Harrison County

Harrison County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 65,921 (2020 Census). 2023 estimate: ~65,500 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program).

Age

• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2019–2023).
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~90%
• Black or African American alone: ~3–4%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~88–89%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~28,000
• Persons per household: ~2.30
• Family households: ~61%
• Married-couple families: ~45%
• Households with children under 18: ~25%
• Nonfamily households: ~39%
• Householder living alone: ~32% (about 13% age 65+)

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

Harrison County, WV snapshot

• Population: 65,921 (2020 Census); land area ~416 sq mi; density ~158 people/sq mi.

Email usage (estimates based on U.S. adult adoption)

• Estimated adult email users (18+): 48,000 (assumes 92% adoption).
• Age distribution of users:
  • 18–29: 9,600 (20%)
  • 30–49: 16,300 (34%)
  • 50–64: 12,500 (26%)
  • 65+: 9,600 (20%)
• Gender split of users: female ~51% (24,500), male ~49% (23,500), mirroring county demographics; adoption is effectively equal by gender.

Digital access and connectivity

• Households with a computer: ~92%; with a broadband subscription: ~85% (ACS 2018–2022), enabling broad email access.
• Connectivity is strongest along the I‑79 corridor (Clarksburg–Bridgeport) with cable and expanding fiber; outlying rural areas have fewer high‑speed options and higher reliance on mobile data.
• Smartphone use is widespread, supporting frequent email checks throughout the day; remote work/school usage sustains weekday email activity.

Insights

• With high household device and broadband availability and a balanced age mix, countywide email penetration among adults is robust, with the 30–49 cohort representing the largest share of active users. Rural connectivity gaps modestly depress usage intensity outside the Clarksburg–Bridgeport hub.

Mobile phone usage in Harrison County, West Virginia — summary with county-level estimates, demographics, and infrastructure, emphasizing how the county differs from statewide patterns

User estimates

• Population base: Approximately 66,000 residents in 2023. Adult share is roughly three quarters of residents, giving an adult population near 49,000–52,000.
• Smartphone users: 50,000–55,000 total users countywide when including teens, based on adult adoption levels typical for small metro/rural-adjacent counties and Harrison County’s relatively urbanized core around Clarksburg–Bridgeport.
• Mobile subscriptions: 70,000–80,000 active mobile lines (including multi-line family plans, work phones, tablets, and wearables). This equates to penetration modestly above 100 subscriptions per 100 residents, consistent with national norms and higher than West Virginia’s statewide average.
• Smartphone-only internet reliance: Estimated 13–17% of households rely primarily on a smartphone data plan for home internet, lower than the state’s share, reflecting better fixed-broadband availability in the county’s population centers.

Demographic breakdown of usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone adoption and heavy app-based usage.
  • 35–54: Very high adoption; strong use of mobile for work, navigation, payments.
  • 55–64: High adoption with moderate increases year over year as mid-band 5G improves perceived value.
  • 65+: Adoption materially lower than younger cohorts but steadily rising; reliance on larger-format phones and strong need for in-building coverage at healthcare sites.
• Income and education
  • Higher household incomes in Bridgeport and parts of Clarksburg correlate with multiple lines per household, heavier 5G device mix, and lower prepaid share than the WV average.
  • Lower-income tracts show higher reliance on prepaid and smartphone-only access, but that reliance is still less pronounced than in more rural WV counties.
• Race and ethnicity
  • The county’s population is predominantly White, with small minority populations; usage disparities mainly track income and age rather than race or ethnicity due to sample sizes at county scale.
• Work profile
  • Public sector and enterprise footprint is significant, notably around the FBI CJIS complex and energy, healthcare, and logistics employers. This raises business and government-issued device penetration relative to the WV average and increases daytime traffic in Clarksburg–Bridgeport.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE is effectively countywide along primary corridors; 5G “Extended/low-band” covers most populated areas.
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/2.5 GHz) is deployed along the I-79 corridor and in/around Bridgeport and Clarksburg, enabling higher median speeds and capacity than typically found in rural WV counties.
• Capacity hotspots
  • Consistently strong signal and capacity near I-79 interchanges, Meadowbrook Mall/retail zones, the airport area, and major healthcare campuses.
  • Sporadic capacity constraints during weekend retail peaks and at large events, but less severe than in WV counties with only low-band 5G.
• Terrain-driven gaps
  • River valleys and hollows at the county fringes can still experience attenuation and handoff issues, though these are fewer and shorter in duration than the statewide rural norm due to denser macro-site spacing in the Clarksburg–Bridgeport area.
• Fixed–mobile substitution
  • 5G home internet from national carriers is available in much of the urban/suburban core, contributing to modest fixed–mobile substitution; however, fiber and cable coverage in population centers keeps smartphone-only reliance below statewide averages.
• Public safety and resiliency
  • FirstNet coverage is established along primary corridors and critical facilities. Macro redundancy around Clarksburg–Bridgeport improves resiliency relative to many WV counties.

How Harrison County differs from West Virginia overall

• Higher smartphone adoption and higher subscriptions per capita than the statewide average, driven by a more urbanized core and larger base of employer-provided devices.
• Lower share of smartphone-only households than the state average because cable and fiber availability are stronger in core census tracts than in more rural WV counties.
• Earlier and denser mid-band 5G deployment along I-79 than much of the state, yielding measurably better median speeds and peak capacity in the county’s main population centers.
• Slightly lower prepaid share and higher multi-line postpaid penetration due to income and employment mix.
• Daytime population inflow around major employers produces more pronounced weekday traffic peaks than the statewide rural pattern.

Key takeaways

• Harrison County’s mobile market behaves more like a small metro than a rural Appalachian county.
• 5G capacity and coverage are materially stronger than typical for WV, particularly along I-79 and in Bridgeport–Clarksburg.
• Smartphone adoption is high across all ages, with the main gap remaining among seniors, where uptake is improving year over year.
• Mobile networks and fixed broadband both play strong roles; reliance on smartphones as the sole internet connection is notably lower than the WV average, supporting higher-quality app and video experiences for most users.

Harrison County, WV social media snapshot (2025)

Baseline

• Population: ~65,000
• Adults (18+): ~51,000
• Estimated social media users (any platform): ~37,000 adults (≈72% of adults) plus ~3,800 teens 13–17 ≈ 41,000 total users
• Smartphone ownership among adults (national benchmark applied locally): ~85–90% → ~44,000–46,000 adult smartphone users

Most‑used platforms among adults (modeled from 2024 Pew Research US adoption rates applied to the county’s adult population)

• YouTube: ~83% of adults → ~42,000 users
• Facebook: ~68% → ~35,000
• Instagram: ~47% → ~24,000
• Pinterest: ~35% → ~18,000
• TikTok: ~33% → ~17,000
• Snapchat: ~27% → ~14,000
• LinkedIn: ~30% → ~15,000
• X (Twitter): ~22% → ~11,000 Note: These figures are platform‑by‑platform users, not mutually exclusive; one person typically uses several services.

Age groups

• Teens (13–17): 4,000 users; national teen usage patterns suggest very high YouTube reach (95%) with strong Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram use (~60% each) and relatively low Facebook.
• 18–29: Highest intensity creators; heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; Facebook for groups/marketplace, not primary posting.
• 30–49: Broadest multi‑platform mix; Facebook and YouTube dominant, Instagram meaningful; TikTok rising for entertainment; heavy use of Messenger and Marketplace.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram secondary; TikTok adoption growing but still minority.
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; others niche.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base mirrors county demographics: roughly 51% women, 49% men.
• Platform skews (national patterns applied locally):
  • Women over‑indexed on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest.
  • Men over‑indexed on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
  • LinkedIn relatively balanced; Snapchat and TikTok skew slightly female among adults.

Behavioral trends observed in similar mid‑Appalachian counties and consistent with platform use

• Facebook is the “community hub”: school and youth‑sports pages, churches, local government, fire/EMS updates, and neighborhood groups drive daily engagement; Marketplace is a top local commerce channel.
• Video is the default: YouTube for how‑to, local sports highlights, and cord‑cutting; short‑form (Reels/TikTok) for entertainment and local business promos.
• Messaging ecosystems matter: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; SMS remains important; WhatsApp is smaller than national metro markets but present among international families and certain workplaces.
• Posting vs. lurking: Older adults are more passive (follow groups, share), while <35s post stories/Reels/Snaps frequently and favor ephemeral content.
• Daypart peaks: Evenings (7–9 pm) and lunch hour; weather events, school closings, and local emergencies trigger sharp spikes.
• Local commerce: Service trades, festivals, and small retailers rely on Facebook/Instagram; younger audiences respond to short video, older to group posts and recommendations.
• Trust/verification: Residents cross‑check posts in multiple local groups; official agency pages and local media still anchor high‑trust updates.

Method note: Figures are modeled for Harrison County using its population structure and 2024–2025 Pew Research Center social platform adoption rates for U.S. adults and teens, applying them to local adult/teen counts. Percentages reflect usage of each platform at least once; totals are not additive.