Nelson County

Nelson County, Kentucky – key demographics

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 46,738
• 2023 population estimate: ~48,100 (continued growth since 2010)

Age structure (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~39
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~86%
• Black or African American alone: ~7–8%
• Asian alone: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~82%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~18,200
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70%
• Married-couple households: ~50%
• Nonfamily households: ~30%
• Householder living alone: ~24%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~74%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey; 2023 population estimate).

• Population and density: Nelson County has roughly 47,000 residents, about 110 people per square mile, concentrated around Bardstown with more dispersed rural tracts elsewhere.
• Estimated email users: 33,000–36,000 (about 70–77% of residents). This estimate applies national age-specific email adoption to the county’s population mix.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: ~6–8%; 18–34: ~25–30%; 35–54: ~34–38% (largest cohort); 55–64: ~12–15%; 65+: ~12–16%.
• Gender split: Email users mirror the county’s population, approximately 51% female and 49% male.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Broadband and smartphone access are strongest in Bardstown and along major corridors (e.g., US‑31E/KY‑245), with expanding fiber/cable footprints; rural pockets see lower speeds and more smartphone‑only use.
  • Household internet subscription levels are high for a rural county, tracking upper‑80% ranges typical of exurban Kentucky, driven by commuting links to the Louisville metro and remote‑work/school needs.
  • Mobile coverage is broad across populated areas, supporting always‑on email use; fixed broadband quality varies by address, with notable improvement where fiber has been built.
• Insight: Working‑age adults dominate email use, but growth is coming from seniors as device familiarity and telehealth/benefits portals increase adoption.

Nelson County, Kentucky: mobile phone usage snapshot (2023–2024 best-available data)

Executive view

• Mobile adoption is very high and broadly in line with Kentucky overall, with a notably higher reliance on cellular data for home internet outside Bardstown’s cable footprint. Verizon’s acquisition of Bluegrass Cellular (2021) continues to underpin above-average Verizon coverage and usage locally compared with the state at large, while T-Mobile and AT&T 5G have expanded along main corridors. Fixed broadband density inside Bardstown lowers cellular-only reliance in town but rural tracts skew the county toward mobile-only access more than the typical Kentucky county.

User estimates

• Estimated smartphone users: roughly 31,000–34,000 residents. This is derived from Nelson County’s population and age structure combined with recent Pew and ACS adoption rates for smartphones among adults; county adoption mirrors Kentucky’s high-80s/low-90s percent range for adults, with lower rates among seniors and highest among working-age adults.
• Estimated mobile lines in service (consumer + small business): approximately 45,000–55,000, reflecting typical 1.3–1.6 active lines per resident in mixed rural–suburban counties where many households carry multiple lines and IoT/vehicle lines are common.
• Cellular-only home internet households: materially above the state average in the county’s rural tracts and below it inside Bardstown; countywide, cellular-only is best characterized as high-teens to low-20s percent of households, versus mid-teens percentage statewide.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age: Adults 18–44 are near-saturation for smartphones; adoption remains strong but not universal among 65+. Compared with Kentucky overall, Nelson County’s older residents rely on smartphones for connectivity slightly more than their statewide peers because of patchier fixed options outside town, increasing cellular-only subscriptions among seniors.
• Income: Lower-income households are significantly more likely to be mobile-first/mobile-only. The county shows a sharper income gradient than the state average: Bardstown and higher-income households tend to combine smartphones with fixed broadband; outlying and lower-income households lean cellular-only for home access.
• Race/ethnicity: Differences are modest and largely track income and geography. Minority households in Bardstown show high smartphone adoption comparable to white households; rural minority households show higher cellular-only rates, consistent with statewide rural patterns.
• Household type: Single-adult and renter households show the highest cellular-only dependence; multi-adult households and those with school-age children more often maintain both mobile and fixed service.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier footprint:
  • Verizon: Strong 4G LTE and 5G coverage countywide, bolstered by the legacy Bluegrass Cellular network (acquired by Verizon in 2021). This history contributes to robust rural signal quality and above-state-average Verizon usage locally.
  • AT&T: 4G LTE widely available; 5G present in and around Bardstown and along US‑31E/US‑150 and the Bluegrass Parkway, with rural gaps toward the county periphery.
  • T‑Mobile: 5G mid-band coverage in and near Bardstown and along primary corridors; service quality tails off in sparsely populated areas but has improved year-over-year with ongoing rural buildouts.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): Both Verizon and T‑Mobile market 5G Home Internet in and near Bardstown and along major roadways; eligibility is spottier in outlying areas but expanding. FWA is a material contributor to the county’s cellular-only and cellular-primary home internet profile.
• Wireline broadband context (affects mobile reliance):
  • Bardstown Connect provides cable broadband in the city of Bardstown, anchoring higher fixed-broadband take rates and reducing mobile-only dependence in town.
  • Spectrum and Kinetic by Windstream have mixed footprints in the county; fiber availability is growing but remains uneven outside municipal areas. Where only legacy DSL or satellite is available, households often substitute with cellular data plans.
• Public safety and backhaul:
  • Middle‑mile capacity via KentuckyWired and commercial fiber backbones along the Bluegrass Parkway and US‑31E corridors supports 5G densification in and around Bardstown. Rural tower spacing still limits capacity at the edges of the county.

How Nelson County differs from Kentucky overall

• Higher Verizon coverage depth and usage due to the former Bluegrass Cellular network, producing measurably better rural signal quality than many Kentucky counties without that legacy asset.
• A more polarized connectivity pattern: very high fixed-broadband availability in Bardstown vs. notably sparser options in rural tracts, pushing a larger share of rural households into cellular-only service than the statewide average.
• Faster 5G uptake where FWA is available, driven by competitive pricing against DSL/satellite and by commuters’ mobile-first habits, resulting in above-average cellular data consumption per household in eligible census blocks.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5‑year Computer and Internet Use tables (2019–2023), Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks, FCC broadband and 5G deployment filings, and known market changes (e.g., Verizon’s 2021 acquisition of Bluegrass Cellular). County-specific “user” counts are modeled from population, age mix, and adoption rates; “cellular-only” shares reflect ACS household subscription types and observed rural/urban splits within the county.

Social media usage in Nelson County, Kentucky — 2024–2025 snapshot

County and internet context

• Population: ~48,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate); adults (18+): ~37,000
• Gender: ~51% women, ~49% men
• Households with broadband: ~85%
• Social media users (13+): ~31,000 people, ~75% of residents 13+

Most‑used platforms in Nelson County (share of residents 13+ who use each platform at least monthly; modeled from 2023 ACS demographics and Pew Research Center 2024 adoption rates)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~69%
• Instagram: ~40%
• TikTok: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~32% (notably strong among women 25–44)
• Snapchat: ~24% (concentrated among teens and 18–24)
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• LinkedIn: ~17% (smaller base, driven by healthcare, education, manufacturing supervisors)

Age and gender patterns

• Teens (13–17): Very high usage overall; YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok dominate; Facebook is secondary.
• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram and TikTok; YouTube ubiquitous; Facebook used mainly for local groups and events.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram as a secondary network; Pinterest notable among women.
• 50–64: Facebook first, then YouTube; light Instagram/TikTok experimentation.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube remain primary.
• Gender split among local social users: roughly 53% women, 47% men (women over‑indexed on Facebook/Pinterest; men over‑indexed on YouTube/X).

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community‑centric usage: Facebook Groups for neighborhood news, buy/sell/trade, school and youth sports, churches, and civic updates; event‑driven engagement around festivals and high‑school athletics.
• Video‑first consumption: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts; live streams for local events and announcements see strong real‑time engagement.
• Local trust dynamics: Content from local businesses, government, and known community figures outperforms national brand posts; recommendations and word‑of‑mouth carry high weight.
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch, and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend spikes tied to events and sports.
• Commerce: Deal‑ and event‑oriented posts (giveaways, limited‑time offers, ticket announcements) convert best; Marketplace and group listings drive significant attention.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for one‑to‑one and small‑group coordination.

Notes

• Figures above are county‑level estimates derived by weighting Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by Nelson County’s age/gender profile (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) and local broadband availability. They reflect residents aged 13+ and “at least monthly” use. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2019–2023), Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024).