The number of color TV sets in American households surpassed the number of black and white TV sets in the mid-1960s. By 1964, color television sets had become more affordable and widespread, with the number of color TV households reaching around 3.6 million by July 1st of that year. This number continued to grow, reaching over 4.4 million by October 1st, 1964. By 1966, the number of color TV households had reached 5.2 million, representing approximately 9% of all television households in the United States.