Report · Health

What draws people to time in nature

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted May 1 to 4, 2026, 73% of Americans selected mental well-being as a main reason for spending time in nature.

Physical health was also widely selected at 63%, while 50% selected recreation. Respondents could choose more than one reason.

Topline

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Selected responses

73% selected mental well-being as a main reason for spending time in nature.

What are your main reasons for spending time in nature?

  • Mental well-being 72.5%
  • Physical health 62.9%
  • Recreation 49.7%
  • For my pets 26.9%
  • To attend events 18.2%
  • Social connection 17.9%
  • Family obligations 11.7%
  • None of the above / I do not spend time in nature 4.0%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.2%

1

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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
2026-05-01 → 2026-05-04
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.2%
Module
1

Source

Citation

SBM Omnibus Survey #2026-049, fielded May 1-4, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that 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
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.