Madison County

Key demographics — Madison County, Virginia

Population

• Total: 13,837 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~14,000 (Census Bureau Vintage 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~23–24%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~83%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~10–11%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.2%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~5,600–5,700
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~66%
• Married-couple families: ~54%
• Households with children under 18: ~23%
• One-person households: ~27% (about 12% are 65+ living alone)
• Tenure: ~79% owner-occupied, ~21% renter-occupied
• Average family size: ~2.9

Insights

• Older age structure relative to Virginia overall, with nearly one-quarter 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small Black and Hispanic communities
• High owner-occupancy and smaller household sizes typical of rural counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2023) for 2023 population.

Madison County, VA — Email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: ~13,800 residents; ~43 people per sq. mile (well below Virginia’s ~218/sq. mile), indicating high rurality and higher last‑mile costs.
• Estimated email users: ~10,300 adult users (≈92% of adults; ≈74% of total population).
• User count by age (users, share of users):
  • 18–34: ~2,142 (21%)
  • 35–49: ~2,229 (22%)
  • 50–64: ~3,047 (30%)
  • 65+: ~2,848 (28%)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (5,235) and 49% male (5,065); usage rates are comparable by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~78% of households maintain a home broadband subscription; ~10% report no home internet; ~13% are effectively mobile‑only, which limits regular email use on larger screens.
  • Adoption is nearly universal among adults under 50 and strong among 50–64; seniors (65+) show the largest non‑user segment but still majority users.
  • Low density and hilly Blue Ridge terrain concentrate faster fixed service near the US‑29 corridor and the Town of Madison, with slower or costlier options on dispersed secondary roads.

Method: County population and household counts combined with recent U.S./rural email adoption benchmarks to produce local estimates.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Madison County, Virginia

Headline estimates and how they differ from statewide

• Residents and users: Madison County’s population is roughly 13,800. Using age-structured adoption rates (Pew Research Center, 2023) applied to the county’s older age profile (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census/ACS), an estimated 9,900–10,200 residents actively use smartphones. This yields a lower per-capita smartphone uptake than Virginia’s urban/suburban average because Madison skews older and more rural.
• Cellular-only households: A materially higher share of households rely on cellular data for home internet than the Virginia average. Rural ACS patterns suggest on the order of one in eight households use cellular data as their primary/only home connection in Madison, versus low single digits in metro Virginia. This reflects gaps in affordable wired broadband and the county’s terrain.
• Network experience: 5G is present primarily along US-29 and in/around the Town of Madison; coverage and capacity drop off rapidly toward the Blue Ridge foothills. This contrasts with Virginia’s metro corridors, where mid-band 5G depth and indoor service are materially stronger and more consistent.

User estimates by demographic segment (age-structured, applying Pew 2023 adoption to local age mix)

• 18–29: ~1,850 smartphone users
• 30–49: ~3,150
• 50–64: ~2,290
• 65+: ~2,020
• Teens 13–17: ~650 Key differences vs state-level: the 65+ segment is a larger share of Madison’s population and has markedly lower smartphone adoption than younger cohorts, pulling down the overall penetration rate relative to Virginia’s statewide average.

Usage patterns and behaviors that diverge from statewide norms

• Higher reliance on voice/SMS and Wi‑Fi calling indoors due to spotty RF propagation in valleys and hollows, while data-heavy mobile app use and high-resolution video streaming are constrained outside main corridors.
• Longer device replacement cycles among older and fixed‑income users than the statewide average, with a higher prevalence of budget and midrange Android devices.
• Greater incidence of “cellular-only” or “cellular-first” home internet use to backfill limited wired options, especially in outlying areas; tethering and hotspot plans are more common than in metro Virginia.
• Emergency connectivity is more sensitive to location: call reliability improves near US‑29/VA‑231/VA‑230 and high ground, but dead zones persist near the western border and in wooded hollows, unlike most urban parts of Virginia.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Radio access: All three national carriers operate macro coverage along US‑29; 5G is primarily low-band (all carriers) with selective mid-band along the highway. Away from highways, coverage reverts to LTE with lower spectral efficiency. Terrain shadowing is the dominant constraint, not just tower density.
• Backhaul and capacity: Sites near the US‑29 corridor benefit from stronger backhaul and deliver higher median speeds; capacity and throughput fall off quickly on county roads and farm lanes.
• Indoor service: Many homes rely on Wi‑Fi calling or femtocells due to metal roofs and low signal penetration; this is more prevalent than in Virginia’s cities and suburbs.
• Wired broadband context: Cable/fiber are limited outside town centers; fixed wireless and satellite are common complements. This sustains above-average mobile data dependence for everyday tasks.

What the numbers and infrastructure imply

• Expect lower overall smartphone penetration than the Virginia average, driven by an older population mix and rural infrastructure constraints, but near-universal adoption among adults under 50.
• Mobile networks function as a critical substitute for home broadband in outlying areas, elevating the importance of coverage reliability, unlimited data options, and Wi‑Fi calling support.
• The largest growth headroom is in improved mid-band 5G coverage off the US‑29 spine and in services targeted to seniors (simplified plans, large‑font devices, telehealth support), which would narrow the county’s gap with statewide mobile usage patterns.

Sources and method notes

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; ACS 5‑year releases for age mix).
• Device adoption rates by age: Pew Research Center, 2023.
• Cellular-only home internet prevalence: derived from ACS Computer and Internet Use tables (rural county benchmarks) and Madison’s rural profile; localized figure presented as an estimate consistent with those patterns.

Madison County, VA social media snapshot (2025)

Overall user stats

• Residents using at least one social platform: ~9,000–10,000 (≈65–72% of the total population; county pop ≈13.8k)
• Adults using at least one platform: ≈70–75%
• Teens (13–17) using social media: ≈90%

Age groups (share using at least one platform)

• 18–29: ≈95%
• 30–49: ≈85%
• 50–64: ≈70–75%
• 65+: ≈45–50%
• Platform preferences by age:
  • Under 35: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Facebook mostly for groups/events
  • 35–54: Facebook, YouTube; growing Instagram/Reels; Pinterest for planning/shopping
  • 55+: Facebook, YouTube; limited Instagram; minimal TikTok/Snapchat

Gender breakdown

• Estimated share of county social users: ≈53% women, 47% men
• Platform skews:
  • Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest (Pinterest usage among women is roughly 2–3x men)
  • Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter)
  • Instagram and TikTok are relatively balanced by gender among under-35

Most-used platforms (estimated adult reach in the county)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 35–40% (50–60% among 18–34)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (higher among women, 35–54)
• TikTok: 25–30% (60–70% among 18–29)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (50–70% among 18–29)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (niche; professional/services)
• X (Twitter): 15–20% (news/sports/politics niche)
• Reddit: 12–18% (younger male skew)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community backbone: high engagement in local groups (schools, churches, county updates, volunteer fire/EMS), yard-sale/Marketplace, and event listings.
• Video drives reach: short-form Reels on Facebook/Instagram and TikTok outperform static posts; local faces, places, and how-to content perform best.
• YouTube usage is practical: DIY, farming/land management, equipment repair, hunting/outdoors, and church service streams.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for businesses and groups; SMS remains common; WhatsApp is limited.
• Small-business marketing: consistent results from Facebook/Instagram posts + Reels, boosted locally (15–25 mile radius). Calls-to-action like “Message us” or “Call” outperform off-site links.
• Timing: engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunchtime, and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekend mornings are strong for events and shopping.
• Trust and tone: content from known local people/organizations outperforms brand-forward posts; informational and community-helpful posts beat hard sells; politics-heavy content draws lower engagement and higher negative feedback.
• Discovery-to-action path: residents commonly discover via Facebook/Instagram/TikTok, verify details on the business’s Facebook page or Google Business Profile, then message or call rather than complete web forms.

Note: Figures are 2024–2025 estimates derived from national platform usage and rural-Virginia patterns applied to Madison County’s demographics, presented to reflect local reality as closely as possible.