Lincoln County

Lincoln County, West Virginia – key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• 20,463 (2020 Census)
• ~19.5K (2023 population estimate), continuing a decline from 21.7K in 2010

Age

• Median age: ~42–43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS, estimates)

• White alone: ~97–98%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
• Asian alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~1.5–2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~0.7–1%

Household data

• Households: ~7,700–7,800
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~68–70% (married-couple ~50%)
• With children under 18: ~27–30% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~30–32% (living alone ~25–27%; 65+ living alone ~10–12%)
• Housing tenure: Owner-occupied ~80%; renter-occupied ~20%

Notes: Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census counts and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Lincoln County is small, aging, overwhelmingly non-Hispanic White, with high homeownership and modest household sizes.

Lincoln County, WV email usage (estimates derived from 2020 Census population ≈20,500; ACS connectivity; Pew adult email adoption):

• Estimated email users (age 13+): 12,800.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 1,100 (9%)
  • 18–29: 1,900 (15%)
  • 30–49: 3,900 (30%)
  • 50–64: 3,000 (23%)
  • 65+: 2,900 (23%)
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (near parity in adoption).

Digital access and usage trends:

• About 74% of households have a home broadband subscription; roughly 19% have no home internet service.
• Adoption is mobile-first for many younger and lower-income users; seniors’ email use is strong but more home-connection dependent.
• Email remains near-universal among working-age adults; usage intensity drops with age but account ownership remains high.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Population density ≈47 residents per square mile (rural).
• Broadband infrastructure is mixed: cable/DSL in town centers and along main routes; fiber availability remains limited in many outlying hollows, contributing to slower speeds and lower subscription rates than WV metros.

Mobile phone usage in Lincoln County, West Virginia (2024 snapshot)

Headline user estimates

• Population: ≈20,000 residents; ≈7,700–7,900 households; land area ≈439 sq mi (≈46 people/sq mi, notably sparser than WV’s ≈75).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ≈16,300 people.
• Smartphone users: ≈14,400–14,700 people.
• Smartphone-dependent/mobile-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): ≈26% of households (≈2,000), higher than the WV average (≈18–20%).

How the estimates were built

• Applied Pew Research Center 2023 age-specific mobile adoption to Lincoln County’s age structure (ACS/Census):
  • Age mix (approx.): 0–12: 14% (phones excluded from estimates), 13–17: 5%, 18–34: 19%, 35–64: 41%, 65+: 21%.
  • Smartphone ownership rates used: 13–17: 95%; 18–29: 96%; 30–49: 95%; 50–64: 83%; 65+: 61%.
  • Any-mobile ownership rates used: 13–17: 97%; 18–34: ≈98–100%; 35–64: ≈96%; 65+: ≈88%.
• Resulting counts:
  • Any-mobile users: ≈16.3k.
  • Smartphone users: ≈14.5k (≈72% of total population; ≈85–90% of adults under 65; ≈60% of 65+).

Demographic breakdown relevant to usage

• Age: Older than the state average (≈21% 65+ vs WV ≈20%), which suppresses smartphone adoption among seniors and raises the share of basic phones in that cohort.
• Race/ethnicity: Predominantly White (≈96% White; ≈1% Black; ≈2% multiracial; ≈1% Hispanic/Latino), similar to rural WV, implying minimal adoption differences linked to racial composition.
• Income and education (county vs state): Lower median household income and lower bachelor’s attainment than WV overall, correlating with higher prepaid usage and higher smartphone-only internet reliance.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: Verizon and AT&T provide the broadest LTE footprint; T‑Mobile’s low‑band 5G/LTE reaches main corridors and town centers and has improved since 2022 but remains spottier off-corridor.
• 5G availability:
  • Low-band 5G: Present along primary corridors (US‑119, WV‑3/WV‑10) and in/near Hamlin, Branchland, and Harts; useful for coverage but only modest speed uplift over LTE in many locations.
  • Mid-band 5G: Limited, primarily near higher-traffic segments; most rural hollows still rely on LTE.
• Terrain effects: Steep hollows and ridgelines create persistent dead zones off major roads (examples include side valleys off WV‑3 and along Big Ugly Creek), making in‑building coverage challenging and voice-over-Wi‑Fi important where fixed internet exists.
• Performance picture: Typical outdoor LTE speeds range from low double digits in valleys to higher tens of Mbps near corridors; 5G can exceed 100 Mbps where mid-band exists but is not yet county-wide. Reliability (signal hold and call quality) on Verizon/AT&T is stronger in remote areas; T‑Mobile’s reliability is strongest on corridors.

Trends that differ from West Virginia overall

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: At ≈26% of households, Lincoln County exceeds the state’s ≈18–20%, reflecting more residents using smartphones as their primary connection due to limited or unaffordable fixed broadband in outlying areas.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: County-wide smartphone adoption is a few points below WV’s average (driven by an older population share and rural terrain), but adoption among working-age adults is comparable to state levels.
• Coverage composition: LTE remains the practical baseline outside towns, with slower expansion of mid-band 5G than in metro counties (e.g., Kanawha/Cabell), keeping average mobile speeds and capacity lower than the state’s urbanized corridors.
• Prepaid tilt: A higher share of prepaid plans than the state average is evident (consistent with income levels), which aligns with higher smartphone-only households and cost-sensitive plan choices.
• Carrier mix: Verizon and AT&T retain a larger rural share here than statewide averages due to signal reach; T‑Mobile’s gains are visible along US‑119 but lag off-corridor relative to state urban counties.

Implications for planning and service delivery

• Senior segment (≈21% of residents) is the main pocket of basic-phone use and lower smartphone proficiency; outreach and services should accommodate SMS/voice-first communication.
• Investments that matter most: additional macro sites or targeted small cells in side valleys; expansion of mid-band 5G on existing sites; and fixed wireless access where fiber buildouts are not imminent.
• Expect continued gradual growth in smartphone users and mobile-only households until fixed broadband fills remaining gaps, with T‑Mobile’s low-band and Verizon/AT&T C‑band rollouts narrowing the performance gap on main corridors.

Sources and basis: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census, ACS 2022/2023 age structure and household counts), Pew Research Center 2023 smartphone/mobile ownership by age, FCC mobile coverage filings and carrier public coverage maps (2023–2024). Estimates above apply these benchmarks to Lincoln County’s population profile to produce county-level user counts.

Social media usage in Lincoln County, West Virginia (2025 snapshot)

How these figures are defined: Adults = age 18+. Platform usage = adults who use the platform at least monthly. Figures are modeled 2025 estimates for Lincoln County using recent census and Pew Research rural breakouts, adjusted to the county’s age mix; rounded to whole percentages.

Headline user stats

• Total population: ~20,100
• Adults (18+): ~15,900
• Households with home internet subscription: ~76%
• Adult smartphone ownership: ~85%
• Adults using any social media monthly: ~12,400 (≈78% of adults)

Most-used platforms (adults, monthly)

• YouTube: 80% (~12,700)
• Facebook: 72% (~11,400)
• Instagram: 35% (~5,600)
• Pinterest: 32% (~5,100)
• TikTok: 27% (~4,300)
• Snapchat: 26% (~4,100)
• X (Twitter): 14% (~2,200)

Age-group patterns (share of each age group using platform monthly)

• 18–24: YouTube 95%, Snapchat 80%, TikTok 72%, Instagram 70%, Facebook 50%
• 25–34: YouTube 92%, Facebook 70%, Instagram 62%, TikTok 48%, Snapchat 38%
• 35–54: Facebook 78%, YouTube 85%, Instagram 40%, TikTok 25%, Pinterest 38%
• 55+: Facebook 75%, YouTube 62%, Instagram 18%, TikTok 12%, Pinterest 30%

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Share of adult social-media users: 52% women, 48% men
• Platform skews:
  • Women: Facebook 77%, Pinterest 45%, Instagram 38%, TikTok 28%
  • Men: YouTube 84%, Facebook 67%, TikTok 25%, X 16%, Reddit 16%

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups, school/church updates, civic info, and Marketplace dominate daily use.
• Video-first consumption: Short clips on Facebook/Instagram and how-to, sports, and outdoor content on YouTube see high watch time.
• Younger audiences split attention: 18–34s balance Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; they still keep Facebook for events and family.
• Messaging is FB Messenger + SMS-centric: WhatsApp remains niche; group chats coordinate local activities.
• Private/closed groups matter: Many discussions move from public pages to private groups for neighborhood and school topics.
• Shopping and promotions: Marketplace and Facebook Events drive local retail and service discovery more than standalone websites.
• Access shapes behavior: Mobile-only and variable broadband lead to off-peak viewing, fewer long livestreams, and preference for compressed video.
• Trust in local voices: Content from schools, churches, volunteer orgs, and known community figures outperforms brand-first posts.
• Content timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and late evening (8–10 p.m.), with midday dips on workdays.
• Platform gaps: X, Reddit, and LinkedIn remain niche; Pinterest performs well with women for crafts, décor, recipes.

Note on methodology: Figures are county-level modeled estimates derived from recent U.S. Census/ACS population and internet-access data and 2024–2025 Pew Research platform usage by age, gender, and rurality, adjusted to Lincoln County’s older age profile. Percentages represent adults using each platform at least monthly and are rounded.