• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 19, 2004

Over 50's Richer and Wired

In the more than 80 metropolitan markets surveyed regularly by The Media Audit, the 50 plus age group is increasing in numbers, increasing in affluence, increasingly better educated and spending more time shopping online.

The 80 plus metro markets surveyed have a combined adult population of more than 130 million and 47.4 million are age 50 plus. "The (50+) group has grown," says Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics, "from 35.6 percent of the adults in our metro markets in 2000 to 36.4 percent in 2003. Although that rate of growth is not significant, it is steady and will continue."

Increase in Wealth Among the 50 Plus Age Group (% of Group)

Income	% in 2000	% in 2004
> $50,000	32.7%	35.9
> $75,000	17.8	20.6
> $100,000	9.6	11.4

Source: The Media Audit, November 2004

Educationally, the group looks much like the rest of the adult population. In the 50 plus group, 35.3 percent have at least one college degree. The percent is the same for the general adult population.

"The most impressive demographic changes in this group," says Jordan, "are reflected in our Internet use data. Those who logged on regularly increased from 29.8 percent in 2000 to 47.0 percent in 2004. Initially, the 50 plus age group was slow in coming to the Internet, but they now look like they will soon catch up with the 60 percent use rate of the general adult population."