Southampton County

Southampton County, Virginia – Key demographics

Population size and trend

• 2023 population estimate: 18,0xx (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program)
• 2020 Census: ~18.6k
• Modest decline since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~43–44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: under 18 ~21%; 18–64 ~60%; 65+ ~19%

Gender

• Male ~53%; Female ~47% (ACS 2019–2023)
• Note: Presence of a state correctional facility contributes to a higher male share

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~56%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~36%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~7,0xx (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~68–70% of households; married-couple families: ~45–50% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~30–32%; individuals living alone: ~27–29%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~73–76%; renter-occupied: ~24–27%

Insights

• Stable, rural county with a slight population decline post-2020
• Racially diverse for rural Virginia, with a substantial Black population
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall
• High homeownership and predominantly family households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program.

Southampton County, VA email usage snapshot

• Estimated users: ≈12,900 adult email users. Basis: ≈18,000 residents, ≈78% adults (~14,000), with ~92% adult email adoption.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–29 ≈18.5%, 30–49 ≈31.5%, 50–64 ≈27.9%, 65+ ≈22.1% (higher adoption in middle ages; slightly lower but still high among seniors).
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring population because email adoption is near-identical by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈80–82% (below Virginia’s ≈90% statewide), indicating an adoption gap typical of rural areas.
  • No home internet: ≈12–14% of households.
  • No computer: ≈7–9% of households.
  • Smartphone‑only internet: ≈10–12% of households, suggesting mobile-dependent email access for a meaningful minority.
• Local density/connectivity context: Population density ~30 people per square mile across roughly 600 square miles signals sparse settlement and longer last‑mile runs, which raise deployment costs and dampen fixed‑broadband adoption relative to the state average. Adoption is strongest in and near town centers, with more limited options in outlying areas.

Figures are county-specific estimates derived from recent ACS demographics, rural Virginia broadband adoption patterns, and national email adoption by age.

Mobile phone usage in Southampton County, Virginia: summary and county-vs-state contrasts

Baseline and user estimates

• Population baseline: 17,996 (2020 Census).
• Estimated adult smartphone users: about 11,600–12,300 adults. Method: apply Pew Research smartphone adoption rates to a rural, older-skewed population profile—about 90% among adults 18–64 and about 60–65% among adults 65+—to Southampton’s age structure (roughly one in five residents are 65+).
• Estimated active mobile subscriptions (phones, hotspots, watches, tablets): ~23,000–26,000 lines. Method: apply U.S. penetration of 130–142 subscriptions per 100 residents (CTIA, 2023) to the county’s population, with the lower end reflecting rural under-penetration relative to the national average.

Demographic breakdown of usage (drivers and estimates)

• Age:
  • Older share: about 20% of residents are 65+, materially higher than Virginia overall. Smartphone take-up among seniors is markedly lower (around 60–65%), pulling down the county’s overall adoption below the state’s.
  • Working-age adults (18–64): adoption near 90% yields the bulk of users (roughly 9,000–10,000).
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Southampton has a majority White population with a large Black population. National and Virginia patterns show similar smartphone ownership rates across White and Black adults, but Black and Hispanic households are more likely to be “smartphone-only” for home internet. In Southampton’s rural tracts where fixed broadband options are limited, smartphone-only reliance is meaningfully higher than the Virginia average.
• Income and plan mix:
  • Rural income distribution and credit profiles translate into a higher share of prepaid and budget MVNO plans than the statewide mix, with correspondingly lower average revenue per user and more price-sensitive device upgrade cycles.

Digital infrastructure points (coverage, capacity, options)

• Carrier footprint: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all advertise 4G LTE and low-band 5G coverage countywide; the most consistent performance is along the US‑58 corridor and near town centers (e.g., Courtland, Capron, Ivor). Coverage thins and indoor performance drops in sparsely populated, forested areas away from major roads.
• 5G capacity: Low-band 5G is widespread but primarily improves coverage rather than speed; mid-band 5G capacity is present in targeted corridors and sites, not uniformly countywide. As a result, peak 5G speeds in Southampton tend to trail Virginia’s urban/suburban averages.
• Home internet via cellular: Availability of 4G/5G fixed wireless (e.g., from national carriers) is broader than fiber or cable in many tracts, making cellular connections a common primary or backup home internet option relative to the state average.
• Fixed broadband backdrop: Fiber is expanding but remains patchy outside towns; cable and DSL footprints are limited in many rural blocks. Where wired options are constrained, households lean more on mobile data for video, social, and work tasks.
• Public safety and enterprise: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage spans major corridors; agricultural and logistics operations commonly use cellular telemetry and hotspots, contributing to the county’s device-per-person ratios.

How Southampton differs from Virginia overall

• Lower overall smartphone adoption rate, driven almost entirely by a larger senior share and rural coverage/performance constraints; net effect is a few points below the state’s adult smartphone ownership level.
• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance due to gaps in wired broadband, especially outside the US‑58 corridor; this elevates mobile data consumption per household versus Virginia’s suburban localities.
• Plan mix skews more toward prepaid/MVNO and value tiers than the state average; premium unlimited family plans are less dominant.
• 5G experience emphasizes coverage over capacity: low-band 5G is common, while mid-band density is sparse compared with metro Virginia—translating to lower median speeds and bigger variance by location.
• Greater use of cellular for work and school commutes across long rural distances, and more frequent use of boosters or external antennas for reliable indoor coverage.

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 11,600–12,300 adult smartphone users and on the order of 23,000–26,000 active mobile lines in Southampton County.
• Usage patterns are shaped by an older age profile and rural infrastructure: slightly lower adoption than Virginia overall, but heavier dependence on mobile connectivity for everyday internet access where wired broadband is limited.
• The most tangible infrastructure gap versus the state is mid-band 5G density; investments that add mid-band sectors and infill sites off the US‑58 corridor would narrow the performance gap and reduce the county’s reliance on low-band 5G and LTE.

Southampton County, VA social media snapshot (2024)

How many people use social media

• Adults (18+): about 83% use at least one social platform (Pew Research 2024 benchmark applied locally).
• Teens (13–17): about 95% use social platforms (Pew teens benchmark).
• Overall (13+): about 84% of residents use social media. With a county population of roughly 18,000, that equates to approximately 12,500–13,000 users 13+.

Age breakdown of the local social media audience (share of users)

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~36%
• 50–64: ~21%
• 65+: ~13%

Gender breakdown of the local social media audience

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47% Notes: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Incarcerated populations do not materially affect the online user base.

Most-used platforms and estimated penetration Adults (18+), share of adults using each platform:

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~19%

Teens (13–17), share using each platform:

• YouTube: ~93%
• Instagram: ~62%
• TikTok: ~63%
• Snapchat: ~60%
• Facebook: ~33%
• Discord: ~18%

Behavioral trends observed in rural Virginia communities that apply in Southampton County

• Facebook is the daily hub: heavy use of Groups for school notices, church activities, youth sports, volunteer fire/EMS updates, weather and outage alerts; Marketplace is a primary local buy/sell channel.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to and repairs, hunting/fishing, farm and equipment content; Facebook Reels and TikTok for short local highlights, food trucks, salons, and HS sports.
• Community and events drive spikes: engagement surges around storms, road closures, county fairs, peanut/cotton harvest timelines, and high school athletics.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is dominant; SMS remains common; WhatsApp usage is modest but present among some agricultural and seasonal worker communities.
• Timing: highest engagement evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends; midday weekday check-ins align with school and shift breaks.
• Local discovery: Businesses rely on Facebook/Instagram for reach within 20–25 miles (Franklin, Courtland, Boykins, Capron), with short-form video and before/after photo carousels outperforming static posts.
• Trust signals matter: posts featuring recognizable local landmarks, teams, or community figures get higher interaction; comments and recommendations in Groups heavily influence purchase decisions.

Method and sources

• Population base: U.S. Census Bureau (Southampton County, VA; latest available estimates).
• Platform and penetration benchmarks: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adults) and Teens, Social Media & Technology (latest). Figures are modeled to the county’s population structure and rounded for clarity.