Mobile Trends: Americans' Cell Phone Ownership Statistics

A poll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion supports that employment and age are among the most significant factors in determining an American's cell phone habits.

Nearly nine in 10 (87%) US Americans report that they own a cell phone, and 16% say they own a personal digital assistant (PDA) such as a Blackberry, Palm or iPhone.

Not surprisingly, the research confirmed that age is a determining factor in cell-phone and PDA ownership: Some 94% of Americans under age 45 have cell phones, whereas slightly more than eight in 10 Americans 45 or older tote the devices.

92% of the employed survey participants own a cell phone, approximately 25% of which are PDAs.

Regionally, those who live in the Northeast and South regions of the US report the highest cell-phone ownership. Nearly nine in 10 (89%) of residents in these areas report owning a cell phone, while 82% of those in the Midwest and 85% of those in the West have them.

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