Rural Areas And The Internet

Internet penetration has grown in rural communities, but the gap between them and suburban and urban communities has remained constant over time.

February 19, 2004, 11am PST | Chris Steins | @urbaninsight

There has been steady penetration of the Internet into rural areas in recent years and more than half of ruraladults -- 52% -- now go online. However, a corresponding rise in thepercentage of urban and suburban residents going online has left apersistent gap between rural areas and the rest of the country. Some 67% ofurban residents and 66% of suburbanites are online. A new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that the gapis probably tied to the fact that rural residents as a group earn less andare older than their urban and suburban counterparts.

Thanks to Chris Steins

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Rural Areas and the Internet

Published on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 in Pew Partnership