Grant County

Grant County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population

• 2023 population estimate: ~11,250 (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023)
• 2020 Census count: 11,568

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~45.6 years
• Under 18: ~20.7%
• 18–64: ~55.6%
• 65 and over: ~23.7%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Race and Hispanic origin (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~94.6%
• Black or African American alone: ~1.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~3.4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1.9%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~4,560
• Average household size: ~2.39
• Family households: ~67% (married-couple families: ~53%)
• Households with children under 18: ~22%
• One-person households: ~29% (65+ living alone: ~13%)
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~79%

Insights

• Older age profile: roughly one-quarter of residents are 65+, well above the U.S. share.
• Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White with small minority populations.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple families and smaller household sizes.

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

Grant County, WV snapshot

• Population: 11,568 (2020 Census), ≈24 people per square mile (rural, mountainous).
• Estimated email users: ≈8,300 adults. Method: ~9,200 adults locally × ~90% adult email adoption (Pew U.S. norms) yields county-level estimate.
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–29: ≈1,400 (≈17%)
  • 30–49: ≈2,700 (≈33%)
  • 50–64: ≈2,300 (≈28%)
  • 65+: ≈1,900 (≈22%)
• Gender split: roughly even, female ≈50–51%, male ≈49–50% of email users (gender gap in email adoption is negligible nationally and in rural areas).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Broadband subscription: about three-quarters of households subscribe (consistent with ACS patterns for rural WV counties).
  • Smartphone-only internet: roughly one in ten to one in seven households rely primarily on mobile data.
  • Email use is near-universal among working-age adults; the fastest growth is among 65+ residents as access improves.
  • Low density and terrain contribute to patchy fixed broadband; connectivity is strongest along US-220 and Corridor H (US-48) corridors, with ongoing fiber buildouts improving 100/20 Mbps availability and reliability.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Grant County, West Virginia

Headline estimates (2024)

• Population baseline: ≈11,500 residents
• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ≈8,700 (about 95% of adults 18+)
• Adult smartphone users: ≈7,600 (about 84% of adults 18+)
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): ≈640
• Total smartphone users (13+): ≈8,250
• Total residents with a mobile phone (any type, all ages): ≈9,000–9,300

How these estimates were derived

• Age structure typical of Grant County (older than state average): roughly 21% under 18, 18% ages 18–34, 38% ages 35–64, 23% ages 65+.
• Adoption benchmarks reflect current rural U.S. patterns: any cellphone among adults ~95–96%; smartphones ~95% (18–34), ~88% (35–64), ~68–72% (65+); ~95% of teens (13–17) use smartphones. Applying these to the county’s age mix yields the figures above.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• By age
  • 18–34: ≈1,970 smartphone users (very high adoption; heavy app and social/video use)
  • 35–64: ≈3,840 smartphone users (near-urban adoption; high work/messaging/utilities use)
  • 65+: ≈1,800 smartphone users (gap vs younger adults; higher basic/flip-phone retention)
  • 13–17: ≈640 smartphone users (near-universal teen adoption)
• By household connectivity
  • Mobile-only internet households are materially above the statewide share, reflecting limited fixed broadband in hollows and ridgelines. Expect roughly high-teens percent of households relying primarily on cellular data, versus low-to-mid teens statewide.
• By income and device mix
  • Median household income trails the state average, which correlates with a higher share of budget Android devices, longer device replacement cycles, and continued basic-phone use among seniors.
• Geography within the county
  • Strongest, most consistent service in and around Petersburg and along US-48 (Corridor H), WV-28/55/42 corridors, schools, healthcare facilities, and commercial nodes.
  • Noticeable coverage and capacity drop-offs in sparsely populated valleys and recreation areas (e.g., Dolly Sods/Smoke Hole vicinity), where terrain creates dead zones and indoor coverage challenges.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier footprint
  • Verizon generally provides the most reliable rural coverage and low-band 5G across primary corridors.
  • AT&T coverage is solid along major roads and in towns; FirstNet public-safety enhancements have improved rural reliability.
  • T-Mobile has expanded low-band 5G, with stronger service near towns/corridors; coverage is more variable off-route compared with Verizon and AT&T.
• 5G status
  • Low-band 5G is present along US-48 and in/near Petersburg; mid-band 5G (capacity-oriented) is spotty and mainly tied to newer corridor sites. mmWave is not a factor.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Corridor H fiber builds and regional carriers (e.g., Hardy Telecommunications/HardyNet, Potomac Valley Telephone, and long-haul providers) supply fiber backhaul to cell sites and community anchors, which stabilizes corridor coverage and supports 5G upgrades.
• Topography constraints
  • Mountainous terrain and narrow valleys limit line-of-sight, creating white spots and weaker indoor signal penetration; Wi‑Fi calling is commonly used to compensate.

How Grant County differs from statewide patterns

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration than the WV average because of an older age profile and more persistent basic/flip-phone use among seniors.
• Higher share of mobile-only internet households than the WV average, driven by fixed-broadband gaps in outlying areas.
• More pronounced corridor-versus-hinterland divide: coverage and 5G upgrades track closely to US-48 and main state routes, with steeper performance drop-offs off-route than in WV’s more suburban counties.
• Device replacement cycles skew longer than the state average, tempering 5G device penetration despite network availability along primary corridors.
• Seasonal strain in recreation zones (trailheads, overlooks, campgrounds) produces localized congestion atypical of statewide urban/suburban nodes.

Practical implications

• Businesses and agencies should plan for mixed device capabilities (including basic phones) and emphasize SMS/voice compatibility.
• For critical services and public safety, dual-carrier or FirstNet-capable solutions are prudent outside corridor areas.
• Deploying additional small macro sites or repeaters in valley communities and leveraging new fiber spurs off Corridor H would yield outsized coverage and reliability gains.

Grant County, WV — social media usage snapshot (modeled, county-specific estimates)

Topline user stats

• Population baseline: ≈11,600 residents
• Social media users (age 13+): ≈8,200 users (about 83% of residents 13+)
• Average daily social time: ~2 hours per user
• Device mix: Mobile-first usage dominates; a notable share of households rely on smartphone-only internet, so short, mobile-optimized content performs best

Age-group usage (share using social media; and approximate share of all county social users)

• 13–17: 94% use; ~8% of social users
• 18–29: 92% use; ~16% of social users
• 30–49: 84% use; ~28% of social users
• 50–64: 72% use; ~27% of social users
• 65+: 56% use; ~21% of social users

Gender breakdown (of all county social users)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%
• Platform tendencies: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit

Most-used platforms in Grant County (monthly reach among social media users; multi-platform use is common)

• YouTube: 81% (6,600 users)
• Facebook: 72% (5,900 users)
• Instagram: 42% (3,400 users)
• TikTok: 34% (2,800 users)
• Snapchat: 29% (2,400 users; concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 28% (2,300 users; majority female)
• X (Twitter): 21% (1,700 users)
• LinkedIn: 12% (1,000 users)
• Reddit: 11% (900 users)

Behavioral trends and content patterns

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups and Pages are central for local news, school updates, high school sports, church bulletins, and volunteer fire/EMS alerts; sharing into local groups drives most organic reach
• Marketplace-driven commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups are primary for person-to-person sales; posts with clear photos, prices, pickup towns, and phone numbers see highest conversion
• Video preference: Short, vertical video (TikTok, Reels) outperforms long-form; YouTube is strong for how‑to’s (home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, farming), outdoor recreation, and religious content
• Messaging as a funnel: Facebook Messenger is a key customer-contact channel for small businesses; many users prefer DM over web forms or email
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; secondary bump at lunch (12–1 pm). Weather events and school announcements trigger sharp spikes
• Creative that works: Plain-language headlines, phone numbers in the image/caption, directions/hours, and faces of known local people; trust and community ties matter more than polish
• Younger audiences: Teens/20s split time among TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; they respond to short, authentic video, local challenges, sports highlights, and part-time job posts
• Older audiences: Facebook remains the daily habit; posts from churches, civic groups, health providers, utilities, and local government over-index with 50+
• Connectivity-aware behavior: Because some users are on limited mobile data, lighter video files, captions (sound-off viewing), and single-image posts maintain good reach

Method note

• Direct, platform-verified metrics at the county level are not publicly released. Figures above are modeled by applying current U.S. and rural/Appalachia usage rates to Grant County’s population and age structure; treat them as best-available estimates rather than platform-reported counts.