Report · Culture

Most Americans express some satisfaction with their lives

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026, 66% of Americans said they were at least slightly satisfied with their life. Including 31% who said satisfied, 20% who said slightly satisfied, and 15% who said very satisfied.

About one in five said they were dissatisfied with their life (22%), with 9% who said slightly dissatisfied, 8% who said dissatisfied, and 6% who said very dissatisfied. Another 12% said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

66% of Americans say they are at least slightly satisfied with their life.

In general, how satisfied are you with your life?

  • Satisfied 30.9%
  • Slightly satisfied 20.1%
  • Very satisfied 15.2%
  • Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 11.7%
  • Slightly dissatisfied 9.0%
  • Dissatisfied 7.5%
  • Very dissatisfied 5.6%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.3%

identity

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
identity

Source

  • 01
    Most Americans express some satisfaction with their livesreports.verasight.io/reports/spsp26

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/spsp26#q-identity-39

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.