Chesterfield County

Key demographics for Chesterfield County, Virginia (U.S. Census/ACS; figures rounded)

• Population

  • 364,548 (2020 Census)
  • ~385,000 (2019–2023 ACS estimate)

• Age

  • Median age: ~39 years
  • Under 18: ~24–25%
  • 65 and over: ~15–16%

• Gender

  • Female: ~52%
  • Male: ~48%

• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~60%
  • Black/African American, non-Hispanic: ~22%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~10%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~4%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • Other (AIAN, NHPI, other), non-Hispanic: ~1–2%

• Households and housing

  • Total households: ~136,000
  • Average household size: ~2.7
  • Family households: ~73% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~33–35%
  • Owner-occupied: ~75%
  • Renter-occupied: ~25%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.

Chesterfield County, VA — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated email users: 270,000–300,000. Basis: population ≈370k; adults ≈75–78%; 90–95% of adults use email (Pew-like national rates), plus most teens 13–17 with school accounts.
• Age pattern:
  • 18–29: very high adoption (≈95%+ use email).
  • 30–49: near-universal and highest daily use.
  • 50–64: high adoption (≈90%+).
  • 65+: strong but lower (≈80–88%), rising steadily.
• Gender split among users: roughly mirrors county population (≈51% female, 49% male); no meaningful gender gap in email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription rates are high (ACS data suggest high-80s to low-90s of households in similar VA suburbs).
  • 10–15% of households are smartphone‑only internet users; mobile access is a key on‑ramp for lower‑income and younger residents.
  • 5G/LTE from major carriers is widespread along I‑95/I‑288 corridors; fiber/coax coverage is broad, with remaining gaps in more exurban/southern areas seeing incremental build‑outs.
• Local density/connectivity context: Suburban county in the Richmond metro, ~800–900 people per square mile; most residents live within established cable/fiber footprints, supporting high email and internet adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Chesterfield County, VA (2025 snapshot)

Scope and method

• Estimates combine county population/household characteristics with recent national adoption rates (Pew Research, FCC mobile coverage data, ACS “Computer and Internet Use”). Figures are ranges to reflect uncertainty and recent growth.

User estimates

• Population base: ~370,000 residents; ~280,000 adults (18+); ~135,000–140,000 households.
• Smartphone users: 265,000–285,000 total (about 88–92% of adults plus most teens).
• Households with a cellular data plan: roughly 105,000–120,000 (about 75–85% of households have at least one smartphone/data plan).
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no home wireline broadband): about 12,000–17,000 (≈9–12%). This is lower than Virginia statewide, where mobile-only reliance is closer to the mid-teens.
• 5G device/plan penetration: materially above the statewide average due to suburban income and strong mid-band coverage; county likely in the mid-60s to low-70s percent of smartphone users on 5G-capable devices vs lower- to mid-60s statewide.

Demographic breakdown (how use differs within the county)

• Age
  • 18–49: near-universal smartphone ownership (>95%); heavy app-based engagement and multiple lines per household common.
  • 50–64: high ownership (≈85–90%); rising 5G upgrade rates.
  • 65+: majority smartphone ownership (≈70–80%), but lower 5G plan uptake and more shared family plans.
• Income and education
  • Higher county median incomes and a larger share of bachelor’s degrees than the state average correlate with more postpaid family plans, more devices per household, and lower mobile-only internet reliance.
  • Lower-income tracts (e.g., around Ettrick/VSU and parts of eastern/central Chesterfield) show notably higher smartphone-only internet dependence than the county average.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic residents (a substantial minority of the county) are more likely to be smartphone-first for internet access than White and Asian residents, consistent with national patterns; however, the county’s overall affordability and suburban infrastructure temper the gap relative to statewide figures.
• Household composition
  • Higher share of family households with children than the state average supports above-average adoption of multi-line postpaid plans and device bundling (watches, tablets).

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile provide countywide LTE and extensive 5G. Mid-band 5G (Verizon C-band, T‑Mobile n41) covers most populated corridors; AT&T 5G+ present in key commercial areas.
• Capacity hotspots/upgrades since 2022: along Route 288, I‑95/I‑295, Midlothian Turnpike (US‑60), Hull Street Rd (US‑360), and around Chesterfield Towne Center/John Tyler CC/VSU. Small cells and sector splits are common in these corridors.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): Verizon 5G Home and T‑Mobile Home Internet are widely marketed; adoption is growing in exurban and new‑build areas lacking fiber, shifting some home usage onto mobile networks at evening peaks.
• Wireline context: Cable broadband (Xfinity) is widespread in denser suburbs; fiber is present in select new developments and business parks but is not universal. Southern/western tracts (e.g., Winterpock, Matoaca) have more wireline gaps, driving higher mobile reliance.
• Coverage pain points: indoor signal challenges in newer energy‑efficient homes, river-adjacent areas (James/Swift Creek), and pockets of heavily wooded subdivisions; these are mitigated by Wi‑Fi calling where robust home broadband exists.

How Chesterfield differs from Virginia statewide

• Lower smartphone-only (mobile-only) internet reliance: County ≈9–12% vs statewide closer to mid-teens, reflecting better wireline availability and higher incomes.
• Higher 5G adoption and performance: Earlier, denser mid‑band 5G build in the Richmond metro yields faster median mobile speeds and more 5G devices than the statewide mix, which includes many rural tracts still on LTE.
• More postpaid family plans, fewer prepaid: Affluence and family demographics skew toward carrier postpaid bundles; prepaid share is lower than the state average.
• Usage patterns: Demand is concentrated in suburban residential and retail corridors with commuter peaks, rather than the sharper rural coverage constraints and urban core density issues that drive statewide averages.
• Infrastructure density: More small cells and upgraded macro sites per square mile than typical Virginia counties outside major metros, supporting higher capacity and 5G availability.

Implications

• For outreach and services: Mobile apps and SMS remain effective countywide, but be mindful of mobile-only pockets near campus areas and southern/western tracts.
• For network planning: Continued small-cell densification in retail corridors and indoor coverage solutions in new construction will yield outsized user experience gains.
• For digital inclusion: Targeted programs in lower-income tracts can narrow remaining gaps; expansion of affordable wireline options will further reduce mobile-only dependence.

Chesterfield County, VA: social media snapshot (short)

Population context

• Residents: ≈375k–385k; adults 18+: ≈285k.
• Adult social-media users: ≈210k–230k (≈73–80% of adults). Teens (13–17) online/social use is >90%.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of local adults using each monthly)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• LinkedIn: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30%
• X (Twitter): 20–25%
• Reddit: 18–22%
• Nextdoor: 15–25% of households (usage concentrated in suburban neighborhoods)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 95%+, TikTok 60–70%, Snapchat 60–65%, Instagram ~60–70%, Facebook <30%.
• 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram 70%+, Snapchat 60%+, TikTok 50–60%, Facebook ~70%.
• 30–49: Facebook 75%+, YouTube 90%+, Instagram ~50%, TikTok ~35%, Pinterest ~40% (higher among women).
• 50–64: Facebook ~70%, YouTube ~80%, Instagram ~35%, Nextdoor ~20%.
• 65+: Facebook 50–60%, YouTube 60–65%, Nextdoor pockets of heavy use; Instagram/TikTok lower.

Gender breakdown (tendencies among local users)

• Overall users: ≈53–55% women, 45–47% men (mirrors county demographics).
• Platform skews: Facebook (55–60% women), Instagram (55% women), Pinterest (75–80% women), TikTok (60% women), Snapchat (55% women); YouTube (55% men), Reddit (65% men), X/Twitter (60% men), LinkedIn roughly balanced.

Behavioral trends to know

• Strong “local-first” behavior: high engagement with county government, schools, public safety, road/weather updates.
• Facebook Groups/Marketplace and Nextdoor drive neighborhood info, yard sales, home services, lost/found pets, and school/HOA updates.
• Short-form video growth: Reels/TikTok for food, youth sports, home projects, and local events; authenticity beats polish.
• Peak activity windows: weekdays 6:30–8:30 a.m., lunch, and 7–9 p.m.; weekend spikes around youth sports and community events.
• Event-driven surges: storms, school closings, traffic incidents, elections, and county service changes.
• Shopping/response: strong uptake for coupons, limited-time offers, and service promos; geo-target around Midlothian Turnpike/Hull Street retail corridors.
• Messaging backchannels: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp (notably among Hispanic households) for family and community coordination.
• News sources: heavy sharing from Richmond metro outlets (NBC12, CBS6, RTD) and local creators; cross-posting between Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube is common.

Notes

• Percentages are estimates applying recent U.S. usage rates to Chesterfield’s age mix and suburban profile; true county-level platform data isn’t published. For campaigns, validate with platform ad-reach tools filtered to Chesterfield ZIPs.