Sure, dogs have been well-established as man’s best friend for some time now, but according to the January 2014 Local Watch Report, Americans have a blossoming love affair with another trusty sidekick—the mobile device.
Nationally, more than one-third of homes have tablets, and more than two-thirds have smart phones; those numbers have seen steady growth over the last few years. Locally, however, penetration of tablets and smartphones in some of the higher-ranked designated market areas (DMAs) has increased more quickly than the national averages.
Washington, D.C. has the highest local tablet penetration of any market. In fact, nearly half of the homes in our nation’s capital—where almost 50 percent of the population is employed in white collar positions—have tablets at the ready. What’s more, tablet penetration in D.C. has climbed 18 percent in the past year.
For smartphone penetration, Washington, D.C. also came in near the top at 75 percent of the market, carrying the best phones money can buy, and saw some of the largest year-over-year gains as well (11%).
Tablet Penetration Across Markets
Top 10 Markets
| Percent Penetration | Market |
|---|---|
| 34% | Total U.S. |
| 46% | Washington DC |
| 46% | Boston |
| 45% | San Francisco |
| 43% | Atlanta |
| 42% | New York |
| 39% | Sacramento |
| 39% | Baltimore |
| 38% | Denver |
| 37% | Chicago |
| 36% | Portland |
| Nov. 2013 Sweeps measurement, YOY vs. Nov. 2012. Source: Nielsen. |
Top 10 Markets With the Largest Gains Since Last Year
| Percent Growth | Market |
|---|---|
| 14% | Total U.S. |
| 18% | Washington DC |
| 17% | Sacramento |
| 17% | Boston |
| 17% | Portland |
| 16% | Atlanta |
| 16% | San Francisco |
| 16% | Orlando |
| 16% | Pittsburgh |
| 15% | New York |
| 14% | Seattle |
| Nov. 2013 Sweeps measurement, YOY vs. Nov. 2012. Source: Nielsen. |
