The Pacific Northwest cities of Portland, Ore. and Seattle are the most wired cities in the United States with nearly 70 percent of households having access to the Internet from a personal computer at home, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.
The Pacific Northwest cities of Portland, Ore. and Seattle are the most wired cities in the United States with nearly 70 percent of households having access to the Internet from a personal computer at home, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. One year ago, Portland’s Internet penetration was 54 percent, while Seattle totaled 56 percent.
“Access to the Internet has become a need rather than a luxury for the mainstream population in the U.S.,” said Allen Weiner, vice president of analytical services, NetRatings. “Applications such as email and commerce have become part of our daily routine as the Web has touched our personal and professional lives.”
Following closely behind Portland and Seattle were San Francisco, Boston and San Diego. The top 25 local Internet markets broke the 50 percent mark, compared to only six regions during the same time last year.
“All 25 Internet local markets show penetration in excess of 50 percent, signaling critical mass for most major regions in the United States,” Weiner said. “The challenge for those who supply access as well as those distributing content and commerce is to keep up with the pace of new users, as well as serving those Web veterans who continually look for new and exciting reasons to log on.”
Philadelphia had the largest gain in Internet penetration from March 200 to March 2001, spiking 40 percent during the course of the year. Other top gainers included Detroit, which increased 38 percent, while Cleveland jumped 35 percent. Denver and New York rounded out the top five gainers, with both cities growing 34 percent in Web penetration over the past year.
| Internet Penetration in Top U.S. Markets At-home users |
||||
| Rank | Region | Penetration Percentage March 2001 |
Penetration Percentage March 2000 |
Percent Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Portland | 69.7% | 54.0% | 29% |
| 2. | Seattle | 69.6% | 55.9% | 25% |
| 3. | San Francisco | 69.1% | 61.0% | 13% |
| 4. | Boston | 68.4% | 51.7% | 32% |
| 5. | San Diego | 66.2% | 58.0% | 14% |
| 6. | Washington DC | 65.2% | 56.1% | 16% |
| 7. | Denver | 63.2% | 47.3% | 34% |
| 8. | Orlando | 61.4% | NA | NA |
| 9. | Hartford/New Haven | 61.4% | NA | NA |
| 10. | Kansas City | 61.2% | NA | NA |
| 11. | Atlanta | 60.8% | 46.1% | 32% |
| 12. | St. Louis | 59.7% | NA | NA |
| 13. | Sacramento | 59.3% | NA | NA |
| 14. | Dallas | 58.9% | 47.6% | 24% |
| 15. | Salt Lake City | 58.7% | NA | NA |
| 16. | Columbus | 57.9% | NA | NA |
| 17. | Baltimore | 57.0% | NA | NA |
| 18. | Philadelphia | 56.5% | 40.4% | 40% |
| 19. | Detroit | 56.4% | 40.8% | 38% |
| 20. | Indianapolis | 55.7% | NA | NA |
| 21. | New York | 55.1% | 41.3% | 34% |
| 22. | Los Angeles | 54.7% | 43.9% | 25% |
| 23. | Tampa | 53.8% | 41.5% | 30% |
| 24. | Nashville | 53.2% | NA | NA |
| 25. | Houston | 53.1% | 41.0% | 29% |
| Source: Nielsen//NetRatings | ||||
