In the Kansas City area, the affluent are the most likely users of the Internet, while the poor and less educated are more apt to bypass the medium, according to a new Kansas University survey.

The study, conducted by KU journalism professor Maria E. Len-Rios, shows that people earning more than $150,000 a year are nearly three times more likely to use the Internet than someone who earns less than $25,000 per year.

The survey, which polled 432 people in the greater Kansas City area this summer, also found that education levels played a major role in Internet usage.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents who had attended some high school but did not have a diploma reported they never went online to access the Web. Forty percent of high school graduates reported going online, compared with 85 percent of college graduates.

The study also found 87 percent of people younger than 34 reported accessing the Internet, compared with 61 percent of people older than 34. Retirees and part-time employees reported going online less than other groups. Only 29 percent of those 65 and older said they used the Internet.

“The technological gap shows that education and age still play a major role in whether people are accessing the Internet,” Len-Rios said.

The survey results are vital for the news media, businesses or anyone trying to communicate through the Internet, said James Gentry, dean of the KU school of journalism.

“As news agencies and companies expand to the Web, businesses and policy-makers need to know the demographics of who has access to the information,” Gentry said. “Understanding who goes online is critical for effective communications.”

The survey also reported local television news programs were the most popular medium for accessing news and information. On average, study respondents said they watched local TV news five days a week. National network television news and local newspapers finished in second and third, respectively.

The survey results were similar to a national 2002 Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, Len-Rios said.