Americans' Use of the U.S. Postal Service: An AARP Bulletin Survey
- Select a language for the TTS:
- UK English Female
- UK English Male
- US English Female
- US English Male
- Australian Female
- Australian Male
- Language selected: (auto detect) - EN

Play all audios:

By
Alicia R. Williams
AARP Research Published April 01, 2013The purpose of this brief Bulletin Poll was to examine the extent to which adults 18 years of age and older use the services of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and whether or not they would
support various options geared towards helping the USPS reduce or offset its expenses.
Key findings include:
Overall, four in five adults age 18 years and older report sending, on average, at least one item of mail (e.g., letters, bill payments, packages) per month.Thoseage 50 and older tend to send more mail per month, on average, than their counterparts under 50.Older adults also send mail more frequently than those under 50. Nearly half (47%) of adults
50+ report sending mail four or more times a month, compared with nearly a quarter (23%) of those under 50. Sending mail has declined over the years, however. Although older adults send
more mail than younger adults do, both groups acknowledge that the amount of mail they send nowadays is less than the amount they used to send five years ago. The amount and frequency of
mailings vary by household income level as well. Respondents with incomes of $50,000 or more report sending more mail (and sending it more frequently) than those with lower levels of
income. Understandably, the declining use of mailing services among Americans has caused some financial woes for the U.S. Postal Service. Respondents were asked which of the following
options they would choose to help reduce or offset the USPS’s expenses: increase postage stamp prices, increase parcel prices, end Saturday mail deliveries, close some local post offices two
additional days per week and/or close some local post offices permanently. Ending Saturday deliveries was most-often cited as the option of choice for respondents overall (59%)—an option
most favored by both younger (53%) and older (63%) respondents alike—as well as by respondents across income levels.In contrast, the least-favored option among respondents was closing some
local post offices permanently (28%). This was also the least-favored option across age groups and income levels as well.
Data were gathered by a random-digit dial telephone omnibus survey from February 20-24, 2013, of 1,021 respondents aged 18+. For more information, contact Alicia Williiams at 202-434-6186.
Suggested Citation:
Williams, Alicia. Americans' Use of the U.S. Postal Service: An AARP Bulletin Survey. Washington, DC: AARP Research, April 2013. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00067.001
MORE FROM AARP
Game Play Builds Bonds and Supports Health Among Older Adults
Playing games with friends fosters social connections enhances cognitive health, and boosts overall well-being among older adults.
Playing Board Games Has Social Benefits, Say Adults 50+
Most older adults see a connection between play and health and believe that playing board games can help create social connections with family and friends.
Gamers 50-Plus Are a Growing Force
The 50-plus crowd is embracing gaming. They feel it's time well spent thanks to multiple benefits.
Older Adults Embrace Lifelong Learning for Personal Growth
Adults age 45 and older embrace lifelong learning for personal gain, self-improvement, and brain health, finds an AARP study.
Older Adults Focusing on Family this Holiday Season
Holiday shoppers age 50-plus are planning to spend as much as last year on gifts, and many are braving travel for family.
{ "maxItems":5, "itemsPerRow":"3", "rows":"4", "loadMore":"6", "adsNum":"0", "resultsLength":"5" }