Number of American Homes with only Wireless Telephones Growing

The trend towards ditching our landline telephones continues, according to a new report from NCHS. Nearly two in every five American homes had only wireless telephones (also known as cellular telephones, cell phones, or mobile phones) during the second half of 2012—an increase of 2.4 percentage points since the first half of 2012.

In addition, nearly one of every six American homes received all or almost all calls on wireless telephones despite also having a landline telephone.

Some other key findings:

• Men were more likely than women to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
• Six in 10 adults aged 25–29 lived in households with only wireless telephones. This rate is greater than the rates for adults aged 18–24 or 30–34 The percentage of adults living in households with only wireless telephones decreased as age increased beyond 35 years.
• Hispanic adults were more likely than non-Hispanic white adults or non-Hispanic black adults to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
• More than three in four adults living only with unrelated adult roommates were in households with only wireless telephones. This rate is higher than the rate for adults living alone and the rate for adults
• living only with spouses or other adult family members.
• Three in five adults renting their home had only wireless telephones. This rate is more than twice the rate for adults owning their home.
• Adults living in poverty were more likely than adults living near poverty and higher income adults to be living in households with only wireless telephones.
• Adults living in the Midwest (40.6%), South (39.7%), and West (37.8%) were more likely than those living in the Northeast (23.6%) to be living in households with only wireless telephones.