Anatomy of a Janeite

According to the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA), "In 2008, a prime opportunity arose for taking a more systematic look at this interesting community of Austen readers. The theme for the annual meeting of JASNA was to be 'Austen’s Legacy: Life, Love, & Laughter.' Believing that Jane’s greatest legacy is her devoted readership," a detailed survey of their membership was conducted. The Anatomy of a Janeite are the results.

Respondents were overwhelmingly female, with a median age of 40

Ninety percent came from English-speaking nations

Typically working women

Well-educated: 81% had a college degree, almost half had achieved a master's degree

Households are slightly more affluent than the median

More outgoing than shy

Well-traveled, including international travel. Almost half had visited Austen sites in England

More tea than coffee afficionadoes

Cat-lovers as opposed to dog-lovers

And so on. Go to the full survey results here.

An aside: Here's a humorous look at what a typical Janeite would look from the point of view of Austen's various books.

[Edited 5/28/14: It has come to my attention that the image below is copyrighted by Sandra Florance and is available for purchase as a 5x7 notecard at the Etsy store Turtle Doves.]

[Click to see a more readable image.]