Internet Users Show Their Age
The highest percentage of U.S.-based Internet users are in the 35-44 age group.
A higher percentage of homes with computers and Internet access were run by individuals aged 35-44 than by any other age group. That’s the finding from the “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2003” report released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 2003, of the 35-44 age group 73.3 percent owned computers and 65.3 percent had Internet access at home. The next-highest penetration was households run by 45-54 year olds. Nearly 72 percent owned computers, and 65.1 percent of those households had Internet access.
Computer adoption among households run by 65 year olds and older was 34.7 percent; Internet adoption was 29.4 percent.
The survey finds the presence of a school-aged child (6-17 years old) influenced whether a household had a computer or Internet access. Over three-quarters of households in this group had a computer versus nearly 57 percent of households without school-aged children.
| Households With Computers and Internet Access by Householder Age, October 2003 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Householder Age | Households (000) | Computers in Households | Internet Access | ||
| Number (000) | Percent Estimate | Number (000) | Percent Estimate | ||
| 15 to 24 | 7,115 | 4,034 | 56.7 | 3,350 | 47.1 |
| 25 to 34 | 19,718 | 13,543 | 68.7 | 11,901 | 60.4 |
| 35 to 44 | 23,856 | 17,482 | 73.3 | 15,572 | 65.3 |
| 45 to 54 | 22,905 | 16,464 | 71.9 | 14,922 | 65.1 |
| 55 to 64 | 16,488 | 10,405 | 63.1 | 9,335 | 56.6 |
| 65 and over | 23,044 | 8,005 | 34.7 | 6,773 | 29.4 |
| Total households | 113,126 | 69,912 | 61.8 | 61,852 | 54.7 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 | |||||
Reasons for not having Internet access in 2003 were most often: “don’t need it, not interested” (39 percent); “costs are too high” (23 percent); and “no computer or computer inadequate” (23 percent).
Census data were obtained in October 2003 from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The survey group consists of the civilian noninstitutionalized population living in the United States.
