King George County

King George County, Virginia — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population: 26,723 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~27,700
• Population growth: up roughly 15–20% since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 65 and over: ~13–14%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~73%
• Black or African American alone: ~17%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.7%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1–0.2%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~68%

Households and housing

• Households: ~9,300
• Average household size: ~2.8–2.9
• Family households: ~73% of households; married-couple households: ~55–58%
• Households with children under 18: ~35–37%
• One-person households: ~20%
• Housing units: ~10,600
• Occupied housing that is owner-occupied: ~78%; renter-occupied: ~22%

Insights

• Steady population growth driven by proximity to the Fredericksburg region and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (Dahlgren)
• Younger-than-retirement-heavy profile with a sizable share of family and married-couple households
• Majority White with meaningful Black and growing Hispanic presence, typical of exurban Northern Virginia patterns

King George County, VA snapshot

• Population and density: 26,723 residents (2020 Census) across ~180 sq mi of land, ≈148 people per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈19,000 residents use email regularly. Method: apply national adult internet/email adoption to the county’s age mix (Census/ACS; Pew research shows ~9 in 10 online adults use email).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: 6%; 18–34: 28%; 35–54: 39%; 55–64: 14%; 65+: 13%. Younger cohorts are near-universal users; usage among 65+ trails but is substantial.
• Gender split: Approximately even (≈50% female, 50% male), mirroring the county’s near-balanced sex ratio.
• Digital access and trends: Most households have a computer and a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022 shows strong device and subscription penetration in King George and similar VA counties). Mobile access is widespread, and smartphone-only households are a notable minority. Broadband availability and speeds have improved in recent years, supporting high email reliance for work and school.
• Local connectivity context: The presence of Naval Support Facility Dahlgren and commuting ties to the Fredericksburg/NOVA tech corridor contribute to above-average digital engagement relative to rural counties with similar density.

Mobile phone usage in King George County, Virginia — 2024 snapshot

Headline estimates

• Population base: 26,723 (2020 Census). Households: roughly 9,800–10,200 (ACS). Daytime population swells along the US‑301/Dahlgren corridor due to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) workforce and contractors.
• Smartphone users: approximately 23,000–24,500 residents use a smartphone (about 86–92% of all residents; 90–94% of adults), higher than many rural Virginia counties and near the statewide average.
• Unique mobile subscriptions: roughly 24,000–26,000 active lines attributable to residents, given above‑average dual‑device use (personal + employer/DoD phones).

Demographic breakdown of users (modeled from ACS age mix and Pew adoption rates)

• Ages 13–17: about 4,800–5,200 users (80–88% adoption).
• Ages 18–34: about 6,000–6,500 users (95–98%).
• Ages 35–64: about 9,000–9,800 users (90–96%).
• Ages 65+: about 3,000–3,600 users (70–82%).
• Income/education effects: Higher median household income and a large defense/technical workforce push multi‑line and 5G device adoption above the rural‑county norm and close to (or slightly above) Virginia’s statewide levels.

Usage patterns and how they differ from Virginia overall

• More work‑issued devices: The NSWC Dahlgren presence materially lifts the share of government/contractor phones and FirstNet (AT&T) subscriptions compared with the Virginia average. Dual‑SIM or dual‑device use is notably higher on weekdays.
• Corridor‑centric demand peaks: Traffic and employment concentrated along US‑301, Route 3, and around Dahlgren produce sharper peak loads and more uneven rural performance than the statewide pattern.
• Higher mobile‑only internet reliance: A larger share of households rely on mobile or fixed‑wireless internet (5G Home) versus the Virginia average, reflecting historical cable/fiber gaps in rural tracts. Estimated mobile-/FWA‑only households: roughly 12–18% locally vs about 8–12% statewide.
• Faster take‑up of 5G fixed wireless: T‑Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home show stronger penetration in the county than in fiber‑rich metro Virginia due to competitive pricing and improving mid‑band coverage.
• Coverage variability: Despite countywide 5G “coverage” on carrier maps, real‑world performance varies more than the state average because of forested terrain, river bluffs along the Potomac, and protected lands (e.g., Caledon area).

Digital infrastructure (mobile and fixed)

• Carriers and 5G status
  • Verizon: 5G Nationwide with C‑band (mid‑band) concentrated along US‑301, Route 3, and population centers; LTE fallback in rural interior. Typical median 5G downloads ~100–200 Mbps where C‑band is present; LTE often 5–30 Mbps in wooded pockets.
  • AT&T: 5G low‑band broadly present; mid‑band deployed in higher‑demand corridors. FirstNet Band 14 coverage is a differentiator near Dahlgren and along key arterials.
  • T‑Mobile: Broad 5G UC (n41 mid‑band) along main roads and towns; extended range low‑band elsewhere. Typical median 5G downloads ~150–300 Mbps in UC zones.
• Sites and topology
  • Macro sites: on the order of 18–25 registered macro towers across the county, with most upgraded for low‑band 5G and a growing share carrying mid‑band. Additional small cells and sectors serve the Dahlgren area and bridge approaches.
  • Backhaul: Fiber backhaul follows the US‑301/Route 3 corridors and into Dahlgren; microwave backhaul persists on some rural sites, contributing to capacity constraints versus metro Virginia.
• Notable weak/variable areas
  • Forested and river-adjacent tracts north and east of Route 218 and around Caledon State Park can show LTE‑only or low‑throughput 5G.
  • Interior rural pockets between Sealston–Shiloh–Dogue see greater signal variability than the Virginia average.
• Fixed broadband context (shaping mobile reliance)
  • Cable: Breezeline/Atlantic Broadband serves much of the populated corridor; gigabit via DOCSIS in town centers.
  • Fiber: County‑backed universal fiber initiatives with All Points Broadband (VATI-funded) have been extending FTTH to previously unserved/underserved addresses since 2022–2024, reducing but not eliminating gaps.
  • Fixed‑wireless access (FWA): Verizon 5G Home and T‑Mobile Home widely available in and around Dahlgren, Fairview Beach, and along Routes 3/301; strongest adoption in subdivisions lacking fiber.
  • Availability snapshot (FCC BDC aggregated ranges, 2023–2024): 100/20 Mbps fixed coverage roughly 85–92% of locations; gigabit coverage roughly 55–65% (cable/fiber); 8–15% of addresses historically unserved now in-progress for fiber buildouts.

Behavioral and plan trends

• Device mix: Above‑average share of 5G-capable Android flagships and recent iPhones among working‑age adults; higher incidence of hotspot tethering and mobile device management (MDM) on employer devices than statewide.
• Plan selection: Higher uptake of premium unlimited and hotspot‑inclusive plans due to commuting, telework/hybrid arrangements from Dahlgren-connected roles, and patchy fixed broadband in rural tracts.
• MVNO presence: MVNO usage is healthy but somewhat lower than statewide in defense‑adjacent households that prioritize network priority or FirstNet access.

Key takeaways

• King George combines a rural network footprint with a defense‑driven, tech‑heavy user base, yielding smartphone penetration near statewide levels but with more dual‑device usage and sharper location‑based performance swings.
• 5G mid‑band is present where residents live and work (Dahlgren, US‑301/Route 3), but interior rural areas still depend on low‑band 5G/LTE with lower median speeds than the Virginia average.
• Fixed‑wireless (5G Home) fills gaps and is adopted more quickly than in metro Virginia; ongoing FTTH builds are narrowing the divide, which should moderate mobile‑only reliance over the next 1–2 years.

Notes on methodology

• Figures synthesize 2020 Census counts, ACS household/age structure, Pew smartphone adoption by age (applied to the county’s age mix), FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) availability ranges, and publicly available carrier coverage and speed test medians current through late 2024. Where county‑specific, nonpublic figures are unavailable, ranges are provided to remain accurate while reflecting local conditions.

King George County, VA — Social media usage snapshot (2024)

Overall usage

• About 75% of adults use at least one social platform; roughly 60% use social daily; typical time spent is about 2 hours per day.
• Usage patterns in King George track U.S. rural/exurban counties closely.

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

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• Reddit: 22%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%

Age-group patterns (share of adults in each group using the platform)

• 18–29: YouTube 93%, Instagram 76–78%, Facebook ~70%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%
• 30–49: YouTube ~92%, Facebook ~77%, Instagram ~49%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~24%
• 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~21%, Snapchat ~12%
• 65+: YouTube ~60%, Facebook ~50%, Instagram ~13%, TikTok ~10%, Snapchat ~3%

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media adoption is roughly even by gender, mirroring the local population split.
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest (women are ~3x as likely to use Pinterest as men); men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter). Instagram and TikTok show a modest female skew.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/exurban Virginia communities (and evident locally)

• Community and information hub: Facebook is the default for local news, county/school updates, public safety, youth sports, church and civic groups, and buy/sell/trade activity.
• Short‑form video growth: Reels and TikTok drive discovery for local eateries, events, and small businesses; cross‑posting between Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels is common.
• Messaging-first among youth: Snapchat is a primary communication channel for high school/college-age residents; Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger dominate for adults.
• Video utility: YouTube is widely used across ages for tutorials (home/auto, DIY), product research, and entertainment.
• Commute and family timing: Peaks in mobile usage occur in the evening (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday spikes align with school and work breaks.
• Trust via local faces: Content featuring recognizable local figures (coaches, teachers, small-business owners) and place-based visuals performs best; recommendations in Facebook Groups strongly influence local purchasing.
• Events and services: High engagement around seasonal events, school calendars, weather/road disruptions (Routes 3/301 corridor), and base-adjacent community updates tied to NSWC Dahlgren.

Notes

• Percentages reflect the latest U.S. adult usage benchmarks (Pew Research, 2023–2024). Small-county figures like King George typically track these within a few percentage points; local behavior shows a slight tilt toward Facebook Groups and YouTube, consistent with rural/exurban patterns.