The AI Divide
Does AI adoption correlate with economic wellbeing? Census data reveals how income, education, and geography shape who uses artificial intelligence — and who gets left behind.
AI Usage by Income
Percentage who used AI in the past 2 months, by household income bracket
The income gap: Americans earning $150K+ are 6.25 percentage points more likely to use AI than those earning under $25K (25.08% vs 18.83%).
AI Usage by Education
Percentage who used AI in the past 2 months, by highest education level attained
The education gap: Those with a graduate degree are 27.59 percentage points more likely to use AI than those with less than a high school education (27.59% vs 0%). Note: the “Less than HS” group has a very small sample size (n=15).
AI Usage: Metro vs Non-Metro
Average AI adoption across 10 major metro areas compared to non-metro regions
The geographic gap: Metro areas average 0.31 percentage points higher AI adoption than non-metro areas (24.78% vs 24.47%).
The AI Prosperity Gap
pp = percentage points difference in AI adoption rates
Key Findings
- 1.Income matters, but not linearly. AI usage rises with income from Under $25K (18.83%) to $100K-$150K (26.89%), but dips slightly for the $150K+ bracket (25.08%). The $25K-$35K bracket shows a surprising spike at 29.28%.
- 2.Education is the strongest predictor. The 27.59percentage point education gap is the largest divide. Bachelor's degree holders (28.62%) and graduate degree holders (27.59%) lead AI adoption.
- 3.The metro/non-metro gap is narrower than expected. At just 0.31 percentage points, the geographic divide in AI usage is smaller than income or education gaps, suggesting AI access is not purely a geographic issue.
- 4.AI adoption is still early. Even among the highest-adopting demographics, fewer than 1 in 3 Americans report using AI, indicating substantial room for growth across all groups.
About This Data
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), March 2026. All percentages are weighted using PWEIGHT to be representative of the U.S. adult population. The AI question asks whether respondents used AI tools “in the past 2 months.” Some demographic subgroups have small sample sizes; interpret with caution.