Data Reveals Landline Phone Decline Statistics

Are we witnessing the final days of the landline phone in the United States? It's possible. But in some regions and across key demographics, landlines persist. The question is: Who’s still “jumping on the horn”? To get to the bottom of this question, we analyzed trends in phone usage by adults aged 18 and over. Our analysis takes a closer look at the percentage of adults living in wireless-only (cell or mobile phone) households, those living with landline phones, and those without phones (phoneless). Key highlights of our analysis include:

• 7 in 10 adults are wireless-only phone users, which is about 183 million Americans nationwide.
• Northeast residents are loyal to landlines. More than 4 in 10 adults (41.2%) in the Northeast still live in a household with a landline phone, which is more than any other region in the country.
• New York is the landline capital of the U.S. More than half of adults in New York (52.4%), Massachusetts (52.1%), Maryland (50.8%), and New Jersey (50.5%) live in households that still have landline phones.
• The heartland is “landline averse.” Adults in Idaho, Oklahoma, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Mississippi are least likely to live in homes with landline telephones.
• Seniors are the most likely age group to still have a landline phone. Half of Americans 65 and over (50.5%) have a landline phone in their home.