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    Landlines may be a thing of the past for some, but millions of Californians still use them, study says

    By Will Conybeare,

    12 days ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3aQZB7_0sq1lvuL00

    Landline use has declined sharply across America since the advent of cell phones, but a newly released study shows that old-fashioned landlines are still widely used in the U.S.

    According to data from Chamber of Commerce , more than 70% of American adults – about 183 million – now rely solely on mobile phones to make calls, and while that seems like a lot, what may come as more of a surprise is that 68.9 million Americans — more than 25% — still regularly use their landlines.

    Upwards of 3.3 million people are “phoneless” in America, the study also found.

    As for the Golden State, just over 35% of residents still use landlines, which equates to approximately 10.6 million Californians.

    Those without landlines make up 64.2% of California phone owners, or around 19.4 million people.

    Could California lose its telephone landline service?

    On a national level, the Chamber of Commerce found that New York is the “landline capital” of America; over half of New York residents still have a landline phone (8.1 million) compared to 47% of New Yorkers who only have cell phones.

    The study also found that the Northeast is where the most landlines remain; all 10 states with the highest percentage of landline users were on the eastern seaboard.

    Meanwhile, several states in the Midwest and southern U.S. have all but gotten rid of their old-school landlines; less than a quarter of residents in states such as Oklahoma, Mississippi and Wyoming have one.

    A table outlining data for all 50 states’ landline and wireless phone usage can be viewed below:

    State % without landline (wireless only) Total # of people without landline % with landline Total # of people with landline % phoneless Total # of phoneless people
    Alabama 68.3% 2,581,654 30.6% 1,156,641 1.1% 41,579
    Alaska 67.9% 375,266 31.1% 171,182 1.0% 5,527
    Arizona 71.9% 3,893,353 27.1% 1,467,453 1.0% 54,150
    Arkansas 69.9% 1,604,276 29.1% 667,875 1.0% 22,951
    California 64.2% 19,427,787 35.1% 10,621,734 0.7% 211,829
    Colorado 71.6% 3,114,130 27.8% 1,209,118 0.6% 26,096
    Connecticut 51.7% 1,463,752 47.7% 1,350,502 0.6% 16,987
    Delaware 53.5% 403,157 46.1% 347,393 0.4% 3,014
    Florida 65.6% 10,967,778 33.4% 203,045 1.0% 167,192
    Georgia 66.0% 5,213,081 33.2% 2,622,338 0.8% 63,189
    Hawaii 54.2% 605,661 45.1% 503,973 0.7% 7,822
    Idaho 78.6% 1,003,410 20.7% 264,257 0.7% 8,936
    Illinois 66.2% 6,539,968 33.0% 3,260,105 0.8% 79,033
    Indiana 69.1% 3,519,409 29.9% 1,522,870 1.0% 50,932
    Iowa 70.2% 1,692,361 29.0% 699,124 0.8% 19,286
    Kansas 69.8% 1,535,308 29.4% 646,677 0.8% 17,597
    Kentucky 67.9% 2,335,588 31.0% 1,066,321 1.1% 37,837
    Louisiana 69.3% 2,467,781 29.7% 1,057,621 1.0% 35,610
    Maine 55.2% 597,813 43.6% 472,185 1.2% 12,996
    Maryland 48.5% 2,268,426 50.8% 2,376,000 0.7% 32,740
    Massachusetts 47.2% 2,586,226 52.1% 2,854,712 0.7% 38,355
    Michigan 63.7% 4,960,566 35.7% 1,523,508 0.6% 46,724
    Minnesota 63.8% 2,722,684 35.7% 1,523,508 0.5% 21,338
    Mississippi 75.5% 1,714,548 23.3% 529,126 1.2% 27,251
    Missouri 69.8% 3,296,862 29.3% 1,383,926 0.9% 42,510
    Montana 64.6% 531,182 34.3% 282,036 1.1% 9,045
    Nebraska 67.8% 976,635 31.6% 455,187 0.6% 8,643
    Nevada 73.4% 1,681,844 25.6% 586.583 1.0% 22,913
    New Hampshire 49.9% 542,992 49.5% 538,639 0.6% 6,529
    New Jersey 48.8% 3,375,487 50.5% 3,493,076 0.7% 48,419
    New Mexico 76.5% 1,227,043 22.3% 357,687 1.2% 19,248
    New York 46.7% 7,221,604 52.4% 8,103,042 0.9% 139,174
    North Carolina 64.7% 5,155,466 34.5% 2,749,050 0.8% 63,746
    North Dakota 58.2% 338,126 41.3% 239,942 0.5% 2,905
    Ohio 65.6% 5,937,054 33.6% 3,040,930 0.8% 72,403
    Oklahoma 77.5% 2,306,327 21.8% 648,748 0.7% 20,831
    Oregon 66.6% 2,172,399 32.8% 1,069,890 0.6% 19,571
    Pennsylvania 51.4% 5,206,377 47.7% 4,831,599 0.9% 91,162
    Rhode Island 53.9% 458,089 45.5% 386,699 0.6% 5,099
    South Carolina 61.9% 2,425,430 37.2% 1,457,609 0.9% 35,265
    South Dakota 71.7% 470,732 27.0% 177,623 1.3% 8,535
    Tennessee 68.0% 3,539,016 30.9% 1,608,171 1.1% 57,249
    Texas 71.5% 14,959,524 27.7% 5,795,508 0.8% 167,379
    Utah 72.8% 1,582,197 26.6% 578,088 0.6% 13,040
    Vermont 51.0% 258,906 47.9% 243,169 1.1% 5,584
    Virginia 56.4% 3,716,365 43.0% 2,833,169 0.6% 39,533
    Washington 65.0% 3,744,365 34.3% 1,975,872 0.7% 40,324
    West Virginia 63.4% 917,948 35.3% 511,097 1.3% 18,822
    Wisconsin 62.2% 2,805,104 37.0% 1,668,631 0.8% 36,079
    Wyoming 77.2% 343,272 22.2% 98,713 0.6% 2,668
    Washington, D.C. 63.7% 362,296 35.7% 203,045 0.6% 3,413
    Source: Chamber of Commerce

    The number of landlines in American homes has been steadily decreasing since 2008, when nearly 63% of U.S. families had one in their residence, the study found.

    Is California the best state to be a police officer?

    Wireless phone ownership in America has increased by 67% since 2003, the Chamber of Commerce data indicates.

    To read the full study, click here .

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

    For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.

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