Internet & Technology Used More by Higher Income Buyers (Your Target Audience)

Higher-income Americans have higher rates of internet and other technology usage than Americans of lower incomes, according to new data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Almost All Higher-income Americans Use The Internet

Currently 95% of Americans who live in households earning $75,000 or more a year use the internet at least occasionally, compared with 70% of those living in households earning less than $75,000. Even among those who use the internet, those with higher incomes are more likely than those with lower income to use technology. Out of the 95% of higher-income internet users:

• 99% use the internet at home, compared with 93% of the internet users in lower brackets
• 93% of higher-income home internet users have some type of broadband connection compared to 85% of the internet users who live in households earning less than $75,000 per year. That means 87% of all those higher income households having broadband high speed internet at home
• 95% of higher-income households own a cell phone compared to 83% of lower income households

The Income Gap Applies to a Wide Variety of Technology Usage

Higher-income Americans are also more likely than those in lesser-income households to own a variety of information and communications gear including:

• 79% of those living in households earning $75,000 or more own desktop computers, compared with 55% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 79% of those living in higher-income households own laptops, compared with 47% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 70% of those living in higher-income households own iPods or other MP3 players, compared with 42% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 54% of those living in higher-income households own game consoles, compared with 41% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 12% of those living in higher-income households own eBook readers such as Kindles, compared with 3% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 9% of those living in higher-income households own tablet computers such as iPads, compared with 3% of those living in less well-off homes.

Wealthier People Use E-Commerce and Make Purchases Online

Significantly more higher-income Americans are conducting e-commerce activities than members of other income groups. Solid majorities of higher-income internet users research products (88%), make travel reservations online (83%), purchase products or services online (81%), perform online banking (74%), use the internet to pay bills (71%), and use online classified sites such as Craigslist (60%).

The Wealthy Also Use Government eCommerce

Overall 82% of internet users (representing 61% of all American adults) looked for information or completed a transaction on a government website between December 2008 and December 2009, according to an earlier
study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. However, high-income internet users are much more likely than those with lower levels of income to interact with government via online channels.

For example, 91% of internet users earning $50,000 or more a year get information or complete transactions on government websites, compared to 76% of those earning less than $50,000 a year. The largest disparity by income exists in the practice of going online for data about government activities. Fifty percent of internet users earning $50,000 or more a year do so, compared to only 31% of internet users earning less than $50,000 a year.

People with the highest incomes are shopping online to make purchases, research future purchases and 95% of them in ALL age groups are using the Internet. To reach online buyers and sell more for your business contact Internet Builder Consulting for a BETTER website, Social Network Setup or Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization today by calling the office to speak with an Internet & Technology Consultant:

816-842-7774 or Request a Website, SEO or Social Marketing Consultation Online.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson

Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites and Online Marketing since 1995

Social Marketing Builders – Building BETTER Social Networking Solutions for Business

816-842-7774 Office