Hardy County

Hardy County, West Virginia — key demographics (U.S. Census/ACS)

Population size

• 14,299 (2020 Decennial Census)
• ~14,230 (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~44.6 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Sex

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~86–87%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~7–8%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0–1%

Households

• Total households: ~5,900–6,000
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4 persons
• Family households: ~60–62% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~75%
• Households with children under 18: ~24–26%

Insights

• Older-than-national age structure and predominantly owner-occupied housing
• Racially/ethnically mostly non-Hispanic White with a notable Hispanic community
• Small household sizes typical of rural West Virginia counties

• Scope: Hardy County, WV (2020 Census population 14,299; land area ~583 sq mi; ~24–25 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~10,800 residents. Method: apply high U.S. email adoption among adults and teens (Pew Research) to local population; Hardy’s older age profile slightly lowers youth share but overall usage remains high.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate):
  • 18–29: ~1,700
  • 30–49: ~2,600
  • 50–64: ~3,200
  • 65+: ~3,300
• Gender split: ~50% female, ~50% male; email use is essentially parity by gender in national studies, so local split is near-even.
• Digital access trends:
  • Rural density and terrain contribute to patchy fixed broadband; fiber and upgraded cable are concentrated in and around Moorefield/East Moorefield and along the US‑48/Corridor H spine, with DSL, fixed wireless, and satellite more common in outlying hollows.
  • Household broadband subscription rates track just below West Virginia’s statewide average and have risen steadily since 2018 as fiber builds expand; mobile‑only internet households remain notable in remote areas.
  • Public anchors (schools, libraries, county facilities) provide critical Wi‑Fi access, supplementing home service for students and seniors.

Insight: Despite rural constraints, Hardy County exhibits broad email penetration driven by near‑universal adoption among working‑age adults and high uptake among seniors, with infrastructure upgrades gradually narrowing remaining access gaps.

Hardy County, WV — Mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Key ways Hardy County differs from the West Virginia average

• Extensive local fiber-to-the-home (FTTH): Hardy Telecommunications (the local cooperative) has built out FTTH widely across the county’s populated areas, reducing mobile‑only home internet reliance relative to the state average.
• Higher Hispanic/Latino share: Poultry processing and related jobs in the Moorefield area have drawn a larger Hispanic/Latino population than the WV average, a group that nationally shows higher smartphone dependence.
• Terrain-driven gaps: The Potomac Highlands’ mountains and hollows create more pronounced dead zones outside corridors and towns than statewide averages suggest, keeping voice/text coverage reliable but data speeds volatile off‑corridor.
• 5G is largely low‑band: Mid‑band 5G (for high capacity) remains sparse; most 5G in the county is low‑band re‑use of 4G spectrum, so real‑world performance gains over LTE are modest outside the main corridors.

User estimates (2024, derived from 2020 Census population of 14,299; adult share ~78–80%; adoption rates from recent rural/Pew/ACS patterns)

• Total mobile phone users (any cell phone): about 10,400–11,000 adults (roughly 92–95% of adults).
• Smartphone users: about 8,600–9,400 adults (roughly 76–82% of adults).
• Households relying on mobile-only internet at home: approximately 10–15% of households, below the WV statewide share (which is closer to the high teens to low 20s), reflecting the strong FTTH footprint.
• Prepaid share: somewhat higher than the WV average in Hispanic/Latino and lower‑income segments, though overall county mix remains predominantly postpaid like the rest of WV.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: High smartphone penetration (~90–95%); heavy app/social/video use; strong cross‑border usage into VA along the US‑48/I‑81 commute.
  • 35–64: Broad smartphone use (~85–90%); notable use of hotspotting for work-on-the-go but less “mobile‑only” at home than the WV average due to FTTH availability.
  • 65+: Lower smartphone penetration (~60–70%), but steady growth; voice/text reliability and emergency connectivity are the priority in rural areas with weak indoor signal.
• Ethnicity:
  • Hispanic/Latino population is materially higher than the WV average (roughly five times the statewide share). This cohort tends to show higher smartphone dependence and higher prepaid adoption, raising overall county smartphone usage and mobile app reliance compared with similarly rural WV counties.
• Income:
  • Lower-income households in Hardy County (a sizable share, in line with rural WV) are more mobile-dependent for internet access; however, the cooperative’s fiber build reduces countywide mobile‑only reliance vs state norms by offering an affordable fixed alternative.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage landscape:
  • Strongest 4G LTE/low‑band 5G coverage in and around Moorefield, Wardensville, and along US‑48 (Corridor H) and US‑220.
  • Coverage and speeds degrade in valleys and state park areas (e.g., Lost River), with frequent transitions between bands and carriers and occasional no‑service pockets.
• 5G:
  • Predominantly low‑band 5G from national carriers; limited mid‑band 5G deployments to date, so capacity gains over LTE are situational and corridor‑focused. No meaningful mmWave presence.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Hardy Telecommunications’ extensive FTTH network provides robust backhaul options for macro sites and small cells, improving network resilience where carriers leverage local fiber.
  • Ongoing Corridor H improvements and regional fiber laterals support incremental enhancements to mobile capacity near the highway.
• Carriers:
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the most consistent macro coverage in towns and primary roads; T‑Mobile coverage has improved with low‑band spectrum but remains patchier in hollows and on secondary roads.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • AT&T FirstNet presence on select sites and the state’s SIRN infrastructure improve emergency communications; mountainous terrain still creates situational blind spots, especially indoors in low‑lying areas.

What this means in practice

• Everyday reliability: Voice and text are generally dependable in town centers and along main corridors; expect slowdowns or drops in remote areas and inside some metal or concrete buildings off‑corridor.
• Speeds: In-corridor 4G/5G speeds typically support HD streaming and telehealth; off‑corridor speeds can fall to basic web and messaging levels.
• Home connectivity choices: Compared with many WV counties, more Hardy County households opt for fixed fiber and use mobile as a complement rather than a replacement, lowering the share of mobile‑only homes.

Method notes

• Population base: 2020 Census (Hardy County 14,299).
• Adoption rates: Rural/U.S. smartphone and mobile ownership benchmarks (Pew/ACS S2801 patterns) applied to Hardy’s age/income mix; final figures stated as estimates.
• Infrastructure: Synthesized from carrier deployments in rural WV, FCC coverage/mid‑band rollouts, Hardy Telecommunications FTTH build, and Corridor H backhaul context.

Hardy County, WV social media snapshot (2025, best-available estimates)

Overall usage

• Adults using any social media: ~72% of adults
• Device: ~95% mobile-first usage; most consumption via Facebook app, YouTube mobile, and Messenger/Snapchat

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 33%
• TikTok: 27%
• Snapchat: 24%
• Pinterest: 22%
• X (Twitter): 13%
• LinkedIn: 11%
• Reddit: 9%
• WhatsApp: 9%
• Nextdoor: 3%

Usage frequency (share of each platform’s users who use it daily)

• Snapchat 77%, TikTok 73%, Facebook 74%, Instagram 63%, YouTube 55%, X 42%, Reddit 35%, Pinterest 25%

Age-group breakdown (share who use any social platform; key platform skews)

• 18–29: 95%; YouTube 96%, Instagram 74%, Snapchat 70%, TikTok 64%, Facebook 60%
• 30–49: 86%; YouTube 88%, Facebook 78%, Instagram 46%, TikTok 36%, Snapchat 28%, Pinterest 34%
• 50–64: 68%; Facebook 72%, YouTube 70%, Instagram 23%, TikTok 15%, Pinterest 20%
• 65+: 52%; Facebook 58%, YouTube 55%, Instagram 12%, TikTok 8%

Gender breakdown among social media users

• Overall: ~53% women, ~47% men
• Platform skews: Pinterest ~78% women; Facebook ~56% women; Instagram ~55% women; TikTok ~60% women; Snapchat ~55% women; YouTube ~55% men; X ~60% men; Reddit ~70% men; LinkedIn ~54% men

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first Facebook: Groups and Pages are the county’s digital town square for local news, school and county updates, church/volunteer fire posts, road/weather alerts, lost-and-found, and event organizing
• Marketplace-driven commerce: Strong buy/sell behavior for vehicles, farm/outdoor equipment, household goods; high responsiveness to clear photos, prices, and meet-up logistics
• Video habits: YouTube for DIY, home/auto repair, hunting/fishing, ag and homestead content; short-form (Reels/TikTok) for local businesses, dining, and events
• Messaging norms: Facebook Messenger dominates for adults; Snapchat is the default for teens and many under 25; SMS still widely used for coordination
• Timing: Peaks 6–8 a.m., midday (11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.), and 7–10 p.m.; weekend spikes around local events and sports
• Content that performs: Hyper-local updates, time-sensitive alerts, photos of people/places, giveaways and “tag a friend,” youth sports highlights, festival/fair announcements, and seasonal outdoor content
• Trust dynamics: Higher engagement with posts from neighbors, coaches, churches, schools, and county/emergency services than national brands; comments/moderation shape perception of credibility
• Hashtags/tags: Minimal hashtag use on Facebook; effective use of location tags and cross-posting to relevant Groups; Instagram/TikTok rely more on trending audio and location-based discovery
• Access reality: Mobile networks fill gaps where home broadband is limited; keep creatives lightweight and vertical, with clear text in first 2 lines

Notes on method: Figures are county-level estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption benchmarks, rural usage differentials, and West Virginia age/sex composition from recent ACS data, tuned to a rural county profile comparable to Hardy County. Percentages represent adults unless noted and are rounded for clarity.