Craigslist dominates the classifieds industry

Hhitwise: Among the top 100 Classifieds Web sites, all but three were localized sites for Craigslist (i.e., dallas.craigslist.org). This is a significant change compared with February 2008, when there were 12 sites in the top 100 that were not Craigslist properties. This increase in traffic may be attributable to new localized versions and also an increase in visits from lower income groups.

Craigslist attracts wealthier households, but recent growth is visible from lower-income groups. Analysis of demographics of the Craigslist audience reveals that those earning a household income of $150,000 a year or more were 68 percent more likely to visit a Craigslist Cities Web site than All Other Classifieds Web sites in the four weeks ending Feb. 28, 2009. However, the site’s recent growth is being fueled by lower-income segments, suggesting that Craigslist may become less of a destination site for wealthy people and more of a necessity for lower-income groups as the economy continues to sour.