The number of households cutting the landline cord in the USA continues to increase.
 

22.7% of American homes are now wireless only, with no landline phone, in the household. That’s up 2.5 percentage points since just six months ago and 5.2 percentage points from the 2008 wireless household study, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The wireless only household study was conducted from January to June, 2009.

The following groups are living in households that are cell phone only.

• 68.5% of those living with an unrelated adult
• 33.5% of ages 18-24
• 45.8% of ages 25-29
• 33.5% of ages 30-34
• 21.5% of ages 35-44
• 12.8% of ages 45-64
• 5.4% of ages 65+
• 33.0% living in poverty
• 26.5% living near poverty level
• 18.9% of high income adults
• 25.0% of adults living in the South
• 21.9% of adults living in the Midwest
• 14.6% of adults living in the Northeast
• 28.2% of Hispanics
• 21.3% of African-Americans
• 19.7% of Caucasians
• 22.5% of men
• 19.8% of women
• 35.3% of binge drinkers

The study also shows a growing trend of those living in a household with a landline phone, but who rarely use it. These households have been dubbed “wireless-mostly households.”

Among households with both landline and wireless, 24.8% received all or almost all of their phone calls on the wireless phone. Wireless-mostly households account for 16.2% of all American households.

What this means for mobile marketing is an ever-increasing group of Americans that can only be reached on their mobile phones. Such statistics bode well for advertisers looking to offer mobile coupons or mobile advertising via short codes in its interactive direct marketing efforts.