Tyler County

Tyler County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 8,313 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 46 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 20%
• 65 and over: 22%

Gender

• Male: 50%
• Female: 50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~97%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1%
• Black or African American: <1%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: <1%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~3,400
• Average household size: ~2.35
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married-couple families: ~52% of households
• One-person households: ~28%
• Households with children under 18: ~24%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a median age in the mid-40s and over one-fifth age 65+.
• Household structure is family-leaning but with a notable share of one-person households.
• Racial/ethnic composition is predominantly non-Hispanic White with very small minority shares.

Tyler County, WV snapshot (2020–2024):

• Population and density: 8,051 residents across 260 sq mi (31 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ~6,800 residents use email at least monthly.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~9%
  • 18–34: ~20%
  • 35–54: ~32%
  • 55–64: ~18%
  • 65+: ~21%
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (usage is near-parity by gender).
• Digital access and adoption:
  • Households with a computer/smartphone: ~95%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~80%
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ~13%
  • Households with no home internet: ~16%
• Trends and implications:
  • Email adoption is effectively universal among working-age adults and rising among seniors; local institutions (schools, healthcare, government) rely on email for notifications and appointments.
  • Broadband subscriptions have inched up since 2018, but smartphone-only reliance remains notable, influencing email access on mobile.
• Local connectivity facts:
  • Low rural density raises last‑mile costs; fixed broadband options cluster around Sistersville and Middlebourne, with service gaps in outlying hollows.
  • State/federal initiatives (ARPA/BEAD) are targeting remaining unserved locations through mid‑decade, improving reliability for email-dependent services.

Estimates derived from U.S. Census/ACS (S2801) and Pew Research email adoption rates applied to Tyler County’s age mix.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Tyler County, West Virginia (2024)

Users and adoption (estimates grounded in 2020 Census population and current national/rural adoption rates)

• Population baseline: 8,313 (2020 Census).
• Estimated unique mobile phone users: 6,400–7,000 residents (roughly 77–84% of the total population).
• Estimated smartphone users: 5,700–6,500 residents (about 69–78% of the total population; roughly 88–93% of mobile users).
• Mobile-only internet households (primarily or exclusively using cellular data for home internet): approximately 20–25% of households, a few points higher than the statewide average.
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): roughly 60–68% of households, slightly below the U.S. average but similar to other older, rural West Virginia counties.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Older age structure: Residents 65+ make up nearly one-quarter of the county (notably higher than the state average). This drives:
  • A lower share of smartphone adoption among seniors compared with working-age adults.
  • Higher persistence of basic/feature phones and voice/SMS as primary modes of communication among older residents.
• Working-age segment: Among adults 18–64, mobile phone adoption is near-saturation and smartphone adoption is very high. Field-based jobs in energy, construction, and transportation push demand for reliable voice, text, and basic data coverage over raw speed.
• Youth usage: Teens mirror national patterns (near-universal smartphone access among high schoolers), but the county’s smaller youth share means youth-driven app and high-bandwidth trends weigh less on overall county usage than in state urban centers.
• Income and education: With modest household incomes typical of rural WV, prepaid plans and budget Android devices are used more frequently than in metro WV counties. Households without fixed broadband are more likely to depend on smartphone hotspots for homework, telehealth, and streaming.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Dominant coverage corridors: The Ohio River valley/WV-2 corridor (Sistersville–Middlebourne) has the most reliable service and the broadest 4G LTE/low-band 5G availability. Coverage degrades faster on ridge lines and in interior hollows away from the river.
• 5G status: Low-band 5G from national carriers is present along primary roadways and town centers, offering improved reach but only incremental speed gains over LTE. Mid-band 5G is sparse; residents often experience 4G-like performance even on 5G indicators.
• Capacity and speeds: Speeds are adequate for messaging, web, and SD/HD streaming along the main corridors but can drop to single-digit Mbps, or to no signal, off-corridor. Congestion remains episodic around community events and school dismissal windows due to limited sector capacity and backhaul constraints.
• Backhaul and fiber: Ongoing state and federal broadband investments (including BEAD-era projects) are improving fiber backhaul to anchor institutions and some towers. Where fiber reaches towers, peak-hour performance and reliability improve; where towers rely on microwave backhaul, performance is more variable.
• Emergency and public-safety readiness: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage improvements are concentrated near towns, major roads, and county facilities. Intervening terrain still creates dead zones for handheld coverage in parts of the interior.
• Device mix and plans: A comparatively high share of prepaid and MVNO lines leverage the big three networks. Ruggedized handsets and hotspot add-ons are more common among field workers.

How Tyler County differs from West Virginia overall

• Older population, lower density: The county’s older age profile and dispersed settlement pattern pull down smartphone penetration and high-speed mobile usage relative to WV’s urban counties. Seniors are more likely to keep basic phones and limit cellular data use.
• Higher mobile dependence for home internet: A larger slice of households rely on smartphone hotspots or cellular routers due to limited cable/fiber availability off the main corridor. This mobile-only share is a few points above the statewide average.
• Coverage variability more pronounced: Signal and speed differences between the river corridor and interior hollows are sharper than in many WV counties with more uniform terrain or denser build-outs. Users see more frequent transitions between 5G, LTE, and no-service zones over short distances.
• Slower 5G capacity gains: Low-band 5G is relatively widespread along primary routes, but mid-band upgrades lag the state’s metro areas, so countywide 5G delivers reach rather than dramatic speed increases. As a result, app experiences that need higher sustained throughput (multi-user HD streaming, real-time telemedicine video in fringe areas) are less reliable off-corridor.
• Plan and device choices skew practical: Compared with state urban centers, Tyler shows a higher tilt toward prepaid/MVNO plans, conservative data buckets, and practical Android devices, reflecting price sensitivity and the need for reliable voice/SMS over premium 5G performance.

Bottom line

• Around four in five residents carry a mobile phone, and roughly seven in ten carry a smartphone. Usage is shaped by an older population, terrain-limited coverage away from the Ohio River corridor, and a higher reliance on mobile broadband as a home internet substitute. Compared with West Virginia overall, Tyler County has more pronounced coverage gaps off main roads, slightly lower smartphone penetration due to age mix, and a higher share of mobile-only households, while 5G upgrades emphasize coverage rather than capacity gains outside town centers.

Tyler County, WV social media snapshot (modeled, 2025-ready)

User base and penetration

• Residents: ~8,200 (ACS 2019–2023, 5-year). Adults 18+: ~6,500.
• Adults using any social media: 79% (5,100 people).
• Daily use: A clear majority of users check at least once per day; evening (7–9 pm) is the peak window, with secondary peaks around 6–7 am and 12–1 pm.

Most‑used platforms (share of all adults; share among local social media users)

• YouTube: 73% of adults; 92% of local social media users.
• Facebook: 72% of adults; 91% of local social media users.
• Instagram: 33% of adults; 42% of users.
• Pinterest: 31% of adults; 39% of users.
• TikTok: 26% of adults; 33% of users.
• Snapchat: 22% of adults; 28% of users.
• Reddit: 13% of adults; 16% of users.
• LinkedIn: 13% of adults; 16% of users.
• X (Twitter): 12% of adults; 15% of users.
• WhatsApp: 10% of adults; 13% of users.
• Nextdoor: 4% of adults; 5% of users.

Age profile (adult adoption, any social media)

• 18–29: ~90%
• 30–49: ~84%
• 50–64: ~74%
• 65+: ~60%
• Teens 13–17: high use, predominantly YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook mainly for groups/events.

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors county population).
• Platform skews locally:
  • More female: Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat.
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn.

Behavioral trends that matter

• Facebook is the local hub: heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, VFDs, county offices) and Marketplace for peer‑to‑peer sales. Local announcements, obituaries, weather alerts, road conditions, and school sports dominate engagement.
• Video first: Short video performs best across Facebook (Reels), YouTube (how‑to, local sports highlights, hunting/outdoors), and TikTok (local scenery, trades/DIY). Posts with people and place‑specific landmarks outperform generic content.
• Private over public: Messenger and Snapchat drive day‑to‑day coordination; many interactions happen in private chats rather than public posts. WhatsApp use is modest; Facebook Messenger is the default.
• Posting vs. consuming: Most residents consume and share/reshare more than they publish original content; comments on local issues often outperform standalone posts.
• Cross‑posting: Businesses, nonprofits, and offices often post to Facebook first, then mirror to Instagram; YouTube is used for longer clips and live/event archives.
• Platform niches:
  • Pinterest: recipes, crafts, home projects; strong among women 25–54.
  • X (Twitter): niche—sports, emergency management, journalists; spikes only around major weather or school sports moments.
  • Reddit/Discord: small but active tech/gaming and WV‑topic communities.
  • LinkedIn: limited utility locally; strongest among commuters and healthcare/education administrators.

How to read the numbers

• Figures are county‑level estimates built by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 platform adoption rates and age splits to Tyler County’s adult population (ACS 2019–2023, 5‑year), with conservative adjustments for rural demographics and broadband access. Numbers are rounded to reflect modeling precision.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Fact Sheet (2024) and age/gender/community‑type breakouts.
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (5‑year) for Tyler County population and age/gender structure.
• FCC/NTIA/WV broadband reporting for rural access context (used to adjust adoption downward modestly).