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0.3.3 Total & Share of Households with Broadband Access
Why is this important?
Affordable, reliable broadband internet service is fundamental to modern life today. The benefits of broadband internet are important not just for economic productivity, but also for education, health care and public safety as well. But there is a digital divide between urban and rural communities. In contrast to their urban neighbors, many rural workers face challenges in less access to specialized training and professional development. Rural students lack access to digital resources in order to complete homework. Rural businesses might be less competitive in online markets and rural patients have less access to medical services, especially telemedicine.
Broadband penetration is the share of households in a community that has a broadband subscription (of any kind.) Data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) is presented for Walla Walla & Columbia Counties and is benchmarked against Washington & the United States. The total number of households in Walla Walla & Columbia Counties with a broadband subscription (of any type) is also presented.
The Census offers 1-year estimates for areas with populations of 65,000 or more people; five-year estimates are available for all areas. One-year estimates use 12 months of collected data, while 5-year estimates use a 60-month rolling average. Due to the different methodologies used, it is important to use the same type of estimate when making a comparison.
Where are we?
During 2023, the estimated number of households with a broadband internet subscription in Walla Walla & Columbia Counties combined was 16,140, decreasing from 16,399, or by 1.58% since 2016. (not statistically significant)
By comparison, during 2023, the estimated share of homes with a broadband internet subscription of any type in:
- Walla Walla & Columbia Counties combined was 67.57%, decreasing from 69.05% in 2016. (not statistically significant)
- Washington State was 79.83%, increasing from 75.56% in 2016. (statistically significant)
- The U.S. was 76.27%, increasing from 67.32% in 2016. (statistically significant)
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey (ACS) - Explore Census Data
Notes:
1) This information comes from a survey, so the data presented are estimates. All significant tests are done at the 90% confidence interval. The margin of errors is provided in the “Download Data” section.
2) Not all indicators can be tested for statistical significance. For example, some indicators use portions of data from multiple ACS sources, and the test is cannot be running. If available, the results of the test are offered. When no test results are offered, the statistical significance test was not able to be conducted.
3) Learn more about the ACS:
4) According to the US Census Bureau, the pandemic made the collection of accurate one-year estimates for the American Community Survey (ACS) impossible in 2020.
