Amelia County

Key demographics of Amelia County, Virginia (most recent U.S. Census Bureau data; figures rounded)

Population

• Total: 13,265 (2020 Census)
• ACS 5-year estimate (2018–2022): ~13.2k

Age

• Median age: ~44
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~67%
• Black or African American: ~28%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian: <1%
• Other races combined: <1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~5,100
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~70–75% of households
• Married-couple households: ~55–60% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~80–85% (owner-occupied); renters: ~15–20%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Figures are rounded.

Amelia County, VA snapshot (rural; ~13,000 residents; ~37 people/sq mi):

• Estimated email users: 9,500–11,000 residents (roughly 80–85% of age 12+).
• Age distribution of users: 13–17: 4–6%; 18–34: 22–26%; 35–64: 48–52%; 65+: 20–24%.
• Gender split: ≈49% male, 51% female among users; women overrepresented in 65+.
• Digital access trends: 70–80% of households subscribe to home broadband; 85–90% have a computer. About 15–20% of adults are smartphone‑only for internet. Most users check email on smartphones; older adults lean to tablets/PCs.
• Connectivity/density notes: Low population density and long driveways mean limited wired options outside Amelia Court House; many outlying addresses use fixed wireless or satellite. Wired speeds improve in denser clusters; cellular 4G covers most road corridors, while 5G remains spotty. Commute ties to the Richmond region provide workplace internet access for some residents.

Method: Estimates derived by scaling national/rural Virginia adoption rates (ACS/Pew/FCC) to county population; directional, not a census.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Amelia County, Virginia (focus on what differs from the statewide picture)

How many users

• Population baseline: ~13–14k residents; ~10–11k adults.
• Smartphone users: estimated 8.5–9.5k adult users; including teens, roughly 9–11k smartphones in regular use by residents.
• Smartphone-only internet households: about 900–1,300 households (roughly 17–24% of households), meaningfully higher than Virginia overall (typically low-teens). This reflects both affordability choices and limited wired options in parts of the county.

Demographic patterns behind usage

• Age:
  • 18–29: near-universal smartphone adoption, similar to the state.
  • 30–64: high adoption but slightly below the state, with more prepaid/MVNO plans.
  • 65+: noticeably lower adoption than the state average; more basic/older smartphones and simpler plans. This larger senior share helps pull overall county adoption a bit below Virginia’s.
• Income and education:
  • Lower median income and lower bachelor’s attainment than the Virginia average correlate with:
    • Higher reliance on smartphones as the primary internet connection.
    • Longer device replacement cycles and greater used/refurbished device use.
    • Greater sensitivity to plan price and data caps.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • User composition broadly reflects the county’s population (majority White, sizable Black population, small Hispanic share).
  • No large device-ownership gap by race is apparent, but cost and coverage constraints increase smartphone-only dependence among lower-income households across groups.

How usage behavior differs from Virginia overall

• More smartphone-only internet use for home, homework, and streaming due to patchy wired broadband.
• Higher share of prepaid/MVNO lines and hotspot use; more multi-carrier households to hedge coverage.
• Coverage quality, not just price/promotions, drives carrier choice; residents switch carriers or add lines to solve dead zones.
• More LTE fallback and indoor coverage challenges; video calling/streaming quality is more variable, especially away from main corridors.
• Longer device lifecycles and greater use of signal boosters/extenders in homes and small businesses.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Macro coverage: All three national carriers are present. Coverage is strongest along US‑360 and around Amelia Court House; it weakens off-corridor in western/southern parts of the county where indoor service can be unreliable.
• 5G:
  • Low‑band 5G is broadly available along main routes.
  • Mid‑band 5G (capacity/speed layer) is more limited and largely tied to a few upgraded sites on major corridors; many areas still rely on LTE for capacity.
• Capacity and performance: Lower site density than suburban Virginia yields more variable speeds and higher evening congestion. In-building penetration can be an issue in wooded or low-lying areas.
• Backhaul and fiber: Fiber backhaul follows main transportation/utility routes; off-corridor sites may face constrained backhaul, affecting peak performance compared with metro Virginia.
• Fixed broadband context: Cable/fiber availability is spotty outside denser pockets; this pushes residents toward:
  • Mobile hotspotting and 4G/5G fixed wireless (where available).
  • Satellite (e.g., Starlink) as a complement or alternative.
• Public safety and community access: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage focuses on state routes and population centers; public Wi‑Fi is concentrated at schools, libraries, and county facilities, creating “connectivity hubs” used by students and remote workers.

Bottom line differences vs state-level

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption, driven by an older age mix and rural housing patterns.
• Significantly higher smartphone-only internet reliance and plan price sensitivity.
• Network experience is more coverage-driven (gaps, indoor signal) with less consistent mid‑band 5G than urban/suburban Virginia, leading to more carrier hedging, hotspot use, and variable performance.

Below is a concise, best-available picture for Amelia County, VA. Exact county-level platform metrics aren’t publicly reported, so figures are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media data, rural-user differentials, and the county’s older-leaning demographics. Treat percentages as reasonable ranges.

Snapshot of users

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~70–78% of adults
• Predominantly mobile use; broadband gaps mean video is often watched on phones and at lower resolutions
• Share of social users by age (approx.): 18–29: 15–20%; 30–49: 30–35%; 50–64: 25–30%; 65+: 20–25%
• Gender among social users: Women ~52–55%; Men ~45–48% (Pinterest, Instagram skew more female; Reddit, X skew more male)

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: ~70–80%
• Facebook: ~60–70% (highest daily-use platform locally)
• Instagram: ~30–40%
• TikTok: ~25–35%
• Pinterest: ~25–35% (mostly women)
• Snapchat: ~20–30% (concentrated under 35)
• LinkedIn: ~10–20% (lower in rural areas)
• X/Twitter: ~12–20%
• WhatsApp: ~10–15%
• Reddit: ~10–15%
• Nextdoor: ~5–10% (limited in low-density areas)

Age-pattern highlights

• 18–29: YouTube 90%+, Instagram ~70–80%, TikTok ~60–70%, Snapchat ~65–75%, Facebook ~40–50%
• 30–49: Facebook ~70–80%, YouTube ~85–90%, Instagram ~45–55%, TikTok ~35–45%, Snapchat ~25–35%, Pinterest ~35–45%
• 50–64: Facebook ~65–75%, YouTube ~70–80%, Instagram ~25–35%, TikTok ~15–25%, Pinterest ~25–35%
• 65+: Facebook ~55–65%, YouTube ~55–65%, Instagram ~10–20%, TikTok ~8–15%

Gender tendencies by platform

• More female: Pinterest (strong), Instagram (slight), Facebook (slight)
• More male: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), YouTube (slight)
• Mixed/age-dependent: TikTok, Snapchat

Behavioral trends to expect locally

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for schools, road/weather updates, churches, youth sports, county services; strong Marketplace activity
• Video behavior: short vertical video via Facebook Reels/TikTok; YouTube for DIY, equipment repair, homesteading, hunting/outdoors
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominant; SMS prevalent; WhatsApp niche
• Participation pattern: majority “lurkers”; a small set of admins and power users drive posts and comment threads
• Timing: engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend midday bumps
• Content that performs: practical local info, events, deals from small businesses, highlight reels of local youth sports, public safety updates; authenticity and community ties outperform slick creative
• Ad/targeting notes: radius-based targeting (15–35 miles) works; include phone, directions, hours; emphasize trust signals and speedy response
• Cautions: higher-than-average scam awareness posts; sensitivity around school topics and local politics; avoid polarizing content

Method note: Estimates are derived from Pew’s national platform usage by age/gender with rural adjustments and Amelia County’s older-skewing population profile. For a precise local baseline, corroborate with insights from local Facebook Group/admin metrics, county agency page analytics, and Google/Meta ads audience estimators.