Owen County

Key demographics – Owen County, Kentucky Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program)

• Population

  • Total population (2023 estimate): ~11,6K
  • 2020 Census: 11,278

• Age

  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 65 and over: ~20%
  • Median age: ~42 years

• Gender

  • Female: ~50%
  • Male: ~50%

• Race and ethnicity

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

• Households and housing

  • Total households: ~4.5K
  • Persons per household: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~7 in 10
  • Married-couple households: ~1 in 2
  • Owner-occupied rate: ~78–80%

• Population and density: ≈11.5k residents across ≈354 sq mi (≈32 people/sq mi), ≈4.7k households; predominantly rural with connectivity centered around Owenton.
• Estimated email users: ≈8,300 adult users (≈92% of ≈9,000 adults), plus ≈600 teens, totaling ≈8,900–9,100 residents with active email.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 18–29 ≈15% (1.3k), 30–49 ≈27% (2.4k), 50–64 ≈28% (2.5k), 65+ ≈30% (2.6k). Seniors’ email adoption has risen markedly, narrowing earlier gaps.
• Gender split: Female ≈51%, male ≈49%; email adoption is near parity, yielding an email-user split of ~51/49.
• Digital access and devices: ≈80–85% of households subscribe to home broadband; ≈80–85% have a computer; ≈10–15% are smartphone‑only for home internet. Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) and mobile data remain important for low‑density areas.
• Trends and connectivity facts: 2019–2024 programs (e.g., BEAD, RDOF, state/ARPA builds) have expanded fixed broadband coverage and speeds, with noticeable gains outside Owenton. Daily email reliance increased with remote work/schooling and remains high for government services, healthcare portals, and commerce. Overall email penetration is mature and stable, with incremental growth driven by improved last‑mile access and continued uptake among older adults.

Mobile phone usage in Owen County, Kentucky (2024 snapshot)

Scale and user estimates

• Population: ~11,300; adults (18+): ~8,800.
• Adult mobile phone users (any type): ~8,200 (≈93% of adults), below Kentucky’s ~95% rate.
• Adult smartphone users: ~7,000 (≈79% of adults), 5–7 points below the statewide ~85–86%.
• Households: ~4,400; mobile-only internet households (no wired broadband, rely on smartphones/hotspots): ~1,200 (≈27%), well above the statewide ~18–20%.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~95–97%; heavy app/social/video use.
  • 35–54: ~90–92%; high dependence for work messaging, navigation, and commerce.
  • 55–64: ~78–82%; steady growth in telehealth and banking apps.
  • 65+: ~60–65%; below state’s ~70–75%, with more basic phone and text use.
• Income and plan mix
  • Lower median income than the state average translates to higher price sensitivity.
  • Prepaid and MVNO plans account for an estimated 35–40% of lines (vs ~28–32% statewide).
  • Family/shared plans dominate postpaid; slower device-upgrade cycles than state average.
• Internet substitution
  • Higher smartphone-only and hotspot reliance for home connectivity (≈27% of households vs ~18–20% statewide).
  • Average per-smartphone mobile data use ≈16 GB/month, slightly below state averages, but hotspot-using households often exceed 60 GB/month.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE covers the vast majority of populated areas and primary corridors.
  • Low-band 5G is present in and around Owenton and along main routes; mid-band 5G capacity is spotty outside the core, leading to variable speeds.
• Capacity and speeds (typical, not peak)
  • Median mobile download: ~25–60 Mbps in town and along highways; ~5–20 Mbps on outer roads and low-density areas.
  • Upload: ~3–10 Mbps; latency typically 30–60 ms.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro cellular sites: approximately 15–20 across the county; very limited small-cell deployment outside civic/commercial clusters.
  • Backhaul is a mix of fiber on primary corridors and microwave on outlying sites; capacity constraints appear during peak evening hours where fiber is not present.
• In-building experience
  • Older construction and metal-roof structures frequently attenuate signal; low-band carries indoor coverage but with lower throughput than mid-band 5G available in larger Kentucky cities.

Trends that differ from Kentucky overall

• Adoption and devices
  • Overall smartphone adoption is lower, driven by an older age profile and cost sensitivity; upgrade cycles are longer.
• Access and substitution
  • Significantly higher share of mobile-only households and hotspot use due to limited, patchy wired broadband options outside Owenton—well above the statewide share.
• Network capability
  • 5G availability skews to low-band coverage with limited mid-band capacity; median speeds and capacity trails state urban/suburban norms.
• Plan mix and affordability
  • Larger prepaid/MVNO footprint than the state average; greater emphasis on budget plans and data caps.
• Digital services usage
  • Telehealth and school-related connectivity rely disproportionately on mobile networks; streaming quality is more sensitive to location and time of day than in better-served Kentucky metros.

Key takeaways

• Roughly 8,200 adults in Owen County use a mobile phone, and about 7,000 use smartphones.
• Mobile networks shoulder a bigger share of home internet needs than statewide, reflecting constrained wired options.
• Coverage is broad for voice/LTE along main corridors, but mid-band 5G capacity—and thus consistent high-speed performance—lags urban Kentucky.
• Policy or investment levers most likely to shift outcomes: more mid-band 5G sectors on existing towers, fiber backhaul to outlying sites, and expanded last-mile wired or fixed-wireless alternatives to reduce hotspot dependence.

Social media usage in Owen County, Kentucky (2024 modeled snapshot)

Topline user stats (residents age 13+)

• Population base (13+): ≈10,000 (of ≈11,600 total residents)
• Active social media users: 87% (≈8,700)
• Daily users (any platform): 72% (≈7,200)
• Multi‑platform users (2+ services): 65%
• Internet context: ~80% of households have a broadband subscription; adult smartphone ownership ≈84%

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 40%
• Pinterest: 37%
• TikTok: 29%
• Snapchat: 25%
• LinkedIn: 20%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• Reddit: 17%
• WhatsApp: 17%
• Nextdoor: 9% (Percentages are modeled for Owen County, reflecting rural usage patterns; rounded.)

Age‑group breakdown (share within each age using each platform)

• Teens 13–17: Any social media 95%; YouTube 93%, Instagram 62%, TikTok 63%, Snapchat 60%, Facebook 33%
• 18–29: Any 92%; YouTube 95%, Instagram 76%, TikTok 62%, Snapchat 59%, Facebook 70%
• 30–49: Any 88%; YouTube 87%, Facebook 77%, Instagram 49%, TikTok 37%, Pinterest 40%
• 50–64: Any 78%; Facebook 73%, YouTube 74%, Instagram 29%, TikTok 21%, Pinterest 39%
• 65+: Any 58%; YouTube 60%, Facebook 52%, Instagram 15%, TikTok 10%, Pinterest 20%

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Women: Any social media 89%; Facebook 74%, Instagram 43%, TikTok 31%, Pinterest 48%, YouTube 80%
• Men: Any social media 85%; YouTube 85%, Facebook 67%, Instagram 38%, TikTok 26%, Reddit 22%, X (Twitter) 20%, LinkedIn 21%

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Kentucky counties and reflected in Owen County’s pattern

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for local news, events, school and sports updates, yard/estate sales, and service referrals. High engagement on posts with names, faces, and place‑based cues.
• Video‑first habits: YouTube dominates for practical “how‑to,” home/auto/farm maintenance, hunting/outdoors, and product research; growing consumption on connected TVs in the evening.
• Short‑form growth under 40: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery; local businesses see outsized reach with short vertical video, even at modest follow counts.
• Private sharing: Messenger and Snapchat are primary for one‑to‑one and small‑group conversation; WhatsApp niche but present for family and work coordination.
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (6–10 p.m.). Weekends skew toward Facebook Events/Marketplace browsing.
• Commerce: Facebook/Instagram remain the most efficient for local lead gen (messages, click‑to‑call) and event RSVPs; Pinterest is effective for female‑skewed shopping inspiration.
• Trust and locality: Content from known local entities (schools, churches, county agencies, volunteer orgs, hometown businesses) outperforms generic brand creative.

Method and sources

• Figures are 2024 county‑level estimates derived from: U.S. Census Bureau ACS population structure for Owen County, rural vs. national platform adoption from Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use studies (latest available), and NTIA/FCC measures of broadband and device access. County percentages are adjusted to Owen County’s age and gender mix. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number.