Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, July–December 2015

Preliminary results from the July– December 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicate that the number of American homes with only wireless telephones continues to grow.

Nearly one-half of American homes (48.3%) had only wireless telephones (also known as cellular telephones, cell phones, or mobile phones) during the second half of 2015—an increase of 2.9 percentage points since the second half of 2014.

More than two-thirds of all adults aged 25-34 and of adults renting their homes were living in wireless-only households.

A new NCHS report presents the most up-to-date estimates available from the federal government concerning the size and characteristics of this population.