Patrick County

Patrick County, Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 17,608 residents (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~48.5 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~54%
• 65 and over: ~26%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive where noted)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~86%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~5–6%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4–5%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.3–0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.5% (2020 Census; ACS corroborates similar shares)

Household data

• Households: ~7,600 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.27
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~80%
• Family households: roughly two-thirds of all households

Insights

• Small, aging population with about one-quarter aged 65+ and a median age near 49.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small but present Black and Hispanic populations.
• High homeownership and smaller household sizes typical of rural counties.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year estimates
• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Patrick County, VA (derives from sources above)

Patrick County, VA email usage (estimates derived from Census age mix, Pew email adoption by age, and ACS/FCC access patterns)

• Population and users: ≈17.6K residents; ≈14.4K adults (18+). Estimated adult email users ≈12.8K (18–49: ~5.6K at ~97% adoption; 50–64: ~3.9K at ~92%; 65+: ~3.3K at ~75%). Including teens lifts total users modestly above 13K.
• Age distribution of email users: ~44% aged 18–49, ~30% aged 50–64, ~26% aged 65+. Median age in-county is high, so seniors comprise an outsized share of users compared with urban Virginia.
• Gender split: Near parity among users; ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male, reflecting county demographics and negligible gender gaps in email adoption.
• Digital access and trends: About three in four households subscribe to home broadband; ~1 in 5 have no home internet, with ~5–10% mobile-only. Broadband subscription has risen several points over the past five years, but adoption lags state averages due to income and terrain.
• Local density/connectivity: Low population density (~35–36 residents per sq. mile) and mountainous terrain create last‑mile gaps. Fixed 100/20 Mbps service is available to a substantial majority of addresses, but pockets remain unserved or underserved, especially outside Stuart and primary corridors.

Patrick County, Virginia: mobile phone usage summary (2024–2025)

Headlines

• Mobile adoption is high but below Virginia’s urban-driven averages, with slower 5G device turnover, heavier prepaid use, and more reliance on cellular for home internet due to sparse wired options.
• Terrain-driven coverage gaps and limited mid-band 5G differentiate the county’s experience from most of Virginia, where C‑band and dense metro builds dominate.

Population baseline used for estimates

• Total population: ~17,200–17,600 (2020 census 17,608; slight decline since 2020)
• Adults (18+): ~14,000
• Households: ~7,500–7,700

User estimates (people, not lines)

• Adults with a mobile phone: ~12,800–13,200 (≈92% of adults)
• Adults with a smartphone: ~10,800–11,300 (≈77–81% of adults)
• 5G-capable smartphones: ~6,800–7,500 (≈60–66% of smartphone users; many still on LTE-only or older devices)
• Prepaid users: ~4,500–5,000 (≈35–38% of mobile users; notably higher than Virginia overall)
• Platform mix (smartphones): ~65–70% Android, ~30–35% iPhone (skews more Android than statewide)

Demographic breakdown (share and estimated counts among smartphone users)

• By age (drives device mix and upgrade cadence)
  • 18–34: adoption ≈93–96%; ~3,200–3,400 users. Higher app/social/video use than other local cohorts, but absolute numbers are small due to population structure.
  • 35–64: adoption ≈82–87%; ~5,100–5,400 users. Core group for work, telehealth, and navigation; many remain on LTE.
  • 65+: adoption ≈58–65%; ~2,400–2,900 users. Larger local share than the state; more basic plans and longer replacement cycles.
• By race/ethnicity (reflecting county composition and typical adoption patterns)
  • White, non‑Hispanic (≈85–88% of population): ~9,200–9,800 smartphone users.
  • Black (≈4–6%): ~500–700 users.
  • Hispanic/Latino (≈3–5%): ~400–600 users; above‑average smartphone‑only internet reliance within this group.
  • Other/multiracial: ~200–400 users.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median household income than Virginia overall translates to higher prepaid/MVNO usage, family/share plans with tighter data caps, and slower upgrades to mid‑band 5G devices.

Household internet dependence on mobile

• Wired broadband subscribers: ~65–70% of households (below Virginia’s ~80–85%)
• Cellular-only internet households (smartphone or hotspot and no wired subscription): ~12–16% (≈900–1,200 households; higher than Virginia’s ~8–10%)
• No home internet (neither wired nor cellular): ~15–20% (well above state average)

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage pattern
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage in populated corridors (Stuart, US‑58, US‑8, SR‑57), with persistent dead zones in hollows and along the Blue Ridge escarpment.
  • 5G: Predominantly low‑band deployments; spotty mid‑band. Expect 5G indicators on phones in town/along highways, but LTE‑like capacity across much of the county.
• Carrier presence (practical experience)
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent rural coverage and building penetration; T‑Mobile has improved low‑band footprint but limited mid‑band capacity outside the Stuart/US‑58 corridor.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) covers major routes and public safety sites; interior valleys still see reliability gaps.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical user experience: LTE/low‑band 5G in the 5–40 Mbps range outside town centers; mid‑band 5G (where present) can exceed 100 Mbps but is limited in footprint.
  • Tourist surge areas (e.g., Blue Ridge Parkway/Meadows of Dan, weekend events) experience noticeable congestion at peak times.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro towers are relatively sparse for the terrain; coverage is designed for breadth over capacity, with selective small‑cell or sector densification near population clusters.
  • Microwave backhaul remains in use on some sites; fiber‑fed nodes concentrate in and around Stuart and along primary highways.
• Home broadband alternatives
  • Legacy DSL remains in pockets with sub‑25 Mbps performance; cable is limited geographically; fiber availability is expanding but not ubiquitous.
  • Fixed wireless (WISPs) and satellite (notably Starlink) fill gaps; many households rely on smartphone hotspots.
• Devices and in‑home coverage
  • Metal roofs and distance from towers drive heavier use of Wi‑Fi calling, femtocells, and signal boosters than in most Virginia localities.

How Patrick County differs from Virginia overall

• Adoption and devices
  • Lower smartphone and 5G‑device penetration, driven by older age structure and lower incomes.
  • Higher prepaid/MVNO share and longer device replacement cycles; Android share higher, iPhone share lower.
• Network experience
  • Coverage gaps persist due to mountainous terrain and fewer macro sites; mid‑band 5G (C‑band/n41) is limited compared with dense deployments in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads.
  • Lower median mobile speeds and more variable indoor coverage; heavier reliance on low‑band spectrum for reach rather than capacity.
• Internet dependence
  • Greater reliance on cellular as a primary home internet solution, with more hotspot use and higher smartphone‑only household share.
  • Higher share of households with no internet service at all relative to the state.

Actionable implications

• Carriers: Greatest user impact comes from adding mid‑band 5G sectors on existing towers, targeted infill along valley floors, and ensuring fiber backhaul on key sites.
• Public sector: Continued funding for fiber buildouts and middle‑mile backhaul, plus support for cellular coverage improvements on critical corridors, will reduce smartphone‑only dependence.
• Users and businesses: Plan for Wi‑Fi calling and consider signal boosters in metal‑roof structures; choose carriers based on local corridor coverage rather than statewide marketing claims.

Patrick County, VA social media snapshot (2025)

What this reflects

• Base population: 17,608 (2020 Census). Approx. adults (18+): ~13,700.
• Figures below are modeled local estimates using county demographics and 2024 Pew Research platform adoption by age; county-level platform shares are not directly published.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform monthly: ~66–70% of adults (≈9,000–9,600 people).
• Smartphone-centric use; posting is lighter than viewing/scrolling, with strong reliance on private messaging and Groups.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult residents)

• YouTube: ~74–78%
• Facebook: ~62–68%
• Instagram: ~27–33%
• TikTok: ~20–26%
• Pinterest: ~30–36%
• Snapchat: ~12–18%
• X (Twitter): ~12–16%
• Reddit: ~10–14%
• LinkedIn: ~10–13%
• WhatsApp: ~15–22%
• Nextdoor: ~5–9%

Age profile of local users (share of each platform’s users)

• Facebook: ~55–60% age 50+, ~25–30% age 30–49, ~10–15% age 18–29
• YouTube: ~20–25% age 18–29, ~35% age 30–49, ~25% age 50–64, ~15% age 65+
• Instagram: ~45–50% age 18–29, ~35–40% age 30–49, ~10–15% age 50+
• TikTok: ~50–55% age 18–29, ~30–35% age 30–49, ~10–15% age 50+
• Snapchat: ~75–85% under 30
• Pinterest: ~60–65% age 30–54, ~20–25% 55+

Gender breakdown (share of local users per platform)

• Facebook: ~55–60% women
• Instagram: ~52–57% women
• TikTok: ~54–58% women
• Pinterest: ~70–75% women
• Snapchat: ~55–60% women
• YouTube: ~52–56% men
• X (Twitter): ~58–62% men
• Reddit: ~65–75% men
• LinkedIn: ~52–56% men
• WhatsApp: roughly balanced

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, events, local yard sales), Marketplace, and local news/weather alerts. Most daily “active” users are 35+.
• Video dominates: YouTube for how‑to, repairs, DIY, hunting/fishing, high‑school sports, and church services; Facebook Reels and TikTok for short, local, personality‑led clips.
• Messaging first: Facebook Messenger is the default DM channel; WhatsApp pockets exist within family/work networks.
• Posting frequency skews older-to-passive: many 50+ users primarily read, react, and share links; under‑35s post Stories/Reels more than feed posts and maintain Snap streaks.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (6–9 pm) and weekend mornings (8–11 am); weather and local-event posts spike rapidly.
• Content that performs: Faces and familiar places, hyper‑local updates (closures, sports, festivals), serviceable tips (gardening, HVAC, auto), and limited‑time offers from local businesses.
• Ads and targeting: Best ROI on Facebook/Instagram with tight geofences around Stuart, Patrick Springs, Meadows of Dan, Woolwine; use age 35+ for FB news/offers, 18–34 for IG/TikTok short video; lean on Groups/Events and click‑to‑message CTAs.

Notes on interpretation

• Percentages are for adult residents and reflect Patrick County’s older age profile, which boosts Facebook/Pinterest and trims Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok relative to national averages.