Kanawha County

Kanawha County, West Virginia — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates, with 2020 Census noted where relevant):

Population

• Total population: ~177,000 (2023 ACS 5-year; 180,745 in 2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~43.5 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Sex

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~85%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~7%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Other races (non-Hispanic): <1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%

Households and families

• Total households: ~79,000–80,000
• Average household size: ~2.25
• Family households: ~58% of households
• Average family size: ~2.85–2.90
• One-person households: ~33–35%
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Married-couple households: ~42–45%

Notable insight

• The county’s population has modestly declined since 2020, with an older-than-national age profile and a relatively high share of one-person and nonfamily households.

Kanawha County snapshot

• Population: 180,745 (2020 Census); density ≈198 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈132,000 adults (≈90% of ~147,000 residents age 18+), reflecting national email adoption among adults.
• Age distribution of email users (est.): 18–29: 16% (≈98% adoption); 30–49: 31% (≈97%); 50–64: 28% (≈92%); 65+: 25% (≈85%). Email reach is effectively universal for working-age adults and strong, though lower, among seniors.
• Gender split: mirrors population, ~52% female and 48% male among users.
• Digital access and trends: About 85% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022), leaving roughly 10–12% without home internet. An estimated 15% rely primarily on smartphone data plans. Urban corridors around Charleston and St. Albans have the highest fixed-broadband availability and speeds; outlying hollows and ridgelines see weaker service and lower take-up. The county outperforms many rural WV areas but trails the U.S. average household broadband subscription (~90%).

Implications: Email is a reliable channel countywide, especially for 18–64. For 65+, pairing email with mobile-friendly design and offline touchpoints boosts reach. Affordability and last-mile buildouts remain the main constraints on deeper digital and email engagement.

Mobile phone usage in Kanawha County, WV — summary with estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Headline estimates (2024)

• Population and households: ~175,000 residents; ~78,000 households
• Unique mobile users: ~150,000 residents use a mobile phone regularly (≈85–88% of total population, reflecting higher urban adoption around Charleston)
• Adult smartphone users: ~125,000–135,000 (≈88–92% of adults), measurably higher than the West Virginia average
• Mobile-broadband–only households (no fixed home internet): ≈9,000–11,000 households (≈12–14%), lower than the statewide share due to stronger fixed-broadband availability in the Charleston metro

How Kanawha differs from the West Virginia statewide picture

• Higher adoption: Smartphone and general mobile adoption are several percentage points higher than the WV average, driven by the Charleston urban core, healthcare, state government, education, and service-sector employment.
• Better 5G coverage and capacity: Mid-band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is widely available in Charleston/South Charleston/St. Albans and along I‑64/I‑77/I‑79, producing faster and more consistent mobile broadband than in many WV rural counties.
• Fewer mobile-only households: A smaller share relies solely on cellular data for home internet compared to statewide, reflecting better cable/fiber penetration in populated corridors.
• Smaller rural coverage gap (but still present): Coverage holes persist in hollows and ridge lines north/east of Elkview and along the Upper Kanawha Valley, but the gap versus urban areas is narrower than in many WV counties without a metro core.
• Demographics boost usage: Higher median income, education levels, and a larger share of working-age adults in Kanawha support newer device uptake and multi-line family plans more than the state overall.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-ubiquitous smartphone ownership; heavy use of 5G and app-based services (mobility, streaming, payments).
  • 35–64: Very high smartphone adoption; strong BYOD use for work, especially in healthcare, government, and professional services.
  • 65+: Smartphone adoption materially higher than the WV average, helped by proximity to healthcare systems and urban amenities; still lower data consumption than younger cohorts.
• Income and education
  • Higher-income and college-educated tracts in and around Charleston exhibit the county’s highest 5G usage and device upgrade cycles.
  • Lower-income areas show higher prepaid adoption and a greater incidence of mobile-only internet access, though still below the statewide mobile-only rate.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Black households (notably concentrated in Charleston neighborhoods) display strong smartphone reliance and above-average mobile data dependence for home connectivity relative to county averages, but with more prepaid and budget-plan usage.
• Urban vs rural
  • Urban/suburban river-valley communities (Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, St. Albans) show multi-line households and consistent 5G performance.
  • Outlying areas (Sissonville, Clendenin, Upper Kanawha Valley) have higher LTE fallback, indoor coverage variability, and more external antenna/use of Wi‑Fi calling.

Digital infrastructure points

• Network coverage and spectrum
  • All three nationals (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide LTE; at least one carrier provides 5G to the vast majority of residents.
  • Mid-band 5G (n41 for T‑Mobile; C‑band for Verizon/AT&T) is deployed across the metro and interstate corridors, with low-band 5G extending into exurban areas; LTE remains primary in some rural pockets.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Fastest and most consistent performance is along I‑64/I‑77/I‑79 and the Kanawha River valley; small-cell densification exists in downtown and medical/university zones.
  • Congestion is most noticeable during events (Capitol Complex, Civic Center) and in peak evening hours on shared sectors.
• Resilience and emergency services
  • E‑911 relies heavily on cellular; macro sites along flood-prone corridors have been hardened post‑2016 floods, though backhaul redundancy remains uneven in far-northeast and southeast corners.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Strong fiber and cable backhaul in urban corridors support higher 5G capacity than many WV counties; microwave backhaul persists on fringe sites.
• Device and plan mix
  • Higher penetration of 5G-capable handsets than WV overall; mix skews toward postpaid in urban tracts and prepaid/ACP-supported lines in lower-income areas.

Quantified gaps and opportunities

• Coverage: Remaining LTE/5G weak spots in hollows north/east of Elkview and along Cabin Creek/Upper Kanawha would benefit most from additional low-band carriers or repeaters and improved backhaul.
• Capacity: Event-centric small cells and additional C‑band sectors would mitigate peak congestion downtown and around hospital/education campuses.
• Affordability: Despite better infrastructure than much of WV, affordability remains a limiting factor for higher-tier plans; ACP sunsets increase risk of mobile-only reliance and data-capping.

Bottom line

• Kanawha County’s mobile usage is higher and more advanced than the West Virginia average, anchored by strong 5G availability, robust backhaul, and an urban economic base. The county still exhibits a meaningful urban–rural divide, but the gap is narrower than in most WV counties. The near-term trend is continued migration to mid-band 5G in the metro core, slow but steady improvement in fringe LTE/5G coverage, and a gradual rise in mobile-only households if affordability programs recede.

Kanawha County, WV — Social Media Use (2025 snapshot)

Population and access

• Population: ~178,000; adults (18+) ~138,000.
• Broadband subscription in households: ~80–82%.
• Smartphone ownership: ~85–90% of adults.

Overall adoption

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~80–85% of adults (≈110k–118k people).

Most‑used platforms among adults (modeled local reach, share of 18+)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• Pinterest: 32–40%
• TikTok: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 22–26%
• LinkedIn: 20–25%
• X (Twitter): 16–20%
• Reddit: 12–16%
• Nextdoor: 10–14%

Age‑group patterns (share of people in each group using the platform; ranges reflect local demographic skew older than the U.S. average)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~90–95%; TikTok ~60–70%; Snapchat ~55–65%; Instagram ~55–65%; Facebook ~25–35%.
• 18–29: YouTube ~90–95%; Instagram ~65–75%; Snapchat ~50–60%; TikTok ~45–55%; Facebook ~60–70%.
• 30–49: Facebook ~70–80%; YouTube ~85–90%; Instagram ~45–55%; TikTok ~25–35%.
• 50–64: Facebook ~65–75%; YouTube ~75–85%; Pinterest ~35–45%; Instagram ~25–35%; TikTok ~12–20%.
• 65+: Facebook ~50–60%; YouTube ~55–65%; Pinterest ~25–35%; Instagram ~12–20%; TikTok ~5–12%.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media user base: roughly mirrors the county’s adult population (≈52% women, 48% men), with platform skews:
  • More women than men on Facebook and especially Pinterest (women ≈2x men on Pinterest).
  • More men than women on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
  • Instagram and TikTok are near gender‑balanced.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: high usage of Groups, school/community alerts, local news, and Marketplace; comments and shares concentrate around local outlets and civic pages.
• Video drives time spent: short‑form (Reels/TikTok) growth among under‑40; over‑50 favor Facebook video and YouTube channels for news, DIY, and local events.
• Messaging first: Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat are primary touchpoints for peer communication and customer inquiries to local businesses.
• Local discovery: events, restaurants, and services are discovered via Facebook Groups, Instagram Reels, and Google/YouTube; word‑of‑mouth amplified through shares.
• Shopping behavior: heavy use of Facebook Marketplace; Instagram Shops and TikTok Shop adoption rising but still secondary outside younger cohorts.
• Activity peaks: early morning (7–9 a.m.) and evening (8–10 p.m. ET), with weekend mid‑day spikes; mobile accounts for the vast majority of use.

Notes on figures

• Population and broadband are from recent ACS/Census indicators for Kanawha County; platform reach and age/gender splits are 2024 Pew Research Center rates adjusted to the county’s older age profile and urban‑rural mix. Ranges (typically ±3–5 percentage points) reflect this local weighting.