Charlottesville City County

Here are key demographics for Charlottesville city, Virginia (independent city; often listed as “Charlottesville City County”):

• Population

  • 46,553 (2020 Decennial Census)
  • ~46.8k (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate)

• Age (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Under 18: ~13%
  • 18–24: ~33%
  • 25–44: ~28%
  • 45–64: ~16%
  • 65+: ~10%
  • Median age: ~31 years

• Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Female: ~52%
  • Male: ~48%

• Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is any race)

  • White (non-Hispanic): ~64%
  • Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~19%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): ~8%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~7%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~4%
  • Other (including AIAN, NHPI, some other race): ~1–2%

• Households (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Total households: ~18.7k
  • Average household size: ~2.2
  • Family households: ~39%; Nonfamily: ~61%
  • One-person households: ~42%
  • Households with children under 18: ~16%
  • Tenure: ~39% owner-occupied, ~61% renter-occupied

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Summary: Email usage in Charlottesville (independent city), Virginia

• Estimated users: ~35,000–38,000 adult email users. Basis: ~46k residents; ~85% are 18+; ~90–95% of adults use email (Pew-style adoption).
• Age distribution of email users (estimate):
  • 18–34: ~40–45% (large UVA student/young-professional base)
  • 35–54: ~30–35%
  • 55–64: ~10–12%
  • 65+: ~12–15% (slightly lower adoption than younger cohorts)
• Gender split among users: near parity, ~51% female / 49% male (email adoption shows minimal gender gap).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~88–90% of households have a broadband subscription; ~92–95% have a computer/smartphone (ACS-style indicators).
  • Small but persistent gap: roughly 8–12% of households lack home broadband; smartphone‑only internet likely in low‑teens percent.
  • Strong campus and public access via UVA networks and Jefferson‑Madison Regional Library branches.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density roughly 4,500–4,800 people per square mile, supporting dense network coverage.
  • Multiple high-speed options: gigabit fiber present (e.g., Ting; additional fiber builds), cable broadband, and 5G from major carriers.

Notes: Figures are rounded estimates synthesized from ACS and Pew-like adoption rates tailored to Charlottesville’s age mix.

Below is a concise, locality-first view of mobile phone usage in Charlottesville (independent city), Virginia, with estimates, demographics, and infrastructure highlights. Figures are directional estimates synthesized from ACS internet-subscription patterns, Pew smartphone adoption levels, carrier coverage disclosures, and the city’s university-driven profile.

How Charlottesville differs from Virginia overall

• Higher smartphone penetration and device density due to the University of Virginia (UVA) and a large renter/student base.
• More “mobile-only” internet substitution (smartphone/cellular data plan as primary connection) than the statewide average.
• Faster 5G uptake and generally higher median speeds in the urban core; more small-cell density than is typical for a city its size.
• Likely higher iOS share (affluent, college-town skew) than Virginia overall.
• Access constraints are more about affordability and data caps than signal availability; statewide gaps are more often about geography/coverage.

User estimates (resident-focused, plus daytime inflow)

• Population context: ~47–50k residents; large daily inflow from UVA students, faculty, staff, healthcare, and visitors.
• Adult smartphone users (residents): ~37k–40k (roughly 92–95% of adults; college-town effect pushes this above the VA average).
• Households using cellular data as primary connection (smartphone-only/mobile-only): ~22–28% in the city vs ~15–20% statewide. Elevated by students and renters who forgo wired broadband.
• Households with any cellular data plan: roughly 75–85% locally (a bit above Virginia overall, reflecting near-universal smartphone access).
• Device density in the footprint (unique devices present on a typical weekday, including nonresidents): plausibly 70k–90k, driven by UVA and regional commuters.

Demographic patterns

• Age: 18–29 adoption is near-universal locally and materially higher than VA overall; seniors (65+) are also a touch higher than the state due to better tech support ecosystems (UVA/health system/library), but still represent the lowest-adoption group.
• Income and housing: Charlottesville’s higher renter share and student concentration translate to more mobile-only internet use than the state average; lower-income households are overrepresented in smartphone-only usage (cost avoidance of home broadband).
• Race/ethnicity: As in Virginia broadly, smartphone ownership is high across groups; the main gap is in wired broadband. That produces higher mobile-only dependence among Black and Hispanic households locally, similar to state trends but slightly amplified by housing mix and affordability pressures.
• Platform mix: iOS share likely above Virginia’s average (college/affluence skew), with strong family-plan penetration among students.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all provide contiguous 5G across the city. Mid-band 5G (C-band for Verizon/AT&T; 2.5 GHz for T-Mobile) is widely available in the core; LTE fallback is strong citywide.
• Capacity/densification: More small cells than typical for a city this size, especially around UVA Grounds/hospital area, the Downtown Mall, and along major corridors (US-29, I-64 approaches). This is a key differentiator from many VA localities.
• Speeds/latency (typical, indicative): Mid-band 5G in core areas commonly delivers ~100–300 Mbps down with sub-30 ms latency; LTE often ~10–50 Mbps. These medians tend to outpace statewide figures and are far higher than rural VA.
• Backhaul/fiber: Multiple fiber providers support robust mobile backhaul. Notably, Ting Fiber has a strong city presence alongside incumbents (e.g., Comcast) and regional long-haul routes (e.g., along I-64/US-29). Ample backhaul helps carriers keep 5G capacity high.
• Public and campus Wi‑Fi: City-sponsored Wi‑Fi is available in key civic spaces (e.g., Downtown Mall/transit areas), and UVA provides extensive eduroam/guest coverage. Wi‑Fi offload meaningfully supplements cellular capacity in the core.
• Resilience/public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is strong around UVA Health and city public-safety sites; dense urban fiber aids redundancy.
• Gaps: Few geographic dead zones inside city limits; biggest pain points are affordability, indoor attenuation in older brick structures (mitigated by small cells/Wi‑Fi), and occasional congestion during major events.

Usage behaviors that stand out locally

• High data consumption from streaming, campus apps, telemedicine/health portals, and collaboration tools tied to UVA and UVA Health.
• Heavy reliance on ride‑hailing, delivery, and micromobility apps relative to many Virginia localities of similar size.
• Lower prepaid share among students (family plans dominate), though prepaid remains important for lower-income residents.

What this means for planning and outreach

• Network planners: Small-cell and mid-band 5G investments will continue to yield outsized benefits in the campus/downtown core; event-driven surge planning matters (athletics, graduation, festivals).
• Digital inclusion: Subsidized plans, device assistance, and data-cap relief will do more to close gaps than new coverage builds; leverage public Wi‑Fi zones and library hotspot lending.
• Measurement: Local KPIs should track smartphone-only households and indoor performance in multifamily/student housing—both diverge from statewide norms.

Below is a concise, model-based snapshot for Charlottesville (independent city), using 2024 U.S. platform adoption benchmarks (Pew/DataReportal) adjusted for the city’s strong 18–24 presence (UVA). Figures are estimates, shown as ranges.

Population base used

• Charlottesville city population ~47k; estimated social-media users (monthly): 32k–36k (≈70–78% of residents)
• Note: Including Albemarle County lifts the total addressable audience to roughly 80k–95k social-media users.

Age mix of local social-media users (share of users, est.)

• 13–17: 6–8%
• 18–24: 22–28% (UVA-driven)
• 25–34: 20–24%
• 35–54: 28–34%
• 55+: 16–20%

Gender breakdown (share of users, est.)

• Female: 51–54%
• Male: 46–49%
• Platform skews: Pinterest (female), Reddit (male), Snapchat/TikTok (slight female tilt), LinkedIn (near parity), Facebook (near parity overall; older skew).

Most-used platforms locally (share of social-media users, est.)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 60–68% (very strong 35+; Groups are a key driver)
• Instagram: 50–58% (strong 18–34)
• TikTok: 35–45% (very strong 18–24)
• Snapchat: 28–38% (teens/college)
• LinkedIn: 28–35% (university/healthcare/professional services)
• Pinterest: 28–36% (home, food, events; female skew)
• X/Twitter: 18–25% (news, sports, politics)
• Reddit: 18–24% (tech/gaming/UVA subreddits)
• Nextdoor: 12–20% (homeowners/neighborhoods)
• WhatsApp: 18–26% (international/parent groups)
• Messenger: 55–65% (messaging layer on FB usage)

Behavioral trends

• Student gravity: 18–24s over-index on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; heavy use of Stories/Reels; strong engagement with UVA sports, campus life, nightlife, and rental/roommate groups.
• Community-first on Facebook: High activity in local Groups (buy-sell-trade, events, parenting, housing, mutual aid). Event posts, school updates, city services, and local politics perform well.
• Local news and sports: X/Twitter and Facebook used for breaking news (NBC29, CBS19, Daily Progress), weather/closures, UVA athletics; Reddit for discussion and AMAs.
• Neighborhood info: Nextdoor for safety alerts, lost/found, city infrastructure and zoning chatter; older homeowners most active.
• Food/arts/outdoors: Instagram and TikTok drive discovery for restaurants, breweries/cideries, farmers markets, music at Ting Pavilion, and Blue Ridge/Shenandoah outings; UGC and geotagged short-form video perform best.
• Cause-driven spikes: Engagement surges around elections, housing/land-use, sustainability, and transportation topics; shareable explainers and concise calls-to-action spread on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
• Messaging over comments: Many conversions happen via DMs (Instagram/Messenger) rather than public comments; businesses that respond quickly see better outcomes.

How to read this

• Percentages are estimates derived by applying U.S. adoption rates to Charlottesville’s demographic profile, then nudging for the university effect (larger 18–24 cohort). If you meant Charlottesville + Albemarle together, expect similar percentages but roughly 2–3x the user counts.