Top text messaging markets in the U.S.

PR Newswire
November 24, 2008

From Scarborough Research

El Paso is the top U.S. city for text messaging according to consumer and media research firm Scarborough Research. Fifty-seven percent of cell phone subscribers age 18-plus in El Paso text message, versus 48 percent of adult cellular subscribers nationally. Other leading markets for text messaging include Salt Lake City, Dallas and Memphis. Fifty-five percent of cell subscribers in these cities utilize the text messaging feature on their phone. Scarborough finds that Fort Myers, FL, Charleston, WV, and Grand Rapids, MI are the local markets least likely to text message. Thirty-six percent of Fort Meyers and Charleston cellular subscribers utilize the text messaging feature on their phones, as do 35 percent of those in Grand Rapids, MI.

Youth and cultural diversity are two demographic commonalities among these so-called texters, according to Scarborough Research. These consumers are 49 percent more likely than all cellular subscribers to be ages 18-24, 14 percent more likely to be Hispanic, and 24 percent more likely to be African-American. Scarborough points to these similarities as likely reasons why El Paso, Salt Lake City, Dallas and Memphis are the top text messaging markets. El Paso and Dallas both have Hispanic compositions that are well above average. Further, Salt Lake City and El Paso are top markets for 18-24 year old adults, and Memphis is a leading city for African-Americans.

Scarborough Local Market Profile: Top Markets for Texters
(City/DMA and percent of cell phone subscribers who use the text messaging feature on their phone)

    El Paso, TX                    57
    Salt Lake City, UT             55
    Dallas/Fort Worth, TX          55
    Memphis, TN                    55
    Cincinnati, OH                 54
    Washington, D.C.               54
    Chattanooga, TN                53
    Atlanta, GA                    53
    Oklahoma City, OK              52
    Las Vegas, NV                  52
    Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO    52
    Los Angeles, CA                51
    Chicago, IL                    51
    Sacramento/Stockton/, CA       51
    Richmond/Petersburg, VA        51
    Kansas City, MO                51
    Phoenix, AZ                    50
    San Diego, CA                  50
    Houston, TX                    50
    Philadelphia, PA               50
    Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM       50
    New York, NY                   50
    Honolulu, HI                   50
    San Antonio, TX                50
    Tucson, AZ                     49
    Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL       49
    Austin, TX                     49
    Tulsa, OK                      49
    Norfolk/Newport News, VA       49
    Denver, CO                     48
    Providence/New Bedford, RI     48
    Fresno/Visalia, CA             48
    Columbus, OH                   48
    Birmingham, AL                 48
    Hartford/New Haven, CT         48
    San Fran./Oak./San Jose, CA    48
    Bakersfield, CA                48
    New Orleans, LA                47
    Syracuse, NY                   47
    Cleveland/Akron, OH            47
    Spokane, WA                    47
    Pittsburgh, PA                 47
    Harlingen/Brownsville/         47
    McAllen, TX                    47
    Buffalo, NY                    47
    Seattle/Tacoma, WA             46
    Nashville, TN                  46
    Rochester, NY                  46
    Charlotte, NC                  46
    Greenville/Asheville/          45
    Anderson, SC                   45
    Portland, OR                   45
    Baltimore, MD                  45
    Knoxville, TN                  45
    Detroit, MI                    45
    Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/  44
    York, PA                       44
    Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY    44
    Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA          44
    Boston, MA                     44
    Orlando/D. Beach/Melbourne, FL 44
    Raleigh/Durham, NC             44
    Indianapolis, IN               44
    Dayton, OH                     43
    Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA      43
    Jacksonville, FL               43
    Des Moines/Ames, OA            43
    Little Rock/Pine Bluff, AR     43
    Mobile/Pensacola, FL           43
    Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL       41
    St. Louis, MO                  41
    Greensboro/High Point/         41
    Winston-Salem, NC              41
    Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN       41
    Wichita/Hutchinson, KS         41
    Toledo, OH                     41
    Louisville, KY                 40
    West Palm Beach, FL            40
    Lexington, KY                  39
    Milwaukee, WI                  38
    Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI     38
    Green Bay/Appleton, WI         37
    Fort Myers/Naples, FL          36
    Charleston/Huntington, WV      36
    Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle
     Creek, MI                     35