Logan County

Key demographics – Logan County, West Virginia

Population size

• Total population: 33,186 (2020 Census)
• Population trend: down roughly 10% since 2010, continuing to decline per 2023 estimates

Age

• Median age: ~43 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50.4%
• Male: ~49.6%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic can be any race)

• White: ~93–94%
• Black or African American: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Asian: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~1–1.5%

Households and housing

• Households: ~13,300
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~69% (married-couple families ~49%)
• Households with children under 18: ~26%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77%
• Median household income: ~$42,000
• Per capita income: ~$23,000
• Persons in poverty: ~24%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program). Insights: The county is aging, predominantly White, with shrinking population, high owner-occupancy, below-national median income, and elevated poverty.

Logan County, WV snapshot

• Population and density: About 32,500 residents (2020) across ~455 sq mi; ≈72 people per sq mi. Mountainous terrain creates uneven fixed-broadband coverage, increasing reliance on mobile data.
• Estimated email users: ≈21,000 residents use email regularly (derived from local age structure, rural WV internet adoption, and near‑universal email use among internet users).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 9%
  • 18–34: 24%
  • 35–64: 48%
  • 65+: 19% Working‑age adults are almost universally on email; seniors participate at lower but growing rates.
• Gender split of email users: ~51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s slight female majority.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home internet subscription: ~78% of households, below the U.S. average but improving with new fiber builds.
  • Smartphone ownership: ~82%; mobile‑only home internet users ≈20%, higher than urban areas.
  • Email is the default channel for job applications, benefits, healthcare portals, and school communication; mobile email use is common where fixed broadband is limited.
• Connectivity outlook: Federal and state broadband programs (e.g., BEAD) are expanding fiber in southern WV, which should raise broadband and email adoption, especially among older adults and in hollows/valleys with current service gaps.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Logan County, West Virginia (2025)

Population base used

• County population: ~30,200 (2025 estimate; down from 32,567 in 2020, continuing the county’s multi‑year decline)
• Adults (18+): ~24,200
• Households: ~12,600

User estimates

• Mobile phone users (any type): ~24,500 residents
  • Based on ~94% adult mobile ownership in rural America and near-universal teen adoption
• Smartphone users: ~20,700 residents
  • Adults: ~18,900 (≈78% of adults in a rural, older, lower‑income county)
  • Teens (13–17): ~1,800 (≈95% smartphone adoption)
• Mobile-only internet households: ~2,500 (≈20% of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet)
  • Higher than the statewide share, reflecting more limited fixed broadband and lower incomes

Demographic breakdown of smartphone adoption (estimates)

• By age
  • 18–34: ~95% adoption; Logan’s younger cohort is smaller than the state average, but adoption is near universal within the cohort
  • 35–64: ~85–90% adoption
  • 65+: ~60–65% adoption; Logan’s larger senior share pulls down the countywide rate relative to West Virginia overall
• By income
  • Under $35k: ~70–78% adoption; this group is overrepresented in Logan compared with the state
  • $35k–$75k: ~85–90% adoption
  • $75k+: ~95%+ adoption; smaller share of households locally than statewide
• Plan type and device mix
  • Higher share of prepaid plans than the West Virginia average, with more budget Android devices and longer device replacement cycles
  • Voice and text remain important among older residents; younger users skew toward data‑heavy use but are constrained by coverage and data caps

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network generation
  • 4G LTE is the de facto baseline countywide
  • Low‑band 5G is present in and around Logan and Chapmanville and along major corridors (notably US‑119/Corridor G); 5G coverage thins quickly in hollows and ridge‑shadowed areas
  • Mid‑band 5G capacity is very limited compared with metro WV counties; most high‑throughput 5G usage occurs within town centers and highway-adjacent sites
• Terrain impacts
  • Steep hollows and ridgelines drive more dead zones and indoor signal loss than the statewide norm; coverage is strongest along US‑119, WV‑10, and within the City of Logan
• Backhaul and tower siting
  • Fiber backhaul follows primary corridors; many outlying sites rely on microwave, limiting capacity and peak speeds
  • Towers are clustered near population centers and transportation routes; fewer infill sites than in flatter WV counties
• Public safety and resiliency
  • Dedicated public-safety LTE (e.g., Band‑14/FirstNet) is present along primary corridors, improving priority access during incidents; redundancy off-corridor is thinner than the state average

How Logan County differs from West Virginia overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: Countywide adoption sits several points below the state average due to an older age structure and lower median income
• More mobile-only households: Roughly one in five households relies on cellular data for home internet—meaningfully higher than the statewide share—because fixed broadband is sparser and less affordable in outlying areas
• Slower, patchier 5G: 5G availability is more “corridor‑centric,” with limited mid‑band deployments; LTE remains dominant off the highways, and indoor coverage gaps are more common than the WV average
• Greater prepaid reliance and longer device lifecycles: Price sensitivity is higher than statewide, translating to more prepaid plans and older handsets in active use
• Usage patterns: Higher relative use of voice/SMS among seniors and more conservative data usage overall due to coverage variability and plan caps

Method notes and sources

• Population, age, and household structure are based on U.S. Census Bureau counts (2020) trended to 2025; income and age structure reflect American Community Survey patterns for Logan County versus West Virginia
• Device ownership and mobile‑only household estimates apply Pew Research Center’s rural and income‑stratified ownership rates to Logan’s demographics
• Coverage characterizations reflect FCC mobile coverage filings and typical Appalachian terrain impacts observed in southern West Virginia

Actionable implications

• Network investments that add mid‑band 5G (with fiber backhaul) to sites off US‑119 would materially change user experience and close the county’s gap with state averages
• Affordability programs and prepaid‑friendly 5G device portfolios will reach a disproportionately large share of users
• Public venues and employers in valleys benefit from indoor coverage solutions (small cells/repeaters) where ridge shadowing degrades signal indoors

Logan County, WV — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Overall reach (adults 18+)

• Uses any social platform at least monthly: ~68–72% of adults
• Daily social users: ~48–52% of adults
• Use is predominantly mobile-first; broadband constraints push heavier reliance on smartphones and short-form video

Demographic mix of adult social users

• Gender: Female 53–56%; Male 44–47%
• Age:
  • 18–29: 18–21%
  • 30–49: 33–37%
  • 50–64: 26–30%
  • 65+: 17–21%

Most-used platforms among adults (at least monthly)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~70–75%
• Instagram: ~35–42%
• TikTok: ~25–32%
• Snapchat: ~23–30%
• Pinterest: ~22–28% overall; among women: ~34–40%
• X (Twitter): ~12–18%
• Reddit: ~9–13%
• LinkedIn: ~8–12%

Behavioral trends

• Community-centric engagement: High activity in Facebook Groups (school updates, weather/emergencies, buy/sell, youth sports, churches). Facebook Marketplace is a key local commerce channel.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for music, local sports highlights, DIY, outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, ATV). Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) performs best with under-40s.
• Local trust dynamics: Content from local institutions and familiar faces outperforms national brands. Authentic, practical posts beat polished ads.
• Timing and cadence: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends; weekday mornings see spikes for news, weather, road conditions.
• Discovery to action: Event promotion and fundraising travel via Facebook shares; small businesses rely on FB + Messenger for inquiries; younger audiences discover via TikTok/IG then convert via FB/Google.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook = community hub and marketplace
  • YouTube = evergreen how-to and entertainment
  • Instagram/TikTok = reach for 18–34 with short-form local content
  • Snapchat = peer messaging for teens/young adults
  • X/LinkedIn = niche (civic leaders, educators, healthcare)

Notes on method

• County-specific platform reporting is not published; figures above are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 US social media adoption by platform and age, adjusted to Logan County’s age/gender profile from the latest ACS, with rural WV usage patterns and mobile/broadband constraints accounted for. Percentages reflect share of adults unless otherwise noted.