Age profile of cellphone samples improves as landline samples continue to gray Unweighted %of interviews.rom each sample
In 2008, both cellphone and landline samples had lopsided age distributions, albeit in different directions. In a September 2008 Pew Research Center survey, the unweighted cellphone sample underrepresented older adults – 9% were ages 65 and older, compared with an ACS benchmark of 19% – and overrepresented young adults, as 31% were ages 18 to 29, compared with an ACS benchmark of 21%. At the same time, the landline sample was underrepresenting young adults (9%) while overrepresenting older adults (25%).
The story is quite different today, as cellphones are no longer the exclusive domain of the young. In a September 2015 survey, the unweighted age distribution of the cellphone sample was almost identical to ACS population benchmarks, including for those ages 65 and older (16% in the cellphone sample versus 19% in ACS).
Age profile of cellphone samples improves as landline  | samples continue to gray  | Unweighted %of interviews.rom each sample  | Cellphone  | Landline  | 16  | 65 and older  | 25  | 65 and older  | 41  | 26  | 50-64  | 28  | 33  | 33  | 50-64  | 35  | 30-49  | 34  | 31  | 31  | 30-49  | 17  | 21  | 18-29  | 9  | 18-29  | 6  | 2008  | 2015  | 2008  | 2015  | Note: Landline respondents include adults who do nothave ce llphonesand those who have  | ce liphones butwere respondents reached to complete the survey on theirlandlines This second group  | may or may not have been willing to complyifthey had been rea ched on theirce liphones.  | "Don "t know" and refused respondents are notshown.  | Source Surveys conducted Sept. 9-14, 2008 and Sept. 22:27, 2015.  | "The Twilightof Surveys Landline Interviewing" Sept. 9-14,  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 