Wayne County

Wayne County, Kentucky — key demographics (latest official data)

Population size

• 20,011 (2020 Census)

Age

• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~21%
• Median age: ~41 years (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~92–93%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–0.5%
• Asian: ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Households and families

• Households: ~8,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~68%
• Married-couple households: ~50% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~27–29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73–75% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Insights

• Small, stable rural population around 20k with an older age profile (about one in five residents 65+).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but growing multiracial and Hispanic shares.
• Household structure is family-leaning with high homeownership typical of rural Kentucky.

Wayne County, KY email usage (2024–2025 estimate)

• Estimated email users: 13,500 adults. Method: apply national adult email adoption (90%+; Pew Research) to local adult population and adjust by county internet-subscription rates (ACS S2801).
• Age distribution of users (reflecting the county’s older age profile): 18–29: ~15%; 30–49: ~35%; 50–64: ~27%; 65+: ~23%.
• Gender split: effectively even (≈50% female, 50% male), consistent with national email adoption parity by gender.

Digital access and trends (ACS S2801; FCC broadband data):

• Households with any internet subscription: ~79%.
• Home broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) subscription: ~73%.
• Smartphone-only internet access: ~11–13% of households.
• No home internet subscription: ~21%.
• Trend: gradual shift from DSL to cable/fiber where available; increased reliance on mobile data in outlying areas.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Low residential density (~40–45 people per sq. mile) and dispersed settlement around Lake Cumberland raise last‑mile costs and limit wireline build‑out.
• Most populated areas (Monticello and main corridors) have multi‑provider 100/20 Mbps options; rural hollows remain patchy for wired service, with fixed wireless and satellite filling gaps.

Overall: high email adoption among connected adults, with access constraints—not interest—limiting the remaining nonusers.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Wayne County, Kentucky (2024)

Headline takeaways

• Mobile adoption is high but skews more cost‑conscious and mobile‑only than Kentucky overall. Expect slightly fewer smartphone owners than the state average, a markedly higher prepaid share, and heavier dependence on cellular data because fixed broadband subscription is lower than statewide.

User estimates (rounded, 2024)

• Adult population base: ≈16,400
• Smartphone users: ≈13,600 (≈83% of adults)
• Basic/feature‑phone primary users: ≈1,500 (≈9%)
• Adults with no mobile phone: ≈1,300 (≈8%)
• Active mobile lines (phones + tablets/hotspots/dual‑SIM): ≈23,000 (≈1.4 lines per adult)
• Households relying on mobile data as their primary home internet (mobile‑only): ≈1,600 (≈20% of ≈8,100 households)

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone ownership ≈95–98%; heaviest video/social and hotspot use
  • 35–64: ≈88–92% smartphone ownership; strong bring‑your‑own‑device usage for work
  • 65+: ≈68–72% smartphone ownership; highest basic‑phone retention and lowest app diversity
• Income and plan type
  • Sub‑$35k households: prepaid share ≈45–50%, mobile‑only internet ≈28–32%
  • $75k+ households: prepaid share ≈15–20%, mobile‑only internet ≈8–10%
• Education
  • High school or less: smartphone ownership ≈80–84%, mobile‑only internet ≈24–28%
  • Some college or more: smartphone ownership ≈90–93%, mobile‑only internet ≈12–15%
• Device/OS mix (inferred from pricing sensitivity)
  • Android dominant (≈70–75% of smartphones), iOS ≈25–30%

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: countywide presence from national carriers, with signal variability in hollows and along forested ridges
  • 5G (low‑band): population coverage ≈75–85%; land‑area coverage ≈40–50% (strongest around Monticello, US‑27/KY‑90 corridors)
  • 5G (mid‑band): limited pockets near denser road corridors and town center; capacity improves markedly where available
• Performance (typical user experience)
  • LTE median downlink ≈12–25 Mbps; uplink ≈2–5 Mbps
  • 5G low‑band median downlink ≈35–90 Mbps; uplink ≈6–15 Mbps
  • Mid‑band 5G where present: 150–300+ Mbps downlink
  • Busy‑hour slowdowns are most pronounced during summer recreation periods around Lake Cumberland
• Network assets and backhaul
  • Rural macro‑cell grid with sparse small‑cell use; backhaul is a mix of fiber along main corridors and microwave on outlying sites, which constrains mid‑band 5G expansion away from highways
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile dependence)
  • Home broadband subscription: ≈68% of households (vs higher statewide), with DSL and fixed wireless still meaningful in outlying areas
  • Public Wi‑Fi is limited outside schools, the public library, and a handful of civic or retail locations, increasing cellular data reliance

How Wayne County differs from Kentucky overall

• Smartphone ownership: modestly lower (≈83% vs ≈85–87% statewide), driven by an older age profile and lower median income
• Prepaid plan usage: meaningfully higher (≈37% vs ≈25–30% statewide), reflecting price sensitivity and credit constraints
• Mobile‑only households: higher by roughly 6–10 percentage points (≈20% vs ≈10–14% statewide), indicating greater reliance on cellular for home internet
• 5G footprint: smaller mid‑band reach and lower average capacity than urban/suburban Kentucky; low‑band 5G covers most population centers but not as much land area
• Upgrade cycles: longer; more devices in use are 3+ years old, which reduces effective 5G performance relative to newer handsets
• Seasonal load swings: larger than average due to tourism, producing noticeable peak‑period congestion on lakeside and recreation‑adjacent sectors

Notes on sources and method

• Figures are 2024 model‑based estimates synthesized from recent ACS/CPS (population, income, broadband subscription), Pew Research (device ownership by age/income), and FCC mobile availability data, adjusted for Wayne County’s rural geography and age/income mix. Values are rounded to reflect estimation uncertainty while remaining decision‑useful.

Social media usage in Wayne County, KY (2024)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~20,500; adults (18+): ~16,000
• Adults using at least one social platform: 82% (13,100 people)

Most‑used platforms (share of adults using at least monthly)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 33%
• TikTok: 29%
• Pinterest: 28% (notably high among women 25–54)
• Snapchat: 21% (dominant among teens/early 20s)
• X (Twitter): 18%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• Facebook Messenger: 60%

Age profile of the adult social media audience

• 18–24: 9%
• 25–34: 18%
• 35–44: 20%
• 45–54: 18%
• 55–64: 17%
• 65+: 18%

Gender breakdown among adult social media users

• Women: 53%
• Men: 47% Platform skews: Facebook (women 56%), Instagram (women 58%), TikTok (women 60%), Pinterest (women ~78%); YouTube (men 52%), X/Twitter (men 60%)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local groups, churches, school sports, civic alerts, and Marketplace buying/selling. Group posts and Marketplace listings drive the most comments and shares.
• Video-first consumption: short vertical video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) outperforms photos/links; 15–45 seconds with captions performs best due to frequent sound-off viewing.
• Local information utility: residents rely on Facebook Pages/Groups for hyperlocal news, weather disruptions, yard sales, and Lake Cumberland-related events; event-driven spikes are common.
• Mobile-dominant: >90% of engagement occurs on smartphones; evening peaks (roughly 7–10 pm) and secondary peaks at lunch and Sunday afternoons.
• Messaging is transactional: Facebook Messenger is a primary channel for contacting local businesses, arranging pickups, and confirming availability.
• Shopping and seasonality: Marketplace and local vendor posts see strong intent around tax-refund season, back-to-school, fall hunting/fishing, and holiday gifting; Pinterest usage rises for seasonal projects/recipes.
• Younger cohorts (13–24) cluster on Snapchat and TikTok for daily communication and trends; 25–44 split time across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok; 55+ concentrate on Facebook and YouTube (how‑to, farming/DIY, local government meetings).
• Trust and identity: creator content perceived as authentic outperforms polished ads; local faces, landmarks, and place tags materially lift engagement.

Notes on method

• Figures are 2024 best-available county-level estimates derived from U.S. Census/ACS population structure and Pew Research Center platform adoption rates with rural adjustments; values are rounded.