"TIME readers know a lot about us: there we are every week with our ideas showing. Now we are getting to know more about our readers. Some of the fascinating facts about them emerged in a new statistical study, Profile of Subscribers to the National Edition of TIME.

The average TIME subscriber in the U.S., says the study, has a median age of 39.3 years and an average household income of $14,904. Mr. Average Subscriber has a wife and, in true statistical fashion, 1.5 children. He owns his own home, worth an average of $27,235, where Mrs. Subscriber works with a daz zling array of electrical gadgets: 76% of the families studied have automatic washing machines, 30% have electric carving knives, 38% automatic garbage disposals. Half of TIME'S families have more than one car sitting in the garage; 67% of them were bought new.

With respect to education, the study reports that 79% of the subscribers attended college, nearly one-third of them going on to postgraduate work. Not counting retired people and students, the heads of family (and 73% of those quizzed were in this category) all work, an impressive 67% holding managerial or professional positions. Mr. Subscriber shows his concern for his brood by his investments: 94% have life insurance (average face value: $43,613), 67% own stocks and bonds. The average value of the TIME subscribing family's liquid assets is $37,441, which adds up to a spending potential of $124 billion.

And spend they do, on everything from FM stereo sets (52% of the families own one or more) to theater tickets (71% attend) to home power tools (58%). The average family avidly collects records (77%) and travels extensively (nine out of ten families took trips in 1965, 27% of them outside the country). Mr. Subscriber and his family enjoy all kinds of outdoor activity: three out of four swim, four out of ten bowl and the same number play golf, and 34% belong to a country club or other sporting club. And TIME families are hospitable, too. In the two weeks before the questionnaires were sent, 74% entertained guests in their home; 81% serve liquor, with Scotch, gin, bourbon and vodka the preferred drinks.

Aside from describing the average subscriber, the profile gives a few fascinating glimpses of that small group outside the mainstream: the 3% who serve Irish whisky, the 5% who own organs, the 2% who drink bottled water. We worry about the 6% who have no life insurance. What do the 1% who own vacant lots plan to do with their property? And will the 2% who have only a grade-school education go on to higher learning?

Since our subscribers are up to so many things, we are happy that they always have time for TIME. year the U.S. Post Office -- handles 76 billion pieces of mail. It is a staggering figure, but perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that Time Inc., spending $25 million a year, accounts for one billion of them. We have worked closely with the Post Office to try and find new and faster ways of processing mail ever since 1950.

This week has been designated National ZIP Code Week by President Johnson and marks the beginning of an all-out endeavor by the Post Office to persuade people to convert to the ZIP code. Time Inc. began using the code in 1963 when the system began, and this week has a series of speakers at work promoting the system around the country. Last year less than 30% of the mail was ZIP coded, this year nearly 50%. Next year the Government hopes for 80%. For TIMEsubscribers the easy way to check for their own ZIP code is to look at the address label on this issue.

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