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The US Landline
Insights Report
for 2023
presented by Community Phone
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The Contents of the Report
United States Landline Insights
Household Insights
Current Landline Developments in 2023
Cities and States Where Landline Service is Still Widely Used by Residents
Report Methodology
The United States Landline Insights Report for 2023 provides a comprehensive analysis of the country's current state of landline usage.
In an era marked by the pervasive presence of mobile phones and internet-based communication, landline phones have continuously evolved and adapted, solidifying their enduring importance in telecommunications.
This report aims to shed light on various aspects of landline usage, including household insights, demographic trends, and the impact of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) deregulation efforts.
Furthermore, it examines the cities and states where landline service continues to be widely used by residents. This report presents valuable insights into the evolving landscape of landline communication in the United States through a meticulous methodology.
Landline Insights Report for 2023
United States Landline Insights
40.35 million 1
U.S. Households with landline phones.
28.7% 1
The total percentage of households with a landline.
53% 1
Individuals aged 65 and over still rely on their landlines.
38.1 million 1
U.S. households with both a landline and a cell phone.
42.9% 1
The Northeast is the most popular region for landline users, with 42.9% of households using a landline.
15% 2
the percentage of landline users with spam call blocking installed.
84% 1
Percent of weekly calls that are unwanted.
Landline Insights Report for 2023
Household Insights
Average number of calls received weekly: 2
10 calls
20%
10-15 calls
17%
16-30 calls
21%
31 - 50 calls
20%
50+ calls
22%
Key Findings:
8 2
The average number of calls received weekly from family and friends.
43 2
The average number of unwanted calls received on a landline weekly.
124 2
A highest weekly record for unwanted calls received on a single home phone.
15% 2
Percent of landline users with spam call blocking installed.
80% 2
Percent of landline users receive over 10 calls weekly.
Landline Insights Report for 2023
Demographic Insights
Top 10 Cities Impacted by Unwanted Landline Calls in 202 3
Unwanted landline calls significantly impact the nation, although their effects are particularly pronounced in larger cities. The problem of spam calls is significant enough to have garnered attention and generated data on the most affected areas. According to research, the top ten cities in the United States impacted by unwanted landline calls are:
Atlanta, GA
Dallas, TX
Chicago, IL
Houston, TX
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Baltimore, MD
Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Landline Users By Age: 1
By Sex: 1
Percent of landline users in each gender.
Male:
27.2% of males use landlines
Female:
30% of females use landlines
Metropolitan statistical area status 1
Percent of landline users in each area.
Metropolitan
28.6%
Non-Metropolitan
29.7%
By Geographic region: 1
Percent of landline users in each region.
Northeast
42.9%
Midwest
28.3%
West
26.6%
South
23.7%
Current Landline
Developments in 2023:
The landline industry in the United States has experienced significant developments in recent years, particularly in relation to the FCC's landmark decision regarding landline shutdown deregulation on August 2nd, 2022. This deregulation, driven by the increasing costs of maintaining copper wire infrastructure, allows telecom companies to replace their traditional landline phone services with internet-based phone services, primarily utilizing fiber optic technology.
However, alternative options have emerged to address this concern. Community Phone, for instance, offers wireless landline phone service that operates without internet connectivity. Using cell towers instead, their service remains functional even in power outages, ensuring uninterrupted communication.
With the deregulation in place, many telecom giants are opting to lay fiber optic cables in areas where copper cables were previously utilized. As a result, customers previously on traditional home phone services are being transitioned to internet-based home phone services, which providers often tout as an "upgrade." For instance, AT&T positions the shift as an enhancement, stating that fiber optic technology brings additional services and improved reliability.
One notable drawback of fiber optic cables compared to copper wire cables is their inability to function during power outages. This distinctive line power feature was a significant advantage of copper wire service, allowing users to continue making calls even when the power was down.
Cities and States Where Landline Service is Still Widely Used by Residents 4
City
Rank
Total
Households
Percentage of homes with a landline
Total homes with a landline
Total number of 55 and over with a landline
Percentage of householders 55 and over with a landline
New York City, NY
1
7,636,900
34.57%
2,640,000
65.81%
1,737,300
Los Angeles, CA
2
4,544,900
25.27%
1,148,600
68.82%
790,500
Philadelphia, PA
3
2,456,300
36.89%
906,200
70.11%
635,300
Chicago, IL
4
3,702,300
23.52%
870,800
78.47%
683,300
Washington DC
5
2,362,600
32.62%
770,700
62.93%
485,000
Boston, MA
6
1,931,800
35.25%
681,000
68.96%
469,600
San Francisco, CA
7
1,758,700
31.32%
550,800
67.67%
372,700
Houston, TX
8
2,585,900
18.04%
466,500
66.92%
312,200
Detroit, MI
9
1,764,700
24.21%
427,300
79.05%
337,800
Atlanta, GA
10
2,850,600
18.23%
419,700
69.00%
289,600
Dallas, TX
11
2,850,600
14.20%
404,900
69.52%
281,500
Seattle, WA
12
1,582,600
22.79%
360,700
71.42%
257,600
Miami, FL
13
2,175,200
15.81%
343,800
79.81%
274,400
Riverside, CA
14
1,434,100
23.27%
333,700
68.77%
229,500
Phoenix, AZ
15
1,817,700
17.37%
315,700
77.80%
245,600
State
Rank
Total
Households
Percentage of homes with a landline
Total homes with a landline
Percentage of householders 55 and over with a landline
Total number of 55 and over with a landline
California
1
13,605,700
25.96%
3,532,60
70.96%
2,506,800
New York
2
7,778,600
33.75%
2,625,300
71.91%
1,887,800
Pennsylvania
3
5,187,000
43.21%
2,241,100
71.71%
1,607,000
Texas
4
10,115,800
19.41%
1,963,700
65.07%
1,277,800
Ohio
5
4,794,000
36.88%
1,768,000
72.27%
1,277,800
Florida
6
8,360,100
18.90%
1,579,800
75.85%
1,198,300
Massachusett
7
2,806,800
37.39%
1,049,600
70.38%
738,700
Virginia
8
3,343,600
31.32%
1,047,100
68.72%
719,600
Report
Methodology
The National Center for Health Statistics surveyed 13,002 households for the period January to June of 2022. The National Health Interview Survey gathers data on landline and cell phone penetration. This data, when applied to the US Census Estimates of 140.6 million total households in 2022, equates to 40.35 million households having a landline and 38.1 million households having a landline and a cell phone.
Community Phone insights are based on an in-depth survey of 1,000 landline users. Extrapolating these findings to a potential market of 40.35 million households with landlines, this data has a 90% confidence level with a margin of error of less than 10.
The data on the top 10 cities impacted by unwanted landline calls in 2023 was derived from Youmail's Robocall Index, which estimates monthly robocall volume in the US and various regions. The index utilizes data collected from numerous calls made each month to YouMail users and identifies the most prominent robocall offenders.
To identify the areas where residents continue to utilize landline telephones, researchers at Community Phone examined the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Housing Survey. The researchers assessed and ranked the locations based on the proportion of households equipped with a landline connection. The analysis includes only specific states and metropolitan areas for which data from the American Housing Survey is available.