Shenandoah County

Shenandoah County, Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 44,186 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~84%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~11%
• Black/African American: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~3%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~18,000
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~66% (married-couple families ~52%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73% (renter ~27%)
• Households with someone age 65+: ~1 in 3
• Households with children under 18: ~1 in 4

Insights

• Older age structure relative to state/nation, with about one in five residents 65+
• Predominantly White non-Hispanic with a notable Hispanic community (~1 in 10 residents)
• High owner-occupancy and predominance of family households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Shenandoah County, VA snapshot (pop. ≈45,000; density ≈86 people/sq. mile)

Estimated email users (18+): ≈31,600 residents.

• Basis: adults ≈80% of population; age-specific adoption rates mapped to local age mix.

Age distribution of email users (counts ≈):

• 18–34: 8,100 users (≈95% of 8,550 residents)
• 35–54: 10,600 users (≈94% of 11,250)
• 55–64: 5,900 users (≈88% of 6,750)
• 65+: 7,000 users (≈74% of 9,450) Insight: Usage remains near-universal through midlife; notable drop-off begins 65+.

Gender split:

• Female ≈50.5%, male ≈49.5%; email adoption is effectively parity by gender, yielding ≈15.9k women and ≈15.7k men using email.

Digital access and trends:

• Households ≈18,000; ≈80% have a home broadband subscription (~14,500 households). ≈88% have a computer; ≈12–15% are smartphone‑only.
• Fiber and cable concentrated in I‑81 corridor towns (Strasburg, Woodstock, New Market); rural valleys rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Local operator Shentel (Glo Fiber) and major carriers (e.g., Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon/AT&T/T‑Mobile mobile) underpin connectivity; 5G strongest along I‑81, patchier in mountainous hollows.

Overall: Email is mainstream across adults, with gaps chiefly driven by age, rural last‑mile constraints, and income.

Shenandoah County, VA mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Top-line estimates

• Population: ~45,000; adults (18+): ~36,000
• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~34,200 (≈95% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ~30,100–30,600 (≈84–85% of adults)
• Adult basic/feature-phone users: ~3,600–4,100 (≈10–12%)
• Households: ~18,300
  • Households with any broadband subscription (wireline, fixed wireless, or cellular): 77% (14,100)
  • Smartphone-only internet households (cellular only, no wireline): 21% (3,800–3,900)
  • Households with no broadband at home: 23% (4,200)

How this differs from the Virginia statewide pattern

• Smartphone penetration is lower: ≈84–85% in Shenandoah vs ≈89–91% statewide.
• Feature-phone reliance is higher: ≈10–12% vs ≈6–8% statewide.
• Smartphone-only internet households are significantly higher: ≈21% vs ≈14% statewide.
• Home broadband subscription rate is lower: ≈77% vs ≈86% statewide.
• 5G population coverage and median speeds lag urban Virginia; coverage gaps persist in mountain valleys that are uncommon in metro areas.

Demographic breakdown of mobile usage (estimates)

• By age
  • 18–34 (~8,600 people): ≈97% smartphone use; near-universal mobile reliance for everyday internet.
  • 35–64 (~16,700 adults): ≈90% smartphone use; highest multi-line and work hotspot usage.
  • 65+ (~10,800 adults): ≈63% smartphone, ≈21% basic phone, ≈16% without a cellphone. Senior share is higher than the state, pulling down overall smartphone penetration.
• By income (households)
  • < $50k (44% of households, ≈8,050): ≈30% smartphone-only internet (2,400–2,500), driven by price sensitivity and limited wireline.
  • $50–100k (33% of households, ≈6,040): ≈17% smartphone-only (1,000).
  • $100k+ (23% of households, ≈4,210): ≈9% smartphone-only (380).
• By education (adults)
  • Bachelor’s+ (~23%): smartphone-only internet ≈12%.
  • High school or less (~38%): smartphone-only internet ≈27%.
• By race/ethnicity (households, approximate)
  • White non-Hispanic (~84% of population): smartphone-only households ≈18%.
  • Hispanic/Latino (~10%): smartphone-only households ≈35%, reflecting higher mobile-first behavior.
  • Black (~3%) and other groups: small base sizes but mobile-first rates generally above county average.

Usage and plan mix

• Prepaid share is elevated (≈25–30% of lines) vs ≈18–22% statewide, tied to income mix and MVNO availability.
• Mobile data substitution is common: roughly one in five households uses cellular as primary home internet; 5G fixed wireless (Verizon, T‑Mobile) is growing in Woodstock/Strasburg/New Market corridors.
• Work and school hotspots are more prevalent than in metro Virginia due to patchy wireline coverage outside town centers.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile; MVNOs widely used. Shentel is the key local provider; cable/HFC in towns with selective fiber (Glo Fiber) builds. Brightspeed/CenturyLink legacy DSL persists in rural stretches. Regional fiber initiatives with All Points Broadband target remaining unserved areas through VATI/BEAD-backed projects.
• 4G LTE coverage: strong along I‑81/US‑11 spine (Strasburg, Toms Brook, Woodstock, Edinburg, Mount Jackson, New Market). Geographic coverage drops in hollows and ridge-shadowed areas.
• 5G availability: present along I‑81 towns (T‑Mobile mid-band “UC”), with AT&T/Verizon low-band/DSS. Population coverage is solid in towns but falls off quickly in Fort Valley, Basye/Orkney Springs, Liberty Furnace, Wolf Gap, and forested slopes of Massanutten/George Washington National Forest.
• Performance (typical user experience)
  • Town centers/corridors: 4G ~20–60 Mbps down; 5G mid-band ~80–150 Mbps down.
  • Valleys/forest edges: 4G often 5–15 Mbps, occasional drops to 3G/No Service.
  • Statewide urban medians are higher (often 100–200 Mbps on 5G), underscoring the rural performance gap.
• Public assets: libraries and schools in Woodstock, Strasburg, and New Market provide free Wi‑Fi and after-hours parking-lot access; these see sustained use relative to urban counterparts, indicating persistent at-home connectivity gaps.

Notable local trends shaping usage

• Older age structure and lower median income increase basic-phone and prepaid shares relative to Virginia overall.
• Mountainous terrain creates persistent dead zones, elevating handset selection with better radios, external antennas/hotspots, and Wi‑Fi calling dependence.
• 5G fixed wireless is a meaningful off‑ramp from smartphone-only home internet near the I‑81 corridor; adoption will expand as new sectors light up and as BEAD-funded fiber infills rural gaps.
• Shentel’s presence and regional fiber projects mean the wireline picture is improving, but take-up lags until builds reach dispersed hollows.

Method notes

• Counts are derived from 2023–2024 ACS demographics for Shenandoah County combined with recent Pew/industry rural adoption rates and Virginia statewide benchmarks; figures are rounded to reflect estimate uncertainty while keeping differences vs the state explicit.

Social media usage in Shenandoah County, VA (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~44,500
• Residents 13+: ~38,000
• Active social media users (13+): ~31,500 (≈82% penetration)
• Daily social users: ~22,500 (≈72% of social users)
• Device mix: ~90%+ of social use is mobile-first; desktop is secondary and skews older

Age and gender profile of users (share of social users)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–24: 11%
• 25–34: 15%
• 35–44: 16%
• 45–54: 17%
• 55–64: 16%
• 65+: 17%
• Gender: ~53% female, ~47% male among active users

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ who use each at least monthly)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 36%
• Pinterest: 28%
• TikTok: 24%
• Snapchat: 21%
• LinkedIn: 17%
• X (Twitter): 13%
• WhatsApp: 12%
• Reddit: 11%
• Nextdoor: 9%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement with town/county pages, churches, youth sports, school updates, volunteer fire/EMS, and Marketplace. Peak engagement evenings and weekends; local events and service-business posts perform strongly.
• YouTube is ubiquitous for cord-cutting and practical content: DIY/home repair, ag/outdoors, hunting/fishing, small-engine and vehicle maintenance, and local sports streams. Usage spans all ages, including older residents.
• Instagram and Reels are growing with 18–34s: food/coffee spots, hikes, small business highlights, seasonal festivals, and short-form video. Stories drive most posting; Reels consumption outpaces creation.
• TikTok is attention-heavy among teens and under-30s: local/regional tags, trades/skills content, recipes, and humor. Consumption > creation; reposting to Reels is common.
• Snapchat remains the default for teens/college-age for messaging and quick updates; Snap Map used for meetups and events.
• Pinterest is strong with women 25–54 for home projects, weddings, crafts, and recipes; it’s a key discovery channel for local decor, floral, and event vendors.
• X (Twitter) is niche: local journalists, weather and emergency updates, VDOT/road alerts, and state politics; daily active base is small but influential.
• LinkedIn is modest but engaged around healthcare, education, local government, and manufacturing; recruiting and civic/professional news see above-average CTR.
• Nextdoor coverage is patchy and strongest in Woodstock, Strasburg, and Mount Jackson; best for neighborhood-level notices, lost-and-found, and contractor referrals.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is dominant for local business inquiries and community coordination; group chats (Messenger/Snapchat) drive private sharing even when public posting declines.
• Temporal patterns: morning check-ins (6–8 am), evening prime time (7–10 pm); weekday lunch spikes for local news and Marketplace; severe weather and school closure days create sharp, county-wide surges.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2025 estimates for Shenandoah County derived by applying recent U.S. platform adoption benchmarks and rural/age adjustments to the county’s demographic profile. Expected margin of error is ±3–5 percentage points for platform shares.