Braxton County

Braxton County, West Virginia – key demographics

• Population size: 14,282 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Age (ACS 2019–2023, 5-year):
  • Median age: ~46 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 65 and over: ~22%
• Gender (ACS 2019–2023): ~50% male, ~50% female (female ~49–50%)
• Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023):
  • White alone: ~96–97%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.5–1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.4%
  • Asian: ~0.1–0.3%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
• Households (ACS 2019–2023):
  • Total households: ~5,600–5,900
  • Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
  • Family households: ~3,700–4,000
  • Average family size: ~2.8–3.0

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Braxton County, WV (pop. ~14,000; ~28 people/sq. mile) is rural, with connectivity strongest along the I‑79 corridor (Sutton/Flatwoods) and spottier in outlying hollows.

Estimated email users

• Roughly 8,500–9,300 residents use email regularly (≈8.9k), based on rural internet and email-adoption benchmarks.

Age distribution (estimated usage rates)

• 13–17: 80–90% use email (school-driven accounts)
• 18–29: 95–99%
• 30–49: 95–99%
• 50–64: 85–92%
• 65+: 60–75% Share of total email users skews to 30–64 due to population mix.

Gender split

• Approximately even (about 50/50), consistent with national patterns.

Digital access trends

• 70–75% of households likely have a home broadband subscription; a notable minority rely on smartphones or fixed wireless where cable/fiber isn’t available.
• Fiber and cable are present near towns/along I‑79; DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite serve many rural areas.
• Mobile coverage is generally good on major corridors, weaker in valleys/remote terrain.
• Libraries and schools provide key public Wi‑Fi access; senior and low‑income households show lower adoption.

Notes: Figures are estimates extrapolated from ACS/Pew/FCC rural and West Virginia benchmarks applied to local population size and geography.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Braxton County, West Virginia (focus: what differs from WV statewide)

County snapshot

• Population: roughly 14–15k residents, largely rural, with small towns clustered along I‑79 (Flatwoods, Sutton, Gassaway) and dispersed hollows elsewhere.
• Age/income: older-than-state-average median age and lower household income, both of which influence device ownership and plan type.

Estimated mobile users

• Adult smartphone users: 9,000–10,000 (assumes ~11–12k adults and 78–85% smartphone ownership typical of rural Appalachia).
• Teens/children with phones: 1,000–2,000 (high teen adoption; lower among younger children).
• Total mobile users (unique individuals with a mobile phone): approximately 10,000–12,000 countywide.
• Smartphone-only internet households: likely 15–20% of households, above the WV average, reflecting limited fixed broadband choices outside towns.

Demographic and usage patterns

• Age: Seniors are a larger share than the state average; smartphone adoption and 5G device penetration among 65+ lag, keeping overall county adoption a bit below the WV average.
• Income/plan mix: Greater reliance on lower-cost prepaid and promotional plans; higher use of mobile hotspots for home connectivity, especially for students.
• Work/travel: Commuters and travelers on I‑79 skew usage toward corridor towns; seasonality (Sutton/Burnsville Lake/Flatwoods retail) drives weekend/holiday traffic spikes uncommon in many WV counties.
• Digital inclusion: With the Affordable Connectivity Program winding down, Braxton likely sees above-average risk of mobile downgrades or increased reliance on shared/public Wi‑Fi versus more urban WV counties with broader fixed options.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: Strongest along I‑79 and town centers. Verizon and AT&T generally provide the most reliable rural coverage; T‑Mobile has improved notably along the interstate but remains spottier off‑corridor.
• 5G footprint: Mid‑band 5G is present at/near interstate interchanges and denser nodes; outside these, service often falls back to LTE. This corridor‑concentrated 5G footprint is more pronounced than the WV average.
• Speeds (typical, not guaranteed): Along I‑79, 5G speeds are often 100–300 Mbps (T‑Mobile mid‑band), with 50–150 Mbps common on Verizon/AT&T where 5G or strong LTE is available. Off‑corridor interior valleys frequently see 5–25 Mbps LTE and occasional dead zones.
• Terrain constraints: Steep, forested hollows (e.g., Elk/Birch River areas, lakes and wildlife lands) produce more shadowed zones and site‑to‑site handoff issues than the statewide norm; in-county variability is high even over short distances.
• Backhaul: Fiber backhaul is best near I‑79 and public facilities; many interior sites still depend on longer spans or older plant, which can cap capacity during peaks. Middle‑mile investments are improving this, but coverage density remains below urban WV counties.
• Public assets: Libraries, schools, and county facilities provide important Wi‑Fi offload; E‑Rate–driven fiber to anchor institutions is a key node for community connectivity.

How Braxton differs from West Virginia overall

• More polarized experience: Better-than-average 5G and capacity on the I‑79 corridor, but worse-than-average reliability in interior hollows; the urban–rural performance gap within the county is wider than WV’s overall pattern.
• Higher smartphone-only reliance: A larger share of households depend on mobile service for home internet compared with the state average, driven by sparse cable/fiber footprints outside a few towns.
• Carrier balance: Verizon/AT&T dominance off‑corridor is more pronounced than in WV’s metro counties; T‑Mobile’s share grows along I‑79 but drops faster away from it.
• Seasonal and transient loads: Tourism/retail traffic spikes create atypical, localized congestion (e.g., Flatwoods) compared with many non‑tourism rural WV counties.
• Device lifecycle: A relatively older, lower‑income population means slower 5G device turnover than state urban centers, muting the immediate impact of new spectrum deployments.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• Figures are derived from combining Census/ACS computer-and-internet-use patterns for rural Appalachia, typical carrier coverage patterns, and known regional demographics; precise county-level adoption and infrastructure inventories vary by neighborhood and carrier. For planning, validate with current FCC coverage maps, carrier RF engineers’ local data, and the latest ACS 5‑year (table S2801) for smartphone and cellular-data-only household shares.

Braxton County, WV — Social media snapshot (estimates for 2025)

What we can measure

• Population: ~14,000; adults (18+): ~10,900
• Adult internet users: ~8,900 (≈82% of adults)
• Adult social media users: 7,600–8,200 (≈70–75% of adults)

Gender breakdown (of adult social users)

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~48%

Age mix (share of adult social users)

• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–49: ~34%
• 50–64: ~28%
• 65+: ~20%

Most‑used platforms (share of all adults who use the platform monthly)

• YouTube: ~75%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~37%
• Pinterest: ~30% (skews female)
• TikTok: ~27% (heavy 18–34)
• Snapchat: ~20% (teens/20s)
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• LinkedIn: ~12% (small, job‑seekers/professionals)
• Reddit: ~10%
• WhatsApp: ~9% (niche)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the hub: daily use, heavy reliance on local groups (yard sale/marketplace, school and sports updates, road/weather alerts, church/community events). Facebook Messenger is the default DM to local businesses.
• Video first: YouTube for how‑to, hunting/fishing, auto/home repair, homesteading; TikTok/shorts for quick tips, local happenings, entertainment.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups outperform standalone classifieds; impulse buys and seasonal items (ATVs, tools, home heat/cooling gear) do well.
• News and alerts: Sheriff’s office, schools, EMS, and state DOT updates see high engagement during weather and road incidents; resharing is common.
• Younger users: 18–29 gravitate to Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; they still keep Facebook for groups/events.
• Older users: 50+ are very Facebook‑centric; YouTube is second; minimal X/Reddit/LinkedIn usage.
• Timing: Peaks around 6–8 a.m., noon, and 7–10 p.m.; weekend mornings strong; spikes during storms and school sports.
• Content that performs: Faces and names locals recognize; short vertical video; clear offers; giveaways; event posts; practical how‑to. Geo‑targeting within ~25–50 miles works best.

Notes and method

• County‑specific platform logs aren’t public; figures are modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 platform usage, rural/WV adoption patterns, and recent Census/ACS population and age structure. Treat percentages as directional ranges rather than exact counts.