If you’re a Kansas City area resident and you’re reading this story online, you’re most likely to be young, college-educated and making a good income, according to a Kansas University survey released Thursday.

The survey about Web usage and news, conducted over the summer by KU’s Survey Research Center, also indicated that Kansas City area residents are more likely to get their news from local television than from any other news source.

“The technological gap shows that education and age still play a major role in whether people are accessing the Internet,” said Mar–a E. Len-R–os, assistant professor of journalism and author of the study.

The survey was conducted between June 11 and July 3, with a 95 percent confidence and a margin of error of plus- or minus 4.3 percent. Counties in the random digital-dial telephone survey of adults included Cass, Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Johnson and Miami counties in Kansas.

When looking at who has Web access, education and income are closely related, the survey shows. Less than 35 percent of those who make less than $25,000 said they ever go online.

However, 100 percent of the respondents who made $150,000 or more in household income reported going online.

Nearly three-fourths of the respondents who attended some high school, but didn’t get a diploma, said they never accessed the Web.

Forty percent of high school graduates said they went online, compared to 85 percent of college undergraduate-degree holders.

Len-R–os said she was interested in finding out how Kansas City area residents get their health information, which includes seeing how they get their news.

“My findings in a sense reflect what we already know: People are reliant on local television for news information and younger people are also turning to the Internet.”

She said that the average respondents of her study said they watched local TV news five days a week. National network television news and local newspapers tied for second and third places.

Respondents said they watched cable TV news on average only about three days a week. They also said they rarely — less than one day a week — read a national newspaper.

Age categories also showed differences.

Those who were 35 and older were more likely to include in their daily habit reading a local newspaper, watching local TV news and viewing network TV news than those ages 18-34.

Len-R–os’ research shows that 87 percent of the respondents under 34 reported accessing the Internet, compared with 61 percent for people over 34. Retirees and part-time employees reported going online less than other groups.

The survey also showed that 29 percent of the respondents age 65 and older said they went online.

There was no statistical differences in reading national newspapers, which were low overall. However, those under 35 years old reported watching cable TV less often.

Kansas City area residents who have higher levels of education read more local and national newspapers and watch less TV news than those with lower levels of education, Len-R–os said.

“In addition, those who read a national newspaper are more likely to also go online for news,” she said.