Henrico County

Henrico County, Virginia — Key demographics

Population size

• 334,389 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~21–22%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~59–60%
• Black or African American alone: ~29–30%
• Asian alone: ~7–8%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.4%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~8–9%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~51%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Persons per household (avg): ~2.33–2.35
• Family households: ~59%
  • Married-couple families: ~43%
• Nonfamily households: ~41%
• Householders living alone: ~33%
• Householders 65+ living alone: ~11–12%
• Households with children under 18: ~26%

Insights

• Diverse suburban county with no single group exceeding ~60% of the population; sizeable Black community and growing Asian and Hispanic populations.
• Older-than-national age structure and smaller average household size indicative of many single-person and nonfamily households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

Henrico County, VA overview

• Population and density: ~334,000 residents; roughly 1,400 people per square mile, reflecting an inner‑ring suburban county with strong network coverage.
• Digital access: About 95% of households have a computer and ~91% subscribe to home broadband; roughly 8–9% lack home internet. An estimated 11–12% rely on smartphone‑only internet, indicating good but not universal fixed access.
• Estimated email users: ~240,000 adult email users (≈93% of ~260,000 adults). Including teens lifts total users further, but adult figures are the most stable indicator for services and outreach.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–29: ~21%; 30–49: ~36%; 50–64: ~24%; 65+: ~19%. Usage is near‑universal among under‑65 adults and robust among seniors given high broadband availability.
• Gender split among email users: Female ~52–53%; Male ~47–48%, mirroring the county’s adult demographic balance.
• Trends and insights: High broadband and device penetration support frequent email use across working‑age cohorts. Gaps are concentrated among lower‑income and smartphone‑only households, where inbox engagement skews mobile. Overall connectivity and suburban density favor reliable delivery and high open rates, with older neighborhoods and multifamily corridors showing slightly higher mobile‑only dependence.

Mobile phone usage in Henrico County, VA — 2024 snapshot

Summary

• Henrico is a highly connected, suburban–urban county in the Richmond metro with near-ubiquitous 4G LTE, widespread 5G, and dense fiber backbones anchored by hyperscale data center investment. Adoption and performance metrics are consistently higher than Virginia’s statewide averages, and reliance on mobile as a sole connection is somewhat lower than in many rural parts of the state.

User estimates and adoption

• Population and subscriptions: With a population around 335,000, and using the prevailing U.S. mobile penetration (about 1.1–1.2 active cellular subscriptions per resident), Henrico supports roughly 370,000–400,000 active mobile lines.
• Household smartphone adoption: ACS “Computer and Internet Use” data show Henrico in the mid-90s percent of households with a smartphone, above the Virginia average in the low- to mid-90s. That equates to roughly 135,000–140,000 Henrico households with at least one smartphone.
• Smartphone-only households: Henrico’s share of “smartphone-only” households (smartphone present without a desktop/laptop) is modestly lower than the statewide share, reflecting stronger fixed-broadband take-up in the county. In practice, that means mobile is widely used but less often the only on-ramp to the internet than in rural Virginia.
• Wireless-only voice (no landline): As in the rest of Virginia and the U.S., wireless-only voice households are the clear majority. Urban/suburban Henrico tracks near statewide levels but tilts slightly more wireless-only than the state average due to younger, renter-heavy areas.

Demographic patterns (how Henrico differs from Virginia overall)

• Age: Younger households in Henrico drive near-universal smartphone adoption; the 65+ segment shows lower smartphone and 5G take-up, but the county still outperforms the statewide 65+ adoption rate due to better device affordability programs and stronger family broadband adoption.
• Income and education: With higher median household income and higher bachelor’s attainment than the state average, Henrico exhibits:
  • Higher multi-line family plans and device-per-capita ratios
  • Higher overlap of mobile plus fixed broadband (lower mobile-only dependency)
• Race and ethnicity: Smartphone ownership is high across groups; compared with Virginia overall, Black and Hispanic households in Henrico show slightly higher smartphone adoption and cellular data-plan subscription than their statewide peers, but a somewhat higher propensity for prepaid among lower-income tracts in the East End.
• Housing and tenure: Renters in western and central Henrico skew toward premium postpaid plans with 5G devices; renters in select east/southeast tracts show higher smartphone-only use. Owner-occupied areas show the lowest mobile-only reliance due to widespread cable and fiber availability.

Digital infrastructure highlights (county specifics)

• 5G coverage: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all provide 5G across the populated corridors of Henrico, with dense mid-band 5G along I‑64, I‑95/I‑295, Broad Street/US‑250, and Short Pump to Downtown approaches. 4G LTE population coverage is effectively universal; 5G covers the vast majority of residents.
• Capacity and densification: Small cells and street-level nodes are concentrated in Short Pump, Innsbrook, West Broad Village, commercial corridors along Staples Mill/Glenside, and around regional hospitals and large venues. These deployments lift median 5G throughput above typical statewide suburban levels and improve indoor reliability.
• Neutral-host/venues: Richmond International Airport (RIC, in Henrico) runs a multi-carrier DAS with 5G upgrades; large retail (e.g., Short Pump Town Center) and Class-A office campuses (Innsbrook) also deploy DAS/small cells, giving Henrico more venue coverage than most VA counties.
• Fiber backbones and peering:
  • QTS Richmond and the Meta (Facebook) Henrico Data Center at White Oak Technology Park anchor long-haul and metro fiber routes (Zayo, Lumen, Verizon, Segra and others).
  • DE-CIX Richmond Internet Exchange operates at QTS, enabling regional peering and lowering latency for mobile backhaul and content delivery within the metro—an advantage very few Virginia counties share outside Northern Virginia.
  • Backhaul diversity connects Henrico to Virginia Beach subsea cable landings and to Ashburn’s global interconnection hub, supporting robust mobile core and RAN transport.
• Public sector connectivity: County facilities, schools, and libraries are tied into county and regional fiber; libraries offer free Wi‑Fi and hotspot lending that reduce mobile-only strain for lower-income households.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage is established; carriers support Band 14 and priority services, with overlapping macro coverage that improves resiliency.

How Henrico’s trends differ from Virginia statewide

• Higher smartphone adoption and 5G device penetration than the state average, particularly in western suburban tracts.
• Higher share of households with both mobile and fixed broadband, and a lower share of smartphone-only households than the statewide average, reflecting stronger cable/fiber availability and higher incomes.
• Better indoor coverage and capacity due to more small-cell/DAS deployments and denser macro buildouts than typical outside NOVA.
• Faster typical 5G experience in core corridors than the statewide median, driven by mid-band 5G and richer backhaul to local data centers and the DE-CIX exchange.
• Digital divide is narrower than in rural Virginia, but persists in parts of eastern Henrico with higher prepaid usage and greater reliance on mobile data.

Key takeaways

• Nearly all Henrico households have smartphones, and most residents have 5G access; the county’s mix of hyperscale data centers, local peering, and dense fiber elevates mobile performance above statewide norms.
• Mobile is a primary access method for many, but fixed broadband is strong enough in Henrico that dependence on smartphone-only access is lower than the Virginia average.
• Continued small-cell expansion along growth corridors and targeted affordability programs in the East End are the main levers for closing remaining gaps.

Henrico County, VA — social media usage snapshot

County demographics (context for usage)

• Population: ~334,000 (2020 Census).
• Gender: roughly 53% female, 47% male (ACS).
• Age profile: suburban/metro mix with sizable 25–64 working-age base and a growing 65+ cohort; median age ~40.

Overall social-media reach (adults)

• Expect ~75–80% of adults in Henrico to use at least one social platform, in line with U.S. norms for similar suburban counties.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled on 2024 U.S. usage rates)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Age-group patterns (how usage concentrates)

• 13–17: Heavy Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube; TikTok high; Facebook minimal except for events/school groups.
• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; Instagram and TikTok dominant for discovery and entertainment; Snapchat still strong.
• 30–49: Broadest cross-platform use; Facebook and Instagram for family, schools, local groups; YouTube for how‑to/news; TikTok rising.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube anchor usage; Pinterest common; growing Instagram use; some TikTok for entertainment/news.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; Nextdoor used for neighborhood info; lower but rising Instagram adoption.

Gender breakdown and tendencies

• Population baseline is slightly female-skewed (~53%).
• Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram and TikTok are broadly balanced.

Behavioral trends in Henrico

• Community-first engagement: High reliance on Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for HOA, schools, public safety, and county services; posts tied to local places, events, and utilities drive outsized engagement.
• Video-led discovery: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is the primary driver of reach for restaurants, retail, and local attractions; how‑to/home, food, and events perform best on YouTube.
• Mobile and messaging: Most interaction is mobile; DMs (Messenger/IG) are standard for inquiries, bookings, and customer service.
• Pay-to-reach: Organic Facebook/Instagram reach is limited; small paid boosts meaningfully expand local reach, especially for time-bound messages (events, openings).
• Cross-posting works with tailoring: Repurposing video across TikTok/IG/YouTube performs well when captions and hooks are localized (neighborhood names, landmarks, school ties).
• Trust and locality: Content featuring recognizable local people, schools, youth sports, and civic updates outperforms generic brand posts.

Notes on figures and method

• Platform percentages reflect 2024 Pew Research Center U.S. adult usage rates; Henrico’s adoption is expected to closely track these due to similar suburban demographics. Population and gender shares are from U.S. Census/ACS.