Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2015

American Community Survey Reports

By Camille Ryan and Jamie M. Lewis
Issued September 2017
ACS-37

INTRODUCTION

Access to computers and a broadband Internet subscription has become increasingly important to Americans in carrying out their day-to-day lives.1 This technology is used for a variety of activities including accessing health information, online banking, choosing a place to live, applying for jobs, looking up government services, and taking classes. Access to broadband Internet also has positive effects on individual empowerment, economic growth, and community development.2

Data about computer use have been collected periodically in the Current Population Survey (CPS) since 1984 and data about Internet use have been collected in the CPS since 1997. The CPS data provide nationaland state-level estimates. The American Community Survey (ACS) began collecting these data in 2013 and provides yearly estimates for geographies with populations of 65,000 people or more. This report uses data from the CPS to provide historical context and data from the ACS to highlight characteristics that are more current.

A “broadband” Internet subscription refers to having at least one type of Internet subscription other than a dial-up subscription alone. In the American Community Survey, it specifically refers to those who said “Yes” to one or more of the following types of subscriptions: DSL, cable, fiber optic, mobile broadband, satellite, or fixed wireless. 2 See Jayakar et al., “Broadband 2021,” Report of the Interdisciplinary Workshop on the Development of a National Broadband Research Agenda, Institute for Information Policy, Penn State University, State College, PA, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACS
DATA

  • Among all households, 78 percent had a desktop or laptop, 75 percent had a handheld computer such as a smartphone or other handheld wireless computer, and 77 percent had a broadband Internet subscription.
  • Households headed by a person aged 65 and older lagged behind households with younger householders in computer ownership or use and the likelihood of having an Internet subscription.
  • Households with an Asian householder were most likely to own or use a desktop or laptop, own or use a handheld device, and have a broadband Internet subscription.
  • Households in metropolitan areas were more likely to report owning or using a desktop or laptop or a handheld device and subscribing to broadband Internet compared to their nonmetropolitan counterparts.
  • States on the Pacific Coast and most states in the Northeast had higher levels of broadband Internet compared to the national average.
  • Overall, 62 percent of American households had “high connectivity,” meaning they had three key computer and Internet items: a desktop or laptop, a handheld computer or smartphone, and a broadband Internet subscription. High connectivity was highest

among households where the householder was less than 65 years old or had a household income of $150,000 or more.

COMPUTER AND
INTERNET USE OVER
TIME

Figure 1 shows the percentage of households with computer and Internet use from 1984 to 2015 using data from the CPS and the ACS. While both surveys show differences over time for computer and Internet use, it is important to note the estimates for each measure will vary between the surveys due to differences in question wording and data collection procedures. For more information, see the text box titled “Key Differences Between the American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey.” In 1984, 8 percent of

households had a computer according to the CPS. By 2000, about half of all households (51 percent) had a computer. In 2015, this percentage had grown to 79 percent. The ACS, by contrast, indicated that in 2013, 84 percent of households had a computer (desktop, laptop, handheld, or other), with the percentage growing to 87 percent in 2015.

In 1997, the CPS began collecting data about Internet use in addition to computers. The CPS indicated 18 percent of households in 1997 used the Internet. A decade later, in 2007, this percentage had more than tripled to 62 percent and increased to 73 percent in 2015. The percentage of households in the ACS using the Internet grew from 74 percent in 2013 to 77 percent in 2015.

Key Differences Between the American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS) has been collecting data about computer use since 1984 and Internet use since 1997. In 2013, the American Community Survey (ACS) also began collecting data on these topics as mandated by the 2008 Broadband Data Improvement Act. Strengths of the CPS data include the greater detail available through its longer questionnaire and its longer time series, whereas the ACS, with its larger sample size, provides estimates at more detailed levels of geography. Estimates of computer and Internet use vary between these surveys due to differences in weighting procedures, data collection methods, and question wording. Federal agencies use these statistics to measure and monitor the nationwide development of broadband networks and to allocate resources intended to increase access to broadband technologies, particularly among groups with traditionally low levels of access. State and local governments can use these statistics for similar purposes. Understanding how people in specific cities and towns use computers and the Internet will help businesses and nonprofits better serve their communities as well.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET USE
BY SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS

Table 1 displays computer and Internet use for households by a variety of demographic, social, and geographic characteristics using data from the ACS. Among all households, about 78 percent had a desktop or laptop, 75 percent had a handheld computer such as a smartphone or other handheld wireless computer, and 77 percent had a broadband Internet subscription. Householder age is an important factor for understanding computer ownership or use and Internet subscription. Households headed by a person 65 years and older

lagged behind households with younger householders on both indicators. Differences in desktop or laptop ownership or use among the under-65 age groups were small, with percentages ranging between 81 percent for households with householders aged 15 to 34, and 85 percent for the 35- to 44-year-old group. However, only 65 percent of households headed by a person aged 65 and older owned or used a desktop or laptop. Handheld computer ownership or use showed even more variation by age of householder. Ninety percent of households with householders aged 15 to 34 had a handheld computer, compared with 89 percent where the householder was aged 35 to 44, 78 percent where the householder was aged 45 to 64,

and 47 percent where the householder was 65 years and older. Similar to desktop or laptop ownership or use, there were narrow differences in broadband Internet subscription among the three younger age groups, with percentages ranging from 80 percent for the 45- to 64-year-old group to 84 percent for the 35- to 44-year-old group, compared with only 62 percent of households headed by a person aged 65 and older. Computer and Internet use also varied according to race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Households with an Asian householder were most likely to own or use a desktop or laptop, own or use a handheld device, and have a broadband Internet subscription. In

Computer and Internet Use for Households by Selected Characteristics: 2015 -Con.
(For more information on confi dentiality protection, sampling error, and definitions, visit www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs//technical-documentation/code-lists.html)
Household characteristics Total households
(in thousands)		 Household with a computer Household with an
internet subscription
Total Desktop or Laptop Handheld With any Internet
subscription1		 With a broadband
subscription
Estimate Margin of
Error (±)2		 Percent Margin of
Error (±)2		 Percent Margin of
Error (±)2		 Percent Margin of
Error (±)2		 Percent Margin of
Error (±)2		 Percent Margin of
Error (±)2
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS...... 118,208 155 86.8 0.1 78.2 0.1 74.8 0.1 77.2 0.1 76.7 0.1
Age of householder                        
15–34 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35–44 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45–64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
65 years and older . . . . . . . . . . 		22,326
20,576
46,307
29,000 		75
45
65
53 		94.3
94.4
89.7
70.9 		0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 		80.6
84.7
82.3
65.4 		0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1 		90.3
89.0
78.5
47.1 		0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 		81.2
84.6
80.9
63.1 		0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 		81.0
84.4
80.4
62.0 		0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
Race and Hispanic origin of
householder		                        
White alone, non-Hispanic . . . .
Black alone, non-Hispanic . . . .
Asian alone, non-Hispanic . . . .
Hispanic (of any race). . . . . . . . 		80,847
14,207
5,314
15,062 		84
42
23
44 		88.0
80.1
94.1
84.2 		0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2 		81.7
65.1
90.1
68.3 		0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2 		74.6
70.3
87.2
75.8 		0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2 		79.9
64.9
88.8
70.9 		0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2 		79.3
64.5
88.5
70.5 		0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
Age of household members
Without members under 18 years . .
With member(s) under 18 years . . . 		 
81,111
37,098 		 
148
74 		 
83.1
94.8 		 
0.1
0.1 		 
75.3
84.6 		 
0.1
0.1 		 
68.2
89.3 		 
0.1
0.1 		 
73.6
85.1 		 
0.1
0.1 		 
73.0
84.8 		 
0.1
0.1
Limited English-speaking household3
No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 		 
112,875
5,334 		 
158
34 		 
87.6
94.8 		 
0.1
0.4 		 
79.4
53.0 		 
0.1
0.4 		 
75.6
59.3 		 
0.1
0.4 		 
78.3
55.8 		 
0.1
0.4 		 
77.7
55.3 		 
0.1
0.4
Household income
Less than $25,000 . . . . . . . . . .
$25,000–$49,999 . . . . . . . . . . .
$50,000–$99,999 . . . . . . . . . . .
$100,000–$149,999 . . . . . . . . .
$150,000 and more . . . . . . . . . 		 
26,084
27,262
35,535
16,011
13,316 		 
66
78
98
70
48 		 
67.1
84.3
93.9
97.6
98.4 		 
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 		 
52.5
72.5
87.3
94.5
96.6 		 
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1 		 
51.8
68.1
82.4
90.9
94.0 		 
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 		 
51.7
71.7
86.2
93.3
95.6 		 
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1 		 
51.0
70.9
85.6
92.9
95.3 		 
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
Metropolitan status and region
Metropolitan area . . . . . . . . . . .
Nonmetropolitan area . . . . . . .
  Northeast
    Metropolitan area . . . . . . . . .
    Nonmetropolitan area . . . . . .
  Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    Metropolitan area . . . . . . . . .
    Nonmetropolitan area . . . . . .
  South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    Metropolitan area . . . . . . . . .
    Nonmetropolitan area . . . . . .
  West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    Metropolitan area . . . . . . . . .
    Nonmetropolitan area . . . . . . 		 
100,501
17,707
21,007
19,172
1,835
26,372
20,377
5,955
44,442
37,045
7,397
26,388
23,907
2,481 		 
95
74
29
25
10
50
28
28
80
55
37
38
34
15 		 
88.0
80.0
86.9
87.2
83.1
86.1
87.3
82.2
85.4
87.3
76.1
89.7
90.2
84.4 		 
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.3 		 
79.7
70.1
80.1
80.4
76.6
77.6
79.0
73.0
75.5
77.8
64.0
82.0
82.6
76.4 		 
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.4
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.1
0.1
0.4 		 
76.7
64.4
73.6
74.6
63.1
73.1
75.2
66.1
74.1
76.5
62.2
78.7
79.8
68.1 		 
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.5
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.4 		 
78.9
68.1
79.4
79.9
74.0
76.5
78.0
71.3
74.3
76.7
62.2
81.3
82.1
73.8 		 
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.4 		 
78.4
67.2
78.9
79.5
73.0
75.8
77.5
70.3
73.7
76.2
61.4
80.7
81.5
72.8 		 
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.4
See notes at end of table.