadband and device/PC ownership
• Education and employment
  • A smaller share of college-enrolled and tech-sector workers than state urban counties correlates with slightly lower multi-device penetration (phones + laptops/tablets) and lower premium-plan uptake
• Seasonal effects
  • Tourism around Lake Barkley/Kentucky Lake raises weekend/summer mobile traffic and unique devices above resident baselines, with observable capacity pressure near marinas and parks

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 5G low-band (all carriers) covers most populated corridors; mid-band 5G is concentrated along I‑24, Eddyville, and Kuttawa, with LTE dominant on rural peninsulas and wooded areas
  • Compared with Kentucky overall, a larger share of usage occurs on LTE or low-band 5G, with fewer mid-band 5G cells per square mile
• Performance
  • Typical downlink speeds: ~15–50 Mbps on LTE/low-band 5G in rural zones; >100 Mbps where mid-band 5G is present (I‑24 and town centers)
  • Uplink in rural areas often <10 Mbps, limiting live video and cloud backup compared with urban Kentucky
• Carriers and public-safety networks
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate macro sites along I‑24, US‑62, KY‑93; AT&T FirstNet provides prioritized coverage for public safety, improving reliability but not necessarily public capacity in low-density areas
• Backhaul and resilience
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest along the interstate/US‑62 corridor; off-corridor sites more often rely on microwave backhaul, which caps capacity during peak tourism periods
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Fiber-to-the-home availability is patchier than urban Kentucky; where cable or fiber is absent, households lean on cellular hotspots/smartphones, raising smartphone-only rates relative to the state
  • Satellite broadband (e.g., LEO) adoption is visibly higher than urban counties, serving lakefront and exurban homes; this mitigates but does not eliminate cellular dependence

How Lyon County differs from the state-level trend

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration overall, mainly due to a larger senior share and the statistical effect of institutionalized adults
• Meaningfully higher smartphone-only household reliance, reflecting sparser fixed broadband and lower multi-device ownership
• Greater dependence on LTE/low-band 5G and microwave-backhauled sites, yielding lower median speeds and more variable performance than Kentucky’s metro counties
• Pronounced seasonal traffic spikes from recreation, a pattern less prominent in statewide averages
• Public-safety/FirstNet presence is strong relative to population, improving coverage reliability along highways and lake areas versus similarly sized counties

Key takeaways

• Core adoption is robust but 2–5 points below Kentucky’s adult average, concentrated gaps among seniors and low-income households
• Infrastructure constraints—notably limited mid-band 5G off the interstate and uneven fiber backhaul—shape usage toward voice/SMS, messaging, and lower-bandwidth apps
• Policy or investment that expands mid-band 5G density and last-mile fiber would likely reduce smartphone-only dependence and narrow the performance gap with state benchmarks

Lyon County, KY — Social media usage snapshot (2024, modeled)

Overall user stats (residents 13+)

• Use at least one social platform monthly: ~72–76%
• Daily social users: ~50–60% of residents 13+ (most platform users check daily)
• Average platforms per user: 3–4
• Mobile-first consumption; short‑form video leads engagement

Most‑used platforms (share of local social users who use each platform monthly)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 65–75%
• Instagram: 45–55%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 28–35%
• Pinterest: 25–35%
• WhatsApp: 15–22%
• X (Twitter): 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 15–22%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 5–10%

Age‑group usage patterns (share within each cohort)

• 13–17: YouTube ~90%; TikTok ~60–70%; Snapchat ~60–65%; Instagram ~55–65%; Facebook ~25–35%
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%; Instagram 70–80%; Snapchat 60–70%; TikTok 55–65%; Facebook 60–70%
• 30–49: Facebook 70–80%; YouTube 80–90%; Instagram 45–55%; TikTok 35–45%; Snapchat 25–35%
• 50–64: Facebook 70–75%; YouTube 70–80%; Instagram 25–35%; Pinterest 30–40%; TikTok 20–30%
• 65+: Facebook 45–55%; YouTube 45–55%; Instagram 10–20%; TikTok 10–15%

Gender breakdown (share of each platform’s local user base)

• Facebook: female 54–58%; male 42–46%
• Instagram: female 55–60%; male 40–45%
• TikTok: female 57–62%; male 38–43%
• Snapchat: female 60–65%; male 35–40%
• YouTube: female 45–50%; male 50–55%
• Pinterest: female 70–75%; male 25–30%
• X (Twitter): female 35–40%; male 60–65%
• LinkedIn: roughly balanced (48–52% each)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school and athletics updates, church and civic groups, buy/sell/trade, lost‑and‑found, county alerts.
• Video drives attention: YouTube for how‑to, outdoor/recreation, and sermons; Facebook/Instagram Reels and TikTok for short clips (events, sports highlights, lake/outdoor content).
• Messaging splits by age: Facebook Messenger dominates among adults; Snapchat is primary for teens and many 18–24s; WhatsApp used in family and small business groups but remains niche.
• Commerce and recommendations are local: heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and pages for word‑of‑mouth, service provider referrals, yard sales, and event promotion.
• Platform cadence: peak engagement evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; school-year spikes around sports and community events; weather and emergency posts see outsized reach on Facebook.

Source and method

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates built by applying Pew Research Center’s latest U.S. platform adoption rates by age and gender to Lyon County’s demographic profile and adjusting for rural usage patterns. Expect ±5–10 percentage‑point uncertainty at the platform level.