Pew Studies Internet Use & Income Levels

The PEW Internet and American Life Project has come out with a new study about internet use based on household income that includes some data on how these segments use search. There’s also interesting stuff here about how income correlates to likelihood to rate and review products, pay for online content, book travel, and access online news.

The top-level conclusions are that Americans in higher income brackets (over $75,000 a year) use the internet  more often than those in lower income brackets. Those in higher income brackets are also more likely to have broadband access), which PEW has previously correlated to higher internet usage. the study correlates income to mobile device usage as well as PEW found that a greater percentage of higher income households (95% vs 83%) own cell phones.

How Americans In Higher Income Brackets use the Internet

The study found that 95% of Americans making over $75,000 a year use the internet and that among them:

• 93% use email
• 80% access news online
• 88% conduct online product research
• 83% make travel reservations online
• 81% purchase products and services online
• 80% research medical information online

On a given day:

• 20% of Americans in the higher income brackets search for map or location information
• 40% research products
• 50% get news online

Those in the highest bracket (over $150,000 a year) use the internet more often in all categories measured by the study:

• 89% have searched online for maps or directions
• 86% conduct online product research
• 82% access news online
• 55% pay for online content

(Note that this data about online searches for maps or directions are likely a subset of the searches that have local intent.)

Details On Specific Usage

There are some interesting breakdowns here by vertical.

Accessing news

• 74% of those in the higher income group get news online in a typical day vs. 34% of those in lower income brackets.
• 22% in the higher brackets get news from national print papers in a typical day vs. 12% for the lower income groups.
• 50% of both the lowest and highest income brackets typically get news from a local print paper.

Government and politics

• 61% of those in the higher income group look for political news online vs. 35% of those in lower income brackets.
• 79% in the higher brackets have visited a government web site vs. 56% of those in the lower income brackets.

Health information

• 80% in the higher income groups search for information on medical issues vs. 54% of those in lower income brackets.
• 54% in the higher income groups search for information on doctors vs. 32% of those in the lower income brackets.

Product research

• 88% in the higher income groups research products online vs. 67% in the lower income brackets.
• 81% in the higher income groups by products online vs. 51% of the lower income brackets.
• 40% in the higher income groups rate and review products vs. 29% of those in the lower income brackets who review products and 21% of those in the lower income brackets who rate products.

Travel

• 83% of those in the higher income groups make travel reservations online vs. 47% of those in the lower income brackets.

Device Usage

Interested in how what devices your visitors use to view your content? 95% of those in higher income brackets have cell phones and 9% have tablets, such as the iPad.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Vanessa Fox

Vanessa Fox is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. She built Google Webmaster Central and went on to found software and consulting company Nine By Blue and create Blueprint Search Analytics< which she later sold. Her book, Marketing in the Age of Google, (updated edition, May 2012) provides a foundation for incorporating search strategy into organizations of all levels. Follow her on Twitter at @vanessafox.