Greene County

Greene County, Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 20,552 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 41.0 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 22.9%
• 65 and over: 16.4%

Gender

• Female: 50.9%
• Male: 49.1%

Race and ethnicity

• White (alone): 85.5%
• Black or African American (alone): 6.4%
• Asian (alone): 1.2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native (alone): 0.3%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (alone): 0.1%
• Two or more races: 5.3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 5.9%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 80.1%

Households

• Total households: 7,559
• Persons per household (avg): 2.63
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 78%
• Housing units: ~8,100
• Vacancy implied by households vs. housing units is low, consistent with a predominantly owner-occupied, family-oriented housing stock

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (QuickFacts).

Email usage in Greene County, VA (estimates)

• Estimated users: ~15,300 adult email users (≈92% of ≈16,600 adults), with roughly three-quarters checking daily.
• Age distribution (usage rates): 18–29: ~99%; 30–49: ~98%; 50–64: ~96%; 65+: ~88%. Older adults drive most non-use.
• Gender split: Very even; women ~93% and men ~91% use email, yielding ~51% female and ~49% male among users.
• Digital access trends:
  • Broadband subscription: ~83% of households subscribe (up ~5–7 points since 2018).
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~15%, supporting heavy mobile email reliance.
  • Availability: ~91% of households have access to ≥100/20 Mbps fixed service; fiber is concentrated along the US‑29 corridor (Ruckersville area) and growing.
  • Gaps persist in mountainous western tracts bordering Shenandoah National Park, where terrain limits wired buildout and speeds.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ~135 people per square mile; residents cluster along US‑33 and US‑29, where provider competition and speeds are higher than in sparsely populated hollows.

Sources/method: County population and household connectivity from recent ACS/FCC datasets; email adoption rates from national Pew/industry benchmarks applied to local demographics.

Mobile phone usage in Greene County, Virginia (2024 snapshot)

Overall usage and penetration

• Population base: approximately 22,000 residents; about 17,000 adults.
• Active mobile subscriptions: 24,000–26,500 SIMs (110–120 subscriptions per 100 residents), consistent with national penetration but skewed toward phones rather than wearables/IoT.
• Adult smartphone users: about 14,000–15,000 (roughly 83–86% of adults).
• Mobile-only home internet: about 700–1,000 households rely primarily on cellular for home internet (roughly 9–12% of households), notably higher than the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• By age
  • 18–34: ~95–97% smartphone adoption; ~4,000 users. High video/social usage; highest mobile-only home internet reliance (about 18–25%).
  • 35–64: ~86–90% adoption; ~7,800–8,200 users. Heavy work and navigation use; growing hotspot use for hybrid/remote work.
  • 65+: ~62–72% adoption; ~2,500–2,900 users. Larger share remain voice/text-centric; increased use of large-screen phones and medical/wellness apps.
• By income/education
  • Households under $50k show lower fixed-broadband take-up and higher dependence on unlimited or prepaid mobile plans; mobile-only home internet around 15–20% in this bracket.
  • Households $100k+ exceed 90% smartphone adoption; mobile is complementary to cable/fiber, not a substitute.
• By geography within the county
  • US-29 corridor (e.g., Ruckersville to the Albemarle line): highest device density and data usage, stronger 5G and better in-building coverage.
  • Western foothills/park-adjacent areas: lower signal quality and speeds; more external antennas and signal boosters in use.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: All three national carriers operate macro coverage; service is strongest along US-29 and around Stanardsville. Terrain shielding near the Blue Ridge creates pockets of weak signal and uplink limitations.
• 5G availability
  • Low-band 5G covers an estimated 80–90% of residents, providing broad reach but LTE-like speeds in many spots.
  • Mid-band 5G (higher-capacity spectrum) concentrates along major corridors and denser clusters; estimated 35–55% population coverage, tapering quickly off the main roads.
• Speeds and capacity
  • Countywide outdoor median download speeds typically 45–75 Mbps; upload 6–15 Mbps. Along the US-29 corridor and near sector centers, 100–160 Mbps down is common at off-peak times.
  • In-building performance varies, with older construction and terrain shadowing causing fallbacks to LTE or low-band 5G indoors in outlying areas.
• Backhaul and redundancy: Fiber-fed sites line the main corridor; several rural sites depend on longer microwave hops, which can add latency and reduce peak throughput during congestion.
• Public safety and resilience: Coverage along primary evacuation and emergency routes is robust; park-adjacent backcountry remains spotty, and residents commonly report relying on Wi‑Fi calling or boosters at home.

How Greene County differs from Virginia overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: Greene’s 9–12% of households using cellular as their primary home internet is several points above the state average (roughly 6–9%), reflecting patchier fixed broadband in outlying areas.
• Less mid-band 5G: Estimated mid-band 5G population coverage trails the state by 20–30 percentage points, concentrating higher-capacity service in a narrower corridor footprint.
• Lower typical speeds: Countywide median download speeds are roughly 30–50% lower than the statewide median due to terrain, site spacing, and less mid-band density.
• More prepaid usage: Prepaid share is elevated (about 20–28% of lines), several points above the statewide mix, tied to price sensitivity and seasonal/secondary lines.
• Greater signal variability: Day-to-day experience swings more with location and time of day than in metro Virginia; external antennas, Wi‑Fi calling, and device band support have a larger impact on outcomes.

Key takeaways

• Mobile adoption is high and broadly mirrors the state, but Greene relies more on mobile for home connectivity and experiences wider performance gaps between corridor and rural areas.
• Expanding mid-band 5G coverage and fiber backhaul beyond the US-29 corridor would materially narrow the speed and reliability gap with statewide norms.
• Aging and lower-income segments are central to mobile-only usage; targeted plans, coverage improvements in foothill communities, and continued device affordability programs will have outsized impact.

Notes on method: Figures are 2024 modeled estimates triangulating recent ACS population and household counts, national/rural smartphone adoption benchmarks (Pew), statewide mobile penetration norms (industry reports), and typical rural 5G deployment patterns. Values are rounded to reflect reasonable county-scale uncertainty while remaining decision-useful.

Greene County, VA social media snapshot (2024)

Population context

• Total residents: ~21,000 (ACS 2023 estimate)
• Residents age 13+: ~17,800
• Estimated social media users (13+): 14,500–15,000 (≈81–84% of 13+)
• Gender split (county): ~51% female, ~49% male

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+, modeled from 2023–2024 Pew U.S. adult and teen usage applied to Greene County’s age mix)

• YouTube: ~85% (≈15,200 users)
• Facebook: ~60% (≈10,700)
• Instagram: ~50% (≈8,900)
• TikTok: ~40% (≈7,100)
• Pinterest: ~28% (≈5,000)
• Snapchat: ~32% (≈5,700)
• X (Twitter): ~20% (≈3,600)
• LinkedIn: ~22% (≈3,900)

Age-group share of social media users (modeled)

• 13–17: ~7% of users (high on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; lower on Facebook)
• 18–29: ~18% (heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near-universal)
• 30–44: ~26% (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube; growing TikTok/Reels consumption)
• 45–64: ~30% (Facebook dominant; YouTube for how‑to/news; some Pinterest)
• 65+: ~19% (Facebook and YouTube; lower adoption elsewhere)

Gender patterns (modeled)

• Female users ~51% of user base overall; over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
• Male users ~49%; over-index on YouTube, X, Reddit (smaller base), and LinkedIn
• Platform skews: Pinterest female-heavy; LinkedIn, YouTube slightly male-skewed; Facebook close to even in rural counties

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Virginia counties and applicable to Greene County

• Facebook as the community backbone: High engagement with local Groups (schools, youth sports, yard sales, road conditions, county alerts) and Marketplace; events and public-service posts get strong organic reach
• Short-form video growth: Reels/TikTok used for local businesses (food, real estate, outdoor recreation near Shenandoah/Blue Ridge); cross-posting to Instagram Reels common
• Messaging-first habits among younger users: Snapchat and Instagram DMs function as primary communication; brand interactions often start in DMs rather than comments
• YouTube utility: How-to content, local church streams, school events, and product research; strong pre-roll reach for local advertisers
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.), with weekend spikes around events and sports
• Content that performs: Hyper-local updates, limited-time offers, event reminders, spotlighting local people/causes; authentic, low‑production video outperforms polished ads
• Ads and targeting: Zip-code and radius targeting around Ruckersville/Stanardsville performs efficiently; boosted Facebook/Instagram posts drive cost-effective reach for events and local retail

How to read these numbers

• County-level, platform-by-platform measurements aren’t directly published. Figures above are modeled by applying 2023–2024 Pew Research Center adoption rates (adults and teens) to Greene County’s age structure (ACS 2023) and rounding to practical audience sizes. They represent best-available estimates for planning, not platform-reported counts.