Lexington City County

Lexington city (independent city), Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 7,320 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 22.8 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: 18–24 is the dominant group at roughly 57% (ACS 2019–2023)

Gender

• Male: ~57%
• Female: ~43% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone, not Hispanic: ~78%
• Black or African American alone: ~10%
• Asian alone: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6.5%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~2,160
• Average household size: ~2.04
• Family households: ~34% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~66%

Insights

• The city’s demographics are dominated by college-age residents (Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute), yielding a very young median age, a male-skewed sex ratio, many nonfamily households, and small average household size.

Lexington City (independent city), Virginia — 2025 snapshot

• Population and density: ≈7,300 residents across ~2.5 sq mi (≈2,900 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈6,850 residents (≈93% of those age 15+).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–24 ≈52% (large student presence from Washington & Lee and VMI), 25–44 ≈20%, 45–64 ≈16%, 65+ ≈12%. Email adoption is effectively universal among 18–44 and remains high among seniors.
• Gender split of email users: ≈55% male, 45% female (reflecting the city’s male-leaning population).
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • ≈89% of households subscribe to fixed broadband; ≈98% have any internet (fixed or cellular).
  • ≈13% are smartphone‑only for home internet.
  • City core has pervasive cable and growing fiber; gigabit tiers are available to most addresses.
  • 5G from major carriers covers the city and key Rockbridge County corridors, supporting high mobile email engagement.
  • Robust public Wi‑Fi on university campuses and downtown expands access for students and visitors.

Figures are modeled from recent ACS population/computer-use data and Pew email adoption rates applied to Lexington’s student‑heavy age profile.

Mobile phone usage in Lexington City (independent city), Virginia — 2024 snapshot

Headline

• Lexington City’s mobile ecosystem is shaped by its unusually large college population and small urban footprint. Smartphone adoption is essentially universal among students, mobile-only internet reliance is materially higher than the Virginia average, and campus-centered 5G capacity is robust relative to the city’s size, with performance dropping quickly at the hilly fringes.

Population and user base

• Total population: 7,320 (2020 Census).
• Student presence: ~3,800–4,000 combined enrollment at Virginia Military Institute (≈1,600–1,700 cadets) and Washington and Lee University (≈2,100–2,300 students), equal to just over half of city population during the academic year.
• Estimated smartphone users: 6,600–7,000 residents (roughly 90–95% of people age 10+), driven by the high share of 18–24-year-olds, whose smartphone adoption is near-universal.
• Mobile-only internet users: estimated 20–30% of adult residents rely primarily on cellular data for home connectivity, substantially higher than Virginia’s statewide share (roughly low-to-mid teens). This is typical for student-dominant localities where many residents do not purchase fixed broadband.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Ages 18–24 (largest cohort; students): near-100% smartphone adoption; heavy video, social, and campus-app usage; high eSIM uptake; frequent plan churn around semester starts; above-average use of mobile hotspots for dorm/apartment connectivity.
• Ages 25–44: very high adoption (>95%); mixed use of mobile for work and navigation; some mobile-first households in multifamily rentals near downtown.
• Ages 45–64: high adoption (≈90%+); usage centered on productivity, navigation, and streaming; more likely than students to bundle with fixed broadband.
• Ages 65+: adoption lower than younger cohorts but rising; increasing use of telehealth and messaging; indoor coverage and device affordability programs (ACP successors, carrier discounts) materially affect usage.
• Income/student effect: Median household income in Lexington is lower than the Virginia average due to the prevalence of student households, which correlates with higher rates of mobile-only connectivity and prepaid plans than statewide norms.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network footprint: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide 4G LTE across the city and 5G coverage in the core (downtown, VMI, W&L campuses, and along U.S. 11/60 and near the I‑64/I‑81 approaches). Mid-band 5G capacity (e.g., 2.5 GHz) is most noticeable around campus and commercial corridors.
• Capacity hotspots: Stadiums, drill fields, and campus quads are served by sectorized macro sites and selective small cells; performance is strong outdoors and on upper floors.
• Coverage constraints: Terrain and older stone/brick construction can impede indoor mid-band 5G; buildings on the city’s western and southern edges and pockets screened by hills may fall back to LTE or show lower uplink rates.
• Offload: Dense, high-quality university Wi‑Fi shifts significant student data off cellular during class hours, concentrating cellular peaks in evenings, weekends, and move-in/move-out periods.
• Public safety and alerts: Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are citywide; campus safety systems integrate SMS/push alerts and often leverage carrier priority features during events.

How Lexington differs from Virginia overall

• Much higher share of 18–24-year-olds leads to:
  • Higher overall smartphone penetration than the state average.
  • Significantly higher mobile-only internet reliance (students substituting cellular for fixed broadband).
  • More pronounced seasonal traffic surges (August/September and May) and weekend event spikes tied to VMI/W&L calendars.
• Infrastructure emphasis on capacity over sheer coverage: the small urban core has 5G capacity comparable to larger Virginia metros on campus blocks, while fringe areas transition more quickly to LTE than in flat, suburban state markets.
• Greater eSIM usage and short-term plan changes than statewide, reflecting transient student demand patterns.

Key takeaways

• User base: ~6.6k–7.0k active smartphone users in a city of 7.3k, with more than half of residents being students during the academic year.
• Adoption: Near-universal among students; overall smartphone penetration slightly above the Virginia average.
• Connectivity pattern: Mobile-only reliance meaningfully higher than statewide, driven by student households.
• Infrastructure: Strong 5G capacity in the core and on campuses; terrain-limited indoor/perimeter performance; substantial Wi‑Fi offload stabilizes daytime demand.

Social media usage in Lexington City (independent city), Virginia — 2024–2025 snapshot

Who’s online

• Atypical age mix: Lexington’s population is dominated by 18–24 year-olds during the academic year due to Washington & Lee University and VMI. Permanent residents include a sizable 45+ cohort. The city skews slightly male relative to the U.S. average given VMI’s enrollment.
• Practically all students and most households are online; campus-provided broadband and mobile data drive near-universal access among 18–24.

Most-used platforms (local reach modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 adoption rates, adjusted for Lexington’s student-heavy profile)

• YouTube: 85–90% of adult internet users
• Instagram: 55–60% (higher than statewide average because of 18–24 skew)
• Facebook: 55–60% (lower among students; dominant with 35+ residents)
• TikTok: 45–50%
• Snapchat: 45–50%
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (lift from W&L law/professional networks)
• X (Twitter): 20–25%
• Reddit: 20–25%
• Pinterest: 25–30% (stronger among women 25–54)
• WhatsApp: 20–25%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (used for hyperlocal neighborhood info)

Age-group patterns (using Pew 2024 benchmarks applied to Lexington’s mix)

• 18–24: YouTube ~93%; Instagram ~78%; Snapchat ~65%; TikTok ~62%; Facebook ~33%; Reddit ~36%; X ~27%.
• 25–44: YouTube ~90%+; Facebook ~60–70%; Instagram ~45–50%; TikTok ~25–30%; Snapchat ~20–25%; LinkedIn ~35% (upper end among early-career pros).
• 45–64: Facebook ~70%+; YouTube ~80%+; Instagram ~25–30%; TikTok ~15–20%; Pinterest ~35%+.
• 65+: Facebook ~60%+; YouTube ~60%; other platforms low-teens or single digits.

Gender tendencies

• Women: Higher use of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest; strong engagement with events, local businesses, and community groups.
• Men: Higher use of YouTube, Reddit, X; pronounced interest in sports, military/fitness, and tech content (reinforced by VMI presence).

Behavioral trends in Lexington

• Messaging-first among students: Snapchat and Instagram DMs/Stories are the daily communication layer; public posts are selective and event-driven.
• Short-form discovery: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive food, coffee, outdoors, and campus-life discovery; cross-posting across student orgs is common.
• Facebook for the town: City updates, civic groups, school announcements, church/charity events, and local business promotions concentrate here; reliable reach for 35+.
• Event spikes: Athletics (VMI Keydets, W&L Generals), commencement, parents’ weekends, and downtown festivals produce sharp, time-bound engagement surges across YouTube shorts, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Always-on video: YouTube is the universal utility (lectures, how‑to, sports highlights); creators with local ties see steady watch-time.
• Timing: Evening and late-night usage is elevated during the academic year; daytime engagement rises during weekends and major campus/community events.

Notes

• Percentages reflect best-available U.S. adoption rates (Pew 2024) calibrated to Lexington’s distinctive age structure; platform standing and behaviors are directionally reliable for the city.