Accomack County

Key demographics — Accomack County, Virginia

Population size

• 33,413 (2020 Census)
• ~33.3k (2023 Census Population Estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~47 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~25%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (percent of total population)

• White alone: ~61%
• Black or African American alone: ~28%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9–10%
• Two or more races: ~3–5%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.4%

Households

• Number of households: ~14,700
• Persons per household: ~2.27
• Family households: ~66%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%
• Median household income: roughly $54–55k
• Poverty rate: roughly 16–18%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program). Percentages rounded.

Summary: Email usage in Accomack County, VA

• Population: ~33k; adults ~26k.
• Estimated email users: 22k–24k adults (assumes 85–90% adult adoption based on national/rural norms). Including teens, total ~23k–25k users.
• Age adoption (estimates from Pew-like national patterns, adjusted for a slightly older, rural county):
  • 18–29: ~95%+
  • 30–49: ~95%
  • 50–64: ~88–92%
  • 65+: ~75–85%
• Gender split: roughly even; no consistent male/female gap in email adoption.
• Digital access trends (ACS/FCC-type indicators, county-level ranges):
  • Household broadband subscription: ~70–80%
  • Computer access in home: ~80–90%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~15–25%
  • No home internet: ~10–15%
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Rural Eastern Shore county with low population density (~70–75 people per sq. mile), which increases last‑mile costs and leaves some areas reliant on DSL or fixed wireless.
  • Fiber availability is expanding from town centers and along main corridors; public/library Wi‑Fi helps bridge gaps.
  • Cellular data (4G/LTE) covers most populated areas; 5G availability is spotty outside towns.

Sources informing estimates: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS), Pew Research Center on email use, FCC broadband availability data.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Accomack County, VA

High-level picture

• Accomack is a rural, coastal county on Virginia’s Eastern Shore (population roughly 33,000). It skews older and has lower household income than the state overall. Those two factors, along with uneven wired broadband, push more residents to rely on mobile service for everyday internet access than is typical statewide.

User estimates (ballpark, method noted)

• Smartphone users: Approximately 22,000–25,000 residents. This range assumes adult smartphone adoption modestly below Virginia’s urban average (roughly mid–70s to low–80s percent given older age and rural profile) plus high adoption among teens.
• Mobile-only internet households: Likely higher than the statewide rate. A reasonable local range is about 16–22% of households relying primarily on cellular data or hotspotting for home internet, versus closer to low–teens statewide. This reflects patchier wired broadband and cost sensitivity.
• Prepaid vs postpaid mix: Skews more prepaid than the state average due to income and seasonal/temporary workers, which increases churn and use of budget plans; exact shares vary by carrier retail presence.

Demographic patterns influencing usage

• Age: A larger share of residents are 65+ than statewide. Older adults are less likely than younger adults to own smartphones or use data-heavy apps, pulling down overall adoption compared to Virginia’s urban counties. That said, senior adoption has risen, so gaps are narrowing.
• Income and education: Median household income is well below Virginia’s median, increasing price sensitivity. Effects include greater reliance on mobile data in lieu of home broadband, more hotspotting, slower device replacement, and higher use of discounted/prepaid plans.
• Race/ethnicity: The county has a sizable Black population and a smaller but present Hispanic/Latino community. Nationally, these groups are more likely to be “smartphone dependent” for internet access than white households when income is lower—consistent with higher mobile-only reliance locally.
• Workforce and seasonality: Agriculture, seafood, NASA Wallops, and tourism drive seasonal inflows (e.g., Chincoteague). Temporary and seasonal workers increase demand for flexible mobile plans and can cause peak-time congestion in tourist hotspots.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all serve the county with 4G LTE; 5G is present but more limited than in Virginia’s metro areas. Coverage is strongest along US-13 and in towns; marshlands, low-lying areas, and barrier islands can have spotty service.
• 5G specifics: Low-band 5G is more common; mid-band capacity (the faster 5G many urban Virginians see) is patchier and concentrated along primary corridors and population centers. Net speeds and indoor penetration lag state urban benchmarks.
• Backhaul/fiber: The Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority (ESVBA) operates a regional fiber backbone with laterals into key communities. This improves tower backhaul and offers opportunities for denser small-cell or fixed wireless, but last-mile gaps remain outside core corridors.
• Fixed wireless and hotspotting: Where cable/fiber is absent or costly, households turn to mobile hotspots and fixed wireless (including 4G/5G home internet) as primary service, boosting mobile data usage relative to the state.
• Capacity and events: Tourism surges (e.g., summer weekends on Chincoteague) and NASA Wallops events can strain cell sectors, causing variable speeds and latency.
• Resilience: Coastal storms and nor’easters pose outage risks; backup power and backhaul diversity vary by site. Emergency alerts and public-safety communications rely on the same constrained geography, highlighting the value of fiber-fed sites.

How Accomack differs from Virginia overall

• Higher reliance on mobile for home internet than the state average, driven by patchy wired options and lower incomes.
• Lower average 5G performance and coverage depth than metro Virginia; more low-band 5G, less contiguous mid-band.
• Older population share pulls down overall smartphone adoption a bit relative to the state, though the gap is narrowing over time.
• More prepaid and budget-plan usage; greater hotspotting and data-capped plans as primary access.
• More pronounced seasonal congestion patterns tied to tourism and events, which are less central to statewide averages.

Data notes and where to validate

• Population and age: U.S. Census/ACS 5-year profiles for Accomack County.
• Internet access by technology and “cellular-only” households: ACS tables on computer/smartphone and internet subscription types.
• Coverage and 5G: FCC National Broadband Map and carrier coverage maps; local tower filings.
• Fiber/backhaul: Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority publications.
• Adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center smartphone adoption by age, income, and urban/rural.

Below is a concise, county-level snapshot using the best available public data and rural benchmarks. Precise, survey-based social media stats for Accomack County are not published; figures are modeled from U.S. Census ACS demographics for Accomack, plus Pew Research Center 2024 social-media usage (with rural and older-population adjustments). Treat numbers as estimates.

At-a-glance

• Population: ~33,000–34,000; adult (18+) residents ~26,000–27,000
• Gender: ~52% female, ~48% male
• Internet/broadband: majority of households have internet; rural/older mix implies below-U.S.-average home broadband and higher smartphone-only access
• Adults using any social media: 68–72% of adults (18,000–19,000 people)

Most-used platforms (adults; estimated share of adult residents using each at least occasionally)

• YouTube: 50–58%
• Facebook: 48–55%
• Instagram: 20–27%
• TikTok: 18–24%
• Pinterest: 20–26% (skews female)
• Snapchat: 14–19% (skews under 35)
• X/Twitter: 12–16% (small local footprint)
• WhatsApp: 12–17% (notable among multilingual/immigrant communities)
• LinkedIn: 12–16% (professionals, healthcare, government/ed)
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 5–9% (pockets in towns; limited rural coverage)

Age patterns (who’s using what)

• Teens (13–17): Very high YouTube; TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram dominate; Facebook mainly for groups/events
• 18–29: Heavy Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok; YouTube universal; Facebook for events/Marketplace
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube strongest; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising; Messenger/WhatsApp for coordinating family/work
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest sizeable; lighter on TikTok/Instagram
• 65+: Facebook (groups, churches, local news) and YouTube (how‑to, religious, local gov); minimal use of others

Gender breakdown among users

• Overall user base slightly female-leaning (~53–55% of local social media users are women)
• Women: relatively higher Facebook and Pinterest participation; strong engagement in local groups, schools, churches, events
• Men: relatively higher YouTube, Reddit, and X/Twitter; sports, DIY, fishing/boating, ag content

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local public square: community groups (town pages, school sports, church bulletins), Marketplace, lost-and-found, service referrals, obits, and storm updates
• Video rules attention: YouTube for how‑to, faith, local government meetings; short-form (Reels/TikTok) among under‑40s for local food, tourism, events
• Local info > national: residents rely on neighborhood Facebook groups and county/town pages for closures, weather, ferries/bridges, and emergency info; rumor control by group admins matters
• Commerce: heavy Facebook Marketplace use for vehicles, equipment, furnishings; seasonal spikes around moves and tourism
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominant; WhatsApp pockets for multilingual families and seasonal/guest workers; SMS remains common
• Seasonality: Summer tourism (Chincoteague/Assateague) drives spikes in Instagram/TikTok and local business posting/ads; off‑season pivots to schools, hunting/fishing, and community events
• X/Twitter is niche: used by media, agencies, a small cohort of engaged locals; not a mass-reach channel
• Time-of-day: Morning and evening peaks; weekend engagement around events, church, sports

Notes and sources

• Population/age/gender: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS (latest 1‑year/5‑year estimates for Accomack County)
• Platform usage baselines and age splits: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (with rural and older‑population adjustments applied to estimate county rates)
• Connectivity context: ACS Computer & Internet Use, NTIA Internet Use Survey (rural Virginia benchmarks)