Jackson County

Jackson County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: about 27.4K (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program)
• 2020 Census count: 27,791

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~94–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–1.5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93–94%

Households

• Total households: ~11,000
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~69%
• Married-couple households: ~54%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• One-person households: ~27%
• Householders 65+ living alone: ~12%

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population since 2010.
• Older-than-national age profile with roughly one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with very small minority shares.
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a sizable share of single-person households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101); 2023 Population Estimates Program.

Jackson County, WV (population ≈27.6k; ~59 people/sq mi) is largely rural with population centers in Ripley and Ravenswood.

Email users (modeled 2024): ≈21,700 residents use email (≈79% of total; ≈91% of adults). Gender split among email users: ~51% female, 49% male.

Age profile of email users (share of users):

• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–49: ~32%
• 50–64: ~28%
• 65+: ~22% Adoption by age: ~95–98% (18–49), ~92% (50–64), ~78% (65+).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with any internet subscription: ~83%.
• Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) subscription: ~72%.
• Cellular data–only internet: ~10%.
• No home internet: ~17%. Trends: Internet subscription up modestly since 2016; fiber availability expanding along the I‑77 and US‑33 corridors, with patchier service in outlying hollows. Library, school, and public Wi‑Fi remain important access points for lower‑income and older residents.

Notes: Estimates combine U.S. Census/ACS (2018–2022) computer and internet-use data with Pew Research Center age‑specific internet/email adoption benchmarks to local demographics, yielding county‑level counts and splits.

Mobile phone usage in Jackson County, West Virginia — 2024 snapshot

Headline findings

• Approximately 20,000 adult residents in Jackson County use a mobile phone, and about 18,000 use a smartphone.
• Household reliance on mobile data for home internet is higher than the West Virginia average, while mid-band 5G coverage is less pervasive than in the state’s metro counties.
• Coverage is strong along I‑77 and in the Ripley–Ravenswood corridor, with notable gaps in interior ridges and hollows where LTE remains the default.

User estimates

• Population and households: About 27,300 residents and roughly 11,100 households.
• Adult mobile users: ~19,800 adults (about 93% of adults) use a mobile phone of any kind.
• Adult smartphone users: ~18,000 adults (about 85% of adults) use a smartphone.
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~8,100 households (about 73% of households) have a mobile data subscription (smartphone/tablet hotspot or dedicated mobile broadband).
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ~2,200 households (about 20%) rely on smartphones as their only home internet connection.

Demographic breakdown of use

• By age
  • 18–34: Smartphone adoption ~94%; heavy use of app‑based messaging, video, and mobile payments.
  • 35–64: ~88% smartphone adoption; high use for navigation and work communications, growing telehealth usage.
  • 65+: ~70–75% smartphone adoption; more voice/SMS‑centric, but telehealth and banking apps continue to gain traction.
• By income
  • Under $35k: Highest rate of smartphone‑only home internet (roughly 28% of households in this bracket); prepaid plans are common.
  • $35k–$75k: Mixed fixed broadband plus smartphone hotspot usage; smartphone‑only around 20%.
  • Over $75k: Lowest smartphone‑only share (~10–12%); more multi‑line postpaid accounts and 5G‑capable devices.
• By place within the county
  • Ripley, Ravenswood, and the I‑77/US‑33 corridors show the highest 5G device uptake and subscription to higher‑tier plans.
  • Outlying unincorporated areas depend more on LTE and often use smartphone hotspots as a substitute for slow or unavailable fixed broadband.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network footprint
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent countywide coverage; T‑Mobile has 5G along primary corridors with thinner coverage in interior areas.
  • 5G availability: Low‑band 5G is common along I‑77 and in population centers; mid‑band 5G (higher speeds) is present near Ripley/Ravenswood and along the interstate but is not countywide.
  • LTE remains the de facto layer in many rural tracts, especially away from river valleys and major roads.
• Typical performance
  • LTE: ~10–30 Mbps down; upload 2–8 Mbps in most settled areas, lower in interior valleys.
  • 5G low‑band: ~50–120 Mbps down where available.
  • 5G mid‑band (corridor hot spots): ~150–300 Mbps down, but limited footprint.
• Redundancy and resilience
  • Macro sites cluster along I‑77, US‑33, and the Ohio River corridor near Ravenswood; terrain shielding produces dead zones off‑corridor.
  • Power and backhaul resiliency is best along the interstate; extended outages in storms still cause localized voice/SMS fallback and data slowdowns.
• Complementary access
  • Fixed broadband is available via cable and expanding fiber in town centers; gaps in outlying areas elevate reliance on mobile data plans and smartphone hotspots.
  • Satellite broadband (including LEO) is used as a fallback where neither fixed nor strong mobile coverage exists.

How Jackson County differs from West Virginia overall

• Higher smartphone‑only reliance: Jackson County’s smartphone‑only share (~20% of households) is a few points higher than the statewide average, reflecting more fixed‑broadband gaps in interior areas.
• Slightly lower mid‑band 5G reach: Outside the interstate corridor, Jackson County depends more on LTE and low‑band 5G than metro counties (Charleston/Huntington), leading to lower median mobile speeds off‑corridor.
• More single‑carrier pockets: Overlap among all three national carriers is less common away from I‑77, resulting in meaningful dead zones for specific networks; this is more pronounced than the statewide average.
• Device mix skews older: A higher share of budget and older handsets (and a larger 65+ population share) modestly reduces the county’s 5G‑capable device penetration compared with the state average.

Notes on estimation

• Population and household counts align with recent Census estimates.
• Mobile adoption and smartphone‑only figures are modeled from American Community Survey internet subscription indicators blended with current rural adoption benchmarks; values are rounded to reflect estimation uncertainty while remaining decision‑useful.

Jackson County, WV: Social Media Snapshot (2024)

Scope and method: Figures are 2024 local estimates modeled from U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023) demographics and Pew Research Center social media benchmarks, adjusted for rural West Virginia age structure and connectivity.

County context

• Population: ≈27.4k residents; median age ≈45; gender: ≈51% female, 49% male
• Households with broadband subscription: ≈81%
• Smartphone ownership among adults: ≈80–85%

Estimated social media user base

• Active users (age 13+): ≈18,000 residents
• Penetration (13+): ≈75–80%
• Typical multi‑platform use: average active user engages with 3–4 platforms monthly

Age profile of active users (share of the user base)

• 13–17: 8% (≈1.4k)
• 18–29: 21% (≈3.8k)
• 30–49: 33% (≈6.0k)
• 50–64: 22% (≈4.0k)
• 65+: 16% (≈2.9k)

Gender breakdown of active users

• Female: ≈54% (≈9.7k)
• Male: ≈46% (≈8.3k)

Most‑used platforms locally (share of social media users)

• YouTube: ≈84%
• Facebook: ≈82%
• Instagram: ≈36%
• TikTok: ≈31%
• Snapchat: ≈26%
• Pinterest: ≈24% overall; ≈40% among female users
• X (Twitter): ≈14%
• Reddit: ≈12%
• LinkedIn: ≈11%

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy reliance on Groups for school updates, high‑school sports, church news, local events, road/weather alerts, and Marketplace buying/selling. Engagement spikes around county events and holidays.
• Video dominates: YouTube for how‑to, auto/home repair, outdoor and hunting content; short‑form video (TikTok/Reels) growing for 18–34, with frequent resharing into Facebook.
• Messaging first for youth: Snapchat and Instagram DMs among teens/20‑somethings; Facebook Messenger ubiquitous across ages.
• Lurkers outnumber posters: roughly 1 in 10 users posts weekly; the majority browse, react, and share rather than originate content.
• Peak activity: evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; mobile‑first consumption even where home broadband is limited.
• Trust and discovery: strong preference for information from known local people, schools, teams, and civic groups; local recommendations and word‑of‑mouth posts drive service and retail decisions.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are primary; shoppable posts gain traction when paired with clear pricing, pickup details, and limited‑time offers.
• Content that performs: local faces and places, youth sports highlights, event reminders, giveaways, weather/closure updates, quick DIY tips, short vertical video under 30–45 seconds.
• Lower‑usage platforms: X, Reddit, and LinkedIn are niche; Pinterest is meaningful for women 25–54 (home, recipes, crafts).

Notes and sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2023) for population/age/sex/broadband; Pew Research Center (2023–2024) for platform adoption and usage frequency; figures above are localized estimates derived from those datasets.