Martinsville City County

Martinsville city (independent city, county-equivalent), Virginia — key demographics

Population

• Total: 13,485 (2020 Census). ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate is essentially unchanged (~13.5k).

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Sex (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is any race)

• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~43%
• White (non-Hispanic): ~40%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~14%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Other (non-Hispanic, incl. AIAN, NHPI, some other race): <1%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~5,900
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Tenure: ~53% owner-occupied, ~47% renter-occupied
• Housing vacancy rate: ~12%

Notes

• Geography is the county-equivalent FIPS 51690 (Martinsville city, VA).
• Figures are rounded for clarity; use ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates and 2020 Census for precise values.

Martinsville City (county-equivalent), Virginia

• Estimated email users: ≈9,200 residents use email at least monthly, out of ~13,600 total population.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–24: 17%; 25–44: 34%; 45–64: 30%; 65+: 19%. Usage is near-universal among working-age adults, with somewhat lower but growing uptake among seniors.
• Gender split among users: ~54% female, ~46% male, mirroring the local population.
• Digital access trends: About three-quarters of households have a fixed broadband subscription, below the Virginia average. Roughly one in five internet households are smartphone‑only, reflecting cost-sensitive access. Fixed 100/20 Mbps service is available to most addresses; fiber is present in parts of the city and expanding via regional buildouts. The 2024 wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program likely depresses adoption in a community with an elevated poverty rate, increasing smartphone‑only reliance.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density is roughly 1,200 residents per square mile across a compact ~11 sq mi footprint, aiding cable coverage but leaving pockets of older housing with weaker in‑home wiring. Overall, email penetration is high and stable, with incremental gains expected among 65+ as device affordability and mobile plans improve.

Mobile phone usage in Martinsville city, Virginia — 2023–2024 snapshot

Scope and sources: Figures are based on the latest American Community Survey (ACS 2019–2023, 5‑year) for Martinsville city, with statewide comparisons for Virginia, plus 2024 carrier coverage disclosures and FCC broadband mapping for infrastructure context.

Size of the user base

• Population and households: ~13,500 residents; ~5,800 households.
• Adult smartphone users (estimate): ~9,000 adults, reflecting about 82% adult smartphone adoption locally vs roughly 88–90% statewide.
• Households with a smartphone: ~86% in Martinsville (about 5,000 households) vs ~91% statewide.
• Households with a cellular data plan (any mobile internet subscription): 71% locally (4,100 households) vs ~75–77% statewide.
• Cellular-data-only households (no cable, fiber, DSL, or satellite at home): 17% locally (1,000 households), roughly double the statewide rate (~9%).
• No home internet subscription: 20% locally (1,160 households) vs ~12% statewide.

Demographic shape of usage

• Age: Martinsville skews older (about 22% age 65+ vs ~16% statewide), which dampens overall smartphone adoption and 5G-capable device penetration compared with Virginia as a whole.
• Income and affordability: Median household income is substantially below the Virginia median, which correlates with:
  • Higher reliance on smartphones and cellular data as the primary or only home connection.
  • Greater uptake of prepaid and budget mobile plans.
• Race/ethnicity: Martinsville’s population is more heavily Black and less White than the state average (roughly mid‑40s% Black, mid‑40s% White, high‑single‑digit % Hispanic). National and state patterns show Black and lower‑income households more likely to be smartphone‑dependent; Martinsville’s demographic mix aligns with the elevated cellular‑only share observed locally.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Ubiquitous citywide coverage from all three nationwide carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon).
• 5G coverage: All three carriers show 5G service across Martinsville and along the US‑220/US‑58 corridors as of 2024. Mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C‑band where deployed) provides in‑town capacity, with performance softening at the edges and in heavily wooded or hilly pockets.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): 5G home internet is offered by T‑Mobile across much of the city; Verizon’s 5G Home is available at select addresses. FWA options have become a meaningful alternative for cost‑sensitive households and contribute to the higher cellular‑only rate.
• Wireline backdrop: Cable and some fiber are present in parts of Martinsville, but adoption lags availability for cost reasons; the disconnect between availability and subscription is larger locally than statewide.
• Resilience and public assets: Coverage is reinforced along primary corridors, schools, and public safety facilities; fringe dead‑spots are more related to terrain than to tower scarcity within city limits.

How Martinsville differs from Virginia overall

• More mobile‑dependent: Cellular‑only home internet is about 1.8–2.0 times the statewide rate, and the share of households without any internet subscription is materially higher.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration: Household smartphone presence and adult adoption trail the state by several points, reflecting older age structure and lower incomes.
• Greater sensitivity to affordability shifts: The wind‑down of federal affordability support in 2024 had a noticeably larger local impact, with increased churn toward prepaid and mobile‑only connectivity compared with the state average.
• Infrastructure is adequate; uptake is the gap: Unlike some rural areas where coverage is the constraint, Martinsville’s main divergence is economic—people rely on mobile services even where wireline exists, which shapes traffic patterns (heavier mobile data use per user, more indoor‑cell reliance) and slows 5G device upgrade cycles compared with statewide norms.

Key takeaways

• Approximately 9,000 adults in Martinsville use smartphones, but a higher‑than‑average share of households rely on mobile data as their only home connection.
• The city’s older and lower‑income profile drives both slightly lower overall smartphone adoption and significantly higher smartphone‑only and cellular‑only internet reliance than the Virginia average.
• From an infrastructure standpoint, LTE and 5G coverage are solid; the standout local trend is affordability‑driven mobile dependence rather than lack of network availability.

Social media usage in Martinsville City (VA) — snapshot (2024)

Scope and method

• Local base from U.S. Census/ACS; platform usage rates from Pew Research Center (2024). Local counts are modeled by applying national adult usage rates to Martinsville’s adult population. Users have multiple platforms, so counts overlap.

Local user base

• Population: ≈13.5k residents (ACS 2023).
• Adults (18+): ≈10.8k.
• Adults using any social media: ≈7.8k (about 72% of adults, consistent with long-running Pew trend).

Most-used platforms (U.S. adult usage rates applied locally)

• YouTube: 83% of adults → ≈9.0k local adult users.
• Facebook: 68% → ≈7.3k.
• Instagram: 47% → ≈5.1k.
• TikTok: 33% → ≈3.6k.
• Pinterest: 35% → ≈3.8k.
• LinkedIn: 30% → ≈3.2k.
• Snapchat: 27% → ≈2.9k.
• X (Twitter): 22% → ≈2.4k.
• Reddit: 22% → ≈2.4k.
• WhatsApp: 21% → ≈2.3k. Note: Figures are overlapping audiences; they indicate relative platform reach among adults.

Age-group patterns (applied to Martinsville)

• 13–17: Heavy Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; Instagram strong. Facebook used mainly for family and school/sports updates.
• 18–29: Most multi-platform. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube dominate daily time; Snapchat common for messaging; Facebook used but less frequently for posting.
• 30–49: Broadest cross-platform use. Facebook and Messenger central for community/groups; Instagram Reels and YouTube for short/long-form video; TikTok rising.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok adoption growing, mostly consumption not posting.
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; limited use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown highlights (U.S. patterns reflected locally)

• Women: Higher use of Facebook and Instagram; strong on Pinterest (about half of U.S. women use Pinterest vs about one-fifth of men).
• Men: Higher presence on Reddit and X; slightly higher YouTube and LinkedIn usage.
• Content behavior: Women drive local community groups, events, buy/sell; men over-index in sports, automotive, tech, and Reddit-style forums.

Behavioral trends in Martinsville context

• Facebook as the community hub: Local news, city services, churches, schools, youth sports, and buy/sell groups anchor daily engagement. Marketplace is a key driver of visits.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, local government meetings, church services; TikTok and Instagram Reels for short local clips (food, events, high school sports).
• Event-driven spikes: Regional happenings (e.g., race weekends and festivals) produce surges in Facebook/Instagram/TikTok mentions, check-ins, and Stories.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; Snapchat prevalent among teens/young adults; group chats coordinate school, sports, and church activities.
• Posting cadence and timing: Best engagement typically early morning (7–9 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.) local time; weekend mid-day performs well for events and dining.
• Trust and utility: Local users prioritize practical posts—closures, weather, lost/found, promotions with clear value. Authentic, place-specific content outperforms generic stock material.
• Ads and targeting: Small businesses rely on Facebook/Instagram geo-targeted ads within 10–15 miles; offer-based creatives (coupons, limited-time menus, ticketing) drive clicks.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform reach and demographic skews).
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year/5-year estimates for Martinsville city, Virginia (population and age base).