Home » Statistics » 25 Dramatic Cosmopolitan Magazine Demographics

25 Dramatic Cosmopolitan Magazine Demographics

Where do you turn for fashion advice? What about those times when you’re ready to experiment in the bedroom? Many today look toward media in order to answer their questions about life or feel like they are getting to know a celebrity. That means there are specific demographics that are turning toward Cosmopolitan magazine for their information fix.

Over 15.4 million women read Cosmopolitan every month.

Cosmopolitan Magazine

Every copy of Cosmopolitan that is produced also has multiple readers. The magazine has a total reach of over 18.2 million readers and the average magazine has nearly 7 readers for it. What this means is that there is 1 man who reads Cosmo for every 6 women that do. What else do we know about the reader demographics of this magazine?

Who Reads Cosmopolitan Frequently?

  • The largest demographic for Cosmopolitan is women aged 18-34 with over 9 million readers in total.
  • The percentage of readers who are women aged 18-24: 34%.
  • The median age of a Cosmopolitan reader is just over 31 years of age.
  • 3 out of 4 Cosmopolitan readers live in a household that earns at least $30k.
  • The median income of a household that reads Cosmo: $61k.
  • More than 62% of the readers of this magazine have at least attended college at some point in their lives.
  • Two-thirds of Cosmo readers are employed in some way. 47% of them are maintaining full-time employment.

Cosmopolitan is often viewed as a young woman’s magazine, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Almost 4 million women who are above the age of 34 enjoy reading every issue of Cosmopolitan. What is particularly impressive, however, is the median income of households who do read this magazine. With about 25% of women in the upper age bracket and with demographics skewed toward the younger ages, their households are still pulling in a decent salary every month. That’s an encouraging sign for the future of Cosmopolitan.

Who Are The Women That Read Cosmopolitan?

  • The percentage of single women who read Cosmopolitan on a regular basis: 45.3%.
  • 38% of the women who read Cosmopolitan are married, while the other 16% of women are either divorced, widowed, or separated.
  • Over 5.3 million women who read Cosmopolitan are working women with children with at least a part-time job.
  • The number of women who read Cosmopolitan and have children: 8.2 million.
  • Over 52% of women surveyed in 2011 rated Cosmopolitan as one of their favorite magazines and would read it for an average of 75 minutes per issue.
  • More women tend to pick up Cosmopolitan to read it when the magazine is sitting on the shelf longer.

It’s probably an incorrect assumption to say that Cosmopolitan is geared toward young women. It actually seems to attract working women with children more often than any other demographic. What does that mean with the content that is created for Cosmo on a monthly basis? It means that a focus on self-enrichment, entertainment, and an emphasis on helping women feel empowered has combined to make for a powerful reading medium. There is the right balance to make the magazine engaging to all age groups and demographics, not just one, and that’s why Cosmopolitan should continue experiencing success. It might be one of the most popular magazines for young women today, but that isn’t the limitation of its reach. Cosmopolitan is one of the few magazines that can transcend all demographics and that are why it has such an influence on society today.

Should Advertiser Be Flocking To Cosmopolitan?

  • When women have read 3 out of the last 4 issues of Cosmopolitan, nearly 13% of them can point to a specific advertisement that they have seen.
  • The chances of having an advertisement seen when the target demographic has read all 4 of the last issues: 40.9%.
  • Over 3 million women who are reading Cosmopolitan right now are attending a college or a university.
  • For the last 25 years, Cosmopolitan has been the bestselling magazine in college bookstores, even news related magazines.
  • 3.2 million women who read Cosmopolitan are in a management role in their organization or are working as a professional within their industry.
  • 5.2 million women who are working full-time and read Cosmopolitan consider their job as part of their career.
  • The amount of women who read Cosmo and have an IEI of at least $35k: 3.9 million.

Advertising on Cosmopolitan makes sense if a business wants to get in touch with the modern woman. With over 15 million women reading the magazine on a regular basis and with so many women considering their full-time job as their career, the average reader has established herself as a force with whom to reckon. They are strong-willed, confident, and know exactly what they want. If you are able to solve a problem for these women and prove it through an advertising campaign, then there is a good chance that you’ll be able to increase your sales just by purchasing a placement in Cosmopolitan.

How Far Does Cosmopolitan Reach?

  • There are 64 international issues of Cosmopolitan that are regularly issued.
  • It was first published in 1886 and was initially intended to be a family-orientated magazine.
  • It was transformed into a women’s magazine in the late 1960’s.
  • Cosmopolitan is printed in 35 different languages.
  • The number of countries where Cosmopolitan is distributed: 110.

There are very few magazines that have the pedigree and staying power that Cosmopolitan has. This is partly why it is able to pull so many good readership numbers every month. It has a solid reputation, brand saturation, and incredible name recognition. If you’re trying to get any business to succeed today, these are the three categories that are needed in order for success to be found. A lot can be learned from Cosmo… a lot indeed.

Digital Magazine Trends

About The Author
Although millions of people visit Brandon's blog each month, his path to success was not easy. Go here to read his incredible story, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors." If you want to send Brandon a quick message, then visit his contact page here.