147 Million Web Surfers in the U.S.

The latest report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project is now available, and in the latest survey the non-profit organization reports that 73% of all Americans are now using the Web in some fashion or the other, an increase of 7% from the same period last year. Other key points from this study:

*There is a strong correlation between education and web usage. While 91% of those with a college degree use the Web, those without a high school degree stand at only 40% usage.

*A similar, and not surprising, connection can be seen between income and Internet use. Only 53% of adults living in households with less than $30K in annual income are online, while 91% of those with an income over $75K use the Web.

*Internet usage continues to skew young, with 88% of those in the 18-29 age group using the Web regularly, 84% of those ages 30-49, 71% of 50-64 year-olds, and only 32% of users over the age of 65.

*Younger users report the greatest improvement in their Internet experience, particularly when it comes to shopping online and finding information related to health concerns and their hobbies.

*42% of Americans now have high-speed Internet access.

This is not a particularly lengthy study this time around, but it is worth noting the trends in Web usage reported in this ongoing scholarly study of how people use the Web.