An Evolving Digital Divide: Measuring and Understanding Mobile-Dependent Households

Despite unprecedented broadband investment, the share of U.S. households relying solely on cellular data and mobile devices, or mobile-dependent households, increased from 11.9 to 14.1 percent between 2019 and 2024. This report introduces the MDH concept, which captures the "double whammy" of limited data and limited screen size, and examines its determinants before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using Census tract-level data. Results indicate that the share of the population with any disability, households with a lack of internet access, income, educational attainment, and homeownership are among the strongest factors associated with mobile dependence, with several associations shifting in strength post-pandemic. As communities implement Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment-funded broadband projects, these findings suggest that connecting households is insufficient if that connectivity comes through the most constrained pathway available.