Five U.S. Cities Reach 50% Internet Penetration

D.C., San Francisco, Austin, Seattle and Salt Lake City are most wired; 10.18.99

New York, October 18, 1999—Scarborough Research, the leading local market consumer ratings firm, announced today results from its latest study reveal that five U.S cities have reached 50% Internet penetration among the adult population.

Washington, D.C. ranks number one with 59.9% of the adult population online, followed by San Francisco (56.1%); Austin, Tex. (55.5%); Seattle (53.3%) and Salt Lake City (50.0%). Scarborough measured Internet usage over a one-year period both at home and at work for these findings.

Commenting on the results, Scarborough President Bob Cohen said, "Reaching the 50% threshold is a significant milestone for the Internet as it continues to mature into a mainstream medium. It’s also noteworthy that we continue to see notable differences in Internet usage on a local market level—indicating that technological innovation is impacted by the interplay of local demographic, cultural, retail and media dynamics. To understand both cause and effect, one must telescope down to the local market—the venue in which consumers live, work, recreate, shop and are informed and entertained."

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Other Major Cities


Other major cities which fall under the 50% mark but trail closely behind the top Internet savvy cities: Los Angeles (48.7%), Boston (46.0%), Chicago (44.8%), New York (43.7%) and Philadelphia (41.5%). The overall 64-market average is currently 43.7%.

On the low end for Internet usage are smaller cities: Wilkes Barre, Penn. (32.8%); Charleston, W.Va. (32.4%); Birmingham, Ala. (32.2%); Tulsa, Okla. (32.3%); and Pittsburgh, Penn. (30.8%).

About Scarborough Research


The data for this report was compiled from February 1998 to February 1999 from release one f the 1999 Scarborough 12 month database. Over 170,000 interviews from adults ages 18+ were conducted in 64 leading U.S. markets. The reports are single source studies that examine a variety of characteristics including local market consumer shopping patterns, media usage, demographics, and lifestyle activities.

Scarborough Research provides a syndicated study to newspapers, television stations, radio stations, cable systems, Internet companies, advertisers and agencies. Scarborough Research is a service of The Arbitron Company and VNU Marketing Information Services.

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Percent of Internet Penetration in 64 Markets
Market % Total
Adults		 Market % Total
Adults
Washington, D.C. 59.9 St. Louis 40.8
San Francisco 56.1 New Orleans 40.5
Austin 55.5 Grand Rapids 40.5
Seattle/Tacoma 53.3 Orlando/Daytona/MLB 40.3
Salt Lake City 50.0 Oklahoma City 39.7
Dallas/Ft. Worth 49.6 Greensboro/W. Salem 39.7
Denver 49.0 Des Moines 39.2
Houston 48.8 Harrisburg/York 39.2
Los Angeles 48.7 Milwaukee 38.9
Norfolk/Newport News 48.5 Detroit 38.8
Portland, OR 48.1 Albuquerque/Santa Fe 38.4
San Diego 46.8 Cleveland 37.3
Sacramento/Stockton 46.3 Greenville 37.1
Kansas City 46.1 Lexington 37.0
Boston 46.0 West Palm Beach 36.9
Providence/New Bedford 46.0 Tampa/St. Pete 36.7
Baltimore 45.7 Charlotte 36.7
Raleigh/Durham 45.7 Memphis 36.1
Syracuse 45.5 Buffalo 35.9
Atlanta 45.1 Knoxville 35.9
Minneapolis/St. Paul 45.0 Cincinnati 35.8
Chicago 44.8 Nashville 35.8
New York 43.7 Fresno/Visalia 35.8
Phoenix 43.4 Louisville 35.5
Albany/Troy 43.1 Dayton 34.6
Jacksonville 43.1 San Antonio 34.2
Indianapolis 42.3 Wichita/Hutchinson 32.8
Las Vegas 41.8 Wilkes Barre/Scranton 32.8
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale 41.8 Charleston/Huntington 32.4
Philadelphia 41.5 Birmingham 32.2
Columbus, OH 41.1 Tulsa 32.2
Hartford/New Haven 40.9 Pittsburgh 30.8