Oldham County

Oldham County, Kentucky — key demographics

Population size

• 67,607 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: +12.1% (from 60,316)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~39 years
• Under 18: ~27%
• 65 and over: ~14%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~85%
• Black or African American: ~5%
• Asian: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~5%
• Other races combined (including American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander): <1%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~23,000–24,000
• Average household size: ~2.9–3.0
• Family households: ~4 in 5 households
• Married-couple households: ~2 in 3 households
• Households with children under 18: ~4 in 10
• Owner-occupied housing: ~85%

Oldham County, KY is one of the state’s most connected counties. Population ~72,000; density ~360 per sq. mile, concentrated along I‑71 (Crestwood, La Grange, Pewee Valley, Goshen, Buckner). About 93% of households have a broadband subscription; computer access is ~95% of households.

Estimated email users: ~61,000 residents (≈85% of population; ≈93% of adults use email, plus most teens). Daily email use is typical for ~75% of users.

Age distribution of email users (approximate counts):

• 13–17: 5,000 (8%)
• 18–34: 13,000 (21%)
• 35–54: 21,000 (34%)
• 55–64: 11,000 (18%)
• 65+: 11,000 (18%)

Gender split among email users: ~50% female, ~50% male.

Digital access trends:

• Cable and expanding fiber deliver 200 Mbps–1 Gbps to most populated corridors; >95% of households have access to 25/3 Mbps or better.
• 5G coverage from AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon is widespread along US‑42 and the I‑71 corridor, supporting high mobile email use.
• Smartphone adoption is ~90% among adults; smartphone‑only home internet is low (≈10–12%), reflecting high affluence and broadband uptake.

These conditions sustain high email penetration and frequent use across all age groups.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Oldham County, Kentucky

Headline findings

• Mobile phone users: Approximately 64,000 residents use a mobile phone of any type (about 88% of the 2023 population estimate of ~72,000). Among adults specifically, usage is near-universal at about 97%.
• Smartphone users: About 47,000–49,000 adults use a smartphone (roughly 91% ±2 of adults), higher than the statewide adult rate.
• Household device access: 96% of Oldham County households have a smartphone present (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate), versus about 89% statewide.
• Home internet linkage: 93% of households have a home internet subscription (any fixed), compared with roughly 81% statewide; only about 4% of Oldham households have no internet subscription versus ~13% across Kentucky.
• Mobile-only home internet: About 5% of Oldham households rely mainly on cellular/mobile data for home internet (vs ~9% statewide), reflecting stronger fixed broadband availability locally.

Demographic breakdown (usage and adoption)

• Age
  • Adults (18+): ~97% have a mobile phone; ~91% use a smartphone. Kentucky overall trends lower (mid- to high-80s for smartphone among adults).
  • Older adults (65+): Estimated smartphone use in Oldham ~70–75%, materially above the Kentucky average (low 60s), consistent with Oldham’s higher income and education levels.
  • Teens (13–17): Roughly 90–95% have a smartphone, similar to national levels; Oldham’s share aligns with affluent suburban norms. Aggregated across all under-18s, about two thirds are mobile users.
• Income and education
  • With median household income among the highest in Kentucky, Oldham shows higher multi-line family plan penetration, higher 5G-capable device share, and lower prepaid share than the state. Estimated prepaid share of active lines is in the mid-teens locally vs roughly one quarter statewide.
• Geography within the county
  • Highest usage intensity and best performance cluster in the I-71 corridor and the Crestwood–Pewee Valley–La Grange band. Rural northern and northeastern tracts (north of KY-42 toward the Ohio River) show comparatively lower indoor coverage and more reliance on signal boosters or Wi‑Fi calling.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G coverage
  • All three national carriers provide 5G across the county with ≥95% outdoor population coverage. Mid-band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C‑band and 3.45 GHz) is present along major corridors and town centers, driving materially higher capacity than rural state averages.
• Capacity and speeds
  • The Louisville metro consistently ranks near the top within Kentucky for median mobile download speeds; Oldham’s suburban clusters generally sit at the high end of the metro range due to strong mid-band 5G and dense backhaul along I‑71. Typical observed 5G downloads are triple-digit Mbps in populated areas, with sub-urban/rural edges falling back to LTE/low-band 5G in the tens of Mbps.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Dozens of macro sites and small cells blanket the I‑71 corridor and municipal centers. Backhaul is robust: AT&T and Spectrum have extensive fiber and DOCSIS plant; KentuckyWired’s middle-mile presence along interstate routes improves redundancy. This fixed-network depth reduces the proportion of households relying solely on mobile data compared with the state.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • 5G home internet from T‑Mobile and Verizon is widely available but sees moderate uptake relative to Kentucky overall, due to strong cable and fiber options in Oldham’s suburbs.
• Coverage gaps and mitigations
  • Terrain and river bluffs create spotty indoor coverage in pockets north of KY‑42 and in some low-density exurban areas; carriers address this with targeted small cells, band-71/n5 low-band 5G overlays, and encouragement of Wi‑Fi calling.

How Oldham differs from Kentucky overall

• Higher smartphone and home-internet penetration: Oldham’s 96% of households with a smartphone and 93% with a home internet subscription significantly exceed state averages (~89% and ~81% respectively).
• More 5G mid-band availability and higher throughput: The county benefits from metro-adjacent spectrum deployments and denser backhaul than most Kentucky counties, lifting typical speeds and reliability.
• Lower reliance on prepaid and mobile-only home internet: Greater income and better fixed broadband access drive a smaller prepaid segment and fewer cellular-only households.
• Smaller digital divide: Only ~4% of households report no internet subscription, about a third of the statewide share, and older-adult smartphone adoption is materially higher than the Kentucky norm.

Practical implications

• Networks in Oldham are optimized for commuter flows into Louisville, with strong performance along I‑71 and town centers; enterprises and schools can plan for reliable 5G capacity in these areas.
• For situational communications (events, emergencies), coverage is broadly strong; planners should still account for known weak indoor pockets in rural tracts and consider deployable boosters or COWs for large gatherings outside the I‑71 corridor.
• Consumers generally have a full slate of options: mid-band 5G from all carriers, cable DOCSIS, and AT&T fiber in many neighborhoods; FWA is a viable alternative in edge areas where fiber is not yet present.

Oldham County, KY social media snapshot (2024, modeled to local demographics)

User stats

• Adult social-media adoption: 83% of adults
• Teen adoption (13–17): ~95%
• Gender split among local social users: Women 53%, Men 47%

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 34%
• Pinterest: 33% (skews female and 25–54)
• Snapchat: 28% (skews 13–29)
• LinkedIn: 30% (skews 25–44, college-educated, commuters into Louisville)
• X/Twitter: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• Nextdoor: 18% (stronger in newer subdivisions and HOA communities)

Age-group tendencies

• Teens (13–17): YouTube and TikTok dominate; Snapchat for daily messaging; Instagram for friends/school sports highlights; minimal Facebook use.
• Young adults (18–24): Instagram + TikTok for short-form video and creators; Snapchat for streaks; YouTube for how-tos and entertainment; Facebook mainly for events/groups.
• 25–34: Mixed stack (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok); strong Reels/Shorts consumption; early family and local service discovery.
• 35–44: Facebook + YouTube core; Instagram for creators/brands; high use of Facebook Groups for schools, youth sports, childcare, and buy/sell.
• 45–64: Facebook and YouTube first; Pinterest for home, recipes, and projects; rising Nextdoor usage for neighborhood info.
• 65+: Facebook for family updates and local news; YouTube for how-tos, church/sermons, and local events; light Instagram/TikTok.

Behavioral trends in Oldham County

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for schools, PTAs, youth sports leagues, church and civic groups; recurring spikes tied to the school calendar, registration periods, and game schedules.
• Video preference: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts; instructional or family-oriented content drives saves/shares.
• Suburban discovery paths: Home services, real estate, youth activities, and health/fitness perform well on Facebook/Instagram; Pinterest supports home improvement and meal planning; Nextdoor influences contractor and neighborhood decisions.
• Commuter cadence: Evening engagement 7–10 pm ET is strongest; weekday lunch (11:30 am–1 pm) and weekend late mornings see consistent activity.
• Local news flow: County residents frequently get Louisville-metro news via Facebook Pages and YouTube clips from regional outlets; timely, place-based creative (Oldham events, sports, schools, parks) increases CTR and share rate.
• Trust signals: Peer recommendations in Groups, visible community ties, and testimonials from local parents/coaches/HOAs significantly elevate response.

Notes on data

• Figures are 2024 modelede estimates for Oldham County based on Pew Research Center’s most recent US platform-adoption rates applied to Oldham County’s suburban, higher-income age/education profile using ACS/Census demographics. Platform percentages reflect share of adults using each service; age and behavioral patterns reflect suburban Kentucky norms within the Louisville metro.