A recent market study shows that The Tribune’s newspapers and electronic formats reach more than 75 percent of Lawrence Countians.

Pulse Research, Inc., a nationally recognized independent market research firm based in Portland, Ore., conducted the study. The results sampled households from across Lawrence County.

The overall data showed that The Tribune was by far the preferred newspaper reaching 76 percent of the households through its three zoned editions, its online products and the Total Market Coverage product The Extra.

Looking purely at the printed newspaper editions, 64 percent of those surveyed said they had read The Tribune in the past month, 50 percent in the past week and 34 percent in the past 24 hours.

When The Extra and the non-duplicative Web audience was included, the results showed that 76 percent of households surveyed had read the newspaper in the past month.

“This confirms what we have always believed that we are the best medium for providing news and information to Lawrence County,” said Tribune Publisher Michael Caldwell. “This shows that our efforts to grow circulation, even in a time when other newspapers are struggling, have been tremendously successful.”

John Marling, president of Pulse Research, said the results of the survey show that the newspaper reaches its target audience.

“Most daily newspapers have a total net reach of around 65 percent to 70 percent in the last 30 days. At 73 percent, The Ironton Tribune (and its zoned editions) is above the norm,” Marling said. “What does that say, if anything, about the newspaper’s position in the marketplace? The Tribune and tribune.com delivers the local market for advertisers.”

More than one third of all households with Internet access reported that readers accessed the Tribune.com Web sites.

“We are very encouraged by the overall data that our products, either printed or electronic, are reaching more than 75 percent of households in a given month,” Caldwell said. “The value of any newspaper is how it can reach an audience and provide the information they want. This survey validates that we are headed in the right direction.”

Survey results were gathered through telephone calls to local residents chosen randomly. The survey sample was weighted by age and gender census data to ensure the results closely reflected the community’s age and gender make-up.

Other statistics of note included:

Fifty three percent of the Tribune readers are female; 47 percent are male

The average age of Tribune reader is 46 years old; 38 percent of readers are between the ages of 35-54; 29 percent between ages of 18-34 and 33 percent over 55.

The average reader household income is $49,521 annually; 36.6 percent make less than $30,000; 23.7 percent make between $31,00-$49,000; 31.8 per make $50,000 -$99,000 and 7.9 percent make more than $100,000