Highland County

Highland County, Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 2,232 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~59 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~16%
• 18 to 64: ~49%
• 65 and over: ~35%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~95%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~1,050–1,100
• Persons per household: ~2.0
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~18%
• One-person households: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~83%; renter-occupied: ~17%
• Median household income: ~$55–57k
• Persons in poverty: ~12%

Insights

• One of Virginia’s smallest and oldest populations by median age, with a high share of residents 65+
• Predominantly White, with small racial/ethnic minority representation
• Small household sizes, high owner-occupancy, and relatively modest incomes compared with state averages

Highland County, VA (pop. ≈2,232; 415 sq mi) is among Virginia’s most sparsely populated counties (5.4 people/sq mi).

Estimated email users: ~1,700 adults (≈88% of the ~1,920 adult population).

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 18–29: ~220 (13%)
• 30–49: ~425 (25%)
• 50–64: ~480 (28%)
• 65+: ~575 (34%)

Gender split among email users (est.):

• Female 51% (870)
• Male 49% (830)

Digital access and trends:

• About 70–75% of households subscribe to home broadband; an additional ~8–10% rely primarily on mobile-only internet. Satellite and fixed wireless fill remaining gaps.
• Connectivity is constrained by mountainous terrain and very low housing density, leading to patchy fixed and mobile coverage in hollows and along ridge lines.
• Adoption is rising gradually due to ongoing infrastructure upgrades, with the fastest gains among residents 65+ as telehealth, government services, and community groups increasingly require email.
• Email remains the default digital channel for schools, healthcare, utilities, and local government notices; usage is near-universal among working-age adults and high but more variable among the oldest residents.

Overall, email penetration is strong but shaped by uneven broadband availability and the county’s older age profile.

Highland County, Virginia — mobile phone usage snapshot and how it differs from the state

Context and scale

• Population: roughly 2,200–2,300 residents, making it the least-populous county in Virginia. Population density is under 10 people per square mile.
• Demographics: one of the oldest age profiles in the state (median age ~56). The population is predominantly White, with smaller shares of other racial/ethnic groups than the statewide mix.
• Income: median household income is notably below the Virginia median, reflecting a largely rural, low-density economy.

User base and adoption (estimates for 2024–2025)

• Smartphone users: approximately 1,600–1,700 residents use a smartphone in Highland County. That equates to about 72–76% of the total population, or roughly 82–86% of adults, both lower than Virginia’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (near 90%).
• Mobile subscriptions: on the order of 2,000 total active mobile lines (roughly 85–95 lines per 100 residents), also below the statewide penetration once machine-to-machine/IoT lines common in urban areas are considered.
• Device mix: a higher-than-average share of basic/feature phones persists, particularly among residents 65+, compared with the statewide mix that is overwhelmingly smartphone.

Demographic usage patterns

• Age-driven adoption gap: among adults 18–44, adoption is near universal, but for 65+ it drops markedly. The county’s older skew pulls overall smartphone adoption below the state average.
• Income and plan type: residents are more likely to use value/prepaid plans than the state average. Pay-as-you-go and MVNO lines are more common due to price sensitivity and variable coverage.
• Household connectivity: mobile-only internet households exist but are not dominant; many homes rely on satellite or fixed wireless for primary internet because cellular capacity and indoor signal are inconsistent in valleys and hollows. Reliance on Wi‑Fi calling is notably higher than the state average.

Carrier landscape and performance

• Dominant carrier: Verizon is the most commonly selected carrier due to comparatively better rural coverage in the Allegheny highlands. AT&T is the clear second, strengthened by FirstNet buildouts on main corridors. T‑Mobile’s presence is limited and localized, with Extended Range 600 MHz reaching some open terrain but falling off in narrow valleys.
• 4G vs 5G: 4G LTE remains the workhorse across most of the county. 5G is present mainly as low-band overlays (DSS/low-band), providing coverage but modest capacity. Mid-band 5G (C‑band/n41) is sparse to absent, a sharp contrast with Virginia’s urban and suburban corridors where mid-band 5G is now routine.
• Speeds and reliability: typical outdoor speeds are lower and more variable than the state norm due to terrain shadowing, longer site spacing, and limited mid-band spectrum. Indoor service is inconsistent without Wi‑Fi calling or signal boosters.

Digital infrastructure and geography

• Terrain effects: steep ridgelines and narrow hollows create extensive shadow zones; even with low-band spectrum, coverage drops rapidly off the main corridors (US‑250 and US‑220) and population centers like Monterey and McDowell.
• Tower grid: macro sites are widely spaced relative to the mountains, and many links rely on microwave backhaul, limiting capacity compared with fiber-fed urban sites common across Virginia’s metros.
• First responder network: AT&T FirstNet coverage has been extended along primary routes and public-safety sites, improving voice and priority data reliability for emergency services compared with a decade ago.
• Broadband interplay: recent rural fiber projects and fixed wireless upgrades have improved home connectivity in selected areas, but outside those footprints residents remain dependent on a mix of DSL remnants, satellite, and cellular—unlike most of Virginia where cable or fiber coverage is far more common. Where new fiber arrives, mobile data offload via Wi‑Fi increases and smartphone-only households become less common.

How Highland County differs from Virginia overall

• Adoption: lower overall smartphone penetration due to an older age structure and lower incomes; the state average is near 90% of adults, while Highland’s adult adoption is several points lower.
• Network: 5G mid-band buildout lags the state. Highland is primarily LTE and low-band 5G, whereas Virginia’s urban/suburban regions enjoy widespread mid-band 5G with higher median speeds.
• Carrier choice: more concentrated on Verizon (and, to a lesser extent, AT&T) than the statewide market; T‑Mobile’s share is smaller due to topographic constraints.
• Usage pattern: heavier reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and voice/SMS in low-signal areas; lower median mobile data consumption per user than the state’s urban average because of capacity and coverage limitations.
• Home internet substitution: unlike in many Virginia localities where mobile-only households are a conscious choice, in Highland cellular is more often a supplemental or fallback connection; satellite and fixed wireless remain important stopgaps pending fiber expansion.

Key takeaways and near-term outlook (2025–2027)

• Expect incremental improvements from additional low-band/FirstNet sectors and selective small-scale capacity upgrades on existing towers; transformative mid-band 5G additions will be spotty without new backhaul.
• As fiber expands to more homes and community anchors, residents will offload more to Wi‑Fi, improving calling reliability indoors and reducing dependence on constrained mobile data.
• The county will remain an outlier relative to Virginia in smartphone penetration, 5G capacity, and carrier diversity, primarily due to terrain, sparse population, and the resulting economics of tower density and backhaul.

Highland County, VA social media snapshot (2025)

Headline user stats

• Population baseline: ~2,200 residents; ~1,900 adults (18+).
• Adult social media users: ~1,250–1,350 (about 66–71% of adults), consistent with rural U.S. adoption levels.
• Multi-platform behavior: Most users maintain 2–3 active platforms; Facebook and YouTube dominate overlap.

Most-used platforms (share of adults 18+ using at least monthly; users overlap)

• YouTube: 58–62%
• Facebook: 55–60%
• Instagram: 23–28%
• Pinterest: 20–24%
• TikTok: 18–22%
• WhatsApp: 12–16%
• Snapchat: 10–12%
• X (Twitter): 9–11%
• LinkedIn: 7–9%
• Nextdoor: 3–5%

Age profile of the local user base (share of social media users)

• 18–29: ~13%
• 30–49: ~30%
• 50–64: ~33%
• 65+: ~25% Interpretation: Because Highland skews older, a majority of social users are 50+, but there is meaningful engagement among 30–49, with smaller yet active cohorts 18–29 and 65+.

Gender breakdown

• Overall: approximately 51% female, 49% male among social media users.
• Platform skews (directional): Facebook and Pinterest lean female; YouTube leans slightly male; Instagram and TikTok are more balanced in younger cohorts; LinkedIn and X skew male among local professionals.

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-first Facebook use: Facebook Groups and Pages are the primary hub for local news, school updates, civic notices, church and event coordination, and buy–sell–trade (farm equipment, livestock, household goods).
• Event-driven spikes: Seasonal surges around the Highland County Maple Festival, hunting seasons, school sports, and weather-related road/broadband updates.
• Marketplace and messaging: Heavy reliance on Facebook Marketplace and Messenger for local commerce and coordination; Craigslist use is minimal by comparison.
• Video habits: YouTube is used for practical “how-to” content (home, auto, equipment repair), local church services, and outdoor/recreation topics. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is growing among <50.
• Regional spillover: Due to the small local base, many residents engage with pages and groups in neighboring counties (Bath, Augusta) and West Virginia border communities, so effective outreach often targets a wider radius.
• Device and connectivity: Mobile-first usage is common; bandwidth constraints nudge users toward Facebook text/photo posts and shorter videos, with long-form video primarily consumed on WiFi.
• News and trust: Preference for locally sourced information (county departments, schools, churches, local businesses); posts with practical value and clear calls-to-action outperform national or generic content.

Practical takeaways

• If you must prioritize: Facebook and YouTube reach the broadest cross-section; add Instagram for under-50 reach and TikTok for under-35.
• Creative format: Community updates, event posts, short how-to videos, and photo carousels perform well; use Groups and cross-post with local institutions.
• Timing: Evenings and weekends typically see strongest engagement in rural markets; align posts with local events and seasonal cycles.

Method and sources

• County-level figures are modeled local estimates derived from:
  • U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2018–2022, age/gender profile; Highland County’s older age distribution).
  • Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption by age).
  • DataReportal, Digital 2024: United States (overall social media penetration benchmarks).
• Estimates adjust national platform rates by Highland’s older age mix and typical rural adoption patterns; percentages refer to adults (18+) using each platform at least monthly. Use these as planning baselines for Highland County.