NEW YORK—Cell phone ownership has gone up 29 percent in the past two years, and currently about 62 percent, or two-thirds, of American adults own cell phones, according to a recent study from Scarborough Research.
Houston, Atlanta, Honolulu, Miami and Dallas round out the top five U.S. cities for number of adults owning cellular phones—ownership ranges from 74 percent in Houston to 69 percent in Miami and Dallas. Charleston, West Virginia, came in last with only 39 percent of adults owning cell phones.
Alisa Joseph, vice president of advertiser marketing services for Scarborough Research, said it is important to note the variance by local market. “For the wireless industry, this points to a need to target these consumers where they live, work, socialize and commute,” she explained. “A targeted local campaign or wireless service package designed specifically around local market dynamics is essential to reach current and untapped customers.”
The study also showed that about 41 percent of cell-phone owners pay more than US$50 per month for service, 23 percent pay more than US$75 per month, and commuters are 66 percent more likely to pay more than US$150 per month.
Scarborough Research’s research also showed that cell-phone ownership will likely continue to grow, as 9 percent of adults said they intend to buy phones this year.
