Newspaper Audience and Geographic Analysis April, 2007
Newspapers in the top 50 DMA markets continue to show strong audience numbers, according to the most recent measurements by Scarborough Research and as reflected in the NAA’s NADbase report ( www.newspapermedia.com). Over the course of a typical week, defined as five weekdays and on Sunday, nearly 115 million adults read a copy of a daily or Sunday newspaper. That level is almost three out of four (74.1%) of the more than 153 million adults who reside in the top 50 DMA markets.
The audience is strong across all age levels. Nearly two out of three of younger adults (65.8%), those aged 18 through 34, read a daily or Sunday newspaper during the week. Older age groups read in higher proportions, as has been true for years. Three-quarters (76.9%) of those aged 35 through 54 read a newspaper in the past week, as did more than eight in tem (84.2%) of those age 55 and older.
Newspapers continue to have better readership levels in higher income-households. For the typical week, more than eight out of ten (82.7%) of adults in households with an annual income of $150,000 or more read a newspaper. In less affluent households, those with an annual income of less than $40,000, nearly two-thirds (64.5%) read a newspaper.
Those with higher levels of formal education also demonstrate higher levels of newspaper readership during an average week. Nearly eight out of ten adults (79.8%) with a college degree read a newspaper, and 84.5% of those with a post graduate degree read a newspaper in an average week. That compares with a weekly cumulative readership level of 72.0% for those adults with a high school diploma but no college experience and a level of 53.7% for those with less than a high school education.
On an individual DMA market basis some geographies show significantly readership levels. A total of twenty-four out of the top 50 DMA markets show adult readership levels of 75% or more over an average week, and thirteen of those have readership levels in excess of 80% (see table, below).
On an individual DMA market basis some geographies show significantly readership levels. A total of twenty out of the top 50 DMA markets show adult readership levels of 75% or more over an average week, and thirteen of those have readership levels in excess of 80% (see table).
Read or looked into a weekday or Sunday newspaper in the past week
|
DMA Market |
Cumulative Newspaper Readership, 5 weekdays plus Sunday |
| 1 |
Cleveland |
87.1% |
| 2 |
Hartford/New Haven |
85.0% |
| 3 |
Pittsburgh |
83.6% |
| 4 |
Boston |
83.6% |
| 5 |
Buffalo |
83.5% |
| 6 |
Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York |
83.1% |
| 7 |
Providence/New Bedford |
82.9% |
| 8 |
Indianapolis |
81.9% |
| 9 |
Milwaukee |
81.7% |
| 10 |
New York |
81.4% |
| 11 |
Philadelphia |
81.3% |
| 12 |
West Palm Beach |
80.7% |
| 13 |
Tamp/St. Petersburg/Sarasota |
80.5% |
|
|
|
| Source: Scarborough Research, Release 2 2006 |