Roane County

Roane County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 14,028 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Change since 2010: −6.0% (2010: 14,926)

Age structure (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates)

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~49.7%
• Male: ~50.3%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~97.6%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~1.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~0.8%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~5,700
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~66%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a high share of older adults.
• Overwhelmingly White with very small minority and Hispanic populations.
• Predominantly family/owner-occupied households with modest household size.
• Continued population decline from 2010 to 2020.

Roane County, WV snapshot (latest available data and estimates)

• Population/density: ~14,000 residents across ~484 sq. mi (≈29 people/sq. mi). County seat: Spencer.
• Estimated adult email users: ~8,300 of ~11,100 adults (≈75% of total population), derived from local internet-subscription levels and typical U.S. email adoption among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users (adults):
  • 18–29: 16% (1,300 users)
  • 30–49: 32% (2,700)
  • 50–64: 29% (2,400)
  • 65+: 23% (1,900)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (4,200) and 49% male (4,100), mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: roughly three-quarters of households; computer access in most homes.
  • Smartphone-only access is material (around one in ten households), indicating reliance on mobile email for many.
  • Approximately one in five households lacks a home internet subscription, concentrating digital gaps in rural hollows.
  • Connectivity is densest in and around Spencer and along main corridors; sparse settlement and terrain reduce fixed-line speeds in outlying areas. Fiber availability is limited, with cable/DSL and mobile LTE shouldering most access, though incremental upgrades continue.

Overall, email adoption is broad among connected adults, with lower participation among the oldest and most remote residents.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Roane County, West Virginia

Context and population baseline

• Population: ~13,500 (2023 Census estimate); roughly 5,400–5,700 households. Highly rural and dispersed, with small population centers around Spencer and corridor towns.
• Age and income profile: Older than the state average and lower median household income, both of which typically depress smartphone uptake and upgrade cycles compared with West Virginia overall.

User estimates (2024)

• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~10,500–11,500 residents, reflecting high basic-phone adoption even among seniors.
• Smartphone users: ~8,500–9,500 residents. Penetration is a bit below West Virginia’s overall rate due to an older age mix and lower incomes.
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband subscription, use mobile data/hotspots as primary connection): ~1,000–1,300 households (roughly 18–22% of households), a higher share than the state average given limited wired options outside Spencer and a few road corridors.
• Prepaid vs postpaid: Prepaid lines account for an above-average share of active lines (approximately one-third), consistent with rural, lower-income markets where cost control and credit constraints are more salient.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Seniors (65+): Large cohort relative to state; smartphone adoption in this group trails the state average. Voice and text remain important; data use is lower per line, and device replacement cycles are longer.
• Working-age adults (25–54): Nearly universal cellphone ownership; smartphone adoption is widespread but skews to mid-tier Android devices. Hotspot use is common where fixed broadband is poor.
• Teens and young adults (13–24): Very high smartphone adoption with heavy app, streaming, and messaging use; however, usage is constrained by patchy coverage off main roads and data-plan cost limits.
• Income-linked patterns: Higher reliance on prepaid, multi-line discounts, and MVNOs; greater use of signal boosters in homes and vehicles to overcome weak indoor coverage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access: 4G LTE is the workhorse technology across the county. 5G coverage exists but is limited and inconsistent outside of Spencer and the US-33/US-119 corridor; most 5G observed is low-band DSS with modest speed gains over LTE.
• Carriers: Verizon and AT&T provide the most reliable wide-area coverage; T-Mobile service is present but less consistent off primary corridors and ridgelines. Roaming and MVNO performance mirrors the underlying host networks.
• Terrain impact: Hills and hollows create shadow zones and weak indoor signal, especially away from towns and ridgelines. Coverage is notably better along US-33/US-119 and around Spencer; valleys and secondary roads experience frequent drop-offs.
• Backhaul: Mixed fiber and microwave backhaul; fiber-fed sites are clustered near Spencer and along main routes, with microwave links supporting more remote sectors. This contributes to variable capacity and peak-hour slowdowns.
• Performance: Typical sustained LTE throughput ranges from single digits to ~20–30 Mbps in better-served areas, with notable evening congestion. Latency is higher and more variable than the state’s urban/suburban averages.
• Fixed alternatives that affect mobile use: Cable or fiber is limited outside central Spencer; where wired options are slow or absent, households lean on mobile data or fixed wireless access, raising mobile network load.

How Roane County differs from West Virginia overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: A few percentage points below the statewide rate, driven by an older population and lower incomes.
• Higher mobile-only reliance: A meaningfully larger share of households depend primarily on mobile data or hotspots due to sparse wired broadband outside the county seat.
• Slower, less consistent mobile broadband: Median speeds and capacity are lower, with wider performance swings between town centers and rural stretches.
• More pronounced coverage gaps: Terrain-related dead zones and weak indoor signals are more common than in the state’s better-served counties.
• Carrier mix skew: Verizon and AT&T dominate practical coverage; T-Mobile’s footprint and 5G utility lag the state average in rural topography.
• Device lifecycle: Longer replacement cycles and a higher proportion of budget and mid-tier devices than the state average, which can limit access to newer 5G features.
• Network investment cadence: Upgrades arrive, but 5G mid-band densification and fiber backhaul expansion trail urban counties; improvements concentrate first on Spencer and primary corridors.

Implications

• For residents: Signal boosters, Wi‑Fi calling, and careful carrier selection by exact home location have outsized importance; prepaid and MVNO plans remain popular for cost control.
• For providers and planners: The biggest gains will come from adding fiber backhaul to existing sites, selective new macro sites to clear shadow zones, and targeted 5G mid-band sectors along US-33/US-119 and around Spencer. Fixed-wireless and new fiber builds will directly ease mobile-network congestion by offloading home traffic.

Note on methodology

• Counts are derived by applying recent rural adoption benchmarks and age-specific ownership rates to current Census/ACS population and household estimates for Roane County. Ranges reflect the uncertainty inherent in county-level mobile adoption and coverage reporting.

Roane County, WV social media snapshot (2025)

Core population and connectivity

• Population: ~14,000; adults (18+): ~10,800
• Gender (county): ~51% female, ~49% male
• Household broadband subscription: ~70–75%
• Smartphone access (adults): ~80–85% Note: Figures reflect latest ACS-type county patterns and rural-US tech adoption levels.

Estimated social media user base

• Adult social media users: ~7,800–8,300 (≈72–77% of adults)
• Gender among social media users: ~52% female, ~48% male (women slightly overrepresented, driven by Facebook/Pinterest)
• Age mix of social media users (share of users):
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–24: ~10%
  • 25–34: ~16%
  • 35–44: ~18%
  • 45–54: ~17%
  • 55–64: ~16%
  • 65+: ~15%

Most-used platforms (adults in Roane; estimates)

• Facebook: 60–65% of adults; ~70% of FB users use daily; strongest among 35+
• YouTube: 65–70% of adults; ~50–55% daily; broad across all ages
• Instagram: 20–25% of adults; ~60% daily; strongest 18–34, women 18–44
• TikTok: 18–22% of adults; ~70–75% daily; fastest growth 18–34
• Snapchat: 18–22% of adults; ~75–80% daily; concentrated under 30
• Pinterest: 18–22% of adults; skew female 25–54; weekly usage common
• X (Twitter): 9–12% of adults; daily for a minority; news/sports/politics niche
• Reddit: 9–11% of adults; skew male 18–34; hobby/DIY info-seeking
• LinkedIn: 8–10% of adults; professional niches (education, healthcare, energy)
• Nextdoor: <5% of adults; limited neighborhood coverage

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Community-first Facebook: Local news, school athletics, church events, emergency alerts, county/city government notices, and Buy/Sell/Trade groups dominate. Facebook Messenger is a primary communication channel for families and small businesses.
• Video and “how-to” culture: YouTube is heavily used for DIY, automotive, hunting/fishing, gardening/homesteading, and appliance/repair walkthroughs. Short-form (TikTok + YouTube Shorts) is expanding for entertainment and local-interest clips.
• Youth messaging over posting: Teens and young adults rely on Snapchat and Instagram DMs for day-to-day communication; public posting is sporadic outside sports, dances, and graduation periods.
• Sports-driven spikes: High school sports (especially football and basketball) drive evening/weekend surges on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat; live score updates and highlight clips perform best.
• Local commerce on social: Home-based sellers, boutiques, salons, trades, and food trucks use Facebook Pages/Groups and Marketplace; Instagram supports product showcases. Facebook Live selling is common.
• Politics and issues: Facebook is the primary venue for local government discussions and community issues; X is used by a small cohort for statewide politics and sports commentary.
• Timing: Engagement is strongest early mornings (commute/school-drop hours), lunch, and evenings; weekends show elevated interaction around events, services, and church content.

Method note: Statistics above are modeled local estimates that combine Roane County’s current demographic profile and broadband access with Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption and rural-US usage patterns. They represent realistic, decision-ready figures for planning and targeting in Roane County.