A Comprehensive Study of U.S. Internet Usage and Demographics

22 October 1999
A study of US Internet users and their Internet habits has been compiled by eMarketer. The "eUser & Usage Report" covers the total number of US Net users, as well as breaking them down by age, sex, and other demographics.

Among the findings:

  • The median income for online households is 57 percent higher than the average American household -- $58,000 vs. $37,005, respectively.
  • Some 27 million women now online account for 46 percent of all U.S. net users.
  • Teens average 8.5 hours online per week - 27 percent more than average net users.
  • 87 percent of college students are currently online, representing, by far, the most active single group on the net.
  • In 1999, seniors will account for 19 percent or $3.5 billion of total consumer online spending in the U.S. With a compound growth rate of 68 percent this figure will reach $16.7 billion by 2002.
  • Hispanics represent the largest minority group online with 6.9 million net users followed 6.6 million Blacks and 4 million Asians online.
  • The number of gays & lesbians online worldwide will rise from 9.2 million in 1999 to 17 million in 2005.

"Working on the Web today is like trying to hit a series of fast moving targets," says Geoffrey Ramsey, Statsmaster at eMarketer. "The eUser & Usage Report is designed to help e-businesses zero in on their target audiences. It provides razor-sharp business critical information necessary to compete in today's competitive web environment."

Data from the US Department of Commerce, US Census Bureau, Forrester Research, Intelliquest, Jupiter Communications, Dataquest, Datamonitor, Media Metrix , IDC, and hundreds of other sources has been combined. "This report contains the most comprehensive, multi- Sourced, objective review of the net to date," said Ramsey.

Information about the eUser & Usage Report is available at www.emarketer.com.