More Americans pick 90 or older as the right age to die
Core finding
Considering both quality and quantity of life, 44.6% of U.S. adults put the ideal age to die at 90 or older, more than any other answer. The next most common choice is 85 to 89, at 23.1%.
Preferences skew long across the board: 17.9% say 80 to 84, 7.6% say 75 to 79, 3.6% say 70 to 74 and just 3.1% say under 70.
90 or older leads every other answer
44.6% of adults choose 90 or older as the ideal age to die, nearly double the 23.1% who choose 85 to 89.
Fewer choose each younger band: 17.9% say 80 to 84, 7.6% say 75 to 79, 3.6% say 70 to 74 and 3.1% say under 70.
Topline
44.6% of adults say the ideal age to die is 90 or older; 23.1% say 85 to 89.
n = 1,000 · May 21–26, 2026 · MoE ±3.1%
Who picks 90 or older
Black adults (56.4%) and adults 65 and older (50.3%) are the most likely to name 90 or older, compared with 42.2% of White adults and 36.3% of adults under 30.
By region, 50.9% in the Northeast pick 90 or older, versus 34.3% in the Midwest.
Legacy matters, but deep investment is a minority view
64.4% of adults say leaving a legacy beyond their family is at least somewhat important, the sum of 28.6% somewhat, 20.4% very and 15.4% extremely important. Only 35.8% (20.4% very plus 15.4% extremely) call it very or extremely important.
21.0% say a legacy is not too important and 14.5% not at all important. The racial divide is wide: 33.2% of Black adults call a legacy extremely important, versus 11.2% of White adults.
Topline
35.8% call leaving a legacy beyond family very or extremely important (20.4% very plus 15.4% extremely).
n = 1,000 · May 21–26, 2026 · MoE ±3.1%
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 21–26, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.1% |
| Module | Verasight AAPOR Omnibus Survey #2026-052 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026
Considering both quality and quantity of life, what do you think would be the ideal age to die?
- reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026
Excluding any children or other family you might have, how important is it to you that you leave a legacy for people to remember you by after you die?
Cite this topic
Verasight AAPOR Omnibus Survey #2026-052, fielded May 21-26, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.1%.