Examine Data on Internet Access in Tucson, Arizona MSA
How are we doing?
Percent of Households with Broadband Internet (2024)
In 2024, 94.0% of households in the Tucson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had broadband internet access, ranking it eighth and tied with Las Vegas, among the 12 MSAs tracked on the MAP Dashboard. That was a slight decline from Tucson’s previous seventh-place ranking. Among peer MSAs, Albuquerque had the lowest rate at 91.6%, while Colorado Springs and San Diego had the highest at 96.0%. Nationally, 93.0% of U.S. households had broadband internet in 2024, placing Tucson slightly above the national rate.
Why is it important?
In the span of a generation, home computers and internet access have shifted from optional to necessary. Technology is now an integral part of our everyday lives. Digital connectivity is essential for how households engage with employers, financial institutions, retailers, healthcare providers, and one another. Online banking, telehealth, e-commerce, and social media are increasingly embedded in daily life and economic activity.
While most U.S. households have broadband access, gaps remain due to availability, cost, or personal preference. Smartphones and tablets have expanded access, in some cases substituting for traditional desktop or laptop computers. Access to reliable and affordable internet service remains a critical component of economic participation, particularly as remote and hybrid work arrangements continue.
How do we compare?
High-speed internet access is available across all MSAs tracked on the MAP Dashboard. In 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updated its definition of high-speed broadband to a download speed of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps. By this new standard, Albuquerque is the only MSA tracked on the MAP Dashboard that does not report full coverage. According to the FCC, a broadband speed of 100/20 Mbps would be sufficient for most households, allowing streaming HD video on multiple devices, gaming, video calling, downloading large files, and web use by multiple users simultaneously.
The FCC also reports data on availability at higher speeds. The first speed at which meaningful variation occurs among the MAP MSAs is 250/25 Mbps. This speed would be considered very good for households with multiple users who want quicker download speeds and high-quality streaming and video calls on multiple devices. In 2023, Las Vegas reported the highest 250/25 Mbps coverage at 98.9%, while Austin posted the lowest at 89.5%. Even so, all the western MSAs tracked on the MAP Dashboard reported coverage rates of 250/25 Mbps that exceeded the national average (88.9%).
In 2023, broadband availability at the 1000/10 Mbps speed varied widely across the MSAs tracked on the MAP Dashboard. Service at 1000/10 Mbps is ideal for very large households with multiple users who require fast, simultaneous connections for streaming, gaming, video conferencing, and large file transfers. Salt Lake City reported the highest coverage at this speed at 82.9%. At the other end of the spectrum, Albuquerque posted the lowest coverage rate at 7.0%. Tucson ranked near the bottom at 33.5%, second lowest among peer MSAs and below the national rate of 46.9%. You can view the availability of outdoor mobile by speed on the comparison page.
It is important to distinguish between availability and affordability. Coverage data indicate where services are offered, but they do not address whether households can reasonably afford to subscribe to them. The Pew Charitable Trusts reviewed all of the state's digital equity plans following the enactment of the Digital Equity Act by Congress. They found that every state plan identified the lack of affordable access as the leading barrier to digital equity. They note that these findings are not surprising, given that price, not availability, is one of the leading obstacles that unconnected households face in getting home broadband services.
Across the U.S., in Arizona, and Tucson, dial-up internet access was virtually nonexistent in 2024. Among households without internet access, Tucson reported the lowest rate at 3.8%, compared with slightly higher rates statewide and for the nation. A similar pattern appears for computer access. The share of individuals living in households without a computer was 2.1% in Tucson, below the Arizona rate of 2.3% and the U.S. rate of 2.8%. Overall, Tucson fares well on internet and computer access compared to the state and the nation, although a small share of households remain disconnected.
In 2024, individuals identifying as Two or More Races and white, non-Hispanic individuals posted the highest rates of households with broadband internet access in the Tucson MSA. Disparities remain across other groups. Broadband access among American Indian and Alaska Natives households in Tucson was 83.7%, below the national rate of 87.6% but well above Arizona’s statewide rate of 75.5%. Tucson compares well for Hispanic and Black or African American households, with broadband access exceeding both the state and the nation.
How is it measured?
Computer and internet access data come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). The American Community Survey (ACS) began asking questions on computer and internet access in 2013. The ACS is a nationwide, rolling-sample survey that produces one-year and five-year estimates for demographic, social, housing, and economic measures. The data on broadband access by speed are from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) national broadband map.
