• by October 15, 2002

Nielsen//NetRatings reports that affluent Americans are the fastest growing income group online. Individuals with household incomes from $100k to $150k are the fastest growing income group online, spiking 20% in the past year to nearly 15 million Web surfers or 12% of the Web population.

Those earning $150k and higher belong to the second fastest growing group, recording a 14% jump year-over-year. Households with earnings between $75k and $100k follow next with a 12% rise, comprising 17% of all Web surfers or 21 million people.

By comparison, those individuals belonging to households earning less than $25k or $25k to $50k grew 2% and 5%, respectively. The average household income in the U.S. is $55k, according to the 2002 U.S. Census.

"Droves of highly paid executives are coming online for the first time at their offices. Those earning more than $100k grew 54% in the past year as compared to 14% the year before," said Lisa Strand, director and principal analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings.

"Corporate America is realizing the Internet is as much an essential part of the work environment as the telephone and facsimile," said Strand. "At the same time, marketers should take note that the Internet offers increasing opportunities to reach the affluent and their pocketbooks, particularly at work."