1How can you describe Digital Divide?
Explain two areas where the Digital
Divide exists between two different groups, use
your own wording. This was known as the Have & Have NOTs. Be sure to include
an explanation of the area, information on the current statistics in this area, and
your opinion of this area. You may conduct some research to understand the
concept and share your opinions. Be sure to include citations of sources used to
answer this question.
2After reading the "Home Broadband 2015" article (PIP_Broadband.pdf
document) under Course Content/Readings, provide the following information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Major themes
Major Issues
Major Stakeholders
social, legal, and/or ethical issues
Results
Personal Opinion of additional Solutions
3Explain two UNIQUE areas of Social Issues of Technology. Be sure to include an explanation of
the area, your opinion of this area, and what can be done to improve this issue. Citations of
sources are required for the answer.
NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING THE WORLD
FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 21, 2015
BY John B. Horrigan AND Maeve Duggan
FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES:
John B. Horrigan, Senior Researcher
Lee Rainie, Director, Internet, Science and
Technology Research
Dana Page, Senior Communications Manager
202.419.4372
www.pewresearch.org
RECOMMENDED CITATION: Pew Research Center, December 21, 2015, “Home Broadband 2015”
Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/21/2015/Home-Broadband-2015/
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
About Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes
and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts
public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social
science research. It studies U.S. politics and policy; journalism and media; internet, science and
technology; religion and public life; Hispanic trends; global attitudes and trends; and U.S. social
and demographic trends. All of the Center’s reports are available at www.pewresearch.org. Pew
Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.
© Pew Research Center 2015
www.pewresearch.org
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Home Broadband 2015
Three notable changes relating to digital access and digital divides are occurring in the realm of
personal connectivity, according to new findings from Pew Research Center surveys. First, home
broadband adoption seems to have plateaued. It now stands at 67% of Americans, down slightly
from 70% in 2013, a small but statistically significant difference which could represent a blip or
might be a more prolonged reality. This change moves home broadband adoption to where it was
in 2012.
Second, this downtick in home
Several groups are shifting their home internet
high-speed adoption has taken
connectivity away from broadband and toward
place at the same time there
smartphones
has been an increase in
% of each group who have …
“smartphone-only” adults –
those who own a smartphone
that they can use to access the
internet, but do not have
traditional broadband service
at home. Today smartphone
adoption has reached parity
with home broadband
adoption (68% of Americans
now report that they own a
smartphone), and 13% of
Americans are “smartphoneonly” – up from 8% in 2013.
Source: Pew Research Center surveys
Some of the most significant
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changes in these adoption
patterns are taking place
among African Americans, those with relatively low household incomes and those living in rural
areas.
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Third, 15% of American adults
report they have become “cord
cutters” – meaning they have
abandoned paid cable or
satellite television service.
Many of these cord cutters say
that the availability of
televised content from the
internet and other sources is a
factor in their move away from
subscription television
services.
Those who are smartphonereliant face challenges
Home broadband use has plateaued
% of adults who are home broadband users
Source: Pew Research Center surveys
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At one level, the picture in
these new data can be viewed
benignly by those who are concerned about connectivity and digital divides. Overall, “advanced
internet access” – that is, those with either a smartphone or a home broadband subscription – has
changed little since 2013. Some 80% of adults have either a smartphone or a home broadband
subscription in 2015, compared with 78% who said this in 2013.
Still, the fact that more Americans have only a smartphone for online access at home has
consequences for how people get information. Those who are “smartphone-dependent” for access
do encounter distinct challenges. Previous Pew Research Center findings show that they are more
likely than other users to run up against data-cap limits that often accompany smartphone service
plans. They also more frequently have to cancel or suspend service due to financial constraints.
Additionally, a recent Pew Research Center survey found that those who use digital tools for job
searches face challenges when it comes to key tasks such as filling out job applications and writing
cover letters.
In general, when given a choice, people prefer to use their smartphone for getting in touch with
family or friends but, for watching video, they prefer a device with a larger screen that uses a home
broadband connection. At the same time, many “smartphone-only” users say that the reason they
do not have broadband at home is because their smartphone lets them do all they need to do
online, underscoring the device’s utility for those without a home high-speed subscription.
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More people now say home broadband access is important
As these changes have unfolded, two other shifts underscore the tension between the potential
benefits that digital technologies provide and the day-to-day financial constraints of many
households. On one hand, Americans – both broadband users and those who do not have
broadband – are increasingly likely to view home broadband as a key tool for accessing
information that is important to their lives. But at the same time, the monthly cost of broadband
service is now cited by a plurality of non-adopters as the most important reason for not having a
home broadband subscription:
Roughly two-thirds (69%) of Americans
indicate that not having a home high-speed
internet connection would be a major
disadvantage to finding a job, getting health
information or accessing other key
information – up from 56% who said this in
2010.
Cost is the major reason most people do
not have broadband connections
% of non-broadband users who cite the following as their
most important reason for not having broadband
service
Among non-broadband adopters, 33% cite
the monthly cost of service as the main
reason they lack broadband at home, with an
additional 10% citing the cost of a computer
as their main reason for not having
broadband service.
These changes are related: Non-broadband
adopters who view a lack of home service as a
major disadvantage are also more likely to cite
the monthly cost of broadband as the primary
reason they do not subscribe. Price sensitivity, in
other words, is greatest among those who are
most likely to see the advantages of a home
broadband subscription.
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size =
2,001
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Non-broadband users now show a strong appreciation of the importance of home service in
ways they did not five years ago
In 2010 and 2015, Pew Research Center asked Americans whether they thought being without a
home broadband connection was a major disadvantage in several different topical areas. There has
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been a substantial increase over that period in the share of adults who say that not having a home
high-speed connection is a major disadvantage when looking for job opportunities, accessing
government information and in other areas.
In addition, those without home high-speed service are much more likely now than in the past to
say that lacking a home subscription is a major disadvantage when it comes to accessing
government services, searching for employment, following the news, learning new things, or
getting health information. Today, two-thirds (65%) of non-adopters say that lacking home
broadband service is a major disadvantage in at least one of these areas, compared with just under
half (48%) who said so in 2010. Specifically:
40% of non-high speed users say that being without broadband is a major disadvantage for
learning about or accessing government services, compared with 25% who said this in 2010.
37% say that lacking broadband at home is a major disadvantage for learning new things that
might enrich their lives, up from 23% in 2010.
Non-broadband adopters are increasingly likely to view lack of broadband as a
disadvantage in key areas of life
% of non-broadband users who believe those without home broadband are at a major disadvantage in these
situations
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,001.
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There are other signs that people are changing connection patterns: 15% of American
adults are “cord cutters” who used to have cable or satellite TV, but currently do not
The changes in home broadband and
smartphone connectivity are not the only
shifting trends in connectivity among
Americans. Some 15% of adults now qualify as
“cord cutters” – meaning they once had either
cable or satellite TV but no longer do. Another
9% never had either cable or satellite service.
24% of American adults report they do
not have cable or satellite TV
% of American adults who …
Young adults are the most likely cord cutters;
19% of adults between the ages of 18 and 29
have severed the ties that they once had with
cable or satellite service. Another 16% of young
adults say they have never had pay TV in the
first place.
Affordability is a main driver for those without
cable or satellite, as is the ability to view the
content they want to watch somewhere else.
Some 71% of cord cutters say that they cut the
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size =
cord in part because the cost of cable or satellite 2,001.
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service is too expensive, while 64% say they can
access the content they want using an over-air
antenna, on the internet or using streaming services.
Other key findings from the new survey include:
Large numbers of non-broadband households have never had home high-speed service in the
past, and few have interest in subscribing in the future.
Overall, 33% of American adults do not have broadband at home. Within this group of nonadopters, 36% had a subscription in the past, while 59% say they have never had a broadband
subscription plan at home. In addition, just 25% of non-adopters are interested in subscribing to
broadband service in the future, while 70% say they are not interested in doing so.
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The upshot is that, looking across the 33% of adults who are non-adopters of home broadband,
nearly half (46%) seem unlikely to purchase home broadband service any time soon, in that that
they have never had broadband in the past and also say that they are not interested in getting
service in the future.
Among non-adopters, price sensitivity – where the monthly cost of service is the chief barrier to
adoption – is most prominent among those who have had service in the past, and/or are
interested in getting it in the future.
Some 40% of non-adopters who have had service in the past, or are interested in subscribing in the
future, say the monthly cost of a subscription is the most important reason they lack service
currently. On the other hand, 25% of those who are “hard-to-reach” – meaning they have never
had broadband service and express no interest in having it in the future – say price is the most
important barrier to adoption.
Most of the material in this report – specifically the findings on barriers to broadband adoption,
how people view lack of broadband as a disadvantage, and cord cutting – is based on a national
telephone survey of 2,001 Americans ages 18 and older conducted between June 10 and July 12,
2015. Comparison of 2013 and 2015 results for broadband and “smartphone-only” adoption are
based on a September 2013 survey of 6,010 adults and a combined analysis of surveys conducted
March 17-April 12, 2015 (1,934 adult respondents); June 10-July 12, 2015 (2,001 respondents);
and October 13 -November 15, 2015 (2,752 respondents), for a total of 6,687 respondents cases for
analysis.
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1. Home broadband adoption: Modest decline from 2013 to
2015
Broadband adoption in the United States has
experienced a modest decline in recent years,
falling from 70% in 2013 to 67% in 2015. Those
figures compare a September 2013 Pew
Research Center survey that has a large sample
size of 6,010 adults with combined surveys
from April, July and November 2015 that total
6,687 adult respondents. These changes in
home broadband adoption are concentrated
among lower- to middle-income households,
rural households and African Americans. There
has also been a drop in home broadband
adoption among parents of children under the
age of 18.
Smartphones keep overall advanced
internet access steady, although more
Americans are “smartphone-only”
As Pew Research Center surveys have
documented, smartphones have rapidly become
a staple for many Americans. Our July 2015
survey shows that 68% of Americans now have
a smartphone, an increase from 55% two years
ago. This increase in smartphone adoption has
compensated for the downturn in home
broadband adoption in two ways:
Broadband adoption decreases slightly
between 2013 and 2015
% of adults who have home broadband service
2013
70%
2015
67%
% Change
-3
Male
70
66
-4
Female
70
67
-3
Parents
77
73
-4
Non-parents
67
64
-3
White
74
72
-2
African American
62
54
-8
Hispanic
56
50
-6
18-29
81
75
-6
30-49
77
74
-3
50-64
68
65
-3
65+
47
45
-2
Under $20K
46
41
-5
$20K-$50K
67
63
-4
$50K-$75K
85
80
-5
$75K-$100K
88
88
0
Over $100K
93
90
-3
High school grad or less
50
47
-3
Some college/Assoc. deg.
80
75
-5
College +
90
87
-3
Rural
60
55
-5
Urban
70
67
-3
All
More Americans are more likely to have
Suburban
74
70
-4
both means of online access (in other
Source: Pew Research Center surveys.
words, a smartphone as well as home
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broadband service) than was the case two
years ago. As of July 2015, 55% of adults
report having both a smartphone and a home broadband subscription, up from 47% in 2013.
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More Americans are “smartphone-only” in
2015 than was the case in 2013. Today 13%
of adults rely on their smartphone for
online access at home (that is, they have a
smartphone but no home broadband
subscription), compared with 8% in 2013.
The consequence is that the “advanced internet
access” picture, which we define as having
either a smartphone or a home broadband
subscription, has changed little between 2013
and 2015. Today 80% of American adults have
either a smartphone or a home broadband
connection, a small change from 2013, when
78% had one of these two access means.1
The number of Americans who depend
on a smartphone for home internet
connectivity is growing
% of adults who have a smartphone but do not have
home broadband service
2013
8%
2015
13%
% Change
+5
Male
9
14
+5
Female
8
13
+5
Parents
10
17
+7
Non-parents
8
12
+4
White
6
10
+4
African American
10
19
+9
Hispanic
16
23
+7
All
18-29
12
19
+7
The increase in “smartphone-only” adoption
mirrors the decline in home broadband
adoption
30-49
9
16
+7
50-64
7
11
+4
65+
3
7
+4
The increase in the “smartphone-only”
phenomenon largely corresponds to the
decrease in home broadband adoption over this
period. The rise in “smartphone-only” adults is
especially pronounced among low-income
households (those whose annual incomes are
$20,000 or less) and rural adults. African
Americans, who saw a marked decline in home
broadband adoption, also exhibited a sharp
increase in “smartphone-only” adoption (from
10% to 19%), as did parents with school-age
children (from 10% in 2013 to 17% in 2015).
Under $20K
13
21
+8
$20K-$50K
10
16
+6
$50K-$75K
5
10
+5
$75K-$100K
6
8
+2
Over $100K
4
6
+2
High school grad or less
11
18
+7
Some college/Assoc. deg.
8
14
+6
College +
4
6
+2
Rural
9
15
+6
Urban
9
15
+6
Suburban
7
12
+5
Source: Pew Research Center surveys.
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Previous Pew Research Center surveys have
explored various challenges that the “smartphone-dependent” face. In particular, those who have
smartphones only or have limited online access options tend to be younger, lower-income, and are
1
In the July 2015 survey, 87% of adults identified themselves as internet users, which could include those who use the internet at some
place other than home (such as work or a public library) or have a dial-up internet connection (which comes to 2% in this survey). This is
slightly above the 84% figure recently reported by Pew Research Center.
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more likely to be non-white. They also are more likely than other users to run up against data-cap
limits that often accompany smartphone service plans, and more frequently have to cancel or
suspend service due to financial constraints.
The increase in “smartphone-only” adoption, along with the corresponding decline in home
broadband subscriptions, captures two facets of contemporary society: rapid innovation in the
information technology space and stagnant household incomes. The rate of adoption of
smartphones since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 has been striking. It has taken about
half the time for smartphone adoption to double from one-third of adults to two-thirds than was
the case for broadband – which was also a technology adopted by Americans at very rapid pace.2
At the same time that innovation in information technology has transformed people’s
communications patterns in the past decade, household incomes have declined relative to year
2000 levels, according to a new analysis by Pew Research Center. Notwithstanding some gains in
recent years, U.S. median household income in 2014 was still below its level at the start of the
Great Recession in 2007. The losses were greatest among lower- and middle-income households in
which nearly 8-in-10 American adults reside. Given the role that affordability of service plays in
people’s choice to forgo a home broadband subscription (see Section III below), strained
household budgets may play a role in the drop in high-speed subscriptions. Smartphones help fill
the access gaps for some of these households, particularly as people increasingly see home
broadband access as crucial in a variety of areas.
Home broadband adoption stood at 33% in 2005 and reached 62% in 2011. Smartphone adoption was 35% in 2011 and reached 64% in
2014.
2
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2. The growing value people place on broadband
As these shifts in technology
adoption patterns are
Many think a lack of broadband brings disadvantages
unfolding, Americans are
% of all adults who believe those without home broadband are at a
disadvantage when it comes to …
increasingly likely to view
home broadband service as
important to accessing
information or carrying out a
variety of important tasks. A
substantial majority of
Americans feel that people
without home broadband
service are at a disadvantage
when it comes to keeping up
with news or information,
getting health information,
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,001.
learning new things, accessing
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government services or
engaging in a job search.
Indeed, 52% of Americans feel that non-broadband adopters are at a major disadvantage when it
comes to accessing job opportunities or improving their career skills. Approaching half (46%) say
lacking broadband is a major disadvantage for accessing or learning about government services.
Taken together, 69% of Americans believe that people lacking broadband at home are at a major
disadvantage in at least one of these five areas (getting news and information, getting health
information, learning new things, accessing government services or looking for job opportunities).
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Not only do most Americans say that not having a broadband subscription at home is a major
disadvantage, but more say this in 2015 than was the case in 2010.
More now say that home broadband is important
% of all adults who believe those without home broadband are at a major disadvantage in these situations
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,001.
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More than half (56%) of all adults in 2010 said not having broadband was a major disadvantage in
at least one of these areas – a figure well below the 69% level for 2015 in the same five areas of
inquiry.
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African Americans, Hispanics and young adults
are generally more likely to view the lack of
home high-speed access as a major
disadvantage in various facets of people’s lives.
For African Americans, this is true particularly
for getting health care information and learning
about or accessing government services. Among
Hispanics, the difference is largest, relative to
the average, for learning about things that
might improve or enrich their lives.
African Americans, Hispanics and young
adults most likely to view lack of home
broadband as a major disadvantage
% of each group who believe those without home
broadband are at a major disadvantage in these
situations
In general, non-broadband adopters are less
likely to see the lack of a home broadband
subscription as a major disadvantage when
compared to broadband users. But at the same
time, these non-adopters are substantially more
likely to view a lack of broadband service as a
disadvantage than was the case in 2010. In
some cases, such as for accessing government
services and keeping up with news and
information, the share of non-home high-speed
users who see not having service as a major
disadvantage has grown markedly since 2010.
In fact, the bulk of the overall increase since
2010 in Americans’ views about the importance
of broadband is attributable to increases among
home non-broadband users.
In 2015, 65% of non-broadband households say
not having service is a major disadvantage in
one of the five areas listed in the chart above.
That compares with 69% among all Americans
and 70% for those in households with a
broadband subscription.
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size =
2,001.
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By contrast, in 2010, 48% of respondents without a home high-speed connection said the lack of
service was a major disadvantage; that compared with 56% among all adults and 61% for
broadband households.
Scrutinizing those numbers closely suggests that non-broadband households, over the five year
time interval, showed a larger growth in the sense that not having a home high-speed connection
conferred disadvantages. In fact, the growth in the share of non-adopting households seeing the
lack of broadband as a disadvantage is more than twice the rate of that for broadband adopters – a
35% to 15% margin.
Non-broadband adopters are increasingly likely to view lack of broadband as a
disadvantage in key areas of life
% of non-broadband users who believe those without home broadband are at a major disadvantage in these
situations
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,001.
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3. Barriers to broadband adoption: Cost is now a substantial
challenge for many non-users
For the 33% of Americans who do not currently have broadband service at home, financial
concerns – the monthly cost of a broadband subscription most prominently, but also the cost of a
computer – loom large as barriers to non-adoption. At the same time, for many non-broadband
users who own a smartphone, the functionality of these mobile devices makes traditional
broadband a lesser priority. Still, other non-adopters indicate that they have options for online
service outside their home, or that suitable broadband service is hard to get in their area.
Most non-users point toward
multiple reasons for why they
do not have high-speed service
at home. The typical (median)
non-broadband user cites two
reasons for not subscribing to
home broadband service,
while 43% list three reasons or
more.
In some form, cost is the chief
reason that non-adopters cite
when permitted to identify
more than one reason they do
not have a home high-speed
subscription. Overall, 66% of
non-adopters point toward
either the monthly service fee
or the cost of the computer as
a barrier to adoption.
Non-broadband users cite a number of reasons why
they do not use high-speed connections
% of each group who cite the following as reasons for not having broadband
at home
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,,001.
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When presented with a follow-up question asking them to identify the most important reason they
do not have a home broadband subscription, non-adopters are again more likely to cite the
monthly cost of broadband service than any other reason. Smartphone users differ in that the
capability of their smartphone rivals the monthly cost of broadband as the main reason they go
without service.
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Price sensitivity – the sense
that the monthly fee is too
much – is a larger concern for
non-adopters who are more
likely to recognize the
importance of a home highspeed connection. As noted
earlier, two-thirds (65%) of
non-adopters in 2015 say that
being without broadband at
home is a major disadvantage
of some sort – an increase
from 48% who said this in
2010 across the same five
subject areas. Among the 2015
group of non-adopters who see
lacking broadband as a major
disadvantage, 38% cite price
as their main barrier to
adoption. This compares with
just 22% who cite the monthly
service fee as their primary
barrier among non-users who
do not see home broadband
service as particularly critical.
Cost is the most important barrier to adopting
broadband
% of non-broadband users who cite these as their most important reason for
not having a broadband connection
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,001.
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The inverse relationship is worth emphasis. Many more non-adopters in 2015 say that being
without broadband is a major hindrance in some way than said so in 2010. As this view of the
importance of a home high-speed subscription has grown, so has the sense that the monthly fee is
the sticking point in having home service.
A majority of non-broadband users have never had broadband at home, and just onequarter of them are interested in getting it in the future
Some 36% of non-broadband users say they had high-speed service at home in the past, while 59%
indicate that they have never had a home broadband subscription. And just one-quarter (25%) of
non-broadband users say they are interested in having broadband internet service at home in the
future, while 70% are not interested.
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Those who say they had high-speed internet service at home in the past tend to be relatively
young. More than half (56%) of those who once had service are under age 50, compared with 34%
of those who never had broadband. It is also notable that parents with children who are minors
(under the age of 18) at home are more likely to have had broadband in the past than non-parents;
among those who had service in the past, 30% are parents with minor children, while 19% of those
who never had service are parents of minor children.
Nearly half of those who do not have broadband at home – or 15% of all Americans – are in
a “hard-to-reach” category that suggests they may not be broadband subscribers any time
soon
The survey asked non-broadband users whether they ever had service at home and whether they
have interest in subscribing in the future. Those who answered in the negative for both questions –
that is, those who have never had broadband in the past and do not have an interest in subscribing
to service in the future – come to 46% of all non-adopters. They fall into the “hard-to-reach”
category of non-adopters, not only because of their stated preferences and past behavior. They
also, demographically, contrast sharply with other non-adopters on characteristics that align with
a low likelihood of home broadband adoption. The “hard-to-reach” are:
less educated: Just 8% of the “hard-to-reach” have a college degree, compared with 14% of
other non-adopters;
older: 39% of the “hard-to-reach” are age 65 or older, compared with 19% for remaining nonadopters;
less connected to technology: Just 44% of the “hard-to-reach” are internet users, and just
29% have smartphones; the figures for other non-adopters are 72% and 53% respectively.
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The other notable
characteristic of the “hard-toreach” is that they are less
likely to cite the monthly
access fee as their most
important reason for not
having service.
“Hard-to-reach” are less likely to cite monthly fee as
their most important reason for not having home
broadband service
% of non-broadband adopters who cite the following as the most important
reason for not having broadband connection at home
Barriers to smartphone
adoption: Cost is cited most
frequently as the main
reason people do not have a
smartphone, though many
say they simply do not need
one
One-third of Americans do not
have a smartphone. These are
the reasons they provide when
asked to identify the main
reason they do not have this
type of device:
Source: Survey conducted June 10-July 12, 2015. Sample size = 2,001.
Note: “Hard-to-reach” defined as those who have never had broadband service in the past
and are not interested in having service in the future.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
36% indicate that
smartphones are too
expensive (either the data plan or the device itself);
29% say they do not need one or are happy with their current phone;
15% are uninterested in getting one or have not gotten around to it;
9% say it is too complicated.
The reasons cited are very similar to what non-smartphone users said in 2012, when 45% of adults
had a smartphone.
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19
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
4. One-in-seven Americans are television “cord cutters”
An additional element in people’s portfolio of tools to access information is more traditional –
whether they have a subscription to a cable or satellite television service. A shift in how people
watch TV is underway, as the new Pew Research Center data suggest 15% of American adults are
now “cord cutters” – that is, they indicate that they once had a cable or satellite TV connection, but
no longer subscribe. Another 9% of Americans have never had a cable or satellite subscription at
all, meaning that a total of 24% of Americans currently do not subscribe to cable or satellite TV in
their homes (76% of Americans subscribe to pay TV service at home).
There are generational aspects to this phenomenon, as young adults are the least likely age group
to have a cable or satellite subscription. Some 65% of those ages 18 to 29 have cable or satellite
service at home, compared with 73% of adults ages 30 to 49 and 83% of those 50 or older. Onesixth of young adults (16%) report they never had a cable or satellite subscription, while 19% “cut
the cord.”
For these young people, alternative access to content is crucial. Some 75% of young adults without
a cable or satellite subscription say they can access content they want to watch either online –
perhaps by binge watching their favorite shows through an online service like Netflix, Hulu or
Amazon Prime – or via an over-the-air antenna. Overall, 64% of those without cable or satellite TV
cite alternative access to content as a reason they do not have cable or satellite service at home.
Income also comes into play for those without pay TV. Some 63% of homes with annual incomes
under $20,000 have either cable or satellite service, compared with 86% of households whose
annual income exceeds $75,000. Cord cutters are more likely to live in lower income households
as well. In homes whose annual incomes are $20,000 or below, 21% have cut the cord, while 14%
of households above that income threshold have cut the cord.
In the context of their other digital access tools, cord cutters – as well as those without cable or
satellite services more broadly –exhibit slightly different adoption patterns from the population as
a whole. For those without cable or satellite service at home:
70% have smartphones;
54% have a home broadband subscription;
25% are “smartphone-only.”
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20
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
In terms of overall “advanced internet access,” (that is, a broadband subscription and/or a
smartphone) those without a paid TV subscription show about the same level as the population as
a whole – 80% for them, compared with 81% for all adults.
For “cord cutters,” (the 15% of all adults who once had a cable or satellite subscription but no
longer do) the access patterns look like this:
75% have smartphones;
58% have a home broadband subscription;
27% are “smartphone-only.”
Just over four-in-five (84%) have “advanced internet access,” that is either a smartphone or home
broadband subscription.
Those without pay TV – and cord cutters especially –rely on a different mix of access tools for
digital content, a mix that emphasizes smartphones over a home broadband subscription. And
these preferences are driven in many cases by affordability. Some 71% of those without cable or
satellite say these services are too expensive for them, with 74% of cord cutters saying this.
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21
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Acknowledgments
This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals:
Primary researchers
John B. Horrigan, Senior Researcher
Maeve Duggan, Research Associate
Research team
Lee Rainie, Director, Internet, Science, and Technology Research
Aaron Smith, Associate Director, Research
Andrew Perrin, Research Assistant
Claudia Deane, Vice President, Research
Editorial and graphic design
Margaret Porteus, Information Graphics Designer
Communications and web publishing
Shannon Greenwood, Assistant Digital Producer
Dana Page, Senior Communications Manager
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22
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Methodology
Much of the analysis in this report is based on a Pew Research Center survey conducted June 10July 12, 2015 among a national sample of 2,001 adults, ages 18 years and older, living in all 50 U.S.
states and the District of Columbia (701 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone,
and 1,300 were interviewed on a cellphone, including 749 who had no landline telephone).
Specifically, findings pertaining to non-adopters and their reasons for not having service, people’s
views on the disadvantages of not having broadband, and cord cutters, are based on the July 2015
survey.
Analysis of change in broadband and “smartphone-only” adoption from 2013 to 2015 are based on
a September 2013 survey of 6,010 adults, ages 18 years and older, and combined surveys from
April 2015 (1,934 adults); July 2015 (2,001 adults); and November 2015 (2,752 adults), for a total
of 6,687 adult respondents.
The survey was conducted by interviewers at Princeton Data Source under the direction of
Princeton Survey Research Associates International. A combination of landline and cellphone
random digit dial samples were used; both samples were provided by Survey Sampling
International. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Respondents in the landline
sample were selected by randomly asking for the youngest adult male or female who is now at
home. Interviews in the cell sample were conducted with the person who answered the phone, if
that person was an adult (age 18 or older). For detailed information about our survey
methodology, see http://www.pewresearch.org/methodology/u-s-survey-research/ .
The combined landline and cellphone sample is weighted using an iterative technique that
matches gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin and nativity and region to parameters from
the 2013 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and population density to parameters
from the Decennial Census. The sample also is weighted to match current patterns of telephone
status (landline-only, cellphone-only or both landline and cellphone), based on extrapolations
from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey. The weighting procedure also accounts for the
fact that respondents with both landline and cellphones have a greater probability of being
included in the combined sample, and adjusts for household size among respondents with a
landline phone. The margins of error reported and statistical tests of significance are adjusted to
account for the survey’s design effect, a measure of how much efficiency is lost from the weighting
procedures.
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23
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
The following table shows the unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that
would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the July 2015 survey:
Unweighted sample size
Plus or minus…
Total sample
Group
2,001
2.5 percentage points
Internet users
1,740
2.7 percentage points
605
4.5 percentage points
Non-broadband users
The table below shows the unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that
would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the September 2013
survey and the combined April, July and November 2015 surveys:
Group
September 2013 total
sample
2015 combined sample
Unweighted sample size
Plus or minus…
6,010
1.4 percentage points
6,687
1.3 percentage points
Sample sizes and sampling errors for other subgroups are available upon request.
In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.
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24
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Topline Questionnaire
HOME4NW
Do you currently subscribe to internet service at HOME?3
Based on all internet users [N=1,740]
Current
April 2015
September 2013
August 2013
May 2013
December 2012
November 2012
April 2012
February 2012
August 2011
May 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
September 2010
May 2010
January 2010
December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
December 2008
November 2008
August 2008
July 2008
May 2008
December 2007
September 2007
February 2007
YES
NO
(VOL.)
DON’T KNOW
(VOL.)
REFUSED
84
89
90
89
90
90
90
89
90
90
88
89
95
95
95
94
94
93
92
91
92
93
93
93
95
94
93
95
16
11
10
11
10
10
10
11
10
10
12
11
4
4
5
6
6
6
6
8
6
7
7
7
6
7
6
5
*
*
*
0
0
0
0
0
*
0
0
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
0
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
-------
April 2015 trend includes respondents who use a social networking site or app. Unless otherwise indicated, question wording was: “Do you
ever use the internet or email at HOME?” In December 2012, question wording was: “Do you ever use the internet AT HOME?” In January
2011 and May 2011, question wording was: “Do you ever use the internet or email from home?” December 2010 and earlier trend wording
was as follows: “About how often do you use the internet or email from... HOME – several times a day, about once a day, 3-5 days a week, 1-2
days a week, every few weeks, less often or never?” Results shown here for “YES” reflect combined “Several times a day,” “About once a
day,” “3-5 days a week,” “1-2 days a week,” “Every few weeks,” and “Less often” responses. Results shown here for “NO” reflect “Never”
responses.
3
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25
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
BBHOME1 Do
you subscribe to dial-up internet service at home... OR do you subscribe to a higherspeed broadband service such as DSL, cable, or fiber optic service?4
BBHOME2 [ASK IF BBHOME1=DIAL-UP:] Just to confirm, you use a dial-up connection to the internet
at home, and not a higher-speed broadband connection?
Based on home internet subscribers
Current [N=1,509]
April 2015 [N=1,544]
Sept 2013 [N=4,875]
May 2013 [N=1,727]
Dec 2012 [N=1,645]
Nov 2012 [N=1,770]
April 2012 [N=1,631]
Feb 2012 [N=1,572]
Aug 2011 [N=1,565]
May 2011 [N=1,518]
Jan 2011 [N=1,610]
Dec 2010 [N=1,731]
Nov 2010 [N=1,560]
Sept 2010 [N=1,947]
May 2010 [N=1,659]
Jan 2010 [N=1,573]
Dec 2009 [N=1,582]
Sept 2009 [N=1,584]
April 2009 [N=1,567]
Dec 2008 [N=1,538]
Nov 2008 [N=1,481]
Aug 2008 [N=1,543]
July 2008 [N=1,797]
May 2008 [N=1,463]
Dec 2007 [N=1,483]
Sept 2007 [N=1,575]
Feb 2007 [N=1,406]
Aug 2006 [N=1,787]
Dec 2005 [N=1,715]
June 2005 [N=1,204]
DIAL-UP
HIGHER
SPEED
(VOL.) BOT H
DIAL-UP
AND HIGHER
SPEED
(VOL.)
ACCESS NET
ON CELL OR
TABLET
ONLY
(VOL.)
NO HOME
NET ACCESS
3
6
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
6
4
6
6
7
7
7
9
7
9
13
12
13
14
15
18
20
23
28
35
44
91
85
91
92
90
88
90
90
89
88
88
85
86
86
86
88
86
87
86
80
82
81
81
79
77
73
70
68
61
53
1
*
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
*
2
3
1
2
2
1
2
1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
1
2
1
1
*
*
*
*
1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
(VOL.)
NONE OF
THE ABOVE
n/a
n/a
*
*
*
*
*
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
(VOL.) DK
(VOL.) REF.
4
4
2
2
3
4
4
3
3
3
4
6
4
4
4
3
4
3
3
5
5
5
4
5
3
6
6
3
3
1
*
1
*
*
1
*
*
*
*
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
------------
Prior to June 2015, question was asked of home internet users, rather than home internet subscribers. In April 2015, question wording was:
“Is your internet connection AT HOME through a slow-speed link such as dial-up... OR do you have a high-speed, broadband link” Prior to April
2015, trends asked about specific types of home broadband connections such as DSL, cable modem, wireless broadband/satellite, fiber
optic, T-1 or other high-speed access.
5 May 2011 and earlier trend percentages for “None of the above” reflect “Other (SPECIFY)” responses.
4
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26
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
BBHOME3 Thinking
about all of the different information sources available to people... [INSERT FOR
FIRST TWO RANDOMIZED ITEMS: Do you think people who do NOT have high-speed
internet access at home are at a disadvantage when it comes to... [INSERT ITEMS;
RANDOMIZE]?] [IF YES, ASK: Would you say it is a MAJOR disadvantage or a MINOR
disadvantage?]
How about...[INSERT NEXT ITEM]? [READ AS NECESSARY: Are people who do NOT have
high-speed internet access at home at a disadvantage when it comes to this?] [IF YES,
ASK: Would you say it is a MAJOR disadvantage or a MINOR disadvantage?]
a.
May 2010
May 2010
May 2010
May 2010
36
23
27
27
34
47
2
3
*
*
52
43
19
23
25
28
4
5
1
1
46
29
23
27
25
37
6
7
1
*
43
34
23
28
30
35
3
3
1
1
44
31
26
31
26
32
4
5
1
1
Learning new things that might
improve or enrich their lives
Current
May 2010
6
(VOL.) REF.
Getting health information
Current
e.
(VOL.) DK
Learning about or accessing
government services6
Current
d.
NOT AT A
DISADVANTAGE
Finding out about job opportunities or
gaining new career skills
Current
c.
MINOR DISADVANTAGE
Keeping up with news and information
Current
b.
MAJOR DISADVANTAGE
May 2010 trend item wording was “Using government services”
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27
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
SMART1
Some cellphones are called “smartphones” because of certain features they have. Is your
cellphone a smartphone such as an iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows phone, or are
you not sure?7
Based on cellphone owners
Current [N=1,903]
April 2015 [N=1,900]
September 2013 [N=5,763]
August 2013 [N=1,636]
May 2013 [N=2,076]
December 2012 [N=1,954]
November 2012 [N=1,992]
September 2012 [N=2,581]
April 2012 [N=1,954]
February 2012 [N=1,961]
May 2011 [N=1,914]
Q4
YES,
SMARTPHONE
NO, NOT A
SMARTPHONE
NOT SURE/
DON’T KNOW
(VOL.) REFUSED
73
73
61
60
55
52
55
53
46
45
33
20
21
32
33
39
41
38
40
44
46
53
7
5
7
6
5
6
6
6
10
8
14
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
What is the MAIN reason you don’t own a smartphone? [PRECODED OPEN-END; DO NOT
READ]
Based on those whose cellphone is not a smartphone
CURRENT
%
32
26
11
9
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
*
*
*
n/a
5
1
1
APRIL 2012
Too expensive (general)
Don’t need one
Just not interested / Just don’t want one
Too complicated / Don’t know how to use it
No reason / Just haven’t gotten around to it
Phone is too expensive
Happy with current phone
Only use phone for calling/texting
Plan to get one / Waiting for current contract to expire /
Waiting for discount or upgrade eligibility
Data plan is too expensive
Don’t know what it is / Don’t know how to get one
Prefer to be less connected
Worried about radiation or risk of cancer
Worried about privacy/tracking
Service not available where I live
Other (SPECIFY)
Don’t know
Refused
29
29
4
9
n/a
4
3
2
2
3
n/a
1
0
*
*
10
3
1
Wording may vary from survey to survey. Wording variations include: “Some cellphones are called “smartphones” because of certain
features they have. Is your cellphone a smartphone, such as an iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows phone, or are you not sure?”; "Some
cellphones are called “smartphones” because of certain features they have. Is your cellphone a smartphone or not, or are you not sure?"
7
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
[n=576]
BBSMART1
[n=1,156]
You said that you [IF SMART1=YES, SMARTPHONE, INSERT: have a smartphone, but] do
not have a high-speed internet connection at home. Did you EVER at some point in the
past have a broadband internet subscription at home?
Based on non-broadband users [N=605]
CURRENT
%
BBSMART2
36
59
4
1
Yes, had broadband
No, did not have broadband
(VOL.) Don’t know
(VOL.) Refused
Would you like to have high-speed internet at home [IF BBSMART1=YES, HAD
BROADBAND AT HOME IN THE PAST, INSERT: again], or is that not something you're
interested in?
Based on non-broadband users [N=605]
CURRENT
%
25
70
3
2
Yes, interested
No, not interested
(VOL.) Don’t know
(VOL.) Refused
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29
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
BBSMART3
Please tell me whether any of the following are reasons why you do not have high-speed
internet at home. First, how about [INSERT ITEMS; RANDOMIZE; ITEM f ALWAYS LAST]?
Is this a reason why you do not have high-speed internet at home?
Next, what about [INSERT NEXT ITEM]? [IF NECESSARY: Is this a reason why you do not
have broadband service at home?]
Items A, B, D, E, F: Based on non-broadband users [N=605]
Item C: Based on non-broadband users who have a smartphone [N=244]
BBSMART4
YES
NO
(VOL.) DON’T
KNOW
(VOL.)
REFUSED
a.
The monthly cost of a home broadband
subscription is too expensive
59
34
4
2
b.
The cost of a computer is too expensive
45
50
3
2
c.
Your smartphone lets you do everything
online that you need to do
65
29
4
3
d.
You have other options for internet access
outside of your home
46
50
2
2
e.
Broadband service is not available where
you live, or is not available at an
acceptable speed
23
63
13
2
f.
Some other reason I haven’t already
mentioned (SPECIFY)
25
69
5
2
Thinking of the reasons why you do not have broadband service at home, which of them is
the MOST important? Is it that [READ; ONLY INCLUDE “YES” RESPONSES FROM
BBSMART3; LIST RESPONSES IN SAME ORDER AS BBSMART3]?8
Based on non-broadband users [N=605]
CURRENT
%
33
12
10
10
5
16
3
3
9
The monthly cost of a home subscription is too expensive
Your smartphone lets you do everything online that you need to do
The cost of a computer is too expensive
You have other options for internet access outside of your home
Broadband service is not available where you live, or is not available at an
acceptable speed
Or some other reason
(VOL.) Don’t know BBSMART4
(VOL.) Refused BBSMART4
None is a reason
Question was asked of respondents who gave two or more “Yes” responses in BBSMART3. Results shown here also include respondents
who gave only one “Yes” response in BBSMART3.
8
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30
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
CABLE1
Do you currently receive television via cable or satellite at home, or not?
CURRENT
%
CABLE2
76
24
*
0
Yes
No
(VOL.) Don’t know
(VOL.) Refused
Did you ever subscribe to a cable or satellite television package at home at some point in
the past?
Based on those who do not subscribe to cable or satellite TV at home/DK [N=423]
CURRENT
%
CABLE3
62
38
*
0
Yes, did subscribe
No, did not subscribe
(VOL.) Don’t know
(VOL.) Refused
Please tell me whether any of the following are reasons you do not currently have a cable
or satellite television subscription at home. (First,/Next,) [INSERT ITEMS; RANDOMIZE]?
[READ FOR FIRST ITEM THEN IF NECESSARY: Is this a reason why you do not have a
cable or satellite television subscription?]
Based on those who do not subscribe to cable or satellite TV at home/DK [N=423]
YES
NO
(VOL.) DON’T
KNOW
(VOL.)
REFUSED
a.
You do not often watch television
46
51
2
1
b.
The cost of cable or satellite service is too
expensive
71
28
*
1
c.
You can access the content you want to
watch online, using a streaming TV or
movie service, or using an over the air
antenna
64
33
2
1
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31
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Appendix:
% of adults who have home broadband
2013
2015
Broadband
at home
Unweighted
number of
cases
Broadband at
home
Unweighted
number of
cases
Change
(percentage
points)
70%
6,010
67%
6,687
-3
Male
70%
2,733
66%
3,367
-4
Female
70%
3,277
67%
3,320
-3
Parents
77%
1,533
73%
1,678
-4
Non-parents
67%
4,449
64%
4,976
-3
All
Gender
Parents
Race/Ethnicity
White
74%
4,223
72%
4,536
-2
African American
62%
664
54%
741
-8
Hispanic
56%
682
50%
888
-6
18-29
81%
945
75%
1,118
-6
30-49
77%
1,590
74%
1,830
-3
50-64
68%
1,842
65%
1,928
-3
65+*
47%
1,526
45%
1,688
-2
Under $20K
46%
1,048
41%
1,221
-5
$20K to $50K
67%
1,664
63%
1,752
-4
$50 to $75K
85%
787
80%
868
-5
$75K to $100K
88%
634
88%
688
0
Over $100K*
93%
1,010
91%
1,222
-2
Age
Income
Education
High school grads or less
50%
2,121
47%
2,219
-3
Some college /associate degree
80%
1,627
75%
1,718
-5
College +
90%
2,225
87%
2,704
-3
Rural
60%
1,180
55%
1,247
-5
Urban*
70%
1,850
67%
2,167
-3
Suburban
74%
2,980
70%
3,273
-4
Geography
Note: * signifies that 2013-2015 differences are not statistically significant
www.pewresearch.org
32
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
% of adults who are smartphone-only
COMBINED
2013
2015
Smartphone
only
Unweighted
number of
cases
Smartphone
only
Unweighted
number of
cases
Change
(percentage
points)
8%
6,010
13%
6,687
+5
Male
9%
2,733
14%
3,367
+5
Female
8%
3,277
13%
3,320
+5
Parents
10%
1,533
17%
1,678
+7
Non-parents
8%
4,449
12%
4,976
+4
All
Gender
Parents
Race/Ethnicity
White
6%
4,223
10%
4,536
+4
African American
10%
664
19%
741
+9
Hispanic
16%
682
23%
888
+7
18-29
12%
945
19%
1,118
+7
30-49
9%
1,590
16%
1,830
+7
50-64
7%
1,842
11%
1,928
+4
65+
3%
1,526
7%
1,688
+4
Under $20K
13%
1,048
21%
1,221
+8
$20K to $50K
10%
1,664
16%
1,752
+6
$50 to $75K
5%
787
10%
868
+5
$75K to $100K*
6%
634
8%
688
+2
Over $100K*
4%
1,010
6%
1,222
+2
Age
Income
Education
High school grads or less
11%
2,121
18%
2,219
+7
Some college /associate degree
8%
1,627
14%
1,718
+6
College +
4%
2,225
6%
2,704
+2
Rural
9%
1,180
15%
1,247
+6
Urban
9%
1,850
15%
2,167
+6
Suburban
7%
2,980
12%
3,273
+5
Geography
Note: * signifies that 2013-2015 differences are not statistically significant
www.pewresearch.org
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