Indicator 10: Barriers to Internet Access at Home

In 2015, the most common main reasons for children ages 3 to 18 not having home internet access were that it was too expensive (38 percent), that their family did not need it or were not interested in having it (38 percent), that their home lacked a computer or a computer adequate for internet use (8 percent), and that internet service was not available in the area (5 percent).

This indicator uses data from the Current Population Survey to describe differences in the percentage of children ages 3 to 18 who lacked access to the Internet at home in 2010 and in 2015 and to explore the main reasons reported for not having access.¹ It then focuses on the percentage of children with different barriers to internet access in their home in 2015, describing differences in relation to race/ethnicity, age, highest level of education attained by either parent, and family income. This indicator considers the following main reasons for not having home internet access as barriers to access: that it is too expensive (i.e., the family could not afford it or it was not worth the cost), that the home lacks a computer or a computer adequate for internet use, and that internet service is not available in the area.

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Figure 10.1. Percentage of children ages 3 to 18 with no internet access at home, by family income and race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2015

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
NOTE: Family income shown in current dollars. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Data for 2015 were collected in the July supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), while data for 2010 were collected in the October supplement. The July supplement consists solely of questions about computer and internet use. In contrast, the October supplement focuses on school enrollment, although it also includes questions about computer and internet use. Measurable differences in estimates across years could reflect actual changes in the population; however, differences could also reflect seasonal variations in data collection or differences between the content of the July and October supplements. Therefore, caution should be used when making year-to-year comparisons. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October 2010 and July 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 702.40.

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The percentage of children ages 3 to 18 with no internet access at home was lower in 2015 (19 percent) than in 2010 (21 percent); however, home internet access in 2015 varied by household characteristics. For instance, higher percentages of American Indian/Alaska Native (28 percent), Hispanic (28 percent), and Black children (26 percent) did not have home internet access in 2015, compared with the percentages of children of Two or more races (16 percent), White children (14 percent), and Asian children (13 percent). Also, the percentages of children ages 3 to 18 who did not have home internet access were lower for those with higher family incomes than for those with lower family incomes, ranging from 9 percent lacking access for those with a family income of $100,000 or more to 39 percent for those with a family income of less than $10,000.

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Figure 10.2. Percentage distribution of children ages 3 to 18 with no internet access at home, by main reason for not having access: 2015

¹ Respondents could specify "other" reasons. Examples of other reasons were not provided to respondents.
NOTE: Includes only children living in homes with no internet access. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), July 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 702.40.

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In 2015, the two most common main reasons for children ages 3 to 18 to not have home internet access were that it was too expensive or that the family did not need it or were not interested in having it (38 percent each). Other main reasons for not having home internet access included that the home lacked a computer or a computer adequate for internet use (8 percent), internet service was not available in the area (5 percent), the Internet could be used somewhere else (3 percent), and privacy and security concerns (i.e., online privacy and cybersecurity and personal safety concerns) (2 percent). Estimates from 2015 are not directly comparable to those from 2010 because of differences in the question wording and the exclusion of privacy or security concerns as a response option in the 2010 survey. However, the prevalence of other main reasons for no home internet access in 2010 differed from the pattern observed in 2015. In 2010, the most common main reason for children ages 3 to 18 not having home internet access was that it was too expensive (47 percent). Other main reasons for not having home internet access included that the family did not need it or were not interested in having it (22 percent), the home lacked a computer or a computer adequate for internet use (17 percent), the Internet could be used somewhere else (6 percent), and internet service was not available in the area (2 percent).

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Figure 10.3. Percentage of children ages 3 to 18 whose main reason for no home internet access was that it was too expensive, by race/ethnicity: 2015

NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Includes only children living in homes with no internet access. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), July 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 702.40.

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In 2015, the percentage of children ages 3 to 18 whose main barrier to home internet access was that it was too expensive was higher for American Indian/Alaska Native children (55 percent), Black children (46 percent), Hispanic children (44 percent), and children of Two or more races (40 percent) than for White (28 percent) and Asian children (25 percent). No measurable differences across racial/ethnic groups were observed in the percentages of children whose main barrier was a lack of a computer or a computer adequate for internet access. On the other hand, lower percentages of Black (3 percent) and Hispanic children (2 percent) did not have home internet access for the main reason that service was not available in their area, compared with 8 percent of White children.

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Figure 10.4. Percentage of children ages 3 to 18 whose main reason for no home internet access was that it was too expensive or that the home lacked a computer or computer adequate for internet use, by age: 2015

NOTE: Includes only children living in homes with no internet access. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), July 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 702.40.

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For the most part, the main barriers to home internet access in 2015 did not vary for children from different age groups. However, a higher percentage of children ages 3 to 4 than ages 15 to 18 did not have home internet access for the main reason that it was too expensive (41 vs. 36 percent), and a higher percentage of children ages 5 to 10 than ages 15 to 18 did not have access for the main reason that they lacked a computer or a computer adequate for internet use (9 vs. 7 percent). No measurable differences were observed across age groups in the percentage whose main barrier to internet access was a lack of availability in the area.

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Figure 10.5. Percentage of children ages 3 to 18 whose main reason for no home internet access was that it was too expensive or that internet service was not available in the area, by highest level of education attained by either parent: 2015

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
NOTE: Highest education level attained by either parent includes any parent residing with the child (including an adoptive or stepparent). Includes only children who resided with at least one of their parents. Includes only children living in homes with no internet access. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), July 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 702.40.

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In 2015, it was less common for expense to be a main barrier to home internet access among children ages 3 to 18 whose parents had attained a bachelor's or higher degree (25 percent) than it was among children whose parents had attained lower levels of education (ranging from 36 to 45 percent). In contrast, it was more common for children whose parents had attained a bachelor's or higher degree for their main barrier to be a lack of internet service in the area (10 percent) than it was for children whose parents had lower levels of educational attainment (2 to 6 percent). In addition, a lower percentage of children whose parents had not completed high school did not have home internet access for the main reason that service was not available in their area (2 percent), compared with children whose parents' educational attainment level was an associate's degree (5 percent) or some college (6 percent). With respect to a lack of a computer or a computer adequate for internet access, a lower percentage of children whose parents had attained an associate's degree had this as their main barrier to home internet access (4 percent) than did children whose parents had other levels of educational attainment (8 to 10 percent).

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Figure 10.6. Percentage of children ages 3 to 18 whose main reason for no home internet access was that it was too expensive, by family income: 2015

NOTE: Family income shown in current dollars. Includes only children living in homes with no internet access. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), July 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 702.40.

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The percentage of children ages 3 to 18 with different main barriers to home internet access in 2015 also varied by family income level. It was more common for children in families with lower incomes than for those with higher incomes for their main barrier to home internet access to be that it was too expensive. For example, 57 percent of children with family incomes less than $10,000, 47 percent of those with incomes between $10,000 and $19,999, 44 percent of those with incomes between $20,000 and $29,999, 42 percent of those with family incomes between $30,000 and $39,999, and 32 percent of those with family incomes between $40,000 and $49,999 did not have home internet access due to the barrier of it being too expensive, compared with 20 to 23 percent of children with family incomes of $50,000 or more (in current dollars). On the other hand, 11 percent of children in families with incomes of $100,000 or higher did not have home internet access due to the barrier of a lack of internet service in the area, compared with 1 to 4 percent of children with family incomes less than $40,000. No patterns of associations were observed across income groups in the percentage whose main barrier to internet access was a lack of a computer or a computer adequate for internet access.

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¹ Data for 2015 were collected in the July supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), while data for 2010 were collected in the October supplement. The July supplement consists solely of questions about computer and internet use. In contrast, the October supplement focuses on school enrollment, although it also includes questions about computer and internet use. Measurable differences in estimates across years could reflect actual changes in the population; however, differences could also reflect seasonal variations in data collection or differences between the content of the July and October supplements. Therefore, caution should be used when making year-to-year comparisons.

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