WASHINGTON – Data released June 3 by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that of 110.8 million U.S. households headed by an adult age 25 or older, 62 percent (68.7 million) have Internet access. The figure represents a tripling from 18 percent in 1997, the first year the bureau collected data on Internet use.

Sixty-four percent of individuals 18 and older used the internet from any location in 2007, while only 22 percent did so in 1997.

Among households accessing the Internet in 2007, 82 percent reported using a high-speed connection and 17 percent employed a dial-up connection.

“As access to high-speed connections have become more prevalent, so too have the number of people that connect to the Internet at home,” said Thom File, a statistician with the Census Bureau Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. “These data give us a better understanding of who is using the Internet and from where.”

Among the states, Alaska and New Hampshire residents age 3 and older enjoyed the highest rate of Internet use from any location (home, work or public place) at nearly roughly 80 percent each. Mississippi and West Virginia reported among the lowest rates of Internet use at about 52 percent.

Internet usage also varied by education. For individuals 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree, 87 percent reported going online from any location in 2007. For those with only some college, 74 percent reported using the Internet. About half (49 percent) of those with only a high school diploma reported using the Internet, compared with 19 percent of those without a high school diploma.

In addition, Internet usage varied by race: 69 percent of whites lived in households with Internet access, while the same was true for 51 percent of blacks, 73 percent of Asians and 48 percent of Hispanics.

The percentage of 18- to 34-year-olds who accessed the Internet was more than double (73 percent) that of people 65 and older (35 percent). Among children 3 to 17, 56 percent used the Internet.

The figures, collected in October 2007, are part of the “2007 Internet and Computer Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey.” The report is available online here.