Union County

Key demographics – Union County, Kentucky Source: U.S. Census Bureau (Population Estimates Vintage 2023; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5‑year; 2020 Decennial Census). Figures rounded.

Population size

• 2023 estimate: ~13,300 (down from 13,668 in 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~39–40 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Male: ~52–53%
• Female: ~47–48%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (non-Hispanic): ~83–84%
• White (alone): ~86–87%
• Black or African American: ~9%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3–0.4%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~5,000
• Persons per household: ~2.45–2.50
• Family households: ~69% (married-couple families ~50%)
• Nonfamily households: ~31% (householder living alone ~27%; 65+ living alone ~12%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75%

Insights

• Small, rural county with modest population decline since 2020.
• Age structure skews slightly older (about 1 in 5 residents are 65+).
• Predominantly White with a notable Black community and a small but present Hispanic population.
• Household size is near the national average, with a high owner-occupancy rate indicative of residential stability.

• Population and users: ~13,400 residents; ~10,300 adults (18+). Estimated adult email users: ~9,550 (≈92%).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–34: ~2,400
  • 35–54: ~3,230
  • 55–64: ~1,530
  • 65+: ~2,390
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (4,870) and 49% male (4,680); usage rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~82% of households have a wireline broadband subscription (cable/DSL/fiber/satellite).
  • ~11% are cellular-data–only at home; ~7% have no home internet subscription.
  • Smartphone ownership ≈88% of adults; ~14% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Email is the default for service, school, and government contacts; daily use skews highest among working-age adults and parents, with seniors using email largely for healthcare, banking, and family communication.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Population density ~40 residents per square mile across ~340 sq. mi.
  • ≥97% of occupied addresses have at least one 25/3 Mbps option; ~85% have at least one 100/20 Mbps option, with limited multi‑provider choice outside Morganfield and Sturgis.
  • Libraries and schools provide free Wi‑Fi that supplements access gaps.

Union County, KY mobile phone usage – 2024 snapshot

Executive summary

• Mobile phone users (adults): approximately 9,200–9,500 adults use a mobile phone (about 87% of adults), with 8,200–8,600 using smartphones (about 78–81% of adults). Baseline adult population derived from the 2020 Census total of 13,668 residents and Kentucky’s adult share.
• Distinct from Kentucky overall: Union County shows lower overall smartphone adoption (by roughly 3–5 percentage points), higher reliance on smartphone-only internet (by about 8–10 points), higher wireless-only voice households (by 3–5 points), higher prepaid penetration (by 7–10 points), and markedly less mid-band 5G availability than the state average.

User estimates

• Adult population baseline: about 10,500–10,800 adults.
• Mobile phone ownership (any mobile): ~87% of adults → 9.2k–9.5k users.
• Smartphone ownership: ~79% of adults → 8.2k–8.6k users.
• Youth adoption (ages 12–17): high, typically >90%; this adds several hundred additional smartphone users beyond the adult counts.
• Wireless-only voice households: roughly 78–84% of households rely solely on mobile phones for voice (no landline), noticeably above Kentucky’s average.
• Smartphone-only internet (no fixed home broadband): estimated 25–30% of households, significantly higher than the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~92–96% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use.
  • 35–54: ~85–90%; broad use including work, navigation, and banking.
  • 55–64: ~70–76%; growing use for telehealth and messaging; some basic-phone retention.
  • 65+: ~58–65%; most hold smartphones, but a sizable minority keep basic phones; higher reliance on voice/SMS.
• Income
  • Below ~200% of the federal poverty level: smartphone ownership is widespread but fixed broadband adoption lags; smartphone-only internet reliance ~35–40%.
  • Above ~200% FPL: smartphone-only internet reliance ~15–20%; more multi-line postpaid family plans.
• Plan types and devices
  • Prepaid share estimated at 32–38% of lines, materially above Kentucky’s average (roughly mid-20s), reflecting price sensitivity and credit constraints.
  • BYOD is common; installment financing uptake is lower than in urban Kentucky.
• Usage behavior
  • Higher dependence on mobile data for core needs (schoolwork, entertainment, banking) due to patchier fixed broadband in rural tracts.
  • Churn is modest; coverage and local network performance, rather than promotions, drive carrier choice.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile serve the county. Low-band 5G and LTE cover population centers; service extends along main corridors and towns.
• 5G availability
  • Low-band 5G: broadly available across populated areas; fills coverage but offers LTE-like speeds in many locations.
  • Mid-band 5G (capacity layers such as n41/n77): materially spottier than Kentucky’s urban and suburban counties; strongest around town centers and highway corridors, limited reach in outlying areas.
• Typical performance
  • LTE: roughly 10–50 Mbps down in most served rural areas, with variability from sector load and terrain.
  • Mid-band 5G where present: roughly 100–300+ Mbps down, dropping quickly with distance from towers.
• Terrain impacts: River bottoms, wooded areas, and sparsely populated stretches experience attenuation and occasional dead zones; open farmland has better line-of-sight, improving rural cell edge performance compared with wooded hollows.
• Fixed alternatives and interplay
  • Cable/fiber are concentrated in town centers; DSL and satellite persist in outer tracts. Where fixed options are absent or slow, residents rely heavily on mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering.
  • The wind-down of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 has likely nudged more low-income households toward smartphone-only connectivity and prepaid mobile broadband plans.
• Emergency services and reliability
  • E911 standards are supported; however, indoor coverage in older or metal-clad structures can be weak without Wi‑Fi calling. Outage sensitivity is tied to backhaul resilience; tower sites with fiber backhaul and generators fare best.

How Union County differs from Kentucky overall

• Lower smartphone adoption: about 3–5 percentage points below the statewide adult average, driven by an older age profile and more rural settlement patterns.
• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance: about 8–10 points above the state, reflecting patchier fixed broadband in outer tracts and cost constraints.
• Higher wireless-only voice households: roughly 3–5 points above Kentucky, meaning landlines are even less common locally than statewide.
• Higher prepaid share: estimated 32–38% vs. mid‑20s statewide, tied to income and credit mix; this correlates with more stringent data budgeting and hotspot use.
• Lower mid-band 5G footprint: noticeably less coverage than Kentucky’s metro counties; capacity layers are localized around towns and main corridors, resulting in more LTE fallback and variable speeds.
• Usage mix: greater dependence on SMS/voice and tethering in fringe areas; streaming quality and real-time gaming performance are less consistent than in Kentucky’s urban/suburban markets.

Data notes

• Population baseline: 2020 Census (Union County total population 13,668).
• Adoption, wireless-only voice, and smartphone-only internet figures are synthesized from county-level ACS patterns (computer and internet use), FCC mobile coverage data, and national/state usage benchmarks (Pew/CPS/NHIS), adjusted for Union County’s rural profile, age structure, and income mix. Values are presented as modeled 2024 estimates with narrow ranges appropriate for a small, rural county.

Union County, KY social media snapshot (modeled 2025)

Population base

• Estimated 2023 population: ~13,200
• Adults 18+: ~10,300
• Teens 13–17: ~800

Most-used platforms (adults 18+) — estimated local penetration and users

• YouTube: 83% of adults (8,500 users)
• Facebook: 68% (7,000)
• Instagram: 47% (4,800)
• Pinterest: 35% (3,600)
• TikTok: 33% (3,400)
• LinkedIn: 30% (3,100)
• WhatsApp: 29% (3,000)
• Snapchat: 27% (2,800)
• X (Twitter): 22% (2,300)
• Reddit: 22% (2,300)

Teens (13–17) — platform reach

• YouTube: 93% (740 teens)
• TikTok: 67% (540)
• Instagram: 62% (500)
• Snapchat: 60% (480)
• Facebook: 33% (260)
• X (Twitter): 20% (160)
• Reddit: 14% (110)

Age-group patterns (adults)

• 18–29: Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lead; Facebook still widely used but not primary for content discovery.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram growing; TikTok used but secondary.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube first; Pinterest meaningful for projects/home/recipes.
• 65+: Facebook primary; YouTube for news/how-to; lower adoption of newer apps.

Gender breakdown (platform skews)

• County is roughly 50/50 by sex; platform use skews mirror national patterns:
  • More women: Pinterest (strongly), Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight), Snapchat (slight), TikTok (moderate).
  • More men: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), YouTube (slight), LinkedIn (slight).
  • Near-even: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub for community groups, churches, schools, county services, and Marketplace; event discovery and local news consumption are heavy here.
• YouTube is the default for how‑to, product research, local sports clips, and longer news/opinion content.
• Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is the fastest-growing content format among under‑40s; cross-posting Reels to Facebook effectively reaches 30–49.
• Teens favor Snapchat for messaging/stories and TikTok/YouTube for entertainment; Instagram is the main profile/DM hub for high school and college-age.
• Peak engagement windows: weekday evenings (~6–9 pm CT) and weekend late mornings/early afternoons; most usage is mobile-first.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace outperforms classifieds; service businesses see best response from boosted posts targeting nearby ZIPs; video and before/after creatives outperform static images.

Method and sources

• Modeled local estimates apply Pew Research Center’s 2024 adult platform adoption rates and Pew’s 2023 teen platform rates to Union County’s 2023 ACS demographic base. Figures represent best-available estimates for county-level usage.