iPhone Usage Rates by State Correlate With Education And Population Density

Chitika Insights notes that despite iPhones being the largest source of smartphone Internet traffic in North America, their latest study finds a relatively high degree of variation of iPhone usage rates on a state-by-state basis.

To quantify the study, Chitika Insights analyzed a sample of hundreds of millions of U.S.-based iPhone ad impressions accessed via Chitika’s Cidewalk mobile ad platform, drawing data from a date range of December 25 through 31, 2014, thus including traffic from devices given as gifts during the most recent Christmas holiday.

The table and infographic based in this research illustrate that iPhone usage rates aren’t particularly correlative with geography or raw population metrics, but following some correlative analysis as presented in an associated white paper, the Chitika reapsearchers did discover that state-by-state iPhone usage rates that did correlate with usage share and two independent variables; percentage of population with a bachelor’s degree or higher and population density.

Chitika reports that the relationship also held across median income, but the high correlation of median income to education level did result in redundancy of that particular variable. In a nutshell, wealthier, better-educated individuals are more likely to use iPhones than Android phones.

Interestingly, highest levels of iPhone usage were found in relatively thinly-populated and largely rural Alaska, Vermont, and Montana, and the lowest iPhone usage rates in seemingly disparate New Mexico, Iowa, and Delaware.

On the whole, Chitika says the data set reinforces the impression that Apple’s iPhone is a significant source of smartphone Internet activity across the United States, but the range of usage rates between different states can assist marketers when crafting regional strategies based on these broader user base characteristics.

Here are Chitika Insights’ state-by-state metrics:
Alaska: 65.5%
Montana: 60.1%
Vermont: 59.4%
Hawaii: 58.7%
Mississippi: 58.7%
Connecticut: 58.1%
Massachusetts: 56.6%
New York: 56.2%
Kansas: 55.6%
New Jersey: 55.3%
California: 53.3%
Louisiana: 53.3%
South Dakota: 52.9%
West Virginia: 52.4%
New Hampshire: 52.1%
Rhode Island: 52%
Illinois: 51.5%
Georgia: 50.8%
Idaho: 50.8%
Kentucky: 50.5%
Nevada: 50.5%
Arkansas: 50.4%
Maine: 50%
Virginia: 50%
Oregon: 49.7%
Pennsylvania: 49.5%
Wyoming: 49.5%
Nebraska: 49%
Utah: 49%
North Dakota: 48.5%
Colorado: 48.3%
Minnesota: 48.3%
Tennessee: 48.0%
Maryland: 47.8%
South Carolina: 47.2%
Alabama: 47.1%
Ohio: 46.3%
North Carolina: 46.2%
Florida: 45.8%
Oklahoma: 45.1%
Texas: 44.9%
Arizona: 44.6%
Indiana: 44.6%
Michigan: 43.8%
Missouri: 43.6%
Washington: 43.6%
Wisconsin: 43.1%
Delaware: 42.2%
Iowa: 42.1%
New Mexico: 40.5%

For the full report and full-sized infographics, visit:
http://chitika.com/insights/2015/iphone-by-state

The white paper is here:
http://bit.ly/1yMAQr6

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