Buchanan County

Here are key demographics for Buchanan County, Virginia (latest available: 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates unless noted):

Population

• Total population: ~19,700 (2020 Census: 20,355)

Age

• Median age: ~46 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Sex

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin

• White alone: ~96%
• Black or African American alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~1–2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%

Households and family structure

• Total households: ~8,200–8,500
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~64% (average family size ~2.8–2.9)
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Households made up of individuals: ~30% (about 13% with a householder 65+ living alone)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP02). Figures are estimates and may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Buchanan County, VA — estimated email usage

• Estimated users: 12–15k residents (about 60–75% of the 19–20k population). Among adults, roughly 70–85% use email at least occasionally.
• Age pattern (share using email):
  • 13–17: ~60–70%
  • 18–34: ~90%+
  • 35–54: ~90%+
  • 55–64: ~80–85%
  • 65+: ~60–75%
• Gender split: Approximately even (about 49–51%).
• Digital access trends: Household broadband subscription lags the Virginia average; many residents rely on smartphone-only internet and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, county buildings). Fiber and fixed‑wireless projects supported by state/federal programs (e.g., VATI, BEAD) are expanding coverage in town centers and along main road corridors; adoption has been ticking up a few percentage points per year as new service areas come online.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Low-density, mountainous terrain (~35–40 people per square mile) and scattered hollows make last‑mile builds costly and slow, leaving pockets with limited or no fixed service and occasional weather‑related reliability issues.

Basis: County population and ACS-style connectivity patterns combined with Pew Research email adoption by age; figures are modeled estimates.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Buchanan County, Virginia

Quick snapshot

• Overall adoption is high but below Virginia’s average. Mobile phones are a primary connection for many households because wired broadband options are limited and expensive in mountainous terrain.
• Coverage is dominated by 4G LTE with patchy 5G along main corridors; indoor and hollow coverage gaps remain common.
• The county’s older, lower‑income profile pulls down smartphone adoption relative to the state, while raising the share of smartphone‑only households.

Estimated users and access (order‑of‑magnitude, 2022–2024 conditions)

• Population/households: ~19–20k residents; ~7.5–8.0k households.
• Households with a smartphone: about 70–78% (≈5.3k–6.2k households). Virginia statewide is ~90%+.
• Households with any cellular data plan: roughly 60–70% (VA ~80–85%).
• Smartphone‑only internet households (no home broadband): about 16–25% (≈1.2k–2.0k households). VA ~9–12%.
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: ~20–28% (VA ~10–12%).
• Adult smartphone users: roughly 11k–14k residents. Many rely on prepaid/MVNO plans.

Demographic breakdown and implications

• Age: Older median age (mid‑40s) than Virginia’s ~38. Seniors (65+) in the county are less likely to own smartphones or use mobile data than seniors statewide; younger adults are more likely to be smartphone‑only for internet.
• Income: Lower median income and higher poverty rates than the state drive price sensitivity. Prepaid plans and lower‑cost Android devices are more common; data caps and hotspot plans are used to substitute for home broadband.
• Education: Lower college‑completion rates correlate with lower overall adoption and more limited app/telehealth/online‑service use compared with the state.
• Race/ethnicity: A largely White, rural population; usage differences here are driven more by age, income, and infrastructure than by race.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage mix: Predominantly 4G LTE. 5G is present in/near towns and along US‑460/other corridors but is discontinuous; users often fall back to LTE. In contrast, much of Virginia’s metro population has consistent mid‑band 5G.
• Carrier landscape: Verizon and AT&T generally provide the most reliable rural coverage; T‑Mobile’s low‑band 5G reaches some corridors but is spottier in hollows. MVNOs ride these networks with similar footprint but may deprioritize during congestion.
• Terrain effects: Steep ridges and hollows create dead zones and weak indoor signals, increasing the value of Wi‑Fi calling where broadband exists. This terrain challenge is far more acute than in most of Virginia.
• Tower density/backhaul: Fewer macro sites per square mile than state averages; towers cluster along ridgelines and roads. Limited fiber backhaul in some areas constrains 5G upgrades and peak speeds.
• Speeds/latency (typical): LTE in hollows can drop below 10 Mbps; towns/corridors more often see 20–80 Mbps. Virginia metros commonly exceed 100–300 Mbps on 5G with lower latency.
• Public safety: AT&T FirstNet presence on some sites, but in‑building coverage gaps persist; text‑to‑911 and location accuracy depend heavily on local site geometry.

Behavioral patterns different from state‑level

• Higher reliance on mobile as primary internet: Smartphone‑only households are notably higher than the Virginia average due to scarce/pricey wired options.
• More prepaid and MVNO usage: Budget constraints and variable coverage encourage plan‑hopping and prepaid adoption compared to the state.
• Lower 5G utilization: Even where 5G exists, device mix and patchy mid‑band coverage reduce real‑world 5G usage versus statewide patterns.
• Greater sensitivity to signal quality: Residents adapt with signal boosters, outdoor antennas, and Wi‑Fi calling; this is far less common in Virginia’s urban/suburban areas.
• Slower app uptake in older cohorts: Telehealth, mobile banking, and streaming via mobile data grow, but seniors adopt these services at lower rates than statewide.

What to watch (near term)

• Fiber builds and BEAD/ARPA projects: As new middle‑mile and last‑mile fiber arrives, carriers gain backhaul for 5G upgrades, and households may shift from smartphone‑only to mixed home+mobile connectivity.
• Carrier infill and band additions: New low‑band 5G and added LTE bands on existing towers could meaningfully improve indoor coverage if backhaul keeps pace.

Data notes

• Estimates reflect patterns from the Census Bureau’s ACS Computer and Internet Use tables (county vs. Virginia), FCC mobile coverage filings, carrier public coverage maps, and rural Appalachian benchmarks through 2022–2024. Exact, current figures can be pulled from the latest ACS 5‑year tables and FCC maps if needed.

Below is an estimate-based snapshot of social media use in Buchanan County, VA. Exact county-level platform stats aren’t published; figures reflect Pew Research 2024 U.S. platform usage, rural-user patterns, and the county’s older age profile.

High-level user stats

• Population: ~19–20k residents
• Regular social media users: ~10k–13k residents (all ages), with most access via smartphones and spotty home broadband outside town centers
• Device behavior: mobile-first; many are on limited data plans, so short video and image posts perform best

Age mix of local social audience (est.)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 10–12%
• 25–34: 15–18%
• 35–49: 25–28%
• 50–64: 25–28%
• 65+: 15–18% Skew: Older adults are a larger share of local social media users than the U.S. average.

Gender breakdown (est.)

• Overall social audience: roughly 52–55% female, 45–48% male
• Facebook/Instagram skew female; YouTube/Reddit skew male

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult internet users, est.)

• Facebook: 65–75% — the default local network; Groups, Marketplace, school/church updates
• YouTube: 75–85% — DIY, auto, outdoors, local sports clips; heavy passive consumption
• Instagram: 25–40% — strongest under 35; local sports/cheer, boutiques
• TikTok: 20–30% — teens/20s; growth in 30–44; local “what’s happening” and trades content
• Snapchat: 20–30% — teens/young adults; private, ephemeral messaging
• Pinterest: 20–30% — women 25–54; crafts, recipes, home, wedding/party planning
• X (Twitter): 10–18% — news, weather, emergency updates; small but influential
• LinkedIn: 8–15% — lowest penetration; useful for educators/health/professionals
• Reddit: 10–15% — male-skewed; tech, gaming, outdoors; not hyperlocal

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups drive information flow (weather, road closures, school sports, church events, fundraisers, yard sales)
• Marketplace heavy: Buying/selling used goods and services is a top Facebook activity
• Video wins: Short, captioned clips (local events, how-tos, sports highlights) outperform photos/text
• Timing: Evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends see the highest engagement; school-year spikes around after-school hours
• Trust and local voice: Posts from known local people, schools, churches, and government pages get outsized reach; skepticism toward nonlocal pages
• Connectivity constraints: Mobile-only users and uneven broadband favor concise posts, small file sizes, subtitles, and offline-friendly content
• Youth split: Teens/20s cluster on TikTok/Snapchat; cross-posting to Instagram helps capture under-35s, but Facebook remains necessary for reach

Source note: Estimates synthesized from Pew Research Center 2024 social media adoption, rural usage patterns, and ACS/Census demographics for an older, rural Appalachian county profile.