Mineral County

Mineral County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population

• 26,938 (2020 Census)
• 26,5xx (2023 population estimate; modest decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~19–20%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5–50%
• Male: ~50–50.5%

Race and ethnicity (ACS; race alone unless noted; Hispanic can be any race)

• White: ~91%
• Black or African American: ~5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1.5–2%

Households

• Total households: ~10.8–10.9k
• Average household size: ~2.34
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Married-couple households: ~48%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–26%
• Nonfamily households: ~36%; living alone: ~29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–77%
• Median household income (inflation-adjusted): ~$56k–$57k
• Poverty rate: ~14–15%

Insights

• Stable-to-declining population with an older age profile.
• Predominantly White, with small but present Black and multiracial populations; Hispanic share is low.
• High homeownership and modest household sizes typical of rural Appalachia.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey; Population Estimates Program, 2023).

Mineral County, WV snapshot

• Population and density: 26,938 (2020 Census); ≈82 people per square mile across ~329 sq mi.
• Estimated email users (13+): ≈19,500 active users.

Age distribution of email users (share of users)

• 13–24: 12%
• 25–44: 28%
• 45–64: 34%
• 65+: 26%

Gender split among email users

• Female: 51%
• Male: 49%

Digital access and usage trends

• Email adoption is near-universal among working-age adults, with strong daily use for commerce, healthcare portals, and school communications.
• Connectivity is uneven: cable and growing fiber coverage in Keyser, Fort Ashby, and along US‑220 corridors support higher speeds; many rural ridgelines rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, which can limit heavy email attachments and video conferencing.
• Smartphone-led access is rising, and a notable minority of residents are “smartphone‑mostly,” influencing short, mobile‑optimized email behavior.
• Public Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries, municipal hotspots) remains important for residents in low‑coverage hollows and for students.
• Proximity to Cumberland, MD, improves options along the county’s eastern edge via cross‑border cable footprints.

Overall, Mineral County’s email audience is sizable, slightly older‑skewing, and shaped by mixed fixed‑broadband quality and increasing mobile reliance.

Mobile phone usage snapshot: Mineral County, West Virginia (emphasis on differences from statewide patterns)

Baseline

• Population: 26,938 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~21,500.
• Settlement pattern: Clustered around Keyser–New Creek–Fort Ashby–Ridgely corridors with sparse, mountainous terrain elsewhere; extensive cross‑border ties to the Cumberland, MD metro area.

User estimates (modeled from county age structure and recent national/rural adoption rates)

• Adults using any mobile phone: ~20,700 (about 96% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~18,700 (about 87% of adults).
• Households relying on smartphones as their primary or only home internet: ~1,900–2,200 (roughly 17–20% of ~11,000 households).

Demographic breakdown of adult smartphone users (counts are rounded)

• By age
  • 18–29: ~3,350 users (very high adoption, mid‑ to high‑90s percent).
  • 30–49: ~6,100 users (mid‑ to high‑90s percent).
  • 50–64: ~4,900 users (low‑ to mid‑80s percent).
  • 65+: ~4,300 users (mid‑70s percent, rising year over year).
• By geography within the county
  • Highest penetration and 5G use: Keyser, New Creek, Fort Ashby, Ridgely, and along US‑220/WV‑28 corridors.
  • Lower penetration/voice‑text only pockets: ridge‑and‑hollow areas off WV‑46 and secondary roads toward the Allegheny Front and Patterson Creek Valley.
• Usage patterns
  • Smartphone‑only reliance is concentrated among lower‑income households and renters; multi‑device (phone + PC) use skews toward commuters working in Allegany County, MD and households in/near Keyser and Fort Ashby.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE is the de‑facto floor along US‑220, WV‑28, and through Keyser/Fort Ashby; voice/SMS persists in some hollows off secondary roads.
  • 5G (low‑band) is present in and around Keyser, New Creek, Fort Ashby, and Ridgely on the major national carriers; mid‑band 5G capacity is limited and clustered near population centers.
• Carrier mix and public‑safety
  • Verizon and AT&T have the broadest geographic reliability; T‑Mobile’s low‑band 5G covers the main corridors and towns but has more rural gaps.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) Band‑14 public‑safety capacity is available around key facilities and along primary routes used by EMS/Fire.
• Backhaul and fixed‑wireless interplay
  • Fiber backbones run along the Potomac River/rail and primary highway corridors; these segments anchor 5G and LTE capacity in towns.
  • 5G and LTE fixed‑wireless home internet (notably from T‑Mobile and Verizon) is marketed in and near Keyser/Fort Ashby, expanding alternatives where cable/fiber is limited.

Trends distinct from the statewide picture

• Earlier and denser 5G footprint than many rural WV counties: Proximity to the Cumberland, MD market and existing fiber along rail/highway corridors accelerated low‑band 5G availability in population centers, ahead of much of southern and central WV.
• Fewer deep coverage gaps on primary corridors: While mountainous pockets still exist, Mineral’s main travel corridors exhibit more consistent LTE/5G service than the WV interior average, reflecting cross‑border network overlap.
• Slightly lower smartphone‑only home internet reliance than rural WV on average in town centers: Ready access to Maryland‑facing cable/fiber and commuter employment reduces the share of households that depend exclusively on a phone’s data plan in and around Keyser/Fort Ashby, though reliance remains elevated in outlying areas.
• Daytime network load is shaped by cross‑border commuting: Traffic peaks align with US‑220 flows to/from Allegany County, influencing sector congestion patterns more than in counties with predominantly intrastate commuting.

Key takeaways

• Roughly 20.7k adults in Mineral County use a mobile phone, and about 18.7k of them use smartphones.
• 5G is established in towns and along major corridors, with LTE as the baseline elsewhere; terrain‑driven dead zones persist off secondary roads.
• Compared with West Virginia overall, Mineral benefits from Maryland‑adjacent infrastructure and earlier low‑band 5G availability, leading to stronger corridor performance and slightly lower dependence on smartphone‑only home internet in population centers, though rural gaps continue to drive phone‑centric connectivity in outlying communities.

Mineral County, WV social media snapshot (modeled 2024 local estimates using U.S. Census ACS 2018–2022 for population base and Pew Research Center 2024 adoption rates)

• Population baseline

  • Total residents: ≈26,700
  • Adults (18+): ≈21,600
  • Adult social media users: ≈18,000 (≈83% of adults)

• Age-group usage (share who use any social platform, adults)

  • 18–29: ≈90%
  • 30–49: ≈84%
  • 50–64: ≈73%
  • 65+: ≈50%
  • Implication: Usage is near-universal under 30, solid majority through age 64, and about half of seniors.

• Gender breakdown (all social media users)

  • Female: ≈51%
  • Male: ≈49%
  • Note: Overall user mix closely mirrors county demographics; platform skews vary (Pinterest and TikTok skew more female; Reddit, X, and LinkedIn skew more male).

• Most-used platforms among adults in Mineral County (estimated share of adults who use each platform)

  • YouTube: ≈83%
  • Facebook: ≈68%
  • Instagram: ≈47%
  • Pinterest: ≈35%
  • TikTok: ≈33%
  • Snapchat: ≈30%
  • LinkedIn: ≈30%
  • WhatsApp: ≈29%
  • Reddit: ≈23%
  • X (Twitter): ≈22%
  • Interpretation: Facebook and YouTube dominate day-to-day reach; Instagram and TikTok are the next tier, especially among under-35s; Pinterest has strong female adoption; Snapchat is youth-heavy.

Behavioral trends observed in rural WV counties and consistent with Mineral County’s profile

• Facebook is the community hub: Local news, school closings, events, government announcements, and mutual-aid posts primarily flow through Facebook Pages and Groups; Marketplace is a leading channel for classifieds and microcommerce.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, local sports highlights, and entertainment; short-form (TikTok/Reels) drives discovery and light engagement among younger residents.
• Messaging layers: Facebook Messenger and SMS coordinate community activities; WhatsApp usage is present but secondary.
• Trust and locality matter: Posts featuring recognizable local places, faces, or sponsors drive higher engagement than generic content; word-of-mouth amplification via shares in Groups is common.
• Time-of-day peaks: Evenings and weekends see the highest local engagement; daytime peaks align with school/work announcements or weather events.
• Older adults skew Facebook-only: Many 50+ residents primarily use Facebook and YouTube; multi-platform behavior increases under age 35.
• Commerce behavior: Local businesses rely on boosted Facebook posts and event listings more than formal ad campaigns; service providers and craftspeople convert via Marketplace and Group referrals.
• Civic and crisis usage: Rapid spikes in engagement occur around weather alerts, infrastructure outages, and local elections; official pages that post promptly are reshared widely.

Method and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates (Mineral County).
• Adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Local figures are modeled by applying national-age adoption rates to Mineral County’s population; platform percentages reflect Pew’s adult adoption rates applied locally.