Clay County

Clay County, West Virginia — key demographics

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

• Population

  • 2023 estimate: ~7,900
  • 2020 Census: 8,051

• Age

  • Median age: ~45 years
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18 to 64: ~58–60%
  • 65 and over: ~19–20%

• Gender

  • Female: ~49–50%
  • Male: ~50–51%

• Race and Hispanic/Latino (ACS; race categories sum to ~100%)

  • White alone: ~96–97%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.5–1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.4%
  • Asian alone: ~0.1–0.3%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.0%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~95–96%

• Households (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Total households: ~3,000–3,100
  • Average household size: ~2.5
  • Family households: ~65–67% of households (avg. family size ~3.0)
  • Households with children <18: ~25–27%
  • Married-couple households: ~48–50%
  • Living alone: ~27–29% of households (age 65+ living alone: ~11–13%)
  • Owner-occupied housing: ~78–80% (renter-occupied ~20–22%)

Clay County, WV snapshot (estimates)

• Context: Small, rural county (8,000 residents) with low density (23 people/sq mi). Mountainous terrain and long last‑mile runs limit fixed broadband; many hollows have spotty mobile coverage. Libraries/schools are key public Wi‑Fi hubs.
• Digital access: Roughly 60–65% of households subscribe to home broadband; ~70–75% have some internet access. A notable minority are smartphone‑only users; satellite and fixed‑wireless fill gaps. ACP’s 2024 wind‑down may depress subscriptions, while BEAD‑funded fiber builds should improve coverage through 2026–2028.
• Estimated email users: 4,000–5,000 residents use email regularly (assumes ~70% internet adoption and ~90% email use among internet users, applied to the age‑13+ population).
• Age mix of email users:
  • 13–24: 15–20% (near‑universal access among students, but heavier use of messaging apps)
  • 25–44: 30–35% (work/parenting driven)
  • 45–64: 30–35% (high adoption; utility/commerce)
  • 65+: 15–20% (growing, but lower than younger cohorts)
• Gender split: Approximately even; slight female majority consistent with county demographics.
• Trendline: Slow growth and periodic churn tied to affordability and coverage; engagement spikes around school terms, benefits, healthcare portals, and ecommerce/logistics.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Clay County, West Virginia (planning estimates)

Context

• Small, mountainous, very rural county (~8,000 residents), skewing older with lower median income than the state average. Terrain and sparse settlement patterns strongly influence coverage and adoption.

User estimates

• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile): 5,600–6,000 (about 90–95% of ~6,200 adults).
• Adult smartphone users: 4,400–4,900 (about 70–78% of adults; notably below state average).
• Teen smartphone users (ages 13–17): ~400–550.
• Households relying primarily on mobile internet (smartphone/hotspot in place of wireline): roughly 700–1,100 households (about 22–35% of ~3,200–3,300 households), higher than statewide.

Demographic breakdown (directional)

• Age:
  • 18–34: 90–95% smartphone adoption; heavy social media and messaging use.
  • 35–64: 80–90% smartphone; broad use of mobile banking, navigation, and work apps.
  • 65+: 55–70% smartphone; 85–90% have a mobile phone of some kind; more basic/flip-phone use than state average.
• Income/plan type:
  • Under ~$35k: 60–72% smartphone; higher reliance on prepaid and Verizon-based MVNOs; frequent hotspot use for home connectivity.
  • Above ~$35k: 80–90% smartphone; more postpaid plans and multi-line bundles.
• Education: Adults with HS or less show lower smartphone rates and higher basic-phone retention than state averages.
• Geography within the county: Adoption similar across areas, but practical usage is higher along primary corridors and near the interstate edge where signal is stronger; interior hollows see more voice/SMS and offline-first behavior due to weak data.
• Race/ethnicity: County is overwhelmingly White; sample sizes for other groups are small, so measured differences are not robust.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage:
  • LTE from Verizon and AT&T in town centers and along main corridors; meaningful dead zones in hollows/valleys.
  • T‑Mobile presence is spottier, generally improving near the I‑79/Wallback area; limited reach deeper in the county.
• 5G:
  • Limited low-band 5G near/along the interstate fringe; most of the county remains LTE-first. Mid-band 5G is scarce.
• Capacity/backhaul:
  • Few macro sites; some rely on microwave backhaul. Peak-time slowdowns are common; prepaid plans may see video throttling.
• Public safety:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) is advertised along primary routes but not county-wide; residents frequently use Wi‑Fi calling at home in weak-signal areas; E911 location accuracy can degrade in narrow valleys.
• Community/anchor connectivity:
  • Schools, the county library, and public buildings provide Wi‑Fi that residents use to download updates and offload data.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Outside town centers, options are often legacy DSL or fixed wireless; cable is limited; fiber is emerging in pockets through recent grants but is not yet ubiquitous. Many households augment or substitute with smartphone hotspots.

How Clay County differs from West Virginia overall

• Lower smartphone penetration by roughly 5–10 percentage points, driven by older age structure and lower incomes.
• Higher share of mobile-only internet households, reflecting sparse cable/fiber availability.
• Usage skews more to voice/SMS and Facebook/Messenger; less sustained high-bandwidth streaming where LTE is weak.
• Slower 5G adoption and longer device replacement cycles; prepaid/MVNO usage is higher than the state average.
• Greater intra-county variability in signal (more frequent zero-signal pockets) than many WV counties with larger towns or more interstate frontage.

Notes on methodology and uncertainty

• Population/household bases reflect recent Census/ACS ranges for Clay County and typical rural age distributions.
• Adoption rates blend Pew Research smartphone ownership by age/income with rural discounts and West Virginia market patterns.
• Infrastructure observations synthesize carrier public maps, FCC broadband availability patterns for rural WV, and public-safety network disclosures; ground truth can vary by hollow and elevation.
• Treat figures as planning estimates. For validation, combine local speed-test datasets, school district device/hotspot counts, carrier RF engineers’ drive tests, and county PSAP feedback.

Clay County, WV social media snapshot (short, estimated)

Overall size

• Population: ~8,000 residents
• Estimated monthly social media users: 4,500–5,200 people (about 55–65% of residents; roughly 70–75% of adults)
• Access notes: 80–85% smartphone ownership; 15–20% smartphone‑only internet households; home broadband adoption below U.S. average

Age mix of users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: 9–12%
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 34–38%
• 50–64: 20–24%
• 65+: 10–14% Adoption by age (approx.): 90%+ of teens; 85–90% of ages 18–29; 75–80% of 30–49; 60–65% of 50–64; 35–45% of 65+.

Gender breakdown (share of local social users)

• Women: 52–56%
• Men: 44–48%
• Nonbinary/other: small but present (<1–2%)

Most‑used platforms (share of local social users, monthly)

• Facebook: 75–85%
• Facebook Messenger: 70–80%
• YouTube: 65–75%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 25–32%
• Snapchat: 18–25% (heavy among teens/young adults)
• Pinterest: 18–25% (skews female)
• X (Twitter): 6–10%
• Reddit: 6–10%
• LinkedIn: 5–8%
• WhatsApp: 4–8% (family ties out of state)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the hub for the county: community groups, school updates/closures, road and flood conditions, local government notices, church and civic events.
• Marketplace is highly active for buy/sell/barter, farm/ATV/auto, tools, and household items.
• Video consumption is strong but bandwidth‑sensitive: short YouTube/TikTok clips, music, DIY, hunting/fishing, small‑engine/auto repair, gardening.
• Younger users split attention between TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; they often avoid posting publicly on Facebook but still monitor it for local info.
• Messaging is dominated by Messenger and Snapchat group chats (families, teams, churches, shift crews).
• Peaks in activity: early morning (6–8am), lunch (11:30am–1pm), and evenings (7–10pm); weekend spikes around high‑school sports, community events, and services.
• Trust tilts toward local voices: county pages, school and emergency management updates, and known community members; national news links get mixed engagement.
• Livestreams see lower completion rates due to connectivity; short posts, photos, and clips perform best. Severe weather and school news drive the biggest surges.

Notes on method

• Figures are estimates derived from Clay County’s population and age structure plus statewide rural West Virginia and U.S. platform usage benchmarks (Pew/ACS-era trends through 2024). Expect ±5–10 percentage‑point uncertainty at the county level.