Report · Culture

Romantic-partner similarity matters to eight-in-ten Americans

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 526 U.S. adults conducted in May 2026, 82% of Americans said similarity in a romantic partner is at least moderately important. Including 40% who said moderately important, 32% who said very important, and 10% who said extremely important.

Another 14% said it is slightly important. About 4% said it is not important at all.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

82% of Americans say similarity in a romantic partner is at least moderately important.

How important is similarity in a romantic relationship partner?

  • Moderately important 39.7%
  • Very important 32.4%
  • Slightly important 14.0%
  • Extremely important 9.9%
  • Not important at all 3.9%

2026 · base n 526 · +/- 4.6%

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)
526
Margin of error
+/- 4.6%
Module
identity

Source

  • 01
    Romantic-partner similarity matters to eight-in-ten Americansreports.verasight.io/reports/spsp26

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=526 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/spsp26#q-identity-31_b

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.