What the 2022 American Community Survey Tells Us About Digital Equity

The American Community Survey (ACS) 2022 one-year estimates, which were released in September 2023, reveal the impact of digital inclusion work and the disparities that still exist. First, we have to celebrate the progress made in broadband adoption reflected in the 2022 data. From 2021 to 2022, 2.5 million new households subscribed to wireline broadband (DSL, cable, or fiber connections). This is a huge number to celebrate. However, as we continue in this work, we have to acknowledge that gaps still exist. In 2022, 31.2 million households, nearly one-quarter of all US households, still did not have a wireline connection. More than 8 million American households, or a total of 6 percent, still had no connection to the internet at all. Income remained a strong predictor of internet adoption, with households in the highest income brackets having the highest broadband subscription rates. However, we see the greatest disparities between the “haves” and “have-nots” in the percentage of white households who reported having a computer and a wireline broadband connection as compared to households that identify as Black, Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.