Mcdowell County

Key demographics – McDowell County, West Virginia

Population size

• Total population (2023 estimate): ~16.8K
• 2010 to 2023 change: roughly -24% (continued population decline)

Age

• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~22%
• Median age: ~46 years

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (ACS categories; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White: ~87%
• Black or African American: ~10%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–0.5%
• Asian: ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~85%

Households

• Number of households: ~7.6K
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~60% of households; nonfamily: ~40%
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Householder living alone: ~34% (about 13% age 65+ living alone)

Insight

• The county is small, aging, and steadily shrinking, with a predominantly White population, modest Black minority, very small Hispanic presence, and relatively small household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (2023) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year (DP05, S0101, S1101).

Mcdowell County, WV email usage snapshot

• Estimated users: 12,000–13,500 adult email users, or roughly 83–90% of residents 18+.
• Age distribution (share of adult email users): 18–29: 19–21%; 30–49: 33–36%; 50–64: 27–30%; 65+: 15–18%. Adoption rates by age: 18–49 ~90–95%, 50–64 ~85–90%, 65+ ~70–80%.
• Gender split: Near parity; email users are approximately 49–51% male and 49–51% female, mirroring the county’s adult population.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Internet at home: ~68–72% of households.
  • Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber): ~58–62% of households.
  • Smartphone-only internet: ~16–20% of households; many residents check email primarily via mobile.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, community centers) remain important for residents without reliable home service.
  • Ongoing fiber builds and improved LTE/5G along main corridors are raising speeds, but mountainous terrain and dispersed settlements leave persistent dead zones in hollows.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density is roughly 35–36 people per square mile, and the county is almost entirely rural (>95%), factors that increase last‑mile costs and slow fixed-broadband coverage, shaping email access toward mobile-first use.

Mobile phone usage in McDowell County, West Virginia (2025 snapshot)

Context and scale

• Population: about 16,900 (2023 estimate); roughly 7,300 households. The county is older, lower-income, and more rural than the state overall.
• Socioeconomics that shape adoption: median household income is among the lowest in WV; poverty is substantially above the state average; educational attainment and labor force participation are lower than statewide. These factors increase “mobile-only” internet reliance and depress overall device/plan adoption.

User estimates (people)

• Adults (18+): ~13,200.
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~11,500 (about 87% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~10,300 (about 78% of adults; ~61% of total population).
• Adult basic/feature-phone-only users: ~1,200 (about 9% of adults).
• Adults with no mobile phone: ~1,700 (about 13% of adults).

Demographic breakdown (smartphone ownership among adults)

• By age
  • 18–34: ~90% smartphone adoption (≈2,900 users). Higher than county average; close to statewide levels.
  • 35–64: ~82% (≈5,400 users). Below statewide average.
  • 65+: ~58% (≈2,000 users). Well below statewide average; basic-phone use and no-phone rates are notably higher than the rest of WV.
• By income
  • Under $25k household income: ~70% smartphone adoption; high “mobile-only” internet reliance (≈45% of these households).
  • $25k–$50k: ~85% smartphone; mobile-only reliance ≈30%.
  • $50k+: ~92% smartphone; mobile-only reliance ≈12%.
• By race/ethnicity
  • Overall smartphone adoption differences by race are modest, but Black and multiracial households are more likely to be mobile-only because of income disparities and housing location relative to fixed broadband.

Household connectivity profile (subscriptions)

• Any home internet subscription: ~76% of households (below the WV average).
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data but no fixed broadband): ~33% (≈2,400 households). Significantly higher than WV overall.
• No home internet subscription: ~24% (≈1,750 households). Higher than WV overall.
• Fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber) present: roughly half of households; below the statewide rate.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage pattern: 4G LTE is the baseline in towns (Welch, War, Keystone, Kimball, Iaeger) and along major corridors (e.g., US‑52, WV‑80, WV‑83). Mountainous terrain creates persistent dead zones in hollows and ridge shadowing; off-corridor coverage is uneven.
• 5G availability: low‑band 5G from at least one national carrier in and around population centers and primary roadways; mid‑band 5G capacity is sparse. Large parts of the county remain LTE‑only or have unreliable signal indoors.
• Typical experience
  • Town centers/corridors: LTE ~5–25 Mbps down with high variability; low‑band 5G can reach several tens of Mbps where available.
  • Hollows/remote roads: sub‑5 Mbps, intermittent service, or outages; users frequently rely on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters.
• Adoption patterns: prepaid and MVNO plans are used at above‑average rates; multi‑SIM strategies are common to hedge coverage gaps; households without fixed broadband often tether phones for home use.

How McDowell differs from West Virginia overall

• Higher mobile-only dependency: about one-third of households rely exclusively on cellular for home internet, well above the state share. Mobile phones serve as the primary—and often only—on‑ramp to online services for many residents.
• Lower overall smartphone penetration among adults, driven by a larger senior share, affordability constraints, and weaker coverage away from corridors.
• Larger share of adults with no mobile phone at all compared with the state, especially among older and very low‑income residents.
• More pronounced geographic inequity: sharp contrasts between corridor/town coverage and out‑of‑valley dead zones; fewer redundant carrier options; less mid‑band 5G capacity.
• Heavier reliance on prepaid plans and data‑capped usage, which suppresses high‑bandwidth activities (video, telehealth) relative to statewide averages.

Implications and actionable insights

• Service delivery: assume mobile-first access with constrained data. Design for low bandwidth, offline functionality, and SMS-based flows to reach the largest share of residents.
• Equity focus: outreach and subsidies that reduce device and plan costs for seniors and very low‑income households will move the needle more here than in the state overall.
• Infrastructure targeting: the biggest mobile experience gains will come from a small number of additional macro sites and fiber-fed backhaul upgrades along secondary roads and hollow clusters where current LTE is marginal; filling these gaps would materially reduce the county’s above-average mobile-only burden.

Notes on methodology

• Figures combine the latest Census/ACS demographics with national/state adoption patterns (Pew/NTIA) adjusted for rurality, income, and age structure to produce county-level estimates. They are rounded for clarity and intended as a current, decision-ready snapshot.

Social media usage in McDowell County, WV — short breakdown

Most-used platforms (percentages are US adult benchmarks; McDowell’s older, rural profile typically pushes Facebook/YouTube slightly higher and Instagram/TikTok slightly lower than the US average)

• YouTube: ~80–85% of adults use it
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Snapchat: ~25–30%
• Pinterest: ~30–35% (strong female skew)
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% (limited local relevance for hiring/networking)
• X/Twitter: ~20–25%
• WhatsApp: ~20–25% (lower adoption in rural Appalachia than national average)

Age-group patterns (applied locally)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube is near-universal; Snapchat and TikTok are daily staples; Facebook is minimal except for school/community updates.
• 18–29: Heavy on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook used mainly for family/groups and Marketplace.
• 30–49: YouTube + Facebook are core; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising but secondary.
• 50–64: Facebook is primary; YouTube for entertainment/how‑to; low Instagram/TikTok.
• 65+: Facebook dominates; YouTube used for news/how‑to; little presence elsewhere.

Gender breakdown (consistent with national patterns)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat; more engagement with community groups, events, and Marketplace.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter, LinkedIn; higher consumption of how‑to, automotive, sports, and news commentary.

User stats and access context

• Overall social media penetration: In line with rural US adults, expect a majority of online adults in McDowell to use at least one platform, with Facebook and YouTube leading.
• Access constraints: Broadband adoption is lower than the US average; smartphone-only internet use is common. This drives heavy use of Facebook (including Messenger), shorter videos, and asynchronous viewing.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Appalachian counties like McDowell

• Facebook is the community hub: Local news, road/school updates, church and civic life, buy/sell/Trade via Marketplace, and high activity in local Groups.
• Messaging-first interactions: Many public posts quickly move to Facebook Messenger for questions, scheduling, and sales.
• Video habits: Short, captioned vertical video (Reels/TikTok) performs best; YouTube used for longer how‑to content (home repair, hunting/outdoors, automotive).
• Trust dynamics: Local pages and peer shares carry more weight than national outlets; word-of-mouth amplification via Groups is key.
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning, lunch, and evenings; weekend spikes around community events and high school sports.
• Employment/commerce: Job discovery and small-business promotion happen on Facebook rather than LinkedIn; Marketplace and event posts convert better than static websites.

Practical implications for reaching McDowell residents

• Prioritize Facebook (Pages, Groups, Events, Marketplace) and YouTube; add Instagram and TikTok to reach under‑35s.
• Use locally anchored content (familiar places/people), plain language, and service-oriented posts (announcements, how‑to, deals, job openings).
• Cross-post short video to Facebook Reels and TikTok; include captions for sound‑off viewing; add a phone number for low-connectivity users.
• Encourage sharing to relevant local Groups and respond quickly via Messenger; measure success by shares, comments, and DMs, not just page likes.

Notes on figures

• Platform percentages cited are definitive national benchmarks (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024). County-level platform breakdowns are not directly published; McDowell usage generally follows the same ranking, with Facebook/YouTube relatively stronger and Instagram/TikTok somewhat lower due to the county’s older, rural demographics.