Owsley County

Owsley County, Kentucky — key demographics

Population

• Total: 4,051 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (share of total population)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~94.6%
• Black or African American (NH): ~0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (NH): ~0.3%
• Asian (NH): ~0.1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NH): ~0.0%
• Two or more races (NH): ~3.3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1.4%

Households

• Households: ~1,580 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~68%
  • Married-couple families: ~47%
  • Female householder, no spouse present: ~15%
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~32% (about 29% are people living alone; ~13% are 65+ living alone)
• Average family size: ~3.0

Insights

• Very small and aging population, with roughly 1 in 5 residents 65+.
• Overwhelmingly non-Hispanic White.
• Household structure is predominantly family-based with modest household and family sizes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Owsley County, KY email usage snapshot

• Population and density: 4,051 residents (2020 Census) across ~198 sq mi ≈ 20 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~2,720 adult users (≈85% of ~3,200 adults), aligning rural-Appalachian adoption patterns with Pew’s national email use.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–29: ~19%
  • 30–49: ~33%
  • 50–64: ~27%
  • 65+: ~21%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (near parity; no material gender gap in email adoption).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Email is near-universal among working-age adults and increasingly used by seniors for healthcare/benefits; usage rises with smartphone adoption.
  • Household broadband subscription and speeds are below Kentucky averages; smartphone-only internet access is common, making mobile email the primary channel for many residents.
  • Public access points (library/schools) remain important for account setup and password recovery.
• Local connectivity context: Very low population density (~20/sq mi) and mountainous terrain raise last‑mile costs and create service gaps; coverage is strongest along main corridors, with patchier wired options in outlying hollows. Fiber buildouts and subsidy programs are improving reach but adoption lags affordability and device constraints.

Mobile phone usage in Owsley County, Kentucky (2025 snapshot)

Scope and basis

• Figures are best-available county-level estimates synthesized from recent ACS 5‑year computer/Internet-use statistics, FCC mobile coverage/broadband filings, and regional operator disclosures, normalized to 2024–2025 conditions.

Population base

• Residents: approximately 4,100
• Households: approximately 1,700

User estimates

• Unique mobile phone users: 3,000–3,300 residents (73–80% of the population), below Kentucky’s 84–88%
• Adult smartphone users (18+): 2,700–3,000 (about 80–88% of adults), versus 89–92% statewide
• Cellular-data–only Internet households: 26–32% (roughly double Kentucky’s 14–18%)
• Households with no Internet subscription: 20–25% (versus 10–12% statewide)
• Active mobile lines: 3,800–4,600 (roughly 0.9–1.1 lines per resident), below Kentucky’s 1.2–1.3

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–34: about 18% of residents; smartphone adoption >90%; heaviest data users
  • 35–64: about 57%; adoption ~85%; rely on LTE for work/errands
  • 65+: about 25%; adoption 60–65%; higher share of basic/voice-first devices
• Income and plan mix
  • Median household income roughly $29k–$32k; prepaid and subsidy-linked plans comprise about 50–60% of active lines (35–45% statewide)
  • Longer device replacement cycles (3–4 years vs 2–3 statewide) and lower average data plan buckets
• Education and race/ethnicity
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher around 10%; adults without postsecondary credentials show 5–8 percentage‑point lower smartphone adoption than the county average
  • Population is >95% White non‑Hispanic; usage differences by race are negligible in aggregate statistics

Digital infrastructure

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, T‑Mobile, and Appalachian Wireless
• Technology mix: County usage is predominantly 4G LTE; low‑band 5G appears in and around Booneville and along primary corridors, but mid‑band 5G capacity is sparse, limiting speeds and indoor reliability compared with Kentucky’s urban/suburban areas
• Coverage profile: Sparse in‑county macro‑tower grid augmented by sites in adjacent counties; steep terrain drives outdoor “one to two bars” and frequent indoor dead zones away from highways
• Spectrum/throughput: Stronger low‑band coverage than capacity; mid‑band holdings and backhaul are the binding constraints for high‑throughput 5G and hotspot substitution
• Fixed broadband backdrop: Cable/fiber availability is concentrated near Booneville; outside town limits many homes depend on phone‑based hotspots or cellular routers for primary connectivity

How Owsley County differs from Kentucky overall

• Higher reliance on mobile for home Internet: cellular‑only households are roughly twice the statewide rate
• Lower 5G availability and usage share: most traffic remains on LTE, while much of Kentucky’s population centers have shifted to mid‑band 5G
• More prepaid and discount plans, lower ARPU, longer device lifecycles, and tighter data caps
• Greater dependence on a regional carrier (Appalachian Wireless) alongside national MNOs to manage coverage gaps; SIM switching is more common to work around dead zones
• Post‑ACP adjustment: following the Affordable Connectivity Program wind‑down in 2024, the county saw a sharper downgrade from unlimited to capped data and reduced hotspot use than the state average

Usage patterns and implications

• Communication and social media dominate mobile time; video streaming is constrained off Wi‑Fi by coverage and caps
• Telehealth, remote learning, and app‑based government services remain more sensitive to signal strength and data allowances than in most of Kentucky
• Public safety and school connectivity benefit from AT&T FirstNet and anchor‑institution Wi‑Fi, but household last‑mile capacity and indoor cellular remain the limiting factors

Owsley County, KY — social media usage snapshot

County context

• Small, rural Appalachian county of roughly 4,000 residents with older-than-average age profile (about 1 in 5 residents are 65+). Household broadband subscription lags the U.S. average, and smartphone-only access is common. These factors tilt usage toward mobile-first platforms and short-form video.

Most-used platforms (adult penetration; best-available county estimate derived from Pew’s rural-U.S. benchmarks and adjusted for Owsley’s age/connection profile)

• Facebook: 60–70% of adults
• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook Messenger: 55–65%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Snapchat: 20–30% (concentrated under 35)
• X (Twitter): 10–20%
• Pinterest: 10–20% overall (skews female)
• Reddit/LinkedIn: 5–10% each

User and demographic patterns

• Overall social media use: Approximately 75–85% of adults use at least one platform regularly (mobile-first for many).
• Age groups (pattern in county mirrors rural U.S.):
  • 13–17: YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat dominate; Instagram secondary; Facebook minimal except for school/athletics updates.
  • 18–34: Heavy multi-platform use; TikTok/Reels, Instagram, Snapchat active daily; Facebook still used for groups/Marketplace.
  • 35–54: Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram/TikTok moderate; Messenger central for communication.
  • 55+: Facebook is primary; YouTube for news/how‑to/faith content; limited Instagram/TikTok adoption.
• Gender breakdown (relative tendencies):
  • Women: More active on Facebook (including Groups/Marketplace), Instagram, Pinterest; higher post engagement and sharing of community content.
  • Men: Higher YouTube use (sports, DIY, tech); slightly higher Reddit and X; Facebook used for local groups and Marketplace.

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups (neighborhood, buy/sell/trade, church, school, youth sports) are the engagement hubs. Local announcements, obituaries, weather, and event posts draw consistent interaction.
• Marketplace reliance: Strong use of Facebook Marketplace for local commerce; photos and clear pricing drive responses.
• Short-form video growth: TikTok and Facebook/Instagram Reels consumption rising, especially among under-45s; local, people-first clips outperform polished ads.
• Messaging > public posting: Many interactions move quickly to Messenger for logistics and private conversation; include a clear DM call to action.
• Timing: Morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.) peaks; weekend afternoons strong for events and buy/sell posts.
• Trust signals: Content from known locals, schools, churches, and county pages is trusted and reshared; testimonials and recognizable faces lift CTR and comments.
• Low X/LinkedIn utility: Limited reach for general audiences; use X only for emergency alerts or niche interests, LinkedIn for government/education hiring.
• Accessibility realities: Keep videos under 30–45 seconds, add captions, and provide phone numbers for non-broadband users; avoid link-outs that require high bandwidth.

Notes on methodology

• Percentages are best-available estimates for Owsley County inferred from Pew Research Center’s most recent U.S. social media adoption data (with rural breakouts), U.S. Census/ACS demographics for the county, and known rural broadband patterns. They reflect likely adult penetration locally rather than precise, platform-reported counts.