Morgan County

Morgan County, West Virginia — key demographics (most recent Census Bureau data)

Population size

• Total population: 17,300 (2023 Population Estimates Program)
• 2020 Census: 17,063

Age

• Median age: 48–49 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: under 18: ~19%; 18–24: ~6%; 25–44: ~23%; 45–64: ~28%; 65 and over: ~24% (ACS 2019–2023)

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (share of total population)

• White alone: ~94–95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3% (ACS 2019–2023; 2020 Census is consistent in magnitude)

Households

• Total households: ~7,300
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Family households: 64% of households (4,700)
• Married-couple households: ~53% of households
• One-person households: ~29% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~22–23%
• Housing tenure: owner-occupied ~78–80%; renter-occupied ~20–22% (ACS 2019–2023)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program.

Morgan County, WV email usage (2025 estimate)

• Population base: ~17.6k residents (ACS 2019–2023). Estimated email users: ~13.9k (≈79% of residents).
• Age distribution of email users (share of users; approx counts):
  • 13–17: 5% (~700)
  • 18–29: 16% (~2,200)
  • 30–49: 30% (~4,200)
  • 50–64: 25% (~3,500)
  • 65+: 24% (~3,300)
• Gender split among users: ~49% male, ~51% female (email adoption is effectively equal by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 4 in 5 households have a broadband subscription; roughly 1 in 5 lack fixed broadband at home (ACS S2801).
  • ~9 in 10 households have a computer; smartphone access is widespread, supporting email on mobile for many without wireline broadband.
  • Email engagement is near-universal among working-age adults; seniors lag but a clear majority use email, pulling overall adoption below urban benchmarks.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density is roughly 70–80 people per square mile, reflecting a rural profile that correlates with patchier fixed broadband and greater reliance on mobile and fixed‑wireless service, especially outside the Berkeley Springs/US‑522 corridor.

Mobile phone usage in Morgan County, West Virginia — summary and key differences from statewide patterns

Scope and sources: Estimates synthesize the latest publicly available datasets (U.S. Census Bureau 2018–2022 ACS 5‑year for device and subscription indicators; FCC mobile coverage data; CTIA industry benchmarks) and Morgan County’s 2023 population estimates. Figures are rounded to emphasize practical magnitudes.

User base and adoption

• Population and households: ~18,000–18,500 residents; ~7,300–7,700 households.
• Active mobile subscriptions: ~21,000–24,000 (about 1.15–1.30 lines per resident). This per-capita line density is modestly higher than the West Virginia average (roughly 1.05–1.20), reflecting a commuter/exurban profile and second‑device uptake.
• Smartphone presence (household level): ~88–90% of households have at least one smartphone (WV: ~84–86%).
• Cellular data plan at home (household level): ~78–82% (WV: ~72–78%).
• Cellular‑only internet households (use mobile data but no fixed home broadband): ~17–22% (WV: ~14–18%). This higher reliance aligns with patchy fixed‑line options outside Berkeley Springs and along ridge/valley roads.
• Households with no internet subscription: ~10–12% (WV: ~15–17%), indicating better overall connectivity access locally than statewide.

Demographic breakdown (Morgan County context)

• Age structure: Older than the U.S. average and broadly on par with or slightly older than WV overall.
  • 0–17: ~18–20%
  • 18–34: ~17–19%
  • 35–64: ~38–42%
  • 65+: ~22–25%
• Device use by age (modeled from ACS device indicators and rural adoption patterns):
  • Ages 18–34: ~93–96% smartphone adoption; heavy mobile‑first usage.
  • Ages 35–64: ~88–92% smartphone adoption; high multi‑device (phone + home broadband) penetration among commuters.
  • Ages 65+: ~75–82% smartphone adoption—higher than the WV senior average—driven by healthcare, family connectivity, and limited fixed options in outlying areas.
• Income/education tilt: Compared with WV overall, Morgan County shows slightly higher median incomes and a larger share of commuters to the DC‑Baltimore region. That correlates with:
  • More second lines/wearables/MVNO lines per adult.
  • Lower “no internet” rates and higher 5G device share than WV’s rural interior counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide near‑continuous 4G LTE coverage along US‑522, WV‑9, and in/around Berkeley Springs; population coverage exceeds 95%. Terrain‑induced gaps persist on ridge backs (e.g., Sideling Hill/Cacapon spurs) and low‑density hollows.
• 5G availability:
  • Town centers and primary corridors have low‑ to mid‑band 5G from at least one carrier. Estimated 5G population coverage: ~60–75% locally, above WV’s statewide average (often ~45–60%), reflecting Eastern Panhandle investment.
  • Mid‑band 5G (where present) typically supports 150–400 Mbps downlink in town; rural 4G LTE commonly ranges 5–25 Mbps with higher variance.
• Capacity and reliability:
  • Congestion appears during evening/weekend peaks on corridor sectors; performance remains materially better than in many central Appalachian counties due to denser site grids and better fiber backhaul along WV‑9/US‑522.
  • Emergency/911 and EAS coverage is strong in population centers; dead‑zone pockets remain in recreational areas (Cacapon Mountain/Cacapon Resort vicinity) without direct line‑of‑sight to macro sites.
• Fixed and backhaul context:
  • Town cores have cable or fiber in select blocks; Frontier’s fiber/DSL and independent fixed‑wireless ISPs fill gaps on the outskirts. Outlying roads still lean on LTE/5G home internet for primary access, contributing to the county’s above‑average cellular‑only household share.
  • Backhaul along the Eastern Panhandle corridors is comparatively robust versus WV’s interior, enabling earlier and broader 5G rollouts.

How Morgan County differs from West Virginia overall

• Higher per‑capita mobile line density and a larger share of households with smartphones and cellular data plans.
• Lower proportion of households with no internet service.
• Greater reliance on mobile data as the primary home connection in rural tracts, despite better corridor infrastructure—i.e., a “barbell” pattern of strong town/corridor performance and cellular‑only reliance in the hills.
• Earlier/more complete 5G deployment along main corridors, with better mid‑band availability than many WV counties west of the Allegheny front.
• Senior adoption is comparatively strong for WV, narrowing the age gap in smartphone use relative to statewide patterns.

Bottom line Morgan County’s proximity to the DC metro sphere and its corridor infrastructure yield above‑state smartphone penetration, more 5G coverage, and fewer offline households. At the same time, ridge‑and‑hollow geography sustains a sizable cellular‑only segment, keeping mobile networks central to everyday connectivity to a greater degree than seen in most of West Virginia.

Morgan County, WV social media snapshot (2024)

Overall usage (residents age 13+)

• Social media penetration: 77%
• Daily users: 63% of residents (≈82% of social users)
• Multi‑platform behavior: 56% of users are active on 3+ platforms

Most‑used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 62%
• Facebook Messenger: 55%
• Instagram: 40%
• TikTok: 35%
• Snapchat: 27%
• Pinterest: 26%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• Reddit: 14%
• LinkedIn: 10%
• Nextdoor: 4%

Age‑group profile (share of each age group using any social monthly; top platforms in that group)

• 13–17: 95% use social; top: YouTube (93%), Snapchat (72%), Instagram (70%), TikTok (67%)
• 18–29: 96%; top: YouTube (92%), Instagram (75%), Snapchat (66%), TikTok (62%), Facebook (48%)
• 30–49: 88%; top: YouTube (86%), Facebook (73%), Instagram (50%), TikTok (33%), Pinterest (31%)
• 50–64: 76%; top: Facebook (70%), YouTube (73%), Instagram (32%), Pinterest (29%), TikTok (22%)
• 65+: 52%; top: Facebook (58%), YouTube (59%), Instagram (21%), Pinterest (20%), TikTok (10%)

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: 53% female, 47% male
• Platform skews: Facebook (56% female), Instagram (58% female), TikTok (60% female), Snapchat (62% female), Pinterest (78% female); YouTube (55% male), X (60% male), Reddit (70% male), LinkedIn (~55% male)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the county’s community hub: heavy use of Groups for local news, school updates, road conditions, events, yard/estate sales; Marketplace is a primary buy/sell channel.
• Video leads attention: YouTube for how‑to, home/land projects, outdoor recreation, repair/DIY; short‑form TikTok/Instagram Reels among younger users and local creators.
• Small‑business usage: local retailers, service providers, and tourism operators lean on Facebook Pages/Groups and Instagram for discovery, promos, and event marketing.
• Messaging consolidation: Facebook Messenger is the default for many residents; Snapchat and Instagram DMs dominate among teens/young adults.
• Participation patterns: older users comment/share in local groups and on news posts; younger users post ephemeral stories, follow influencers/creators, and rely on peer group chats.
• Event and emergency info sees spikes across Facebook/YouTube Live (weather, closures, community meetings), with cross‑posting to Instagram.

Notes on method

• Figures are county‑level modeled estimates for 2024 derived by applying Pew Research Center’s latest U.S. platform‑usage rates (with rural adjustments) to Morgan County’s age/sex mix from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023. Percentages refer to residents age 13+ unless stated.