More than a third of U.S. households (34%) have wireless phones and no landline as of the second half of 2011, up from 18% in the first half of 2008, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Some 32% of adults live in wireless-only households, but more than half of those ages 25-34 live in such households.
Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanics to live in households with only wireless phones. Adults who rent rather than own their homes, those who live with roommates, those who live alone, and those with incomes below the poverty line are more likely than average to live in wireless-only households.
Men are more likely than women to live in wireless-only households (34% vs. 31%), but women make up 49% of those who live in wireless-only households, up from 46% in 2008.
People who live in wireless-only households are more likely than those who live in households with landlines to exercise during their leisure time on a regular basis. They’re also more likely to be without health insurance, and to have experienced financial barriers to obtaining healthcare when they needed it.
Residents of the Northeast (19%) are less likely than those living in the West (30%), South (34%), or Midwest (34%) to have only wireless phones at home.
Source: “Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2011,” June 2012, National Center for Health Statistics, Stephen Blumberg, Ph.D., 3311 Toledo Rd., Hyattsville, MD 20782; 301-458-4000; cdcinfo@cdc.gov; http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/ Price: Available online at no charge.
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