Household Cable/Internet Spending Averages Nearly $1,200 Annually, Report Finds
This article originally appeared on Telecompetitor
By Phil Britt
Americans spend $147 billion annually – an average of $1,141 annually per household on cable and internet bills, according to an analysis of household cable/internet spending from doxo based on anonymized billing data. More than four-in-five households (82%) pay cable and internet bills, which average $116 a month.
The research suggests that the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which pays $50 a month ($75 in tribal areas) toward the cost of internet service for low-income families, could help considerably with paying broadband bills.
Higher costs can be attributable to faster broadband available in many areas. The average cost of internet service is likely to be higher in areas where customers have access to and need faster broadband – as many found they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The states with the highest average monthly internet and cable bills were Alaska ($148), New Hampshire ($147), Vermont ($141), New York ($132) and New Jersey ($130). States with the lowest average monthly internet and cable bills were South Dakota ($92), Idaho ($93), New Mexico ($97), Utah ($98) and Nebraska ($99).
The five major municipalities with the highest average internet and cable bills were New York ($133), Boston ($129), St. Louis ($125), Los Angeles ($123) and Kansas City, Mo. ($121). The five major municipalities with the lowest average monthly internet and cable bills were Salt Lake City ($98), Miami ($101), Minneapolis ($101), Philadelphia ($106) and Denver ($108).
Cable and internet bills amount to 2% of consumers’ income per year, according to doxo’s analysis of household cable/internet spending data.