I learned about BroadbandClusters.org from the NDIA listerv. I’m going to follow up (very soon) with a look at the data by county – because I know we all want to know how we are doing locally. But for now, just the overview. Here’s the explanation shared there…

BroadbandClusters, a tool now covering 500+ metros and all 50 states that helps identify which ZIP codes have device and internet adoption gaps.

I wanted to share a few recent updates that I think will be useful to this community:

State-level explorer

I’ve heard from many in the NDIA community asking for better visibility into how rural communities and villages are affected by adoption gaps. The new State Explorer addresses this directly. You can now filter ZIP codes by concentration of seniors, Indigenous residents, veterans, children, race, and more. Set your threshold and only those communities surface, making it easy to compare how they perform against the statewide average.

Here’s the map and information for Minnesota…

I like the last graph and how is shows the correlation between various factors and broadband adoption. Many of the factors are beyond the scope of technology but the top and bottom aren’t. That seems like an area where folks could concentrate if they want to improve broadband adoption.

Finally, here’s information on the sources so that I can have it for the archive.

Last updated: Jan 2026
This page documents the primary data sources, time windows, and relevant limitations considered in the BroadbandClusters.org platform.

Internet Adoption

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
URL: ACS 5-Year Estimates (2020–2024)
Time Window: 2020–2024

• Household internet adoption calculated from ACS 5-year survey results for maximum stability and reliability.
• Limitation: 5-year ACS estimates may not reflect rapid recent changes; 1-year ACS is not available for all geographies.

Broadband Availability

Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Broadband Data Collection
URL: FCC Broadband Map (June 2024)
Time Window: Most recent public release (e.g., Dec 2024)

• Coverage and provider counts reported at the city/census block level and aggregated for regional insights.
• Limitation: FCC data reports infrastructure coverage (availability), not actual household adoption. ZIP-level aggregation may be estimated from underlying data.

Geographic Reference

Source: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Delineation Files for Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs), and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).
URL: OMB Delineation Files
Time Window: Most recent release (e.g., July 2023).

• Metro boundaries are assigned using CSA by default. Where CSA is not available, CBSA is used (e.g., Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown is a CBSA).
• Limitation: OMB defines metro areas at the county level, which may not align perfectly with local city/neighborhood boundaries.

City and ZIP Mapping

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) USPS ZIP-Code Crosswalk Files
URL: HUD Crosswalk
Time Window: Most recent quarterly release (e.g., Q1 2025)

• ZIP codes are mapped to counties and cities using HUD crosswalks and APIs.
• Limitation: ZIPs may cross multiple city/county boundaries and can change over time. Mapping reflects the best available information at the time of publication.

Geospatial Data

Source: Publicly available GeoJSON files
Example: US States GeoJSON

• All mapping boundaries and overlays use open geospatial references current as of the latest platform update.
• Limitation: Boundaries may not reflect the most recent administrative changes or minor local adjustments.