The document summarizes research from the Pew Research Center on technology adoption among lower-income populations. It finds that while 85% of Americans use the internet, only 70% have broadband at home, with lower rates among those earning under $30,000 annually. For those groups, mobile devices and public libraries are increasingly important access points. Around 1/3 of those earning under $20k are non-users, who tend to be older. Younger lower-income adults have higher rates of smartphone ownership, and use mobile phones as their primary internet access.

1. APHSA-ISM Annual Conference
October 8, 2013
Aaron Smith, Senior Researcher
Pew Research Center
Technology adoption by
lower income populations

2. About Pew Internet
• Part of the Pew Research Center, a
non-partisan “fact tank” in
Washington, DC
• Studies how people use digital
technologies
• Does not promote specific
technologies or make policy
recommendations
• Research is primarily based on
nationally representative
telephone surveys

3. What do we mean by “lower income”?
• Based on reported annual household income
• Categories collected: <10k, 10-20k, 20-30k,
30-40k, 40-50k, 50-75k, 75-100k, 100-150k,
and 150k+
• Around 10-20% of respondents typically
don’t report (or don’t know) income
• Limited ability to subdivide the lower-
income population. But it tends to skew
towards non-white; youth and seniors; low
education; urban/rural

4. Before we get started
• Apologies for making you start your
morning with charts…
• But you don’t have to write anything
down!
• Because you can find these slides at
pewinternet.org/presentations

5. 1) Internet Use and Home
Broadband Adoption

6. National averages
• 85% of American adults are internet users
• 70% of American adults have some sort of
high-speed home internet connection (DSL,
cable, FIOS, etc)
Which means that…
• 15% of Americans do not go online from any
device/location (Group 1)
• 15% of Americans go online, but do not have
broadband at home (Group 2)

7. Internet use & broadband by income
42%
54%
64% 63%
77%
84% 85%
90% 90%
70% 70%
85% 84%
92% 94%
96% 97% 96%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
Broadband at home Use the internet
1
2

8. Age has a huge impact on which group
people fall into
1%
5%
8%
11%
24%
48%
Non users: Half 65+ yrs old
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
16%
17%
15%
22%
14%
14%
Online, no broadband: Half <45 yrs old
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

9. In plain English…
• Around 1/3 of people making <$20k per
year are not online at all. Non-users are
heavily dominated by older adults.
• Around 1/3 go online, but don’t have
broadband at home.
• So how is that group accessing online
content?

10. Many of them turn to public
institutions like libraries
• 32% of lower-income (<$30k per year)
Americans have accessed the internet for
free from somewhere other than home,
school or work in last 12 months
• 81% of lower-income Americans say it is
“very important” for the library to provide
free access to the internet & computers
• 35% of lower-income library users have used
the internet or a computer at a library in the
last 12 months

11. 2) But mobile devices are also
playing a big role

12. Cell ownership > internet use
70% 70%
85% 84%
92%
94%
96% 97% 96%
83%
87% 87%
89%
92%
96%
98%
98% 97%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
Use the internet Own a cell phone
+17+13

13. Smartphone or non-smart phone?
Depends on your income…
17% 13% 14% 11% 9%
4% 2% 2% 3%
49%
44%
37%
38%
37%
35%
25%
16% 16%
34%
43%
49% 51% 54%
61%
73%
82% 81%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
LT $10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k+
No cell phone Cell, not a smartphone Smartphone

14. …but especially your age
77%
47%
22%
8%
81%
68%
40%
21%
90%
87%
72%
43%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Less than $30,000 $30,000-$74,999 $75,000 or more
Smartphone ownership by age/income grouping

15. Smartphone ownership over time
21% 20%
26%
37%
44%
38%
53%
57%
73%
35%
43%
49%
51%
54%
61%
73%
82% 81%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
May 2011 May 2013
+14 +8+25+20+23+10+14+23+23

16. Impact of smartphones on
“broadband” adoption
42%
54%
64% 63%
77%
84% 85%
90% 90%
56%
66%
78%
74%
85%
91%
94% 95% 96%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
Broadband at home Broadband OR Smartphone
+14
+12
+14

17. Biggest impact is among young and
working-age lower income adults
74%
60%
47%
24%
92%
79%
55%
25%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Broadband at home Broadband OR Smartphone
+18
+19
+8
Broadband/smartphone adoption among HH
income of <$30k per year

18. Almost everyone texts, apps track with
smartphone ownership
80%
75%
80% 80% 81%
88%
85%
90% 90%
33%
43%
46% 46%
49% 50%
59%
73%
68%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
Use text messaging Download apps
% of cell owners in each income group who…

19. Texting and apps by lower-income
adults of different age groups
98%
92%
68%
19%
78%
41%
14%
4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Use text messaging Download apps
Texting/apps use among cell owners with HH
income of <$30k per year

20. Internet use on cell phones
50% 51%
63%
60% 59%
63%
72%
83% 84%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
45% of cell internet users in this
income group go online mostly with
their cell phone
39% 27%30%
% of cell owners in each income group who use
the internet/email on their cell phone

21. Tablets – growing at the low end, but
still largely an elite device
5% 5%
12%
16%
14%
22%
28%
34%
45%
17%
15%
26% 25%
33%
38%
50%
57%
65%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
<$10k $10,000 -
$19,999
$20,000 -
$29,999
$30,000 -
$39,999
$40,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150k or more
May 2012 May 2013
Tablet ownership by income category

22. Summary
• Huge differences between young and old
lower-income adults
• Cell phones are common for all income
ranges, but smartphones are mainly a
young/working age phenomenon
• Many lower-income adults (esp. younger
ones) are using mobile devices as their
primary gateway to online life

23. Resources
2013 Broadband update:
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Broadband.aspx
2013 Smartphone update:
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Smartphone-
Ownership-2013.aspx
Mobile topics page (running list of latest and greatest):
http://pewinternet.org/topics/Mobile.aspx

24. Aaron Smith
Senior Researcher
Pew Research Center’s Internet Project
asmith@pewresearch.org
@pewinternet
@pewresearch