Wood County

Wood County, West Virginia — key demographics

Population size

• 83,900 (2023 population estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~22%
• Median age: ~43

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race/ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~93–94%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Households

• Households: ~35,500
• Average household size: ~2.3 persons
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Single-person households: ~30%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%

Key insights

• Stable population around 84,000 with an older age structure (about one in five residents 65+).
• Household sizes are modest and homeownership is relatively high.
• Racial/ethnic diversity is limited compared with national averages.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year).

Email usage in Wood County, WV

• Population (2023 est.): ~83,500.
• Estimated email users: ~65,500 (≈79% of residents; ≈91% of those age 13+).

Age distribution of email users (approx. counts; share of email users):

• 13–17: ~4.1k (6%)
• 18–34: ~15.0k (23%)
• 35–64: ~30.3k (46%)
• 65+: ~16.1k (25%)

Gender split:

• Female 51% (33.6k), Male 49% (31.9k) — aligns with county demographics.

Digital access trends:

• Households with broadband subscription: ~83% (ACS 2022).
• Households with a computer/smartphone: ~90%+ (ACS 2022).
• Urban core (Parkersburg–Vienna) has multi‑provider fixed broadband and broad 5G coverage; rural edges lag in fixed high‑speed options, driving more mobile and fixed‑wireless use.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Land area ≈370 sq mi; population density ≈225 people/sq mi, concentrating demand along the I‑77/U.S.‑50 corridors.
• Broadband adoption and email usage are on par with or slightly above West Virginia averages due to higher urbanization and provider presence.

Mobile phone usage in Wood County, West Virginia (2024–2025 snapshot)

Headline user estimates

• Population base: ~83,000 residents; ~64,700 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~66,000 residents (≈80% of the population; ≈95% of adults plus nearly all teens).
• Smartphone users: ~58,500 residents (≈70% of the population; ≈83% of adults and ≈95% of teens).
• Households: ~35,000. Wireless‑only (no landline) households: ~75–78% (≈26,000–27,000 households).
• Smartphone‑only home internet households (no fixed broadband): ~18–20% (≈6,300–7,000 households), below the statewide share.
• Plan mix: ~70% of smartphone lines on unlimited data; prepaid/MVNO share ~25–30% of active lines.

Demographic breakdown (ownership and usage)

• Age
  • Teens (13–17): ~95% smartphone ownership; heavy social/video use; high reliance on unlimited family plans.
  • 18–34: ~93–96% smartphone ownership; highest multi‑line and hotspot usage; strong 5G adoption.
  • 35–54: ~88–92% smartphone ownership; largest share of employer‑managed devices (healthcare, manufacturing, logistics).
  • 55–64: ~78–84% smartphone ownership; frequent Wi‑Fi offload at home/work; rising 5G device penetration through upgrades.
  • 65+: ~60–65% smartphone ownership; ~90% have a cellphone of some kind; more basic/voice‑centric plans, larger share of prepaid and senior plans.
• Income and education
  • <$35k household income: smartphone ownership ~72–78%; higher prepaid/MVNO uptake and ACP‑successor discount plans where available.
  • $35k–$75k: ~85–90% smartphone ownership; strong family‑plan bundling; moderate upgrade cadence.

  • $75k or bachelor’s+: ~94–97% smartphone ownership; fastest 5G adoption; device upgrade roughly every 2–3 years.

• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Parkersburg/Vienna: smartphone adoption runs 3–5 points higher than the county average; better indoor 5G, more small‑cell presence, and higher app‑based service use.
  • Outlying townships: more LTE‑only pockets and indoor‑coverage challenges in low‑lying and wooded areas; slightly higher reliance on voice/text and Wi‑Fi calling.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: ≈99% population coverage across the county; persistent outdoor coverage along I‑77, US‑50, WV‑14, and the Ohio River corridor.
• 5G: ≈85–90% population coverage; strongest mid‑band footprints in Parkersburg/Vienna and along major corridors; LTE remains primary in fringe areas and some valleys.
• Carrier landscape: Verizon and AT&T provide the broadest geographic reach; T‑Mobile has expanded 5G mid‑band capacity in urban/commercial zones and is growing fastest in town centers. MVNO performance generally tracks host networks but can see lower priority during peak hours.
• Capacity and backhaul: Fiber backhaul follows interstate/US routes and river‑crossings to Ohio, supporting dense sites in commercial corridors and hospitals; capacity bottlenecks mainly appear during evening peaks in retail corridors and at event venues.
• Public safety and resilience: County 9‑1‑1 supports text‑to‑911; FirstNet Band‑14 coverage is available in and around key public‑safety locations and along major routes. Backup power is common at macro sites; short‑duration outages during severe weather concentrate in rural edges.

How Wood County differs from West Virginia overall

• Higher 5G availability: County 5G population coverage (~85–90%) is materially above the statewide average (≈65–70%), driven by the Parkersburg/Vienna urban core and interstate corridors.
• Slightly higher smartphone adoption among working‑age adults: Urban employment centers (healthcare, services, light manufacturing) push device and app adoption above the state average in the 25–54 cohort.
• Lower smartphone‑only home internet reliance: At ~18–20% of households, Wood County sits a few points below the statewide share due to stronger cable/fiber availability (e.g., Spectrum and recent fiber buildouts) in the urban core.
• More carrier competition and faster observed upgrade cycles in town: Proximity to Ohio markets and competitive retail presence tilt users toward mid‑band 5G devices and unlimited family plans; prepaid share is a bit lower than in more rural WV counties.
• Fewer persistent coverage gaps: Terrain still creates LTE‑only or weak indoor spots, but the share of residents in no‑service pockets is smaller than the state average.

Notable usage trends

• Unlimited plans dominate: Roughly seven in ten smartphone lines are on unlimited, reflecting family plan economics and streaming/video use.
• Wi‑Fi offload is significant: Broad cable/fiber availability in the urban core reduces mobile‑only dependence and contains per‑line cellular data growth versus rural WV.
• Seniors are catching up slowly: 65+ smartphone adoption is rising via simplified Android/iOS devices and caregiver apps, but remains the main drag on overall county penetration.
• MVNO/prepaid remains important for affordability: Even with slightly lower share than rural WV, cost‑sensitive households rely on prepaid and discount offerings to replace lapsed ACP subsidies.
• Cross‑border effects: Coverage and competition linked to the Parkersburg–Marietta–Belpre area sustain better performance and plan choice than typical for many WV counties.

Bottom line Wood County’s mobile market is denser, faster, and more 5G‑ready than the West Virginia average. Smartphone adoption among working‑age adults and unlimited plan uptake are strong, while smartphone‑only home internet reliance is lower thanks to comparatively good fixed broadband—features that collectively distinguish the county’s usage profile from the broader state.

Social media usage in Wood County, West Virginia (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Population: ≈83,900 residents (2023 estimate)
• Social media users (13+): ≈59,000 (≈71% of residents)
• Adults (18+) using at least one social platform: ≈83% (≈55,000 adults)

Age mix of users (share of the local social-media user base)

• 13–17: ≈8%
• 18–29: ≈19%
• 30–49: ≈31%
• 50–64: ≈24%
• 65+: ≈18%

Gender breakdown among users

• Women: ≈53%
• Men: ≈47%
• Platform skews: Pinterest users are predominantly female; Reddit and X (Twitter) skew male; Facebook has a slight female tilt.

Most‑used platforms (adult reach; local usage is expected to mirror U.S. adoption)

• YouTube: ≈83% of adults
• Facebook: ≈68%
• Instagram: ≈47%
• Pinterest: ≈35% (strong female skew)
• TikTok: ≈33%
• LinkedIn: ≈32%
• Snapchat: ≈27%
• WhatsApp: ≈26% (lower local reliance given a small foreign‑born population)
• X (Twitter): ≈22%
• Reddit: ≈22%
• Nextdoor: ≈20% (most common in Parkersburg/Vienna neighborhoods)

Teens (13–17) platform pattern

• Heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram (each used by a majority of teens), with Facebook far less common among teens than adults.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook as the community hub: High engagement with local groups (yard sales, community events, school and church updates) and heavy use of Marketplace for buying/selling.
• Video‑first consumption: YouTube is ubiquitous across ages; short‑form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) is rising across 18–49 and creeping up among 50–64.
• Local news and alerts: Strong reliance on official pages (schools, first responders, utilities) for weather, road closures, and school closings; posts here drive sharp, event‑driven spikes.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger dominates family/community communication; Snapchat leads peer‑to‑peer among teens/young adults.
• Shopping and discovery: Facebook/Instagram power local business discovery and promotions; Pinterest influences home, DIY, crafts, and seasonal projects (notably among women 25–54).
• Professional networking: LinkedIn is niche but active among healthcare, energy, and manufacturing professionals.
• Neighborhood coordination: Nextdoor is used in suburban tracts for contractor referrals, lost/found pets, and HOA issues.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are best‑available local estimates derived from U.S. Census Bureau 2023 population data for Wood County and Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media adoption rates (teens: Pew 2023). Percentages reflect adult reach unless noted; numbers are rounded.