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Indicator 12: Student Internet Access by Locale and Race/Ethnicity

In 2015, the percentage of 5- to 17-year-old students with either no access to the internet at home or only dial-up access varied by race/ethnicity. In remote rural areas, the percentage of students who had either no internet access or only dial-up access at home were higher for Black (41 percent) and Hispanic students (26 percent) than for White (13 percent) and Asian students (11 percent).

Studies have shown that differences in home internet access exist across students with different characteristics, including race/ethnicity and geographic locale (File and Ryan 2014; Horrigan and Duggan 2015). This indicator uses data from the American Community Survey to examine the percentages of students ages 5 to 17 with home internet access in 2015, by type of access, race/ethnicity, and geographic locale.

Students can access the Internet from home through different methods, such as a broadband subscription, either fixed or mobile, or even without a subscription.1 Fixed broadband (of any sort) excludes mobile broadband, but includes all other non-dial-up internet service, such as DSL, cable modem, fiber-optic cable, and satellite internet service. Mobile broadband includes computer and cell phone plans. In this indicator, mobile broadband includes households with mobile broadband either alone or with dial-up access at home. In addition, "either no access to the Internet or only dial-up access" includes households where no member accesses the Internet at home as well as households where members access the Internet only with a dial-up service. In 2015, about 78 percent of students ages 5 to 17 had access at home to the Internet through fixed broadband of any sort, 7 percent had access to the Internet through mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access, 4 percent only had access to the Internet without a subscription, and 11 percent of students had either no access to the Internet or only dial-up access.


Figure 12.1. Percentage distribution of students 5 to 17 years old, by race/ethnicity and internet access at home: 2015

Figure 12.1. Percentage distribution of students 5 to 17 years old, by race/ethnicity and internet access at home: 2015

1 Excludes mobile broadband, but includes all other non-dial-up internet service, such as DSL, cable modem, and fiber-optic cable.
2 Includes respondents living in a city or town that provides free internet services for its residents.
3 Includes households where no member accesses the Internet at home as well as households where members access the Internet only with a dial-up service.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States. However, this figure includes only students living in households, because respondents living in group quarters (e.g., shelters, healthcare facilities, or correctional facilities) were not asked about internet access. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 218.71.


In 2015, the percentages of 5- to 17-year-old students with fixed broadband access, mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access, and either no access to the Internet or only dial-up access at home varied by race/ethnicity. The percentage of students with fixed broadband access at home was highest for Asian students (91 percent), followed by White students (84 percent), students of Two or more races (82 percent), Hispanic students (68 percent), Black students (66 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native students (56 percent). The percentage of Pacific Islander students with fixed broadband access at home (79 percent) was also higher than the percentages of Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students, but was not measurably different from the percentages of White students or students of Two or more races.

The percentage of students with mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access at home also varied by race/ethnicity, but the pattern of access contrasted with that for fixed broadband access at home. The percentage of students with mobile broadband at home was highest for American Indian/Alaska Native (11 percent) and Hispanic (10 percent) students; followed by Black students (8 percent); then by students of Two or more races (7 percent), White, and Pacific Islander students (6 percent each); and was lowest for Asian students (4 percent). No measurable differences were found between the percentages of Black and Pacific Islander students. In addition, no measurable differences were found between the percentages for students of Two or more races and White and Pacific Islander students. Finally, the percentage of students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home in 2015 was highest for American Indian/Alaska Native students (27 percent), then Black students (19 percent), then Hispanic students (17 percent), then Pacific Islander students (12 percent), then White students and students of Two or more races (7 percent each), and then Asian students (3 percent).


Figure 12.2. Percentage distribution of White students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

Figure 12.2. Percentage distribution of White students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

1 Excludes mobile broadband, but includes all other non-dial-up internet service, such as DSL, cable modem, and fiber-optic cable.
2 Includes respondents living in a city or town that provides free internet services for its residents.
3 Includes households where no member accesses the Internet at home as well as households where members access the Internet only with a dial-up service.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States. However, this figure includes only students living in households, because respondents living in group quarters (e.g., shelters, healthcare facilities, or correctional facilities) were not asked about internet access. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 218.71.


In 2015, about 84 percent of 5- to 17-year-old White students had access at home to the Internet through fixed broadband of any sort, 6 percent had access to the Internet through mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access, 3 percent had access to the Internet without a subscription, and 7 percent of White students either had no access to the Internet or only dial-up access.

In 2015, the percentage of 5- to 17-year-old White students with fixed broadband access at home varied based on the locale in which their home was situated. The percentage of White students with fixed broadband access at home was highest in suburban areas (90 percent), followed by cities (86 percent), then towns (79 percent), and was lowest in rural areas (75 percent). The percentage was lowest for White students living in distant rural areas (69 percent) than for those living in remote rural areas (71 percent), distant towns (78 percent), remote towns (79 percent), fringe rural areas (80 percent), fringe towns (83 percent), small cities (85 percent), large cities and small suburbs (86 percent each), midsize suburbs (87 percent), midsize cities (88 percent), and large suburbs (91 percent). The percentage of students with fixed broadband access at home was also lower for students living in remote rural areas (71 percent) than in all other detailed locales, with the exception of distant rural areas.

The percentage of 5- to 17-year-old White students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home in 2015 also varied by locale, but the pattern of access contrasted with that for fixed broadband access at home. The percentage of White students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home was highest in rural areas (11 percent), followed by towns (9 percent), then cities (6 percent), and was lowest in suburban areas (3 percent). The percentage was higher for students living in distant rural areas (14 percent) than for those living in all other detailed locales, with the percentages ranging from 3 percent in large suburbs to 13 percent in remote rural areas.


Figure 12.3. Percentage distribution of Black students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

Figure 12.3. Percentage distribution of Black students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

1 Excludes mobile broadband, but includes all other non-dial-up internet service, such as DSL, cable modem, and fiber-optic cable.
2 Includes respondents living in a city or town that provides free internet services for its residents.
3 Includes households where no member accesses the Internet at home as well as households where members access the Internet only with a dial-up service.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States. However, this figure includes only students living in households, because respondents living in group quarters (e.g., shelters, healthcare facilities, or correctional facilities) were not asked about internet access. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 218.71.


In 2015, about 66 percent of 5- to 17-year-old Black students had access at home to the Internet through fixed broadband of any sort, 8 percent had access to the Internet through mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access, 7 percent had access to the Internet without a subscription, and 19 percent of Black students had either no access to the Internet or only dial-up access.

In 2015, the percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Black students with fixed broadband access at home varied by locale. The percentage of Black students with fixed broadband access at home was highest in suburban areas (76 percent), followed by cities (61 percent), then rural areas (58 percent), and was lowest in towns (53 percent). The percentage was lower for Black students living in remote rural areas (43 percent) than in all other detailed locales with the exception of remote towns, with the percentages ranging from 47 percent in remote towns to 76 percent in large suburbs.

The percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Black students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home in 2015 also varied by locale, but the pattern of access contrasted with that for fixed broadband access at home. The percentage of Black students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home was highest in towns (28 percent) and rural areas (27 percent), followed by cities (21 percent), and was lowest in suburban areas (13 percent). The percentage was higher for Black students living in remote rural areas (41 percent) than for those living in all other detailed locales, with the percentages ranging from 12 percent in large suburbs to 32 percent in remote towns.


Figure 12.4. Percentage distribution of Hispanic students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

Figure 12.4. Percentage distribution of Hispanic students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

1 Excludes mobile broadband, but includes all other non-dial-up internet service, such as DSL, cable modem, and fiber-optic cable.
2 Includes respondents living in a city or town that provides free internet services for its residents.
3 Includes households where no member accesses the Internet at home as well as households where members access the Internet only with a dial-up service.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States. However, this figure includes only students living in households, because respondents living in group quarters (e.g., shelters, healthcare facilities, or correctional facilities) were not asked about internet access. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 218.71.


In 2015, about 68 percent of 5- to 17-year-old Hispanic students had access at home to the Internet through fixed broadband of any sort, 10 percent had access to the Internet through mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access, 5 percent had access to the Internet without a subscription, and 17 percent of Hispanic students had either no access to the Internet or only dial-up access.

In 2015, the percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Hispanic students with fixed broadband access at home varied by locale. The percentage of Hispanic students with fixed broadband access at home was highest in suburban areas (73 percent), followed by cities (66 percent), then towns (62 percent), and was lowest in rural areas (57 percent). The percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Hispanic students with fixed broadband access at home was lower for students living in remote rural (53 percent) and distant rural (54 percent) areas than for those living in all other detailed locales, with the percentages ranging from 59 percent in distant towns to 74 percent in large suburbs.

The percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Hispanic students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home in 2015 also varied by locale, but the pattern of access contrasted with that for fixed broadband access at home. The percentage of Hispanic students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home was highest in rural areas (22 percent), followed by towns (20 percent), then cities (18 percent), and was lowest in suburban areas (14 percent). The percentage was higher for students living in remote rural areas (26 percent) than for those living in all other detailed locales with the exception of distant rural areas (23 percent), with the percentages ranging from 14 percent in large suburbs to 22 percent in distant towns.


Figure 12.5. Percentage distribution of Asian students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

Figure 12.5. Percentage distribution of Asian students 5 to 17 years old, by internet access at home and locale: 2015

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Excludes mobile broadband, but includes all other non-dial-up internet service, such as DSL, cable modem, and fiber-optic cable.
2 Includes respondents living in a city or town that provides free internet services for its residents.
3 Includes households where no member accesses the Internet at home as well as households where members access the Internet only with a dial-up service.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States. However, this figure includes only students living in households, because respondents living in group quarters (e.g., shelters, healthcare facilities, or correctional facilities) were not asked about internet access. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2015. See Digest of Education Statistics 2016, table 218.71.


In 2015, about 91 percent of 5- to 17-year-old Asian students had access at home to the Internet through fixed broadband of any sort, 4 percent had access to the Internet through mobile broadband alone or with dial-up access, 2 percent had access to the Internet without a subscription, and 3 percent of Asian students either had no access to the Internet or only dial-up access.

In 2015, the percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Asian students with fixed broadband access at home varied by locale. The percentage of Asian students with fixed broadband access at home was higher in suburban areas (93 percent) than in cities (90 percent) and rural areas and towns (88 percent each). The percentage was lower for students living in distant rural (79 percent) and remote rural (80 percent) areas than for those living in all other detailed locales with the exception of distant and remote towns, with the percentages ranging from 88 percent in large cities to 94 percent in fringe towns.

The percentage of 5- to 17-year-old Asian students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home in 2015 also varied by locale, but the pattern of access contrasted with that for fixed broadband access at home. The percentage of Asian students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home was higher in towns (6 percent), rural areas (5 percent), and cities (4 percent) than in suburban areas (2 percent). The percentage was higher for students living in remote rural areas (11 percent) than for those living in all other detailed locales with the exception of large cities, distant rural areas, distant towns, and remote towns, with the percentages ranging from 2 percent each in small cities and large and midsize suburbs to 3 percent in fringe towns.

In general, the overall racial/ethnic patterns of home internet access for students ages 5 to 17 were also observed across geographic locales. Overall and in cities and towns, the percentage of students with fixed broadband access at home in 2015 was highest for Asian students, followed by White, Hispanic, and then Black students. However, in suburban areas the percentage of students with fixed broadband access at home was higher for Black students than for Hispanic students (76 vs. 73 percent), and in rural areas no measurable differences were observed between the percentages of Black and Hispanic students with fixed broadband access. In cities, towns, and rural areas, the percentage of students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home in 2015 was highest for Black students, followed by Hispanic, White, and Asian students. However, in suburban areas the percentage of students with either no internet access or only dial-up access at home was higher for Hispanic students than for Black students (14 vs. 13 percent).


1 Includes respondents living in a city or town that provides free internet services for its residents.



Reference Tables

  • Table 12.1. (Digest table 218.71) Number and percentage distribution of 5- to 17-year-old students, by home internet access, race/ethnicity, and locale: 2015