The recent report from the Census Bureau shows that 78.5 percent of all households had a desktop or laptop computer. Additionally, 63.6 percent reported a handheld computer—smartphone, tablet, or other wireless device.



When it comes to making an internet connection, the figures show a cable modem (42.8 percent), followed by mobile broadband (33.1 percent), and DSL connections (21.2 percent).

As far as ownership, 25 states had rates of computer ownership above the national average (most in the west or northeast). Half of the states with low rates were in the south. New Hampshire, for example, counted the highest rate of Internet use among states (85.7 percent), while Mississippi had the lowest (62.3 percent).

When you look at the local level, Boulder, Co., Provo, Utah, and Ames, Iowa, have the greatest volume of computer ownership (96 percent), while Laredo, Texas, landed at the bottom of the heap (69.3 percent).