Rural Residents & Tech

Pew Research Center’s political typology sorts Americans into cohesive, like-minded groups based on their values, beliefs, and views about politics and the political system. Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics.

Rural adults are less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The gender gap in party identification remains the widest in a quarter century.

Today, 36% of U.S. adults say they have ever used a ride-hailing service such as Uber or Lyft. Prominent urban-rural gaps in adoption exist.

Fast, reliable internet service has become broadly essential. But 24% of rural U.S. adults say access to high-speed internet is a major problem in their community.

The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.

As the FCC continues to address broadband infrastructure and access, Americans have mixed views on two policies designed to encourage broadband adoption.

The states with the most wireless-only households tend to be largely rural and in the West or South; households in the Northeast are most likely to hang onto their landlines.