Americans often weigh relationships and work goals equally
Core finding
Neither love nor work wins out for the largest group of Americans: 37% say having or maintaining a romantic relationship matters just as much as their work or education goals, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.
More lean toward the relationship than away from it: 35% of adults say it is more important than those goals, including 16% who say it is much more important, while 28% say it is less important, including 10% who say it is much less important.
Topline distribution
Americans often weigh relationships and work goals equally.
Compared to work or education goals, how important is the goal of having or maintaining a romantic relationship in your life?
n = 474 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±4.8%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 474 |
| Margin of error | ±4.8% |
| Module | identity |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
Compared to work or education goals, how important is the goal of having or maintaining a romantic relationship in your life?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=474 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.8%.