Affluent working women increasing.

Affluent working women with family incomes of $75,000 or more are growing in number and 94.3 percent access the Internet during an average month, according to new research by The Media Audit.

Among all adults per month usage of the Internet stands at 71.4 percent.

“From 2004 to 2005 affluent working women increased from 8.7 percent to 9.2 percent of the 137 million adults in the 80 plus markets we survey,” says Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics, Inc. which produces The Media Audit. The Media Audit survey only adults 18 plus. “Affluent working women have also made some rather dramatic changes in their media habits,” adds Jordan.

Heavy Internet Use

“The percentage of working women that spent at least 430 minutes a week on the Internet (heavy users) jumped from 48.6 percent in 2004 to 50.8 percent in 2005,” says Jordan. From 2004 to 2005 the percent of affluent working women making five or more purchases on the Internet increased from 54.1 percent to 56.6 percent. The percent making 12 or more purchases in the same years increased from 30.0 percent to 32.2.

The collective Internet changes for this group are significant,” says Jordan, “and other media is – once again – paying the price. Heavy use of radio, television, newspapers and direct mail all declined within this group. The newspaper decline was very slight. The others could be termed significant.”

Significant Home Values

Among all adults, just 35.2 percent have homes valued at more than $200,000. Among affluent working women the percentage is 63.9; 31.0 percent have homes valued at $400,000 or more.

“These are mostly college educated (58.1 percent) two income (69.0 percent) families,” says Jordan.

The 10 markets with the highest percentages of affluent working women are: Washington, DC, 14.7; Southern New Hampshire, 13.0; San Jose, 12.5; Hartford, 12.3; Minneapolis-St Paul, 11.9; Little Rock, 11.7; Omaha-Council Bluffs – 11.7 San Francisco, 11.6; Baltimore, 11.4; and, Madison, 11.3. The markets, says Jordan, must be evaluated individually. “Because a metro area has a very low percentage of affluent working women doesn’t mean that community is poor,” says Jordan, “it’s simply one demographic characteristics of the community.” As an example, Jordan pointed out, Daytona Beach which has the lowest percent of affluent working women (3.6 percent) of the markets surveyed “but is ninth among the 87 markets in percentages (13.9 percent) of affluent empty nesters with household incomes of $50,000 or more.”

Courtesy of http://www.TheMediaAudit.com