Danville City County

Key demographics — Danville city (county-equivalent), Virginia Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

• Population: ~42,000
• Age:
  • Median age: ~42
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 65 and over: ~22%
• Sex:
  • Female: ~54%
  • Male: ~46%
• Race/ethnicity (percent of total population):
  • Black or African American: ~50%
  • White: ~43%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Asian: ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Households:
  • Number of households: ~18,900
  • Average household size: ~2.2
  • Family households: ~57% (married-couple ~27%)
  • Households with children under 18: ~23%
  • Householder living alone: ~36% (65+ living alone: ~16%)

Note: Danville is an independent city in Virginia and is treated as a county-equivalent for federal statistics. Figures rounded for readability.

Danville, VA (independent city) snapshot

• Population: ~42–43K residents.
• Estimated email users: ~30–34K (roughly 70–80% of residents). Method: local internet adoption (≈78–82% of people) × near‑universal email use among internet users (≈90–95%, per national studies).
• Age distribution of email use (localized from national patterns):
  • 13–17: ~93–97%
  • 18–34: ~96–99%
  • 35–54: ~93–97%
  • 55–64: ~88–92%
  • 65+: ~75–82%
• Gender split: City population skews slightly female (~52–54%); email usage is roughly even by gender, so users are ~51–53% female, ~47–49% male.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with broadband: ~75–80%; computer access near 85–90%.
  • Higher smartphone‑only access (≈10–15%) than state average due to income mix.
  • Adoption rises with income and education; seniors and lower‑income households lag.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Compact small city (~900–1,000 people/sq mi) with strong coverage in the urban core (cable, 5G; growing fiber).
  • Municipal/open‑access fiber backbone and regional middle‑mile assets support business districts and are expanding residential options; public libraries and community centers provide free Wi‑Fi and devices.

Notes: Figures are estimates synthesizing ACS internet subscription data and national email adoption research.

Below is a concise, decision-oriented snapshot of mobile phone usage in Danville (independent city, county‑equivalent), Virginia. Figures are estimates based on national/state benchmarks adjusted for Danville’s population size, income/age profile, and infrastructure. Emphasis is on how Danville diverges from Virginia overall.

Quick take

• Danville’s residents are slightly less likely to own smartphones than the Virginia average, but more likely to rely on mobile as their primary internet connection.
• Prepaid, Android, and MVNO usage are notably higher than state averages.
• 5G coverage exists across the urban core, but mid‑band depth and device adoption lag wealthier Virginia metros; reliance on macro sites remains higher.
• Strong middle‑mile fiber locally helps carrier backhaul, but last‑mile affordability and device turnover temper end‑user experience.

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~41–43k residents; ~33–35k adults; ~18–19k households.
• Adult smartphone users: ~28–31k (≈84–88% of adults, vs ~90–92% statewide).
• Teens (13–17) with smartphones: ~2.3–2.8k (≈90–95% penetration; similar to state).
• Total unique smartphone users (all ages): ~31–33k.
• Total active cellular lines (phones + tablets/wearables + business): ~40–48k.
• Mobile-only home internet (no fixed broadband): ~25–30% of households (≈4.5–5.7k homes), higher than Virginia’s ~16–20%.
• Prepaid share of lines: ~35–45% (vs ~20–30% statewide).
• iPhone share of smartphones: ~45–50% (vs ~60–65% statewide).
• 5G-capable device penetration: ~65–75% of smartphones (vs ~75–85% statewide).

Demographic/behavioral patterns (how Danville differs from Virginia)

• Income and affordability
  • Median household income is well below the Virginia median, correlating with higher prepaid/MVNO use, longer device replacement cycles, and heavier reliance on unlimited data + hotspotting.
  • Historically higher Lifeline/ACP participation; with ACP funding curtailed in 2024, more households appear to have shifted to mobile-only connectivity.
• Age
  • Older population share is higher than the state average; smartphone ownership among 65+ likely ~60–65% (vs ~70–75% in Virginia), with more basic/feature phone use.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Danville’s larger share of Black residents (relative to the state average) and growing Hispanic population align with higher mobile-only reliance (consistent with national patterns), and greater usage of value carriers (Cricket, Metro, Boost) and MVNOs.
• Education/occupation
  • Lower bachelor’s-degree attainment and fewer remote-eligible jobs mean less demand for high-end devices and fixed gigabit service; mobile use skews to social/video, messaging, and telehealth rather than home office workloads.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Coverage and spectrum utilization
  • All three national carriers cover the city; low‑band 5G is broadly available in-town. Mid‑band 5G (n41/C‑band) depth is improving along major corridors but is spottier than in NOVA/Richmond/Hampton Roads.
  • Expect good macro coverage along US‑29, US‑58, and the Dan River corridor; terrain/trees at the urban edges and toward rural Pittsylvania can create shadow zones and capacity dips.
  • mmWave is minimal to non‑existent outside specific venues.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Danville benefits from strong middle‑mile assets (regional fiber backbones and the city’s open‑access fiber initiatives) that carriers can use for backhaul. This is a relative strength versus many rural localities, but end-user gains depend on carrier investment and device mix.
• Site density and small cells
  • Urban core coverage is macro‑site led, with selective small‑cell use near high‑traffic corridors and campuses. Overall small‑cell density lags large Virginia metros.
• Public connectivity
  • Public Wi‑Fi present in libraries, schools, and some civic/downtown venues supports offloading but is not a universal substitute for home broadband.
• Emergency and public safety
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence supports public safety communications; commercial users may see priority-related performance variability during incidents.

Usage and performance tendencies vs Virginia

• Higher: mobile-only households; prepaid/MVNO adoption; Android share; hotspot use; sensitivity to price and data deprioritization.
• Lower: average smartphone ownership among seniors; iPhone share; 5G device penetration and mid‑band 5G availability; average downlink speeds at cell edges; small‑cell density.
• More variable: congestion during weekend events/travel peaks along US‑29/US‑58; performance in hilly/tree‑dense fringe areas.

What this means for planning

• Operators: Best ROI from targeted mid‑band 5G infill along core corridors and neighborhoods with high mobile-only reliance; prioritize capacity over raw coverage. Prepaid/MVNO channel partnerships and device financing are key.
• Public sector/NGOs: Post‑ACP, expect increased demand for device subsidies, digital literacy, and public Wi‑Fi that supports homework/telehealth. Leveraging municipal/open‑access fiber for neutral‑host small cells can improve density at lower cost.
• Enterprises/venues: Expect mixed device base and sensitivity to deprioritization; private LTE/5G or managed Wi‑Fi may be warranted for reliability.

Assumptions and notes

• Estimates use ACS‑style population/household counts and national/state mobile adoption benchmarks adjusted for Danville’s income/age mix. For validation or finer granularity, check: FCC National Broadband Map (coverage by technology), carrier 5G maps, ACS 1‑year tables for income/age/education, and Pew smartphone adoption by age/income.

Below is a concise, estimates-based snapshot for Danville (independent city), VA. County-level social media figures are rarely published; values reflect Pew Research 2023–2024 U.S. usage patterns adjusted for Danville’s older-leaning age mix and small-city context.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~78–84%
• Daily social use (any platform, among users): ~65–70%

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use)

• YouTube: ~75–82%
• Facebook: ~60–70%
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~28–36%
• Snapchat: ~22–30%
• Pinterest: ~20–30% (notably higher among women)
• LinkedIn: ~15–22% (lower than national average given occupational mix)
• X (Twitter): ~15–22%
• Reddit: ~12–20%
• Nextdoor: ~8–15% (varies by neighborhood/homeownership)

Age-group patterns (share of each age group using)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~90%+, TikTok ~60–70%, Snapchat ~60–70%, Instagram ~55–65%, Facebook ~20–30%
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%+, Instagram ~65–75%, Snapchat ~55–65%, TikTok ~50–60%, Facebook ~45–55%
• 30–49: YouTube ~80–90%, Facebook ~65–75%, Instagram ~40–50%, TikTok ~30–40%, Snapchat ~25–35%
• 50–64: Facebook ~65–75%, YouTube ~70–80%, Instagram ~25–35%, TikTok ~15–25%
• 65+: Facebook ~55–65%, YouTube ~55–65%, Instagram ~15–25%, TikTok ~8–15%

Gender tendencies (share of adults in each gender using)

• Women: Facebook ~65–75%, Instagram ~40–50%, TikTok ~28–36%, Pinterest ~30–40%
• Men: YouTube ~80–88%, Facebook ~55–65%, Instagram ~30–40%, TikTok ~25–33%, Reddit ~15–25%, X ~18–26%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for local news, yard sales, jobs, churches, school and city updates, lost-and-found pets, and events.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives the highest engagement; YouTube is the go-to for how-to, sports highlights, and long-form.
• Younger cohorts split attention: 13–29 lean Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok for messaging, entertainment, and event discovery; many don’t see Facebook content unless cross-posted to IG.
• Older cohorts are power-Facebook users: frequent sharing, commenting, and reliance on local pages for information; Messenger commonly used for coordination.
• Timing: Peaks around early morning, lunch, and evenings; weekends see stronger event and sports engagement.
• Trust anchors: High interaction with pages/accounts tied to local government, schools, first responders, local news, faith groups, and youth/rec sports.
• Nextdoor is present but neighborhood-dependent; homeowners and HOA areas more active.
• LinkedIn niche: useful for hospitals, education, public sector, and major employers, but overall smaller reach.

Note: Figures are best-available estimates derived from national and small-city trends applied to Danville’s demographics. For campaign planning, validate with platform ad-reach tools targeted to Danville and adjacent ZIPs.