Utah ranks 2nd in nation in home Internet access

SALT LAKE CITY — The most recent census data shows Utah ranks second in the country in home Internet access.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports data released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week indicates nearly nine of 10 Utah homes are online — a big jump from a decade ago when only half the state’s homes had online connections.

The 2010 report shows Utah ranks only behind New Hampshire, where 86 percent of residents are online. Utah is nearly 10 percent higher than the national average. New Mexico had the lowest access rate at 64 percent.

University of Utah research economist Pam Perlich says Utah’s youngest-in-the-nation population may explain the high Internet usage. She says Utah also was part of a four-university computer network that served as an early precursor to the Internet.