If you follow technology news, you’re likely to see a headline about Uber or ride-hailing apps just about every day. But despite their popularity, just 15 percent of Americans have hitched a ride, according to a new report, and 33 percent of the country has never even heard of Uber or Lyft.
A survey of over 4,700 American adults conducted by the Pew Research Center and released Thursday represents the most detailed look yet at how the country uses ride-hailing services, and Americans’ attitudes toward them. The report paints a picture of a nation sharply divided by geography, income, and age.
As one might expect, users tend to be young, well-educated, and live in urban centers. But the numbers are stark: 29 percent of college graduates have used a ride-hailing service, while just 6 percent of people who have a high school diploma or less can say the same. Usage is also heavily skewed toward the affluent: a quarter of people with incomes above $75,000 were users, as opposed to 10 percent of people who earned $30,000 or less. And usage in rural areas was almost nonexistent, with just 3 percent of respondents counting themselves as users (the survey revealed no discernable differences in usage across racial or gender lines).
Don’t settle for half the story.
Get paywall-free access to technology news for the here and now.