Hopewell City County

Hopewell city, Virginia (independent city; county-equivalent)

Population size

• 23,033 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~36 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~25%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive; 2020)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~51%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~38%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~5%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Other (non-Hispanic, incl. AIAN, NHPI, some other): ~1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~8,900 (2020)
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons (2020)
• Family households: ~5,400; average family size ~3.1 (2020)
• Housing units: ~9,600; occupancy rate ~92% (2020)
• Owner-occupied share: ~50% (ACS 2019–2023)

Insights

• Majority Black population with substantial non-Hispanic White and a growing Hispanic community.
• Demographics skew slightly younger than the U.S. overall, with a modestly larger female share.
• Household size is near the U.S. average; homeownership is about half.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Demographic Profile) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101, DP04).

Hopewell (independent city), VA — Email usage snapshot

Population and density:

• ≈23,000 residents over ≈10.8 sq mi; density ≈2,130 people per sq mi.

Digital access:

• Households with any internet subscription ≈84%; with fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) ≈78%; smartphone‑only internet ≈6–8%. Households with no internet ≈16%. These levels support broad email reach but leave a meaningful offline gap.

Estimated email users:

• Adults (18+) ≈17,500. Applying local internet adoption and national email use among online adults (~93%), ≈15,000 adult residents use email regularly.

Age distribution of email users (share of local email users):

• 18–34: ~34%
• 35–54: ~36%
• 55–64: ~15%
• 65+: ~15% Engagement is strongest in working‑age groups; seniors participate but at slightly lower rates due to access and adoption gaps.

Gender split:

• City population ≈52% female, 48% male; email users mirror this (~52/48).

Insights:

• High population density and predominant cable/DSL coverage enable reliable email access.
• A smartphone‑reliant segment implies significant mobile email consumption.
• The remaining offline households concentrate among lower‑income and older residents, which can depress reach without mobile‑friendly, low‑bandwidth touchpoints.

Mobile phone usage in Hopewell City (independent city), Virginia—key findings and how they differ from statewide patterns

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: ~23,000 residents and about 9,200 households (ACS 2018–2022).
• Estimated smartphone users: approximately 16,500 adult smartphone users (derived from ACS household smartphone penetration and local age structure; see device ownership below for rates).
• Mobile internet dependence: roughly 1 in 5 households rely on cellular data plans as their only home internet connection—about twice the statewide rate.

Device ownership and subscriptions (households, ACS 2018–2022, S2801)

• Households with a smartphone: 91.8% in Hopewell (MOE ±2.8) vs 93.9% in Virginia.
• Any broadband subscription (fixed or cellular): 78.6% (±3.1) vs 87.0% statewide.
• Fixed broadband (cable, fiber, or DSL): 64.1% (±3.7) vs 78.8% statewide.
• Cellular data plan for a smartphone/other mobile device: 77.3% (±3.2) vs 76.9% statewide.
• Cellular-only internet households (cellular plan but no fixed broadband): 19.5% (±2.9) vs 9.8% statewide.
• No internet subscription at home: 21.4% (±3.1) vs 13.0% statewide.

What stands out vs Virginia overall

• Mobile reliance is much higher in Hopewell: cellular-only households are about double the state share, despite similar overall cellular-plan subscription rates. This indicates mobile is used as a substitute for home broadband more often in Hopewell.
• Fixed broadband adoption lags the state by about 15 percentage points, underscoring affordability and/or access barriers.
• Smartphone access is widespread and close to the state level, but it is more often the primary or only on-ramp to the internet locally.

Demographic breakdown (ACS patterns reflected in Hopewell’s profile; shares are for households unless noted)

• Income:
  • Under $25k: markedly lower fixed broadband adoption and higher cellular-only dependence. In Hopewell, cellular-only among low-income households is roughly double the statewide low-income share (on the order of one-third of low-income households), while fixed broadband trails the state’s low-income rate by more than 10 points.
  • $75k+ households: fixed broadband adoption is high in Hopewell but still a few points below the statewide high-income rate.
• Age:
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone access; fixed broadband below the state’s young-adult benchmark by several points, reflecting greater mobile substitution.
  • 65+: smartphone adoption materially lower than the state’s older-adult rate; fixed broadband among seniors trails the statewide senior rate by well over 10 points, contributing to a larger senior digital divide locally.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Black households (a larger share of Hopewell’s population than the state average) show lower fixed broadband and higher cellular-only reliance than White households locally, widening the mobile-dependence gap relative to statewide patterns.
  • Hispanic households in Hopewell also trend toward higher smartphone reliance and somewhat lower fixed broadband than statewide Hispanic averages.
• Education:
  • Households with less than a bachelor’s degree have substantially higher cellular-only rates than the state’s similarly educated households, mirroring Hopewell’s overall education and income structure.

Digital infrastructure and market context

• Cellular coverage: FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024 filings) indicate essentially full 4G LTE coverage across populated parts of Hopewell by all three national carriers, with 5G coverage present. This meets or exceeds statewide urban coverage norms for 4G and aligns with Virginia’s urban 5G footprint.
• 5G quality mix: Low-band 5G is broadly available; mid-band 5G (providing higher capacity) is present in the Richmond–Tri-Cities market area and reaches Hopewell. This supports mobile substitution for home internet more than in many rural Virginia areas but does not match the multi-gigabit fiber penetration seen in larger Virginia metros.
• Fixed network context: Fiber availability is more limited than in Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads core metros. Where cable and fiber are absent or costly, residents lean into mobile plans, elevating cellular-only rates.
• Affordability pressure: The combination of lower median income than the state and widespread availability of robust 4G/5G leads to higher take-up of prepaid and mobile-first plans, supporting the observed substitution away from fixed broadband.

Actionable implications

• Marketing and service design: Plans emphasizing unlimited data, hotspot allowances, and reliable mid-band 5G performance resonate more in Hopewell than in Virginia overall, given the higher share of mobile-only households.
• Digital equity: Interventions that reduce fixed-broadband total cost of ownership (installation + monthly) and improve device/skills support for seniors would narrow Hopewell’s gaps most efficiently.
• Network planning: Maintaining strong mid-band 5G capacity in residential corridors and around multifamily housing will have outsized impact relative to state averages because of higher mobile substitution.

Primary sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates, Table S2801 (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) for Hopewell city, Virginia, and Virginia statewide.
• FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) mobile coverage filings for 4G LTE and 5G availability.

Social media usage in Hopewell (independent city), Virginia — 2025 snapshot

Scope and sources

• Baseline population: approximately 23,000 residents; adults (18+) roughly 18,000; gender split near even (about 52% female, 48% male) per recent U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates.
• Platform adoption rates use Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media benchmarks, applied to Hopewell’s adult population to produce local user estimates.

Overall penetration

• At least four in five Hopewell adults are likely on one or more major social platforms, driven by near-ubiquitous YouTube and broad Facebook use.

Most-used platforms (adults), estimated local share and user counts

• YouTube: about 83% (~15,000 adults)
• Facebook: about 68% (~12,000)
• Instagram: about 47% (~8,500)
• Pinterest: about 35% (~6,300)
• TikTok: about 33% (~6,000)
• LinkedIn: about 32% (~5,800)
• Snapchat: about 30% (~5,400)
• WhatsApp: about 29% (~5,200)
• X (Twitter): about 22% (~4,000)
• Reddit: about 22% (~4,000)

Age patterns (adults)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; YouTube is universal; Facebook is used but less central for daily posting.
• 30–49: Broad use across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram; TikTok growing for entertainment and discovery; WhatsApp used for family coordination.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest strong for DIY, recipes, home projects.
• 65+: Facebook remains primary; YouTube used for news and how‑to content.

Gender breakdown

• Population: approximately half female, half male.
• Platform skews: Pinterest predominantly female; Reddit and X skew male; Facebook slightly female-leaning; Instagram and TikTok lean female but broadly used by both; LinkedIn slightly male-leaning.

Behavioral trends observed in small-city markets like Hopewell

• Community-first use: High engagement with Facebook Groups and Marketplace for local news, yard sales, school and public-safety updates.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) drives discovery for restaurants, events, and local businesses; YouTube remains the go-to for tutorials and product research.
• Messaging ecosystems: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are key for family and neighborhood coordination; DMs increasingly replace public posting, especially under 35.
• Shopping and services: Facebook/Instagram fuel local service discovery; reviews and recommendations inside groups influence purchase decisions more than brand pages.
• News and alerts: Facebook and YouTube channels of local outlets, city agencies, and schools carry outsized reach relative to their follower counts.
• Posting cadence: Adults 30–64 post infrequently but check feeds daily; under‑30s post more in Stories/Snaps than in public feeds.

Notes

• Counts are local estimates derived from Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024) applied to the adult population of Hopewell; actual figures vary with platform penetration and account duplication.
• Demographics from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (latest available).