Pulaski County

Pulaski County, Virginia — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates unless noted)

Population

• Total population: 33,800
• Population trend: essentially flat to slightly declining since 2010

Age

• Median age: 45.9 years (older than Virginia overall)
• 0–17: 18.9%
• 18–64: 58.7%
• 65+: 22.4%

Gender

• Female: 50.6%
• Male: 49.4%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): 88.6%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): 5.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 2.9%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): 2.5%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): 0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): 0.2%
• Other, incl. NHPI (non-Hispanic): 0.3%

Households and housing

• Total households: 14,550
• Average household size: 2.29
• Family households: ~63% of households
• Owner-occupied: ~73% | Renter-occupied: ~27%
• Median household income: $56,800
• Per capita income: $28,400
• Persons in poverty: 14.8%

Insights

• Aging, predominantly White population with a modest but growing Hispanic presence
• High homeownership and small household sizes typical of rural counties
• Incomes below the Virginia median and a higher-than-state poverty rate

Pulaski County, VA snapshot

• Population: 33,458 (2020 Census). Estimated email users (age 13+): ≈27,000.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users, est.):
  • 13–17: ~7%
  • 18–34: ~22%
  • 35–54: ~30%
  • 55–64: ~16%
  • 65+: ~25%
• Gender split among users: ~49% male, ~51% female (mirrors population).

Digital access and usage trends

• About 80% of households subscribe to broadband; fiber availability is growing in and around Pulaski and Dublin, while outlying areas show more reliance on mobile data and legacy DSL. Email use is near‑universal among adults 18–64 and strong but modestly lower among 65+, consistent with the county’s older age profile.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density is roughly 100–105 residents per square mile across ~320 square miles.
• Connectivity is strongest along the I‑81 corridor and town centers, with patchier fixed service in rural hollows; this geographic pattern nudges a portion of residents toward smartphone‑based email access.

Notes: Email user counts are estimated by applying current U.S. adoption rates by age to Pulaski County’s population structure.

Mobile phone usage in Pulaski County, VA — 2025 snapshot

Population base used

• Total population (2023 estimate): ≈33,800
• Adults (18+): ≈27,400
• Households: ≈14,100

User estimates

• Any mobile phone users (adults): ≈26,000 (≈95% of adults)
• Smartphone users (adults): ≈22,700 (≈83% of adults)
• Feature phone only (adults): ≈3,300 (≈12% of adults; concentrated among 65+)
• Prepaid share of active mobile lines: ≈30% (≈7,800 lines), higher than the Virginia average (~21%)
• Households that rely primarily on smartphones for home internet (smartphone‑only): ≈22% (≈3,100 households), higher than the Virginia average (~14%)

Demographic breakdown (ownership/use patterns)

• By age (adults)
  • 18–34: ≈6,600 adults; smartphone ownership ≈97% (≈6,400 users)
  • 35–54: ≈8,200 adults; smartphone ownership ≈92% (≈7,500 users)
  • 55–64: ≈4,400 adults; smartphone ownership ≈83% (≈3,650 users)
  • 65+: ≈8,200 adults; smartphone ownership ≈67% (≈5,500 users); mobile phone ownership ≈90%, leaving ≈1,900 feature‑phone users
• By income and education
  • Lower‑income households show materially higher smartphone‑only reliance (35%) and prepaid uptake (40%), driven by gaps in affordable fixed broadband and credit constraints; both figures exceed statewide rates
  • Adults without a college degree are several points less likely to own a smartphone and several points more likely to be prepaid than the statewide average, mirroring rural Virginia patterns
• By race/ethnicity
  • The county is majority White with small Black and Hispanic communities; smartphone ownership rates are broadly similar across groups, but smartphone‑only home internet reliance is higher among Black and Hispanic residents, consistent with statewide trends, though affecting a smaller absolute number of households locally

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE: Broad population coverage in Pulaski, Dublin, and along the I‑81/US‑11 corridor; service quality degrades in pockets along river valleys (e.g., around Claytor Lake) and in ridge/foothill terrain west and south of town centers
  • 5G: Deployed along the I‑81 corridor and in/around Pulaski and Dublin; mid‑band 5G capacity thins quickly outside these areas, with many rural tracts still LTE‑first
• Capacity and performance
  • Typical user experience: LTE downlink often 10–40 Mbps in rural tracts; 5G mid‑band 100–300 Mbps where available; peak‑hour congestion is most noticeable near highway interchanges and school clusters
  • Indoor coverage benefits from low‑band spectrum, but metal‑roof structures and hollows create dead zones requiring Wi‑Fi calling or extenders
• Backhaul and siting
  • Multiple fiber routes parallel I‑81/US‑11 and feed the Radford/New River Valley area, providing adequate macro backhaul; off‑corridor sites rely more on microwave or long lateral fiber runs, limiting 5G densification
  • New macro or small‑cell builds concentrate near the interstate, industrial parks, and school campuses; fewer infill sites in sparsely populated tracts slow 5G expansion
• Public safety and resilience
  • E911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are supported; terrain‑driven shadowing remains the primary risk to reliability during storms until additional low‑band or repeater coverage is added

How Pulaski County differs from Virginia overall

• Smartphone adoption is lower by roughly 4–6 percentage points (≈83% vs ~88–89% statewide), with a notably larger feature‑phone cohort among seniors
• Prepaid usage is higher by ~8–10 points (≈30% vs ~21% statewide), reflecting income mix and coverage variability
• Smartphone‑only home internet dependence is higher by ~7–9 points (≈22% vs ~14% statewide), tied to patchier fixed‑line options outside towns
• 5G availability and capacity are more corridor‑centric; outside the I‑81 spine, users remain LTE‑first more often than the statewide norm
• Upgrade cycles are longer (estimated 28–32 months vs ~24–26 months statewide), and data consumption per line is lower in off‑corridor tracts due to coverage and speed constraints

Method and notes

• Figures are 2025 estimates derived from 2023 U.S. Census population and household baselines, Pew Research Center smartphone adoption benchmarks (adjusted for rural Virginia), ACS/NTIA device and subscription patterns for rural counties, and FCC mobile coverage data for corridor vs off‑corridor distinctions. Counts are rounded for clarity.

Pulaski County, VA social media snapshot (modeled local estimates) Method note: Figures apply 2024 Pew Research Center usage rates to Pulaski County’s older-leaning age mix (ACS 2023) to produce county-specific estimates. Percentages are of adults unless noted.

Overall usage

• Adult social media penetration: 80–82% (≈U.S. rural adults, adjusted for Pulaski’s older age profile)
• Teen usage (13–17): ~95% use at least one platform

Age mix of adult social media users (share of all adult users)

• 18–29: ~19%
• 30–49: ~32%
• 50–64: ~27%
• 65+: ~22%

Gender breakdown (share of adult users)

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47%
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X

Most-used platforms (adult reach in Pulaski; % of adults)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~35%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• TikTok: ~22%
• Snapchat: ~18%
• X (Twitter): ~19%
• LinkedIn: ~16%
• Reddit: ~12%
• Nextdoor: ~12%

Behavioral trends to expect locally

• Facebook as the community hub: High reliance on Groups and Marketplace for local news, school closings, civic updates, buy/sell/trade, and event discovery. Older adults are especially Facebook-centric.
• Video-first habits: YouTube is the default for how-to/DIY, hunting/fishing, home projects, local sports replays, and product research. Smart‑TV viewing is common in 50+ cohorts.
• Short‑form among youth: Teens and younger adults concentrate time on TikTok and Snapchat for entertainment and messaging; Instagram Reels is secondary.
• Messaging ecosystem: Facebook Messenger is the dominant private channel; WhatsApp usage is modest compared with national urban averages.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace outperforms Craigslist; discovery for local restaurants, contractors, and yard services skews to Facebook and Google/YouTube.
• Rural cadence: Engagement peaks early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evening (5–9 p.m.), with strong weekday activity tied to weather, school, and sports; spikes during emergencies and election cycles.
• Professional networking: LinkedIn presence is thinner than urban Virginia; usage concentrates among healthcare, education, and manufacturing managers.
• Content trust: Users show higher engagement with posts from known local entities (schools, county offices, churches, youth sports, volunteer fire/EMS) versus national pages.

Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use 2024, Teens & Social Media 2023), U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 age/sex mix for Pulaski County. Figures are localized estimates derived from those benchmarks.