A new report from CivicScience says the make-up of Netflix users has shifted since October of 2015, with more parents and higher-income users signing up.
One interesting finding was a change in age of current people who watch Netflix. Prior to October 2015, 34 percent of users were between the ages of 18 and 24, but after April 2017 that age category only accounted for 11 percent, according to CivicScience.
Meanwhile the 35- to 44-year-old group jumped to 24 percent of users after April 2017, up from 15 percent before October 2015. Similarly, users aged 45 to 54 years increased in the same time period to 22 percent, from 13 percent.
Coinciding with the age shift, a change in parental status also happened, the report found. Users categorized as parents jumped 16 percent to 48 percent of users after April 2017, up from 32 percent before October 2015. Those who were both a grandparent and parent increased from 11 percent to 20 percent in the same period. Users who identified as neither dropped to 32 percent, down from 57 percent.
Average income has also increased with nearly half (48 percent) making $75,000 or more, compared to 36 percent 18 months prior. Still, more users (52 percent) make under $75,000, though that figure decreased from 64 percent, according to the report.
Netflix users’ residential status also changed over the 18-month period evaluated in the report. CivicScience says the number of homeowners making up subscribers was 40 percent before October 2015, a figure that jumped to 60 percent after April 2017. The percentage of renters decreased slightly during the period to 29 percent, down from 33 percent. Meanwhile, those still living with their parents dropped significantly to 7 percent, down from 22 percent.
According to the report, users’ price sensitivity has also decreased. Something that could be good news for Netflix, considering it’s raising the price on its most popular plan by 10 percent.
Users with a general price-conscious attitude dropped to 32 percent over the 18-month period, down from 44 percent before October 2015.
In a post about the findings, CivicScience founder John Dick says when looking at consumers who don’t currently watch Netflix but plan to, they tend to be older, particularly 55 years and up. They are also more likely to be unemployed so may just be holding off until they have a steady income to subscribe, according to Dick.
He says he wouldn’t be surprised to see if Netflix users’ demographics start to look more and more “like the full U.S. population over the next two years.”
