Webster County

Key demographics — Webster County, Kentucky

• Population

  • 12,866 (July 1, 2023 estimate)
  • 13,017 (2020 Census)
  • Change since 2020: −1.2%

• Age

  • Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2018–2022)
  • Under 18: ~22–23%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

• Gender

  • Female: ~50.4%
  • Male: ~49.6%

• Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; shares sum to ~100%)

  • White alone: ~93%
  • Black or African American alone: ~2–3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
  • Asian alone: ~0–1%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
  • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~91%

• Households (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Total households: ~5,000
  • Average household size: ~2.45
  • Family households: ~66% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~50% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates. Insights: Small, majority-White county with a modest aging profile and slight population decline since 2020; household structure is predominantly family-based with high homeownership and mid-2s household size.

Webster County, KY (pop. ≈13,000; density ≈39 people/sq mi) has an estimated 8,800 adult email users, about 88% of its roughly 10,100 adults.

Age distribution of email users (estimated):

• 18–34: ~2,500 (28%)
• 35–54: ~3,100 (35%)
• 55–64: ~1,400 (16%)
• 65+: ~1,800 (21%)

Gender split: ~51% female, ~49% male among email users, tracking the county’s population mix.

Digital access and trends:

• About 80% of households maintain a fixed broadband subscription; ~85% have a computer at home. Reliance on smartphones for primary internet access is ~15% and rising, reflecting affordability and coverage patterns.
• Fiber and cable availability are strongest in and around Dixon, Providence, Sebree, and Clay; outside these hubs, residents more often depend on DSL or fixed wireless, with fewer provider options and lower typical speeds.
• The wind‑down of federal internet affordability support in 2024 pressures low‑income connectivity, potentially constraining email adoption at the margins.
• Mobile network coverage is generally solid along main corridors, with performance tapering in sparsely populated areas.

Insight: High but not universal email penetration is driven by near‑ubiquitous adoption among under‑55 adults; remaining gaps are concentrated among seniors and households in low‑density areas with limited fixed‑broadband choice.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Webster County, Kentucky (2024–2025)

Key estimates

• Population: ~12,900; households: ~5,160
• Mobile phone users: ~10,300 residents actively using a mobile phone
• Smartphone users: ~8,900 users (≈82% of adults; lower than state average)
• Wireless-only households (no landline): ~3,800 (≈74% of households; slightly above Kentucky)
• Smartphone-only internet users (no home broadband): ~2,300 adults (≈24% of adults; above Kentucky)
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: ~38% (notably higher than Kentucky overall)
• Platform mix among smartphones: ~62% Android, ~38% iOS (skews more Android than state)

How Webster County differs from Kentucky overall

• Smartphone adoption: ~3 percentage points lower than the Kentucky average (≈85% statewide vs ≈82% in Webster)
• Higher reliance on mobile as primary connection: smartphone-only internet usage roughly 4–6 points higher than the state
• Prepaid penetration: ~8–12 points higher than the state, reflecting more price-sensitive adoption
• Network performance: county median mobile download speeds are lower than statewide medians
• 5G quality: broad low-band 5G coverage but notably less mid-band 5G than Kentucky’s urban/suburban counties
• Wireline alternatives: meaningfully less fiber availability than statewide, contributing to heavier mobile and fixed-wireless use

Demographic breakdown (modeled from ACS, Pew, and rural adjustments)

• Age:
  • 18–29: ~95% smartphone ownership
  • 30–49: ~90%
  • 50–64: ~78%
  • 65+: ~60% (translates to roughly 1,000 older residents without smartphones)
• Income:
  • < $35k: ~77% smartphone ownership; higher prepaid usage and greater smartphone-only internet dependence
  • $35k–$75k: ~86%

  • $75k: ~94%

• Race/ethnicity (small local sample effects; directionally consistent with state):
  • White (majority of county): ~81–83% smartphone ownership
  • Black: ~84–87%
  • Hispanic: ~86–89%
• Plan type:
  • Prepaid: ~38% of active lines (vs ~26–30% statewide)
  • Postpaid: ~62%

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage (population coverage, any provider):
  • 4G LTE: ~99.5%+
  • 5G (any band): ~95%
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) where higher speeds occur: ~60% of population, concentrated around Dixon, Providence, Sebree, Clay, and primary corridors
• Performance (typical medians from aggregated speed tests):
  • Mobile download: ~45 Mbps (statewide medians are typically higher, ~70–80 Mbps)
  • Upload: ~6–8 Mbps
  • Latency: ~40 ms
• Carriers and offerings:
  • AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all provide LTE and low-band 5G; AT&T FirstNet has notable public-safety coverage
  • Fixed wireless home internet: T-Mobile 5G Home is broadly available; Verizon 5G Home available in select zones; LTE-based fixed wireless fills remaining gaps
• Wireline competition:
  • Fiber availability: ≈30% of households (vs ≈45% statewide), concentrated in town centers
  • Cable present in towns; legacy DSL persists in outlying areas
  • Lower fiber and cable reach drives higher smartphone-only and mobile hotspot use
• Geography:
  • Coverage strongest in and between towns and along major routes; signal weak spots more common in low-lying, wooded, and fringe areas typical of rural topography

Practical implications

• Marketing and service mix should emphasize value-priced prepaid, broad Android support, and coverage reliability messaging
• Fixed-wireless and hotspot plans are disproportionately important substitutes for home broadband
• Digital inclusion efforts targeting older adults and lower-income households will yield outsized gains

Notes on methods and sources

• Population/households: ACS 2023 estimates for Webster County
• Ownership/adoption baselines: Pew Research Center 2023–2024 national and rural splits, calibrated to Kentucky
• Wireless-only households: CDC/NCHS NHIS state rates, adjusted for rural counties
• Coverage and fiber availability: FCC Broadband Map (2024) and carrier public coverage data
• Speed medians: aggregated third-party speed-test data for rural western Kentucky in 2024 (county-level composite)

Social media usage snapshot: Webster County, Kentucky (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: ≈13,000; adults (18+): ≈10,200

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform monthly: ≈75% (≈7,600 adults)

Most-used platforms among local adults (percent of adults; modeled from Pew 2024 U.S. adoption with rural adjustments)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 64%
• Instagram: 34%
• TikTok: 31%
• Pinterest: 33%
• Snapchat: 25%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• Reddit: 13%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• WhatsApp: 16% Note: Percentages are not mutually exclusive (people use multiple platforms).

Age profile of local social users (share of adult social media users)

• 18–24: 12%
• 25–34: 18%
• 35–44: 20%
• 45–54: 18%
• 55–64: 17%
• 65+: 15% Key age-platform patterns
• Under 35: heavy on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat; strong YouTube use
• 35–54: Facebook leads; Instagram and YouTube secondary; early adoption of Reels/shorts
• 55+: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable among women; TikTok growing but niche

Gender breakdown

• Overall among adult social users: ≈52% female, 48% male
• Platform skews (local tendency mirrors national): Pinterest and Facebook lean female; Reddit, YouTube, and X lean male; Instagram and TikTok near balanced with slight female tilt

Behavioral trends (local, rural-Kentucky pattern)

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups for schools, churches, civic events; Marketplace for buy/sell/trade; local news and weather updates drive daily check-ins
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, high-school sports clips, sermons, and local event recaps; short-form (Reels/TikTok) gains time-share across all ages
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is default for most adults; Snapchat prevalent for teens/young adults; WhatsApp limited mainly to specific family/work circles
• Posting vs. lurking: Older users consume more than they post; younger users post Stories/Snaps frequently but keep feed posts sparse
• Timing: Peak engagement evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; weekday lunch and school-dismissal windows show secondary bumps
• Content that performs: Local faces, community service info, deals and event reminders, school athletics, weather/road updates, and practical how-to video; polished ads underperform versus authentic, place-based posts
• Ad responsiveness: Best ROI from tight geo-targeting, interest targeting around hunting/outdoors, youth sports, auto/DIY, and seasonal promotions; short videos (10–20s) outperform static posts

Method note

• Figures are modeled from U.S. Census (ACS) demographics for Webster County and Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates with adjustments typical for rural Kentucky; percentages rounded to whole numbers.