Mathews County

Key demographics – Mathews County, Virginia

Population

• Total population: 8,533 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 54.6 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: under 18: ~17%; 18–64: ~54%; 65+: ~29% (ACS 2019–2023)

Gender

• Female: ~51% | Male: ~49% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White (alone): ~88%
• Black or African American (alone): ~8–9%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0–1%
• Asian (alone): ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3% (ACS 2019–2023; note Hispanic overlaps with race)

Households and housing

• Households: ~3,800
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~2/3 of households; nonfamily ~1/3
• Tenure: owner-occupied ~80–85%; renter-occupied ~15–20%
• Seasonal/vacant units are a notable share of housing stock (ACS 2019–2023)

Insights

• Older age profile: median age well above state and U.S. medians; nearly one-third are 65+
• Predominantly White, with small but present Black and multiracial populations; Hispanic share is low
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy suggest a stable, older, homeowner-heavy community with significant seasonal housing presence

Mathews County, VA (2020 pop. 8,533; land 86.8 sq mi; ~98 people/sq mi) is a sparsely populated, older, coastal-rural community, shaping how residents access and use email.

Estimated email users

• Adults (~84% of population ≈ 7,170). Using Pew’s ~92% adult email adoption, ≈6,600 adult email users countywide.

Age distribution of email users (reflecting Mathews’ older skew and national adoption by age)

• 18–29: ~11% of users
• 30–49: ~24% of users
• 50–64: ~28% of users
• 65+: ~37% of users

Gender split

• County population is roughly ~51% female and ~49% male; email users mirror this split.

Digital access and trends

• Broadband subscription is below Virginia’s average (~89% statewide); Mathews households are around the low-80% range for a broadband subscription, with a noticeable minority smartphone-only and a small but persistent no-home-internet segment.
• Connectivity is improving via state-funded fiber buildouts (e.g., VATI-backed projects with All Points Broadband/REC) and existing cable along main corridors; fixed wireless/satellite remain important for dispersed waterfront peninsulas where wired service is sparse.
• Take-up rises where fiber becomes available, narrowing the rural gap but leaving pockets with line-of-sight and backhaul constraints.

Bottom line: roughly two-thirds of all residents and over nine in ten adults use email, skewing older due to demographics, with access steadily improving as fiber reaches more homes.

Mobile phone usage in Mathews County, Virginia — summary and local deviations from statewide patterns

Headline takeaways

• Smaller, older, and more rural than Virginia overall, Mathews County shows slightly lower smartphone penetration, heavier reliance on LTE, and wider performance variability than state averages. Limited 5G coverage and sparser tower density keep typical mobile speeds below Virginia’s median, while seasonal population swings drive noticeable peak-time congestion.

User estimates (population basis: 2020 Census, 8,533 residents)

• Adults (18+): ≈7,250; youth 13–17: ≈510
• People using any mobile phone: ≈7,000 (≈82% of total population)
• Smartphone users: ≈6,500 (≈76% of total population; ≈86% of adults and ≈95% of teens 13–17)
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed broadband at home): ≈19–23% of households, midpoint ≈21% (≈800 of ~3,800 households), versus Virginia ≈14–16%
• Mobile plan mix: higher share of budget/MVNO plans than statewide, reflecting older demographics and more price sensitivity; data allowances and hotspot use skew lower than urban Virginia

Demographic usage pattern (compared to Virginia)

• Age: 65+ share is substantially higher than statewide, pulling down overall smartphone penetration (Pew 2023: 65+ ownership ~75–80%). Younger adults (18–49) in the county track near-state smartphone norms (>90%), creating a wide intra-county gap by age.
• Income and education: Lower median incomes and longer distances to fixed broadband increase smartphone-dependence for internet among some working-age households, raising “smartphone-only” rates above state averages despite the county’s older age profile.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly White non-Hispanic; small minority populations tend to exhibit higher smartphone-dependence (consistent with national patterns), but the small base limits countywide impact.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage footprint
  • 4G/LTE: Near-ubiquitous outdoor population coverage from AT&T and Verizon; T‑Mobile covers most populated corridors but has more gaps in fringe, wooded, and waterfront areas.
  • 5G: Predominantly low‑band (coverage-first) 5G with material holes in waterfront peninsulas and low-density pockets; population coverage markedly below Virginia’s major metros. Practical effect: many users still ride LTE for capacity.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical observed ranges: LTE ≈10–50 Mbps down; low‑band 5G ≈40–150 Mbps down, with wide variability by location and time of day.
  • Versus Virginia: county medians trail statewide medians (often >100 Mbps in metro corridors) because of sparser sites, fewer mid-band 5G carriers, and more challenging RF terrain (trees, water paths).
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro grid is sparse for the land area, relying on a handful of tall sites; foliage and water inlets create shadow zones and multipath. Backhaul is a mix of fiber along primary roads and microwave hops to reach remote sites.
• Fixed-broadband context shaping mobile use
  • Legacy DSL remains in outlying roads; cable service clusters around denser corridors; fiber-to-the-home is expanding through state-supported builds (VATI-era projects), but complete coverage is still in progress. Where fixed options are weak, households lean on LTE/5G hotspots or smartphone tethering.
  • 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) from Verizon/T‑Mobile is available in select zones but not countywide; adoption is growing in pockets with poor wired alternatives.

Behavioral and temporal trends

• Higher LTE reliance than state average due to patchy mid-band 5G.
• More variable indoor coverage in older, larger homes and waterfront structures; Wi‑Fi calling is a common workaround.
• Strong seasonality: weekend/summer spikes from visitors and second homes drive localized congestion at popular waterfront areas, a pattern more pronounced than statewide norms in inland counties.

What’s different from Virginia overall

• Lower overall smartphone penetration and higher age-driven variability.
• Lower 5G availability (especially mid-band), lower typical mobile speeds, and greater dependence on LTE.
• Higher share of smartphone-only or mobile-first households due to uneven fixed broadband.
• More pronounced seasonal traffic swings and location-specific dead zones tied to waterfront geography and tree cover.

Methodological notes and sources

• Population and household counts: U.S. Census 2020; adult/youth splits derived from ACS-like age shares for Mathews County.
• Ownership rates: Pew Research Center 2023 (by age and community type), applied to local age structure to produce county-level estimates.
• Coverage/performance: FCC mobile coverage filings (2023), carriers’ public coverage disclosures, and rural Virginia performance norms used to bound speed and availability ranges.
• Broadband context: Virginia VATI grant announcements (2021–2023) and common rural Middle Peninsula buildout patterns; provider footprints reflected at a high level.

These figures provide a grounded estimate of current usage and infrastructure realities in Mathews County and highlight the key ways local experience departs from Virginia’s statewide averages.

Social media usage in Mathews County, VA (2024–2025 snapshot)

Context and overall adoption

• Population context: small, older-leaning rural county (~8.5k residents; median age mid-50s; slightly more women than men)
• Internet and device access (est.): ~90% of adults use the internet; ~75–80% have home broadband; ~85% have a smartphone
• Adults using any social media (est.): 69–72% of adults are active on at least one platform; a clear majority are daily users Sources informing estimates: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (age/sex mix), Pew Research Center 2024 Social Media Use, and rural-Virginia adoption benchmarks

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of all adults)

• YouTube: 74%
• Facebook: 66%
• Pinterest: 27%
• Instagram: 26%
• TikTok: 15%
• WhatsApp: 14%
• LinkedIn: 14%
• X (Twitter): 11%
• Nextdoor: 12%
• Snapchat: 10%
• Reddit: 9% Interpretation: YouTube and Facebook dominate reach. Instagram and Pinterest form a mid-tier; TikTok is present but smaller due to the county’s older age profile. Nextdoor exists in pockets; Facebook Groups often substitute for neighborhood discussion.

User mix by age (share of local social media users)

• 18–29: ~15%
• 30–49: ~33%
• 50–64: ~30%
• 65+: ~22% Interpretation: Despite an older population, the heaviest single cohort of social media users is 30–49, followed closely by 50–64. The 65+ segment is substantial but posts less and relies mainly on Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown (share of local social media users)

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47% Platform tendencies: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram usage is balanced but tilts younger; LinkedIn skews to commuters/professionals.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: County info, school and church updates, volunteer fire/rescue, lost-and-found pets, contractor recommendations, and Marketplace buy/sell dominate. Local groups have high engagement relative to population.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is heavily used for how-to/DIY, marine/boating, fishing, home repair, gardening, and storm prep. Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is growing among under-50s but remains secondary overall.
• Event discovery and alerts: Facebook Events and local Pages provide the primary calendar; spikes occur around weather events, road closures, and hurricane season.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for many residents; WhatsApp is niche (families with out-of-area ties and some seasonal workers).
• Commerce and recommendations: Facebook Marketplace and Groups drive local transactions; Nextdoor use is moderate where neighborhood coverage exists, but Facebook typically reaches more people.
• Posting vs. lurking: A majority are “readers” rather than frequent posters. Older users share community updates and personal milestones; younger users create Stories/Reels and cross-post TikToks to Instagram.
• Seasonality: Summer brings higher activity tied to visitors, boating, and events; emergency-related engagement surges during major weather systems.

Notes on precision

• County-specific platform counts are not directly published; figures above are modeled by applying Pew 2024 platform-by-age usage rates to Mathews County’s age/sex profile and rural connectivity levels. Expect ±3–5 percentage points on platform estimates and ±2–3 points on age/sex shares.