The Pew Internet and American Life Project gathered data on Internet users in a 2006 tracking survey study. Here are the results with survey question(s) listed below:
| Demographics of Internet Users | ||
|---|---|---|
| Below is the % of each group who use the internet, according to our February–April 2006 survey. As an example, 71% of adult women use the internet. | ||
| Use the internet | ||
| Total Adults | 73% | |
| Women | 71 | |
| Men | 74 | |
| Age | ||
| 18-29 | 88% | |
| 30-49 | 84 | |
| 50-64 | 71 | |
| 65+ | 32 | |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| White, Non-Hispanic | 73% | |
| Black, Non-Hispanic | 61 | |
| English-speaking Hispanic | 76 | |
| Community type | ||
| Urban | 75% | |
| Suburban | 75 | |
| Rural | 63 | |
| Household income | ||
| Less than $30,000/yr | 53% | |
| $30,000-$49,999 | 80 | |
| $50,000-$74,999 | 86 | |
| $75,000 + | 91 | |
| Educational attainment | ||
| Less than High School | 40% | |
| High School | 64 | |
| Some College | 84 | |
| College + | 91 | |
| Here is the % of home internet users who have dial-up vs. high-speed connections at home. As an example, 34% of home internet users have dial-up connections. | ||
Dial-up
| High-speed
| | |
| Home internet users | 34% | 62% |
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, February 15 – April 6, 2006 Tracking Survey. N=4,001 adults, 18 and older. Margin of error is ±2% for results based on the full sample and ±2% for results based on internet users.
Please note that prior to our January 2005 survey, the question used to identify internet users read, “Do you ever go online to access the Internet or World Wide Web or to send and receive email?” The current two-part question wording reads, “Do you use the internet, at least occasionally?” and “Do you send or receive email, at least occasionally?”
Last updated April 26, 2006.
BusinessWeek published the following results of surveys conducted by Forrester Research. These surveys examined US online users' demographics and what activities they engage in. These statistics refer directly to many of what has been termed "Web 2.0" services:
As we'll discuss in the next lesson, when developing any web site it's imperative to understand your target audience. Embed this data in your mind so you understand the reasonability of expectations when reaching out to different demographics.