Trigg County

Trigg County, Kentucky — key demographics (latest available U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

• 14,061 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 45.4 years
• Under 18: 20.3%
• 18–64: 56.6%
• 65 and over: 23.1%

Gender

• Male: 50.6%
• Female: 49.4%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: 82.7%
• Black or African American alone: 11.0%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: 0.3%
• Asian alone: 0.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1%
• Two or more races: 5.5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 3.1%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 80.2%

Households and housing

• Number of households: ~5,900
• Average household size: 2.36
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79%
• Median household income: ~$56,000
• Persons in poverty: ~16–17%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Figures rounded for clarity; ACS values are estimates.

Trigg County, KY — email usage snapshot

• Population: 14,061 (2020). Estimated email users: ~10,800 (≈77% of residents), based on ~92% adoption among adults and ~85% among teens.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–64: ≈70% of users
  • 65+: ≈22% of users
  • 13–17: ≈8% of users Adoption rates by age: 18–29 ~95%, 30–49 ~96%, 50–64 ~92%, 65+ ~85%.
• Gender split: Approximately even; men and women use email at similar rates, yielding a ~50/50 user mix.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~80–85% of households have a broadband subscription
  • ~10–14% are smartphone‑only internet households
  • ~12–15% lack home internet These patterns indicate widespread email access, with some reliance on mobile-only use and gaps in the most rural tracts.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ~32 residents per sq. mile. Connectivity is strongest in and around Cadiz and along US‑68/KY‑80; lower‑density lake/forest areas rely more on fixed‑wireless or satellite. Ongoing fiber expansions and broader 5G coverage along primary corridors are improving access.

Estimates combine U.S. Census/ACS county data with national email adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew).

Mobile phone usage in Trigg County, Kentucky — 2025 snapshot

Context

• Population base: 14,061 residents (2020 Census). Trigg is sparsely populated (≈32 people per square mile of land), older than the state average, and includes large recreation areas (Land Between the Lakes, Lake Barkley) that affect seasonal network load and signal propagation.

User estimates (adults)

• Adult population: ≈11,100 (about 79% of residents).
• Mobile phone users (any handset): ≈10,600 adults (≈95–97% adoption, in line with national norms).
• Smartphone users: ≈9,300–9,600 adults (≈84–86% of adults; slightly below Kentucky’s statewide rate, driven by a larger senior share).
• Feature/basic phone users: ≈1,100–1,300 adults (≈10–12% of adults; above the statewide share).
• Cellular-only home internet: ≈24% of households rely primarily on a mobile data plan or hotspot for home connectivity (vs ≈17% statewide), reflecting patchier fixed-broadband availability.
• Prepaid penetration: ≈40% of lines (vs ≈30% statewide), consistent with lower median income and seasonal/secondary-home users who favor flexible plans.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Seniors (65+): Roughly a quarter of the county’s residents; smartphone adoption among seniors runs ≈65–70% locally (below statewide), with a corresponding higher retention of basic phones and heavier use of voice/SMS. This skews overall smartphone penetration downward relative to Kentucky.
• Working-age adults (25–64): Near-universal phone ownership; smartphone adoption ≈90%+. A meaningful minority use phone-based hotspots as their primary home internet, especially outside Cadiz and along lake shores.
• Youth (13–24): Near-saturation smartphone access; heavy app/social/video usage mirrors statewide norms, but average monthly data use is elevated for students in cellular-only homes.
• Veterans/military-adjacent households: Above-average share due to proximity to Fort Campbell. FirstNet-enabled devices and AT&T coverage are relatively common for public-safety and contractor users.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage tiers:
  • Cadiz, I‑24 corridor, and US‑68/KY‑80: 5G coverage from the national carriers is broadly available; mid-band 5G is present on primary corridors with strong LTE fallback.
  • Rural interiors, lake coves, and Land Between the Lakes NRA: Predominantly LTE with pockets of weak/No Service; forest canopy, terrain, and water reflections create localized dead zones.
• Carriers and bands: All three national carriers operate, with AT&T’s FirstNet (Band 14) materially improving public-safety and rural coverage; T‑Mobile low-band (600 MHz) and Verizon low-band (700 MHz) provide broad reach, with mid-band capacity clustered near Cadiz and highways.
• Backhaul and middle‑mile: State middle‑mile investments and regional fiber along US‑68/KY‑80/I‑24 support denser 5G deployment in and around Cadiz, but long spans between nodes limit capacity deep in rural tracts.
• Public access points: Trigg County Public Library, schools, and select municipal sites provide Wi‑Fi that offloads mobile traffic in Cadiz; offload options are sparse in outlying communities.
• Seasonal load: Memorial Day–Labor Day tourism materially increases sector congestion around marinas, campgrounds, and recreation areas; carriers have added temporary or sectorized capacity during peak events, but weekend slowdowns still occur.

How Trigg County differs from Kentucky statewide

• Older age structure: Larger 65+ share depresses smartphone penetration by several percentage points versus the state and sustains a higher basic‑phone share.
• Higher cellular-only reliance: A notably larger slice of households use mobile data as their primary home internet, raising per‑capita mobile data consumption on evenings and weekends compared with statewide patterns.
• More prepaid and plan churn: Prepaid usage is higher, reflecting income mix, seasonal residents, and the 2024 lapse of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which pushed some households from discounted fixed service to mobile-only plans.
• Coverage challenges are terrain- and foliage‑driven rather than mountainous: Unlike eastern Kentucky’s ridge/valley issues, Trigg’s dead zones cluster in heavily forested recreation tracts and around water, producing different remediation needs (small cells, shoreline sites, repeaters).
• Capacity concentrated on corridors: Mid-band 5G capacity is disproportionately located along I‑24 and US‑68/KY‑80 relative to interior rural roads; statewide averages show a more even urban‑suburban capacity gradient.

Actionable insights

• Network planning: Additional small cells or strategically sited macro infill around lake communities and LBL trailheads would reduce seasonal congestion and close persistent dead zones.
• Device mix and outreach: Senior‑focused device programs and training can lift smartphone adoption and telehealth access; FirstNet device penetration should continue to expand among volunteer fire/EMS for resilience.
• Affordability and substitution: With a higher cellular-only rate, zero‑rating for education/telehealth and competitively priced fixed‑wireless access (FWA) can relieve mobile network load while improving household connectivity.
• Business implication: Retailers and service providers should expect elevated prepaid share, higher walk‑in traffic for device support among seniors, and weekend capacity constraints near recreation hotspots.

Trigg County, Kentucky — social media snapshot (2024, best-available local estimate modeled from U.S. Census ACS age structure and Pew Research social media adoption, adjusted for rural KY patterns)

Topline user stats

• Population base: 14,061 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~10,900.
• Social media users (13+): ~8,600 people.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~7,900 (≈72% of adults).
• Daily social users (all platforms): ~5,600 adults (≈51% of adults).

Most-used platforms in Trigg County (adults; share of adult population)

• YouTube: 78% (~8,500 adults)
• Facebook: 70% (~7,600)
• Instagram: 36% (~3,900)
• Pinterest: 31% (~3,400)
• TikTok: 28% (~3,100)
• Snapchat: 23% (~2,500)
• X/Twitter: 14% (~1,500)
• LinkedIn: 15% (~1,600)
• WhatsApp: 13% (~1,400) Note: Facebook Groups participation is high; roughly 40% of adults engage with at least one local Group regularly.

Age breakdown of social media users (share of total social users, 13+)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–24: 9%
• 25–34: 16%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 19%
• 55–64: 17%
• 65+: 13%

Gender breakdown (all social users, mirrors local demographics)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of local Groups for school athletics, churches, civic clubs, buy/sell/yard sales, lost-and-found pets, storm and road updates, lake conditions (Barkley/Kentucky Lake), and event info (e.g., Cadiz Ham Festival). Marketplace is a primary channel for trucks, boats, powersports, and farm gear.
• Video first, practical content: Strong YouTube consumption for DIY/home repair, equipment maintenance, hunting/fishing, outdoor recreation, and local sports/church streams. Short-form video (Facebook Reels/Instagram Reels/TikTok) drives discovery for local eateries, festivals, and small businesses.
• Youth/young adult split: 13–24s cluster on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for messaging and trends; Facebook is used for events and family/community touchpoints.
• Messaging over public posting: Facebook Messenger dominates private communications; WhatsApp usage is modest but present in some family and work circles.
• Trust and engagement: Content from known locals, schools, churches, first responders, and county/city pages outperforms national influencer content. Offers, giveaways, and sponsorships of youth sports or community causes convert well.
• Timing and seasonality: Engagement spikes evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends. Seasonal surges around summer lake traffic/tourism, severe-weather events, back-to-school, deer and turkey seasons, and major local festivals.
• Regional spillover: Residents interact with pages and businesses in neighboring counties (Christian, Lyon, Marshall, Calloway) and Hopkinsville/Clarksville media, useful for extending reach.

Method note

• Figures are 2024 estimates derived from: U.S. Census/ACS for Trigg County population and age structure; Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption by age, rural vs. urban patterns, and platform daily-use rates; adjusted to reflect rural Kentucky usage. Percentages are rounded; small-magnitude platforms may vary by ±3–5 percentage points.